Yardbarker: James Posey

Rumors and Free Agent Updates - Lots of Signings Edition

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 08:16:08 -0500

Former Celtic Sebastian Telfair isn't the only player who plays with guns. Hornets' guard Rasual Butler was arrested June 23 after witnesses told Miami Beach police a man holding a firearm had made threats. Based on the arrest report, when police arrived at the scene, Butler was seated in the back seat of a sport utility vehicle. When officers asked Butler if he had any weapons, he told them he didn't, but that his gun was in the car. The police found an automatic weapon that was cocked and had a bullet in the chamber on the floor of the car. Butler was scheduled to enter a plea on Wednesday, but the hearing was reset for Aug. 4. First, the Clippers signed Baron Davis away from the Warriors. Then, the Warriors signed Corey Maggette away from the Clippers. But the Warriors were not about to let the Clippers get another of their players if they could help it. They have matched the offer that the Clippers made last week to Kelenna Azubuike. The Warriors also signed Ronny Turiaf away from the Lakers, who chose not to match the offer, and they signed their second round draft pick, forward Richard Hendrix. The Warriors then completed a very busy day by re-signing their free agent guard Monta Ellis to a six-year, $67 million contract. Ellis got quite a raise in that as the 40th player selected in the 2005 draft, Ellis was paid just $770,610 last season. He will earn $11 million in 2008-2009. Ellis was the Warriors' shooting guard last season, playing next to Baron Davis, but with Davis' departure, he is expected to move to point guard this season. By keeping Azubuike, the Warriors will no longer pursue free agent swingman Maurice Evans who was reported to have signed with the Warriors. But, a Warriors source told Bay Area News Group that Evans spurned their three-year, $6.4 million looking for more money, and so the Warriors changed direction and matched the Azubuike offer. There have been rumors that the Celtics have contacted Evans and it seems that he would be a nice fit for the Celtics who could use an athletic swingman like Evans who's known as a solid defender and good three-point shooter (sound like anyone the Celtics just lost?). The Warriors still have unfinished business though as they haven't re-signed free agent Andris Biedrins. Biedrins' top choice is to stay with the Warriors. He is looking for a salary somewhere in the ballpark of the five-year, $50-plus million. With the other signings for the Warriors, it looks like that kind of a deal is out for Biedrins, however. He could reject any Warriors' offer and accept the $3.6 million qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent next offseason or he could accept any of several lucrative contracts being offered by European teams. Just hours after bringing former Nugget Chris Anderson back to the team, the Denver Nuggets agreed to a one-year deal with free agent guard Dahntay Jones. Jones was drafted by Boston in 2003 but sent to Memphis in the trade that brought Kendrick Perkins and Marcus Banks to Botson. Jones was also given a look by the Celtics last season in training camp. After a good showing in Summer League, the Nuggets gave Jones a one-year fully guaranteed deal for the NBA minimum of $926,678. Some money details are coming out on a couple of big deals. The Express News reports that The deal that the Spurs gave Kurt Thomas was for a total of $8 million — $4.2 million next season and $3.8 in 2009-10. The Spurs have also signed Anthony Tolliver, who impressed on the Spurs' summer league squad, to a partially guaranteed contract. This is similar to the contract the Celtics signed Brandon Wallace to after his impressive summer league last season. Details on Josh Childress' contract with Olympiakos have emerged. His contract is worth $32.5- million over 3 years. The Hawks had offered five years at $33 million but it wasn't enough to keep Childress from jumping the NBA ship for Europe. After landing the big free agent of the offseason in luring James Posey away from Boston, the Hornets are trying to re-sign their own free agents. They are hoping to resign Jannero Pargo who wants a three-year deal but they lost Chris Andersen to the Nuggets. Word is that they are going to let Bonzi Wells walk but may make an offer to try to keep Ryan Bowen. With the official signing of Anthony Roberson on Wednesday, the Knicks now officially have 16 contracts which is one more than the NBA max and their league high payroll is once again over $100 million at $100,161,287. They need to do something and odds are that with a crowded backcourt, Marbury and his $21.9 million contract may be the one to go. other options may be Malik Rose, or one of the other smaller contracts like Balkman or Collins who have a team option for the 2009-2010 season. Sebastian Telfair's three-year deal with the Wolves is worth $7.5 million with $2.3 million this coming season and an option to stick with the Wolves in 2010-2011 for $2.7 million. Reports are that the Wolves appear to be getting closer to re-signing Ryan Gomes. Their offer will probably be in the $3 million a year range. There aren't many teams who can offer much more than that left in the hunt for free agents. After losing one of their free agents, the Lakers are still trying to come to an agreement with their other free agent, Sasha Vujacic. Vujacic is seeking a multiyear deal from the Lakers averaging about $5 million a year. Vujacic was hoping for a six-year deal, but anticipated it could be a shorter contract. However, word from Vujacic is that he is prepared to leave the team and accept an offer from a European team in the next few days if the Lakers don't make him an offer he considers to be fair. East Valley Tribune suggests that the flexibility that Matt Barnes will give the Suns makes Boris Diaw and Leandro Barbosa expendable and might open the door for them to go after Kirk Hinrich who they have been interested for some time. I still think that Barnes would have been a great pick up for the Celtics, especially since he signed for a minimum contract. It seems as though the Blazers will spare nothing to try to dissuade teams from signing Darius Miles and thus put his $9 million in salary back on their club. First there was the leaking of the details of his suspension to the median. Now, Blazers GM is giving out details of Miles' injury that could land him in hot water. From the Sports Tribune: "Two doctors said Darius had the worst microfracture injury they had ever seen," Pritchard said on an Oregonlive.com blog this week. "They would never have him play basketball and the odds of having knee replacement surgery is high. I hear that, and as a general manager, I didn't want it on my conscience – that I had a kid have to go through a knee replacement surgery. That's a pretty major surgery. They saw (two bones) and replace (the knee). It's a bad deal." In a story posted April 14 on the Portland Tribune's Web site, Pritchard said, "The doctors had actually said, 'If you were my son, I'd never have you pick up a basketball again.' I'm the kind of GM (that) I wouldn't want that on my head that he ever had to have knee replacement." By revealing the specific details of Miles' injury, Prichard is in violation of the privacy provisions in the Health Insurance Portability and Availability Act of 1996. All of the underhanded activity by the Warriors in trying to prevent teams from giving Miles a chance make me really hoping the kid gets his comeback. Besides, I still am angry over the league not giving the Celtics any relief when Reggie Lewis died. I really hope Miles comes back and sticks it to the Warriors. Josh Childress has opened the flood gates for NBA players considering jumping to Europe for lucrative deals when they can't get what they feel they are worth in the NBA. The latest to consider the jump is former Celtic Delonte West. Russian basketball team Dynamo Moscow is discussing a two-year, $10 million offer with Cleveland Cavaliers guard Delonte West, according to source close to West. Delonte is a restricted free agent and he could sign a $2.76 million qualifying offer for the 2008-09 season and become an unrestricted free agent next year if he chooses to stay in the NBA and doesn't feel that the Cavs are offering enough. Delonte has been plagued with various injuries throughout his career so far and so taking the qualifying offer is risky if he is unable to stay healthy and earn a bigger payday next season.

Rumors and Free Agent Updates - Six Degrees of Separation Edition

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:37:01 -0500

On the day that James Posey was introduced in New Orleans and vows to do whatever the coach asks of him for a team he sees poised to make a run at the title, the Celtics officially re-signed Eddie House and Tony Allen. On Sports Tonight, Tony said that the math was simple. If Posey signed, he and Eddie would have had to find a home elsewhere. It was one or the other. Danny said that Doc was worried about letting Tony go because he feels that Tony is going to have a break out year after watching him practice at the end of last season. Another player who would have fit nicely on the Celtics is off the market. The Rocky Mountain News reports that Chris Andersen is returning to the Nuggets. The Birdman had visited Boston for 2 days early in the free agency period and Danny seemed to have interest in him and vice versa. Now, Andersen has agreed to a one year contract with the Nuggets and will continue his NBA comeback in Denver where he was a fan favorite from 2001-2004. I was hoping the Celtics would sign him, even though they already signed Patrick O'Bryant to back up Perk since O'Bryant may be more of a project than immediate help and Andersen would come in with athleticism and energy off the bench at the center position. Good signing by the Nuggets. Denver was reported to be seriously considering signing Francisco Elson to replace the recently departed Marcus Camby. With Andersen signing in Denver, that leaves Elson out and looking for another team that may want him. Depending on how quickly Patrick O'Bryant develops, a one year league minimum contract to Elson might make sense for the Celtics. Although, it would remain to be seen how KG would feel about playing with a guy who called him gay. Another player who had been linked to the Celtics as a possible Posey replacement was Maurice Evans. Mercury News reports that the Warriors have signed Evans to a three-year, $6.4 million deal. This means that the Warriors will not match the offer that their restricted free agent Kelenna Azubuike signed with the Clippers. Evans would have made sense to replace Posey because he is an athletic swingman who's known as a solid defender and good three-point shooter and would have filled those roles left vacant by Posey's departure. The Clippers and Jazz have swapped point guards. The Clippers will receive Jason Hart from the Jazz and will send Brevin Knight to Utah. Last season, when the Celtics were in the market for a back up point guard, Knight was considered a serious candidate but signed with the Clippers instead while Sam Cassell was bought out by the Clippers and ended up signing with the Celtics. This is starting to feel like a game of 6 degrees of separation. In David Thorpe's chat on ESPN.com, he was asked what he thought about JR Giddens and whether he will amount to anything or if Danny wasted a pick on him. Thorpe's response was that his athleticism could be a help off the bench. And when asked which 3rd year guy he sees improving the most from his sophomore season, Thorpe mentioned that Rondo should improve his game overall for next season. The Portland Trail Blazers signed guard-forward Nicolas Batum on Wednesday. Batum played the past three seasons in the French ProA League. He was the 25th overall pick in the draft by Houston who traded his rights to Portland. Leading up to the draft, Batum was a popular choice on the mock drafts for the Celtics with the 30th pick. The OC Register reports that the Lakers are no longer pursuing a trade for Ron Artest. Instead of the Ron Ron rumors in Laker land, there is talk that the Lakers have joined a list of teams interested in signing Luol Deng. The Bulls and Deng are having a hard time coming to an agreement on a deal and so rather than risk losing him, they may resort to a sign and trade and the Lakers are interested in making an offer if it comes to that. I can see a pattern to the players that the Lakers are pursuing this off season. Both Artest and Deng are known for giving Paul Pierce a hard time on defense. One of the problems the Lakers had in the Finals was trying to stop Paul Pierce. Getting either Artest or Deng would assure them of having a player who has given Pierce problems in the past. Now, if they only had an answer for KG, Ray Allen and Leon Powe, they would be all set. The Sixers have reached an agreement with Royal Ivey, who spent last season with the Milwaukee Bucks. Ivey will not officially sign the minimum-salary contract until Monday, which is believed to be for 2 years and include a significant guarantee. Ivey will come off the bench to complement Lou Williams, that is, if the Warriors don't lure Williams away from Philly. That will give the Sixers 9 players under contract. Now that Josh Childress has made the leap to play in Europe next season, there is a lot of talk going around about other's following suit. Perhaps the most interesting is Jason Kidd talking about going to Europe when his contract is up. Playing in Europe could extend a player's career by a few years because they don't play the physical game that is found in the NBA. This is also why many European players have trouble adjusting to the NBA as they aren't used to the physical play that they run into when they come here. Carl Landry is also considering a jump to Europe if he can't get a satisfactory offer from an NBA team. Nenad Krstic is also considering joining fellow Nets free agent Bostjan Nachbar in accepting an offer to play overseas if he can't get the right deal from an NBA team. On the other hand, Bobby Brown, who made a big impression with his summer league play, rejected several offers to play overseas and is set to sign a 2 year deal with the Sacramento Kings. It seems that Brown was in demand as the Hornets pursues him along with Israel's Maccabi Tel-Aviv and Spanish giant Barcelona before he decided to accept the Kings' offer.

Extending the KG/Pierce Era

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:28:48 -0500

Elrod Enchilada has his latest article up on RealGM. (http://celtics.realgm.com/articles/361/20080723/no_rest_for_the_architect_danny_ainges_summer_vocation/) A sample: But the more important reason is that Danny is already thinking three or four years down the road, to when KG and Pierce and certainly Ray Allen are moving past their primes and the Cs will no longer be in contention. Although winning in 2009 and 2010 is job one for Danny, there is a job two: extending the Garnett-Pierce era another season or two to 2011 or 2012 or even 2013. Having James Posey’s 34 or 35 year old body and $7 million contract would undermine that. Danny wants to have the chance to use whatever money he can on players who are either off the books quickly, like Eddie House, or who will still be in their prime the duration of their contracts. So good-bye James. Likewise, another way to extend the Garnett-Pierce era is to develop young players who can emerge within one or two or three years as valuable rotation players. This is how teams like the Patriots stay at the top in the NFL and it plays to Danny’s exceptionally keen eye for locating talented players in the bowels of the first round and the second round of the draft. It has the additional and crucial...

Introducing Posey To Hornets Fans

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:02:54 -0500

Yesterday, our own Steve Weinman (see all his posts on CelticsBlog NBA (index.php?option=com_content task=blogsection id=10 Itemid=241) ) took some time to help Hornets fans become better aquainted with James Posey. See his post here. (http://www.hornets247.com/post.php?id=247265) Here's a small clip: But what you’ll see when you watch him every night is more than that. This isn’t a guy who just makes an effort defensively. He makes every effort for every second he is on the floor. He is the type of defender who wants to be inside the clothes of his man. He is the sort of player who just has to have every 50-50 ball. He’ll back down from nobody. He’ll come out of scrums clutching loose balls that you thought he didn’t have a chance to get. He’ll give your Hornets team a mean streak and an added layer of protection for every player on the team. This is a guy who truly gets the meaning of working or what’s on the front of the jersey.

Daily Links 7/22

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:54:16 -0500

Herald Celtics back on guard (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1108390 format=text) James Posey: Move was tough deal (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1108391 format=text) Tony Allen, Eddie House to sign with Celtics (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1108241 format=text) Globe Celtics rebound, re-sign Allen, House (http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/07/22/celtics_rebound_re_sign_allen_house?mode=PF) NBA restructures referee operations (http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/2008/07/nba_restructure.html) C's to unveil new license plate (http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/2008/07/cs_to_unveil_ne.html) MetroWest Daily Celtics: Allen, House signed (http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/x2109422126/Celtics-Allen-House-signed) More Links After the Jump

Rumors and Free Agent Updates - Mind Blowing Artest Rumor Edition

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:45:06 -0500

In the Zzone reports that the Nets' free agent Bostjan Nachbar will be heading to Europe. According to legaue sources, Nachbar will sign with Dynamo Moscow in Russia. Another of the Nets' free agents, Nenad Krstic has also received offers to play overseas but would prefer to remain in the NBA. The Nets may be looking for a sign and trade with him. Not everyone is chomping at the bit for a big payday overseas. Will Bynum left lucrative offers overseas for a shot at making it to an NBA team. He played with the Pistons summer league team hoping to stick with the team as their No. 3 point guard. Bynum's gamble paid off and has agreed to a multi-year deal with Detroit. Bynum was signed by the Celtics in 2005 after he played with their summer league team. It was Bynum's signing that he and Tony Allen were celebrating when Tony was charged with assault in that night club shooting. The first of the Pistons' three second-round picks in last month's NBA draft, Walter Sharpe, is expected to sign a two-year deal as well. The Nuggets are looking to continue their cost cutting spree. After giving away Marcus Camby for a second round draft pick, word is that the Nuggets would trade Allen Iverson, Kenyon Martin or Nene, if anybody wanted them. Iverson has the most trade value with an expiring $20.84 million contract, he would be valuable to a team looking to clear salary-cap room for next summer. If the Nuggets, like every other team in the league, want to try to clear cap space for the summer of 2010, when LeBron and several other key stars will be free agents, then it might make sense for them to give away Iverson for nothing, as they did with Camby. The Knicks are have a new GM and a new coach. Isiah Thomas has been banished to NBA Siberia or something like that, but the Knicks still are struggling. They had the 6th pick in the draft and chose 19-year-old Danilo Gallinari. In his lone Summer League game for the Knicks, Gallinari went scoreless in the first 2½ quarters and then had an impressive seven minutes in the second half when he scored 14 points. After suffering a back injury in their game against Cleveland, he missed the final 4 games. The NY Post raises the issue that Gallinari's summer league makes the Knicks question whether he'll be durable enough to withstand the NBA's physical pounding for 82 games. A European source said Gallinari had various hamstring and knee problems in Italy, but a Knicks source said that was "growing pains." Ok, if they say so. Mark Bartlestein, who was instrumental in getting James Posey a big payday in New Orleans, is also Eddie House's agent and coincidentally, he is also the agent for Devean George, who has been linked to the Celtics in rumors lately. After the Celtics re-signed his client Eddie House, Bartelstein said the Celtics are interested in another of his free-agent clients: forward Devean George. Eric Pincus, a contributor to Hoopsworld for the Lakers and Clippers had this to say about George on the CelticStuff list: I know George well – he's athletic – can shoot – and is a better than average defender. He's not a particularly bright basketball player though – doesn't have a great handle – and can't do much more than spot up. He also gets hurt a lot – and doesn't play through pain well – especially because the core of his game is athleticism – when that's hampered he can be quite useless. I am not a big fan of signing him. He proved what kind of a team player he is when he almost blocked the trade for Jason Kidd. I would have much rather had Matt Barnes. I am sure that Danny knows what he is doing though and we'll have to see what he has up his sleeve. The Star Tribune is reporting that the Timberwolves have agreed to a multi-year contract with Sebastian Telfair. Telfair is another one of those players with potential and when he finally gets his head right will be a player. The Wolves now have 2 point guards on the roster in Randy Foye and Telfair. Still unsigned is Ryan Gomes who reportedly is seeking the full MLE. It seems that either he will have to go elsewhere or settle for less. It sure would be nice if he would agree to half the MLE in order to come back to Boston. He would be a great fit for the Celtics. Some have speculated that Josh Childress is waving the offer in Greece in front of the Hawks as a bargaining chip. However, Childress and his advisory team, including his agents are in Greece meeting with officials from Olympiakos. It's doubtful that the entire group would have gone all the way to Greece simply to dupe the Hawks. He is seriously considering signing there. The Pacers had a couple of decisions after making a big splash with the Jermaine O'Neal trade. They need help in the frontcourt, it won't be from 7'0" center David Harrison. Team officials said last week they are going in a different direction and have no interest in re-signing Harrison. Shawne Williams has had some problems off the court in the past year and the Pacers would like to rid themselves of Williams and his problems, but Pacers president Larry Bird says that he doesn't believe in buying out contracts, an issue that has arisen in regard to Williams and Jamaal Tinsley. So, if they want to rid themselves of yet another player with baggage, it will have to be via a trade. Seems that Larry should have tacked Williams on to O'Neal and shipped him off to Canada. If nothing comes up in the physical that Matt Barnes is completing today, he will be signing a veteran's minimum one year contract with the Suns today. I still say he would have been a nice fit with the Celtics. Finally, this rumor is pretty mind blowing. The SacBee is reporting that Detroit may be putting together a package for Ron Artest. Now wouldn't the Detroit fans just love having Billy Ron Ron there? After that brawl, Artest has been pretty much a villain in the Palace. This is one I'll have to see to believe.

How 'bout a Posey replacement?

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:34:07 -0500

The Boston Herald announced this morning that guards Eddie House and Tony Allen will re-sign with the Celtics. The contracts of House and Allen will both be two-year agreements, estimated around $2.5 million per year. House made a splash off the bench for the NBA champions all year. Even during a stretch in which his playing-time was limited during the playoffs, House provided some much needed energy and quality shooting. Unfortunately, his kid never got whacked in the face by Luke Walton's knee. [...]

Bargain Basement Shopping

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 06:16:01 -0500

For those that watched the Ainge interview (http://newengland.comcastsportsnet.com/celtics/celtics-video/) saw him joking about free agents coming to Boston and following the James Posey plan. Come play for us, and go get your money later. In other words, sign for less money to play for Boston, create a name for yourself, and cash in next year. Now, keep in mind that he was laughing when he made that statement. He was probably exaggerating a bit. Well, maybe. On the other hand, if you can get players for less than their true value, that's good business. The only trick is making sure it still makes good basketball business. Read More (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=3648 Itemid=189)

Considering One Western Stopper In Green

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:19:59 -0500

A Daily Babble Production Like it or not (and here's guessing where yours truly stands on this has become rather evident), James Posey's days in Boston are over. The same appears true of P.J. Brown's, and could be as well for those of others (Tony Allen, Eddie House, Sam Cassell) who made up the core of the Celtics' bench down the stretch last season. But, of course, it is also quite true that the five starters and thus the crux of the green will be returning for the 2008-09 season, and hope abounds here of a repeat performance of this year's capture of the NBA title. When all was said and done, the championship team featured a bench that included just the right combination of scoring, defense, youthful energy and veteran savvy to make an enormous difference for the Celts, and with much of the core of that bench gone or possibly on the way out, it is no doubt time to begin looking anew for help. In light of how the Celtics found their way to the first championship in 22 years, it's defense that is on the brain today here at Babble Central. So a look at Clippers...

Rumors and Free Agent Updates - OKC Thunder Edition

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 09:02:58 -0500

The Globe has a little tidbit buried at the end of an article about Marcus Camby. They report that the Celtics are still strongly interested in signing Eddie House and Tony Allen. The source said House and Allen are both also receiving interest from other teams as well. According to this, both are seeking three-year deals. I am sure the Celtics would want to sign as many 1 year minimum contracts as they can to limit their lux tax hit. They do have their MLE that they can split among players now that Posey is out of the picture. I think bringing both back would be a good move. If Tony can stay healthy, he can bring a lot of what they lost in Posey defensively. The Lakers have decided to let Ronny Turiaf go to the Warriors when they didn't match the offer made by Golden State. It is believed by many that the Warriors are over-paying for Turiaf just as many believe that the Hornets over paid for James Posey. The Lakers' off season approach is completely different from the Celtics' approach. The Celtics had 6 free agents and will more then likely let the majority of them go. They will have 2 rookies coming in and would not go the 4th year to retain Posey who was a crucial part of last season's team. The Lakers on the other hand are trying to keep their team from last year together as much as possible. There is much to be said for building chemistry and keeping a team together. It is a pretty risky move by Danny to think that you can bring in 5 or 6 new players and expect the same chemistry that led the Celtics to 66 wins and a title to return. The Warriors-Clippers-Sixers triangle continues as word is that the Warriors are now targeting the Sixers' restricted free agent Louis Williams. Williams' scoring knack would make him an intriguing fit in Don Nelson's system. Sources are reporting that the Warriors are planning to make a "big run" at him. This you take my player so I'll take yours is very interesting stuff. The Warriors are also reportedly interested in former Celtic Delonte West and the SF Chronicle reports that West might be close to signing an offer sheet. Since Delonte is a restricted free agent, the Cavs could match any offer the Warriors make to him. The Cavs are negotiating with West who reportedly seeking Beno Udrih type money (5 year/$32 million) and are also looking into possible replacements just to cover their backs. One possible alternative could be Orlando's Carlos Arroyo. The Dallas Morning News reports that the Mavs are unlikely to re-sign free agent 6-8 guard/forward Devean George. They also list a number of teams interested in the 6'8" guard/forward who averaged 3.7 points and 2.6 rebounds last season for Dallas. The Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves, Cleveland Cavaliers and New Orleans Hornets have expressed interest in George and they project that with the loss of Posey, the Celtics may be the next in line to take a look at him. Dime reports that the team formerly known as the Seattle Supersonics will now be called the The Oklahoma City Thunder. I wonder what the mascot will look like. I don't think I have ever seen a thunder. Lightning...yes, thunder... no. Maybe they will have a puffy cloud type thing. I may be old school but I prefer the old names that ar plural like the Celtics, Bucks, Knicks, Lakers, etc. Players can say, "I am a Celtic" and it sounds good. Or I am a Laker or I am a Knick. It just sounds wrong to say I am a Heat. Or I am a Magic. Or I am a Thunder. Slow news day and too much time to ponder on all these things. Marc Stein has some interesting stuff on Darius Miles' suspension. Sources say all 30 teams were notified this week by league memorandum that the drug which earned Portland Trail Blazers castoff Darius Miles a 10-game suspension to start next season -- if Miles can find a job -- is the appetite suppressant Phentermine. A weight-loss drug, basically. Steep as a 10-game ban is, then, Miles' mistake is nothing bound to scare teams away from signing him. He's tried out for at least four clubs already this month -- Boston, Dallas, New Jersey and Phoenix -- and is expected to command no more than a minimum salary in his comeback from long-standing knee problems, because the 26-year-old still has $18 million in salary coming from the Blazers. I say he is worth taking a chance on. A minimum salary, partially picked up by the league isn't much to gamble on a kid with his potential, versatility and length. Danny said that he was impressed by his workout for the Celtics so I believe that Miles may still be in the mix to fill one of the Celtics' remaining spots. Danny has taken a chance on two other players who were passed over because of knee problems in Leon Powe and Bill Walker. Powe has worked out great and I have a feeling that Walker will too. But if Danny continues to wait, the Mavs are very interested in Miles as well and may be the team that takes a chance on him.

The Back-up SF Situation: Think Barnes

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 22:09:00 -0500

Look folks, with Posey gone, the Celtics will be missing their all-important backup small forward. I mean who do they have that is going to play the utility 3 spot that Posey adeptly handled?

NBA Free Agency: Who Stays and Who Goes?

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 07:08:38 -0500

Who is going and who is staying? More importantly, what sort of fantasy impact will the decisions made during NBA Free Agency have on fantasy GM's? Screaming Sports' Serena Hays takes a look at several early moves and answers those very questions.

Who's Getting James's Money?

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:24:29 -0500

Forgive the poor English in the title for a moment and consider the question. As anyone who has followed Boston sports over the past five years, there is a tremendous desire on behalf of fans of the Patriots and Red Sox to keep the rosters of championship teams fully intact. The result of these desires has been often nauseating pleas to re-sign unrestricted free agents for each of those team to often absurd terms. Adam Vinatieri, Dave Roberts, and on and on... their former employers didn't see fit to sign these key cogs in championship teams to long term deals and these former employers then received the scorn of many of their fans for not agreeing to those demands. There is no doubt that James Posey was a tremendous Celtic and one that every Celtics fan would like to see back as a member of the 2009 Boston Celtics. However, the contract that James Posey ultimately signed was far beyond what the Celtics were able to offer. A four year $25 million contract is very rich for a 31 year old career bench player, but James Posey is not your everyday bench player either. He gives real good hugs. I'm not sure how John Hollinger or David Berri are going measure...

Who's Getting James's Money?

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:24:29 -0500

The Big James Posey Question

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:35:14 -0500

So James Posey, who has helped the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics to championships, is moving on to New Orleans. The New Orleans Hornets offered Posey a 4-year $25 million contract, and the Celtics decided not to match. Naturally, the debate comes down to : Should a team pay a key role player who helped them win a championship big money or should they get someone else to do the job for less money and invest that money elsewhere? 1. Rick Bucher of ESPN.com thinks that the Boston Celtics are losing a big piece of their championship machine, and feels that the Hornets are gaining what Boston is losing : ( video in original article ) 2. However, John Hollinger isn't a big fan of the Hornets' move : He thinks that New Orleans is overpaying for a guy who can't score, and is too old. According to Hollinger's statistical research, James Posey is on track to decline sharply as each year of his contract goes by : ( For better insight into Posey's future, let's take a look at what happened to some similar players -- those who rated as statistically similar based on their performance at the same age, played primarily on the wing and were in his league as a defender. The top names on that list are Bryon Russell, Dan Majerle, Jaren Jackson, Rick Fox and Raja Bell. - Bell is only a year older and declined noticeably last season. - Majerle declined sharply starting at 30 and had his last useful season at 32. - Jackson had a quality season at 32 but played 25 games the rest of his career. - Russell lost it at 31 and never got it back, though he managed to hang around for four more years. - Fox played reasonably well until 33 and then lost it, hard, and was out of the league by 35. ) Hollinger even forecasts that James Posey is likely to be "unplayable" by age 35, the time when Posey's new contract is up. 3. I tend to agree with John Hollinger on this issue : Although he was a championship role player, $6 million per for James Posey is just ridiculous. Posey is often compared to Robert Horry, with some of the comparisons being legit, but Posey seems to rely more on athleticism to perform than Horry ever did. Unless he manages an age-inspired transformation that Michael Jordan went through in the summer of 1995, Posey will be dead meat once that athleticism wears off. Also, Rajon Rondo's rise will be the key to making up for Posey's defection. Rondo displayed a remarkable ability to wreak havoc with his combination of speed, hustle and defense in the NBA Finals. Rondo is 22, so unless major catastrophe strikes, he is only going to get better athletically and mentally. Moreover, he is the starting point guard and a more lockdown-oriented defender than Posey, so he will impact the game more than a reserve wing like Posey. Rondo is on the rise, so his impact is going to get bigger every year. Think of Manu Ginobili and Robert Horry when they won championships together with the Spurs in 2005 and 2007. Bottomline : The Celtics will be fine, as long as they find another three-point shooter to fill Posey's void.