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NBA News
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| | Sunday, June 21 2009 |
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Knicks Hoping for Stephen Curry, Tyreke Evans or Jrue Holiday
The Knicks love UCLA freshman Jrue Holiday, but they didn’t like his pre-draft workout June 10, when he got outplayed by Stephen Curry. So team president Donnie Walsh has succeeded in luring Holiday back to the team’s Westchester compound Monday for a second workout, according to a source.
Selecting No. 8 in Thursday’s draft, the Knicks have narrowed their point-guard search to three guys: Curry, Memphis’ Tyreke Evans and Holiday, in that order. There’s a strong chance Curry and Evans will not be around at 8, and the Knicks have considered moving up.
The Knicks also are exploring buying another first-round pick from a team in the 20’s, because they don’t have a 2010 selection. Arizona power forward Jordan Hill also is in the mix if he drops to them at 8.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/06202009/sports/knicks/knicks_book_holiday_175179.htm
| Phil Jackson’s Return Depends on Health
Phil Jackson said he’d like to coach another year, but "medical issues" will have to be addressed in the next couple of weeks before he can commit to the grind of another NBA season.
Jackson, who turns 64 in September, was on the "Waddle & Silvy" show on ESPN 1000, and he talked about the possibility of chasing his 11th NBA title after guiding the Los Angeles Lakers to his record-setting 10th championship on Sunday.
"No, I’m not," he said when asked if he’s set on pursuing another championship. "I have some medical issues that I have to resolve, and I have to take care of those in the next couple weeks before I recommit to this thing."
http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/news/story?id=4272638
| T’Wolves Deny Picking Mark Jackson as Coach
The Timberwolves haven’t settled on a coach, and they aren’t shopping center Al Jefferson.
Kahn, the team’s president of basketball operations, was in full denial mode Friday, shooting down a report that ESPN/ABC analyst Mark Jackson is his pick to be the Wolves’ next coach.
"There’s no truth to it," Kahn said. "It’s a little bit like the Al Jefferson thing. I guess this is, again I’ve fallen into my editorial comment of the day. I remember in the old days when you actually would get a call from somebody for a confirmation or denial. These days you don’t even get that. It’s just a different world."
Pro Basketball News, citing multiple unidentified sources, reported that Jackson is the leading candidate for the Wolves’ job, with one source saying the team already had decided on him.
http://www.twincities.com/timberwolves/ci_12628575?nclick_check=1
| NBA Exec: Hedo Turkoglu Isn’t Worth $11 Million
"No disrespect to Hedo, but he’s not consistent enough for the kind of money I expect he’ll demand ($11M per; four years)," an east coast executive declared. "He wants the ball with the game on the line and responds real well under pressure, but then he’ll disappear for a game or two. That’s all that’s stopping him from becoming a perennial All-Star."
http://www.nypost.com/seven/06212009/sports/nets/wave_of_rumors__no_substance_to_carter_t_175377.htm
| Judge Will Consider Sentencing Jayson Williams
A judge on Monday will consider whether former NBA star Jayson Williams should be sentenced for covering up a fatal shooting at his mansion in 2002, given Williams’ recent erratic behavior, including an assault arrest in North Carolina.
Williams, 41, was acquitted of aggravated manslaughter in 2004 but convicted on four counts of trying to cover up the shooting of a hired driver at his Hunterdon County mansion. The jury couldn’t reach a verdict on a reckless manslaughter count, and State Superior Court Judge Edward M. Coleman has delayed sentencing pending Williams’ retrial on that charge.
Prosecutors are asking the judge to reconsider the sentencing delay due to Williams’ recent run-ins with the law.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4275816
| Could Lakers Sign Jason Kidd?
I see no reason why the champion, money-manufacturing Lakers can’t re-sign Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza at fair market value and use their mid-level exception to sign Jason Kidd for three years to share ball handling responsibilities with Kobe Bryant.
I’m still trying to decide whether to start promoting Andrew Bynum as this era’s Joe Barely Cares.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/06212009/sports/nets/wave_of_rumors__no_substance_to_carter_t_175377.htm?page=2
| No Substance to Vince Carter Trade Rumors
With that in mind, contrary to a Yahoo! report, the Nets have had no conversation with the Cavaliers since mid-February regarding Vince Carter for anybody, much less Sasha Pavlovic and Ben Wallace, who talked about retiring but is not about to forfeit $14M.
Zero!
Would Ratner love to be save $33M, which is what Carter is owed over the next two seasons? No doubt. But only if the Nets got to keep his 20-point average, sprinkled with plenty of 30s and a few 40s. Or could get a cheaper clone who, don’t forget, also must donate five assists and five rebounds per outing.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/06212009/sports/nets/wave_of_rumors__no_substance_to_carter_t_175377.htm
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| | Sunday, June 14 2009 |
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Could Endorsements Lure LeBron James to New York?
This time next year, LeBron James, the undisputed king of pro basketball, will need to decide whether 450 miles is all that separates him from becoming the world’s first billion dollar athlete.
If the answer is yes — and some say it might be — James will likely dump his small-market Cleveland Cavaliers for the bright lights of New York in an effort to transform his immense star power into a global brand that could exceed that even of Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods.
“There’s no question it would be a smart move for LeBron to move to New York because it’s a bigger stage, a bigger market and a bigger opportunity,” said Tim Calkins, a marketing professor at Northwestern University. “If there’s a pro and con, the opportunity is probably bigger than the risk."
http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/entertainment/does-big-apple-hold-key-lebrons-b-quest/
| Cavaliers Still Thinking of Trading for Shaq
Talk between the Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers of a trade that would have Shaquille O’Neal playing with LeBron James next season has not gone beyond the preliminary stages and no deal is imminent, two executives with knowledge of the discussions told ESPN The Magazine’s Chris Broussard.
The clubs have not spoken within the past few days, but sources say talks of a possible trade involving O’Neal, Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic never completely died after it was first discussed in February.
It’s no secret that Shaq moving to the Cavs would be a definite upgrade at the center position. The only question is if the Shaq Cleveland hopes to acquire will be the one who played in 75 games this season (his most since 1999-2000), or the Shaq who only averaged 63.5 contests, including a 40-game season three years ago, in his previous eight campaigns.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4257421
| Friends Say Chris Bosh Interested in Miami Heat
The Heat’s interest in Chris Bosh apparently is mutual. A friend of the Toronto power forward said Bosh has interest in playing for Miami, which would love to add him via trade this summer or free agency in 2010.
Bosh assuredly will dismiss any report linking him to another team because he doesn’t want to upset the Raptors and doesn’t need to decide his future for 13 months. But the friend said playing in Miami appeals to him.
With Bosh announcing he will test free agency in 2010, a competing executive who spoke to Raptors president Bryan Colangelo said Toronto appears open to considering offers for Bosh and likely would consider a package that includesMichael Beasley — if the Heat overcomes reluctance to trade Beasley.
http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/basketball/story/1096122.html
| Can Lakers Afford to Keep Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza?
Such is the business of basketball that Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom are collaborating while competing, trying their best to win a championship for Los Angeles even if it means one of them won’t be around when they hand out the rings next season.
Both will be free agents this summer. And since the Lakers are looking at $74 million for eight players (assuming Kobe Bryant doesn’t leave through his opt-out clause) on the 2009-10 payroll, it is not a given that both Ariza and Odom can return.
"Sometimes you have to make tough decisions," a Lakers official said.
But this organization does not always make cold-hearted decisions. After the Lakers won their last championship in 2002, owner Jerry Buss refuted notions that he would slash payroll to get below the luxury-tax threshold, jubilantly declaring, "We’re going way over the tax!" in the hours after the Lakers beat the New Jersey Nets in the NBA Finals.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2009/columns/story?columnist=adande_ja&page=odomariza-090613
| Detroit Pistons Reportedly Planning to Trade Rip Hamilton
A team with more options available than the midlevel is the Detroit Pistons, who will have approximately $18 million in salary cap room. One free agent supposedly being targeted by the Pistons is Chicago Bulls guard Ben Gordon, a scenario that would make even more sense if the rumors about their interest in trading Richard Hamilton are true. The Pistons have won with an unconventional power forward in Rasheed Wallace, so they might be agreeable to trying Odom at the 4 spot.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2009/columns/story?columnist=adande_ja&page=odomariza-090613
| New Jersey Nets Planning to Stick with Yi Jianlian
After his one incomplete season, there are plenty of Nets fans who wouldn’t mind seeing the Yi Jianlian shipped out of New Jersey the way Richard Jefferson was nearly one year ago.
But even though Nets CEO Brett Yormark wouldn’t be the one to pull the trigger on any such deal, he is not ready to give up on the 21-year-old. In fact, regardless of Yi’s lack of production in his only season as a Net, Yormark is still looking to cash in on the 7-footer’s enormous popularity in his homeland.
After brokering four sponsorship deals with Chinese companies last October, just before the start of Yi’s first season in New Jersey, Yormark will be looking to add to that number when he meets with executives from 33 companies in China this week. He and a member of his sales team started a 10-day trip Saturday.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/nets/2009/06/14/2009-06-14_nets_profit_from_keeping_yi_jianlian.html
| Phoenix Suns Looking to Trade Both Shaq and Amar’e?
Two NBA general managers said Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert has been on a rampage since his team was eliminated by the Magic, pointing fingers all over the organization for not making it to the Finals, including questioning the front office about trades not made . . . One NBA GM said the Suns are still trying to figure out how to move Amare Stoudemire and Shaquille O’Neal.
http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/articles/2009/06/14/a_new_daye_on_horizon/?page=3
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| | Tuesday, June 9 2009 |
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New York Knicks Likely to Go after Marcin Gortat
Though the Knicks likely will take a combo-type guard in the June 25 NBA Draft, Knicks team president Donnie Walsh will eye a center with his $5 million mid-level exception during free agency, and Orlando’s 7-foot backup Marcin Gortat is very high on his list, The Post has learned.
The Knicks had no interior defensive presence, and that’s Gortat’s strength. He also blocks shots and rebounds. (The Knicks were last in blocked shots the past two years).
The Polish big man originally was drafted by coach Mike D’Antoni’s Suns in the second round of 2005, but they traded his rights. Gortat probably will not be re-signed because he plays a smallish role as Dwight Howard’s backup and the Magic can’t pay him accordingly.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/06082009/sports/knicks/orlandos_gortat_on_knicks_radar_173166.htm
| Cleveland Cavaliers to Pursue Hedo Turkoglu, Rasheed Wallace?
The Cavs know they must get more athletic in the backcourt. Trevor Ariza may be available, but it’s hard to imagine the Lakers allowing him to walk away — especially if they win a title. Hedu Turkoglu could become a free agent if he opts out of the final year of his contract. Word is Detroit may have an interest if he doesn’t remain with Orlando. Detroit (after taking Rasheed Wallace and Allen Iverson off the books) and Oklahoma City are expected to be two of the few teams spending big this summer.
Guess what? The Cavs may have an interest in Wallace on a short deal. They need more size, and they’d like a big man who can shoot. At 6-11, Wallace can defend when the mood strikes him. He remains a good shooter. He will be 35 in September, and seemed distracted in his final season with the Pistons, yet still averaged 12 points and 7.4 rebounds. He has some nagging injuries, but one theory is coming to a contending team in the same division as Detroit could inspire him. Cavs assistant John Kuester was with the Pistons and Wallace for a few years and likes the power forward/center.
http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/blog/index.ssf/2009/06/terry_plutos_talkin_about_brow_8.html
| Miami Heat Hoping to Snag Jason Kidd with MLE?
Up against the tax threshold, the Heat’s mind-set is to use its full midlevel exception ($5 million or so) only if a real difference-maker settles for that. Perhaps Jason Kidd.
http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/columnists/barry-jackson/story/1085290.html
| Ricky Rubio Disputing Buyout Clause in Contract
Spanish teenager Ricky Rubio, projected as a top-five pick in the NBA draft, took the first step in clearing his way toward the NBA on Monday when he notified his team, DKV Joventut, that he wants to terminate his contract.
Rubio is asking out of his deal, and also is challenging a 4.75 million Euro (approximately $6.6 million) buyout, which climbs to 5.75 million Euros after June 30. Rubio made 70,000 Euros last season (about $97,000) and is scheduled to make 125,000 Euros next season (about $175,000).
"The [buyout] clauses are disproportionate to his salary — abusive clauses," Rubio’s father, Esteban, told ESPN’s Chad Nielsen. "We want to know, if he really left, whether or not he’d have to pay these amounts. It’s fair for DKV Joventut to get paid a certain amount of money, but what they want to collect is out of proportion with what Ricky earns."
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2009/news/story?id=4241929
| NY Times Criticizes Planned Brooklyn Arena
A massive vaulted shed that rests on a masonry base, the arena is as glamorous as a storage warehouse. A rectangular window overlooks Atlantic, but without the other buildings it lacks the sense of mystery and surprise that was such an essential part of the Gehry design. A trapezoidal brick and glass box at the corner of Atlantic and Flatbush is obviously intended as an echo of Gehry’s public space. But Gehry’s room, several stories tall, soared over the intersection. Ellerbe Becket’s, lower to the ground, just sits there, adding nothing.
Building this monstrosity at such a critical urban intersection would be deadly. Clearly, the city would be better off with nothing. But what’s at issue here is more than the betrayal of a particular community, as tragic as that could be. It is the way the city makes decisions about large-sale development.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/09/arts/design/09arena.html?hp
| Dwight Howard Frustrated by Lack of Dunks
After making only one of six shots in Game 1, he made five of 10 in Game 2. For the Finals, he is averaging 14.5 points a game and shooting 37.5%, well below his numbers of 21.7 points and 62.2% shooting in the playoffs before the Finals.
Howard has one dunk so far in the Finals, off a pass from Lewis with 5:32 left in the third quarter of Game 2.
Pau Gasol played solid one-on-one defense on Howard in Game 2, often forcing him toward the baseline and into Lakers double teams featuring different blends of players.
"They’re mixing it up on me," Howard said. "They’re doing some crazy things and it’s been frustrating me a bit. . . . I’ve just got to really do my homework and try to find ways to beat it."
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-lakers-magic9-2009jun09,0,1925869.story
| Phil Jackson Not Interested in Olympic Gig
Several years ago, Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak was working with USA Basketball and asked Jackson if he wanted to be part of the U.S. staff.
Jackson turned him down flat.
“It’s something I’ve never desired to do,” he said. “I was asked by the Canadians if I’d like to coach their Olympic team. Steve Nash(notes) wasn’t a mature enough player yet, so I had to turn that one down.”
Nash captained Canada’s team in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The point guard stopped playing for the national team after signing with the Phoenix Suns in 2004.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Anhr1CUB_8j8k14Qu7NmiVm8vLYF?slug=ap-nbafinals-notebook&prov=ap&type=lgns
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| | Friday, June 5 2009 |
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Lakers Looking Likely to Bring Back Trevor Ariza
"I stopped trying (to figure out LB),’’ Ariza told me today at Staples Center. "I couldn’t figure it out. I didn’t let anyone tell me that I wasn’t going to get better. It was a learning experience for me. If I didn’t go through that then, I probably wouldn’t be the player I’m trying to work to be now. If he didn’t tell me what he told me, I would’ve stayed the same.’’
Ariza is a free agent this summer. Lakers assistant Jim Cleamons, who sees Trevor as a future All-Star, smiled and said, "That decision is management’s. Management is looking at the same things we’re looking at. I think they’ll make the right decision.’’
Cleamons knows what he’s talking about. He was the lone player to live in Brooklyn as a Knick. "I was a straphanger,’’ he said.
http://blogs.nypost.com/sports/knicks/archives/2009/06/ariza_allowed_t.html
| Research Shows NBA Referees Are Biased
An academic study of NBA officiating found little to no evidence that referees favor teams from large media markets in the playoffs, a favorite conspiracy theory of skeptical fans.
But the same study found that NBA referees tend to favor home teams, teams trailing in a game and teams trailing in a playoff series.
The study, conducted by three economics researchers, fuels the perennial debate about the influence of NBA officials on games. It suggests that forces ranging from league executives to simple human psychology can influence calls in a measurable way — though not always enough to affect a game’s outcome.
http://www.oregonlive.com/nba/index.ssf/2009/06/professors_nba_officating_stud.html
| Tension Still High between Andrew Bynum and Phil Jackson
Andrew Bynum has repeatedly showed strong displeasure at Phil Jackson in the media for his lack of playing time since coming back from injury.
“I haven’t talked to him,” Bynum said. “I want to be a Laker. This is where I got drafted. I stopped working out with other teams because I wanted to be a Laker. I knew Phil was going to be here. All he’s going to control for me is the amount of minutes I play. When I go out on the court, that’s me.”
Bynum already secured his wish when he signed a four-year contract extension last year worth $58 million.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/05/sports/basketball/05lakers.html?_r=1&ref=basketball
| David Stern Wants to Keep NBA Age Limit
With the N.B.A.’s age limit under assault by a congressman and a variety of critics, Commissioner David Stern reiterated Thursday that he was happy with the policy and had no interest in abolishing it.
Speaking during a news conference before Game 1 of the N.B.A. finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Orlando Magic, Stern also announced that he had fined LeBron James $25,000 for failing to meet with the news media after the Cleveland Cavaliers’ loss to Orlando in the Eastern Conference finals last Saturday.
Stern defended the motives and underpinnings of the age policy, which generally requires players to be at least 19 years old and one year removed from high school before becoming eligible to play in the N.B.A. The age limit was instituted in 2005 through negotiations with the players union.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/05/sports/basketball/05stern.html?_r=3&ref=basketball
| Oklahoma Thunder to Take Demar DeRozan with Third Pick?
One rumor that’s been making the rounds is that the Oklahoma City Thunder could make DeRozan the third pick in the draft, putting him alongside Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, and Russell Westbrook in one of the most promising young lineups in the league. DeRozan likes the sound of that, even if it is premature to actually predict such a move.
"That would be great. It would feel good to be in a lineup like that. Kevin Durant’s one of the best players in the league, and that would be an opportunity to help build a program from the ground up. I think we could put Oklahoma City on the map as a top team in the next few years. Playing with a star player would also really help my career. Playing with someone like Kevin Durant, who’s been there and remembers what it takes as a rookie to get where you want to go, that would be great because he just did it. I’d love to play with Kevin and help him build his team up."
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=12851
| LAC Keep Trying to Trade Baron Davis Back to Warriors
The consensus is that the Warriors need either a point guard to spell Monta Ellis or to allow him to move back to his natural off-guard spot. The company line has been that Ellis can become a true point guard, but that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from churning at a high-speed pace.
The Dallas Morning News suggested that the Warriors might trade Jackson. The Warriors’ link to trading for Chris Bosh hasn’t slowed, despite Toronto saying its goal is to keep the power forward. And, every couple of weeks, Baron Davis is reportedly offered back to Golden State.
The Warriors haven’t confirmed any of the reports, but general manager Larry Riley did have a jocular suggestion for the media to figure out who they’re going to draft and what moves may coincide with the pick.
"We’ll just let you guys vote," Riley joked.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/06/05/SPTK181547.DTL
| Chris Bosh Suggests He’ll Be a Free Agent in 2010
Chris Bosh, the Toronto Raptors all-star, suggested strongly today that he will forgo signing a contract extension this summer, setting himself up to be among a historically stacked NBA free agent class next year.
"(When) I signed a three-year (extension in 2006)... I had a goal in mind, and that was to put myself in the best position (in 2010) ... I’m thinking I just want to stick to my goal, stick to what I was doing," said Bosh.
"That’s a part of the plan ... I just want to address things (after) next season. There’s a reason why I did things the way I did them back then."
Bryan Colangelo, the Raptors president and general manager, has spoken optimistically about the odds of inking his best player to an extension this summer, when Bosh could sign a three-year addition to his current deal as early as next month.
http://www.thestar.com/article/645658
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