Category: Rumors & Gossip (Page 91 of 225)

T-Mac says he’ll be an All-Star next season

Here’s what he told the NY Times

There’s no question I will be an All-Star,” McGrady said. “Not right now, but next year when I come into the season, I will be an All-Star-caliber player, there’s no question.”

He added, for emphasis, “I will be myself next year.”

All right, so he said he’d be an All-Star caliber player, and that’s different than saying he’ll actually make the All-Star game, but still.

I admire the guy’s confidence and optimism, but I think McGrady’s All-Star days are behind him. Who knows…maybe he’ll prove his doubters wrong.


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Toronto writer says Bosh is dogging it

Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star thinks Chris Bosh may be saving himself for this summer’s free agency period.

This spoke to a larger and troubling trend. Bosh is averaging 6.2 free-throw attempts per game in March, this when he was getting to the line more than 10 times a game in October. There are enthusiasts of teen abstinence with less aversion to body contact. One can’t help but conclude that the impending free agent is saving himself for (another) marriage.

“They’re crowding the lane a lot more,” Bosh said, explaining himself. But anyone who watches can tell you the defences haven’t changed, Bosh’s approach has.

Perhaps he is opting for jump shots to limit his risk of injury with a $130 million (all figures U.S.) payday looming in July. But don’t the Raptors, desperate to make the playoffs, deserve honest effort for the $15.8 million they are paying him this season? Perhaps he doesn’t want to continue to expose the startling lack of explosiveness he’s been showing in his rare sorties to the goal, what with the health of his brace-sheathed knees.

Wow, tell us how you really feel, Dave.

Here’s a look at Bosh’s production by month:

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“60 Minutes” interview with new Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov

Maybe the most interesting thing about the piece is that, due to a controversy in France where he flew in several models to entertain his friends, Prokhorov was “encouraged” to sell his part of a lucrative metals company…right before the global financial meltdown. The timing turned out to be perfect…

I’m really interested to see what kind of ownership style he brings to the NBA.

Bosh (kind of) discusses summer plans

Chris Bosh answered questions from the South Florida Sun Sentinel about the chances that he lands in Miami this this summer.

He knows Wade “a little bit, not a lot,” he said. So scratch the friendship angle.

“It’s nice here, but there are a lot of nice places,” he said. So scratch the South Florida angle.

“Winning,” Bosh said when asked what his decision will hinge on. “I’m fortunate enough to have enough money. After seven years in the league, I want to play on a contender.”

The Miami Herald has more about how well Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh know each other.

“I know Dwyane a little bit, not a lot,” Bosh said. “We haven’t spent that much time outside of USA Basketball. People always are going to look for some kind of connection. That’s understandable. People are going to try to make things up. There is always going to be speculation. So I’ll let everybody write their stories and keep going about my business.”

Bosh also said that he expected it to take a while for the big names to make up their minds.

`I think it’s going to drag out for a while,” Bosh said before Sunday’s game against the Heat. “There are so many possibilities and scenarios, with guys staying with their own teams and trying to get other guys [to sign].

“You have to look at combinations and possibilities of what could happen. So I don’t expect it to be over too quickly.”

First off, this sure sounds like a guy who’s leaving town, doesn’t it?

There’s still a feeling that Toronto could swing a sign-and-trade for Bosh, so that he can sign for an extra season and more money, but that would require enough in the way of assets to get Toronto to bite. Why would Bosh bother to agree to such a scenario when it would only fleece his new team of their draft picks and/or young players? That would hurt his new team’s championship chances, correct?

The only scenario I can see at the moment is the Lakers. If Bosh wants to play in L.A. with Kobe, the Lakers could send Andrew Bynum to Toronto in return. However, Bynum’s long history of injury is only getting longer.

I still stand by my prediction that Bosh is going to walk and the Raptors will get nothing in return.


Photo from fOTOGLIF

Bucks to benefit even more from Salmons trade

Admittedly, I wasn’t a big believer in Milwaukee’s decision to trade for John Salmons, but after his terrific play has ignited the Bucks’ recent run — 16-4 since the trade, with Salmons leading the teams in scoring 10 times — it doesn’t bother me that the Bulls will have enough cap space this summer to sign a max free agent. Salmons’ positive impact already outweighs whatever might happen this summer.

I’ve been keeping an eye on the aforementioned Bulls, because as a throw-in to the Salmons trade, the Bucks have the right to swap picks if Chicago picks outside of the top 10. The Bulls have won two straight, and are now sitting at 35-38, just a half game back of the Raptors for the #8 spot in the East. More importantly for the Bucks, Chicago is sitting in the #12 spot in terms of the draft, and outside of the Hornets (34-40), no one is going to slip past them.

What does this mean? Well, barring a complete meltdown by the Bulls, the Bucks will be able to swap picks, meaning that they’ll move up from their current position (#18) into the #11-#15 range. Per the mock draft at DraftExpress, that’s the difference between Baylor’s Ekpe Udoh and Marshall’s Hassan Whiteside.

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