Archive for the Misc NBA Category
Knick rebuilding process cont.
9. September 2008 by gchacko.
Update on Zebo to the Grizz:
Grizzlies are demanding a first round pick along with Zach Randolph in exchange for Darko Milicic and Marko Jaric. It is assumed that the pick will be conditional.
Walsh in return is asking for a young player, assuming either Javaris Crittenton, Kyle Lowery or Hakim Warrick or the best expiring contract (Antoine Walker) if he is to surrender a first round pick.
It can easily be assumed that Walsh is eager dump Randolph’s contract so he can immediately sign David Lee to an extension.
Mo Williams to the Bucks
14. August 2008 by gchacko.
Finally the Cleveland Cavaliers are getting some help for LeBron James.
The Bucks, Cavs and Oklahoma city have completed a 3 way deal that sends:
Mo Williams to the Cavs
Damon Jones, Luke Ridnour to the Bucks
and Desmond Mason, Joe Smith and Adrian Griffin to Oklahoma city.
Earlier on the year the Bucks sent Yi Jianlian to New Jersey in exchange for forward Richard Jefferson and added forward Joe Alexander with the eighth pick in the draft.
US mens make a statement against the Chinese
10. August 2008 by gchacko.
After a tight first quarter of Chinese three-pointers raining from the sky and fans cheering at full blast, the United States outclassed and out-dunked their hosts to a 101-70 victory in day
one of the Olympic Men’s Basketball tournament.No one could deny the excitement when center Yao Ming put the first points on the board with a beautiful downtown three-pointer, giving a preview of China’s game strategy of playing deep. Twelve of China’s first 14 points came from behind the arc, and were sunk by different players around the key.
The United States’ first basket was also emblematic of their style, a defiant Dwight Howard dunk off a Kobe Bryant assist. While the first quarter saw several lead changes, it came to a definitive end with two made free throws by Miami Heat shooting guard Dwayne Wade and another dunk from center Howard to come out of a tied score to a 20-16 United States lead at the end of the period.
Guard Dwyane Wade, who has played the role of sixth man for the Americans, led the team in scoring with 19 points.LeBron James added 18 points and pulled down six rebounds, while swingman Kobe Bryant poured in 13 points.Yao Ming — the Houston Rockets centre and one of China’s few NBA players — was somewhat quiet in his first game, leading his team with a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Click here to read more news from the Olympics
Josh Smith to the Grizz??
8. August 2008 by rich.
Josh Smith has signed a 5 year $58 offer sheet with the Memphis Grizzlies. Smith is a restricted free agent meaning the Hawks can match ANY offer to him. They have 7 days to do so.
The Hawks have publicly stated they will match any and every offer to the young Smith.
Smith is 22 years old, 6′9″ and 235 lbs. He led the Hawks to a playoff berth last year in which they took the NBA Champion Celtics to 7 games in the first round, only to lose.
This offer comes as a surprise to many. Although reports surfaced a few weeks back that a mystery team may be hot on his heels…Mystery team revealed.
Stay tuned.
Source: LeBron Might Go To Europe For $50M Per Year
6. August 2008 by Glendo.
A European Vacation? Several NBA players have left for Europe and more lucractive contracts, but no big stars……yet. It is a possiblity ESPN reports.
A person close to James said Tuesday that the Cavaliers’ superstar would strongly consider playing overseas if he was offered a salary of “around $50 million a year.”
James’ current contract expires after the 2010-2011 season, but he can opt out after the 2009-2010 season, and while several NBA teams are working to create salary cap space for his impending free agency, none could offer a contract beginning at even $20 million a year. The Russian team CSKA Moscow and the Greek team Olympiacos, which recently gave Josh Childress a contract approaching $30 million over three years, have already contacted James, according to the person close to him. The person added, however, that no monetary or contractual discussions have taken place.
While $50 million a year seems outlandish, it is within the realm of possibility, considering the reported $250 million contract David Beckham received two years ago to join Major League Soccer, the $33 million Michael Jordanwas paid by the Chicago Bullsfor the 1997-98 season, the strength of the euro in comparison to the dollar, and the fact that European clubs are not bound by a salary cap. While several NBA players have left the league this summer for more lucrative contracts in Europe, no stars have done so or even considered it. But losing a player of James’ magnitude would be nothing short of a nightmare for the NBA. The source close to James said LeBron would play in Europe only for a year or two before returning to the NBA. He said James would view it as an opportunity to popularize the game and himself overseas. He added that James would not consider himself to be playing in the “minor leagues.”
The entire scenario falls in line with James’ stated goals of becoming a billionaire and “global icon.” But the representative from the players’ association will have to see James in a European uniform before he believes it.
“First of all, we don’t know that there’s going to be a $50 million offer,” the official said. “And secondly, he wouldn’t be able to accomplish over there the things that he wants to do over here, which are to win NBA championships, MVP awards, etc.”
This could be a major concern with the NBA having to compete with the European leagues for players. Although the Knicks might be able to compete with the rest of the league.
List of players that have already signed with overseas teams:
- Atlanta Hawks’ Josh Childress set things off by taking a $20 million, three-year deal offered by Euroleague basketball team Olympiacos.
- Boykins Signs $3.5 Million Deal In Europe
- Carlos Arroyo has reportedly signed a three-year deal worth $7.5 million with Maccabi Tel Aviv.
- Kobe has said he would play in Europe for 40 mil a year.
- Juan Carlos Navarro rejoined FC Barcelona after a one-season stint with the Memphis Grizzlies.
- Nenad Krstic left the Nets to sign with a Russian team.
- Carlos Delfino and Jorge Garbajosa left the Toronto Raptors to sign with a Russian team as well.
Artest set to join T-Mac and Yao
30. July 2008 by gchacko.
The Houston Rockets have reached an agreement to acquire forward Ron Artest from the Sacramento Kings, the Houston Chronicle is reporting.
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.
It is believed that rookie Donte Greene is included in the deal, which will prevent the deal from going through until August 14, when Greene is able to be dealt.
There could also be other players involved to make the money match but none that the Rockets would plan to keep. The Rockets will also send the Kings cash in excess of $1 million.
Childress Goes to Greece!
23. July 2008 by rich.
Josh Childress, a promising young talent who has played for the Atlanta Hawks his entire career thus far, is following a slow moving trend, and heading overseas to play ball. He has signed a three-year contract with Olympiakos of Greece.
It started slowly, and it has been both basketball and hockey. The promise of tax-free money (or the team paying the taxes for you), has enticed some players to leave. In the NBA the likes of Primoz Brezec, Juan Carlos Navarro, Carlos Delfino, and Bostjan Nachbar have already departed the NBA for greener pastures…Surely a trend the NBA would like to see fade fastly, like a fad…
Notes: No huge names have left the NBA yet, but of note, in the NHL, former Rangers Jaromir Jagr (now of the Avangard Omsk in the Continental Hockey League) and Martin Straka (now of the Czech team HC Lasselsberger Plzen) and former Islander Josef Vasicek (now of the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl of the Kontinental Hockey League). Others have left recently, with these being the locals.
Denver Takes What Donnie Doesn’t
19. July 2008 by jjoseph.
After hearing about the Marcus Camby to LAC trade, I first felt disappointed that the Knicks couldn’t get the 2006-2007 NBA Defensive Player of the Year for a future 2nd Rd Pick. But then I realized the Knicks don’t own their 2009 2nd Rd Pick (Eddy Curry Trade), and the Knicks would have to send a player (contract) to the Denver Nuggets to match salaries unlike the Los Angeles Clippers, who didn’t have to send any players back to Denver because they are under the salary cap ($ 58.68 M) by approximately 12 million dollars. Now, let’s talk about the dynamics of this trade. The Los Angeles Clippers have just added one of the best team defenders in all of the NBA. Camby is a great shot blocking PF/C coming from the weak side (2007-2008 BPG: 3.6), a great rebounder (2007-2008 RPG: 13.1), a great floor runner for his size (6-11), and is a player who plays with tons of “heart”. The Clippers were desperate for a big man after getting spurned by Elton Brand when he bolted East for Philadelphia (82 M/ 5 YRS). Now, Camby does not even come close to Elton Brand as far as being a post presence, but Chris Kaman now has the opportunity to showcase his offensive arsenal on the low block because Camby is not a player that demands the ball on the offensive end. Camby is a player, much like David Lee is for the New York Knicks, who doesn’t need a play run for him to be effective. Camby can score in the open court after getting the offensive rebound, and can occasionally hit the mid range jumper.
Even though this NBA trade did not involve the New York Knicks, it may have an effect on the Knicks outlook come the summer of 2010. On July 11th, Ian Thomsen of Sports Illustrated reported that the Knicks rejected a proposal from the Clippers to trade power forward Zach Randolph. The Clippers, seeking to replace the departed Elton Brand, were trying to take Randolph off the Knicks’ hands while offering little more than cap relief to New York. It was later reported by Alan Hahn of Newsday that the Los Angeles Clippers were offering a 2nd Rd Pick for the services of Zach Randolph. Randolph will make $14.7 million next season, and he has three years and $48 million left on his contract. While the Knicks are known to be interested in clearing cap space by 2010 to make a run at LeBron James or other potential free agents, New York wanted more than simple cap relief in exchange for Randolph. The Knicks appear to believe that Randolph will provide a highly productive season under new coach Mike D’Antoni, which could raise his value much higher than it is today. The Clippers reportedly offered a second-round pick for Randolph, but Walsh believes he can get a better offer. However, now that the Clippers have acquired Marcus Camby, you can likely eliminate the Los Angeles Clippers as a potential suitor for the services of Zach Randolph. And you can begin to second-guess Donnie Walsh’s decision to pass on the Clippers’ offer of a second-round pick for Zach Randolph. I hope Donnie Walsh knows what he doing. I don’t see how Randolph will play in D’Antoni’s up-tempo system. He is slow footed and is about athletic as Frederick Weis.
Honestly, I think Walsh should have pulled the trigger the second the Clippers gave them a proposal, but I am going to assume the 25 years of experience he has a General Manager will prove that he knows what he is doing. However, if the rumored deal was true (2nd Rd Pick for Zach Randolph), we might have just missed out on maybe the best idea for the Knicks long term future. I’d give up Randolph for a second-rounder in a heartbeat. Rejecting the Clipper offer for Zach Randolph may in turn become the WORST decision by a General Manger in the history of the New York Knickerbockers. Yes, worse than drafting Frederick Weis over Ron Artest, worse than giving Allan Houston a 100 Million Dollar Contract, worse than trading away Patrick Ewing, and even worse than Isiah Thomas acquiring Zach Randolph in the first place.
Camby to Clippers
16. July 2008 by gchacko.
The Los Angeles Clippers today acquired forward Marcus Camby from the Denver Nuggets in exchange for a future second round draft pick. The NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2006-07, Camby comes to the Clippers with a reputation as one of the top defenders in the league. A 12-year veteran, Camby led the NBA in blocked shots last year (3.61) for the third straight season, becoming only the second player in NBA history to lead the league in three consecutive seasons. “I love this acquisition for the current make up of our team,” Clippers head coach Mike Dunleavy said. “We are getting a consummate pro who is maybe the best team defender in the league and who has 60 playoff games under his belt.”
Philly Wins Race For Brand?
9. July 2008 by gchacko.
A number of NBA front office sources have revealed that the 76ers have won the Elton Brand sweepstakes, according to ESPN.com.
Brand has reportedly informed the Sixers that he will accept a five-year deal worth an estimated $82 million, spurning what was presumed to be a slam-dunk return to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Philadelphia reportedly agreed to a deal that would send Rodney Carney and a future first round pick to the Timberwolves in a trade designed to free more cap space, earlier on Tuesday.
