Month: July 2009 (Page 42 of 59)

      Okur re-ups

      July 10, 2009 /

      The Utah Jazz have locked up at least one of their big men.

      The Utah Jazz and center Mehmet Okur have agreed in principle to a two-year contract extension worth just under $21 million, according to NBA front-office sources.

      Okur could have been a free agent this summer but elected on June 30 to complete the final season on his current contract with the Jazz at $9 million.

      Sources told ESPN.com that Okur and the Jazz have quickly reached terms to extend the contract by two more seasons at $20.8 million starting in 2010-11.

      I pegged Okur’s value at about $8-$9 million per season, but like most of my estimates, I bought into the idea that teams were going to be more frugal this offseason. Okur is a 6’11” face up center who averaged 17.0 points and 7.7 rebounds this season. He also has terrific range for a big man, nailing almost 45% of his three point attempts. He’s not a factor on help defense, but with his girth he’s pretty good one-on-one in the post.

      Paul Millsap is a restricted free agent, but hasn’t yet signed an offer sheet with another team. Carlos Boozer elected to play one more year in Utah, but there is talk that he may be headed to Chicago as part of a three-team trade involving Kirk Hinrich and Tyrus Thomas. If Utah pulls the trigger, they’d be building around a core of Deron Williams, Ronnie Brewer, Thomas, Millsap and Okur. It doesn’t make much sense to keep both Boozer and Millsap around, as they are very similar players. It seems the Jazz feel that Millsap is the better value, but would like to get something in return for Boozer. Thomas wouldn’t represent equal value, but it’s tough to get equal value these days.

      NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      Brandon Jacobs slams Tony Romo

      July 10, 2009 /

      Brandon Jacobs…not a fan of Tony Romo.

      Brandon Jacobs, the Giants’ bruising running back, ranks among the NFL’s best trash talkers. The Cowboys, particularly Patrick Crayton, are his favorite target.

      And Jacobs took aim at Tony Romo today on ESPN 1050 in New York, per Pro Football Talk.
      “I don’t think he’s that good a passer, to be honest with you,” Jacobs said.

      We could put together a pretty impressive statistical argument in Romo’s favor. But why ruin the fun?

      “I’m not a fan of Tony Romo, no. Keep him in the pocket, he’s not that good. . . . His luck will be gone sooner or later. If you were to keep Tony Romo in the pocket he’s not that effective.”
      We’ll be sure to revisit this subject in September, when the Giants come to town for the first regular-season game at JerryWorld.

      Damn I miss football…

      NFL

      If the Phillies sign Pedro, does it take them out of the Halladay sweepstakes?

      July 10, 2009 /

      There’s an interesting situation developing in Philadelphia, where the Phillies are in serious talks with free agent Pedro Martinez, but have also been linked to Blue Jays’ ace Roy Halladay.

      According to a report by SI.com’s Jon Heyman, the Phillies and Martinez may have already agreed to a $4 million contract, which would be a hefty price for a club that has also been linked to Halladay. If they take on a $4 million contract with Pedro, would the Phils still be willing to pursue Halladay, who’s owed $14.25 million this year and $15.75 million next year?

      My guess would be no, unless Philadelphia has another trade scenario in their back pocket involving another pitcher. A likely candidate would be J.A. Happ, a 26-year old who has pitched incredibly well this season, posting a 5-0 record with a 3.04 ERA and 1.20 WHIP.

      Maybe the Jays would be interested in a package that involved Happ and a couple of minor league prospects. If so, a rotation that included Halladay, Martinez and Cole Hamels would be awfully tough to beat in the second half of the season, although Hamels has struggled a bit this year.

      We’ll see if the Phillies go through with the signing of Martinez and then if they drop out of the Halladay-running soon thereafter.

      MLB

      Boozer headed to Chicago?

      July 9, 2009 /

      There is a possible three-team trade brewing…

      Sources stressed to ESPN.com that no deal was imminent Thursday and that both Portland and Utah are still evaluating multiple trade scenarios. But two sources with knowledge of the three-team proposal confirmed that there have been substantive talks regarding a trade that would land Boozer in Chicago, Hinrich in Portland and Tyrus Thomas in Utah.

      A deal featuring those main components would deliver the elite low-post scorer that the Bulls have been chasing for years in Boozer and furnish Portland with a lead guard in Hinrich that the Blazers are known to rate highly as a potential backcourt mate for Brandon Roy. It’s possible that other players would be added to balance out the transaction from a salary-cap perspective if the three teams elect to take these talks further.

      It’s not clear whom the Blazers would have to give up to land Hinrich, but they have cap space so they have some flexibility with regard to how the salaries match up. For the Bulls, this looks like a decent deal depending on whether or not anyone comes over with Boozer. Hinrich and Thomas for Boozer sounds about right.

      The Jazz would like to move Boozer, but want to get something in return, and in this case that’s the up-and-coming Thomas. He’s more of a face up forward, so his game should compliment Paul Millsap’s pretty well.

      As for the Blazers, they’ve long been rumored to be interested in Hinrich, who can initiate the offense and is a good enough shooter to create space for Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge. More importantly, he’s a pesky defender that can cover the other team’s best guard, allowing Roy to get a breather on defense. The Blazers need a point but they don’t really want to go too young at the position. They need veteran leadership and Hinrich fits the bill.

      NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      Ellis: ‘Ware took himself out of games so I could play.’

      July 9, 2009 /

      Appearing on Michael Irvin’s radio show, former Cowboys linebacker Greg Ellis said that DeMarcus Ware used to hide from coaches in order to help get Ellis onto the field last season.

      According to Ellis, one of his prominent former teammates was so frustrated by the veteran’s diminished role that he’d hide from coaches during games to force them to put Ellis on the field.

      “It’s a disgrace when DeMarcus Ware comes off the field just so I can get in the game and when the coaches tell him to come on the field, he tries to hide so I can play,” Ellis said during an appearance on ESPN 103.3’s Michael Irvin Show. “And you’re telling me we’re trying to win the Super Bowl?”

      Ware, the weak side outside linebacker who threatened the NFL’s season sacks record during his third consecutive Pro Bowl campaign, could not immediately be reached for comment. Ware rarely sat out a defensive snap with the exception of late in the Thanksgiving win over the Seahawks, when he suffered a knee injury.

      Irvin, the Hall of Fame former Cowboys receiver, asked for clarification that Ware would take himself out of games to force the coaches to play Ellis.

      “On his own,” Ellis said. “He would say, ‘G, come on.’ And I would tell him, ‘No, DeMarcus, go ahead, man. You’re coming up on your contract year. Don’t mess that stuff up. Go ahead and do you, and we’re just going to do what the coaches, or whoever the powers that be, what they want to do.'”

      Riiiight. I’m not saying this didn’t happen because it’s a little too bizarre for Ellis to make up, but he’s his comments are rather unclear. Did this happen several times throughout the course of the season? Did it happen once a game? Twice a game? Or did this just happen once throughout the entire 16-game schedule? Because if it was only once, then this isn’t a big deal at all.

      Either way, Ellis isn’t helping his buddy score a new contract here. Ware is the midst of trying to get a new contract from the Cowboys and Ellis doesn’t really help him out by saying that Ware used to hide from coaches on the sidelines when they wanted him to go in.

      What a weird story.

      NFL

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