http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/4549 Recent articles about Richard Jefferson en-us The NBA season is over but there is some wheeling and dealing going on. Elton Brand is a Sixer. Richard Jefferson is a Buck. (Doesn't that sound derogatory? I guess being a Buck is an insult.) Corey Maggette is a Warrior. My former fantasy basketball sixth-man Matt Barnes is a Sun. Chris Duhon joins the Apocalypse. Hype man Ronny Turiaf is getting live in the Bay now. TJ Ford is a Pacer. Jermaine O'neal is a Raptor. Marcus Camby is a Clipper. Talk about getting dissed. Camby was released for cap space and a secound round draft pick. Camby wisely predicts that the draft pick probably won't even make the team. Josh Childress is an Olympiaco. Olympi-who? J-Childs joined a team in Greece. The Hawks offered him $33 milli-ons over five years without including taxes and the Greeks offered $21 milli's in the air after the tax man cometh. Josh did real good. He's gets paid more and in a stronger currency with fringe benefits like free lounging. Good thing the Hawks drafted for the same position for five years in a row. They have been running through forwards. It looks like Team Josh is over. Josh Smith and Josh Childress might be gone. The big issue is what does this mean for the NBA and future NBA prospects? The high school kids looking through college brochures might be enticed to hit the Euro-league for seven figures instead of dodging freshman classes until the NBA draft while looking for ways to cover up booster scholarships. (Whew, I got winded after reading that sentence again.) Also, what impact will this have on the NBA benches? If a guy can make more money and start in Europe then why would he ride the pine in the NBA gaining no respect or PT. There's some rich people in Russia that could afford to bank-roll some serious basketball squads. What if they went after stars that are losing their home-side appeal like Vince Carter or Jason Kidd? This is an interesting time for the NBA. This could be bad news for the guys that go undrafted or get cut from NBA squads. It's already hard enough to become a professional basketball player. The last thing they probably want is competition from players with NBA job security. I hope Josh has some thick skin. It's all peaches and cream right now but those European fans have no boundaries. At least not in soccer where racism is obvious at times. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:09:26 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295057 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295057 I have always been resistant to change. Even if I knew it was coming a mile away. Last February, I got the opportunity to see the Nets at their best for what turned out to be their last time together against a major opponent. And with the trade deadline looming, there were already some notable changes on their roster as the Nets shipped forward/center Jason Collins to Memphis for underachieving forward Stromile Swift. A few days later, team captain Jason Kidd followed suit when New Jersey sent him back to the very team that drafted him (Dallas Mavericks) for Devin Harris and other players. Change was coming. I just didn't know how fast. Nets Team President Rod Thorn and the rest of the Nets brain trust have been very busy this off-season. Having traded away their franchise's second all-time leading scorer—Richard Jefferson to the Milwaukee Bucks for China's Yi Jianlian and underachieving forward Bobby Simmons. The Nets also did very well for themselves in the 2008 NBA Draft after they bagged Stanford's 7'0'' center Brook Lopez at #10, 6'10'' forward Ryan Anderson at #21, and arguably the steal of the draft at #40—Memphis scoring guard-forward Chris "CDR" Douglas-Roberts. Rod Thorn didn't stop there as he also allowed forward Bostjan "Boki" Nachbar to sign with a Russian team and sent guard Marcus Williams to the Golden State Warriors for a future lottery-protected 1st round pick. With that said, the only Nets left from last season's roster are Darrell Armstrong, Josh Boone, Nenad Krstic, Sean Williams, Vincent Lamar Carter and his $61.8 million dollar extension. Of those five players, only Boone, Williams, and Carter are certain to make the final roster. The New Jersey Nets have certainly positioned themselves well for the unrestricted free agent boon of 2010 that will feature the likes of LeBron James, Dwyane Tyrone Wade Jr., Steve Nash, Joe Johnson, Walter Ray Allen, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Manu Ginobili, Tracy McGrady, and for what it's worth, Shaquille O'Neal. This list can further increase if players who hold Early Termination Options (ETO) in their existing contracts decide to exercise them. They are Amare Stoudemire, Michael Redd, Tyson Chandler, Richard Jefferson, Yao Ming, and Dirk Nowitzki. If the Nets don't land LeBron James in 2010. They are not short on alternatives from the wealth of talent on that list. Kudos to the Nets brain trust on their foresight. Brooklyn may not only be getting a team two years from now. But a solid contender. Addendum: - DeSagana Diop and the Dallas Mavericks agreed on a five-year, $31 million deal (the team's full midlevel exception) last July 9, 2008. It will be Diop's second stint with the Mavericks after being a part of the Jason Kidd-Devin Harris deal six months earlier - What exactly did the Nets get in the Marcus Williams deal? Fred Kerber of nypost.com shares that "if the Warriors are in the playoffs in 2011, the Nets get their first round pick. So it's lottery-protected in 2011. He adds "if the Nets are still waiting for the pick in 2012, they get G. State's first rounder, as long as it's not 1-through 11. If they're still waiting in 2013, they get the first rounder as long as it's not 1-through-10. But 2013 is the cutoff. If they haven't gotten the pick by then they get two second rounders, in 2013 and 2015." Sounds as shady as Marcus Camby being dealt for a 2nd round pick, if you know what I mean. - Lastly, at the age of 40, guard Darrell Armstrong won't be back with the Nets for the upcoming 2008-2009 NBA season. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:14:49 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294210 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294210 Gilbert Arenas really slapped the city(?) of Milwaukee around in his post this week at NBA.com. Well, bless the Charles F. Gardner's sweet heart for trying to justify the town as...well, "not so bad" and that some players like it there...they really like it there! Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:17:19 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292248 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292248 The Mavericks reportedly were willing to offer forward Brandon Bass and guard Jerry Stackhouse for Artest. The Kings wanted Josh Howard included in the deal and this seemed to halt all discussion between the 2 teams. Unless the Mavs are willing to give up Howard or the Kings get desperate (not likely) to settle for less, a deal is not likely to get done. Today is the deadline for the Lakers to let Turiaf and the Warriors know of their decision about the restricted free agent. Signs point to the Lakers letting Turiaf go. The Warriors have front loaded his contract and the Lakers currently have 10 players signed to guaranteed contracts for a total of $75.135 million and aren't likely to pay another 4.5 million to bring back a role player off the bench. The Clippers and Warriors are still playing a game of swapping players. The Clippers made the latest move by signing the Warriors' restricted free agent Kelenna Azubuike to an offer sheet Thursday. Azubuike, 24, agreed to a three-year deal, with his option for the third season. The deal is for $9.3 million, with his salary being $2.9 million, $3.1 million and $3.3 million. The Warriors have 7 days to match the offer if they want to keep Azubuike. This adds to the already swapped players of Barron Davis and Corey Maggette. According to the Globe, Tyronn Lue was hoping to join the Celtics before he signed a two-year, $5 million contract with the Bucks. Lue said he was asking the Celtics for $1.8 million a year, but the Celtics were holding firm on their offer of a one-year, $1.2 million (the veteran minimum) offer. Lue said he was disappointed in the Celtics because they wouldn't go the extra $600,000. But from the Celtics point of view, it was a lot more than $600,000. The league picks up a portion of league minimum contracts and since the Celtics are over the luxury tax, that $600,000 would have cost them 1,200,000. Along with Tyronn Lue, the Bucks also signed 30 year old veteran, Malik Allen to a contract on Thursday. Allen endeared himself to coach Scott Skiles during two seasons with the Chicago Bulls and now will be reunited with Skiles in Milwaukee. Allen will fit in a power forward rotation with fourth-year pro Charlie Villanueva and 6-8 rookie Joe Alexander, the eighth overall pick in the June draft. The Jazz have come to terms with their point guard, Deron Williams. Williams signed a 3 year deal with a year option that should be worth around $70 million dollars. Williams had wanted to reach an agreement on a contract extension before he left for USA Basketball training camp in Las Vegas. He is scheduled to leave Sunday for the Vegas and was happy to have the contract negotiations out of the way. Samuel Dalembert became a Canadian citizen and planned to play for the Canadian team in the Olympics, but there has been some controversy along the way. Supposedly, he had alienated his teammates by moving his group into a penthouse in the team's hotel headquarters, and that he had demanded more shots. Dalembert was dismissed from the team by coach Leo Rautins after a disagreement outside the team bus before they left for a game with Korea. Dalembert had this to say: "Now I see why it has been so difficult to get [NBA] guys to play for Canada," he said. "I'm very disappointed. I know how to differentiate business and pleasure. This is children's stuff. I don't throw people under the bus. I don't trash the coach. "But I read stuff that came from 'a source.' I like people to come forward. I heard that I'm a prima donna. Anyone who knows me knows I don't do that. I said I'd do anything to help raise money for Canada. I had one bad game, and I'm not committed? Please." SI speculates that Vince Carter could be the next Net to be changing teams. The Nets already have sent out two of their three stars packing, sending Jason Kidd to the Mavs and Richard Jefferson to the Bucks. Carter could be next to go as New Jersey continues to try to clear up cap space for a possible run at LeBron James in 2010. Carter, 31, has a huge contract (three more years, $49 million), but he is also a seven-time All-Star who averaged 21.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists last season. The Mavericks are the latest team to work out Darius Miles. The Celtics were impressed with his workout for them and now he has also impressed the Mavericks. A member of the Mavericks' camp said that Miles was much better than they had thought and that on a scale of 1-10 he was a solid 8. In recent weeks, Miles has had workouts with the Nets, Celtics, Suns and Mavericks, some of which went as long as 2 hours. Miles is trying to become the first player to return from an injury that was considered to be career-ending by the NBA. If he were to sign a new contract and play in 10 or more games this season, his $9 million salary would go back on Portland's books so, Portland is more than likely hoping his comeback bid fails. For his part, Miles insists that he is 100% and is hoping to catch on with a contender. He is looking for a 1 year minimum contract and with the Celtics missing out on the Posey sweepstakes, the Celtics may consider him a bit more as well. One factor that has to be considered in signing Miles is that he will be suspended for the first 10 games of the season for testing positive for what has been speculated to be a performance enhancing drug. The Pistons haven't been big players in the free agent market as GM Joe Dumars has said that he is looking for a trade rather than to sign a free agent. Speculation is that he will trade one of his veteran starters who have been together almost forever, it seems. They have been very impressed with their young point guard, Rodney Stuckey and either Chauncey Billups or Richard Hamilton will have to be moved if Stuckey is to move into the starting lineup. The word going around is that while the Pistons would probably prefer to part with Billups, the most teams would prefer the younger and cheaper Hamilton. Don't be surprised to see the Pistons shake it up this summer. I am very optimistic about Bill Walker's future as a Celtic. The kid already has the Celtics type attitude and work ethic. Scott Souza is reporting that Walker has been a familiar sight at the Celtics' workout facility. Just over two weeks after he had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee for a torn meniscus, the third knee surgery of his basketball career, Walker was back on the court yesterday firing up a succession of 3-pointers and free throws. Souza reports: Walker looked much bigger in a T-shirt and long shorts (which covered any brace on his knee, though it was apparent he was not wearing any Tony Allen-type contraption) than he did wearing a sport shirt and jeans at his introductory press conference two weeks ago. At first glance, you wouldn't even think it was the same player (the LeBron James comparison suddenly make slightly more sense). A Celtics spokesman confirmed he has been a frequent sight at HealthPoint since his surgery. Walker seems determined to come back from this surgery just as he did from the previous two, although the first 2 were much more serious. He also seems very determined to make a difference for the Celtics this season. Unlike JR Giddens, the Celtics first round pick who left Boston when he couldn't come to terms on a contract, Walker has stayed in town and has been working out with the Celtics trainers and coaches. I like this kid and hope Danny keeps him around this season. He may just be the steal of the draft. Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:36:34 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292230 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292230 Sports blogging legend Gilbert Arenas comes out of retirement with a missive about his Adidas tour blah blah blah LOOK WHAT HE SAID ABOUT HIS EX-TEAMMATE SIGNING WITH MILWAUKEE (emphasis mine): Richard Jefferson going to Milwaukee …. HAHAHA! Oh man, now that is funny. When I heard that, I started laughing. Oh man, did I start [...] Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:04:47 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/290341 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/290341 By now I'm sure everybody has heard all the hype surrounding the 2010 free agent class. The hype is not just media driven because certain teams are already dumping salaries to get under the cap by '10. For example, the Nets gift-wrapped Richard Jefferson to Milwaukee for Bobby Simmons and Yi Jianlian, talk about an unbalanced trade (watch out for the Bucks this year). It seems like the right move to wait and get under the cap by then and to possibly land LeBron, D-Wade or Chris Bosh. As a tortured fan I'm not ready to just pack in the next two years but I understand the logic. The four players that are going to kill the Knicks chances to get under the cap for the '10-'11 season are Eddy Curry, Zach Randolph, Jared Jeffries and Jamal Crawford. Now lets take Crawford off this list because he's probably the only player on the team who can score consistently and is sorta worth the money. Crawford is going to give you around 20 ppg every night and the possibility to drop 40 or above every game. Read on to see suggestions on how the Knicks can rid themselves of these contracts............ Sun, 13 Jul 2008 13:31:27 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/289811 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/289811 For the 2009 season, the Milwaukee Bucks will pay Andrew Bogut, Michael Redd, Richard Jefferson, and Mo Williams $50 million, when they could've saved time by flushing the money down the toilet. Thu, 10 Jul 2008 04:38:41 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288396 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288396 The state of Wisconsin has been the center of the sports world the past week. The Brewers made the biggest acquisition available before the trade deadline by acquiring CC Sabathia and the Packers are in constant discussion over whether or not they should welcome back Brett Favre. Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:28:18 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288223 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288223 Herald Paul Pierce pushes for James Posey (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1105603 format=text) FBI to look at Celtics fan death (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1105632 format=text) Round 1 to Michael Beasley: His Heat top Derrick Rose’s Bulls (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/other_nba/view.bg?articleid=1105637 format=text) Bucks’ Richard Jefferson says he’ll work well with Michael Redd (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/other_nba/view.bg?articleid=1105655 format=text) Globe Raw material (http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/07/08/raw_material?mode=PF) Truth is, Pierce still celebrating (http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/07/08/truth_is_pierce_still_celebrating?mode=PF) Letter to Ray Allen: Living, growing, and learning to deal with diabetes (http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/07/07/living_growing_and_learning_to_deal_with_diabetes/) Celtics.com Post ups notebook (http://nba.com/celtics/playoffs2008/playoffs-postups.html) More Links After the Jump Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:10:20 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287483 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287483 I love covering the NBA. It's amazing sometimes how one comment or one second-hand report bounces around in the echo chamber and suddenly becomes a big story. Take, for instance, Rod Thorn's comment that Richard Jefferson "didn't seem very happy" when the news broke about the trade that would send him to the Bucks. Keep in mind that Thorn hadn't actually spoke to Jefferson when he made that comment. He had only spoke to Jefferson's agent and tried to call and text Jefferson himself. Suddenly, there were reports everywhere that Jefferson was upset with being traded to Milwaukee. Some people even wondered if he'd try to force a trade elsewhere. There's that echo chamber that I was talking about... (Read the rest after the jump.) Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:32:32 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287356 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287356 Herald Paul Pierce pushes for James Posey (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1105603 format=text) FBI to look at Celtics fan death (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1105632 format=text) Round 1 to Michael Beasley: His Heat top Derrick Rose’s Bulls (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/other_nba/view.bg?articleid=1105637 format=text) Bucks’ Richard Jefferson says he’ll work well with Michael Redd (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/other_nba/view.bg?articleid=1105655 format=text) Globe Raw material (http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/07/08/raw_material?mode=PF) Truth is, Pierce still celebrating (http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/07/08/truth_is_pierce_still_celebrating?mode=PF) Letter to Ray Allen: Living, growing, and learning to deal with diabetes (http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/07/07/living_growing_and_learning_to_deal_with_diabetes/) Celtics.com Post ups notebook (http://nba.com/celtics/playoffs2008/playoffs-postups.html) More Links After the Jump Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:25:11 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287270 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287270 The League will announce the new salary cap numbers today and at midnight, free agents can begin signing with teams so tomorrow looks to be a busy day for free agent news, but for now, here is what is going on around the league. Paul Pierce spoke to the media from his basketball camp just around the corner from TD Banknorth Garden. He had this to say about the knee that he injured in game 1 of the Finals. Pierce said the knee is still sore, but is getting better, and noted that he's been treating his injury "like a sprain that normally takes three-four weeks." "I've still got some soreness in it, so hopefully it's nothing major requiring surgery," Pierce said. "I plan on getting in there this week, getting the treatmentand the MRI and making sure I take care of my body. I doubt if I need any surgery. It's getting better and better. I'm gonna get the MRI just to take the extra precaution but I don't see any surgery in my future and I just plan on getting treatment until it's all the way healed." Pierce also said that now that he has won the championship, he wants to do it again next season. He is planning to spend most of the summer in Boston to work out and prepare for next season. The Herald also reports that Pierce is pushing for the Celtics to do whatever it takes to sign James Posey. He also plans to speak to Posey in hopes to get him to come back to Boston. Pierce also plans to toss in some sentimentality when he speaks with Posey. "You know, I try to tell guys winning a championship with the Boston Celtics is not like winning a championship anywhere else," he said. "I think down the road you forget about certain championship teams, but those Boston teams never get forgotten." "When I talk to him, I'm going to let him know that - the significance of being a Boston Celtic even after basketball. Hopefully I can convince him to come back for whatever the offer we're giving him. I don't really know the offer that (director of basketball operations) Danny (Ainge) and them are talking about. I know it's less than the mid-level and I know there's teams out there probably trying to give him the mid-level." The Bulls are making Ben Gordon, who is a restricted free agent available and are looking for a sign and trade from someone for him. At first the thought was that Heinrich would be on the blocks with the arrival of Derrick Rose, but now it seems that Heinrich will play in the back court along with Rose. That makes Gordon the odd man out. I wonder if they need an energy guy who will be a good locker room guy and bring energy off the bench. If so, the Celtics have just the guy for them. Brian Scalabrine would be just the guy to keep their young guys in line. If the Sixers get their way, they could be one of the most improved players in the league. They have $11 million available to sign a free agent and with the new cap figures, it may be even more. Expect them to make a very lucrative offer to Josh Smith. The Hawks GM has said that he will match any offers, but if the Sixers offer is high enough, the owners may override that and let him go. It would be a mistake for the Hawks if they do because they have the makings of a very good young team and letting Smith go would set them back considerably. The Sixers on the other hand will land someone good with all that money. Trading Iverson was a very good move on their part. Yahoo is reporting that the Philadelphia 76ers have traded forwards Rodney Carney, Calvin Booth and a future No. 1 pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves to free as much as $2 million in additional salary cap space for the Sixers to offer Elton Brand or Josh Smith a deal that will bring one of the two coveted free to Philadelphia. Minnesota is sending Philadelphia its $2.8 million trade exception from the 2007 deal of Mark Blount to the Miami Heat. Cleveland has been very active in free agent talks. They have been rumored to be in talks with Corey Maggette, Monta Ellis, and James Posey who grew up in Cleveland. The Cavs owner is willing to pay the luxury tax and they are trying to prove to LeBron that they mean business by trying to bring in players to help him so that he doesn't bolt the team in 2010 when he becomes a free agent. They are also trying to re-sign Delonte West and Daniel Gibson. They are rumored to be looking into a possible deal with the Bobcats for Raymond Felton as well. Anthony Carter, the Nuggets free agent point guard has received calls from Orlando, New York and Golden State but has said that he will likely sign a deal with the Nuggets for the veteran's minimum. The Nuggets have eight players with guaranteed contracts totaling $78 million, which is already about $8 million over the projected luxury-tax threshold and will need to find free agents willing to sign for the league minimum to fill out the rest of their roster. The Celtics aren't far behind with 9 players under contract totaling $71 million. The Boston Score has an interesting take on Danny inviting Darius Miles to camp. We all remember when Reggie Lewis died, the league refused to give the Celtics any cap relief from his salary. Fast forward a bit and the NBA ruled that Darius Miles had a career-ending knee injury, they wiped the $27.5 million left on his contract off the books. But, the Blazers will lose this relief if Miles plays in at least 10 games over the next 2 seasons. Could Danny be trying to get some measure of revenge from the league by way of the Blazers by trying to prove that Miles is indeed well enough to play in the NBA? Interesting conjecture. The Suns are also looking at Miles. The Celtics said that his workout was impressive but it remains to be seen whether his off court troubles are behind him. He will be suspended for the 1st 10 games of the season for violating the leagues drug policy. The Suns are also interested in signing Tyronn Lue who has been mentioned as a player that the Celtics have looked at as a back up point guard. After reports that he was unhappy at being traded to the Bucks, Richard Jefferson broke his silence with a press conference yesterday. He said that he was unhappy because he felt betrayed by New Jersey and not because of the team that traded for him. He is excited about playing with Michael Redd and the chance to get back to the playoffs. He also said he doesn't expect New Jersey to be back in the playoffs for the next couple of years because of the moves they have made. The Record adds this little tidbit for one of the reason that Jefferson was traded (another being that they got a contract that expires in 2010 in return as they chase the LeBron sweepstakes): Another reason, sources within the organization said, was that change was needed. They said Jefferson was jealous of Vince Carter and became so fixated on making the All-Star team that he focused more on the offensive end – he averaged a career-best 22.6 points last season - and didn't rebound or defend as hard as he did earlier in his career. Regardless of the reasons, I think the Bucks just improved themselves considerably. Exprss News reports that Kurt Thomas would like to return to the Spurs but has received interest from both the Lakers and the Heat. The Spurs' pursuit of Corey Maggette is on the front burner right now and after Maggette makes his choice, then the Spurs (and the other teams that are pursuing him (Pistons, Jazz, Celtics, Magic, Warriors to name a few) will be able to move on to other matters. The Orange County Register reports that along with making a run at James Posey and trying to sign their own free agents Rony Turiaf and Sasha Vujacic, the Lakers are making a play to get Sun Yue, the 6'9" point guard they drafted last season but who opted to stay overseas. The last 6'9" point guard who played for the Lakers did pretty well and they are hoping this one will too. Along with pursuing James Posey and Corey Maggette (isn't everyone?), MLive tells us that the Pistons are looking at a number of prospects on their Summer League team. One of the stronger free agent candidates on Detroit's summer league roster is point guard Will Bynum. Bynum signed with the Boston Celtics prior to the 2005-2006 season, but was waived shortly before the season opener. He will be remembered by Celtics fans because of the incident in Chicago that landed Tony Allen in legal trouble as they were celebrating Bynum's signing with the Celtics. If Bynum plays well this summer, he has a good chance of entering training camp as the team's No. 3 point guard behind Chauncey Billups and Rodney Stuckey. But then again, Detroit News mentions that the Warriors have been trying to unload Al Harrington (two years left worth about $20 million) and they need a point guard. The Pistons could offer Chauncey Billups, but they would want a lot more than Harrington back in return. Just a conjecture on their part, but an interesting one. The Star Tribune reports that Ryan Gomes is going to wait until some of the dust settles on the free agent market and see what is available after players like Posey, Maggette, etc are signed before making a decision whether or not to take the Wolves' one year qualifying offer. If the Celtics lose out on Posey and Maggette, I wouldn't mind making Gomes an offer, but the Wolves can match any offer made so it would be a long shot to get him back. Summer Leagues are in full force. It seems strange not to be watching the Celtics battle it out in Vegas at this time of the year. For so many years, the hopes of the future were pinned on what was going on with those summer league teams. It seems pretty foreign now remembering back to watching Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Leon Powe, Gerald Green and company and thinking that the future was bright, although far away. The Oklahoma City team got its start as a franchise with its summer offering wearing black mesh uniforms with white stripes along the sides and the words "Oklahoma City" across the front of the jersey and atop a simple NBA logo. It is sad in many ways that the Sonics are no more. Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:51:34 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287228 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287228 This off season has been very interesting and looks like it isn't going to slow down any time soon. When the season starts, quite a few teams are going to look very different. The Clippers became relevant with the Baron Davis signing. Richard Jefferson is a Buck and Yi is a Net. Jermaine O'Neal is a Raptor, to name just a few changes. The Celtics starters should remain the same, but their bench is going to be quite different. With all the rumors going around, the changes aren't even close to being finished. This should be an interesting week with the salary cap numbers come out on Tuesday and free agents can officially sign on Wednesday. Monta Ellis is being courted by the Heat, Cavs, Knicks and Warriors. He is looking to get $10 million and the only way that the Heat, Cavs or Knicks could offer him anywhere near that is through a trade. If the Warriors let him go, they must get a starting point guard in return because of Baron Davis bolting to the Clippers. More on the Corey Maggette saga. Now, the Detroit Pistons are offering him their full MLE. So, to recap, the Warriors, Spurs, Sixers, Jazz, Magic, and now the Pistons are bidding for his services. He opted out of $7 million dollars from the Clippers and has said that he would take less if it meant going to a contender. Previously, he had narrowed his choices down to the Spurs or the Celtics but now with the Pistons bidding as well, he has a lot of choices. The Globe reported that Doc called him and since he and Doc go way back and are good friends, that may give the Celtics some leverage. He said that he feels very comfortable with Doc and with everything else equal, that could be the difference. The top two draft picks have been struggling somewhat with Rose battling tendenitis in his knee and Beasley suffering an injury in his first practice. Both are back to practicing and both plan to play on their summer league teams. Richard Jefferson is scheduled to be introduced to the media on Monday. He was very unhappy with the trade and up until now has declined to talk about the trade. You have to feel for the Bucks. Last year, their draft pick was unhappy with going to Milwaukee and they had a hard time convincing him to come. This season it is Jefferson who is balking at the trade for said draft pick and unhappy about going to Milwaukee. But, I think the Bucks made themselves better with this trade. Hoopsworld brings up an interesting scenario. Marc Bartlestein represents JR Giddens, James Posey, Eddie House and some others. They suggest that Danny took Giddens in the first round to court favor with Bartlestein in the signing of James Posey. And, they mention that the Celtics inability to get a simple rookie contract done for Giddens may be a bit of gamesmanship on their part since Posey is so far rejecting their offer and making the rounds of other teams interested. In the NY Daily News, Frank Isola talks about NY needing to get rid of Marbury to change the culture of the team. And then he mentions that Marbury may end up in Boston or San Antonio as a back up. Marbury is a chemistry killer. He has been a selfish player his entire career. He won't be a fit in Boston. I'd rather have Tony Allen with all his flaws as a point guard backing up Rondo than Marbury. At least Tony is a team player. The Atlanta Hawks have two very good restricted free agents in Josh Smith and Josh Childress. Philly, who has about 12 million in cap space available is making a strong push for Smith. The Sporting News reports that their general manager has said that the Hawks would match any offer made to either Josh, but with the Hawks ownership stil in flux, there are indications that is the offer is large enough for either, the ownership would let them go. The Sixers with as much as 16 million to spend on free agents may make him a good offer. Atlanta has a great core of young players with Josh Smith as one of the best. They took the Celtics to 7 games and that wasn't just because the Celtics were sleeping. The Hawks played great and for them to allow the team to break up now when they are on the verge of taking the team to the next level would be a shame. 2010 will be quite the free agent class with LeBron James being the cherry on top that several teams are eyeing and making all their moves around freeing up enough space that summer to make him a max offer and lure him away from Cleveland. The Nets, Knicks, Cavs, Bulls, Heat and Spurs all have made some moves with 2010 in mind and according to the Sporting News these are the most likely destinations for LeBron to land. In my book, Cleveland has the best chance of keeping him. LeBron has said he wants to stay in Cleveland and they can offer him more than any other team. That is going to leave a lot of teams with a lot of cap space looking elsewhere. Joe Johnson, Amare Stoudemire, Tracy McGrady, Michael Redd, Chris Bosh, Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade will also be free agents that summer and any of them would be a nice consolation prize for the teams that lose out on LeBron. Mon, 07 Jul 2008 09:45:17 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286485 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286485 The New York Post says that Ex-New Jersey Net Richard Jefferson is unhappy about the trade on draft day that sent him to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons. New Jersey Nets president Rod Thorn has not spoken to Jefferson yet, but said "He didn't seem very happy," "I spoke to his agent, I called him, texted him. I like Richard. He was here for a long time and I'm sure he still expected to be here. Unless you are the one pushing for it, it's always difficult when you are traded. You are going to a new place, have new teammates. It's hard at first". It looks to me like the Nets are making cap room for King James???? Tue, 01 Jul 2008 23:27:49 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284889 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284889 Milwaukee Bucks players, management and fans should all be ecstatic over the news of Elton Brand opting out of his contract with the L.A. Clippers. Of course, it's not for the reason you may think. Elton Brand is a very good player and puts up great numbers as a power forward but he would be a bad fit with the Bucks. Michael Redd, Richard Jefferson and Andrew Bogut will be taking the majority of shots on the offensive end of the floor and that wouldn't sit well with Brand. Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:40:31 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284852 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284852