Category: Rumors & Gossip (Page 138 of 225)

      Raptors give fat extension to Bargnani

      July 8, 2009 /

      When I estimated the extensions that the big names from the class of 2006 could potentially sign this summer, I pegged Andrea Bargnani at $7-$8 million per season. It turns out I underestimated his value to the Raptors.

      The deal, according to NBA front-office sources, would span five seasons starting in 2010-11 and earn Bargnani an estimated $50 million.

      Bargnani did go through something of a transformation in his third season, averaging 15.4 points on 45% shooting from the field and 41% from long range. The previous year, he shot 39% from the field and less than 35% from deep, so he made a big jump, efficiency-wise. His PER (14.66) is still below average, mainly due to his suspect rebounding for a seven-footer (5.3 rpg) and lack of assists (1.2 apg).

      The bottom line is that Bargnani will have to continue his career trajectory to earn the contract that the Raptors just awarded him.

      NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      “Birdman” scores a five-year deal

      July 8, 2009 /

      It looks like Chris Andersen is staying in Denver.

      Andersen, who provided shot-blocking, rebounding and energy off the bench for the Nuggets in their run to the Western Conference finals, could make as much as $26 million from the deal, his agent, Mark Bryant, told the newspaper. Andersen could sign the contract as early as Wednesday, when the NBA’s free agent signing period begins.

      Andersen will earn $3.7 million next season from the contract, which is back-loaded and sweetened with performance incentives, Bryant said, according to the report.

      The deal runs five years, which seems pretty long for a 31-year-old that was previously suspended for substance abuse. But Andersen seems to have turned a corner in his life and in his career, and he was a valuable “energy guy” off the Nuggets bench last season.

      NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      NBA announces 2009 salary cap, warns about 2010

      July 8, 2009 /

      The new salary cap figure is out, and it dipped slightly from last season.

      The new figures for 2009-10 just announced by the league have set the salary cap at $57.7 million per team — down $1 million from $58.7 from 2008-09 — and the luxury-tax threshold at $69.9 million.

      More importantly, the league is projecting a much bigger drop (as much as $8 million) heading into the 2010 season.

      The official league memorandum, obtained by ESPN.com, forecasts a dip in basketball-related income in the 2009-10 season of 2.5 percent to 5 percent, which threatens to take the 2010-11 cap down some $5 million to $8 million from last season’s $58.7 million salary cap.

      A significant drop for the luxury-tax threshold is also projected going into the summer of 2010. If basketball-related income drops by 2.5 percent in 2009-10, league officials are projecting a 2010-11 salary cap of $53.6 million and a luxury-tax line of $65 million. If BRI, as it is referred to in the NBA, decreases by five percent, teams would be looking at a $50.4 million salary cap and a luxury-tax line of $61.2 million in 2010-11.

      What does this mean? Well, a team like the New York Knicks, who are projected to have a payroll of about $23 million heading into 2010 would have had about $35 million to spend had the cap stayed at $58 million. That’s plenty of money to sign to superstars. If the cap drops $5-$8 million, it means that they’re projected cap space will be in the $27-$30 million range. That makes signing two “max” players quite tough.

      This is probably good news for teams looking to retain their superstars, since they can go over the cap to re-sign players. If the cap does indeed drop to $50 million, it would increase the chances of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Joe Johnson staying put.

      NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      Bibby staying put?

      July 7, 2009 /

      It would seem so…

      The Atlanta Journal-Consitution first reported Tuesday that Bibby and the Hawks had a three-year agreement for about $18 million, according to sources.

      Falk said Bibby and other free agents have found “the market is extremely conservative this year for free agents, compared to last year.”

      “A number of teams had interest in him … but I think Mike was comfortable in the environment” with the Hawks, Falk said.

      I’m not sure what Falk is talking about when he says that the market is “extremely conservative” after the Pistons invested $19 million per season in Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva and Toronto is doing everything it can to give Hedo Turkoglu the $10 million per season that he’s asking for. Bibby’s market value is about the mid-level and that’s essentially what he signed for.

      It looked like Bibby’s days in Atlanta were numbered when the Hawks traded for Jamal Crawford and drafted Jeff Teague, but Crawford is better off the ball and Teague needs to develop, so it makes sense to keep Bibby around for a couple more years. He played well last season, so hopefully for Hawks fans he can repeat that performance now that he’s not in a contract year.

      It will be interesting to see how this contract affects Andre Miller’s negotiations. Miller is two years older and has been asking for a contract starting around $10 million per season, but I don’t think he’s going to get it. I think his floor is around the mid-level.

      NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      LeBron pledging to stay in Cleveland?

      July 7, 2009 /

      Yes, at least according to a “source” close to Trevor Ariza…

      The Cleveland Cavaliers got some bad news followed by some potentially terrific news on Sunday. In a last-ditch effort to recruit Trevor Ariza away from the Houston Rockets, LeBron James told Ariza he would remain with the Cavaliers past 2010, according to a person close to Ariza.

      Even that wasn’t enough to get Ariza, who verbally committed to join the Rockets last Thursday, to change his mind and go to Cleveland.

      But the Cavaliers will gladly settle for the consolation prize; if indeed James’ statement to Ariza was more than an empty sales pitch.

      “Trevor asked LeBron if he would be in Cleveland after next season,” the source said. “And LeBron said, ‘I’ll be there. Of course, I’ll be there.'”

      When James told Ariza he’d be a Cavalier past next season, Ariza was less than convinced.

      “He thought it was just a recruiting tool,” the source said. “LeBron definitely said it, but until he signs the contract it doesn’t mean much.”

      If James was indeed being sincere in his intentions to re-sign with the Cavs, this is about the best news that the city of Cleveland could get on a Tuesday morning in July. Of course, a lot can happen in a year and he could just be saying this to try to convince a free agent or two to join the Cavs. There’s also the distinct possibility that this “source” is full of it.

      The LeBron Watch continues…

      NBA, Rumors & Gossip

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