Yardbarker: Kevin Garnett

Yardbarker: Kevin Garnett http://www.yardbarker.com/rss/player/4474 Recent articles about Kevin Garnett en-us Former Champs offer Rasheed Wallace a contract BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics have offered forward Rasheed Wallace a contract as part of a major push to land the coveted forward. The Boston Globe report on Friday says the Celtics offered Wallace a deal during a three-hour meeting in Detroit on Thursday. Celtics stars Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce joined general manager [...] Related posts:Rasheed to the Cavs? And WallacAre you from the East Coast? During thiMilwaukie Bucks: Ramon Sessions in, Charlie Villanueva not so sure The Milwau Sat, 04 Jul 2009 20:11:46 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/771197 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/771197 The possibilities of a Boozer trade &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Having gone through the rosters and payrolls of every team in the league, I don't envy Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor should he try to trade Carlos Boozer and avoid a lame-duck season with the two-time All-Star forward. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Almost every scenario has a drawback, especially if the Jazz have to take back longer-term salary commitments than the $12.7 million Boozer has as an expiring contract. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; With Andrei Kirilenko and Deron Williams set to make nearly $33 million for 2010-11, the Jazz run the risk of being luxury tax payers beyond this season if they are not careful with the contracts they take back in any deal. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Jazz also would probably prefer to trade Boozer to an Eastern Conference team to avoid strenghtening any rival in the West and especially in the Northwest Division. Here's the overview: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Probably no interest: Atlanta (re-signed Josh Smith last summer), Boston (already has Kevin Garnett as Big Three cornerstone), Dallas (Dirk Nowitzki, will sign Marcin Gortat), Denver (not with Nene, Kenyon Martin and Chris Andersen, plus division rival), Golden State (especially if Amare Stoudemire trade happens), Indiana (Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy are best salary matches), L.A. Clippers (just drafted Blake Griffin), L.A. Lakers (have Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and likely Lamar Odom), Memphis (just traded for Zach Randolph), Miami (unlikely to part with Michael Beasley as No. 2 overall pick), Minnesota (Al Jefferson and Kevin Love, plus division rival), New Orleans (Hornets will likely trade Tyson Chandler before David West), New York (why help the Knicks when due their 2010 first-round draft pick?), Oklahoma City (Thunder will likely sign a post player in free agency, plus division rival), Orlando (Vince Carter was Magic's big move this summer), Philadelphia (Elton Brand), Phoenix (too much uncertainty right now with potential Stoudemire trade), Portland (LaMarcus Aldridge, plus potential free-agent signing, plus division rival), San Antonio (no obvious trade match after Richard Jefferson deal) and Toronto (Hedo Turkoglu signing signals making push in what could be Chris Bosh's final season). &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That's 20 teams right there. The most logical trade partners would appear to be: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Detroit, although Richard Hamilton has four years left on his contract (making $12.5 million in those last three years) and will turn 32 in February. Hamilton appears to be the best fit for the Jazz as he would bring them a shooter and a veteran with playoff experience. What his addition would mean for Ronnie Brewer and Andrei Kirilenko is an open question? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Chicago, which needs a low-post player given that the Bulls are relying on Brad Miller, Tyrus Thomas, Joakim Noah and Aaron Gray right now. The Jazz might be willing to take back Luol Deng - - they had interest in him last summer as a restricted free agent - - but Deng signed a six-year, $71 million extension. That's a huge commitment. Beyond that, the Bulls could offer Thomas or Kirk Hinrich in a package. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Cleveland, though I don't see how the Cavaliers could take back Boozer after everything that happened in 2004. The Cavs are loading up to make a championship push for LeBron James and could offer the Jazz either Zydrunas Ilgauskas in the final year of his contract or Anderson Varejao in a sign-and-trade. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Charlotte, where Kevin O'Connor and Larry Brown go way back. If the Bobcats are really desperate to save money, they could unload Emeka Okafor, though he just signed a six-year, $72 million extension. Beyond that, the Bobcats have long-term commitments to many of their most attractive players, including Gerald Wallace and Boris Diaw. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Houston, where it remains to be seen what the Rockets will do in the wake of Yao Ming's injury. They already have a host of power forwards in Luis Scola, Carl Landry and Chuck Hayes. Tracy McGrady's $23 million contract is attractive, since it will be primarily covered by insurance while McGrady recovers from microfracture knee surgery. Why would the Jazz help the Rockets and vice versa? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Milwaukee, which could use a power forward to play alongside Andrew Bogut, especially after losing Charlie Villanueva to Detroit. The Bucks also have a glut of point guards in Luke Ridnour, Ramon Sessions (assuming he is re-signed) and the recently drafted Brandon Jennings. Michael Redd is an intriguing option in a potential trade, though he is owed even more than Boozer at $18 million next season. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; New Jersey, which has a hole at power forward alongside Brook Lopez. The Nets always could wait and sign Boozer as a free agent next summer. It's unclear that they have much to offer in a trade beyond a package of players with expiring contracts. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sacramento, as possibly the best option for a trade within the Western Conference. The Kings could offer a variety of directions to go in a trade, from Kenny Thomas' expiring contract to Andres Nocioni to possibly even one of their young big men in Spencer Hawes or Jason Thompson. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Washington, whose payroll is at $75 million after last month's trade for Randy Foye and Mike Miller. Caron Butler would be a gem of an acquisition for the Jazz, but it's hard to see the Wizards letting go of Butler this season when they could make a huge turnaround behind a healthy Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; --Ross Siler<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/18997850-8685696333937429334?l=blogs.sltrib.com%2Fjazz%2Findex.htm'/></div> Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:45:00 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/770569 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/770569 RUMOR: Warriors owner Chris Cohan "highly likely" to sell <a href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/imported_assets/197107/clown-illustration-artwork-funny-clown-fun_large.jpg"><img class="photo" src="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/imported_assets/197107/clown-illustration-artwork-funny-clown-fun_large_medium.jpg" alt="Clown-illustration-artwork-funny-clown-fun_large_medium" /></a> GOOD RIDDANCE. [via <a href="http://media.picfor.me/001DD07/clown-Illustration-artwork-funny-clown-fun_large.jpg">media.picfor.me</a>] Jump for the info. Tim Kawakami in<a href="http://blogs.mercurynews.com/kawakami/2009/07/03/warriors-big-picture-is-cohan-getting-ready-to-sell/" style="color: #c8181d !important; text-decoration: none !important; background-color: transparent;">&nbsp;Warriors big picture: Is Cohan getting ready to sell?</a>&nbsp;over at Talking Points for the Mercury&nbsp;has what seems like a dream come through for long suffering Warriors fans: <blockquote> Warriors owner Chris Cohan is believed to be seriously&nbsp;considering selling his 80%&nbsp;stake in the franchise in the next year or two, according to the sources. (He took control of the franchise in January 1995.) In fact, one knowledgeable source said it&rsquo;s "highly likely" that Cohan will sell most or all of his controlling interest in the team, possibly pulling back only if the&nbsp;current recession unexpectedly continues through 2011 and Cohan can&rsquo;t get the price he wants. The sources did not give specific reasons for Cohan&rsquo;s potential sell-off, and all of them noted that Cohan has spoiled&nbsp;soon-to-sell speculation several times in the past. But one source pointed to Cohan&rsquo;s long-running battle with the IRS and another theorized that Cohan has wearied of&nbsp;the criticism he receives for the team&rsquo;s run of disappointment, which includes 1 playoff season and 14 seasons in which the team did not reach the postseason. &nbsp;&nbsp; </blockquote> I will also add that I've personally heard from several insiders over the past few years that Cohan was nearing a sale for various reasons, although obviously/ unfortunately nothing has yet to materialize. Cohan (since we all know you're reading this)--&nbsp;It's time to stop embarrassing yourself and sell the team. It would be great for the Bay Area, the NBA, and the game of basketball. Thanks! &nbsp; Marcus Thompson writes<a href="http://www.ibabuzz.com/warriors/2009/07/03/cohan-cashing-out/">&nbsp;Cohan Cashing Out? </a>over at Inside the Warriors for the Bay Area News Group: <blockquote> While his departure may cause a parade in the streets, the change of ownership is no small deal. It could potentially set things back. A new owner could mean new president, and maybe even new general manager and coach. And all that could mean new roster, new direction on the court.&nbsp; </blockquote> If I were the new owner of the Warriors my first order of business would be to fire Robert Rowell. The man simply does not have the resume of a guy even the least bit qualified to be the president of a half a billion dollar corporation. It's not like his on the job "training" with the Warriors the past decade is very impressive- it can be likened to former Rowell/ Cohan publicity stunt Chris Mullin's "tutelage and grooming" for the head front office man under Gary St. Jean.&nbsp;Rowell's (deserved) firing would cause yet another parade in the streets. My second order of business would be to give GM Larry Riley and head coach Don Nelson a vote of confidence. Nellie is a legendary head coach in this league and a shrewd basketball man who has resurrected the&nbsp;the once lowly <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/DAL" class="sbn-auto-link">Dallas Mavericks</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;Warriors twice. If Riley's the guy he wants helping him out upstairs, then so be it. Riley might not have the most distinguished front office resume, but he is experienced and sounds a whole smarter and prepared than previous front office personnel this team has had. Despite what all the Nellie haters and Mullin apologists might have you believing, this duo is legit and the fact that they're on the same page is a great thing. The third order of business is to blow up this roster. This mostly Mullin-created roster is a straight up disaster from top to bottom, but that's a discussion for another time. Let's stay focused here... SELL THE WARRIORS. &nbsp; What are some of the other things you're hoping are changed about this dysfunctional, unprofessional, and losing organization under a new majority owner? &nbsp; Thanks to&nbsp;UCdubsFan for putting up the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2009/7/3/937363/cohan-may-sell">FanShot</a>. 99% of rumors never happen, but 100% of Warriors faithful desperately want this one to happen! &nbsp; &nbsp; Also see: <ul style="padding-top: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 5px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; margin: 0px;"> <li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px;"> <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/02/10/SP74259.DTL" style="color: #c8181d !important; text-decoration: underline; background-color: transparent;">SPECIAL REPORT: The man who owns the Warriors.&nbsp;Cohan's rocky reign. An era marked by lost games, lost fans and endless litigation</a>&nbsp;[SFGate] </li> <li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2009/5/23/884533/polling-gsom-are-you-really-that">Polling GSoM: Are you really that surprised that PR director Raymond Ridder and the Golden State Warriors got caught "astroturfing"?</a>&nbsp;(5/23/09)</li> <li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2006/8/30/2435/59749" style="font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #01378f; text-decoration: none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">At the Press Conference: Write "Sell the Warriors"</a>&nbsp;(8/29/06) </li> <li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2006/4/19/164039/466" style="font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #01378f; text-decoration: none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">Missing Signatures</a>&nbsp;(4/19/06) </li> <li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2006/3/17/3138/23222" style="font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #01378f; text-decoration: none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">Rise to the Occasion</a>&nbsp;(3/17/06) </li> <li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2006/8/24/14553/3948" style="font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #01378f; text-decoration: none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">2005-2006 REPORT CARD: Chris Cohan and Robert Rowell</a>&nbsp;(8/23/09) </li> <li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2006/4/1/23358/54988" style="font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #01378f; text-decoration: none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">BREAKING NEWS: Ice Cube Purchases the Warriors</a>&nbsp;(4/1/06) </li> <li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2006/7/26/21214/8969" style="font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #01378f; text-decoration: none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">We Want Larry!</a>&nbsp;(7/25/09) </li> <li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2006/7/18/205229/362" style="font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #01378f; text-decoration: none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">San Jose SuperSonics in 2k8</a>&nbsp;(7/18/06) </li> <li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2006/6/28/193447/873" style="font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #01378f; text-decoration: none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">NBA Draft 2006: Chris Cohan is happy the draft isn't in the Bay</a>&nbsp;(6/28/07) </li> <li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2006/9/11/24027/9344" style="font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #01378f; text-decoration: none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">The Dirty Dozen - Part 1 of 3</a>&nbsp;(9/11/06) </li> <li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2007/5/19/183926/193" style="font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #01378f; text-decoration: none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">IRS Stressing Warrior Owner Chris Cohan</a>&nbsp;(5/19/09) </li> <li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2007/11/30/165319/37" style="font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #01378f; text-decoration: none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">NBA Payroll Playpen and Cohanomics</a>&nbsp;(11/30/07) </li> <li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2006/6/6/121545/5391" style="font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #01378f; text-decoration: none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">WARRIORSist</a>&nbsp;(6/6/06) </li> <li style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 15px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 15px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.goldenstateofmind.com/2009/5/16/874245/rumor-chris-cohan-and-robert" style="font-weight: bold; font-style: inherit; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #01378f; text-decoration: none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px;">RUMOR: Chris Cohan and Robert Rowell said no to Kevin Garnett because of additional salary and the luxury tax</a>&nbsp;(5/16/09)</li> </ul> <fieldset class="poll-box"> <legend>Poll</legend> <h5 class="poll-title">Would you be doing backflips if Warriors majority owner Chris Cohan sold off his stake in the franchise?</h5> <div id="poll_container_44977_1122572511"> <form action="/polls/vote/44977?container_id=poll_container_44977_1122572511" method="post" onsubmit="new Ajax.Request('/polls/vote/44977?container_id=poll_container_44977_1122572511', {asynchronous:true, evalScripts:true, parameters:Form.serialize(this)}); return false;"> <ul class="poll-list clearfix"> <li class="clearfix"><input id="poll_option_212534" name="poll_option" type="radio" value="212534" /> <label for="poll_option_212534">YES: Cohan is the worst owner in all of pro sports</label></li> <li class="clearfix"><input id="poll_option_212535" name="poll_option" type="radio" value="212535" /> <label for="poll_option_212535">NO: I work for the Warriors and I won't bite the hand that feeds me</label></li> </ul> <input class="button" name="commit" type="submit" value="Vote!" /> &nbsp; 22 votes | <a href="#" onclick="new Ajax.Request('/polls/results/44977?container_id=poll_container_44977_1122572511', {asynchronous:true, evalScripts:true}); return false;">Results</a> </form> </div> </fieldset> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/D2MBZYKlaA5DZN6-x_7CBu6k8G8/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/D2MBZYKlaA5DZN6-x_7CBu6k8G8/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/D2MBZYKlaA5DZN6-x_7CBu6k8G8/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/D2MBZYKlaA5DZN6-x_7CBu6k8G8/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a> Sat, 04 Jul 2009 12:30:27 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/770385 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/770385 Wallace will wait; Marbury on outs Rasheed Wallace is not expected to decide on the Celtics&#8217; contract offer for at least a week. The Celtics sent Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce, president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, and managing partner Wyc Grousbeck to Wallace&#8217;s home in suburban Detroit for a three-hour meeting Thursday. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:00:00 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/769575 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/769575 Sheed's gonna take a week to think about it <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><div class="blogText">  <a href="http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/2009/07/wallace_weighin.html?camp=localsearch:on:twit:celtics" target="_blank"><a href="http://www.redsarmy.com/.a/6a01156f2c3287970c011571afb0ac970b-popup" onclick="window.open(this.href,'_blank','scrollbars=no,resizable=yes,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" style="float: right;"><img alt="Sheed watch" class="at-xid-6a01156f2c3287970c011571afb0ac970b " src="http://www.redsarmy.com/.a/6a01156f2c3287970c011571afb0ac970b-pi" style="margin: 5px; width: 200px;" title="Sheed watch"></img></a> Frank Dell'Apa reports</a>Rasheed Wallace is not expected to make a decision on the Celtics' offer of a mid-level exception contract for at least a week. The Celtics sent Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce, along with president of basketball operations Danny Ainge and managing partner Wyc Grousbeck, to Wallace's suburban Detroit home for a three-hour meeting Thursday.  Wallace will meet with other teams next week -- he is high on the lists for Orlando and San Antonio, teams which could offer him a starting position. The Celtics project Wallace as a backup. Charlotte is also interested in Wallace, who owns a home in North Carolina.  </div></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/RedsArmy?a=kw28jYeHRfM:QAYAhCcSQ2I:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/RedsArmy?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/RedsArmy?a=kw28jYeHRfM:QAYAhCcSQ2I:dnMXMwOfBR0"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/RedsArmy?d=dnMXMwOfBR0" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/RedsArmy?a=kw28jYeHRfM:QAYAhCcSQ2I:wF9xT3WuBAs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/RedsArmy?i=kw28jYeHRfM:QAYAhCcSQ2I:wF9xT3WuBAs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/RedsArmy?a=kw28jYeHRfM:QAYAhCcSQ2I:F7zBnMyn0Lo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/RedsArmy?i=kw28jYeHRfM:QAYAhCcSQ2I:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/RedsArmy?a=kw28jYeHRfM:QAYAhCcSQ2I:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/RedsArmy?i=kw28jYeHRfM:QAYAhCcSQ2I:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/RedsArmy?a=kw28jYeHRfM:QAYAhCcSQ2I:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/RedsArmy?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/RedsArmy/~4/kw28jYeHRfM" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:10:08 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/768458 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/768458 Leon Powe vs. Ike Diogu <div class="photo-tpl photo-tpl-big_time"> <a href="/photos/leon-powe-vs-ike-diogu"><img alt="Photo" class="ap_photo" src="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/entry_photo_images/53423/61744_kings_nuggets_basketball.jpg" /></a> <div class="photo-meta"> <a href="/photos/leon-powe-vs-ike-diogu">More photos &raquo;</a> by David Zalubowski - AP </div> <a href="/photos/leon-powe-vs-ike-diogu">Browse more photos &raquo;</a> </div> Quite obviously, I'm in the tank for <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/4341/Leon_Powe" class="sbn-auto-link">Leon Powe</a>. I begged the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/SAC" class="sbn-auto-link">Kings</a> to draft him in 2006 with the No. 19 pick which went to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/21627/Quincy_Douby" class="sbn-auto-link">Quincy Douby</a> -- Powe ended up going to Boston with the 19th pick in the second round. <a href="http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-13-160/2006-Draft-Profile--Leon-Powe.html">Powe's story is heart-rending</a>, and it gets even moreso every passing day. (He also happens to be a killer player.) In Game 2 of Boston's opening round playoff series against Chicago, Powe tore his ACL. He finished the game on the injured leg, but then had to forfeit his season to get the ligament surgically repaired. This week, the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/teams/BOS" class="sbn-auto-link">Celtics</a> decided <a href="http://nba.fanhouse.com/2009/07/01/leon-powe-will-prove-the-celtics-wrong/">to refuse to make a $997,000 qualifying offer</a> to Powe because he won't likely be ready until December or February and the Celtics cannot afford to lock up a roster spot with an injured player when they're trying to get another championship. (It's perfectly fair. Heartbreaking, considering Powe's work ethic, character and talent. But fair. Boston can do whatever it wants.) So Leon Powe is a free agent. The Kings will look to reportedly add one big man, with incumbent <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/21528/Ike_Diogu" class="sbn-auto-link">Ike Diogu</a> as the early favorite. But would bringing in Powe turn out to be a better play for Sacramento? Powe and Diogu, who battled in the Pac 10 for their Cal and Arizona State teams, are actually rather similar players: tough rebounders, good scorers, undersized defenders. Powe is the better rebounder, Diogu the more frequent scorer. Powe's defense has a better reputation at this point, though Diogu hasn't exactly had a supporting cast like <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/4350/Kevin_Garnett" class="sbn-auto-link">Kevin Garnett</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/4348/Kendrick_Perkins" class="sbn-auto-link">Kendrick Perkins</a> and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/4352/Rajon_Rondo" class="sbn-auto-link">Rajon Rondo</a>. Diogu will turn 26 in September, Powe will turn 26 in January. Despite one less season in the league, Powe has played about 400 extra minutes. Powe, despite his size (6'8), is a great rebounder. He rebounds roughly 15% of all offensive rebound opportunities -- if he played enough minutes to qualify, he'd be near the league lead in that category. He's also a strong defensive rebounder, better (by the numbers) than <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/35069/Jason_Thompson" class="sbn-auto-link">Jason Thompson</a> and on par with <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/24279/Spencer_Hawes" class="sbn-auto-link">Spencer Hawes</a>. Diogu, though, would also be the best rebounder not named <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/71937/Jon_Brockman" class="sbn-auto-link">Jon Brockman</a> on a Kings team. Ike's offensive rebounding is better than that of Thompson (who found himself in the league top 20 much of the year) but not quite up to Powe's standard, and Ike's defensive rebounding is just OK. (Thompson, Hawes and one can assume Brockman would be better defensive rebounders. As Thompson and Hawes are not great defensive rebounders, this could be an issue.) Diogu has always been a high-shot guy when getting into games. His career usage rate is at a mammoth 22% (!), and over his four years he has averaged more than 12 FGAs per 36 minutes -- one shot every three minutes. Powe has maintained a high usage as well, though -- 20% over three season, shooting 10 FGAs per game. This high usage rate for each player makes sense when you consider how strong they are on the offensive glass -- when you get an offensive rebound, you're usually in position to go back up with an open shot. (This also explains why strong offensive rebounders -- think <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/21817/Joel_Przybilla" class="sbn-auto-link">Joel Przybilla</a> -- are often efficient scorers.) Both are average shotblockers (good for their size, but average for the position) who infrequently commit turnovers. Both draw fouls at an insane rate, though Diogu is a considerably better FT shooter. The safe bet would be Diogu. He can play from Day 1. He has existed in Sacramento without issue for a while, and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/players/21670/Bobby_Jackson" class="sbn-auto-link">Bobby Jackson</a> told KHTK he was the hardest worker in practice. He'll always have the Denver and Minnesota games. Powe might not be back until February. If he's the pick, and God forbid one of the starters gets injured early, you're screwed. But when he does return, he immediately becomes an incredibly third big, a key rebounder, defender and scorer in your frontcourt. And he's a helluva good dude who can help build the relationship between the team and community. The Kings aren't in a "win now" mode. In all honestly, the Kings could sign both, Powe more as insurance (or Diogu as a placeholder) and still have room for one Summer League invite (Jerel McNeal, John Bryant). I think either would be a smart pick-up, though my heart pulls for Powe. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:15:11 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/767385 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/767385 Yup, Danny Ainge is a Genius Marbury feels (short) Celtics days are done.Bill Strickland, Sheed's agent, on the contract offer.I used to hate -- no, DESPISE -- Danny Ainge. After his deal which sent the then-admirable Antonie Walker packing, to then only sign Brian Scalabrine, it was clear to me that this guy was just not a fit for the Celtics.Then came the 2006-07 season, a year where the Celtics not only had shameful results, but left a humiliating mark on both their legendary name and Boston's fans. And just when I thought both Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers were "outta here," a meeting was arranged between Celtics star Paul Pierce, and Danny Ainge himself. Pierce told Ainge that "he wanted to be a Celtic for life," but if the C's didn't find veteran help for him that offseason, he'd prefer leaving Beantown and heading to a contender.Little did he know that Mr. Ainge expected a Pierce response like that, and was working on bring that "contender team" to Boston. So, not only did Pierce get veteran help, but two superstars ready to take a big burden off of Pierce's shoulder.In the glorious end, Paul Pierce, the Celtics, and the city of Boston won a championship, an honor they'd already experienced many times over, but still had that same thirst for victory nonetheless.And so I'm convinced. Danny Ainge is a genius. The Ray Allen trade which was seen as a terrible, awful move, was proved brilliant by Ainge after Allen was covered in champagne at around midnight, June 17, 2008. He gave the T-Wolves half of the Celtics' roster in exchange for Kevin Garnett, but once again, the swap proved to be what was necessary for both Boston and Minnesota. Then, he added player after player on to the Celtic gang just days after the Garnett trade, not stopping until the roster was perfectly complete.The C's signed Eddie House and Scot Pollard shortly after the Garnett trade was finalized. Late August, he signed coveted free agent James Posey to a one-year deal. The moves were seen as complements to the blockbuster deals which ended up being the splashes of the Summer, but little did we know these were the deals that would give Boston a title.After the jump, I'll talk about the specifics and go into detail about the 2007-08 Executive of the Year. Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:40:00 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/767636 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/767636 Celtics Ambush Rasheed, Offer a Contract Boston sent the whole cavalry to Wallace’s place, and asked him to sign on the dotted line: “An NBA source said that the Celtics offered Pistons free agent F/C Rasheed Wallace a contract using the mid-level exception today during a three-hour meeting in Detroit. The Celtics All-Star trio of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen, coach Doc Rivers, president Danny Ainge, and managing partner Wyc Grousbeck all attended the meeting. While interested, the source said Wallace was in no rush to make a decision.” Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:10:43 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/766765 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/766765 Wallace offered contract The Celtics are putting a full-court press on Rasheed Wallace. Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce joined president of basketball operations Danny Ainge and managing partner Wyc Grousbeck for a three-hour meeting with Wallace in Detroit yesterday, the Celtics offering a contract using their midlevel exception. But Wallace is apparently in no hurry to respond, preferring to weigh approaches ... Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:00:00 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/766740 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/766740 Say It Ain't So: Is The "R" Word In Store For The Bulls? All signs point to it. The Chicago Bulls have been stockpiling young, cheap players the past couple seasons. They have several expiring contracts on the roster and have yet to move them. The front office drafted two power forwards, which likely spells the end of Tyrus Thomas' tenure as a Bull. The team is comprised mostly of recent draft picks (7 players have three years or less experience entering the upcoming season). The front office has used made thinly veiled references to it, mentioning the "process" and "learning curve" that will require patience and time. Most recently, we let our top scorer from last year walk. Yep, the signs all lead to one thing. The Chicago Bulls are rebuilding. I know, the R word is a dirty, vile, horrible label to put on a team, and this team isn't completely hopeless just yet. The front office could still pull off some huge deal to bring in a star to complement the young nucleus of Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, and Luol Deng (his massive, long-term contract means he's a Bull for at least another two years, so we may as well accept him as our SF for the forseeable future). But, in all honesty, who can the Bulls get? More importantly, can the Bulls offer a package for a star that no other team can top? I think not. Like I already mentioned, the writing has been on the wall for longer than we may like to believe here in the Chicagoland area. Since the Michael Jordan dynasty ended in the 90's, the Bulls have never been a legitimate contender, and whenever they got close, the front office made the wrong move at the crucial moment. Elton Brand was let go, only to bring in Tyson Chandler. When Hinrich, Deng, and Gordon stunned the NBA by shutting down Dwyane Wade in the playoffs and exceeding everyone's expectations, the Bulls spent their money on retaining Kirk Hinrich for the long haul and going balls-out for Ben Wallace. When that failed, and the Bulls had to decide to re-sign Gordon and/or Deng, they chose Deng, who has since been an oft-injured, scarcely productive flop. Now, the Bulls are mired in mediocrity, with no substantial cap space for this season and little hope for landing a star next offseason. Sure, there are plenty of stars who will potentially hit the market in 2010, but why would they come to Chicago? Most of the top potential free agents seems to be winners, who would obviously like to play for contenders. Cleveland will probably bring back LeBron, and the rest of the top talent will likely end up with Boston, Orlando, Cleveland, Los Angeles, or another viable contender (perhaps Denver). So if we don't land a star now, and if that failure persists in 2010, we'll have loads of cap space to either waste on undeserving talent or to rebuild. So if we rebuild, what does that mean? Well, the two best examples from recent memory are the Boston Celtics and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Both teams began with one star player (Paul Pierce and Kevin Durant, respectively), and they had to wait to slowly gather the right pieces to complement their stars. In the meantime, they cleared cap space, gutted their rosters, and collected a combination of expiring contracts and young players on rookie contracts. They then let the kids play, keeping the ones who thrived and letting go of those that didn't. After that step is where the two teams too different approaches. The Celtics took note of two teams in miserable positions (the Timberwolves and, ironically enough the SuperSonics, who have since become the Thunder), realized that they were both ready to rebuild, and decided to throw all their efforts and cap space into getting a star from each team (Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, respectively). The all-or-nothing approach could have potentially doomed this team and forced them to start over yet again, but they won a championship the very next season, justifying their huge gamble. The Thunder have yet to take that massive gamble, instead preferring to continue giving youngsters the opportunity to prove themselves. Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook seem to have worked their way into the nucleus alongside Durant, and new draftee James Harden will get the chance to join that core in the future. The Thunder appear willing to keep relying on draft picks to strengthen their team, and, though it has taken time, it has been working, slowly but surely. The team is clearly better than they were two years back when Durant began his career, and they still have plenty of cap space should they decide to take a gamble. The Thunder's approach is much slower, and it mirrors the approach the Bulls themselves took after the MJ dynasty ended. Unfortunately, the "stars" the Bulls decided to build around were Hinrich and Deng, and Reinsdorf was gave them too much money and too many years to leave room for more talent, and his judgment leaves the team trapped in the middle of the conference. Luckily we have a true young star in Rose now, and we have already found a good, young complement for him in Noah. The Bulls could, of course, pull off a move for some sort of temporary upgrade to try to contend next year, as Milwaukee did with Richard Jefferson last year. However, the Bucks found that their gamble was little more than a stall, getting them nothing more than assurance that they wouldn't get embarrassed throughout the season. The Bucks have since let Jefferson go, accepting their need to rebuild and preparing for a potentially long and painful period of trial and error to get back on track. Unless the Bulls pull off the miracle move and bring in a savior along the lines of Bosh, Wade, or Michael Redd (and I have little faith in any of these things happening), then, I have to grimace and grudgingly admit what is appearing more and more like the inevitable: the Bulls will have to rebuild. I hope we find that miracle cure, but to expect it would be naive. This team is in trouble, and the front office is faced with the decision to make one last gamble, or to prepare for the long and thankless task of rebuilding. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:15:29 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/767611 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/767611 Report: Celtics meet with Wallace, offer deal Rasheed Wallace may be joining Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen in Boston. <a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=0d4d5319536945366889ff3d9ee466d9&p=1"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=0d4d5319536945366889ff3d9ee466d9&p=1"/></a> Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:32:10 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/766050 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/766050 Report: Celtics meet with Wallace Rasheed Wallace may be joining Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen in Boston. <a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=dc720806085715a8f168df3bc62069e2&p=1"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=dc720806085715a8f168df3bc62069e2&p=1"/></a> Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:19:08 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/766154 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/766154 Celtics make offer to Wallace From Marc Spears: (http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/2009/07/cs_offer_sheed.html)An NBA source said that the Celtics offered Detroit free agent F/C Rasheed Wallace a contract using the mid-level exception today during a three-hour meeting in Detroit.The Celtics All-Star trio of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, coach Doc Rivers, president Danny Ainge and managing partner Wyc Grousbeck all attended the meeting.While interested, the source said Wallace was in no rush to make a decision.Other teams projected to be interested in his services are Charlotte, San Antonio, Orlando and Cleveland. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:58:33 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/767069 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/767069 The Fortunate 50 <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zGTe5MsCVYc/Skz-tRjIgBI/AAAAAAAAA8w/x_bbjnywQ-g/s1600-h/Fortunate+50.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 52px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zGTe5MsCVYc/Skz-tRjIgBI/AAAAAAAAA8w/x_bbjnywQ-g/s400/Fortunate+50.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353934110795005970" border="0" /></a>Jonah Freedman of Sports Illustrated has compiled his annual list of <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/more/specials/fortunate50/2009/">the top 50 earning U.S. athletes</a>, taking into account salary, winnings, and endorsements. Always a fun read. Some interesting points: * Tiger Woods, not surprisingly, ranks first, earning just under $100 million ($92 million of which is from endorsements), followed by fellow golfer Phil Mickelson. * Lebron James ranks third, earning $42 million. Will his endorsement income--which is already $28 million a year--go up should he leave Cleveland next summer for the Knicks? * Three of the top 10 earning atheltes are NBA players who jumped directly from high school to the NBA (Lebron, Kevin Garnett, and Kobe Bryant), while four other prep-to-pro stars are also in the top 32 (Dwight Howard is #13, Jermaine O'Neal is #20, Rashard Lewis is #30, and Amare Stoudemire is #32). Allen Iverson, who was my more celebrated classmate at Georgetown University for two years, and Shaquille O'Neal, who played three years at LSU, are also NBA players in the top 10. * Tom Brady, despite his enormous celebrity, is only #28 on the list, earning $18 million a year between salary and endorsements. For what it's worth, his wife--super model Gisele Bundchen--<a href="http://www.askmen.com/specials/2007_top_99/14/gisele-bundchen/picture-1.html">is reportedly worth $150 million</a>. * The Manning Brothers are both in the top 50: Peyton is #10 while Eli is #43. One sports law related point: while player-agents typically receive a small percentage of players' team salaries (depending on the league, usually a 2 to 4% commission), their cut of endorsement contracts tends to be higher (in the ballpark of 10 to 20%), so the difference between income from a player contract and income from an endorsement contract matters a great deal to an agent.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6074155-8385676541970231597?l=sports-law.blogspot.com'/></div> Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:18:00 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/764898 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/764898 Celts to offer full MLE to 'Sheed From Mark Murphy: (http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/sports/celtics/index.php/2009/07/02/source-cs-trying-to-set-up-meeting-with-wallace/)A league source confirmed this morning that the Celtics were trying to set up a meeting with Rasheed Wallace later today. The sit-down was said to be part of a series of meetings being set up with all of the teams interested in signing the free agent power forward/center. San Antonio and Cleveland — which introduced Shaquille O’Neal as its latest addition today — were also supposed to meet with Wallace today.According to the source, the Celtics are willing to offer the full $5.8 million mid-level exception, but were only planning on offering the 35-year-old a two-year contract.Wallace’s friend, Kevin Garnett, has been part of the recruiting effort, but he is not expected to be part of today’s meeting. Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:15:07 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/766959 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/766959