Month: June 2009 (Page 3 of 58)

      Broncos to stand firm, keep Brandon Marshall

      June 30, 2009 /

      Roughly two weeks ago, wide receiver Brandon Marshall asked Broncos’ owner Pat Bowlen in a private meeting to be traded. A few days later, Marshall’s agent said that Denver would abide by the receiver’s wishes and do everything they could to deal him.

      Turns out the agent was wrong.

      According to a report by ESPN.com, the Broncos are standing firm on not trading the disgruntled Marshall, even though that might mean him skipping training camp next month and sitting out the first month or so of the regular season.

      After the Jay Cutler fiasco, the Broncos don’t want to set a precedent for allowing players to bolt just because they don’t like their contract, their role with the team, or the stadium’s hot dogs. They learned their lesson with Cutler and aren’t about to allow Marshall to throw a temper tantrum and get away with it.

      Of course, that doesn’t mean that Denver’s stance won’t backfire. Marshall is extremely upset with the way the team’s doctors treated his hip injury and doesn’t want them handling his rehab. He’s also furious about his contract situation, as he’s in the final year of his rookie deal that’s paying him roughly minimum wage in terms of NFL money.

      Somebody will have to cave for this situation to get resolved. If Marshall loves football and doesn’t want to miss any games, then he’ll show up at some point this summer. But if he cares more about the money, then he might force the Broncos into making a decision about whether or not to trade him so they could get compensation for when he bolts at the end of the year via free agency.

      NFL

      Is Yao Ming’s career over?

      June 29, 2009 /

      Let’s hope not, but according to the Rockets’ team physician, it’s a possibility.

      “At this point, the injury has the potential for him missing this next season and could be career threatening,” team physician Tom Clanton said, according to the Houston Chronicle. “One of the things we are trying to get is a consensus opinion on that, to make certain there is no option we are overlooking that would provide an earlier return or would be an option for treatment that he would prefer rather than doing additional surgery.”

      While Yao could face surgery to insert a pin in the foot, a bone graft or even realignment of the foot, but the team is trying immobilization for right now. They are hoping that the fracture heals on its own.

      “He has no tenderness, no swelling, no redness,” Clanton said, according to the Chronicle. “When he came back in, he was feeling like everything was perfect, and he would start rehabilitation and get ready to play. The findings on the CT were shocking for him and for us.”

      This is obviously a huge blow to the franchise. Yao was expected to miss 8-12 weeks, but the CT revealed that his foot was not healing properly.

      Injuries have derailed an otherwise stellar career. Yao missed just two games in his first three seasons, but since then, he has only appeared in 72% of his team’s regular season games.

      NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      Goodell to come down hard on Vick and Burress

      June 29, 2009 /

      According to a report by Yahoo Sports, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is contemplating suspending free agent wide receiver Plaxico Burress indefinitely. The article also states that Michael Vick’s indefinite suspension could continue.

      NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is leaning toward indefinitely suspending former New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress(notes) and continuing to sideline quarterback Michael Vick(notes), three sources with knowledge of the situations have indicated. Such moves would be the latest examples of Goodell’s tough stance on players embroiled in off-field issues as evidenced with the suspension of Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte’ Stallworth(notes) earlier this month.

      Stallworth has been ruled out indefinitely by the league after pleading guilty to DUI manslaughter in the death of a Miami man in March. Stallworth was sentenced to 30 days in jail, two years of house arrest and reached a financial settlement with the family of the late Mario Reyes.

      According to a source with the Giants, the league and another that’s close to Vick, Goodell figures to take a similar stance with the quarterback and Burress. Vick, a former starter for the Atlanta Falcons, is scheduled to be released from federal confinement on July 20 after serving 20 months for his part in a dog-fighting ring. A source indicated there was a reasonable likelihood that Vick, suspended indefinitely by the league in August 2007, will not be allowed to play this season and certainly not be with a team in training camp.

      Goodell has said multiple times that he wants to see Vick show remorse for his actions. That means Vick may have to follow a strict path of behavior before he’s allowed to return.

      “[Vick] is not just walking out one day and playing again,” the source close to Vick said. “I don’t know if he understands that yet, but that’s what it looks like right now if you really pay attention. … Yeah, he served his time, but he has to prove himself. When the commissioner talks about wanting to see remorse, he’s not kidding.”

      In regards to Vick, what some people seem to forget is that he lied to Goodell about his involvement in what happened on Moonlight Road. It’s not only that Vick fought dogs and went to jail for two years, embarrassing the league, the Falcons and everyone else involved, but he also lied to Goodell’s face during a meeting roughly around the time of the 2006 draft and said he had nothing to do with what was going on at that house. So Vick has a couple things working against him as he tries to get back onto the field.

      Regardless, whether you agree with the harsh penalties or not, if you’re a fan of the NFL you have to appreciate how Goodell doesn’t hand out any slaps on the wrist. If a player messes up, Goodell will see that he pays for it.

      NFL

      Bucks let Charlie Villanueva go

      June 29, 2009 /

      Unless the guy is a major disappointment, a team will usually extend the qualifying offer required to make a player a restricted free agent. In the last year of their rookie contract, players are generally still affordable, so average to decent players usually end up as RFAs for a year before hitting unrestricted free agency the following summer.

      I told you all of that to tell you this — the Bucks elected not to make the qualifying offer of $4.6 million to perimeter-oriented power forward Charlie Villanueva, who averaged 16.2 points and 6.7 rebounds last season. In 47 games as a starter, he averaged 17.7 points and 7.3 rebounds. He can now sign with any team he likes and the Bucks will receive no compensation. I expect that he’ll garner at least a mid-level deal on the open market. His defense is definitely suspect, but he’s young (24) and can really put the ball in the hole.

      I sure hope that general manager John Hammond explored all of his options before making this decision. It seems like Villanueva holds enough value to pry a first round pick or a prospect away from a contender (how about a J.J. Hickson-for-Villanueva swap with Cleveland?), but this decision, coupled with the Richard Jefferson giveaway last week indicate that the Bucks are in serious cost cutting mode.

      The good news is that, with the move, Milwaukee should be better able to match offers for Ramon Sessions, who is a TSR fave.

      NBA, NBA Draft, News, Rumors & Gossip

      2009 NBA Free Agency Preview: The top restricted free agents

      June 29, 2009 /

      Yesterday, I ranked the top unrestricted free agents of 2009, but now it’s time to look at this summer’s crop of restricted free agents (RFA). Teams can sign an RFA to an offer sheet, then his team has seven days to match that offer to retain him. If the player doesn’t sign an offer sheet and can’t come to terms on a new contract with his current team, then he will play for a year for the qualifying offer and then become an unrestricted free agent the following summer.

      For each player, I’ll provide his position, age, Player Efficiency Rating (PER) and an estimate of what kind of contract he’s likely to sign. They’re ranked in order of total value, which is based on overall talent, age, injury history and cost.

      1. Paul Millsap, PF (24)
      PER: 18.71
      In his third year, this former second round pick had the best season of his career. He averaged 13.5 points and 8.6 rebounds, while shooting better than 53% from the field. While Carlos Boozer was out in December and January, the Jazz got a preview of what this kid can do when he gets starter’s minutes. He was a 17/11 guy during those two months, but the Jazz only went 11-13 in games in which Millsap played during that span. His camp expects a deal similar to the one David Lee is asking for, so something in the $10 million per season range. Is he worth it? Probably. And from the sound of it, the Jazz plan on offering him a deal that will keep him from testing the market. If he does explore his options, it may pay off as the Thunder and Pistons are rumored to have interest.
      Value: $9.5 – $10.5 million per year

      2. David Lee, PF (26)
      PER: 19.07
      GM Donnie Walsh said that the Knicks’ picking Jordan Hill in this year’s draft has nothing to do with Lee, but the two play the same position, so of course it’s going to have an effect on how the Knicks and Lee each view their relationship. The other issue is that two of the Knicks’ targets in 2010 are Chris Bosh and Amare Stoudemire might also play the same position as Lee, though Mike D’Antoni would likely play either at center, allowing Lee to play power forward. He gets most of his points off the glass, so he’d be a good fit with either of those guys. The Knicks are projected to have about $35 million in cap space heading into the summer of 2010 and whatever deal they sign Lee to will cut into that. If they want to keep Lee and sign two big-name free agents, then they’re going to have to rid themselves of either Jared Jeffries or Eddy Curry prior to 2010. I like Lee, but he’s not a guy that you can give the ball to on the block and expect him to score, and that limits his value somewhat as a big man. The Thunder, Kings, Grizzlies, Raptors and Pistons could all make a serious run at Lee, though anytime a team tries to poach a restricted free agent, it’s a delicate balance between offering him enough to convince the other team to let him go, while getting a reasonable deal at the same time.
      Value: $9.0 – $10.0 million per year.

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      NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

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