Category: NBA (Page 250 of 595)

      Bosh to Houston?

      January 8, 2010 /

      There has been some Bosh to Chicago talk in recent days, and now Marc Stein says the Rockets are very interested in acquiring Toronto’s big man, even if they have no assurances that he’ll re-sign next summer.

      What we did hear, though, is that the Houston Rockets have made it known that they would be willing to trade for Bosh immediately … even if they don’t get a guarantee they can re-sign him this summer.

      Sources say the ever-aggressive Rockets are sure a half-season in Houston could convince the native Texan to pledge his long-term future to a city players love as well as a team that sits four games over .500 without the injured Yao Ming and the exiled Tracy McGrady.

      This season’s success without marquee names also suggests that the Rockets have the requisite stash of assets — depending on whom they’re willing to surrender from a group that includes Aaron Brooks, Carl Landry, Trevor Ariza and Luis Scola — to assemble a legit deal for Toronto to consider. It’s likewise believed that Houston can put a decent package together without insisting that McGrady’s mammoth $22.5 million salary has to be part of it, which complicates matters even though it’s an expiring deal because so many more players have to be included to make the trade math work.

      You figure Chicago, Miami and New York also are on the short list of teams that would be willing to risk trading for Bosh before we get to the summer. Those are the teams thought to have the best shot at signing him in free agency and could inherit Bosh’s Larry Bird rights with a deal before the deadline. None of them, though, can offer a better talent deal than Houston. The Heat and Knicks — with their heavily stripped-down rosters as the countdown continues to July 1 — can’t come close.

      From a talent standpoint, I’m not so sure that Houston has the edge. They do have a number of good young pieces, but Miami’s Michael Beasley and the Knicks’ Danilo Gallinari would seem to have more upside than any of the Rockets mentioned. The Rockets do have more young talent overall than the Knicks or the Heat, so maybe they’ll be able to put a package together that will appeal to the Raptors. I’m sure Toronto would rather trade Bosh out of the Eastern Conference if possible.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, Rumors & Gossip

      Andre Miller is not happy in Portland

      January 8, 2010 /

      An argument between Andre Miller and head coach Nate McMillan to close practice is further proof that the (ill-conceived) marriage just isn’t working out (OregonLive.com).

      The louder parts of the exchange, which intermittently featured raised voices and expletives from both sides, were audible through a closed door where media were waiting to enter the practice court.

      He has mildly complained about the team’s “methodical” playing style, and more than hinted that McMillan is a “controlling” coach that stifles free play. He also has slipped into interviews he is confused about his role, which has twice alternated between reserve and starter, and recently has expressed bewilderment over a growing trend of playing little, if any, in the fourth quarter.

      Brandon Roy is the Blazers’ star, and he does most of the ball handling in crunch time. He needs to play alongside a point guard who can space the court with good shooting. Moreover, the Blazers continue to play at the slowest pace in the league, so why they would want to sign a point guard that wants to push the ball and can’t shoot it from deep is beyond me. This signing didn’t make much sense last summer and it makes even less sense now.

      Miller was Portland’s Plan C (or D or E, who knows) after attempts to acquire Paul Millsap and Hedo Turkoglu fell through. Some suggested that management didn’t want the cap space to go to waste, so they acquired Miller figuring that they’d be able to move him for another asset later in the season. That may very well happen.

      Miller is signed for two more seasons at the tune of $15 million, but the final year of his deal is not guaranteed, so his contract shouldn’t be too hard to move. The Knicks and Heat jump out as good fits, but neither team is likely to squander its cap space next summer for a 33-year-old point guard.

      Maybe he won’t be so easy to move after all…

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      TMZ: Police say Arenas/Crittenton standoff caught on tape

      January 7, 2010 /

      Sources have told TMZ that the Gilbert Arenas/Javaris Crittenton incident may have been caught on tape.

      We’re told the Washington Wizards have told D.C. cops they have locker room surveillance video but are having trouble downloading it. The Geek Squad — aka computer-savvy detectives — are going to the Wizards organization today to help.

      And get this — a source connected with the investigation tells TMZ the Wizards have been “over cooperative” with cops — as the source says, “almost as if they want Arenas to go down.”

      Why would the Wizards want to go down? Hmm. Maybe it’s the four years and $80 million remaining on his contract. If he gets into serious trouble with the law, the Wizards may be able to void his contract.

      Arenas’ contract would be nullified if convicted of a felony. Instead of having a team salary of $79 million, the Wizards would sit at a far more manageable $62 million, with their largest, long-term obligation magically off the books.

      Making matters worse (or maybe better, from the Wizards perspective), Arenas did not have a license for the guns (TMZ).

      SI.com has more on the possibility of voiding his contract.

      The NBA’s collective bargaining agreement clearly states that a contract can be voided if a player “at any time, fails, refuses, or neglects to conform his personal conduct to standards of good citizenship, good moral character (defined here to mean not engaging in acts of moral turpitude, whether or not such acts would constitute a crime), and good sportsmanship …” It could be argued that any criminal charges leveled against Arenas would constitute a failure in personal conduct.

      I’m a little torn on this issue. Part of me would like to see the Wizards suffer for signing a player coming off of an injury to such a bloated contract. But given his lack of remorse, Arenas should pay for what he did, and if that means the franchise can erase his deal from the books, then so be it.

      I like the guy’s quirkiness, but this is ridiculous.

      NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      Joe Johnson to the Nets? Not so fast.

      January 7, 2010 /

      First things first: Joe Johnson will become a free agent this summer and there’s a decent chance he’ll re-sign with the Hawks.

      But he was asked (in an interview with FanHouse) about joining the Nets, and this is what he had to say:

      The Atlanta star guard, bound to be a free agent next summer, was asked in an interview with FanHouse before Wednesday’s game against New Jersey if it would be more difficult to sign with a team like the 3-32 Nets due to their record. Johnson agreed it would.

      “It matters, man,” Johnson said before facing a New Jersey outfit that will have more than $20 million of salary-cap room next summer. “It matters. A lot comes into play. Nobody wants to go to a tough team. But you’ve got to keep everybody in consideration.”

      Johnson might be the forgotten man in a 2010 free agent class that features bigger names like LeBron, D-Wade, Bosh and Amare. While he hasn’t said that he’s leaving Atlanta, he’s talking openly about potentially signing elsewhere, so he may very well be on the move.

      As for the Nets, he’d be a great fit with Devin Harris and Brook Lopez. But all stars of his caliber want to contend, and the Nets are struggling now more than they probably should. Ideally, he’d like to be the missing piece to a team that would contend for a championship, not just make the postseason.

      Of course, a lot can change over the next few months. The Nets could start playing .500 ball or they could end up with the #1 pick in the draft and the rights to John Wall. That would change everything.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NBA, NBA Draft

      Charles Barkley is scared of an Alabama victory

      January 7, 2010 /

      Charles Barkley is an Auburn alum, so he isn’t too keen on the Crimson Tide winning tonight…

      “I always tell people the three saddest days of my life were the day Elvis died, the day JFK died and the day Alabama fired Mike Shula. This could be the longest year of our lives if they win. They are the worst winners in the history of civilization.”

      — Charles Barkley, via al.com

      Barkley goes on to predict a three-point victory for the Longhorns.

      The photo is from a SI collection of iconic 76ers photos. Check out the entire collection here.

      College Football, NBA

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