CELTICS GREEN BLOG by and for boston celtics fans: Rumors and Free Agent Updates

The Cavaliers were interested in Sixers free agent Louis Williams but on Thursday, Williams signed a 5 year contract that is worth a reported $25 million with the Sixers. Williams has come a long way since he was picked No. 45 overall pick in the 2005 draft as he became the first high school player selected by the Sixers since they chose Darryl Dawkins at No. 5 in 1975.

Jason Williams is talking to several NBA Teams but Maccabi Tel Aviv has reportedly offered him a contract to play overseas that he is seriously considering accepting. But word out of Israel from at least one source familiar with Tel Aviv's negotiations is that Williams is seeking a deal with an annual salary of at least $3 million. The Israeli team is thinking closer to $1.5, which is similar to what any NBA suitor might offer.

Former Celtic, Sam Vincent, had a very short lived coaching job with the Charlotte Bobcats as he coached just one year before being replaced by the vagabond Coach Larry Brown. Less than three months after Vincent was dismissed by Jordan, who has a history of sticking with coaches for just one season, Vincent was named the new head coach of the D-League Anaheim Arsenal.

The new Oklahoma City team is still making news as it was announced that they will become the 3rd NBA team to own their own D-League team. The Oklahoma City team is in the process of purchasing the Tulsa 66ers. Clay Bennett, the majority owner of the Oklahoma City team, said that by purchasing the D-League team, Oklahoma City will be able to better develop Oklahoma City's younger players who are sent there.

Lakers center Andrew Bynum’s continues his rehabilitation with a lot of running, lifting weights and jumping. He hasn't yet been cleared for any contact drills, so he is not allowed to play in any pickup basketball games. He hasn't played any basketball for 6 months now, but Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak is hopeful that Bynum will be 100% by training camp. The Lakers are counting on a front court of Bynum, Gasol and Odom will be dominant and lead them to a championship. I am not so certain. It may be enough to conquer the West, but even when Bynum was healthy and playing, Kendrick Perkins totally owned him.

The legal battle between Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and former coach Don Nelson is finally over. Nelson, a Celtics legend, as well as current Golden State coach, won about $6.3 million Thursday in his arbitration case against Cuban. The suit centered on Nelson's claim that the Mavericks owed him more than $6 million in deferred salary from when Ross Perot Jr. owned the team. Things got even nastier between the two when Cuban filed a counterclaim in 2007 alleging that Nelson used inside information to lead Golden State past the Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs. Gee, I wonder what excuse Cuban used last year?

Several teams, including the Pistons, Bulls and Jazz have said that they are no longer looking at free agents but that they would consider a trade. This may leave some good free agents looking for the minimum salary at the end of the off season. We may also see some interesting trades with possible big names changing teams.

The Los Angeles Clippers signed free agent forward Brian Skinner on Thursday. Skinner was originally selected by the Clippers as the 22nd pick in the 1998 draft. He played last season with the Suns. He gives them both size and depth in the middle,"

The Bulls are still reported to be far apart on negotiations with Ben Gordon on a new contract. Gordon wants more than Deng is getting since he has been the Bulls leading scorer for the past several seasons. The Bulls are offering him much less. According to sources, the Bulls are offering an average salary around $8 million while Gordon is looking for something in the $12 million range which would be slightly more than Deng's deal that averages $11.8 million. The Bulls are seriously looking at trades and Andres Nocioni has been mentioned in trade talks. On Thursday, they also released JamesOn Curry, who spent most of last season in the D-League.

Celtics got a look at their second round draft pick on Thursday as Team USA played the Turkish National Team with starting center Semih Erden. He looked pretty good in spite of shooting just 1-7 from the field. He finished with 5 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and just 1 turnover. Danny Ainge said in today's Globe that he may sign another free agent late in the summer if someone doesn't get what he wants but he is not chasing anyone. So, it looks like the excitement for Celtics' fans is pretty much over for this summer. Danny still needs to sign the assistant coaches and the two draft picks but the team may be pretty much set for now. But then again, there was that bit that Danny was offering a sign and trade for Delonte. You never know.

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