Celtics qualifying offer to Glen Davis
June 30, 2009
Danny Ainge, the President of Basketball Operations for the Boston Celtics, told the Boston Globe Monday the team will make a qualifying offer to forward Glen “Big Baby” Davis.
If another NBA team were to sign Davis, a restricted free agent, to an offer sheet, Boston would have seven days to match it.
Davis, whose annual salary is $711,517, increased his value with strong performances late in the regular season and playoffs, replacing the injured Kevin Garnett(notes) in the starting lineup, the Globe reported. Davis averaged 15.8 points and 5.6 rebounds in the postseason, and hit a game-winning jumper at the buzzer in Game 4 of the second-round series against Orlando.
Also, guard Eddie House(notes) will decide today on whether to accept his $2.86 million option for next season or become a free agent, according to agent Mark Bartelstein.
According to the Globe, free agent guard Stephon Marbury(notes) said he would like to re-sign with the Celtics if he is offered a fair deal. Marbury will be an unrestricted free agent beginning tomorrow and is excited about the possibility of making a title run again next season.
Celtics coach Doc Rivers has said he hopes Marbury will be back.
Source: Boston.com
Knicks interested to sign Jason Kidd
June 30, 2009
The New York Daily News reports representatives of the New York Knicks will meet Wednesday with free agent and former Dallas Mavericks’ guard Jason Kidd(notes).
A league source told the Daily News Monday night that Kidd is scheduled to sit down with Knicks president Donnie Walsh and head coach Mike D’Antoni early Wednesday. Kidd said in January that he would strongly consider signing with the Knicks.
Kidd, who helped the Nets reach back-to-back NBA Finals before being traded to Dallas two years ago, is giving the Mavericks the first chance to re-sign him. The future Hall of Fame point guard will speak with Dallas officials before he talks to the Knicks. It is believed that Kidd also will talk to the Portland Trail Blazers, according to the Daily News.
The Knicks could sign Kidd to the mid-level exception or try to negotiate a sign-and-trade with Dallas. Since the Mavs traded Devin Harris(notes) two seasons ago for Kidd, Dallas figures to make a strong push to re-sign Kidd or at least get compensation for having mortgaged its future.
Source: New York Daily News
Hawks making roster moves
June 30, 2009
With the NBA free agency period only two days away, a blurb from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has Mike Bibby(notes) leaving the Atlanta Hawks and Josh Smith(notes) named as the latest player being sent to the Phoenix Suns for Amare Stoudemire.
The report also indicated the Hawks will add Jamal Crawford(notes) and Jeff Teague(notes).
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Rasheed Wallace to Mavs?
June 30, 2009
Reports indicate Detroit Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace(notes) was in Dallas over the weekend partying at the Ritz, according to Dallasbasketball.com.
However, the web site was not certain the visit to Texas had anything to do with joining the Mavericks.
The Mavs may also have to cross Raymond Felton(notes) off their wish list, according to Dallasbasketball.com.
Charlotte Bobcats executive Michael Jordan said “I don’t see any situation where he’s not with us. “I anticipate us keeping Raymond Felton, without a doubt.”
Source: Dallasbasketball.com
Kupchak making moves to sign key players
June 30, 2009
Trevor Ariza, Lamar Odom and Shannon Brown want to return to the Los Angeles Lakers. According to the Los Angeles Daily News, the Lakers want them back, too. General manager Mitch Kupchak and coach Phil Jackson each said the journey to a second consecutive league title begins by re-signing the three unrestricted free agents.
Kupchak made two moves toward retaining the services of Ariza, Odom and Brown when he traded two of the Lakers’ three draft picks for cash and future selections. He didn’t want to add players or their salaries to the roster, according to the Daily News.
The Daily News reports money will be an issue. At midnight Eastern time, Kupchak can begin negotiations with agents for the players. It’s also when general managers for 29 other teams can begin pursuing Ariza, Odom and Brown in hopes ofluring away three valuable members of the Lakers’ 2008-09 championship team.
Kupchak made it clear he doesn’t have blank checks to hand out, and issues such as the salary cap and luxury tax could mean he won’t be able to afford to re-sign them. He also doesn’t know how high other teams might go in order to sign them.
Odom and Brown. It means the talks might go quickly, with the players agreeing to new deals within a matter of minutes or hours. Negotiations between teams and restricted free agents tend to take longer.
Compounding matters is Kobe Bryant’s(notes) right to terminate his contract by 9 p.m. today and join Ariza, Odom and Brown as a free agent. Bryant indicated he intends to stay put until his contract expires after the 2010-11 season, however
Source: Los Angeles Daily News
Sixers to target Andre Miller in the free agency
June 30, 2009
The Philadelphia 76ers don’t have to do much thinking when it comes to where to begin when the free agency period Wednesday. For the Sixers, it all begins with point guard Andre Miller(notes), the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
“He’s the main free agent, an important free agent,” said Sixers president and general manager Ed Stefanski. “Neither of us is going to be at each other’s doorstep at 12:01 a.m., but we will talk on July 1. There’s no doubt.”
After Miller, Stefanski will fill the remaining gaps to form the 2009-2010 roster.
Wednesday is when the Sixers are allowed to contact Miller, an unrestricted free agent, to begin discussions about what it might take – how much money and over how many years – to re-sign the team’s 33-year-old starting point guard, the Inquirer reported.
Although teams may begin negotiating with free agents Wednesday, contracts may not be signed until July 8.
Miller, who last season averaged 16.3 points and 6.5 assists, is represented by Andy Miller, who has said his client’s No. 1 option is to remain with the Sixers.
Source: Philly.com
Knicks still trying to get point guard Ricky Rubio
June 27, 2009
After the NBA Draft Thursday, the New York Knicks still found themselves in search of a star point guard, according to the New York Times.
Rubio, a flashy 18-year-old Spanish guard, was unhappy when he was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves. According to the Times, Rubio’s father threatened to keep Ricky in Europe for another year or two. Rubio did not attend his own introductory news conference on Friday.
The Knicks responded with great interest according to the Times. Donnie Walsh, the team president, said Friday that he intended to call David Kahn, the Timberwolves’ president. Walsh never directly said he would propose a trade, but his intent was clear.
“I would never say never to anything,” Walsh said of pursuing Rubio. “We’re in the off-season. We’re going to be checking everything out, seeing how we can make our team better.”
Walsh and Kahn are close, having worked together in the Indiana Pacers’ front office for several years, with Walsh serving as a mentor. Like most draft observers, Walsh said he was curious about Kahn’s decision to draft two point guards — Rubio and Syracuse’s Jonny Flynn(notes) — with consecutive lottery picks.
Asked if it would merely be a discussion between two old friends, Walsh answered with light sarcasm: “Yeah, and the people that are in that relationship never talk about their wants and needs.”
Source: New York Times
Mavericks to be busy this summer
June 26, 2009
While the San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets have made moves to improve themselves to contend with the Los Angeles Lakers, the Dallas Mavericks have been quiet. However, president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said the team has been working behind the scenes.
“Wait,” said Nelson. “One shouldn’t confuse silence with inactivity. We’re prepared for a very active summer.”
Just because Vince Carter(notes), Richard Jefferson(notes) and Shaquille O’Neal(notes) have moved to contending teams doesn’t mean the Mavericks won’t be able to find just as much of a helper, according to the Dallas Morning News.
It will almost certainly have to be a trade of some sort, with Stackhouse’s $7 million contract, which can be bought out for $2 million, and Erick Dampier’s(notes) expiring $11 million deal as the primary trade chips.
As far as straight free agency goes, this summer will not be the frenzy it’s going to be in 2010. But can the Mavericks afford to wait a full year to make their big play for help for Dirk Nowitzki(notes)?
Source: Dallas Morning News
Cavs get Shaq, but Magic is still the team to beat
June 25, 2009
The deal that sends Shaquille O’Neal(notes) to the Cleveland Cavaliers had a ripped effect in New York Thursday morning with the Big Apple newspapers wondering if the deal will be enough to keep LeBron James(notes) in Cleveland after 2010.
The New York Daily News also reported that according to one Eastern Conference president, the deal is still not enough for the Cavaliers to beat the Orlando Magic.\
The Daily News wrote: Shaq alone would not necessarily be enough to help the Cavs to even overtake the Magic in the East. While Shaq enjoyed a bit of a revival last season, the Suns missed the playoffs, and O’Neal is not the same player he was when he was winning three titles with the Lakers from 2000-02.
“They didn’t give up anything for him in terms of main rotation players,” said one Eastern Conference president. “So that’s good. But Shaq doesn’t give them size in their backcourt to match up with the Magic. And as for being someone who can guard Dwight Howard(notes), Shaq can’t do that. The Magic are still better, depending on what happens in free agency.”
Source: New York Daily News
Celtics and Rondo’s conflict
June 25, 2009
When his name was mentioned so prominately in trade rumors, we should have know that Celtics president Danny Ainge has some kind of issue with guard Rajon Rondo(notes).
According to the Boston Globe, Ainge was critical of Rondo’s maturity and other issues, during an interview Wednesday on a Boston radion station.
Ainge commented that Rondo “has to grow up” in some areas, according to the Globe. Ainge said Rondo has to take a bigger leadership role revealed the 23-year-old was fined for showing up late to a playoff game.
“We expect him to play by the rules and be a leader as a point guard. We need him to be more of a leader,” Ainge said. “There were just a couple situations where he was late this year, I don’t know if he was sitting in his car, but showed up late and the rest of the team was there. We have team rules and you have to be on time. He was fined for being late, he said he was stuck in traffic, and it’s just unacceptable.”
Ainge was also critical of Rondo’s play during the Celtics’ second-round loss to the Magic.
“As we saw in the Orlando series, they left him wide open,” Ainge said. “His presence hurt us in winning right now because his man went and doubled onto Ray [Allen] and Paul [Pierce] and made it difficult for us.”
Source: Boston.com