Yardbarker: FLCeltsFan

Rumors and Free Agent Updates - Sasha Will Whine on Lakers Bench Again Edition

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 09:17:30 -0500

For the second time in a week, it is reported that Maurice Evans has signed a contract. First, it was reported that Evans signed with the Warriors but afterwards they changed the report to say that he turned down their offer and with the Warriors matching the offer for Kelenna Azubuike, they abandoned the chase for Evans. Today, the Journal Constitution reports that Evans has signed a three-year deal believed to be worth about $7.5 million. It is predicted that he will slide into the sixth man role that Childress vacated when he bolted to Europe. I thought that Evans was a nice fit for the Celtics and there were reports that Danny had been in talks about him. The SacBee reports that the Kings have signed point guard Bobby Brown to a two-year deal at the league minimum ($442,114) with a player option in the second season. Ryan Hollins, the Bobcats restricted free agent, signed a one-year qualifying offer that will bring him back to the team next season after which he will become an unrestricted free agent. The Utah Jazz have matched Oklahoma City's four-year $15 million offer sheet for restricted free agent C.J. Miles. They took the full 7 days before deciding to keep Miles and match the offer. The Warriors have been one of the busiest teams so far this offseason and continued to make moves as they signed Anthony Morrow on Friday. Morrow averaged 18.6 points in six Summer League games with the Warriors and impressed them enough to offer him a contract. The Nets have 15 players under contract They have several power forwards on their roster and may be looking to deal Sean Williams and/or Stromile Swift in order to add another point guard and possibly a shooter. With all the moves that the the Nets have made and are expected to make, it's possible that Vince Carter and Josh Boone could be the only Nets remaining from the team they had at the start of last season. The Timberwolves have agreed to a multiyear contract with former Celtic Ryan Gomes. I had always hoped that the Celtics would bring Gomes back to Boston, but I guess that isn't going to happen now. Gomes is expected to officially sign sometime next week. That makes 3 of the 5 players who went to Minnesota for Kevin Garnett that will be staying with the Wolves long term. Only Gerald Green and Theo Ratliff (and his expiring contract) left the club. After reports came out that Sasha Vujacic was seriously considering going to Europe since the negotiations with the Lakers seemed to be at in impasse, both sides quickly moved to agree to a three-year, $15 million contract. It looks like Sasha will be around to whine his way through another season. With other players jumping from the NBA to Europe for big contracts and rumors that Jason Kidd would consider finishing his career in Europe when his contract in Dallas is up, it isn't a surprise to read that Michael Findley has received offers to play in Europe also. However, the Sporting News reports that Finley turned down the offers from Europe and is looking to stay in the NBA. His first choice would be to stay with the Spurs and they are reported to have interest in keeping him. They also mention that Finley is looking at Lakers, Mavericks and Celtics. Finley fits Danny's mold of veterans with a lot of experience to finish the roster - like PJ Brown last season. Like PJ, Finley finally won a ring with San Antonio and if they make him an offer, I am sure he will return, but if not, he would fit nicely on the Celtics as a veteran presence off the bench. Former Celtic and fan favorite, Delonte West is still looking to get a contract. As a restricted free agent, the Cavs can match any offer from other teams. It was widely reported that Delonte received a big offer from Dynamo Moscow, but the News Herald is now reporting that there is no truth to that rumor. Delonte is the Cavs' starting point guard and reserve guard Daniel Gibson received a five-year, $21 million deal last week so it seems that they should offer Delonte at least that but since there are few teams who can make Delonte an offer anywhere near that, there is no pressure on the Cavs to go above the deal they gave Gibson. I really like Delonte and would love to have him back in Boston, but that isn't in the cards. I hope he can get a good deal from some team as he deserves it. Maybe he should just accept the qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent next season. Teams are always looking for point guards and he may be able to do better that way. Speaking of former Celtics, the Heat have more than their share of them. With Marcus Banks and Mark Blount (I really, really dislike that guy) and have Ricky Davis as an unrestricted free agent. The Sun Sentinel has this about possibly bringing Ricky back to the Heat: Among the emails to pass this way in the recent dog days of free agency are those wondering, just wondering, about the potential virtues of a Ricky Davis reunion. Yes, he can score. Yes, there might be something to be said about Davis as a sixth man. But there's no way you distance yourself from 15-67 by bringing back too much of the 15-67. With Mark Blount and Marcus Banks, there is little choice. They're under contract. But with Davis a free agent, the Heat would actively have to pursue a reunion. Was Ricky Davis the cause of 15-67? Well, Shaquille O'Neal certainly played a far greater role, as did ailments to several others. But Davis also broke off numerous plays and missed countless assignments, albeit while making well-intentioned efforts I really liked Ricky when he was with the Celtics, but I can't say as I want the Celtics to bring him back. He just doesn't have the ubuntu concept down although he plays hard every time out. The Heat are rumored to be offering Marion and/or Cook to try to bring in a center or point guard and if so, they may try to bring Ricky back but probably Ricky should go for that European offer. It may be his best bet.

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.

Rumors and Free Agent Updates - Options are Dwindling Edition

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:51:04 -0500

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.

Brawl Breaks Out in WNBA Game

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 22:15:11 -0500

There is something about Detroit basketball that incites riots. First there was the Pacers-Pistons brawl and now the women are getting in on the act as a Detroit Shock and LA Sparks game turned ugly in the final seconds. A collision between the Sparks' Candace Parker and Detroit's Plenette Pierson turned into a shoving match that saw players and coaches from both teams leave the bench. Shock assistant coach Rick Mahorn, who was involved in the Pistons-Pacers brawl on Nov. 19, 2004, as a Detroit broadcaster trying to break up the fight, appeared to shove Lisa Leslie to the floor at one point. Parker, Milton-Jones, Pierson and Mahorn were all ejected, while Detroit's Cheryl Ford left the floor on a wheelchair after getting injured while trying to restrain Pierson. What really surprises me is that Detroit Bad Boy Bill Laimbee, who is the Shock coach, didn't get in on the brawl for old times sake as his assistant coach did.

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.

Rumors and Free Agent Updates - Another One Gets Away Edition

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:42:39 -0500

AZ Central is reporting that Matt Barnes is scheduled to arrive in Phoenix Monday, expecting to sign a one-year veteran's minimum deal with the Suns after completing a physical. I was really hoping Danny would make an offer to Barnes as he would be a great replacement for Posey. It seems as though one free agent after another is being signed and the Celtics have yet to make a move to fill the empty spots on the bench. I just don't get Danny not having made a minimum offer to this guy already. Maybe he should give him a call real quick and make an offer. Xtra Sports has a couple of interesting rumors on their website. First is that the Celtics have approached the Lakers concerning a trade for Trevor Ariza. Scal's salary fits. I wonder if they are looking for a glue guy since Turiaf left. Along with the inquiries about Ariza, they report that the Celtics are talking to Orlando's Maurice Evans, the Warriors' Matt Barnes, and the Wolves' Ryan Gomes. Word is that Gomes is looking for a 2 year contract for the full MLE. The Celtics may offer that, but since Gomes is restricted, the Wolves will probably match. I like the idea of getting Barnes. I think he would be a great fit for the team but probably won't come cheap. Also according to Xtra Sports, rumors are flying around that the Lakers are trying to clear roster space in order to make a major trade to acquire Rasheed Wallace from Detroit or Ron Artest from Sacramento. They didn't match Turiaf's offer and that may clear the way for the trade for Artest. With the Nets deal for Dooling almost final, Marcus Williams is the odd man out and the Nets would like to trade him. They are said to be looking to package Williams and one of their other young players, such as forwards Josh Boone or Sean Williams, for a veteran. They still have eight players on their roster with two years' or less experience in the league. Maybe the Nets would like Scal back. What better player to guide their youngsters. Sean Williams and Marcus Williams would be nice additions to the Celtics. Come on, New Jersey, you need a glue guy like Scal and now he can bring championship experience (sort of) to your team. Atlanta Hawks free-agent forward Josh Childress is strongly considering a three-year, $20 million offer from Greek powerhouse Olympiakos, several league sources said Sunday night. Childress flew to Greece late Sunday and is scheduled to meet with Olympiakos officials on Monday. Childress has been frustrated with the Hawks who have refused to make a sign-and-trade deal for Childress with another team. One source reports that there's a better than a 50-50 chance he'll sign with Olympiakos. News is breaking that the Celtics have agreed to terms with two of their own free agents, Tony Allen and Eddie House. Both have agreed to 2 year deals. The Celtics used Tony's Bird rights but needed approximately half of the M LE to secure House. This pretty much eliminates the possibility of bringing Ryan Gomes back to Boston as he is seeking a deal close to the full MLE.

House and Allen to Re-sign With Celtics

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:36:55 -0500

According to the Boston Herald, both Eddie House and Tony Allen have agreed to re-sign with the Celtics. I think this is very good news. Tony Allen and Eddie House are staying in the fold. According to Danny Ainge, the Celtics have agreed to terms with each on two-year contracts. Ainge would not be specific on the financial figures, but according to a source, both are being paid in the mid-$2 million range. In the case of House, the money is roughly half the mid-level exception of $5.585 million. The Celtics did not have to use any of the mid-level on Allen, because he has been with the club four years and the team thus has his "Bird rights." Teams are allowed to pay to keep their own free agents who have been with the club three years. Now we need to find a replacement for Posey. I was hoping that Matt Barnes would be the one, but according to reports he is set to sign a league minimum deal with Phoenix. I am sure Danny has something up his sleeve but not sure what. We still have half the MLE and the LLE and veteran minimum contracts to sign someone and playing for the World Champs has to be a drawing card. But with the re-signing of House and Allen and the signing of O'Bryant, the roster is starting to shape up. There is still that one gaping hold left by Posey though. Maybe Danny has more hope for Walker than we realize.

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.

Rumors and Free Agent Updates - Greg Norman Edition

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 09:15:49 -0500

Utah Jazz free agent, CJ Miles signed a four-year, $15 million offer sheet with Oklahoma City on Friday. Utah will have seven days to decide whether they want to match the offer sheet and keep him. In Oklahoma, Miles would be able to compete for a starting position, something he would not be able to do in Utah. Philadelphia 76ers General Manager Ed Stefanski phannounced on Friday that the Sixers have signed rookie Marreese Speights who was the 16th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. Speights played in five games for the Sixers Summer League team in Las Vegas, averaging 18.2 points along with team-highs of 10.2 rebounds and 2.20 blocks. He is one of only three player averaging a double double in Vegas. Sounds like the Sixers have a player. Yahoo Sports (via Hoopshype) reports that Carlos Delfino is leaving the NBA to sign with Khimki Moscow. Delfino may not be the only NBA player to bolt for Europe as Basket Central (again via Hoopshype) reports that Greek team Olympiakos is courting former Celtic Ricky Davis. The Suns second round pick, Goran Dragic, will stay in Spain next season. The Suns sure are having problems with point guards ditching them. Think they would like to take back the deal that sent Rajon Rondo to Boston? The Sacbee reports that Brad Miller is determined to rebound after his third suspension for testing positive for marijuana. He will be suspended for the first 5 games of next season and will lose approximately $700,000 in salary. He is determined to get past this and get his life back in order. He told the SacBee that the lost wages don't matter nearly as much as the importance of changing his ways. We all wish Brad the best and hope that he can get past this and get his career back on track without the drugs. League sources report that the Nets and Magic are close to a sign-and-trade for combo guard Keyon Dooling. Reports are that Dooling would sign a three-year deal approximately $10 million and then be sent to the Nets for their $3.3 million trade exception that they acquired in the Jason Kidd trade. This gives the Nets 16 players under contract and the odd man out appears to be Marcus Williams. They will probably try to deal him for a draft pick or package him with another player to try to free up a roster spot. The Rocky Mountain News is reporting that restricted free agent JR Smith has not heard from any teams having interest in signing him this off season. His only offer has been the option to return to the Nuggets next season for the $3.04 million qualifying offer. This may be his best bet as he will have a chance to increase his value over the season and become an unrestricted free agent next season. Matt Barnes is a player who definitely would be a good fit for the Celtics to help replace what they lost with James Posey. The Washington Post reports that the word is that teams are going to wait him out and get him at a good price. The Wizards, who have only around $1.5 million left under the luxury tax threshold, are interested but since Barnes made $3 million last season, he isn't going to jump at an offer that his half as much. The Celtics could split their MLE between Barnes and another player and would be an attractive destination because they can offer him a chance at a ring. Teams may be trying to wait him out and get him cheaper, but like Posey, some team out there will give him what he wants. Darius Miles continues his hopes to return to the NBA. He might be a possibility for the Celtics. The Mavs are seriously considering signing him as well. He has several benefits. One, he appears to have matured considerably since his troubled early days in the league. Second, he has worked very hard to come back from what was considered to be a career ending injury so he is motivated and has a good work ethic. Third, and best of all for a team like the Celtics who are over the Lux Tax, he will come cheap. He is only looking for a 1 year minimum contract and will play very hard to make good on that contract to prove he deserves more next season. He looks like another of those low risk, high reward signings. This is a great story. Greg Norman is doing very well in the British Open. He is on his honeymoon after his marriage to tennis great Chris Evert 3 weeks ago. He is 53 years old and he is right at the top of the pack in the British Open. His last victory was 10 years ago in Australia at the Greg Norman Holden International. He hasn't been this close to the lead at the halfway point of a major since he was leading the '96 Masters. I know by now you are thinking why is this on a Celtic blog's updates? Well, Greg Norman used to live not far from me when I lived in the Palm Beach area and is a big Celtics fan. You would often see him out and about wearing a Celtics hat. I always wear a Celtics tee shirt and one day, he stopped me in a store and we talked about the Celtics for awhile. He is a very nice person and I am pulling for him. Us Celtics fans have to stick together. Maybe it was the Celtics 17th championship after all these years that has energized him in the Open. Who knows?

Is There More Scandal Ahead for the NBA?

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 21:12:40 -0500

For the most part, if you watch a lot of NBA games, you can't help but notice that at times the officiating is one sided and at other times it is simply bad. Some players get star treatment, others seem to get fouls called for walking onto the court. Some games are called very one sided where one team can't get a foul call even though players are getting mugged by two players at a time while the other team just has to look crooked and it is a foul. Refs are human and we know that they won't get it right every time, but some calls are so ridiculously bad that you just scratch your head and wonder. One of those calls was when Paul Pierce drew a foul while shooting a 3 during the Detroit series. Bennett Salvatore called it an offensive foul. He could have made a case for a possible travel, although that was a stretch, but an offensive foul was ridiculous. David Stern has defended his officials ad nauseam, fining anyone who dares to question them. Last summer, the inevitable happened and a referee was accused of betting on games and influencing the outcomes of certain games. David Stern said that he completely investigated the officials and that Donaghy was a lone rogue official. There were no other refs involved. Supposedly it was all over and when Donaghy was convicted and punished, there would be no further repercussions from the rogue referee who acted in a vacuum to influence games for betting purposes. Then, during the NBA Finals this year, there were more allegations. In the wake of game 2 of the Finals, when Phil Jackson pretty much blamed the loss on the referees, and in the wake of the league acknowledgment that the Lakers/Spurs game 4 was decided by a bad call by the refs, Time Donaghy made some shocking statements. The Boston Globe recounts the details. In a letter to the court, Donaghy's attorney relayed key information Donaghy provided, including various examples of improper interactions and relationships between referees and other league employees, such as players, coaches or management that led to attempts to influence game results. Donaghy alleged that certain referees were "company men" who acted in the best business interests of the NBA - specifically, extending popular and profitable series. He claimed manipulation of games could be very subtle. According to the letter, "Tim explained that league officials would tell referees they should withhold calling technical fouls on certain star players because doing so hurt ticket sales and television ratings . . . If the NBA wanted a team to succeed, league officials would inform referees that opposing players were getting away with violations. Referees then would call fouls on certain players, frequently resulting in victory for the opposing team." Donaghy's letter described events in a 2005 playoff series - apparently between the Mavericks and Rockets - when referees were told to enforce screening rules more strictly against a Houston player. The Mavericks came back to win the series, and the court filing asserted that the NBA profited from a longer series. Donaghy also told investigators that referees were instructed to extend a 2002 playoff series between the Lakers and Kings to seven games and did so by making calls in favor of Los Angeles, which came back to win. The series is remembered for controversial calls in Game 6, in which Sacramento's Scot Pollard and Vlade Divac fouled out. The Kings/Lakers game was particularly interesting because at the time, Jeff Van Gundy was fined a ridiculous $100,000 for saying that an official not working the game told him that Yao was being targeted with fouls in particular. The game was called very one sided and there were several other complaints about it. Stern dismissed the allegations and as always backed his referees. But what else can he do? The allegations fall right at his feet. If league officials did tell the officials to extend a series or favor or target particular players, Stern would have to have know about them or even been the one to send down the orders. If the FBI does investigate Donaghy's allegations further, David Stern could be in some trouble himself. Now, once again, more information is coming out that further implicates another referee. Donaghy placed 134 calls to referee Scott Foster between October 2006 and April 2007, the period during which he has confessed to betting on games or passing on game information to gamblers. Most of the calls lasted no more than 2 minutes. Now, keep in mind that David Stern supposedly completely investigated every other referee and found nothing out of order. But Stern was intent on saving his own skin and proving that Donaghy was a rogue ref and couldn't be bothered with details like 134 phone calls from the rogue ref to a colleague before games he officiated. Pregame.com has some interesting commentary on the the games that Foster offiated during this period. During the 2006-07 period under investigation, seven games refereed by Scott Foster had lopsided enough betting on one team to move the point spread by at least 2 points; those seven teams were undefeated against Vegas meaning that the big-money gamblers won a 7 of 7 times on Fosters games; the odds of that happening randomly are less than 1%.Statistics alone cannot convict, but its certainly noteworthy that seven times in Fosters games one team was bet extremely heavily, and all seven times that team won, said RJ Bell of Pregame.com. Two of those seven games stand out: On January 19, 2007 the Kings opened as a 1.5 favorites at Boston; betting on Sacramento moved the line to -4.5. Kings won by 5, shooting 25 free throws, versus only 14 free throws for the home team Celtics. On March 20, 2007 the Nuggets opened as 2.5 point underdogs at New Jersey. Denver was bet so heavily, they closed as 1 point favorites. Denver won by 4, shooting 32 free throws versus only 22 for the home team Nets. In prior reporting widely carried by the national media, RJ Bell of Pregame.com uncovered that big-money bettors won 15 straight lopsidedly bet games refereed by Tim Donaghy during the 2006-2007 season. First, Tim Donaghy was arrested for betting on games and influencing their outcome. Then, there were the allegations of the league handing down directives to officials to stretch out series or makes calls with an agenda. Now, there is evidence that another referee was involved in influencing games along with Donaghy. Facts seem to back the allegations that other refs were involved and that refs have influenced games. All of this with assurances from David Stern that all is well and his referees are above approach. When all of this is taken all together, it certainly doesn't look good for the commissioner.

Rumors and Free Agent Updates - Slow Friday Edition

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:36:34 -0500

The Mavericks reportedly were willing to offer forward Brandon Bass and guard Jerry Stackhouse for Artest. The Kings wanted Josh Howard included in the deal and this seemed to halt all discussion between the 2 teams. Unless the Mavs are willing to give up Howard or the Kings get desperate (not likely) to settle for less, a deal is not likely to get done. Today is the deadline for the Lakers to let Turiaf and the Warriors know of their decision about the restricted free agent. Signs point to the Lakers letting Turiaf go. The Warriors have front loaded his contract and the Lakers currently have 10 players signed to guaranteed contracts for a total of $75.135 million and aren't likely to pay another 4.5 million to bring back a role player off the bench. The Clippers and Warriors are still playing a game of swapping players. The Clippers made the latest move by signing the Warriors' restricted free agent Kelenna Azubuike to an offer sheet Thursday. Azubuike, 24, agreed to a three-year deal, with his option for the third season. The deal is for $9.3 million, with his salary being $2.9 million, $3.1 million and $3.3 million. The Warriors have 7 days to match the offer if they want to keep Azubuike. This adds to the already swapped players of Barron Davis and Corey Maggette. According to the Globe, Tyronn Lue was hoping to join the Celtics before he signed a two-year, $5 million contract with the Bucks. Lue said he was asking the Celtics for $1.8 million a year, but the Celtics were holding firm on their offer of a one-year, $1.2 million (the veteran minimum) offer. Lue said he was disappointed in the Celtics because they wouldn't go the extra $600,000. But from the Celtics point of view, it was a lot more than $600,000. The league picks up a portion of league minimum contracts and since the Celtics are over the luxury tax, that $600,000 would have cost them 1,200,000. Along with Tyronn Lue, the Bucks also signed 30 year old veteran, Malik Allen to a contract on Thursday. Allen endeared himself to coach Scott Skiles during two seasons with the Chicago Bulls and now will be reunited with Skiles in Milwaukee. Allen will fit in a power forward rotation with fourth-year pro Charlie Villanueva and 6-8 rookie Joe Alexander, the eighth overall pick in the June draft. The Jazz have come to terms with their point guard, Deron Williams. Williams signed a 3 year deal with a year option that should be worth around $70 million dollars. Williams had wanted to reach an agreement on a contract extension before he left for USA Basketball training camp in Las Vegas. He is scheduled to leave Sunday for the Vegas and was happy to have the contract negotiations out of the way. Samuel Dalembert became a Canadian citizen and planned to play for the Canadian team in the Olympics, but there has been some controversy along the way. Supposedly, he had alienated his teammates by moving his group into a penthouse in the team's hotel headquarters, and that he had demanded more shots. Dalembert was dismissed from the team by coach Leo Rautins after a disagreement outside the team bus before they left for a game with Korea. Dalembert had this to say: "Now I see why it has been so difficult to get [NBA] guys to play for Canada," he said. "I'm very disappointed. I know how to differentiate business and pleasure. This is children's stuff. I don't throw people under the bus. I don't trash the coach. "But I read stuff that came from 'a source.' I like people to come forward. I heard that I'm a prima donna. Anyone who knows me knows I don't do that. I said I'd do anything to help raise money for Canada. I had one bad game, and I'm not committed? Please." SI speculates that Vince Carter could be the next Net to be changing teams. The Nets already have sent out two of their three stars packing, sending Jason Kidd to the Mavs and Richard Jefferson to the Bucks. Carter could be next to go as New Jersey continues to try to clear up cap space for a possible run at LeBron James in 2010. Carter, 31, has a huge contract (three more years, $49 million), but he is also a seven-time All-Star who averaged 21.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists last season. The Mavericks are the latest team to work out Darius Miles. The Celtics were impressed with his workout for them and now he has also impressed the Mavericks. A member of the Mavericks' camp said that Miles was much better than they had thought and that on a scale of 1-10 he was a solid 8. In recent weeks, Miles has had workouts with the Nets, Celtics, Suns and Mavericks, some of which went as long as 2 hours. Miles is trying to become the first player to return from an injury that was considered to be career-ending by the NBA. If he were to sign a new contract and play in 10 or more games this season, his $9 million salary would go back on Portland's books so, Portland is more than likely hoping his comeback bid fails. For his part, Miles insists that he is 100% and is hoping to catch on with a contender. He is looking for a 1 year minimum contract and with the Celtics missing out on the Posey sweepstakes, the Celtics may consider him a bit more as well. One factor that has to be considered in signing Miles is that he will be suspended for the first 10 games of the season for testing positive for what has been speculated to be a performance enhancing drug. The Pistons haven't been big players in the free agent market as GM Joe Dumars has said that he is looking for a trade rather than to sign a free agent. Speculation is that he will trade one of his veteran starters who have been together almost forever, it seems. They have been very impressed with their young point guard, Rodney Stuckey and either Chauncey Billups or Richard Hamilton will have to be moved if Stuckey is to move into the starting lineup. The word going around is that while the Pistons would probably prefer to part with Billups, the most teams would prefer the younger and cheaper Hamilton. Don't be surprised to see the Pistons shake it up this summer. I am very optimistic about Bill Walker's future as a Celtic. The kid already has the Celtics type attitude and work ethic. Scott Souza is reporting that Walker has been a familiar sight at the Celtics' workout facility. Just over two weeks after he had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee for a torn meniscus, the third knee surgery of his basketball career, Walker was back on the court yesterday firing up a succession of 3-pointers and free throws. Souza reports: Walker looked much bigger in a T-shirt and long shorts (which covered any brace on his knee, though it was apparent he was not wearing any Tony Allen-type contraption) than he did wearing a sport shirt and jeans at his introductory press conference two weeks ago. At first glance, you wouldn't even think it was the same player (the LeBron James comparison suddenly make slightly more sense). A Celtics spokesman confirmed he has been a frequent sight at HealthPoint since his surgery. Walker seems determined to come back from this surgery just as he did from the previous two, although the first 2 were much more serious. He also seems very determined to make a difference for the Celtics this season. Unlike JR Giddens, the Celtics first round pick who left Boston when he couldn't come to terms on a contract, Walker has stayed in town and has been working out with the Celtics trainers and coaches. I like this kid and hope Danny keeps him around this season. He may just be the steal of the draft.

The System Makes a Difference

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:50:35 -0500

We have seen many instances of this over the years. Robert Parish was considered a troublemaker in Golden State they felt that he would never be a good center and couldn't wait to trade him so that they could draft Joe Barry Carroll, and yet became a Hall of Fame player in Boston. Dennis Johnson was considered a malcontent who couldn't run a team and became the glue that held the team together in Boston. Jermaine O'Neal was seen as a bust in Portland and became a dominant player in Indiana. Darko Milicic was a non-entity in Detroit only to become a player in Orlando. Steve Nash languished in Phoenix before breaking out in Dallas. And on and on. There are instances throughout the NBA. A player seems washed up, a troublemaker, a mistake, etc. only to become an All Star on the team they are traded to. Chauncey Billips was a player seen by Rick Pitino as not developing quickly enough. But yet he went to Detroit and developed very quickly. The same can be said of Jermaine O'Neal after he went to Indiana. In most cases, the difference is in the system or the coaching. Some come from a system that doesn't fit their playing style. Or the coach and the player don't get along and so the player is not given playing time or is given a reputation as a malcontent or lazy. Or, sometimes it is just the player maturing and breaking out that coincides with the trade. Sometimes it is the teammates that make a difference in that the chemistry is just right among a group of player or the chemistry doesn't work with others. Sometimes, it is the player and not the system that is the problem. I had hoped that Telfair was one of those players who would blossom when given a fresh chance with a new team, but it didn't work out that way. Telfair may still break out and find a system where he can shine, but it didn't happen in Boston. Rondo came out of a system that didn't play to his strengths at Kentucky. Because of that, he had some adjustments to make when he came to the NBA. In spite of seeming to struggle in the Kentucky system., he came into the NBA and has become a very impressive point guard already with just 2 seasons in the NBA and led the Celtics to their first championship in 22 years. There are also many cases where a coach is fired and the team does a turn around because the coach was not getting through to the players or the coach's system didn't fit his players. This is why we see so many coaching changes in the league. As there are trades and personnel changes on teams many times the coach's system no longer fits the the new players and a change has to be made. After spending a fortune to bring in highly paid players, it is usually the coach who goes and not the players. The Celtics made wholesale changes last season and the system and players fit together surprisingly quickly. The Celtics will have the same starting 5 next season to bring some continuity but the bench will be dramatically different. Their key reserve, James Posey is gone along with PJ Brown, Sam Cassell, Scot Pollard, and possibly Tony Allen and Eddie House. Patrick O'Bryant will be a new face and as the off season wears on, Danny will be adding other new faces to fill the gaps on the bench. Danny needs to carefully select the players who he feels will fit into the system and chemistry of the team. Any player not willing to buy into ubuntu should not be considered. Patrick O'Bryant is another player who may have been the victim of being in the wrong system and with the wrong coach. Don Nelson is notorious for playing his veterans and not liking to play rookies or young players. His system is a run and gun type system and not one very well suited to a back to the basket type defensive player. In his 2 seasons with the Warriors, he played in 40 games and averages 1.7 points, 1.3 rebounds and .4 blocks per game. But, he also spent some time in the D-League and there he started to show some flashes of the promise that the Warriors saw when they made him the 9th pick in the draft. In '06-07 he played in 25 games for the Bakersfield Jam and averaged 12.0 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks in 29.5 minutes per game. In the '07-08 season, he played in 8 games for the Jam and averaged 16.0 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in 36 minutes per game. Those are encouraging statistics. It is possible, with the proper coaching (Clifford Ray) and the right system (the Celtics) and the right teammates to help him develop his work ethic (KG, Perk, Leon Powe), he might just surprise a lot of people this season. There have also been reports of Stephon Marbury possibly coming to the Celtics. He has been called a cancer and a malcontent and has been blamed for a lot of the troubles the Knicks have been through in recent times. But, then again, he was playing in Isiah Thomas' system. It is possible that a change of system, a change of coaches, and a change of teammates may make all the difference in the world to make him a team player. A lot of teams are making big changes this season with both players and coaches, but just because they make coaching changes or bring in a star or several new players, it doesn't mean that they will be greatly improved. It all depends on how the new players fit into the system and how they mesh as a team. The Celtics had perfect chemistry last season and it will remain to be seen how well the new players will mesh with the old and how much they will miss the players who are gone.

Rumors and Free Agent Updates - Celtics Spurned Edition

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:43:40 -0500

The big story is that James Posey, who was one of the most coveted free agents is now off the market. The Hornets were willing to give Posey what he asked for, and that is a 4 year, $25 million contract. The Celtics weren't willing to go that 4th year. Now that Posey is off the market, there may be more signings as the teams who were holding out and hoping to land Posey will now go to plan B and look to make a deal. This does seem to make both Chris Andersen and Janero Pargo a bit more available with their MLE wrapped up in Posey, the most they can offer is the league minimum. At least Posey didn't go to the Lakers. I don't think I could have stomached seeing him hugging Kobe before every game. With Posey off the table, the Celtics may attempt to re-sign one of their own free agents, Tony Allen. Allen's agent, Mike Higgins, said yesterday he expects the Celtics to make his client an offer. The Celtics also have swingmen J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker, both of whom are unsigned and although there were rumors that the Celtics might try to stash Walker overseas for a year, the loss of Posey may give him an opportunity to contribute right away. Ainge said that one player wouldn't replace Posey but rather that he would be replaced by committee and that he didn't have a free agent in mind. "We go to the next options," said Ainge, who might consider adding another big man. "We're not going to sign one player that is going to replace James Posey. We're going to do it in a different way and different fashion. We are going to reallocate our dollars in different ways." That big man may be Chris Andersen, who the Celtics showed interest in earlier. Andersen has been mentioned in rumors that Denver may be interested as well. I would love to have the Birdman in Boston. Bill Ingram of Hoopsworld reported that the Boston Celtics offered James Posey in a sign-and-trade deal to try to land land Billy Ron Artest. I don't know how much I believe that because this same Bill Ingram reported on Monday that Posey would be announcing his signing in 24 hours and was expected to re-sign with the Celtics. On the other hand, Danny made a run at Posey when the Pacers were trying to trade him and may try to get in on the bidding for him now that the Kings seem ready to move him again. The Mavs and Lakers are both making a pitch for him but to get him, it would seem that any team would have to take Kenny Thomas and his contract as well and I don't think the Celtics would want to do that. After weeks of saying that he was deciding between Boston and Phoenix and then skipping out on a physical in Miami on Monday, and going back to saying that it was between Boston and Phoenix, Tyronn Lue signed a one year contract with the Milwaukee Bucks worth between 2 and 2.5 million. The Celtics and Suns were both offering one year minimum contracts and the Bucks obviously were willing to offer more. So, the Celtics lost 2 free agents at the top of their list on the same day. This could get depressing. With their top free agent target off the market, the Suns are looking elsewhere for point guard help. Reports are that they are interested in Sam Cassell, Shaun Livingston and Jason Williams. Williams is good friends with Suns center Shaquille O'Neal and Cassell is a former Sun. The Suns can only offer the league minimum and so are hoping that they will find a player willing to sign for the minimum. Not only have the Celtics not been able to land their free agent targets, they haven't been able to reach an agreement with their first round draft pick, JR Giddens. As a few more of the remaining first-round picks signed their three-year guaranteed deals yesterday, which for the most part are based on their draft position, J.R. Giddens remained unsigned with no resolution of the situation in sight. Danny Ainge said that they haven't had any conversations and that the Celtics are concentrating on other things right now like letting James Posey get away. Giddens has the same agent as Posey and House. He was also Mark Blount's agent. I really am getting to dislike this guy. On the day that they lost James Posey to New Orleans, the Celtics made the signing of Patrick O'Bryant official. O'Bryant, a 7'0", 249lbs center, has appeared in 40 career games for the Golden State Warriors posting averages of 1.7 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. O'Bryant is scheduled to meet the Boston media in Waltham on Thursday morning at The Sports Authority Training Center at HealthPoint at 11:30 a.m. One team that was hoping to land Posey made a move on Wednesday as the Cavs signed Daniel Gibson to a 5 year deal. With Gibson safely in the fold, the Cavs will turn their attention to trying to re-sign Delonte West and they hope to come to an agreement with him soon as well. Delonte is a restricted free agent so the Cavs could match any offer he might get from another team. The Raptors made another move as they announced Wednesday they have signed guard Roko Ukic to a three-year contract. Ukic was a second-round selection (41st overall) by the Raptors in the 2005 NBA Draft. Ukic, 6-foot-5, 210 pounds, played in Italy last season with Lottomatica Virtus Roma. He averaged career highs of 11.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.1 steals in 19 Euroleague contests. The Star Tribune reports that the Timberwolves have agreed to terms with restricted free agent Craig Smith. The Wolves have not yet signed restricted free agents Ryan Gomes and several teams have been pursuing Gomes. Teams such as Cleveland could intensify their pursuit now that Boston free agent James Posey has signed with New Orleans. Gomes' agent likely is eyeing the full mid-level exception of $5.6 million for next season. If Gomes signs with another team, the Wolves have seven days to match the offer or let Gomes go. Many Celtics fans have hopes of seeing Gomes in Celtics green again but it is doubtful that Danny will offer the full MLE to get him. The Rocky Mountain News is reporting that Marcus Camby was blindsided, distraught, disrespected and insulted by the trade that sent him from the Nuggets to the Clippers for a second round draft pick. The Nuggets are considering Chris Anderson as a replacement for Camby. Bull's restricted free agent Luol Deng's options are limited after the Clippers' trade for Marcus Camby. The Clippers with their cap space were considered a possibility for Deng, but Camby's salary will use up a large portion of that space. Only the Grizzlies have conserable cap space but are in cost cutting mode and are unlikely to look to sign a free agent for big bucks. This leaves three options for Deng: hit on a long-term extension with the Bulls, sign a one-year tender offer and become an unrestricted free agent in 2009, or convince the Bulls to execute a sign-and-trade. It was reported at the time that the hold up on a Kobe or a KG trade was the fact that the Bulls did not want to include Deng. If they can't come to an agreement, they may have passed up two big opportunities for nothing. According to a source close to Dallas, the Mavericks offered 14th year swingman Jerry Stackhouse and fourth-year forward Brandon Bass for Kings small forward Ron Artest. The Kings are not expected to entertain the offer if it doesn't include Dallas small forward Josh Howard, but the inquiry certainly reveals the level of the Mavs' interest. According to the source, Howard does not appear to be available.

Moving Past Posey... Who's Left?

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 22:50:42 -0500

Now that James Posey has made his decision and moved on to the Hornets, the Celtics need to make a move to fill their bench once again. At this point last season, everyone was talking about the Celtics weak bench and the need to fill the back up positions and we are back in the very same position this year. We have the starting 5 in place and if anything, they should be better than last season with both Perk and Rondo having another season of experience under their belts. Ray Allen came into last season after having double ankle surgery in the offseason and he should start out much stronger than he did last season. They have 2 promising rookies who are both known for their athleticism and defense. They also have Big Baby Davis, Leon Powe, and Gabe Pruitt who will all be another year better. They just signed Patrick O'Bryant to back up Perk in the center and he has a lot of potential but is also a question mark at this point. So, who is left out there to fill the blanks at the wing positions off the bench? Tony Allen 6'4" 26 years old 6.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.5 apg, 18.4 mpg The most obvious would be to resign Tony Allen on a 2 year league minimum contract. He didn't make a great impression on the league last season so I don't imagine he will be offered much more than that by another team. He's a potent slasher who can get to the rim thanks to a quick first step, and he's a thunderous finisher in transition. Like Posey, Tony excels on the defensive end of the court. Tony's athleticism makes him a very strong defender. The Celtics can re-sign him without using the MLE by using his Bird rights or a minimum contract. Matt Barnes 6'7" 28 years old Matt Barnes might be the free agent with the closest skill set to what the Celtics lost in James Posey. He is a hustle defender who can guard the 2, 3 or 4 and he can also hit big shots. His shooting draws big men away from the basket in the half court, and he handles the ball well enough to be a point forward at times. His toughness is valuable and his activity in the passing lanes makes him a threat to steal the ball. I think Danny can get him for a portion of the MLE just as he did Posey last season. Barnes would be my first choice along with a combination of Tony Allen and another player or two. Eddie House 6'1" 30 years old 7.5 ppg, 1.9 apg, .8 spg House wants to come back to Boston, but he wants more than the 1.5 million he got last year along with a longer contract than one year. House knows the system, played well last season and bought into ubuntu, never complaining when his minutes were cut and coming up with big shots in the playoffs. He is instant offense off the bench and can handle the point guard duties effectively. Danny shouldn't overpay for House, but if he can get him back for a reasonable contract, he should go for it. Maurice Evans 6'5" 29 years old 8.9 ppg, 1.1 apg, 3.1 rpg He can hit 3-pointers from the corner and will pull up from 17 off the dribble going to his left, plus he's a good rebounder for his size.Evans is a stay-at-home defender who rarely gambles for steals, but his size can be a negative when he's used at small forward. He's a poor dribbler but is strong and quite athletic. He'll throw down jams on the break but isn't as good in the halfcourt. Jannero Pargo 6'1" 28 years old 8.1 ppg, 2.4 apg, .6 spg With the signing of Posey, Pargo may have become more expendable. He hit some big shots in the playoffs for them and may have improved his stock. He has been mentioned as a target by several teams. He's quick and a decent shooter, so he can be very tough to guard when he gets rolling, but he isn't a great ball handler and tends to get called for carrying the ball at least once or twice a game. Defensively, Pargo struggles, which may eliminate him as a target for the Celtics as they built their team around defense last season. His lack of both size and strength makes him easy prey for opposing guards to post up, plus he gambles a too much. His quickness is an asset against fast guards, but on most nights he's a liability. Chris Andersen 6'10" 30 years old 1.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg, .8 bpg Andersen is another player who may have become much more available with the signing of Posey. The Celtics have shown interest in him and he was in Boston for 2 days working out and talking with the Celtics. He should be available for the minimum or slightly above. He can back up the 4 and 5 and can defend the 3, 4 and 5 because of his sizes and athleticism. Stephon Marbury 6'1" 31 years old 13.9 ppg, 4.7 apg, .9 spg Marbury seems to be the odd man out in New York and there are reports that the Knicks will buy out the remainder of his contract. He has mentioned that he would like to play in Boston and KG has mentioned that they had a good relationship in Minny when they played there together. Pierce has mentioned that the Knicks should cut Marbury because he would fit better with a veteran team. Marbury isn't as explosive as he was in his prime, but he still is one of the strongest drivers in the league when going to his right. Marbury has improved his catch-and-shoot game the past couple seasons and his high-arcing 3-point shot has to be respected. Defensively, Marbury has the strength to handle matching up against shooting guards in a small backcourt. He does a reasonable job staying in front of point guards too. Marbury wouldn't do anything to replace Posey, but he could replace Cassell and House. The question with him would be attitude, but with KG on his case, that shouldn't be a problem in Boston. He also may sign for the minimum if NY gives him enough in his buyout. Ricky Davis 6'7", 31 years old 13.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.4 apg Ricky was one of my favorite players when he was in Boston. There were reports of his being a problem, but only after he was gone. Davis is one of the best midrange shooters in the league. He's absolutely deadly from 15 feet off the curl, especially on the left side of the court. He's also a very good passer.Davis locks in when guarding the ball, especially if it's a big-time scorer, but away from the play he tends to lose focus, not to mention his man. I doubt Danny would go for RickyD part 2, but he is an option and wouldn't be a bad one either. Quentin Ross 6'6" 27 years old 4.1 ppg, 1.2 apg, 43% 3P% Ross was all but useless offensively in his first two pro seasons, relying solely on his defensive skills to earn his playing time. But he has become more of an offensive threat, shooting 43% from beyond the arc last season. Ross' outstanding agility makes him one of the league's best defensive stoppers. He's not quite in the elite category because of physical limitations -- he's 6-6 so some bigger players can shoot over him, and at 193 pounds he's not as good in post defense as he is on the perimeter. However, he's great at staying in front of people and manages to be a pest at the same time -- he ranked in the top 20 at his position in both blocks and steals per minute. He would very likely sign for the minimum. Trenton Hassell 6'5" 29 years old 2 ppg, 1.3 rpg, .7 apg Hassell is a tough defender who does his best work against taller players. He's a good leaper who gets up to challenge shots even against 6-9 or 6-10 opponents, plus he has good quickness and a stopper's mentality. He never gambles -- he had the worst rate of steals per minute at his position -- but instead relies on his ability to challenge shots. Offensively, he is a liability. He can make the midrange shot when open, but shouldn't be counted on to make the big shots that Posey did. But, he would fill the hole left on defense that Posey's departure leaves. Bonzi Wells 6'5" 31 years old 9.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.3 apg One of the strongest guards in the league, Wells is nominally a shooting guard but prefers to play around the basket. He's tough to guard on the blocks, where he likes to shoot a high-arcing turn around jumpers. He is a very good rebounder and his rebound rate ranked first among all guards two seasons ago. He's not a good long-range shooter, however, shooting only 33% from beyond the arc for his career. Defensively, Wells has great anticipation that helps him to a very high steals rate. But he's also 31 and has had multiple knee surgeries, so beating him off the dribble isn't much of a challenge for quicker guards. As a result, Wells rarely guards top scorers and instead looks to intercede off the ball. There are more, but this gives hope that the Celtics can land a few good players who can give them the same qualities on the court that James Posey did. There are restricted free agents such as Josh Smith and Josh Childress, and Ryan Gomes who would be a great fit, but they are likely to demand much more than the Celtics are looking to spend and their teams would probably match any offer the Celtics could make. I think there are enough talented players out there that will give the Celtics a bench just as good if not better than last season. Now it is up to Danny to put Plan B into effect and find the right players at the right price.