Category: NBA (Page 294 of 595)

      T-Wolves pick Rambis as new head coach

      August 9, 2009 /

      It appears that the Minnesota Timberwolves’ search for a head coach is finally over.

      Per ESPN…

      Long considered a potential heir apparent to Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson, Rambis was lured away from Jackson’s staff by a four-year deal believed to be worth in excess of $8 million.

      Wolves owner Glen Taylor confirmed ESPN.com’s report in an interview with the St. Paul Pioneer Press late Saturday, telling the newspaper that he expects Rambis to formally sign the contract Monday.

      “Kurt, with his experience playing and coaching for a winning organization and working under people like Pat Riley, will bring a lot to our organization,” Taylor told the Pioneer Press. “In meeting with him and talking to him, I know he’s very excited about having an opportunity to help build his own team.”

      This looks like a good hire by the T-Wolves. Rambis has spent several seasons learning from Phil Jackson, who is one of the very best coaches in the history of the league.

      NBA, News

      Who will have cap space in 2010?

      August 8, 2009 /

      ESPN’s Chad Ford lists nine teams that will have significant cap space next summer. [Insider subscription required.]

      1. Nets ($25-$27 million)
      2. Knicks ($24 million, assuming they don’t sign anyone for longer than a year)
      3. Heat ($20-$22 million)
      4. Timberwolves ($16-$18 million)
      5. Bulls ($13-$15 million minus whatever they give Tyrus Thomas)
      6. Thunder ($14-$15 million)
      7. Rockets ($12-$14 million minus whatever they give to Carl Landry and Chuck Hayes)
      8. Clippers ($10-$11 million)
      9. Kings ($9-$10 million)

      This assumes a cap of $53.6 million, which is an optimistic view. The cap could drop below $50 million.

      It takes about $14 million of space to sign a max-contract player, so even under these optimistic circumstances, there really are only five teams — the Nets, Knicks, Heat, T-Wolves and Thunder — that will have that kind of space. (The Bulls are likely to keep Thomas and the Rockets are likely to retain Landry and Hayes, though they could make another move here or there to put them in position to add a superstar.)

      Of these five teams, the Heat look to be in the best overall shape. Their projected payroll already includes Dwyane Wade, so they have enough to woo another superstar (LeBron, Bosh, Amare, Boozer?) to Miami. They also have a few good young players (Michael Beasley, Daequan Cook and Mario Chalmers) under contract, and the city boasts a great climate and nightlife. But the real draw is playing with Wade, who has already proven that he can win a championship if he has a little help.

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      NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      LeBron James will not sign an extension this summer

      August 7, 2009 /

      It was kind of a pipe dream anyway, but LeBron isn’t going to sign the extension that the Cavs have offered, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

      “I signed a contract in 2006 with an option,” he said. “It would make no sense for me to sign that contract if I didn’t keep my options open. I’ll let you fill in the blanks.”

      James is playing this one the right way. If he re-ups now, then he loses the leverage necessary to keep GM Danny Ferry’s feet to the fire in terms of bringing in some long-term help. Shaquille O’Neal is fine for a year or two, but he’s most definitely a short-term fix.

      The bad news is that with the long-term commitment the team made to Anderson Varejao, the Cavs aren’t projected to have any cap space next summer if they’re lucky enough to re-sign LeBron. It looks like Ferry sees the writing on the wall — with the salary cap likely dropping to $50-$51 million next season, he wasn’t going to have enough money to sign LeBron and another superstar, so he re-signed Varejao to make this year’s Cavs team as good as possible in the hopes that a Finals appearance or a championship would be enough to keep LeBron in Cleveland.

      NBA, News

      Hawks sign Marvin Williams

      August 7, 2009 /

      Per ESPN…

      Williams is expected to sign a five year, $37.5 million contract as early as Friday, according to the source. The deal also has some hard to reach incentives that could boost the value of the contract to $43 million.

      I estimated Williams’s value to be in the $7-$8 million per year range, and it looks like the contract will be worth somewhere in the range of $7.5 million to $8.6 million per season, depending on those incentives.

      Last season, the 23-year-old forward averaged 13.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, and improved his three-point accuracy from 10% to 36% year over year. I think the sense is that Williams is a bit of a disappointment since he was picked #2 overall in 2005 ahead of Chris Paul and Deron Williams, and isn’t on the same level as those guys. But he’s still very young and has improved his PER every year that he’s been in the league. He is also a very solid defender, which is an underrated characteristic in today’s NBA.

      NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      Rashard Lewis suspended 10 games

      August 6, 2009 /

      Lewis has been suspended without pay for 10 games for having an elevated testosterone level.

      “First and foremost I take full responsibility for the situation and accept the corresponding penalty,” Lewis said in a statement released by the league. “Toward the end of the season I took an over-the-counter supplement which at the time I did not realize included a substance banned by the NBA.

      “I apologize to Magic fans, my teammates and this organization for not doing the research that should come with good judgment.”

      Athletes need to stop taking over the counter supplements. It never ends well.

      NBA, News

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