http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/4713 Recent articles about Josh Smith en-us LOSERS of the NBA . LOSERS of the NBA offseason. Atlanta Hawks You've got to hand it to the Hawks, currently the most dysfunctional team in the NBA. After at length creation the and loudmouthed the Celtics to a seventh game in the foremost round, the Hawks looked like the team on the rise. Then the offseason came and the Hawks' tenure group, Atlanta Spirit, got to work. Their original move was a good one, letting GM Billy Knight walk. The Hawks were in the playoffs despite Knight's coherent botching of the draft, not because of him. Unfortunately, after Knight resigned, the whole shebang got dangerously mangled in Atlanta. A sum of the top GM candidates they pursued said "no, thank you" and the Hawks up settling on Rick Sund, a nice guy who's failed willfully as a GM in his last two stops in Seattle and Detroit. Sund's head move was to sell for back head coach Mike Woodson a?" a guy who quite a few don't very like and whose tutoring luxuriousness doesn't fit the ability on the team. Then the Hawks completely mishandled Josh Childress. First, they offered him a contract for less than the midlevel exclusion. Then they told him to go find a healthier deal, rational no team would make a muscular bargain. Childress found a in good health deal in Greece and the Hawks he'd take the wherewithal. The Hawks so-called his blunt and Childress took the funds and ran. Normally, I wouldn't make such a fuss over a sixth man, but Childress was the glue that held the team composed a?" he was very undervalued. Now the Hawks are between a rock and hard place with Josh Smith. Their overture is worse than what Emeka Okafor and Luol Deng got. Smith is offended and doesn't indeed want to play in Atlanta. If they up the deal, they risk a player who is unhappy in Atlanta. If the Hawks don't escalation the approach, they risk Smith compelling the one-year qualifying advance in Atlanta and next summer as an unrestricted free proxy. Los Angeles Clippers The Clippers once held the desirable title of most contract in the group and they made a lot of strides toward it this summer. Everything started off so well. They dazed many by quickly coming to provisos with Warriors free driving force Baron Davis a?" big a big need at the article. Pairing Davis with Elton Brand was believed to put the Clippers on a lesson back to the in the West. Unfortunately, the team then inexplicably lost Brand to the Sixers a week subsequent. Brand's relatives say the Clippers mishandled the negotiations. The Clippers site the limb at Brand's negotiator, David Falk. Suddenly, the Clippers' dream team was a frightening. At this goal in his occupation, Davis production $65 million stretches credulity, even if he's encouraged. An indifferent Davis playing on a vault inhabitant? Ugh. The Clippers also lost Corey Maggette and tried to make light of all the bill by in Marcus Camby and Ricky Davis. But I don't believe they're a semifinal team in the West with that crew. Dallas Mavericks Two ago, the Mavericks were an elite team in the NBA and had the alliance's best track record. Coming into this time of year, the Mavs no longer look like a competitor. In fact, there's a casual they force not even be a match team in the wild, wild West. The Mavs still have Dirk Nowitzki, but the rest of the team is literally underwhelming. The addition of Jason Kidd at the dealings deadline last term looks like an horrific move in recollection. It's indeterminate whether Kidd in truth has the essence left to be an elite item guard. Josh Howard's brushes with disagreement over his comments on marijuana and a charge of drag racing this summer port't helped. And that huge $30 million-plus contract that they gave DeSagana Diop will come back to rendezvous them the same way that $60 million-plus contract they gave to Erick Dampier did. The Mavs were actively difficult to get hands on Ron Artest, but, like the Rockets, it was more an act of desperation than a savvy basketball move. Maybe head instructor Rick Carlisle can turn effects around, but as it right now, a team in need of a chief overhaul to get back into title disputation did too little and risks dwindling into . Denver Nuggets It's not hard to get your arms around the game plan in Denver. The team hardly made the playoffs last time of year, the opening on Allen Iverson's line of business is briskly finishing and suddenly the team gears? The Nuggets are in cost-piercing mode. Shipping off Marcus Camby will truly upset the team's defensive capacity. I think the move was an admission that the combo of Iverson and Carmelo Anthony just wasn't free to fling the team to a championship. There's a good accidental they will miss the playoffs this coming period agreed the competitiveness of the West. The perky side is that the Nuggets have a huge commerce exemption and also will be looking at thinkable cap room next summer. They still have Carmelo to build around, but dreams of bringing a championship to Denver are now on hold. Golden State Warriors (so crazy and untrue!!!) I feel sorry for Warriors GM Chris Mullin. A little more than a year ago, he was the guy who helped the Warriors end an ugly 12-year tiebreaker drought. His hard work paid off in the 2007 when his Warriors off one of the biggest principal-round upsets in NBA saga. Last spell, the Warriors were good, just not good enough to make the in the over-the-top competitive West. Then disaster struck this offseason as Baron Davis bolted for the Clippers and the Warriors . After wearisome and failing to lure Elton Brand and Gilbert Arenas to Golden State, the Warriors at an end way too much on Corey Maggette, a guy who duplicates many of their strengths and none of their weaknesses. Now the Warriors look perched to fall out of the playoffs for the next few seasons as they reopen the renovation course. That has to be a huge blow to the gut of Warriors fans that single-mindedly supported the Warriors in 2007. But there is a silvery coating in Golden State. First, the Warriors were right in not overpaying to keep Davis. I'll be knocked for six if he's still playing 50 games a term in the last few years of that deal. Second, the Warriors impenetrable up two young free agents a?" Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins a?" to rich, but not outlandish deals. If two continue to do up along with young players like Brandan Wright, Marco Belinelli and rookie Anthony Randolph, the Warriors will be good in nearby three years. Still, I'm not sure Warriors fans like the idea of after missing the in 16 of 17 years. Memphis Grizzlies Although they mishandled the Pau Gasol trade last end, the sharp-witted side was that the team was standard into the summer with cap room. Once the Sixers, Warriors and Clippers quickly used cap space, the Grizzlies were the only team in the coalition left with room and in a prime opinion to make a giveaway or, at the very tiniest, put some demands on teams to overpay their classified free agents. Instead, the team stayed on the sidelines, presumably to focus on the 2009 summer a?" an offseason that potentially will have better free agents but also more teams with earnings cap space to compete against. Also, the Grizzlies away a key veteran, Mike Miller, and the draft rights to Kevin Love, to move up two in the draft to get O.J. Mayo. Now the Grizzlies are one of the youngest in the club, have a huge glut of guards and are paper thin on the front line. In other words, you assumed last season was bad? You dock't seen anything yet. However, as in Golden State, there is a brilliant side: The Grizzlies do have lots of young aptitude. Rudy Gay and Mayo have the imaginable to be All-Stars soon. Mike Conley has a sunny future, too. And the Grizz also got a late leading-round snip in the draft in Darrell Arthur. If GM Chris Wallace can some of that flair into some NBA vets as his ex- boss Danny Ainge did (summon up when we were all bemoaning how young and inexperienced the Celtics were?) or if they can use important cap space next summer to lure a talented free manager or two, we may be speaking another way approaching the Grizzlies next August. But this time? It isn't untaken to be comely. Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:23:24 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301641 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301641 The NBA is the world leader in basketball right now. The question that David Stern should be asking himself is, how long is "now" going to last? This question is not about the Olympics. I have seen people scared that players going to play for European teams is going to hurt the USA basketball team, but players play for their home country, so that changes nothing for global competition between national teams. www.rawsportsblog.com Sat, 02 Aug 2008 16:04:28 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/299871 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/299871 To get ready for the upcoming NBA season, I am going to preview all 30 teams in just 30 days. After a brief rundown of last season and a look at their offseason moves, I will break down each team's rotation and suggest how how their minutes might be divvied up in '08-09. For fantasy purposes, I will mention at least one player to not sleep on as well as one player to be careful of for each team. I will also give you my early season projections on where each key player should be drafted. Use this as a guide to get ready for '08-09, but keep in mind that it's still only August. For certain cases, I will also analyze recent management decisions and predict how their team will fare in the future. Since there tend to be more question marks and position battles over the summer surrounding the worst teams in the league, I will start with last season's best record and work my way down. Enjoy! Fri, 01 Aug 2008 06:43:13 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/299167 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/299167 Ok...if you havent heard..Andre iguodala is looking for a contract for 6 years worth up to $75 million As for josh smith...He wants out of Atlanta and was real excited after his visit with Philadelphia. Now....If we cant come to terms with A. I. the next best thing to go after is josh smith Who do you think will end up getting what they want??? And which one would you rather happen?? Thu, 31 Jul 2008 18:44:01 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298971 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298971 The Bleacher Report is talking Cavs: "Right now, the Cavaliers are looking at making a blockbuster deal. I had talked with a person in the front office who said they are looking at various trades." A person in the front office - who would that be? I often wander into the front office and hand out statements like that. Thu, 31 Jul 2008 12:19:25 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298730 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298730 The Houston Rockets have reportedly reached an agreement with the Sacramento Kings that will land Ron Artest in Houston. After weeks of rumors that the Lakers were close to a deal for Ron Ron, it appears that the Rockets have acquired the troubled and often troublesome player. According to published reports the Rockets will send Bobby Jackson, Donte Greene, a first round pick in the 2009 NBA draft, and cash amounting to around $1 million to the Kings for the storied forward. If Greene is, indeed, involved in the deal then it won't be able to officially take place until August 14th. There are other reports that Joey Dorsey may be included instead of Greene. Rick Adelman had some success with Artest in Sacramento and the Rockets are hoping that he can once again succeed with Artest in Houston. The Rockets get a defensive stopper who can take some of the scoring load off of Tracy McGrady. Artest may give the Rockets a Big Three (Yao, McGrady, Artest) or he may cause more distractions and disrupt their chemistry. With Ron Ron, you never know. The Hawks haven't been able to come to terms with their restricted free agent, Josh Smith, but they are making moves. They have announced that they agreed to a two-year NBA minimum salary contract with Randolph Morris, a 6-foot-11, 270-pound center/power forward who played his first two seasons with the Knicks, seeing limited time with them. The Hawks also officially signed Magic free agent Maurice Evans. Monday, the Knicks traded Renaldo Balkman for Taurean Green and Bobby Jones and on Tuesday, they waived both Green and Jones. Expect more moves from the Knicks including getting rid of Marbury as the new administration seeks to rid themselves of all signs of the Isiah Thomas years. Disgraced referee Tim Donaghy was sentenced to 15 months in prison for his part in the scandal that rocked the NBA last off season. I can't help but feel that there is more coming though. Scott Foster must be investigated after all the phone calls from Donaghy to him before and after games that they worked and also the allegations that directions came down from the top for refs to influence games to stretch series out and to keep star players from fouling out. Sources are reporting that Luol Deng and the Chicago Bulls have verbally agreed on a new six-year contract believed to be worth in excess of $70 million. The Bulls lost out on several big deals last season because they would not include Deng and so I expected that they would do whatever it took to keep him in a Bulls uniform. Deng is one of the few players in the league who give Paul Pierce problems defensively and for that reason, he would be in demand with teams who are looking for ways to match up against the Celtics. The Bulls are still reported to be far apart in negotiations with their other free agent, Ben Gordon. Krstic signed a two-year deal on Tuesday with Club Dynamo Triumph in Moscow that will pay him 2.5 million euros in the first season and 2.6 million in the second. At the current exchange rate, he will pocket $7.9 million over the length of the deal if he stays both seasons. The Nets tried to find a sign and trade for Krstic in order to avoid losing him for nothing but to no avail. They had talks with the Bulls, Cleveland and Memphis but couldn't get a deal worked out and Krstic joined former teammate Bostjan Nachbar in fleeing to Europe. Signing Kwame Brown could be the end for Rasheed Wallace in Detroit. If Brown plays well, sources say that the Pistons could move Rasheed and his expiring contract at the trade deadline. This is a big if though because so far, Brown hasn't realized any of the potential that made him a number 1 pick. But then again, there have been players who have languished in one system and then broke out in another. Robert "Tractor" Traylor, who is serving time in a halfway house for preparing a false tax return, will ask a federal judge today to amend his probation conditions so he can try out for the Lakers. In September, Traylor was sentenced to three years of probation including three months in a federal halfway house after Traylor recorded that his own two homes were owned by his cousin, convicted drug kingpin Quasand Lewis. Traylor was previously allowed to interrupt his sentence to play pro basketball in Puerto Rico and the probation department allowed him to attend a workout with the Cavaliers and play on their summer league team. Now he is asking for permission to travel to Los Angeles to try out for the Lakers. The Orlando Magic will soon try to re-sign center Adonal Foyle, adding another big man to the roster after waiving little-used power forward James Augustine on Tuesday. They are also looking to add another point guard to their roster. All's quiet on the Celtics front. Ainge has said that is next order of business is to re-sign the Celtics' assistant coaches. Tom Thibodeau is as important to the Celtics as any players and Clifford Ray is one of the best big man coaches in the league. Hopefully they will both be back. The Celtics also haven't signed either draft pick as yet. There have been rumors that Danny may try to stash Walker in Europe for a season. If he does, it appears he will have lots of company from the NBA over there. I'd like to see both remain with the team and see what they can do. I don't exptect a lot more news from the Celtics but with Trader Danny, you never know. Wed, 30 Jul 2008 07:57:38 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297927 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297927 Everybody seems to be getting their money these days no matter what they are really worth. This puts pressure on other teams to do the same... There are several players that have signed for $50 million and above... some are worth it and some are not... Here are a few of the recent signings: Baron Davis took a pay cut by signing for $65 mil Andrew Bogut got $60 mil... Corey Maggette for $50 mil.. Gilbert Arenas signed for a whopping $111 mil Elton Brand signed for about $80 Monta Ellis signed for $67 mil... which was one of the largest raises for the NBA from one season to the next Okafor got $72 mil Biedrins for $62 mil Deng just signed a deal worth $70 mil My question is.... Who is next to get the big deal? Josh Smith or Iggy? Tue, 29 Jul 2008 20:26:41 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297759 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297759 Marc Spears reports in the Globe that the Celtics are still interested in Darius Miles. Miles hasn't played for 2 years after suffering what was diagnosed as a career ending injury. Unlike when the Celtics requested cap relief when Reggie Lewis died, the league granted the Blazers relief from Miles' salary. The fun part of this is that if Miles signs with a team and plays 10 games, the Blazers are on the hook for the remainder of the 18 million they owed him for the 2 years that were left on his contract. Miles will start the season with a 10 game suspension for testing positive for what has been speculated as performance enhancing drugs. He is looking for a minimum contract and there are other teams interested as well including the Suns and the Mavericks. He reportedly struggled in his workout with the Mavs but reports out of Boston were that he impressed them with his workout there. He has worked hard to get himself back to playing shape from the injury and as long as the knee holds up it may be worth the risk. After threatening to join the exodus to Europe, Andris Biedrins signed a lucrative 6 year contract with the Warriors worth a reported $63 million. This is the second player in the last few days who is being overpaid by his team after threatening to go to Europe if they didn't offer enough. First, Sasha Vujacic signed a three-year, $15 million contract after threatening to leave for Europe and now this ridiculous contract for Biedrins. This may be a disturbing trend as teams pay too much for players because they threaten to go overseas. I actually believe that the Hornets overpaid for Posey and may regret it somewhere down the line. Although, he may be the piece that puts them over the top as a contender so we won't know until it all plays out. The Hawks lost Josh Childress to Europe and now it doesn't look good for them to sign the other Josh either. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that there are at least two, blockbuster sign-and-trade proposals that the Hawks are considering for Smith. One proposal is reportedly from a Western Conference power and the other from an Eastern Conference contender. Rumors have been floating that the two teams are the Lakers and Pistons with Lamar Odom and Tayshaun Prince as the centerpieces of the deals with the respective teams. But the Detroit Free Press says that the Hawks were asking too much and that there is no deal on the table. But, in spite of not having a deal on the table, the Pistons are still very much interested in Smith. So, could the Eastern contender with a deal on the table be the Cavs? The Hawks clearly don't want to pay what Smith believes he is worth and won't over pay him but seem to be ok with allowing another team to do so if they can get enough back from them. In the meantime, it is being reported that the Hawks are on the verge of signing Randolph Morris to a two year minimum deal that would shore up the Hawks front court. Newsday is reporting that the Knicks are in talks with Denver to send Renaldo Balkman to the Denver Nuggets for point guard Taurean Green and small forward Bobby Jones. The Knicks are expected to waive both Jones and Green if they make the deal as both have no-guaranteed contracts and the Knicks would have 17 players. It would be a move to save money and move Balkman who doesn't seem to fit in D'Antoni's system. Personally, Balkman is one of the players I like on the Knicks. He plays hard and hustles on defense. Reports are that the Bobcats and Emeka Okafor are still not close to a contract agreement. The Bobcats are offering around 10 million a year and if Biedrins can get close to $11 million a year and Bogut can get over $12 million a year, then it would seem that the Bobcats are not willing to pay the market value for Okafor. Of course, he could accept the qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent next season, but that is always risky. The Sporting News reports that teams are lining up to make offers to Devean George. The Celtics have been linked to George as a replacement for James Posey. George is a defensive minded player who also brings championship experience. The schedule for next year is almost finished. It is usually announced the first week in August, but Matt Winick, the man who makes up the schedule is running about 3 or 4 days behind this season because of the uncertainty presented with the Seattle/OKC team. Games have to be scheduled around concerts, the NHL, a rodeo or a circus, the Big 12 mens and women's basketball tournaments, and more. The schedule should be out the first or second week of August so we can look forward to that. Gerald Green has always had tremendous athleticism and potential but has not been able to transfer that into becoming a team player. The Mavericks could be his last chance to prove he can play and this week in Summer League play, Gerald showed signs of rounding out his game. He led Dallas by scoring 19 points per game, he showed off his jumper, and he was great on the fast break, finishing off several plays with highlight dunks. He's still got a ways to go, but the Mavericks have to be encouraged with how Green played this week. I'm pulling for Gerald. I have always liked him and knew that if his head could just catch up to his abilities he could be a star. He is still young and there is plenty of time for that to happen. Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:15:52 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/296824 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/296824 With the Olympics right around the corner and the spotlight soon to be on Team USA, Screaming Sports' Serena Hays takes one finally look at NBA Free Agency and its potential impact on 2008-2009 fantasy basketball. She examines the six best remaining free agents and what role they might play for fantasy GMs this coming season. Sat, 26 Jul 2008 08:39:53 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/296047 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/296047 The NBA season is over but there is some wheeling and dealing going on. Elton Brand is a Sixer. Richard Jefferson is a Buck. (Doesn't that sound derogatory? I guess being a Buck is an insult.) Corey Maggette is a Warrior. My former fantasy basketball sixth-man Matt Barnes is a Sun. Chris Duhon joins the Apocalypse. Hype man Ronny Turiaf is getting live in the Bay now. TJ Ford is a Pacer. Jermaine O'neal is a Raptor. Marcus Camby is a Clipper. Talk about getting dissed. Camby was released for cap space and a secound round draft pick. Camby wisely predicts that the draft pick probably won't even make the team. Josh Childress is an Olympiaco. Olympi-who? J-Childs joined a team in Greece. The Hawks offered him $33 milli-ons over five years without including taxes and the Greeks offered $21 milli's in the air after the tax man cometh. Josh did real good. He's gets paid more and in a stronger currency with fringe benefits like free lounging. Good thing the Hawks drafted for the same position for five years in a row. They have been running through forwards. It looks like Team Josh is over. Josh Smith and Josh Childress might be gone. The big issue is what does this mean for the NBA and future NBA prospects? The high school kids looking through college brochures might be enticed to hit the Euro-league for seven figures instead of dodging freshman classes until the NBA draft while looking for ways to cover up booster scholarships. (Whew, I got winded after reading that sentence again.) Also, what impact will this have on the NBA benches? If a guy can make more money and start in Europe then why would he ride the pine in the NBA gaining no respect or PT. There's some rich people in Russia that could afford to bank-roll some serious basketball squads. What if they went after stars that are losing their home-side appeal like Vince Carter or Jason Kidd? This is an interesting time for the NBA. This could be bad news for the guys that go undrafted or get cut from NBA squads. It's already hard enough to become a professional basketball player. The last thing they probably want is competition from players with NBA job security. I hope Josh has some thick skin. It's all peaches and cream right now but those European fans have no boundaries. At least not in soccer where racism is obvious at times. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:09:26 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295057 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295057 As far as NBA Free Agency goes, this has got to be a summer to remember. Here's a recap of what has happened so far, and why we are likely to continue to see more of it in the future. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:26:26 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294444 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294444 Options are dwindling for both teams and free agents as teams continue to make moves. Here is what is going on around the league today: Josh Childress has indeed left the Hawks to play in Greece. The Journal Constitution is reporting that Childress has agreed to a a three-year, fully guaranteed contract worth far more than the $20 million originally proposed. It will remain to be seen how this affects NBA free agency in the future. Any player not getting what they want can flaunt a European contract at their team and will have to be taken seriously. But, there are still many players who want to be in the NBA even if they are making far less than they could in Europe. Josh Smith, the Hawks' other big free agent, was wined and dined by the Sixers and then they signed Brand. Then, he was wined and dined by the Clippers before they got Camby. Now, the only team under the cap that could offer him more than the MLE is the Grizzlies but they are in cost cutting mode. So, it seems that Josh Smith is stuck with the Hawks unless they can work a sign and trade with someone. Sources say that the Hawks are offering Smith a six-year deal worth $60 million. The Journal Constitution is reporting that this isn't true, however and that the Hawks have never offered anything near that. The San Antonio Spurs re-signed 36 year old Kurt Thomas on Tuesday. Thomas joined the Spurs last season in the trade that sent Brent Barry and Francisco Elson. In a rather fishy move, Barry was released by the Sonics and went back to the Spurs to join new teammate Kurt Thomas. Thomas' return could put in question the return of Robert Horry and Michael Finley's to the Spurs. When the Nets acquired Keyon Dooling, Marcus Williams vowed to fight for his job as the Nets' point guard. He may be fighting for his job, but not with the Nets as they traded him to the Warriors for a future first-round pick. The Warriors are going to give Williams a chance to start along side of Monta Ellis, who is more of a shooting guard than a point. First Camby was traded to the Clippers for a second round pick and now Williams traded for a first round pick. Must be nice to be under the cap and able to pick up players for peanuts (and draft picks). The Warriors pick has plenty of strings attached, though. The pick is lottery protected for 2011. If it goes to 2012, the pick is protected 1-11. It's protected 1-10 for 2013. If they still haven't received the pick by 2013, the Nets get second-round picks in 2013 and 2015. ESPN reports that Detroit has offered to trade Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince twice this off season already. The first time was to try to pry Carmelo Anthony away from Denver. The second offer was to Houston for Tracy McGrady. Both offers were rejected. With the rumors that Detroit is considering making a bid for Artest they could be making a 3rd attempt to trade Billups and Prince. There seems to be some smoke here and there may be some fire behind it. It would be interesting to see the crowd react to Ron Ron being introduced to the Palace crowd for the first time as a Piston. Talk about mixed emotions. Personally I wouldn't want Artest for anything. The guy has been a cancer and a distraction everywhere he has gone. Ryan Gomes is such a classy person. The Star Tribune reports that Gomes is participating in the Wolves' summer promotional caravan. He doesn't have a deal with the Wolves but is on their promotional tour. "I made a commitment at the end of the season to do this," Gomes said from Mankato. "They (the team) asked me if I'd like to do this and I'm a community guy, so I said yes. I don't know where I'm going to be yet. I made a commitment and stuck with it." Gomes is looking for the full MLE but chances of getting it are dwindling. It seems unlikely that the Wolves wouldn't match anything less. I would really like to have him back in Celtics Green but all the Celtics could offer is half the MLE and unless Danny has incriminating pictures of McHale, the Wolves would probably match any offer we could afford to give. At this point in his career, he is looking for some security and possibly accepting the qualifying offer and then seeing what he can get as an unrestricted free agent next season could be his best move. As hard as Gomes works, his value should only improve. Mark Bartelstein has said that several teams, including the Celtics have inquired about his client, Devean George. In his interview on WEEI, Danny said that he hasn't had any talks with George. So, either Bartelstein is floating rumors to try to get other teams to make an offer before another team snaps him up or Danny is not wanting to tip his hand. I remember Danny being interviewed on WEEI another time as the trade deadline approached when he said that the Celtics had nothing in the works and nothing even close. Four hours later, the Celtics traded for Wally Szczerbiak. So, you can't trust what an agent says or what Danny tells you for that matter. The News Herald reports that Bartelstein is also in talks with the Cavs concerning George. Now that the Celtics have signed House and Allen, Danny says that he is taking some time off. He may make another deal, or he may roll the dice with the team we have. The Celtics lost Pollard, PJ Brown, Cassell and Posey. The Celtics have 2 promising rookies who could fill in the blanks. Gabe Pruitt should be able to fill in at the Point along with House. Tony, if healthy, can replace Posey's defense. Giddens and Walker may get a chance to prove themselves. Danny may go with what we have now and then save space to pick up someone if there is a need later on. The Charlotte Observer reports that negotiations with Emeka Okafor are at an impasse. He has one more year left and if they don't agree on an extension, he can walk after next season as an unrestricted free agent. Rather than let him walk for nothing next season, the Bobcats may try to arrange a sign and trade. Some possibilities for a sign and trade swap are Shawn Marion, Anderson Varejao, Andris Biedrins, Al Harrington, and Luol Deng. Delonte West is still unsigned. The News Herald reports that the Cavs want to sign him but that they aren't close to an agreement at this point. Other teams are interested but have been scared off by his restricted tag, figuring that since the Cavs do want him, they will just match any offer made. Daniel Gibson signed a 5 year contract with the Cavs that starts at $3.7 million and West is looking for more since he is the starting PG and Gibson is the back up. Of course, if they can't reach an agreement, Delonte could just accept the Cavs' qualifying offer of $2.76 million, play out the year, and the become an unrestricted free agent next year. That could be good or bad for him. If he has a great year, he will demand even more money next season. If he continues to be nagged with little injuries and struggles, then as a restricted free agent, he may not get as much as he would now. It's a gamble that may or may not pay off. The Express News is reporting that it appears that Robert Horry's days with the Spurs are over. Big Shot Bob has won 7 rings in his 16 seasons in the league. He has said that he wants to play another season in the league but the Spurs don't seem inclined to bring him back. Unless he gets an offer from another team, he may be forced to retire. Could Big Shot Bob be the next aging veteran to come on board the Celtics? Danny loves these guys who seem to be on their last legs but who have tremendous experience and can help a team in little ways. Horry fits the profile. The Portland Trail Blazers signed first-round pick Nicolas Batum on Tuesday. Batum was actually drafted by Houston with the 25th overall pick and then traded to the Blazers for two draft picks. This brings the team's roster to 14 players. They still have not made a decision on whether to sign Petteri Koponen. They don't feel he is ready for the NBA this season, but if they don't sign him now, he will likely sign a long term contract in Europe. If they sign him, he could spend some time in the D-League and accelerate his development. The Clippers signed Golden State forward Kelenna Azubuike (8.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg) to a three-year, $9.3 million offer sheet last week and the Warriors have until Friday to match the offer, but according to sources they won't match it because they signed forward Maurice Evans to a three-year, $6.4 million deal. We are about to enter into the quiet (read completely dead) part of the season for Celtics fans. Danny is going to take some time off. He lost one free agent and brought back 2 others. He still has to deal with the Celtics 2 draft picks and possibly pick up another free agent or even make a minor trade. But keep in mind, it wasn't until the end of August that Danny signed Posey last season and so he may wait until the dust settles to make another move. Reports are that Bill Walker is working hard to come back from the knee surgery and depending on how he looks, Danny may not make another move. If ready to contribute, Walker could be the back up at the 3 that the Celtics still need. I like the kid and think he could prove to be the steal of the draft. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:51:04 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294294 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294294 They could be very good in a couple of years. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 03:52:15 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294187 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294187 The Atlanta Hawks have not been very good this summer at the whole free-agent thing. They let Josh Smith sign wherever he wanted until those offers evaporated and now he's likely to re-sign only because that's where the most money is, and now they are letting Josh Childress entertain offers from Olympiakos, a Greek team. Childress is a good all-around player, kind of like a Tayshaun Prince without the stellar defense, but a player deserving of a new contract especially with the up and coming Hawks. What is the GM doing, taking a summer vacation like he's still in school? Get your sh*t right Atlanta, and start at least pretending to make the team better. Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:04:41 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293888 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293888 The Clippers started rocking the boat on Tuesday by trading for Marcus Camby but what began as ripples on the west coast grew into tidal waves on the east. The Clippers may have changed the futures of a handful of players and franchises by snatching up Camby for a second round pick, an IOU for a massage, and a dirty sock...[continued] Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:31:37 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293807 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293807