http://www.yardbarker.com/content/team/66 Recent articles about the Philadelphia 76ers en-us The NBA season is over but there is some wheeling and dealing going on. Elton Brand is a Sixer. Richard Jefferson is a Buck. (Doesn't that sound derogatory? I guess being a Buck is an insult.) Corey Maggette is a Warrior. My former fantasy basketball sixth-man Matt Barnes is a Sun. Chris Duhon joins the Apocalypse. Hype man Ronny Turiaf is getting live in the Bay now. TJ Ford is a Pacer. Jermaine O'neal is a Raptor. Marcus Camby is a Clipper. Talk about getting dissed. Camby was released for cap space and a secound round draft pick. Camby wisely predicts that the draft pick probably won't even make the team. Josh Childress is an Olympiaco. Olympi-who? J-Childs joined a team in Greece. The Hawks offered him $33 milli-ons over five years without including taxes and the Greeks offered $21 milli's in the air after the tax man cometh. Josh did real good. He's gets paid more and in a stronger currency with fringe benefits like free lounging. Good thing the Hawks drafted for the same position for five years in a row. They have been running through forwards. It looks like Team Josh is over. Josh Smith and Josh Childress might be gone. The big issue is what does this mean for the NBA and future NBA prospects? The high school kids looking through college brochures might be enticed to hit the Euro-league for seven figures instead of dodging freshman classes until the NBA draft while looking for ways to cover up booster scholarships. (Whew, I got winded after reading that sentence again.) Also, what impact will this have on the NBA benches? If a guy can make more money and start in Europe then why would he ride the pine in the NBA gaining no respect or PT. There's some rich people in Russia that could afford to bank-roll some serious basketball squads. What if they went after stars that are losing their home-side appeal like Vince Carter or Jason Kidd? This is an interesting time for the NBA. This could be bad news for the guys that go undrafted or get cut from NBA squads. It's already hard enough to become a professional basketball player. The last thing they probably want is competition from players with NBA job security. I hope Josh has some thick skin. It's all peaches and cream right now but those European fans have no boundaries. At least not in soccer where racism is obvious at times. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:09:26 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295057 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295057 According to the Philadelphia Daily News, the Sixers have agreed to a two year deal with free agent guard Royal Ivey, although the deal will not be official until Monday. Ivey spent last season with the Milwaukee Bucks. In 75 games, Ivey averaged 5.6 points and 2.1 assists in just over 19 minutes per game. He has spent four years in the NBA since being drafted out of Texas in 2004. He spent his first three seasons with the Atlanta Hawks. Ivey finished his college career as the Longhorns' all-time leader in starts with 126 in 133 games. During his time in Texas, the Longhorns reached the NCAA Tournament four times and the Sweet Sixteen three times. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:03:05 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294970 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294970 The Sixers have yet to take care of their two restricted free agent guards, Andre Iguodala and Lou Williams, but they are still working to fill out their roster, signing guard Royal Ivey to a 2 year contract. Ivey spent last season with the Milwaukee Bucks after starting his career with the Atlanta Hawks and has developed into a solid defensive player off the bench. He doesn't put up great offensive numbers (he averaged a career-high 5.6 points per game last season) but he is a decent role player. Click the link for Royal Ivey's career stats. Not a bad depth signing, but how about signing Iggy and Lou now? Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:02:41 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294909 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294909 The Daily News is reporting that the Sixers have reached an agreement with back-up point guard Royal Ivey. I have been a big fan of this guy from watching him play at Texas. He is a lock-down defender with good size for the point guard position. I believe the Sixers got a nice quality back-up to Andre Miller. Since I won't be very active on the blog over the next few days, I want to address a comment from a loyal reader about the signing... Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:30:05 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294887 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294887 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. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:37:01 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294826 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294826 CURRENT SIXERS ROSTER *STARTERS PG-ANDRE MILLER SG-ANDRE IGUODOLA SF-THADEUS YOUNG PF-ELTON BRAND C- SAMUEL DALEMBERT *BENCH G-LOU WILLIAMS G-WILLIE GREEN G-?? G/F-?? F-REGGIE EVANS F-MAUREESE SPEIGHTS F/C-JASON SMITH *Trades I'd pursue TRADE #1 C-Samuel Dalembert and SG-Willie Green to the Charlotte Bobcats in a sign and trade for PF/C-Emeka Okafor and G-Matt Carroll. Q-How would this benefit the Sixers?.... A- It depends on what Okafor would sign for. If he were to accept a 5yr/$50 million deal(A big IF), it would bring the 76ers a capable center who's younger and can switch to power forward if needed at a slightly cheaper price than Dalembert. While Dalembert is well accepted by his teammates and coaches, he is overpaid and very replaceable. You also get a 43% 3pt threat in Matt Carroll whose contract expires after this upcoming season instead of Green's contract ending after the 2011 season. Q-Why would the Bobcats accept this trade? A- Not only do they get something in return for a player highly dissatisfied with his contract negotiations, they get two players who would "play the right way" for Larry Brown. Their salary cap would still be manageable with Dalembert there because they have at least two players who probably won't have their options extended(Adam Morrison and Sean May). It also would give them a solid core of Dalembert, J. Richardson, G. Wallace and R. Felton with 3 under contract until 2011. TRADE #2 PF-Reggie Evans and a 2nd round pick to the Chicago Bulls in a sign and trade for G-Ben Gordon. Q- How would this benefit the Sixers? A- The Sixers' would have their long distance threat(career 41% 3pt) AND their sixth man rolled into one individual. He also is a career 85% FT shooter. The Sixers' would also shed the salary of Reggie Evans($4.5 million plus and signed until 2011) who is only going to move farther and father to the end of the bench with Brand here now and M. Speights expected to blossom. But, once again this depends on what Gordon would sign. I'm thinking 3ys/$21 million with an option for a 4th year. Q- Why would the Bulls accept this deal?? A- Because there is absolutely no room in their plans or on their roster(full of #2 guards) for Ben Gordon. There is a need for another big body in the frontcourt and Reggie Evans would definitely help them in that department. I think it's a win-win situation for both sides. This also could help the Bulls in making a decision regarding Luol Deng's contract. They could secure him long-term, giving them the option to shop Andres Nocioni's expiring contract worth $9 million. Result-If the Sixer's were to pull off both of these deals and re-sign Lou Williams and Andre Iguodala, they definitely would be above the cap(possibly around $65 million) but still under the luxury tax margin. Lou Williams' progression could be the deciding factor on keeping or trading Andre Miller or just flat out letting him walk after the season. Matt Carroll would definitely be trade bait(probably for a future pick) if other players improve their shooting. Also, the pressure would be on Josh Smith to see if he's worth the team option after this year. This leaves 10 players and the roster minimum is 13. Who would I sign at the minimum to fill out the roster? These are the players that come to mind: G- Andre Owens(Pacers) G/F- Yakhouba Diawara(Nuggets), Ronald Dupree(OKC), or Mickael Gelabale(OKC) F- Juwan Howard (Mavericks), Robert Horry(Spurs) C- Theo Ratliff(Pistons), Dwayne Jones(Cavaliers) or David Harrison(Pacers) This would be the roster if this came to fruition. *STARTERS PG-Andre Miller (Possible top 3 in assists this year) SG-Andre Iguodala (If he gets a consistent jumper, could be an All-Star) SF- Thaddeus Young (SF is his natural position, needs to improve open jumper) PF-Elton Brand (20pt/10 rebounds per game….nuff said) C- Emeka Okafor (Him and Brand would be a killer frontcourt duo) *BENCH G-Louis Williams (Capable scorer soon to be a starting quality PG) G- Ben Gordon (Would be a 6th man of yr candidate) G/F- Matt Carroll (The idea spot up 3pt threat on the wing) -Pat Carroll from St. Joes is an option at this spot as well if M. Carroll's too costly. G/F- Mickael Gelabale(Swingman who can knock down a 3 occasionally) F-Maureese Speights (Rookie will definitely learn a lot from Brand). F- Juwan Howard (Former star could provide veteran leadership) F/C-Jason Smith(Should improve upon last year) C-Theo Ratliff(UFA-A defensive beast who'd play for the minimum) These are just my thoughts and probably unlikely to happen like this, but I'd pursue this if I were in the Sixer's front office…… Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:47:09 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294737 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294737 In the "Keep Your Picks" Playoff, the Portland Trail Blazers have defeated the Phliadelphia 76ers 108-99. PF Zach Randolph was named MVP of the game. The Blazers will play the Pistons in round two. For complete game stats, check out the NBA DraftNation page. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:42:23 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294504 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294504 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 Roto Evil is: Real and Exotic and Really Entertaining like Russell and Erving, Rising and Elevating a Roto hoops Expert doing Research and Evaluating Rarely making Errors, accurate Ratings Emanating ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Respected and Established like Robinson, Eddie so Recklessly Eccentric, i Refused an ESPY a Rebel for Equality, Ready for my Enemies Reaching Equilibrium via Raw infinite Energy ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ you Reckon my Ego is Really Exceeding? i'm Robbin' your Eggos and Rebuking your Eating now you're Rambling Endlessly, a disgraced Rogue Entity for Robertson and Elgin, i'm Representin' Especially ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ your Reality is Erroneous, your Rationale is Erratic your Repetition is Exhausting, my Randomness is Ecstatic you Recycle Excrement, you're Ruining Expectations my winning Record is Excellent, thus Receiving Exaltation ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ my References are Esoteric, from Radja to Ekezie thanks to Revelatory Experiences this is Relatively Easy you're a Rude Emasculator a la Reggie Evans your Reach Extends to ten, but mine Roars to Eleven ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ i Rotate and Evolve, spreading Roots Externally Rhymes so Exquisite you'll Remember Eternally this is Roto Evil, and if you Respectfully Enjoyed say R to the motherfuckin' E homeboy! Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:09:24 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294402 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294402 In the final game of round one, the Blazers, very similar to their actual team, have a nice collection of young talent. However, it's tough to pass up a lineup of A.I., Larry Hughes and Andre Iguodala with good depth behind them. Someday the Blazers will be a legit contender. Don't expect it to be today, though. Expert Picks: Pickard: Philadelphia 76ers Estimated Game Time: Wednesday July 23 (4 PM EST) Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:02:12 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294396 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294396 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 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 J-Chill must really want to get out of Atlanta with that 3 year $20 million he's got on the table with Olympiakos in Greece. Right now, it's either a sign-and-trade or Greece for him, but there are other teams that could really use him, especially on the east coast. Philadelphia 76ers If Childress wants a sign-and-trade, Philly is a good place for both teams, especially when he visited them already. With him and Louis Williams, an undersized shooting guard, both restricted free agents, both teams trade a solid guard off the bench for another, only the Sixers get size. It also gives the Hawks an opportunity to truly go small when Lou comes off the bench. Cleveland Cavaliers Last season, Sasha Pavlovic didn't live up to the hype after going to the Finals in 2007. Five years removed from Serbia and 4 years since joining the Cavs, maybe he needs a fresh start with a new team. Childress would be an upgrade in terms of scoring, relieving part of the load on LeBron James and Pavlovic would add size to the Hawks. Detroit Pistons Detroit's looking to shake things up with the roster, and with Rodney Stuckey's play carrying from the playoffs over to the summer league, Chauncey Billups or Richard Hamilton might be on the trading block. Atlanta also needs a good, veteran big man to come off the bench for them. Trade Childress and Mike Bibby for Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess and Detroit starts the rebuilding process. Indiana Pacers Marquis Daniels might be a good fit for Atlanta. He went undrafted out of college and averaged near 16 PPG in the playoffs his rookie year in Dallas. Daniels' contract, in its last year, is probably around Childress' price range and is near what Olympiakos is offering. It wouldn't be a bad choice for the rebuilding Pacers. Milwaukee Bucks The Bucks are reloading after getting a new coach in Scott Skiles, but he's already made Charlie Villanueva unhappy before he even coached. The Hawks landing Villanueva is a long shot and they're probably not even interested, but highflyer Desmond Mason is a good possibility. Mason would add experience to the Hawks, something they lack. Childress can back-up Michael Redd and is a great compliment for a team with young talent in Andrew Bogut and Ramon Sessions and a veteran in his prime in Richard Jefferson. Charlotte Bobcats The Bobcats signed Matt Carroll to a 5-year extension last season, but Childress is better. Carroll could add better 3-point shooting for the Hawks with his near 44% from beyond the arc, #9 in the NBA. Adding Childress behind Jason Richardson, Gerald Wallace and Emeka Okafor might be the move they need to get to their first playoff series in franchise history. The Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards could also use him, but don't have much.f anything, to offer. Otherwise, there's still opportunities for him in the NBA. Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:15:30 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293799 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293799 As much as Charles Barkley is vilified for all his degenerate activities, there is a good side that is hardly talked about. Lost in the mix are the numerous million dollar donations that Barkley has bestowed upon his former schools. And now comes word of Sir Charles offering to pay for Christian Abate's Temple education. Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:06:01 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293758 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293758 The Golden State Warriors have some cap space to play with, so they are honing in on a Sixers guard who is a restricted free agent. No, they don't want Andre Iguodala, but, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com, they apparently are looking into signing Louis Williams to an offer sheet. While the Sixers have publicly said they would match any offer sheet given to either Williams or Iguodala, the Warriors might have enough cap space to offer Williams a bloated contract that the Sixers would think twice about matching. Williams makes plenty of sense for the Warriors due to the instant offense and no defense he provides, sort of like a very poor man's Baron Davis. Expect the Sixers to hold on to Williams if the contract offer is reasonable. Williams is a key bench player and could eventually take over at point when Andre Miller leaves. Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:27:52 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293426 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293426