City officials, along with sports-related and business groups interested in keeping KeyArena afloat in a competitive market, have begun working with the state Legislature to secure $75 million to complete a $300 million remodel. The city wants to create an NBA-ready facility with the hope of securing another basketball team in the near future.
According to the settlement, the city could receive another $30 million from Bennett’s group. In order to receive the money, the Legislature would have to fund $75 million toward the KeyArena revamp by Dec. 31, 2009, and Seattle would still have to be without a team by 2013. http://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/story/449518.html
Suns second-round draft pick Goran Dragic reached a buyout agreement with Spanish club Tau Ceramica and is en route to Phoenix to sign a contract to play for the Suns this season.
Dragic ended more than seven weeks of negotiations with the Spanish club by signing a buyout agreement Saturday night, his agent, Rade Filipovich, told The Arizona Republic on Sunday. Dragic is on his way to Phoenix with a verbal agreement that he will sign a four-year contract early this week with the Suns, Filipovich said. The deal’s fourth year will be a team option.
As much as anything, it is the floppy hair and long, scrawny body that rushes everyone back to Pistol Pete. His game is bigger and better, shorter on scoring ability and longer on leadership and defense. That’s the thing that stays with everyone: the innateness of his defense. Some dare dismiss him as style over substance, but those aren’t the people who’ve watched him closest.
“He’s an exceptional talent who’s doing and playing at a level over and above his age,” Moscow Dynamo coach David Blatt said. “I would say that Ricky looks more like Pistol than he plays like him. Maybe the biggest thing about him is his ability to change a game on defense, just wreak havoc on an opponent’s offense. But he doesn’t do it in a conventional way. He’ll let you go by him and run behind you and steal the ball. He roams all over the place, creating chaos and making things happen out of nowhere.” Yahoo! Sports
Isn’t this getting a little silly now? After years of hype, Ricky Rubio is, at the ripe old age of seventeen, being compared favourably with one of the greatest point guards in NBA history. So, is there something we don’t know? Is there a good reason people are getting so excited about the talented Spaniard? Or is this just another case of excessive expectations? Let us know what you think in the comment section.
The Wolves will publicly unveil for the first time the team’s newly designed uniforms for the upcoming 20th season at the IDS Crystal Court Monday from noon to 1 p.m.
The new home and road uniforms will be unveiled during a program that will include appearances by the Timberwolves mascot Crunch and members of the team’s basketball operations.
This will mark the third time in franchise history that the Timberwolves have changed uniforms.
What would you like to see Minnesota’s new duds look like? Are current NBA uniform trends going in a good direction? Is the fact that the Timberwolves have kept the same jersey for twelve seasons a sign that they were at least decent?
In the letter, which was sent Friday, NBA legal counsel wrote: “It has come to our attention that representatives of Hamed Ehadadi, an Iranian basketball player, may be contacting NBA teams to discuss the possibility of signing Mr. Ehadadi to an NBA player contract.
“We have been advised that a federal statue prohibits a person or organization in the United States from engaging in business dealings with Iranian nationals.”
The NBA is applying to the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control for a license that, “if granted,” the league said, would allow teams to negotiate with the 23-year-old Ehadadi. Until then, no franchise is allowed to do so. Yahoo! Sports
Is Ehadadi worth the trouble? Will Iran grant the NBA permission for their franchises to contact the promising pivot? Should politics ever play a part in basketball? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below.
After drawing interest from a few top contenders, including the NBA’s new champions in Boston, Michael Finley has elected to re-sign with the San Antonio Spurs.
NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com on Friday that Finley and the Spurs have reached terms on a new deal that has been submitted for league approval.
Contract specifics were not immediately available, but sources say Finley’s decision came down to a choice between staying with the Spurs or joining the Boston Celtics as the reigning champs’ replacement for James Posey, who signed with the New Orleans Hornets earlier this summer.
Was this a wise move for the Spurs? Fin might have been cheap, but shouldn’t San Antonio be looking to get younger? With Ginobili, Finley, Barry and Duncan all definitely past their prime, some believe it’s time for them to look to the long-term future rather than expecting to pull out another championship against fresher competitors. Let us know what you think in the comment box below.
"People just didn’t understand and didn’t know (last summer)," said Marbury, who will be in Coney Island Sunday when his summer kids basketball league holds its Finals at Surfside Gardens. "When I made comments about playing overseas people took it out of perspective, thought I was talking about leaving while still playing for the Knicks. It was turned into something negative about going to Italy. Now it seems it’s OK.
"Why wouldn’t you want to play basketball, still make money and live in a place that’s beautiful," Marbury added. "Milan is definitely where I want to play basketball at. That’s where I fell in love with Italy."
[...] "I’m fine, I don’t look at it as an uneasy situation," he added. "There’s no place but America where you can make 20 million dollars for free. I can’t get mad if they want to go in a different direction and want to pay me.
"I was pretty much miserable (in Indiana)," Jasikevicius said Thursday night after an emotional victory over Russia. "Those were bad times for me. Obviously."
[...]
"Obviously, the (up-tempo) style of play Rick promised me was never there, the opportunities to play were never there, and the players who were supposed to be gone by the time I came were still around," he said. "Rick did a great false recruiting job on me, like college recruiting where they say, ’If you come here, we promise you the world.’
"But Larry (Bird) being such an honorable man, and (then-president) Donnie (Walsh), too, they hire the coach and let him coach the way he wants. Rick’s a half-court man, no question."
[Chris Bosh has] learned a thing or two about himself and basketball, too.
"That I can play defence," he said after the United States trounced Greece 92-69 last night. "I know I’m digging a hole for myself with the Raptors and everything because the expectations are going to be there.
"I can play defence and I can play a different role. I think that’s hard for guys to accept sometimes, but I just want to win."
[...] "In ’06 I was still trying to find out what that role was, I was still trying to find myself and everything," he said. "It was frustrating because I wasn’t playing well and if I wasn’t doing what I was supposed to be doing, I couldn’t play.
New Orleans Hornets free agent guard Jannero Pargo, a valued sixth man, has signed a one-year contract with Moscow Dynamo worth $3.8 million, sources told Yahoo! Sports.
Once again, an American-born player with options in the NBA has chosen to take a more lucrative offer overseas. Pargo is the second NBA player to sign with Dynamo this summer, joining ex-New Jersey Nets forward Bostjan Nachbar. They will play for American-born coach, David Blatt, who was hired to take over the team.
Pargo, 28, had developed into a dangerous bench scorer for the Hornets and attracted the interest of several teams, including the San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks.
Is this the moment a minor trend became a major epidemic? Will Pargo’s signing have greater ramifications for the rest of the league? How much longer until the NBA responds? Comment in the box below with your thoughts.
"I guess it’s safe to say I’ve played my last game in a Bulls uniform," Gordon said.
Gordon, who has led the Bulls in scoring the past three seasons, said his agent, Raymond Brothers, has been speaking with other teams about sign-and-trade possibilities.
"I’m pretty optimistic it’ll happen," said Gordon, who averaged 18.6 points last season. "It’s very likely."
Brothers refused to name the teams he’s spoken with, but added playing in Europe is also a possibility. He said the only certainty is Gordon will not sign the Bulls’ one-year qualifying offer of $6.4 million. Visit ESPN for the full story.
What does this mean for Ben Gordon’s negotiations? Is there any chance the Chicago Bulls will offer him a contract bigger than Luol Deng’s? Will a Euroleague team jump in now that they know the combo guard is available? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
A Pennsylvania woman who claims Michael Jordan fathered her son has been sentenced to a week in jail for not complying with a court order.
A Crawford County judge barred 35-year-old Lisa Miceli of Meadville from contacting the former NBA star, his family or his representatives. Miceli also had to write a letter promising she would comply.
[...]
Jordan sued Miceli this year to enforce a 2005 agreement that required her to stop contacting him after two DNA tests showed he wasn’t the boy’s father. Jordan’s attorneys say Miceli continues to violate the deal, which Miceli says she was forced to sign.
Longtime Fixer "david" and his son attended the season ticket holders’ "town forum" meeting with Donnie Walsh. Here are some of the highlights david had to share:
1. Walsh said that Marbury has been a very good player in this league, and he’s not sure what has happened here but he’s worked hard this summer and has a clean slate. They want to see what he can do when he gets to training camp.
So it sounds like they are keeping Marbury around for awhile.
Does this indicate that the Donnie Walsh era will be as bad as the Isiah Thomas administration? Could Stephon Marbury have turned over a new leaf? How long will it take before the Knicks can be decent again?
But there’s a difference between being better and being fun to watch. A workmanlike team that wins games is not necessarily a team that is fun to watch. What I’d like the Knicks to develop into is a team that’s fun and that’s colorful and that you really like to watch every night, which is the way they were many years ago. It was fun to watch them, because they didn’t just pile up wins in unappealing ways.
AVC: Like the [San Antonio] Spurs.
WA: Yeah. I’d really rather be entertained and have them come in second than be bored stiff and see them grind to a first-place finish.
Do you agree with Woody that the Knicks should look to be entertaining if they can’t contend for championships? Would you rather they tried to assemble a Spurs-type team? Do you think he should stick to making films rather than commenting on hoops? Let us know in the box below.
It’s official now. This is NOT Japan and the 2006 World Championships, not to mention Athens and the 2004 Olympics.
This is Beijing and the 2008 Olympics, and the U.S. is back in men’s basketball.
These Americans, who looked so lost two years ago at the World Championship in Japan, appear to have found their Olympic way in China.
Batting away balls or swatting shots on seemingly every possession late in the second quarter, the Americans broke open a close game and went on to a 92-69 victory Thursday night to clinch a spot in the medal round.
Is it too soon to be saying this isn’t the 2006 World Championships after all? Should we wait until Team USA takes home a gold before claiming that the Bronze Age is over? Or can this squad guarantee a first-place finish? Let us know in the comment section.
Wednesday, August 13 2008
Mo Williams and LeBron James future teammates? Bucks, Cavs, and OKC talking trade
Bucks guard Mo Williams could be headed to Cleveland as part of a three-team trade, with the Bucks targeting point guard Luke Ridnour of the Oklahoma City franchise, formerly the Seattle SuperSonics.
NBA sources confirmed there have been discussions involving the three teams. Cleveland is searching for backcourt help to complement LeBron James, and Williams could fit the bill. But the point guard carries a hefty price tag with five years and $43 million remaining on the $51 million contract Williams signed with the Bucks prior to last season, when he was an unrestricted free agent.
Houston Rockets point guard Rafer Alston is due in court Thursday for an arraignment on a misdemeanor drunken driving charge.
Alston, 32, was arrested about 2:30 a.m. last Thursday and released on a $500 bond, police records show. A call to his agent, Dan Fegan, was not immediately returned Tuesday. The Rockets had no immediate comment, team spokesman Nelson Luis said.
With this being his third arrest since he entered the league, you have to wonder how many more chances Skip will get. How should the Rockets deal with this incident? Do NBA teams have any right to punish players for what they do in their summers at all? Let us know what you’re thinking via the comment section.
That much was clear Tuesday when the top pick in last year’s NBA draft worked out in front of the media for the first time since right knee surgery wiped out his rookie season with the Portland Trail Blazers.
[...] Asked whether he noticed Oden favoring his right knee, Frye dismissed it entirely.
"He favors dunking on your head, that’s what he favors," Frye said after giving up his share to Oden in the workout.
Can we crown Greg Oden Rookie of the Year already, or does he still have some work to do? Is this reason enough to get excited, or is one practice nothing to go on? Let us know what you think of Greg Oden’s potential this year in the comment box below.
Los Angeles Clippers guard Dan Dickau became the ninth player who held a job in the NBA last campaign to defect to a foreign club this offseason when he agreed to join the Euroleague team Avellino on Tuesday.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
[...]
“Our aim was to find a player that could make a difference and dictate the tempo of our team,” Avellino club president Vincenzo Ercolino told Euroleague.net. “He is a serious professional with NBA experience. We have nothing to envy of any other playmaker that arrived in Italy this year.” Yahoo! Sports for the full story
Is this another sign of the times? Will there be more players leaving the NBA in the months to come? Is Dan Dickau significant enough that we should even care?
Whether Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim’s view of the Nuggets’ offseason salary dump reflects Anthony’s view or is merely an attempt to watch Anthony’s back may be academic. Boeheim, clearly, is in a position to say things Anthony can’t without causing a public rift within the organization.
Boeheim and Anthony are in China as members of the U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team, Boeheim as an assistant to head coach Mike Krzyzewski.
"Without Camby, I don’t see any way that they can possibly win because he was a key guy for them," Boeheim told me the other day. "Believe me, I watched at least 70 games they played, maybe more. And he was a key guy." Rocky Mountain News for the full story
Is Jim Boeheim right? Are the Denver Nuggets making Carmelo Anthony’s job harder in Denver? Does he even have a right to comment?
Players on Spain’s Olympic basketball team defended a photo in an ad showing the players using their fingers to apparently make their eyes look more Chinese.
The photo, which has been running as a newspaper spread in Spain since Friday, shows all 15 players making the gesture on a basketball court adorned with a Chinese dragon. The photo was part of a publicity campaign for team sponsor Seur and is being used only in Spain.
’’It was something like supposed to be funny or something but never offensive in any way,’’ said Spain centre Pau Gasol, who also plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. ’’I’m sorry if anybody thought or took it the wrong way and thought that it was offensive.’’
The Pistons re-signed forward Walter Herrmann, who was acquired last December in a midseason trade that sent Nazr Mohammed to the Bobcats.
"Walter is a player with tremendous work ethic and showed last year that he’s a player that can contribute to this team," Pistons president Joe Dumars said.
Herrmann, a 6-foot-9, 229-pounder, played in 28 games with Detroit last season, averaging three points and 1.3 rebounds in 7.1 minutes. http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080812/SPORTS0102/808120401/1127/
The Indiana Pacers have the option to extend the contract of forward Danny Granger this summer, but have not opened up discussions yet.
"We haven’t actually started that process yet," General Manager David Morway told RealGM’s Andrew Perna last week. "We have until October to do that, and I’m sure we will have conversations. Danny is a young player that we hope to build with, but we haven’t even begun yet."
Granger averaged 19.6 points and 6.1 rebounds for Indiana last season and has quickly become the face of the franchise. http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/53956/20080811/pacers_havent_begun_negotiating_with_granger/
For the second consecutive season, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers had the top selling NBA jersey in China. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, members of the 2008 NBA Champion Boston Celtics, moved into the top five on this year’s list.
Garnett, who had the most popular jersey in the U.S. this season, moved up to second this year in China. The Houston Rockets’ Tracy McGrady ranked third for the second consecutive season. http://basketball.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/53969/20080812/kobes_jersey_the_top_seller_in_china/
Houston Rockets center Yao Ming was recently quoted as saying that when he takes to the court in Beijing, it will mark his third and final appearance at the Olympic Games.
Perhaps Yao is hoping for an Olympic fairytale send off of capturing a gold medal in front of his home fans. Certainly such an achievement couldn’t be topped at international level.
Highly respected among China’s sporting fraternity, Yao had the honor of carrying his countries’ flag during the opening ceremony at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and is rumored to be a candidate to light the cauldron to mark the beginning of this month’s historic games in his native land. http://rockets.realgm.com/articles/91/20080808/yao_looking_forward_to_a_rest/
LeBron James and his teammates easily shoved Angola aside. Now come the teams that can push back.
Dwyane Wade scored 19 points, James dominated the game with his size and strength on both ends, and the U.S. Olympic team wrapped up the easy portion of its schedule with a 97-76 victory Tuesday night.
Dwight Howard added 14 points and James finished with 12 for the Americans, who had another rough night from 3-point range but don’t appear to be stoppable in the open court. Wade was perfect from the field in Beijing until missing in the third quarter. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/olympics/2008/08/12/usa.angola.ap/index.html?eref=si_topstories
In a breathtaking moment of Lithuania Olympic lore, Nuggets forward Linas Kleiza hit a 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds left, a game-winner against Argentina, the 2004 gold-medal winners, here Sunday.
"It definitely felt good when it came out," Kleiza said Sunday. "It’s a good feeling, I’m not going to lie."
Kleiza had been quiet in the first three-plus quarters, in which his team played splendidly. With five minutes left, his team led by eight — and Kleiza had just four points. http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_10157407
“We are pleased to be able to finalize this exciting agreement for Earl with such a well-respected Italian club,” said Andy Bountogianis, director of worldwide basketball for Mark Termini Associates. “Earl will bring tremendous on-court production to the club, while generating a level of fan interest that will be extraordinary even for Italian basketball.”
The agreement between Boykins and Virtus Bologna includes a unique marketing partnership that provides Boykins with financial participation in the club’s sponsorship and marketing income. http://news-herald.townnews.com/articles/2008/08/10/sports/doc489e70ff6f55c301173198.txt
Murray has reportedly been offered a contract worth $2.5 million USD ($5 million gross) by Dynamo. Dynamo coach David Blatt also has his eye on former Hornets guard Jannero Pargo, who is being pursued by San Antonio and Denver. Those teams were offering a little more than $2 million. Pargo’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, is using the interest in Russia as leverage with the NBA clubs. http://news-herald.townnews.com/articles/2008/08/10/sports/doc489e70ff6f55c301173198.txt
Dan Gilbert’s kids returned from camp Friday and immediately asked their father: Is LeBron James going to Europe?
The Cavs’ owner took a step back, said LeBron wasn’t going anywhere and asked where they heard that. Everyone, they told him, was talking about it.
This did not exactly thrill Gilbert. He has more or less shrugged off as offseason gossip the rumors of a Greek team paying James $50 million a year in 2010.
’’The reason this thing is where it’s at,’’ Gilbert said, ’’is that we’ve got a bunch of bored, East Coast sports writers who have nothing to do because the offseason is a few months away and the Olympics [hadn’t] started yet.’’ http://www.ohio.com/sports/26527799.html?page=3&c=y
Second-round pick DeVon Hardin is expected to sign with a team in Turkey. Under NBA rules, Oklahoma City can retain his draft rights for up to one year after his contract ends with his overseas team, allowing Oklahoma City to monitor his development and have the first chance at signing him when he returns. http://newsok.com/okc-second-round-nba-pick-hardin-will-likely-sign-with-team-in-turkey/article/3281689
When Williams was a free agent in the summer of 2007, the Cavs reportedly made him an offer. However, he re-signed with the Bucks.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Williams is good, but is he a difference-maker? Would he allow the Cavs to get to another round of the playoffs?
Some have questioned how Redd would have fit in with superstar LeBron James. The same questions could be asked about Williams, who is a prolific scorer who is used to getting his shots.
He’s shredded the Cavs over the years. He’s not known as being a top defender, even though he boasts quickness and speed. He has appeared in just five career playoff games. http://news-herald.townnews.com/articles/2008/08/10/sports/doc489e70ff6f55c301173198.txt
That career finds Gordon still a member of the Bulls — as of now. He’s a restricted free agent. Gordon said negotiations are at a stalemate with the Bulls, and he doesn’t know if he’ll be back in Chicago for a fifth season.
"Right now, honestly, it doesn’t look like it," Gordon said. "I think a decision is going to be made soon. ... I’ve had a great time here. I was fortunate enough to play on a team that made the playoffs; I led the team in scoring three of the four seasons I’ve been here. It’s been a good experience, but we haven’t been able to come to any common ground. It’s just part of the business. You have to do what you have to do sometimes." http://www.courant.com/services/newspaper/printedition/sports/hc-gordon0808.artaug08,0,2008833.story
Ricky Rubio played thirteen strong minutes in Spain’s 81-66 win over Greece on Sunday.
Coming off the bench, Rubio had seven points, one assist, one rebound and one block for Spain.
Pau Gasol, Jose Calderon and Rudy Fernandez led Spain, combining for 40 points and 13 rebounds in the victory. http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/53944/20080810/rubio_helps_spain_knock_off_greece/
The U.S. Olympic basketball team treated President Bush and perhaps a billion more fans to a game to remember.
With LeBron James and Dwyane Wade soaring for dunks that thrilled the raucous crowd at Beijing’s basketball arena, the United States pulled away for a 101-70 victory against host China on Sunday night.
Wade scored 19 points and James had 18 for the Americans in one of the most highly anticipated events of these Summer Games. http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/summer08/basketball/men/recap?gameId=765
I’ve said all I have to say on this issue already, so I’ll leave it to the players to talk now. Here’s the latest round of quotes from NBA superstars concerning the possibility of signing abroad for more than their current franchises can offer.
I can’t just throw all my eggs in one basket. There’s going to be a lot of opportunities for me in 2010 to decide if I want to stay with Cleveland or if I want to go elsewhere. Could I ever imagine it? No. Is it a possibility? Yes. - LeBron James
[Olympiakos] haven’t offered me anything. I haven’t talked to any of them at all. So it’s kind of a rumor that was put out there.... With the right opportunity, you never know. - LeBron James
I love basketball. So I’ll play basketball anywhere. - LeBron James If somebody throws $50 million on the table for me, we can talk. - Carmelo Anthony
What would you do? Show me a person that’s not going [to sign for that much]... maybe Bill Gates. - Chris Paul
Read, ruminate, then react in the comment box below.
If Kobe Bryant’s recent admission that he’d likely accept a fifty-million-dollar deal from a Euroleague team weren’t concern enough for the Lakers, this should be. When asked if he’d listen to offers from the non-NBA organisations prepared to offer that sort of cash, he let loose the one word Kupchak and company didn’t want to hear.
Yes.
Kobe also touched upon some issues many have raised in their coverage of the European affair in suggesting that we may soon see reforms in the league’s salary cap restrictions and luxury tax impositions.
As players, the business of the game [is] evolving. I think free agency now is becoming a global thing …. When players become free agents, the team they’re currently with – their competition is no longer the rest of the teams in the NBA. But it’s global. So, the market’s opened up. So we’ll just have to see how the league responds to it.
Indeed. So, how soon would you expect to see the league respond? What should David Stern do to prevent NBA players from leaving simply for bigger deals abroad? Let us know what you think in the the comment box below.
Well, that didn’t take long. In a matter of hours, the Atlanta Hawks responded to the offer sheet the Memphis Grizzlies tendered Josh Smith by matching and ensuring the man they call "J-Smoove" stays in the A. Given that both Luol Deng and Emeka Okafor managed to squeeze over $70 million out of their respective franchises, it’s a little surprising that Smith, one of the league’s top team defenders and a threat to average twenty-plus in the near future, settled for a mere $58 million.
Still, with the last offer from the Hawks being a full thirteen million lower, it wasn’t a bad day’s business for Josh and his agent. Likewise, Atlanta can breathe a little easier knowing that it’s possible to keep their free agents in town (and on the continent) without having to hand out the sort of bank-breaking deals we’ve been seeing this summer.
USA Basketball Managing Director Jerry Colangelo believes that forward Carmelo Anthony needs to return to where he was two summers ago, according to The Rocky Mountain News.
"Carmelo still has work to do in terms of getting ready," said Colangelo. "He came up with a little cramp because of conditioning (in Thursday’s practice). . . . We need a lot out of Carmelo."
"He has to play at the same intensity (of the past two summers). He has to get up and down the court. He has to knock down his shots," he added. "Right now, he’s not shooting well, and he’s not in the best of shape yet." http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/aug/07/colangelo-wants-melo-accurate-in-best-shape/
The Memphis Grizzlies have sent a contract offer worth $58 million to Atlanta Hawks restricted free agent Josh Smith today, according to multiple NBA sources.
As the only team left with significant room under the salary cap, the Griz have shifted out of a summer holding pattern and targeted the versatile 6-9, 235-pound forward.
Atlanta has seven days to match, per league rules, once Smith receives the offer sheet.
Smith’s numbers have increased in each of his four NBA seasons since Atlanta made him a first-round pick out of high school in 2004. He averaged 17.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.8 blocks last season, helping the Hawks make the playoffs. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/aug/08/griz-sign-hawks-smith-offer-sheet/
And suddenly a million fans in Lakerland became very nervous. On being asked if he’d consider inking a deal for $50 million in Italy, Kobe Bryant gave the response nobody in Los Angeles wanted to hear.
I’d go. I’d probably go. Like Milan or something like that, where I grew up or something like that…Peace out.
David Stern has to be hoping that the "Peace out" referred to the end of the conversation, not his tenure in the NBA. If Kobe were to take such a deal and play overseas, even if only for a year, it would almost certainly lead to a reconsideration of the league’s salary restrictions. While the league has been happy to mine Europe for talent over the past decade or so, it’s unlikely it would be willing to let an American-born superstar go the other way without a fight. As a consequence, we might soon see the biggest reassessment of NBA money matters since the lockout.
So, what would be Kobe’s primary motivation to make the move? The chance to help globalise the game? The opportunity to break new ground by leaving the league even with a maximum contract on the table? Of course not.
Do you know any reasonable person that would turn down 50 [million dollars]?
The Lakers and point guard Sun Yue have agreed to terms on a two-season contract, the team confirmed Thursday. The Lakers hope to sign Sun formally within the next few days, team spokesman John Black said.
"Hopefully, it will get done soon," Black said.
Sun, known as the Chinese Magic Johnson because of his eye-catching playmaking ability, will face his future teammate Kobe Bryant when China plays the United States on Sunday in the Olympic Games opener in Beijing.
The Lakers drafted the 6-foot-9, 212-pound Sun in the second round in 2007. He spent last season with Aoshen, his Beijing club team, and also played with the Chinese National team in preparation for the Olympics.
Kobe Bryant made clear Friday that the United States basketball team would only be satisfied with winning the Olympic gold medal in Beijing and that he was well prepared to adapt to the international game.
"We’re here to win gold and it’s serious business," said the LA Lakers star ahead of Sunday’s opening game against China.
"We just have to continue to get better, that’s the key for us. Every single game that’s our message, every single day the team tries to progress to be a better basketball team." http://www.bangkokpost.com/sportsplus/sportsplus.php?id=129439
By signing Williams, the Clippers basically eliminated themselves from re-signing point guard Shaun Livingston, who still has not been cleared for basketball as he recovers from a knee injury suffered in February 2007.
Livingston, who did not receive a qualifying offer from the Clippers after the season, recently turned down a reported one-year guaranteed deal from the team.
"At this point and time, we had to move on," Baylor said about re-signing Livingston. "Shaun is not ready to make a commitment." http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/clippers/la-sp-clippers8-2008aug08,0,2665268.story
Magic talked a lot about how the Cowboys could recover from last season’s playoff failure to become Super Bowl champions. He was discussing how precious legitimate championship chances are when he dropped in this little nugget on the Mavs.
"You saw the Dallas Mavericks had that window, and that window closed on them," Magic said. "So it can close real fast." http://mavsblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/08/magic-johnson-mavericks-window-has-close.html
Word from out west is that erratic floor general Jason Williams has just inked a deal that will see him suit up for the new-look Los Angeles Clippers next season. Let’s go to the quotes.
Jason is an experienced and proven player. He is a terrific ball handler with great passing ability and court vision. - Elgin Baylor We are excited to add Jason to our squad. He brings added veteran leadership and playoff experience to our backcourt. - Mike Dunleavy
Traditionalists will question the value of this acquisition given that Baron Davis - a fellow point guard - also joined the Clips this summer. His time sharing the court with Monta Ellis, however, showed that he’s capable of sliding to the two for stretches.
So, is Dunleavy planning to go to the small-ball, run-and-gun style of play that brought Don Nelson mixed results in Oakland? Can Jason Williams and fellow Heat-to-Clippers transfer Ricky Davis rediscover their form in Los Angeles? Will the projected White Chocolate-Boom Dizzle backcourt be a productive pairing or the worst idea since the WNBA? Let us know what you think in the comment box below.
The NBA’s Web site all but confirmed Thunder would be the nickname of Oklahoma City’s NBA team on Wednesday morning — by Wednesday afternoon, the evidence was gone.
When the league released its schedule on Wednesday, the NBA web site linked to a page that listed the “Oklahoma City Thunder schedule” and clicking on any of the Oklahoma City’s 82 games took you to the url — www.nba.com/thunder
By Wednesday afternoon, the word Thunder was nowhere to be found on the Oklahoma City schedule page and all of the links pointed to www.nba.com/oklahomacity
Oklahoma City NBA team spokesman Dan Mahoney’s comment Wednesday was similar to previous weeks. “We’re not going to comment on the name until we’re ready to announce something,” Mahoney said. http://newsok.com/oklahoma-city-thunder-clues-hidden-in-nba-schedule/article/3279771
With the free agent point guard list dwindling, the Heat spoke to agents for Shaun Livingston and Jannero Pargo (but did not make offers) while maintaining contact with Jason Williams, who remains a fallback option at best. Agent Mark Bartelstein said it’s uncertain if restricted free agent Chris Quinn will return. The Heat, which has several trade options (including Oklahoma City’s Luke Ridnour), would at least be expected to explore signing Stephon Marbury if the Knicks eventually cut him. http://www.miamiherald.com/1262/story/630521.html
Former Knicks guard Allan Houston said today he is planning a comeback to the NBA. Houston, one of the best outside shooters in Knicks history (1996-2005), was on hand as a guest speaker/coach at the 17th annual Gatorade Knicks Summer Basketball Camp held at Hunter College. After talking to 150 campers, ages 8-18, and teaching them about defensive positioning* and the importance of character on and off the court, Houston shared his thoughts on a return to the NBA.
"I am going to try and come back this year," Houston said, adding that his agent has been in contact with a couple teams in the league.
While Houston did not want to name those teams specifically, he said that after Labor Day he should have a better idea of potential landing spots. http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/basketball/knicks/blog/2008/08/allan_houstonmaking_a_comeback.html
Indiana Pacers co-owner Herb Simon is on the same page as his team president, general manager and coach when it comes to embattled Jamaal Tinsley: The point guard’s time with the franchise is over.
Simon, who owns the team with his older brother Mel, is so sure the Pacers will trade Tinsley, he discounted other scenarios. Advertisement
Simon said Tuesday he has no plans to buy out the remaining three years of Tinsley’s contract. Simon also brushed off any possibility Tinsley will sit home collecting a paycheck if the franchise can’t trade him.
"Tinsley, he’s probably outlived his welcome here," Simon said. "He’s a very talented player. Teams will give us a hard time because they know it’s better for him and for us to have him play somewhere else. We’re confident that we’ll find a good place." http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080806/SPORTS04/808060396/1088/SPORTS04
With the free agent point guard list dwindling, the Heat spoke to agents for Shaun Livingston and Jannero Pargo (but did not make offers) while maintaining contact with Jason Williams, who remains a fallback option at best. Agent Mark Bartelstein said it’s uncertain if restricted free agent Chris Quinn will return. The Heat, which has several trade options (including Oklahoma City’s Luke Ridnour), would at least be expected to explore signing Stephon Marbury if the Knicks eventually cut him. http://www.miamiherald.com/1262/story/630521.html
So now we have a number. A source close to LeBron James was today quoted as saying that the All-Star and Olympian would consider plying his trade in the Euroleague for the arbitrary-sounding sum of $50 million. This same insider also let loose that CSKA Moscow and Olympiakos - both backed by billionaire owners - have been in touch with King James, although no formal negotiations are said to have taken place.
So, how much of a concern is it to the NBA that there is, in theory, a deal which could send LeBron abroad for a year or two? "I don’t want to say it’s much ado about nothing, but we think it’s overblown a bit. It’s not something we’re losing sleep over. " - Joel Litvin, President of NBA League and Basketball Operations
Oh no? I think now is exactly the right time to start being concerned. While the NBA is yet to lose a genuine superstar, we now know that perhaps the biggest name in the game has a price. With money evidently being a secondary concern for the big ballers who bankroll the larger Euroleague operations, you can rest assured that there’s at least one club willing to front that fifty million. "For the most part, the league considers the players to be fungible products. But LeBron is one of the three or four players the league would definitely hate to lose. If a team lost him or Kobe to Europe, it would lose its mind. It would be devastating." - NBPA official
At this point, we have to ask "What if?" How much would this shake up the league’s modus operandi if they lost LeBron, Kobe or one of the other players previously considered untouchable? Do you think we’re in line to see some changes to the league’s salary cap restrictions? Let us know what you think in the comment box below.
Multiple sources report that Earl "The Squirrel" Boykins has just joined Virtus Bologna, making him the ninth player to ink a deal in the Euroleague having logged meaningful minutes in the NBA last season. Boykins’ contract is worth an even $3.5 million, making the pint-sized point the highest-paid player in all of Italy.
So, will Boykins be able to justify that kind of cash? How many more players will jump ship before the summer’s done? Let us know what you think in the comment box below.
The rumor in one Western Conference front office Monday afternoon had it that Pargo was about to agree to — or perhaps already had agreed to — a deal that would have brought the backup point guard to San Antonio.
Ah, but not so fast.
Pargo’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, acknowledged ongoing talks with the Spurs, but said his client has yet to agree to a deal with anyone.
"The Spurs speak for themselves," Bartelstein said Monday. "It’s a great place to play. They are limited in what they can do financially, but we are definitely talking to them." http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/courtside/archives/2008/08/jeff_mcdonald_s_12.html
The rehabilitation of Greg Oden and his right knee is officially over.
Now, it’s all about basketball.
So on Monday, the Blazers’ 2007 No. 1 overall draft pick who missed all of last season because of a knee injury, began the latest and most significant step in his comeback. He practiced for the first time in full-contract drills, going up against teammate Channing Frye for 45 minutes at the Blazers’ practice facility in Tualatin.
For moments, it was awe-inspiring. Early in the workout, Oden took a long stride and ripped at the rim with such ferocity that the shot clock mounted on the backboard shook for more than five seconds punctuating one of his dunks.
"I’ve got tingles," assistant general manager Tom Penn said from his courtside seat. http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/121790850650380.xml&coll=7
I just got off a teleconference set up by the Pistons with newly signed center Kwame Brown.
He said all the right things, which is what you would expect.
What I found most interesting about him was the fact that he seemed to talk a lot about making his presence felt defensively.
"I think I’m one of the most under-rated defenders in the league," he said.
He spoke glowingly about being back on the Eastern Conference where his size and defensive skills are better suited. He also addressed his reputation of being an under-achiever. http://www.mlive.com/pistons/index.ssf/2008/08/kwame_speaks.html
The 22-year-old Smith is a restricted free agent, but there is no indication that he and the Nuggets are going to part ways anytime soon. In fact, I’ve been told by a very reliable source that J.R. is not going anywhere and he could re-sign with Denver within the next 7 to 10 days.
Smith is one of those young players the Nuggets can ill afford to let go. He has had some bumpy times in Denver — not to mention his home state of New Jersey, where he was the driver in a fatal accident last summer — but he showed signs of maturity last season and even gained back much of the trust that George Karl had lost in him during the 2007 playoffs. Plus, he can shoot as well as anyone in the league. http://blogs.rockymountainnews.com/nuggets/archives/2008/08/keeping_tabs_on.html
Does it count as news if everyone already knew it was going to happen? Let’s assume that it does and treat this story as if it’s a surprise. The folks at the not-so-attractively-named Forest City Ratner company have come out and admitted that the schedule which would have seen the new arena for the soon-to-be Brooklyn Nets completed in "calendar year 2010" is "very aggressive".
For those of you not fluent in business-speak, that means that there’s about as much chance it’ll be ready by 2010 as there is of Bruce Ratner suiting up and playing small forward on opening night. While [2010 is] the goal, if it is not met, then it would end up being calendar year 2011.
News broke yesterday that Paul Pierce had been pulled over by Las Vegas police, subjected to a series of field sobriety tests, and allowed to leave without a citation. Now, however, it turns out that things weren’t quite as civil as the initial reports suggest, with Pierce being restrained for a quarter of an hour. Bill Cassell, a spokesperson for the LVPD, claimed that while he didn’t know the exact story behind the cuffing, it generally occurs when "an individual is loudly hostile."
You know when people tend to become loudly hostile? When the police pull them over for something they didn’t do, then proceed to subject them to a series of humiliating tests in public. Given that Pierce passed every single one in addition to a breathalyzer, it’s no wonder he was a little peeved. Evidently, he was deemed sufficiently mad that the police felt it justified a cuffing. “You have to remember he’s a big guy,” Cassell said.
Well, that’s certainly reason enough to slap a pair on the dude. Cassell went on to claim that the Truth "rapidly calmed down" and was released after fifteen minutes. Let’s not forget that through all of this, Pierce was at no point arrested or cited for any infraction. “We don’t cite everybody we stop,” Cassell said. “Sometimes we give just a verbal warning. It’s based on the totality of the circumstances.”
While I’m no legal expert, I can guess why they didn’t cite P.P. in this instance: He didn’t do anything illegal. Still, as long as the police consider DWB a crime, I’m sure they’ll manage to find some way to embarrass law-abiding NBA players while they go about their business.
Honesty or irony? Either way, Kobe Bryant made the following statement when asked if he would consider setting up shop in the Euroleague for the right price: Of course. By the way, are you the owner of a Russian team? It can be arranged for $40 million per year.
Kobe’s currently in the middle of a seven-year deal worth $136.4 million, so it’s not as if he’s strapped for cash. Still, who’s to say he couldn’t be tempted to opt out (he can do so after the fifth year of his deal) if given the chance to earn a tax-free forty million for half a season’s work?
If there’s one thing following the finances of NBA franchises has taught me, it’s that everyone has their price. Now that Euroleague outfits owned by billionaires and unrestricted by salary caps and luxury taxes are willing to pay that price, it can’t be long before we see a top-tier talent make the move.
So, could Kobe ever be tempted by the money? Bear in mind that, with taxes and the shorter season factored in, he could earn nearly eight times more per game in Russia than in Los Angeles. Let us know what you think in the comment box below.
And so it continues. After getting no love from his Orlando Magic during the playoffs or, evidently, contract negotiations, Carlos Arroyo has decided to sign on the line for Israeli powerhouse Maccabi Tel-Aviv. The deal stands to pay him $2.5 million next year, nearly all of which cash he’ll see since the club will likely pay his taxes.
Arroyo’s three-year deal includes the standard opt-out clause that will allow him to terminate the contract after either of his first two seasons in order to return to the NBA. Maccabi, who beat the Toronto Raptors in an exhibition game prior to the start of the ’05-’06 season, were rumoured to be pursuing Miami free agent Jason Williams. Instead, Arroyo will helm the point for them next year, strengthening what was already one of the most formidable squads in the Euroleague.
So, how many more will leave the NBA for "greener" pastures across the pond this summer? Will the league respond or is this the beginning of a major trend? Let us know what you think in the comment box below.
Kid: Who would win in a game of one-on-one between you and Kobe?
Michael Jordan: Kobe would win because I’m older. In my prime? Not even a contest. Let’s just say I have a better chance of stopping him than him stopping me.
Oh my. Mike may have stepped away from the game of basketball a minute ago, but evidently he’s still on form when it comes to talking trash. On being being asked the "You or Kobe?" question for the umpteenth time, he tells a crowd of camp attendees what he really feels, and in doing so reignites a debate that had all but died.
So, what do you all think? Would M.J. in his prime make light work of Kobe Bryant in a game of one-on-one? Let us know in the comment box below.
Following his recent admission of offseason marijuana use, you’d think Josh Howard would be doing his utmost to keep his nose clean right now. Evidently that’s not so, as police in his hometown of Winston-Salem took him in for driving ninety-four in a fifty-five last night as he participated in what was apparently a street race.
Howard was released from the Forsyth County jail on a written promise to appear in court on September 23 to face charges of speeding, reckless driving and "speed competition", a crime the five-oh may have invented solely for the purpose of pinning something else on an NBA player. While he’ll likely get away with a mere slap on the wrist from the judge, it’s unlikely Mark Cuban will be as forgiving. You can expect J-Ho to be traded before the new season rolls around, and it’s likely the Mavericks will give him up for less than market value.
Despite the ostensible acrimony that characterised the end of their relationship, it appears as if Baron Davis and Don Nelson are still tight. Coach Don, who spends his summers bronzing his behind in Maui, was recently asked if he was expecting any visitors. Baron’s coming out next week. It’ll be good to see him. I miss him.
Ain’t that cute? Evidently, Baron has forgiven his former coach for the inexplicable benching in the last game of their curtailed playoff run. With Nelson recently having been made $6.3 million richer (my heart bleeds, Cubes) and Boom Dizzle fresh from signing a deal worth $65 million, there’ll be no quibbles over who pays for the cocktails.
The 76ers agreed to terms today with restricted free agent guard Louis Williams on a 5-year contract.
Additional terms of the deal were not immediately known.
"It’s a good deal for Louis," Merle Scott, Williams’ agent, told the Daily News. "It gives him a chance to grow with a team that’s building and allows him to stay with the team he came into the league with." http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/20080731_Sixers__Williams_agree_on_5-year_deal.html
"He is happy as he can be to be put in a situation to compete for a championship. He’s ecstatic."
By Thursday, Artest was happy to talk about basketball and joining Tracy McGrady, Rafer Alston and Shane Battier with the Rockets.
“Definitely playing with Tracy, I’ve got a guy that can take over a game,” Artest said. “I got my thing take over a game defensively. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/5918602.html
The Bulls and Gordon’s camp remain far apart. According to sources, the Bulls are offering an average salary in the $8 million to $9 million range, while Gordon is looking for something in the $12 million range. Deng’s deal averages $11.8 million.
Because Gordon has led the team in scoring the last three years, his representatives believe he should be the highest-paid player. The Bulls can’t do that without exceeding the luxury-tax threshold.
’’There are differences in how we’re looking at it, but we have time,’’ Paxson said. ’’No deadline is out there looming. We need to keep working at it and keep it professional and keep it moving in the right direction. No one’s dug their heels in, and that’s a good thing.’’ http://www.suntimes.com/sports/basketball/bulls/1085344,CST-SPT-bull01.article
If you’re following the free agency saga of point guard Jason Williams, here’s an update.
Amid an ESPN report that J-Will is in serious discussions with Israeli-league team Tel Aviv, just received confirmation that there is indeed interest, but that a deal is not imminent.
In fact, we’ve been told by two sources that J-Will essentially remains in a holding pattern with a couple of potential suitors. A few days ago, we were told not to completely rule out a possible return to the Heat at a deeply, deeply, deeply discounted rate from the $8.9 million he earned last season.
If Heat president Pat Riley is even interested in a reunion (count me among those who figured J-Will’s days in Miami were numbered after the "high-paid prostitutes" comment he made on Christmas Day in Cleveland), it would most likely happen in the range of $1.3 to $2 million. http://blogs.herald.com/miami_heat/2008/07/a-heatrelated-t.html
In what had been a quiet offseason, the Rockets are about to make a lot of noise.
In a stunning move designed to push the Rockets from solid playoff team toward legitimate NBA contenders, the Rockets reached agreement Tuesday with the Sacramento Kings to acquire gifted but controversial forward Ron Artest, according to an NBA executive with knowledge of the deal.
The Rockets will give up guard Bobby Jackson, a No. 1 draft pick next season and another player that the individual with knowledge of the trade could not name. Rockets general manager Daryl Morey could not be immediately reached for comment.
Because of contract considerations, the trade will not be announced until Aug. 14, though that would indicate the deal could include RocketsÂ’ first round draft pick Donte Greene. Greene is not permitted to be traded until then, one month from when he signed with the Rockets. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/5914062.html
The Charlotte Bobcats have agreed in principle on a six-year contract worth at least $72 million with restricted free agent Emeka Okafor.
General manager Rod Higgins confirmed the agreement Tuesday to local reporters, saying that he expects the contract to be completed "in the next few days" after an ESPN.com report said the sides had made significant progress in the past week and were on the verge of a deal.
The agreement with Okafor by far represents Charlotte’s biggest expenditure on one player as the club readies for its fifth season. Okafor turned down a five-year deal with a similar $12 million annual average before last season, preferring to wait for restricted free agency.
"It was very important for us to get a deal done," Higgins told The Associated Press. "He creates a sense of security around the basket for us. He’s a guy that I think his skills are still developing in a lot of ways. Having Larry [Brown] as our head coach now, Emeka will benefit having a great coach to teach him." http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3509028
The Los Angeles Clippers signed free-agent swingman Ricky Davis to a multi-year contract on Monday.
Terms were not disclosed.
Davis, 28, averaged 13.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 36.1 minutes in 82 games with the Miami Heat last season.
"He can score from outside, he can score from inside," Clippers general manager Elgin Baylor said. "He is versatile [and] he has been terrific coming off the bench — instant offence." http://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/story/2008/07/28/nba-clippers-davis.html?ref=rss
New Jersey Nets free agent Nenad Krstic signed a two year deal worth $3 million euros per year with Triumph Moscow early Tuesday morning, Krstic’s agent, Marc Cornstein, said.
The salary is the equivalent of around $9 million per year in the United States once you factor in the exchange rate and the fact that European clubs pay all the players’ taxes.
Cornstein worked until midnight Eastern time trying to find an NBA team willing to pay Krstic at least a mid-level contract to keep him in the NBA. But as the midnight deadline passed, Krstic became the sixth NBA player to recently bolt the league for Europe.
"At the end of the day, Triumph offered him the most love," Cornstein told ESPN.com. "This was too good of a deal to pass up for him." http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3508955
Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy was sentenced Tuesday in a New York court to 15 months in prison for his role in the betting scandal that has rocked the league.
Donaghy, 41, pleaded guilty last August to conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting betting information through interstate commerce.
Donaghy admitted to providing inside information on games to bettors. He could have received up to 33 months in prison, but his co-operation with U.S. federal authorities is believed to be a factor in his sentence, handed down by U.S. federal Judge Carol Bagley Amon in Brooklyn.
James Battista and Thomas Martinto received less than a year in prison when they were sentenced last week for their part in the betting ring. http://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball/story/2008/07/29/donaghy-sentence.html
The Golden State Warriors have moved quickly to prevent Latvian center Andris Biedrins from seriously entertaining interest from deep-pocketed teams in Europe by reaching terms on a lucrative new contract with the restricted free agent.
NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com that Biedrins was en route to Oakland on Sunday night after agreeing to a new six-year contract with the Warriors believed to be worth nearly $63 million. The contract, sources said, will likely be signed Monday and include a player option for Biedrins to return to the free-agent market in the summer of 2013 after the fifth season.
Biedrins’ agent, Bill Duffy, confirmed the player’s verbal agreement with the Warriors on Sunday night, saying: "I am so ecstatic for this young man, who came to a new country as an 18-year-old and has worked diligently to improve his game and assimilate to the NBA. He is committed to the Warriors and will continue to improve and help stabilize this team for the next six years."
In a piece of somewhat surprising news, it turns out that Derrick Rose is to sign an endorsement deal with adidas. While many believed he was set to follow in the footsteps of the last three top picks and ink a deal with big spenders Nike, he instead opted to join Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady, Tim Duncan and others at the German sportswear giant.
"The details are being worked out, and I’m very satisfied with the work my agent has done, and I look forward to representing adidas."
Translation: "I’m getting paid."
So, do you think Derrick Rose made the right decision by opting to promote adidas over Nike and others? Is this all about the money? Why didn’t Nike, the richer of the two companies, offer him more cash than their competitors? Let us know what you think by commenting in the box at the bottom of the page.
Despite the recent news that the Oklahoma City NBA franchise had decided upon "Thunder" as the team nickname, it now appears as if there are five other monikers in contention. The NBA filed for the trademark rights to the following six names:
Barons Bison Energy Marshalls Thunder Wind
So, what do you all think? We at HoopsVibe feel that they’re all generally terrible, so it’s just a question of deciding which name sucks the least. Let us know which you’d like to see emblazoned on their jerseys next season in the comment box below. image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/icantshoot/2585722449/
The Golden State Warriors have re-signed guard Monta Ellis to a multi-year contract, announced today by Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Mullin. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not announced.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Ellis’ contract is expected to be in the 6-year, $66 million neighborhood.
“We are absolutely thrilled to have Monta under contract for the next several years,” said Mullin. “He has been one of the top young players in the NBA for the last two years and enjoyed a tremendous season last year. The growth that he has demonstrated at such a young age is incredible, and we look forward to him playing a big part in our future success.”
Ellis, 22, averaged a career-high 20.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.53 steals in 37.9 minutes in 81 games last season. http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/53733/20080724/warriors_re_sign_monta_to_multi_year_deal/
Smith said Thursday there has been little movement in contract negotiations, with the Nuggets or any other team.
"I really don’t know what’s going on. I haven’t had a chance to sit down and talk with the front office yet," Smith said. "I don’t think anything will get messed up. That’s the least of my worries."
Then again, it’s the Nuggets, whose offseason moves are mysterious enough to make forward Carmelo Anthony crack, "Now that I’ve seen what happened to Marcus Camby (traded to the Los Angeles Clippers), I’m taking my career one day at a time."
Denver has said it would exercise its right to match any offer that Smith receives, a statement the guard said may be scaring off suitors.
Just days after Atlanta Hawks guard Josh Childress shocked the NBA to sign a lucrative, three-year deal with the Greek team Olympiakos, rumblings began surfacing about European clubs being interested in Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic.
Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said Thursday that he was still "hopeful we can make a deal sometime in the near future," but acknowledged that there was concern about European teams making a pitch to Vujacic.
"There is a vibrant European market that we’re aware of, much more so of late," Kupchak said."I don’t think it’ll go away soon. Until you have a players’ signature on a contract, you’re always concerned.
"I do believe he wants to play in the NBA, but he has an obligation to seek out a deal that fits what he wants as a free agent and only he knows what that is."
LeBron James could crush the world for an Olympic gold medal this summer, but the evolving power of the euro could cost him his Cleveland Cavaliers point guard.
This time, the overseas revolution of outbidding NBA teams for restricted free agents advances with Dynamo Moscow discussing a two-year, $10 million offer with Delonte West, a source close to West said on Thursday.
Clearly, Dynamo is a franchise with the resources to be taken seriously. Just a week ago, it lured New Jersey Nets forward Bostjan Nachbar with a three-year, $14.3 million contract. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AoYBiIMmkzMqNwaCFEDA9E.8vLYF?slug=aw-west072408&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
Atlanta Hawks fans won’t have to fret over the fate of restricted free agent swingman Josh Childress anymore.
That’s because Childress is no longer a Hawk. He said he agreed to terms Wednesday morning on a three-year contract with Olympiakos of Greece that is worth far more than $20 million initially reported.
"It’s official, I just signed," Childress said by phone Wednesday morning from Athens, where he and agent Jim Tanner will be until Friday. "I think it was . . . a situation where I didn’t know who to expect coming in, coming over to Athens. But it’s a great city and a great organization. They do whatever they can to make you feel at home."
The deal is the most lucrative current contract in European basketball and the biggest in Euroleague history. It’s also another step in the globalization of the game, a trend that got a huge boost recently when the top-rated U.S. high school player, California native Brandon Jennings, opted for a contract with an Italian team over playing at Arizona.
The Nets New Jersey Nets say hello to Keyon Dooling and say goodbye to one of the true good guys in their locker room in recent years, Boki Nachbar.
Nachbar, a 6-9, 28-year-old forward, has agreed to a three-year offer -– "a once in a lifetime deal," Nachbar said — with Dynamo Moscow, which apparently is trying to become the Yankees New York Yankees of Russia.
"They’re really trying to put together a top-flight, high-caliber team committed to winning," Nachbar said today. "They’ve got some of the best European players."
And they’re paying the big bucks. Nachbar is getting three years at $14.3 million, but he estimates it’s more like three years for $30 million due to exchange rates and tax implications.
"For starters, here you lose half to taxes," he said.
"Yes," Camby answered quickly when asked if the Nuggets gave him away.
The 12-year NBA veteran was just beginning.
"I understand this is a business," he said. "No one said a word [about the trade], I found out from my agent."
Camby had been in Las Vegas working out with several of his former teammates and was informed of the trade shortly thereafter, upon returning to his Houston home.
"I thought the way [the Nuggets] went about it was classless," he said. "I thought it could have gone down a whole lot better. I’ll get over it once training camp begins when I’m around the guys. You never forget. I’m definitely looking forward to those couple games we play against Denver. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3499645
In a potentially stunning move that reflects the growing challenge Europe’s basketball leagues pose to the NBA, Atlanta Hawks free-agent forward Josh Childress is strongly considering a three-year, $20 million offer from Greek powerhouse Olympiakos, several league sources said Sunday night.
Childress flew to Greece late Sunday and is scheduled to meet with Olympiakos officials on Monday. Childress, 25, is so flustered with the Hawks’ refusal to make a sign-and-trade deal to another team, one source familiar with his thinking believes there’s “better than a 50-50 chance” he’ll sign with Olympiakos. The team also will cover the Greek taxes for Childress, making the offer even more lucrative.
“Unless he just gets there and doesn’t like it at all, I think he’s going to go,” one league source said.
Childress is a restricted free agent, but the Hawks would have no matching rights with a FIBA contract. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Ai4LKOewduB7s.twC59GI3O8vLYF?slug=aw-childressgreece072108&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
Free-agent forward Matt Barnes is scheduled to arrive in Phoenix Monday, expecting to sign a one-year veteran’s minimum deal with the Suns after completing a physical.
Barnes, 28, spent the past two seasons in a mostly reserve role with the Golden State Warriors. He collected a career-best 9.8 points and 4.6 rebounds in the 2006-07 season. Last season, he averaged 6.7 points and 4.4 rebounds in 19.4 minutes per game.
General Manager Steve Kerr and coach Terry Porter talked with Barnes by phone last week from Las Vegas, where the Suns were in NBA Summer League action. The team likes his shooting touch, ball-handling and big-game experience.
In his seventh NBA season, Barnes is expected to make $1.2 million, but the Suns will pay only $797,000. The rest will come from a league fund. http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/2008/07/20/20080720barnes.html
Unless the Chicago Bulls can reach an agreement for a contract extension with restricted free agent Luol Deng before he departs to join the Great Britain national team in two weeks, he will end talks and tell management that he plans to leave the organization as a free agent next summer, a source close to Deng told Yahoo! Sports.
Deng is determined to come to terms on a long-term contract, but he has set an Aug. 4 deadline to reach an agreement. Once Deng, 23, leaves the country for the European Championship qualifying tournament, he will a sign a one-year qualifying offer for $4.5 million and become an unrestricted free agent in 2009.
The message to the Bulls promises to be implicit: Unless the two sides come to terms soon, Deng will never again negotiate with them. He will not let the uncertainty over his future hang over another basketball season, and unless a sign-and-trade is worked out, Deng will play out his final season in 2008-09 and sign elsewhere next summer. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AqLje.Q8.6RuSIi26l6fmxq8vLYF?slug=aw-dengbulls072108&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
Josh Smith’s increasing reluctance to return to the Atlanta Hawks has little to do with Mike Woodson, despite repeated media suggestions that Smith is eager to play for a new coach.
Smith and Woodson are fine, one confidante insists. Smith’s frustration with the Hawks is the slow-moving state of negotiations, with Smith apparently still waiting for a serious contract proposal nearly three weeks into free agency.
Not that this is a grand surprise given the Hawks’ rep for spending or a quandary exclusive to Smith. The only team in the league with salary-cap space to throw at premier restricteds such as Smith, Charlotte’s Emeka Okafor and Chicago’s Luol Deng is the Memphis Grizzlies, who have no plans to make their money available this summer, preferring to focus on trade possibilities. So the Hawks, Bobcats and Bulls are naturally proceeding slowly and conservatively, figuring that their prized assets have limited leverage. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&page=NBA-Notes-080719
In a move the San Antonio Spurs expected but probably won’t be too happy about, Manu Ginobili was named to the Argentina Olympic team on Friday, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said last month that Ginobili should "definitely not" play in the Olympics if his sprained left ankle, which he injured early in the playoffs, doesn’t improve.
Ginobili returned to Argentina earlier this month and has remained in daily contact with Popovich, according to the newspaper. The guard told Popovich he has had "zero pain" in the ankle.
"I had been playing more the last few days and it had improved," said Ginobili, who has been playing more in team practices. "It feels great, and that makes me very happy." http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/olybb/news/story?id=3496913
Rod Thorn is about to fill his most glaring vacancy, and now all he have to do is wait for Orlando to do some clerical work. The Nets have an agreement in principle to make a sign-and-trade deal for free agent Keyon Dooling, a combo guard they have pursued for years, and he’ll fit right in as a reserve for starters Vince Carter and Devin Harris.
"I’m hopeful ... that we can make a trade," was Thorn’s closest statement resembling a confirmation Friday night.
An eight-year veteran, Dooling would be acquired by making use of a $3.3 million trade exception the Nets obtained in the Jason Kidd deal last February. That will now be transferred to the Magic, who will prepare a two-year contract that calls for a $3.3 million salary next year and a $3.5 million salary for 2009-10, with a partially-guaranteed third season that will pay him a pittance.
Sources say all 30 teams were notified this week by league memorandum that the drug which earned Portland Trail Blazers castoff Darius Miles a 10-game suspension to start next season — if Miles can find a job — is the appetite suppressant Phentermine.
A weight-loss drug, basically.
Steep as a 10-game ban is, then, Miles’ mistake is nothing bound to scare teams away from signing him. He’s tried out for at least four clubs already this month — Boston, Dallas, New Jersey and Phoenix — and is expected to command no more than a minimum salary in his comeback from long-standing knee problems, because the 26-year-old still has $18 million in salary coming from the Blazers. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&page=NBA-Notes-080719
NBA front-office sources say that the Warriors — eager to add someone of quality to spare young Monta Ellis from inheriting all of Davis’ old ballhandling duties — are highly intrigued by the idea of signing Sixers guard Louis Williams to an offer sheet.
It’s not yet clear whether Golden State would have enough leftover salary-cap space to extend an offer to Williams sufficiently prohibitive for Philly to match after the Warriors’ expected re-signings of their restricted free agents, Ellis (coming soon) and center Andris Biedrins. There also would be questions about how much Williams and Ellis could play together in a less than physically imposing backcourt and with Maggette and Stephen Jackson sure to command lots of minutes.
It’s also possible the Warriors could choose to go the trade route instead, since I’m told they’re evaluating numerous scenarios these days.
Oklahoma City’s new NBA franchise has nicknamed itself the Thunder, according to a report Saturday on the web site of the city’s ABC affiliate.
Citing a source close to team ownership, KOCO-TV reported that the “registrar for all of the NBA’s Internet domain names were reserved okcthunderbasketball.com and okcthunderbasketball.net on July 10,” suggesting that the franchise formerly known as the Seattle SuperSonics will soon be renamed.
The franchise left the Pacific Northwest after an ugly court case ended with an agreement between the team and the city of Seattle, which released the club from its lease at KeyArena - the crux of the disagreement.
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