http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/4586 Recent articles about Tyronn Lue en-us Part 2 of FIO and TalkHoops.net writer Zach Harper's look at NBA offseason movement and how it will affect fantasy basketball for the coming season. Not only does he look at the major players in these transactions, but Harper also digs deeper to give fantasy implications across the board. Wed, 13 Aug 2008 23:24:57 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/305695 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/305695 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 A Daily Babble Production The Suns' summer-long search for a back-up point guard continues, and as the team looks to lock up journeyman Tyronn Lue, it appears that another westward possibility has popped up as well. The East Valley Tribune's Jerry Brown reports (http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/120908) that the Clippers point guard Shaun Livingston could be the next target of interest in Phoenix. The Clips declined to put forth a qualifying offer for the long-injured 22-year-old point guard this summer, and he is now on the market as an unrestricted free agent. The idea of Livingston in a Phoenix uniform is an intriguing one. While it's hard to imagine the fit being a poor one for him, he might not be the sort of risk the currently constructed Suns should be looking to take. Read More.. (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=3623 Itemid=260)All of Steve's daily posts can be found in the CelticsBlog: NBA blog. Check him out! Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:22:34 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292048 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292048 In recent seasons the Suns have tried to sign John Salmons, Joe Johnson, Chris Duhon, Anthony Johnson and Tyronn Lue. A grand total of zero of them have wound up on their roster. Instead they choose to head to basketball meccas such as Sacramento, Atlanta, New York, Orlando, and Milwaukee. I never thought I'd see a day when [...] Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:50:24 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291916 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291916 A busy summer for the Bucks and new General Manager John Hammond is continuing on with the signing on point guard, Tyronn Lue. Lue is a 10-year veteran and should serve as a useful bench player for new coach Scott Skiles. It is believed to be a one-year deal worth between $2 and $2.5 million. The Bucks were able to outbid the Phoenix Suns who wanted Lue to backup Steve Nash. Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:46:52 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291643 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291643 The big story is that James Posey, who was one of the most coveted free agents is now off the market. The Hornets were willing to give Posey what he asked for, and that is a 4 year, $25 million contract. The Celtics weren't willing to go that 4th year. Now that Posey is off the market, there may be more signings as the teams who were holding out and hoping to land Posey will now go to plan B and look to make a deal. This does seem to make both Chris Andersen and Janero Pargo a bit more available with their MLE wrapped up in Posey, the most they can offer is the league minimum. At least Posey didn't go to the Lakers. I don't think I could have stomached seeing him hugging Kobe before every game. With Posey off the table, the Celtics may attempt to re-sign one of their own free agents, Tony Allen. Allen's agent, Mike Higgins, said yesterday he expects the Celtics to make his client an offer. The Celtics also have swingmen J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker, both of whom are unsigned and although there were rumors that the Celtics might try to stash Walker overseas for a year, the loss of Posey may give him an opportunity to contribute right away. Ainge said that one player wouldn't replace Posey but rather that he would be replaced by committee and that he didn't have a free agent in mind. "We go to the next options," said Ainge, who might consider adding another big man. "We're not going to sign one player that is going to replace James Posey. We're going to do it in a different way and different fashion. We are going to reallocate our dollars in different ways." That big man may be Chris Andersen, who the Celtics showed interest in earlier. Andersen has been mentioned in rumors that Denver may be interested as well. I would love to have the Birdman in Boston. Bill Ingram of Hoopsworld reported that the Boston Celtics offered James Posey in a sign-and-trade deal to try to land land Billy Ron Artest. I don't know how much I believe that because this same Bill Ingram reported on Monday that Posey would be announcing his signing in 24 hours and was expected to re-sign with the Celtics. On the other hand, Danny made a run at Posey when the Pacers were trying to trade him and may try to get in on the bidding for him now that the Kings seem ready to move him again. The Mavs and Lakers are both making a pitch for him but to get him, it would seem that any team would have to take Kenny Thomas and his contract as well and I don't think the Celtics would want to do that. After weeks of saying that he was deciding between Boston and Phoenix and then skipping out on a physical in Miami on Monday, and going back to saying that it was between Boston and Phoenix, Tyronn Lue signed a one year contract with the Milwaukee Bucks worth between 2 and 2.5 million. The Celtics and Suns were both offering one year minimum contracts and the Bucks obviously were willing to offer more. So, the Celtics lost 2 free agents at the top of their list on the same day. This could get depressing. With their top free agent target off the market, the Suns are looking elsewhere for point guard help. Reports are that they are interested in Sam Cassell, Shaun Livingston and Jason Williams. Williams is good friends with Suns center Shaquille O'Neal and Cassell is a former Sun. The Suns can only offer the league minimum and so are hoping that they will find a player willing to sign for the minimum. Not only have the Celtics not been able to land their free agent targets, they haven't been able to reach an agreement with their first round draft pick, JR Giddens. As a few more of the remaining first-round picks signed their three-year guaranteed deals yesterday, which for the most part are based on their draft position, J.R. Giddens remained unsigned with no resolution of the situation in sight. Danny Ainge said that they haven't had any conversations and that the Celtics are concentrating on other things right now like letting James Posey get away. Giddens has the same agent as Posey and House. He was also Mark Blount's agent. I really am getting to dislike this guy. On the day that they lost James Posey to New Orleans, the Celtics made the signing of Patrick O'Bryant official. O'Bryant, a 7'0", 249lbs center, has appeared in 40 career games for the Golden State Warriors posting averages of 1.7 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. O'Bryant is scheduled to meet the Boston media in Waltham on Thursday morning at The Sports Authority Training Center at HealthPoint at 11:30 a.m. One team that was hoping to land Posey made a move on Wednesday as the Cavs signed Daniel Gibson to a 5 year deal. With Gibson safely in the fold, the Cavs will turn their attention to trying to re-sign Delonte West and they hope to come to an agreement with him soon as well. Delonte is a restricted free agent so the Cavs could match any offer he might get from another team. The Raptors made another move as they announced Wednesday they have signed guard Roko Ukic to a three-year contract. Ukic was a second-round selection (41st overall) by the Raptors in the 2005 NBA Draft. Ukic, 6-foot-5, 210 pounds, played in Italy last season with Lottomatica Virtus Roma. He averaged career highs of 11.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals in 19 Euroleague contests. The Star Tribune reports that the Timberwolves have agreed to terms with restricted free agent Craig Smith. The Wolves have not yet signed restricted free agents Ryan Gomes and several teams have been pursuing Gomes. Teams such as Cleveland could intensify their pursuit now that Boston free agent James Posey has signed with New Orleans. Gomes' agent likely is eyeing the full mid-level exception of $5.6 million for next season. If Gomes signs with another team, the Wolves have seven days to match the offer or let Gomes go. Many Celtics fans have hopes of seeing Gomes in Celtics green again but it is doubtful that Danny will offer the full MLE to get him. The Rocky Mountain News is reporting that Marcus Camby was blindsided, distraught, disrespected and insulted by the trade that sent him from the Nuggets to the Clippers for a second round draft pick. The Nuggets are considering Chris Anderson as a replacement for Camby. Bull's restricted free agent Luol Deng's options are limited after the Clippers' trade for Marcus Camby. The Clippers with their cap space were considered a possibility for Deng, but Camby's salary will use up a large portion of that space. Only the Grizzlies have conserable cap space but are in cost cutting mode and are unlikely to look to sign a free agent for big bucks. This leaves three options for Deng: hit on a long-term extension with the Bulls, sign a one-year tender offer and become an unrestricted free agent in 2009, or convince the Bulls to execute a sign-and-trade. It was reported at the time that the hold up on a Kobe or a KG trade was the fact that the Bulls did not want to include Deng. If they can't come to an agreement, they may have passed up two big opportunities for nothing. According to a source close to Dallas, the Mavericks offered 14th year swingman Jerry Stackhouse and fourth-year forward Brandon Bass for Kings small forward Ron Artest. The Kings are not expected to entertain the offer if it doesn't include Dallas small forward Josh Howard, but the inquiry certainly reveals the level of the Mavs' interest. According to the source, Howard does not appear to be available. Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:43:40 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291641 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291641 James Posey and Eddie House were both signing autographs at Borders in downtown Boston and promoting the Championship DVD. According to the AP, fans made their way through the line and told the players they hoped to have them back for a repeat, with Posey telling one fan: "Me, too. Me, too." You know, I am getting rather tired of Mark Bartelstein. He represents both James Posey and Eddie House along with several other key free agents. Bartelstein reports no decisive movement in negotiations for his free agent client as of early tonight. But the Celtics could be in danger in losing another player represented by Bartelstein — Eddie House. The Celts would love to get House back on a one-year deal for the veteran minimum, but he's looking for more money and more years. According to Bartelstein, 2 or 3 other clubs have made offers better than the one the Celtics are making. Even though he would prefer to stay with the Celtics, if the offers are there, he will probably walk. The Globe reports that Posey is looking for a 4 year contract and so far no one is offering to go 4 years. They also say that Cleveland is Posey's best bet for a move. He has received a lot of fan support as he was out and about promoting the Celtics' DVD and the interaction with fans has reinforced Posey's intention to stay in Boston, but he said it will not influence his decision as it will be a business decision, not a personal one. While Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett have all said that they have reached out to Posey encouraging him to stay, Leon Powe said he is staying out of the Posey recruiting process. "I stay out of grown folks' business," said Powe. I love Leon!!!! ESPN is reporting that the Clippers made a big move on Tuesday when they agreed with the Nuggets on a deal that will send defensive stalwart Marcus Camby to LA for a future second round draft pick. Not a bad trade. Since the Clippers are under the cap, they don't need to give equal salary in return for Camby. Dumping the remaining two years of Camby's contract (worth nearly $15 million) will allow the Nuggets more flexibility to fill other needs on the team. Talk about a deal! The Clippers were close to making an offer for Josh Smith, but when this opportunity came up, they jumped at it, not wanting to take a chance on waiting to see if the Hawks matched their offer for Smith. Josh Smith seems to be the big loser in all this. He missed out on a big contract offer with the Sixers when they signed Brand and now he has missed out on a big contract offer from the Clippers. The competition for his services seems to be drying up and he will be left with whatever the Hawks want to give him. The Warriors signed their first round pick, Anthony Randolph on his 19th birthday. The contract is for two years with team options for the third and fourth seasons. Randolph, the 14th overall pick, will make about $3.5 million in his first two seasons. The Warriors are still looking for point guard help. According to SFGate, Delonte West was high on the Warriors' list, but is believed to be signing a nice deal elsewhere. Golden State might end up going the trade route. Memphis has three point guards, O.J. Mayo, Mike Conley, and Javaris Crittendon, and Crittendon would fit well on the Warriors. It doesn't appear that the Warriors would be interested in Stephon Marbury if he's bought out by the Knicks. The Orlando Sentinel reports that the Magic have found their back up point guard, signing Anthony Johnson to a 2 year contract. This is the second time around for Johnson in Orlando as he was traded to the team from Atlanta in 2000, but they renounced his rights 6 months later to make room to sign Tracy McGrady. The Magic are still in the market for a third point guard and have been in talks with the Grizzlies concerning one of their young point guards. particularly Javaris Crittenton. The MetroWest Daily reports that Perk estimated he was at between 60 and 80 percent health during the five games of the NBA Finals in which he played. They are reporting that he experienced nagging pain throughout the second half of this season before the injury in the Finals kept him out of game 5. Though he reluctantly sat out Game 5 in Los Angeles, he forced his way back into the starting lineup for the clinching Game 6 in Boston two days later. Perkins said he intends to resume some basketball-related activities by the end of the month and will be ready to go at full speed well before training camp begins on Sept. 30. The Indy Star is reporting that the Pacers are looking to trade point guard Jamaal Tinsley and also to sign a power forward. The Pacers have 16 players under contract with several of those expiring contracts that would be attractive to teams trying to clear space for the 2010 free agent rush. They also have a 2.7 million dollar trade exception so they are in good shape going into a trade market. The Pacers tried to solve both issues in one deal by offering Tinsley to Miami for power forward Udonis Haslem, but the Heat are reluctant to give up Haslem. With quite a few teams looking for a point guard, they shouldn't have a problem finding a taker for Tinsley. The NY Post is reporting that the Knicks have agreed to sign free-agent guard Anthony Roberson to a two year deal. This deal is likely to quicken the departure of Stephon Marbury from the team. The Knicks appeared to be waiting to add another backcourt player before making a move with Marbury and with the signing of Roberson, who is playing well for their Summer League team, Marbury appears to be on the outs. The Knicks have 16 players under contract now and along with Marbury, Jerome James is on the bubble to be cut from the team. The Suns are still hoping that Tyronn Lue will sign with the club. They are offering only the veteran's minimum to back up Steve Nash. The Celtics are also still in the running for Lue's services, also offering the vet's minimum to back up Rajon Rondo. The East Vally Tribune reports that at least one other unnamed team is talking to him as well. Lue also took a look at Miami, which has its biennial exception to offer, but he didn't show up for a scheduled physical on Monday. Unlikede Boston and Phoenix, the Heat were offering a starting spot. The Suns are also interested in Shaun Livingston. Livingston remains one of the more intriguing prospects out there. He hasn't played since seriously injuring his knee 17 months ago. Still only 22, he was cleared to resume basketball activities just last month. But he wasn't able to show his progress in the Vegas Summer League and hasn't worked out for teams. After denying the rumors for weeks, the Detroit Free Press is reporting that Tracy McGrady has stated that he wouldn't mind a trade to Detroit. The Pistons are saying that there isn't anything close, but there certainly seems to be a lot of smoke surrounding this rumor and where there is this much smoke, there may soon be some fire. The Pacers signed their two draft picks, Brandon Rush and Roy Hibbert. Hibbert, a center from Georgetown, came in the trade that sent Jermaine O'Neal to the Toronto Raptors. Rush, a guard from Kansas, came to Indiana in a trade with with the Portland Trail Blazers. The Clippers officially signed second-round draft picks DeAndre Jordan and Mike Taylor. "I'm excited," said Jordan, who had been projected as lottery pick out of high school, but slipped to the second round of the draft after a tepid freshman season at Texas A&M. "I'm going to take this (slight) and use it as motivation to prove people wrong." Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:51:41 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291103 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291103 Over the weekend James Posey's agent, Marc Bartelstein, said that there should be something contract-wise by Monday. Posey was present at the preview of the Celtics Championship DVD but was very non-committal concerning his situation. He watched the DVD while sitting at the same table as Danny Ainge but there didn't seem to be anything new in the negotiations. Marc Spears reports that the Celtics seem willing to give Posey the full mid-level exception but only for 2 years rather than the four years that Posey is looking for. This contradicts early reports that Danny initially offered 3 years. Posey didn't mention any specific teams who were interested but said that playing for a contender was important to him, and that other members of the current Celtics team have talked to him trying to convince him to stay. We had hoped to get a decision today but instead just got more talk. Posey still says that Boston is his number 1 choice so hopefully Danny will give enough to get it done. Eddie House was also at the premiere and said that returning to the Celtics was his first choice. I hope he returns as he would be a good back up for both Ray and Rondo. He had a great team spirit. He never complained when benched during the playoffs and he came up big when he did get the call. House would like a multi-year contract but the Celtics are exploring trying to sign a veteran to a 1 year veteran's minimum contract as the reimburses teams a portion of contracts signed by veterans and that would help with the luxury tax the team will be paying. But, to win another title, the Celtics can't nickel and dime the players who helped them win the first one. Chemistry is one of the things that will help them to repeat. Bringing in too many new players, especially if they aren't an upgrade, will hinder rather than help them to repeat. According to the Orlando Sentinel, the Magic are talking with Jason Williams concerning their need for a back up point guard. They have reportedly also offered Keyon Dooling a 2 year deal at about 1.9 million a year but Dooling has called the offer ridiculous and suggested that it was an attempt at trying to devalue him and said that he was insulted by the offer. Florida Today reports that the Magic have had serious talks with the Grizzlies' point guard Javaris Crittenton showing that perhaps they have abandoned any hope of keeping Dooling on the team. The Miami Herald reports that after saying that he would take a physical for the Heat on Monday, Tyronn Lue decided against it and didn't show up for the physical. The Heat were prepared to make him an offer and Lue would have stepped into the starting point guard position there, but they will now look elsewhere. Lue is still said to be deciding between the Celtics and the Suns. The Heat have Marcus Banks on their roster, but apparently don't expect him to be able to handle the starting PG role as they are looking elsewhere to fill the position. The Arizona Republic reports that the Suns major competition for Lue is the Celtics who have reportedly offered Lue a one-year veteran minimum deal worth $1.26 million. Shaquille O'Neal has called Lue, who is his friend and former teammate, to make a recruiting pitch for the Suns, but Lue also is a longtime friend of Celtics' star Kevin Garnett. Lue stays at Garnett's Malibu home each summer for workouts. The Heat were attractive because he would be given the starting role, and with both Boston and the Suns he will be a back up to either Rajon Rondo or Steve Nash. Both teams are offering a veteran's minimum one year deal. With the Heat out of the picture, Lue is back to deciding between the Celtics and the Suns (or between Shaq and KG as the case may be). Billy Ron Artest is still making waves according to the Rocky Mountain News. With trade rumors swirling around Artest, he was asked if he would have interest in being dealt to the Nuggets. His answer was a definitive no. "I cannot play in Denver because they question my drive to finish my career off strong and not embarrass my family,'' Artest wrote Sunday night. "Any player wants to win a championship is low risk. That's not even an option to be a Nugget, they let me know how they felt about me already." Kings owner, Joe Maloof, has stated that Artest needs to settle down a bit and stop making statements that don't make any sense and praising him for what he has done in Sacramento. I can see that as damage control so as not to hurt his trade value. If teams know what kind of a nut case he still is, they might not trade for him. I still say I hope he goes to the Lakers as they deserve each other. The Miami Heat are reported also to have interest in Artest and would be willing to part with Shawn Marion, whose $17.1 million deal also is expiring. As will be the case with the Lakers and most other suitors, the question will be whether the Kings can include forward Kenny Thomas and his deal that includes two more seasons and approximately $18 million. According to ESPN, the NBA may be in for more trouble this summer. Citing court documents and phone records, it was reported that disgraced ref Tim Donaghy placed 134 calls to fellow referee Scott Foster between October 2006 and April 2007, which was the period during which he has confessed to betting on games or passing on game information to gamblers. According to a story published Monday on Fox News' Web site, the majority of the phone calls lasted no more than two minutes and occurred before and after games Donaghy officiated and on which he admits wagering. First there were the reports that came out during the Finals about playoff games that were fixed and now this. I have a feeling that there is more that will come out on this and David Stern isn't out of the woods yet. The Rockets made a couple of minor moves on Monday. They signed this season's first-round pick Donté Greene five minutes before their first game in the Las Vegas NBA Summer League. Greene responded to the new contract with 40 points, making 12 of 20 shots and 11 of 12 free throws, to lead the Rockets to a 100-97 win over the Phoenix Suns. The Rockets also released center Loren Woods from his contract as Woods is looking to sign in Europe. The Rockets GM also said to expect a trade sometime this month. The Rockets are looking to extend a one year veteran's minimum contract to 42 year old Dikembe Mutombo , who hasn't decided whether to take the offer or retire. Trail Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard has a tough decision to make in the coming months: Sign up-and-coming point guard Petteri Koponen, or keep an open roster spot entering the regular season. On Monday, after Koponen scored 19 points and made 4-of-6 three pointers in the Summer League opener, his decision became even tougher. If the Blazers fail to sign him, he is likely to sign a long term contract in Europe, making his return to the Blazers unlikely for years to come. Pritchard said he values the opportunity to have roster flexibility entering the season, which he would have if he elects to keep Koponen overseas. However, there is also the danger of losing Koponen for several years if the Finn signs a long-term deal with a European team. The Nets don't want to lose free agent Bostjan Nachbar altogether and are trying to explore sign-and-trade possibilities for him. They also are looking into that route for Nenad Krstic, but there remains a chance the restricted free-agent big man will return. Their rookie center Brook Lopez impressed in Orlando and that may be hastening a move toward a trade. I wonder if they would like Brian Scalabrine back? Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:23:31 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/290673 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/290673 Globe Posey decision near? (http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/2008/07/posey_decision_1.html) CelticsBlog Hoping one player-coach pairing comes to fruition (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=3605 Itemid=189) LOY's Place It's a new week rumors and free agent updates (http://celticsgreen.blogspot.com/2008/07/its-new-week-rumors-and-free-agent.html) Red's Army Ron Artest is perfectly sane, writes well (http://redsarmy.wordpress.com/2008/07/13/ron-artest-is-perfectly-sane-writes-well/) Is today the day? (http://redsarmy.wordpress.com/2008/07/14/is-today-the-day/) Sun Sentinel Tyronn Lue narrows choices to three, includes Heat (and Celtics) (http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/basketball/heat/sfl-flspheatnote14sbjul14,0,4877714.story) Review Journal Slam dunk champ out to revive career (http://www.lvrj.com/sports/25260529.html) Can Danny? The End of the Posey Era in Boston (The End of the Posey Era in Boston) WDKX Zo's annual summer groove (http://www.wdkx.com/show_article/2008/07/13/Zo's+Annual+Summer+Groove.html) Sports and Beyond The good die young (http://fanofsports.blogspot.com/2008/03/good-die-young.html) BostonSportZ Get your Championship DVD Tuesday (http://www.bostonsportz.com/blog/2008/7/13/get-your-championship-dvd-Tuesday.HTML) Bay Area Sports Guy Odom for Artest?... Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:49:36 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/290176 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/290176 The Miami Herald is reporting that Tyronn Lue will take a physical for the Heat on Monday and if the results are good, will be given an offer from the team. Lue then said that he would decide between the Phoenix, Boston and Miami. The Heat may be offering it's 1.9 million bi-annual exception. My guess is that the Celtics are offering a veteran's minimum contract. Last week, Lue said that Phoenix was his first choice but he feels that Miami would be a good situation, as unlike in Boston or Phoenix, he would be a starter for the Heat. Boston has the benefit that Kevin Garnett is one of his best friends. The Boston Globe has this little tidbit at the bottom of an article: Possibly the biggest surprise of the first round of the recent NBA draft was IUPUI guard George Hill being selected by the Spurs with the 26th pick. But if that didn't happen, could Hill have ended up a Celtic? Hill was projected by many as a second-round pick and wasn't even listed among the 123 prospects in the NBA's predraft media guide. But after Hill's introductory news conference in San Antonio, his agent, Michael Whitaker, said the Celtics had promised to select Hill with the 30th pick if he was available. With Hill off the board, Boston selected New Mexico guard J.R. Giddens with its first-round pick. Despite Whitaker's claims, an NBA source said the two players on Celtics general manager Danny Ainge's wish list with the 30th pick were Giddens and swingman Bill Walker. Danny made a promise to Hill? The Spurs have a way of taking players the Celtics want. I still haven't forgiven them for getting the first pick back in 1997. It may work out well, because I like Giddens and think he will be a very good player. I am also very excited about Walker. Danny was able to pick 2 players with low risk high reward type potential. The Boston Globe tells us that there could be something contract wise about James Posey today. There are several teams interested including the Wizards, Lakers, Cavs, and Detroit, but according to reports, New Orleans has come out as the Celtics biggest rival to sign him. Posey will be in Boston today for the premiere of the Championship DVD and he will be promoting the DVD with Eddie House from 2-4 p.m. at Borders on Tuesday. Maybe it's me, but I don't see him announcing that he is signing with another team today and then facing the Celtics fans tomorrow to promote the DVD. So in my opinion, either he is re-signing with the Celtics or he isn't announcing it today. According to ESPN, Ron Artest is now actively pushing for a trade and will act as his own agent. He has sent several emails to ESPN over the weekend expressing this fact. The article reports that the Kings want Lamar Odom for Artest and Kenny Thomas, but the Lakers don't want to give up Odom. It also shares some of the ramblings from Artest's emails to them including these gems: "In a way I wish this [coming 2008-09 season] would have been [Theus'] first year and [Adelman] would have left this summer, because it could have showed how much [of] a winner I am. Guys like Rick Adelman and Rick Carlisle [brought] that out of me. Isiah [Thomas] was going to bring that out of me if he didn't get fired [by the Knicks]. A coach like Phil Jackson can bring that out me." "When Rick Adelman got fired and Bonzi [Wells] didn't get re-signed, that messed up my legacy as a King because we were headed in the right direction. Now it's like I have to re-identify what type of team play I can bring to a team. "I was blinded by friendship. Even Mama Maloof [Colleen Maloof, Joe and Gavin's mother] told me she wanted me to stay. I never knew that meant one more year. I thought it meant several. When Mama [Maloof] talks, you listen, and it's a must you consider and take heed to what she is saying. "I didn't know I would be on this roller-coaster ride. Even my coaches convinced me things will be OK. I guess they didn't know, either, that would mean a couple more years. I feel like I let my family down by not being a smarter businessman." The SacBee reported that all this is news to his actual agent who said that he still represents Artest. I guess after pouring his heart out in the emails to ESPN, he didn't have anything left to say as when interviewed in Vegas at the SL games, he answered no comment to every question asked as reported on Yahoo Sports. I really hope the Lakers are able to trade for him. They deserve each other. It is being reported that the Clippers have already spoken to Andre Iguodala about an offer. Iguadala is a restricted free agent and the Sixers have made it clear that they will match any offers made to Iguodala. What better way to get even with the Sixers for luring away Brand. Make a huge offer to Iguodala so that either the Sixers have to pay more than they planned or let him go. If the Sixers choose not to match, the Clippers get a good player and get a certain amount of revenge. David Lee is looking for a long term extension with the Knicks but they are reluctant to make an offer that goes beyond 2010 because they want to make a play for LeBron or any one of several stars that will be on the market that off season. Lee has been mentioned in several trade talks as to get rid of some of their dead weight, the Knicks may have to sweeten the deal by including Lee, who would really like to stay in New York. If they don't give Lee the extension, he will become a free agent after the season and newly signed rookie, Danilo Gallinari, plays his position so they may just let him go. I like David Lee as a player and wouldn't mind having him in Boston but don't see a way to get him unless the Knicks wanted Scal, whose contract happens to be up after next year to clear space for LeBron. Unlikely, I know. Gallinari has been very impressive so far. The coaching staff is most impressed with Gallinari's court awareness, which can't be taught. He can definitely find the open guy. He also is able to hit the outside shot and may be the Knicks best outside shooter this season according to his teammates. He is also reportedly very tough and willing to bang inside. The Knicks may have gotten a gem in this kid. Newsday reported this hilarious exchange between Quentin Richardson and Gallinari: So anyway, Q sits down next to Gallo and asks him about this kissing routine the young Italian seems to have when he greets people he knows. "Everybody I meet, I kiss them on each cheek," Danilo says. Richardson seemed quite uncomfortable with this fact. "Really?" Gallinari then quickly added, "But only the women." "You and I will get along well then," Richardson replied. The Orlando Magic have offered Keyon Dooling a contract, but it likely isn't enough for him to return and back up starting point guard Jameer Nelson. They offered him a 2 year contract at the bi-annual exception of 1.9 million a year. He made almost double that last year and so it doesn't seem like enough to keep him with several other teams interested in him as well. The Magic desperately need point guard help as they only have Jameer Nelson at that position right now. They are also looking at bringing back Carlos Arroyo or going after Jason Williams, Anthony Johnson or Tyronn Lue, who reportedly is choosing between the Heat, Celtics and Suns at present. The Heat, like the Knicks and Nets have been working to clear space for the 2010 free agency period when Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and several other top-tier NBA players such as Kobe Bryant, Amare Stoudemire and Chris Bosh all become free agents. Playing at Zo's Charity game, both Wade and LeBron joked about playing together in 2010. There may be a pairing in superstars in that offseason as LeBron lures Wade to Miami or LeBron lures Wade to Cleveland or several land on another team. Ray Allen's contract will be up that year as well so the Celtics may be in the hunt for a free agent also. It will be a busy off season that year. Robert "Tractor" Traylor, who last played in the NBA in 2005, is playing on the Cavs Summer League team. This is the second time in the past eight months the Cavs have taken a look at Traylor. Last December, he worked out for the team before Anderson Varejao settled his contract dispute and returned to the team. He has played the past two seasons in Puerto Rico but would love another shot at playing in the NBA. In November 2005, he had heart surgery to correct an enlarged aortic valve, similar to the surgery that Ronny Turiaf and Etan Thomas have both had, but Traylor couldn't get back into the NBA after his surgery. He is hoping that his Summer League stint witht he Cavs will open up an opportunity with the Cavs or another team that sees him play. The Warriors are intent on keeping Andre Biedrins and Monta Ellis. And though a league source said Ellis has drawn sign-and-trade interest from the Heat, Cavs and Blazers, nothing is likely to materialize. Any scenario would require approval from the Warriors who have said that they will match any offers made to their two free agents. NewsOK reports that the league will start selling gear for the Oklahoma City Whatevers this week although they still have not come up with the official name or logo for the team as yet. The tee shirts and hats on sale this week will feature the black and white Oklahoma City logo the team used in the Orlando Pro Summer League last week. Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:33:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/290169 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/290169 There wasn't a lot of activity on the first day that free agents could officially sign, but there were a few signings and a bit of speculation going on around the league. ESPN reports that Andrew Bogut came to an agreement with the Bucks and will sign a five-year, $72.5 million extension later this week. Big men are at a premium and when you think about it, the Celtics got a real bargain when they signed Perk for just over $4 million a year. Elton Brand made it official on Wednesday when he signed with the Sixers to a five-year deal worth a reported $82 million. The Warriors has offered $90 million but he felt that the Sixers were a better fit. This immediately elevates the Sixers to contender status. First, the Celtics-Lakers rivalry was revived and it looks as though this season we could see the Celtics-Sixers rivalry revived. Who could forget the classic games between the Bird led Celtics and the Dr J led Sixers. We could see some great battles between KG and Brand or Pierce and Iguodala. Now all we need is for the Knicks to get it together. The Clippers now turn to Josh Smith and Emeka Okafor. The LA Times reports that Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy had dinner with Smith and that they have also contacted Okafor. The Pacers and Raptors completed the trade that sent center Rasho Nesterovic, point guard TJ Ford, forward Maceo Baston and the draft rights to center Roy Hibbert to the Pacers for O'Neal and the draft rights to forward Nathan Jawai. I think this is a good trade for both teams. Also Wednesday, the Raptors officially announced the re-signing of restricted free agent guard Jose Calderon. The Atlantic Division is going to have to be reckoned with this season. They definitely aren't the Titanic division any more. The Pacers also completed another trade That sent the draft rights to guard Jarryd Bayless and Ike Diogu to Portland for Jarrett Jack, Josh McRoberts and the draft rights to Brandon Rush along with some cash. After sending Pau Gasol to the Lakers in one of the most lopsided trades in league history, the Grizzlies are at least trying to reclaim some small level of respectability by signing Pau's younger brother, Marc Gasol, to a contract on Wednesday so that they can at least say they got something from the trade. I guess the Nets were having trouble getting fans to watch so they traded for Yi hoping to draw Chinese fans to the team. According to ESPN: "We do have a tremendous Chinese-American market in the New York and New Jersey area," Ratner said. "If we have success on the court, we can tap into that market in a huge way." The acquisition of Yi, 20, has already drawn considerable attention from the Chinese community, both in the United States and China. Wednesday's news conference to introduce the players brought the largest turnout of Chinese print and broadcast media the team has seen in recent years. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that they are still in the mix for James Posey. They also report that Posey's agent, Mark Bartlestein, said that Powey is likely to sign a multi-year deal in a day or two. Teams vying for Posey's services include the Celtics, Lakers, Hornets, Wizards, Cavsm, Spurs and Rockets. Posey has said that he would like to return to Boston and reports are that Danny has offered him a 4 year MLE contract. But, Cleveland is is home stomping grounds and he would be playing along side LeBron. He lives in Texas in the off season and that may give the Spurs or Rockets a boost. But with the Spurs signing Roger Mason Jr to a 2 year, $7.5 million contract, that will probably take them out of the running. Also, if any team is offering 5 years at the MLE, that may be enough to get him to leave Boston. We should know in a day or two. TrueHoop has an interesting article about Darius Miles and the 10 day suspension for violating the league's drug policy. It would appear that the suspension was for performance enhancing drugs and there may be some shenanigans going on with the release of the information about the suspension and the suspension itself. The Blazers have a lot to gain if Miles isn't signed by a team as if he plays in 10 games this season, they are on the hook for the remainder of his $27 million salary. Pretty interesting stuff. The Kings re-signed Beno Udrih to a multi-year contract along with their second round picks Sean Singletary and Patrick Ewing, Jr. The Heat signed their second round pick, Mario Chalmers. Teams are all signing second round picks now and the Celtics haven't even been able to sign their first round pick. But, that could have something to do with the fact that Marc Bartlestein represents Giddens, Posey, House and Pollard and the Celtics are waiting to see what happens with Posey before making any other moves. The Mavs have re-signed Jose Juan Barea for 3 years at 1.5 million per year with 2 years guaranteed. They also re-signed DeSagana Diop. Diop is a nice young player and I wouldn't have minded seeing him in Celtics green. The Mavs were smart to get him re-signed early. The Nets have signed their second round pick, Chris Douglas-Robertsm, a player that many Celtics fans wanted their team to take with the 30th pick on draft night. Another player the Celtics were looking at signing, Tyronn Lue, is close to signing with the Suns according to the Arizona Republic. Maybe the Suns have finally found their back up point guard. Marcus Banks clearly wasn't the answer as they had hoped when they traded the rights to Rajon Rondo to Boston. Think they'd like to take that trade back? Brent Barry is off the Sun's wish list but they are still in the market for a wing and Darius Miles and Devon Brown are possibilities. The Suns' medical staff examined forward Darius Miles on Wednesday. The Wizards signed Utah Jazz restricted free agent point guard Dee Brown to an offer sheet for a two-year, partially guaranteed deal. Utah has one week to match the offer. According to the SacBee, the Lakers already have contacted the Kings regarding Artest and are believed to be offering forward Lamar Odom. Sources say that the Kings may insist on forward Kenny Thomas and his $18 million of remaining salary (over two seasons) being included in that potential trade. Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:17:45 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288509 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288509 There's not a lot more that can be said with any certainty until the ball drops on Wednesday. I'm sure there's plenty of maneuvering going on behind the scenes, but there are no significant news stories to report. So we'll just take this moment to make wild assumptions and nutty predictions. I predict that the Celtics will bring back exactly zero of their free agents. Posey will follow the money, House may look for more consistant playing time, Tony Allen just got drafted out of a job, PJ Brown is retiring, and Sam Cassell is just not in the team's plans. I hate losing Posey and there's still a chance that he'll accept less money to say in Beantown (or that the Celtics will up the ante and give him market value) but I'm not banking on it. So moving on, here's some additions that could find their way to Boston. I'll go ahead and predict that the Birdman will be signed. Then we''ll bring in someone to battle Gabe Pruitt for the backup PG spot - lets pencil in Tyronn Lue, though I'm not crazy about that pick. (If House can be convinced to come back, I'd... Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:10:20 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287488 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287488 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 There's not a lot more that can be said with any certainty until the ball drops on Wednesday. I'm sure there's plenty of maneuvering going on behind the scenes, but there are no significant news stories to report. So we'll just take this moment to make wild assumptions and nutty predictions. I predict that the Celtics will bring back exactly zero of their free agents. Posey will follow the money, House may look for more consistant playing time, Tony Allen just got drafted out of a job, PJ Brown is retiring, and Sam Cassell is just not in the team's plans. I hate losing Posey and there's still a chance that he'll accept less money to say in Beantown (or that the Celtics will up the ante and give him market value) but I'm not banking on it. So moving on, here's some additions that could find their way to Boston. I'll go ahead and predict that the Birdman will be signed. Then we''ll bring in someone to battle Gabe Pruitt for the backup PG spot - lets pencil in Tyronn Lue, though I'm not crazy about that pick. (If House can be convinced to come back, I'd... Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:23:05 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286873 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286873 The Celtics made an offer to Corey Maggette. No they didn't. Yes they did. So, did they or didn't they? First, the Globe said that the Celtics made an offer to both Posey and Maggette on the first day of free agency. The Celtics have made contract offers to two forwards: Their own free agent, James Posey, and Clippers free agent Corey Maggette, sources told the Boston Globe. The most the Celtics could offer is the mid-level exception (about $5.8 million), and it's doubtful that they could sign both players. The terms of the offers were not disclosed. So, Celtics fandom spent the day trying to figure out how they planned to sign both if both accepted the offers. Did they offer Posey the MLE and Maggette the LLE or veteran's minumim and a chance for a ring? Or, did they offer Posey a non-Bird rights contract and Maggette the MLE? Or, some were even speculating that they were offering Ray to the Clippers in a sign and trade for Maggette. Speculation was running rampant. Then, the next day, Danny threw some water on the fire as this article appeared in the Herald: A team source insisted no offer was made to the former Clippers swingman, though Danny Ainge reportedly has talked to a number of players, including Maggette, as he attempts to build a pool of candidates in the event his top priority - signing James Posey - falls through. OK, so Danny didn't make an offer to Maggette. But then, in today's Globe there is this: A day after talking with Celtics coach Doc Rivers, a longtime family friend, Clippers free agent forward Corey Maggette said he is seriously considering an offer to join the NBA champions. Maggette said he is still in awe about being contacted by the Celtics and has been mulling over their contract offer as well as interest from several other teams. An NBA source said the Celtics offered Magette the full midlevel exception, expected to be worth $5.8 million. It gets curiouser and curiouser. So, Danny did make an offer to Maggette. According to this, he offered the full MLE to Maggette, but the same article says they offered only 12 million/3 years to Posey. Now, to me, getting Posey back is more important than luring Maggette. If they are willing to offer Maggette the full MLE, why not Posey. If they would go the full MLE over 3 years maybe Posey would consider it. Posey is a defensive stopper. Maggette is not. Defense wins championships. Enough said. If it takes a 4 year full MLE contract to keep Posey, Danny needs to do it. He is a winner if he goes to one of our rivals, he immediately puts them into title contention. All this as the San Antonio Express News reports that the Spurs are at the head of the line for Maggette's services as he is leaning toward going to the Spurs. And also the Philly Inquirer reports that Maggette is expected there next week. The Sixers are also talking to Josh Smith and Josh Childress. The LA Times reports that the Warriors are also trying to lure Maggette as they await news from Elton Brand on their offer to him. Hoopsworld reports that Maggette has narrowed his choices to the Spurs and the Celtics. It has been reported that the Lakers have offered a 5 year full MLE deal to Posey and if Boston doesn't match it, he will likely leave. Unlike most free agents, Posey has already won 2 rings and for him it is about the money. Although, wherever Posey goes, he will likely make them a winner as well. More on this to come, I am sure. Along with the offer to Posey and maybe offer to Maggette, Danny has been working out some other free agents in addition to the mini camp that ends today. The same Globe article lists center David Harrison, swingman Kirk Snyder, center Patrick O'Bryant, forward Darius Miles and Chris Andersen. Of that group, my choice would be Andersen. Other free agent news includes Gilbert Arenas agreeing to a $111 million 6 year deal. This is $16 million less than the max deal that the Wizards offered him. Arenas had this to say about the deal: "I'm basically giving back $16 million,'' Arenas told the Washington Times. "This is in line with what I've been saying the whole time. You see players take max deals and they financially bind their teams. I don't wanna be one of those players and three years down the road your team is strapped and can't do anything about it.'' Newsday is reporting that Monta Ellis has received interest from 9 teams including the Knicks. Ellis reportedly is very interested in joining the Knicks. With new management and a real coach in Mike D'Antoni, New York is no longer the cesspool it was under Isiah Thomas and free agents are interested in going there. Last season the Lakers-Celtics rivalry was renewed. Could the Knicks-Celtics rivalry be renewed this season? ESPN Insider reports that the Mavs would like to re-sign Tyronn Lue but he is looking hard at Boston and Phoenix. No mention has been made in the Globe or Herald about any offer being made to Lue, but it wouldn't be surprising if they did since Lue is one of KG's best friends. I still think re-signing House and going with Pruitt is a better avenue for the Celtics to take since Eddie can play both guard spots very adequately and Pruitt seems to be poised to make a leap this season. Speaking about Phoenix, they are still searching for a back up point. Think they would like to take back that deal to send Rondo to Boston? Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:22:55 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/285746 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/285746