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.
It was just a year ago today that Celtics' fandom was turned upside down. The Celtics had just finished a 24 win season. We had excitedly waited for the lottery and once again had our hopes dashed as instead of the first or second pick and the franchise player that we had hoped for, the Celtics dropped to the 5th pick. Kevin Garnett and Shawn Marion had both said that they would refuse a trade to the Celtics. It was a depressing time.
Then came the draft and we all waited to see which player Danny would take with the 5th pick. There was debate over Yi, Noah, Green and others, but we all knew that no matter who we got, it wouldn't be enough. Maybe if we had gotten Durant or Oden, but not the 5th pick. And as we waited for the pick, we got news that Danny had traded the 5th pick, Delonte, and Wally for Ray Allen and the 35th pick in the draft. The Celtics finished draft night with a 32 year old shooting guard who was coming off of double ankle surgery and two second round draft picks, Gabe Pruitt and Big Baby Davis.
Paul Pierce was happy to have Ray Allen, but didn't we just trade away a shooting guard with two bad ankles to get Ray? And Wally was younger. And we gave up a very promising player in Delonte West. Could Ray Allen even make a difference? There was quite a bit of debate about the trade and whether it even improved the team at all.
Then came that fateful day, July 31, 2007 when it was announced that Danny traded 5 players and 2 draft picks for Kevin Garnett. Gone was Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair (without having had a Sebastian Telfair night at the Garden), Gerald Green and Theo Ratliff's expiring contract. The trade for Ray Allen was enough to change KG's mind about coming to Boston and he agreed to an extension on his contract. Most Celtics fans, myself included, were excited about the trade but were also very sad to see Al Jefferson and Ryan Gomes in particular go. I was very skeptical at first. Big Al has a ton of potential and I could see him becoming a dominant player for years to come and I really didn't know how much KG had left after 12 hard years in the league. And Ryan Gomes also had potential and was a very classy guy. It was very had saying good bye to these two in particular.
Then, the more I read about Kevin Garnett and watched clips on YouTube, the more excited I got about having him on the team. The major concern about the team was the bench because Danny had to trade half the team to get KG. But Danny slowly but surely rebuilt the bench, using the MLE to sign House and Posey and signing Scot Pollard to a minimum contract. In very short time, we went from the bottom of the league to being contenders.
Throughout the season there were doubts. Rondo was just a second year point guard and couldn't lead a team with 3 superstars to a championship. Perk wasn't a championship center. The Celtics had 9 new players and couldn't possibly have chemistry. The 3 stars couldn't co-exist and they would need 3 basketballs. The Celtics had no bench. They could compete in the East, but when they got to the West, they would fall. The stars were too old and would fade before the playoffs. Then one by one, the Celtics answered the questions and by the end of the season, they had 66 wins and the best record in the league.
In the playoffs, they were expected to roll over the Hawks but instead, were stretched to 7 games as they were unable to win on the road. In the second round, the Cavaliers also stretched them to 7 games and they still couldn't win one on the road. By the conference finals, there doubters were starting to spring up and about half of the experts were predicting a Detroit win. And when the Celtics lost game 2 at home, those critics got even louder. But, they went to Detroit and won and then closed them out in 6 games, winning game 6 on the road.
Going into the finals, only 1 out of 10 experts on ESPN gave the Celtics any chance to win. Most predicted the Lakers would win in 5 or 6 games. After all, the West was the stronger conference and the Lakers had just waltzed through their opponents and the Celtics had struggled in the weaker conference. But, a funny thing happened on the way to the Lakers' winning a title, the Celtics totally dominated them. It wasn't even close. And for the first time in 22 years, Celtics fans didn't have to say "Wait until next year." We finally had Championship #17 that we had waited for so long.
So, on this annivesary of the signing of Kevin Garnett, we can fondly look back on a fairy tail season and be very happy as Celtics fans. I am proudly wearing all my 2008 Celtics championship gear and very anxiously waiting for next year. The questions have started again. Will the 3 stars be too old? Have the other Eastern teams improved enough to pass them? Can they stay injury free at their age? Will the Celtics bench be strong enough without Posey? Will they have the drive to repeat after finally winning their rings?
The Celtics are the World Champions and we have reason to hope that they can repeat this season and it all started with the announcement on July 31, 2007 that the Celtics had traded for Kevin Garnett. What a difference a year makes!!!
It's the dog days of summer for Celtics fans. Too early to think about training camp and nothing is going on with the team. There were no new basketball articles in the Globe and the Herald just had one about Deng's new contract and Artest's trade. I still think Danny has something up his sleeve. We get little tidbits like Boston offered a sign and trade for Delonte but nothing definite. Makes you wonder who Danny was including in the trade from the Celtics. Personally I think the Cavs need a glue guy like Scal. It seems like a long time till training camp. The schedule is due out next week and that may give us something to talk about for awhile. There will be the Olympics and speaking of the Olympics, the Celtics 2nd round draft pick didn't look too bad on the Turkish national team against team USA. We can look forward to seeing him with the Celtics in a year or two. Another observation: D Wade is one of those players who just doesn't look right bald.
NBA front-office sources are reporting that the Lakers were very disappointed not to land Artest. But, L.A. was reluctant to part with Lamar Odom and were even more reluctant to take Kenny Thomas along with Artest. Sacramento ultimately relented on its insistence that any team acquiring Artest take Kenny Thomas, as well, dropping that condition and agreeing to Houston's offer because the Kings are essentially coming away with two first-round picks for Artest.
Artest for his part is thrilled to be rejoining Rick Adelman who was his coach when he first arriced in Sacramento. Yao is a bit concerned about the Rockets' new acquisition and had this to say about it:
"We worry about the new attitude to the team. We are adding talent to the team and we need that, but building team chemistry is important. This is not bad. I don't mean he is not welcome to Houston. But a new player always needs some time. "Also, he was the biggest part of a team in Sacramento. He was a star player. We need more chemistry and more communication." "There's worry. Obviously, yes," said Yao. "We will think about it, of course. Hopefully, he's not fighting anymore and going after a guy in the stands.
I'd say that Yao has good reason to be concerned. Artest has caused problems everywhere he has gone, both on and off the court. He has been charged with domestic abuse and animal cruelty. He has charged into the stands and attacked a fan. He has decided to take time off from playing to promote his rap CD. And, he has caused chemistry problems in both Indiana and Sacramento. However, he did seem to behave when he was playing for Rick Adelman so maybe Yao can relax a little, hopeful of his coach's ability to control the loose cannon that is Ron Artest.
The Bulls finalized a six-year, $71 million contract with Luol Deng on Wednesday and the new deal includes incentives that could increase the total value to $80 million. With new contract in hand, Deng is scheduled to leave for the European Championships, where he will play for the British team.
The Bulls remain far apart in negotiations with Ben Gordon. Gordon's agent has told the Bulls that Gordon should be the highest-paid player on the team because he has led the team in scoring each of the last three seasons. Deng got the big contract in spite of his declining from 18.8 points per game to 17 in an injury plagued season last year. The Bulls aren't expected to guarantee up to $80 million over a maximum six years for Gordon, so if negotiations continue to stall, the sides might pursue a sign-and-trade deal. Gordon would have to approve such a move. Gordon also has strongly considered signing the team's qualifying offer of $6.4 million for next season, after which he would be an unrestricted free agent.
Along with signing Deng and negotiating with Gordon, the Bulls have been busy pursuing trades as well. They were very interested in trying to acquire Nenad Krstic before he decided to go to Europe. They have also had discussions with Sacramento about center Brad Miller according to a league source. Reportedly, the Bulls are offering Nocioni as trade bait. The Bulls also had some interest from teams wanting guard Larry Hughes, as long as they're willing to take a big contract back in return. Since the Bulls need to thin out their backcourt rumors are that the possibilities include Joe Przybilla, Jared Jeffries, Erick Dampier or Kenyon Martin.
The Denver Nuggets announced on Wednesday that they have signed Dahntay Jones to a contract. Jones was a former first-round pick by the Boston Celtics in 2003. He was sent to the Grizzlies in the trade that brought Marcus Banks and Kendrick Perkins to the Celtics and he played his first three seasons in the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Clippers have been making news by signing players and losing players and now they have waived one. On Wednesday, the Clippers announced that they had waived 6'9" forward Josh Powell. Powell averaged 5.5 PPG, 5.20 RPG and 0.7 APG in 19 mpg last season. The Clippers got a real deal when they signed Ricky Davis for $2.3 million a year. I really like Ricky and hope he can finally shake off all the negativity that has in most cases followed him. The Clippers are also trying to re-sign free agent point guard Shaun Livingston. He is an intriguing prospect. If he can stay healthy he could be something very special.
Former Cavs guard J.R. Bremer is the latest NBA player to jump to Europe. Bremer has signed a two-year, $5 million deal with Moscow Dynamo Triumph. He will join former New Jersey center Nenad Krstic on the Triumph roster. Krstic signed a two-year deal worth $3 million euros (about $9 million U.S., when figuring in taxes).
There have been rumors from the Suns that both Boris Diaw and Leandro Barbosa are on the trading block. The Cavs have been rumored to be interested in Barbosa but now, an NBA source said the Suns may not be making him available after all. However, the source said that Boris Diaw might be available to be traded. The Suns are still looking for a point guard to back up Steve Nash. They have to keep going back to the 2007 draft and kicking themselves for giving away Rajon Rondo to the Celtics.
The Lakers have confirmed that they have invited Robert “Tractor” Traylor in for a private workout to be conducted Thursday. Traylor has not played in the NBA since the 2004-2005 season, when he averaged 5.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 74 games with the Cavs. If the workout goes well, Traylor likely would be signed to a non-guaranteed contract and invited to training camp. Traylor was the 6th pick in the 1998 draft and has never come close to fulfilling the expectations for him. He has the distinction of having been picked before both Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Pierce and we all know how both of those players worked out.
The Houston Rockets have reportedly reached an agreement with the Sacramento Kings that will land Ron Artest in Houston. After weeks of rumors that the Lakers were close to a deal for Ron Ron, it appears that the Rockets have acquired the troubled and often troublesome player. According to published reports the Rockets will send Bobby Jackson, Donte Greene, a first round pick in the 2009 NBA draft, and cash amounting to around $1 million to the Kings for the storied forward. If Greene is, indeed, involved in the deal then it won't be able to officially take place until August 14th. There are other reports that Joey Dorsey may be included instead of Greene. Rick Adelman had some success with Artest in Sacramento and the Rockets are hoping that he can once again succeed with Artest in Houston. The Rockets get a defensive stopper who can take some of the scoring load off of Tracy McGrady. Artest may give the Rockets a Big Three (Yao, McGrady, Artest) or he may cause more distractions and disrupt their chemistry. With Ron Ron, you never know.
Paul Pierce and Artest will forever be linked by this incident.
The Hawks haven't been able to come to terms with their restricted free agent, Josh Smith, but they are making moves. They have announced that they agreed to a two-year NBA minimum salary contract with Randolph Morris, a 6-foot-11, 270-pound center/power forward who played his first two seasons with the Knicks, seeing limited time with them. The Hawks also officially signed Magic free agent Maurice Evans.
Monday, the Knicks traded Renaldo Balkman for Taurean Green and Bobby Jones and on Tuesday, they waived both Green and Jones. Expect more moves from the Knicks including getting rid of Marbury as the new administration seeks to rid themselves of all signs of the Isiah Thomas years.
Disgraced referee Tim Donaghy was sentenced to 15 months in prison for his part in the scandal that rocked the NBA last off season. I can't help but feel that there is more coming though. Scott Foster must be investigated after all the phone calls from Donaghy to him before and after games that they worked and also the allegations that directions came down from the top for refs to influence games to stretch series out and to keep star players from fouling out.
Sources are reporting that Luol Deng and the Chicago Bulls have verbally agreed on a new six-year contract believed to be worth in excess of $70 million. The Bulls lost out on several big deals last season because they would not include Deng and so I expected that they would do whatever it took to keep him in a Bulls uniform. Deng is one of the few players in the league who give Paul Pierce problems defensively and for that reason, he would be in demand with teams who are looking for ways to match up against the Celtics. The Bulls are still reported to be far apart in negotiations with their other free agent, Ben Gordon.
Krstic signed a two-year deal on Tuesday with Club Dynamo Triumph in Moscow that will pay him 2.5 million euros in the first season and 2.6 million in the second. At the current exchange rate, he will pocket $7.9 million over the length of the deal if he stays both seasons. The Nets tried to find a sign and trade for Krstic in order to avoid losing him for nothing but to no avail. They had talks with the Bulls, Cleveland and Memphis but couldn't get a deal worked out and Krstic joined former teammate Bostjan Nachbar in fleeing to Europe.
Signing Kwame Brown could be the end for Rasheed Wallace in Detroit. If Brown plays well, sources say that the Pistons could move Rasheed and his expiring contract at the trade deadline. This is a big if though because so far, Brown hasn't realized any of the potential that made him a number 1 pick. But then again, there have been players who have languished in one system and then broke out in another.
Robert "Tractor" Traylor, who is serving time in a halfway house for preparing a false tax return, will ask a federal judge today to amend his probation conditions so he can try out for the Lakers. In September, Traylor was sentenced to three years of probation including three months in a federal halfway house after Traylor recorded that his own two homes were owned by his cousin, convicted drug kingpin Quasand Lewis. Traylor was previously allowed to interrupt his sentence to play pro basketball in Puerto Rico and the probation department allowed him to attend a workout with the Cavaliers and play on their summer league team. Now he is asking for permission to travel to Los Angeles to try out for the Lakers.
The Orlando Magic will soon try to re-sign center Adonal Foyle, adding another big man to the roster after waiving little-used power forward James Augustine on Tuesday. They are also looking to add another point guard to their roster.
All's quiet on the Celtics front. Ainge has said that is next order of business is to re-sign the Celtics' assistant coaches. Tom Thibodeau is as important to the Celtics as any players and Clifford Ray is one of the best big man coaches in the league. Hopefully they will both be back. The Celtics also haven't signed either draft pick as yet. There have been rumors that Danny may try to stash Walker in Europe for a season. If he does, it appears he will have lots of company from the NBA over there. I'd like to see both remain with the team and see what they can do. I don't exptect a lot more news from the Celtics but with Trader Danny, you never know.
The NBA Rookie Photo Shoot is always a fun time. Here are some photos of the Celtics' first round pick, JR Giddens. Thankfully the fact that he hasn't signed a contract yet didn't keep him from the photo shoot. Click here for a live blog from the photo shoot. Click here for a gallery from the photo shoot.
The Clippers continued to make changes in their team as they signed former Celtic Ricky Davis to a multiyear contract for two years, $4.7 million with an opt out clause for Davis after his first year. Ricky was one of my favorite players when he was with the Celtics. He always seems to have fun when he is playing and always gave his best out on the court. He has had questions following him his entire career concerning his attitude, but I think he has often gotten a bad rap unfairly. He is athletic and in his prime and can bring instant offense off the bench. I think the Clippers got a very good deal in signing Ricky. The Clippers also have had talks with free-agent center Francisco Elson and they are in talks to retain rehabilitating point guard Shaun Livingston and forward Paul Davis, both unrestricted free agents. .
The exodus overseas continues with Nenad Krstic being the latest be considering signing with a Russian team. The Nets have been saying that they intended to resign Krstic at a reasonable amount but he has a two-year deal in place with a Russian team if the Nets are unable to do a sign and trade by midnight tonight. He will have an opt out clause in his contract so that he can return to the NBA after one year if he wants. If he does return next season, he would still be a restricted free agent for the Nets.
Kwame Brown was the number 1 pick in the 2001 draft but so far, he has not lived up to that billing. He was sent from the Lakers to the Grizzlies last season in the trade that sent Pau Gasol to LA. After the trade, he played in just 15 games and averaged 3.5 points and 3.8 rebounds in under 14 minutes per game. There is always a spot for big men, no matter how much they underachieve. He has now come to an agreement with the Detroit Pistions on a two-year deal worth $8 million with a player option on the second season. Personally, I think they are overpaying him at $4 million a year. He hasn't proved anything yet in his career.
What was rumor yesterday is now a done deal as the Denver Nuggets have acquired forward Renaldo Balkman from the New York Knicks in exchange for guard Taurean Green, forward Bobby Jones and a second-round draft pick in 2010. It has been rumored that this is a cost cutting move to clear some roster space and that both Green and Jones will be cut as their contracts are not guaranteed. I like Balkman and I think Denver has gotten a good player in the deal. He always plays hard and will give them an energy player off the bench.
The Toronto Raptors continued their makeover on Monday as they announced that they have signed free-agent guard Will Solomon. Solomon who is 30 years old has played the past two seasons in Istanbul, Turkey where he averaged 17.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.3 steals in 13 regular season games last season.
While Ben Gordon has said that he would prefer to remain in the USA and sign with an NBA team, he said on Monday that going overseas is definitely a possibility with the euro being so strong. Gordon turned a down five-year extension worth more than $50 million right before the start of last season. Negotiations have been slow going this season. He can accept the Bulls' qualifying offer and then become an unrestricted free agent next season if he decides to stay here but doesn't get the contract he wants from the Bulls.
Former referee Tim Donaghy will be sentenced today for his part in the gambling scandal that rocked the NBA. There were two articles on Donaghy and his sentencing today in the Herald. Although a link has been proved between Donaghy and another referee, Scott Foster, who certainly was involved in the scandal because big money won every in every single game he officiated after talking with Donaghy. , nothing more has come out about it. I personally think David Stern should be investigated too since Donaghy said that the directives to influence games came down from above. Just a funny side note on this, in the Herald, they gave 3 related links at the bottom of the stories on Donaghy. Two of the links were other stories on Donaghy but the third in each case was a story about Sebastian Telfair signing a new contract with the Wolves. Hmmmm I wonder how that relates to the gambling scandal.
Delonte West wants to return to the Cavaliers, but negotiations between the former Celtic and the team are still far apart at this point. There were reports that West was considering an offer to play in Russia but those rumors have since been said to be false. West wants a five-year contract. The Cavs have offered several options, including a four-year deal with the final year a team option. The Cavs signed their back up point guard, Daniel Gibson, to a five-year, $20.8 million. So far, the Cavs are offering their starting PG less than they gave their back up. If things break down, Delonte's agent has said that he will play for the qualifying offer of $2.7 million and become an unrestricted free agent after the 2008-09 season. A league source reports that Boston and Miami have both approached the Cavs with sign-and-trade offers for Delonte but were turned down by the Cavs. I would love to have Delonte back with the Celtics and if he is an unrestricted free agent next season, they may be able to bring him back.
According to a league source, the Cavs have talked to Philadelphia 76ers guard Louis Williams, another restricted free agent. Williams reportedly turned down a $3.9 million contract with the Sixers.
When Sasha Vujacic signed his contract with LA, he insisted that the Lakers keep a haircut clause out of the contract. After being blackmailed with a threat to jump to Eupope, the Lakers gave in with a 3 year 15 million dollar contract without a haircut clause. On his part, Vujacic wants to be the best shooter in the NBA next season. In that case, he will have to cut back on his whining about everything in order to be able to shoot more.
The Nuggets roster is shaping up. With the trade for Renaldo Balkman, they now have 11 players under contract and are expected to keep restricted free agent JR Smith, who has gotten some interest from other teams lately. They will probably fill out their roster with vets who will sign for the league minimum. I can see Balkman blossoming on the Nuggets. He is a great defender and plays with a lot of energy. I have always liked him as a player and think the Knicks may regret giving him away.
The new leadership of the Knicks are clearly distancing itself from the Isiah Thomas regime. Balkman was one of Isiah's first draft picks and they basically gave him to Denver for two players who are expected to be cut and a second round draft pick. The club also is expected to release Stephon Marbury. A Knicks source says that any transaction involving Marbury won't take place until late September or early October.
The Blazers are really hoping that Darius Miles won't sign with a team and Blazers' GM has been doing all he can to dissuade teams from signing him. They have leaked confidential information and now a comment by Pritchard is being scrutinized as being over the line. Pritchard set off alarm bells throughout the league when he was asked if he thought there was a chance that Miles’ injury would be declared “career ending,” and he responded that he was “optimistic” that it would. I am pulling for Miles to catch on with a team even if it is just long enough to hang the Blazers out for his whole 18 million in salary. I may still be a bit bitter about the league not giving the Celtics any cap relief after Reggie Lewis died. It doesn't get any more career ending than that and they really hung the Celtics out.
The 76ers have reached an agreement with free-agent shooting guard Kareem Rush. . Last season, the Sixers were last in the league in three-point shooting and they hope to shore that up with the Rush signing.
Chauncey Billups is hoping to keep the core group of Pistons together in spite of statements by GM Joe Dumars that he was looking to break up the group and shake up the club this off season. both Billups and Tayshaun Prince have been dangled in trade rumors. Recently, Billups spent about 30 minutes sitting in a car with Pistons president Joe Dumars and reports are that the Pistons will give their veteran group another chance to win together this season. The thoughts are that the coaching change from Flip Saunders to a tougher Michael Curry, will make a difference with the group they have now.
The Bobcats have reached an agreement with their franchise center, Emeka Okafor. The two sides have agreed in principle on a six-year contract worth at least $72 million. Negotiations moved slowly between the two camps with teams inquiring about sign and trade offers but the Bobcats made it clear that they weren't interested in any of the sign and trade offers. Okafor could have opted to take the qualifying offer of $7.1 million and become an unrestricted free agent, but they came to an agreement before it came to that.
Yesterday I commented that the Warriors were overpaying for Andris Biedrins, but ESPN reports that the deal is for less than originally reported. The Warriors officially re-signed center Andris Biedrins to a six-year contract Monday worth a guaranteed $54 million and potentially topping $62 million with incentives. Biedrins' deal will pay $9 million annually for each of the next six seasons, with a player option included for Biedrins to return to free agency in the summer of 2013 after the fifth year.
Marc Spears reports in the Globe that the Celtics are still interested in Darius Miles. Miles hasn't played for 2 years after suffering what was diagnosed as a career ending injury. Unlike when the Celtics requested cap relief when Reggie Lewis died, the league granted the Blazers relief from Miles' salary. The fun part of this is that if Miles signs with a team and plays 10 games, the Blazers are on the hook for the remainder of the 18 million they owed him for the 2 years that were left on his contract. Miles will start the season with a 10 game suspension for testing positive for what has been speculated as performance enhancing drugs. He is looking for a minimum contract and there are other teams interested as well including the Suns and the Mavericks. He reportedly struggled in his workout with the Mavs but reports out of Boston were that he impressed them with his workout there. He has worked hard to get himself back to playing shape from the injury and as long as the knee holds up it may be worth the risk.
After threatening to join the exodus to Europe, Andris Biedrins signed a lucrative 6 year contract with the Warriors worth a reported $63 million. This is the second player in the last few days who is being overpaid by his team after threatening to go to Europe if they didn't offer enough. First, Sasha Vujacic signed a three-year, $15 million contract after threatening to leave for Europe and now this ridiculous contract for Biedrins. This may be a disturbing trend as teams pay too much for players because they threaten to go overseas. I actually believe that the Hornets overpaid for Posey and may regret it somewhere down the line. Although, he may be the piece that puts them over the top as a contender so we won't know until it all plays out.
The Hawks lost Josh Childress to Europe and now it doesn't look good for them to sign the other Josh either. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that there are at least two, blockbuster sign-and-trade proposals that the Hawks are considering for Smith. One proposal is reportedly from a Western Conference power and the other from an Eastern Conference contender. Rumors have been floating that the two teams are the Lakers and Pistons with Lamar Odom and Tayshaun Prince as the centerpieces of the deals with the respective teams. But the Detroit Free Press says that the Hawks were asking too much and that there is no deal on the table. But, in spite of not having a deal on the table, the Pistons are still very much interested in Smith. So, could the Eastern contender with a deal on the table be the Cavs? The Hawks clearly don't want to pay what Smith believes he is worth and won't over pay him but seem to be ok with allowing another team to do so if they can get enough back from them. In the meantime, it is being reported that the Hawks are on the verge of signing Randolph Morris to a two year minimum deal that would shore up the Hawks front court.
Newsday is reporting that the Knicks are in talks with Denver to send Renaldo Balkman to the Denver Nuggets for point guard Taurean Green and small forward Bobby Jones. The Knicks are expected to waive both Jones and Green if they make the deal as both have no-guaranteed contracts and the Knicks would have 17 players. It would be a move to save money and move Balkman who doesn't seem to fit in D'Antoni's system. Personally, Balkman is one of the players I like on the Knicks. He plays hard and hustles on defense.
Reports are that the Bobcats and Emeka Okafor are still not close to a contract agreement. The Bobcats are offering around 10 million a year and if Biedrins can get close to $11 million a year and Bogut can get over $12 million a year, then it would seem that the Bobcats are not willing to pay the market value for Okafor. Of course, he could accept the qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent next season, but that is always risky.
The Sporting News reports that teams are lining up to make offers to Devean George. The Celtics have been linked to George as a replacement for James Posey. George is a defensive minded player who also brings championship experience.
The schedule for next year is almost finished. It is usually announced the first week in August, but Matt Winick, the man who makes up the schedule is running about 3 or 4 days behind this season because of the uncertainty presented with the Seattle/OKC team. Games have to be scheduled around concerts, the NHL, a rodeo or a circus, the Big 12 mens and women's basketball tournaments, and more. The schedule should be out the first or second week of August so we can look forward to that.
Gerald Green has always had tremendous athleticism and potential but has not been able to transfer that into becoming a team player. The Mavericks could be his last chance to prove he can play and this week in Summer League play, Gerald showed signs of rounding out his game. He led Dallas by scoring 19 points per game, he showed off his jumper, and he was great on the fast break, finishing off several plays with highlight dunks. He's still got a ways to go, but the Mavericks have to be encouraged with how Green played this week. I'm pulling for Gerald. I have always liked him and knew that if his head could just catch up to his abilities he could be a star. He is still young and there is plenty of time for that to happen.
He was the quiet Celtic with a smile that was infectious. He was reserved and somewhat shy but his actions, both on and off the basketball court, spoke much louder than any words could ever do. He was the captain of the Boston Celtics and their leading scorer. He was a devoted husband, father and a friend to all who knew him well. He was the hope of a new Celtics generation. Reggie Lewis was only 27 years old when he died of a heart attack on Tuesday, July 27, 1993. We still fondly remember him today, 15 years later.
Reggie Lewis was born in 1965. He was raised in a modest urban home in Baltimore, Maryland and lived with his mother, Peggy, and brothers, Irvin and Jon. At an early age, Reggie already loved basketball and was often found on a basketball court. Hist footprints appear in the cement outside of the court that he played on as a child.
Lewis enjoyed success and early fame as a key member of a 50-0 Dunbar High School basketball team that also featured future NBA players Reggie Williams, David Wingate and Tyrone "Mugsy" Bogues. His talent led him to Northeastern University, where he exceeded everyone's expectations as a starter for the Huskies. In his freshman year he averaged 17.8 points per game and by his senior year he was averaging 23.3 points per game. Lewis lead his team to 4 National Atlantic Conference Titles and ultimately NCAA Tournaments. The Huskies captain graduated as the team's all-time leading scorer, ninth-best in NCAA history, and in ceremonies on January 21, 1989 had his familiar number 35 retired to the Matthews Arena rafters.
Reggie was drafted by the Celtics with the next to the last pick in the first round of the 1987 draft. Like most rookies in Celtics history, his first year was a learning one and Reggie mostly watched and learned. He observed and learned and pushed himself in year two and appeared in 81 of the 82 regular season games and finished his sophomore season averaging 18.5 points per game. More importantly, he stepped in and comforted Celtics fans' fears and worries, after Larry Bird missed almost the entire season due to surgery.
Celtics fans witnessed true flashes of brilliance in Reggie's game during 1991-92, as he averaged a career-best 20.8 points per game (he averaged the same figure the following season) while playing in all 82 games. He posted a spectacular career-high 28.0 points per game in the 1992 playoffs and was the lone Celtic to be named the NBA Eastern Conference All-Star Team. Reggie was named the team's captain after Bird's retirement in 1992.
On April 29, 1993, the Celtics began a first-round playoff series with the Charlotte Hornets. The setting was the old Boston Garden. The Boston Garden at the time was the only arena in professional sports that did not have air conditioning. Opposing teams would profess that the Celtics intentionally turned up the temperature as a way to create an edge over the unsuspecting and unconditioned. Several opponents throughout the years had fallen victim to dehydration and related nausea. The Garden created perhaps the greatest home edge in all of sports. This night, the Garden was hot and humid as usual. The Celtics were on their way to a blowout victory and it was still early in the first quarter. Their captain, Reggie Lewis, could not miss a shot and had already scored ten points within the first three minutes.
After going to the basket and grabbing a rebound through several defenders, Lewis began to head back down the court. Suddenly, his body slumped forward towards the court. Although the fall was sudden, it did not initially appear to be concerning because Lewis returned to his feet within a few seconds and checked himself out of the game. Complaining of dizziness and a black out, Lewis sat out the remainder of the first half while team doctor Dr. Arnold Scheller attempted to diagnose the cause of the black out. At halftime, Lewis mentioned that he had some grapefruit juice just before the game that tasted too bitter. With the high degree of humidity in the Garden coupled with the possibility of bad juice, Scheller, an orthopedic specialist, recommended that Lewis be allowed to continue to play in the second half. In that half, teammates noticed that Lewis' legs were very wobbly and he came back out of the game almost immediately.
After the game, Lewis was sent to New England Baptist hospital where he underwent a battery of tests that were supervised by a "dream team" team of 12 of the most respected cardiologists in the Boston area. After thorough testing, the team of doctors diagnosed Lewis to be suffering from ventricular tachycardia, the most dangerous form of arrhythmia. They concluded that Lewis was lucky that his first symptom was not sudden cardiac death and merely a fainting episode.
Reggie was frustrated because the diagnosis meant an end to his basketball career, but he became angry with the doctors because they kept pursuing whether cocaine could have been an explanation. Lewis checked himself out of the care at New England Baptist Hospital in the middle of the night and sought out Brigham & Women's Hospital chief of cardiology, Dr. Gilbert Mudge.
Dr. Gilbert Mudge had been following the story and even prior to Reggie's contacting him, Dr Mudge claimed to have been suspicious of the Dream Team diagnosis due to what he believed to be inconsistencies and discrepancies in Lewis' test results. After performing his own battery of tests, Mudge called a press conference in early May of 1993 and stated that Lewis was not suffering from cardiomyopathy but merely from a curable neurocardiogenic fainting disorder. Mudge prescribed beta blockers as treatment and pronounced Reggie physically fit to return to playing professional basketball the following fall.
On July 27, 1993, Lewis entered the Brandeis arena with a friend to prepare for a fullcourt pickup game that night. After about an hour on the court without even working up a sweat, Lewis crumpled near the 3-point line. Nearly two hours after he collapsed at 5:07 p.m. on July 27, 1993, the hospital announced that Reggie Lewis was dead at 27. In the wake of his death, the heart wrenching news came out that earlier in the day, Reggie's wife Donna had just found out that she was pregnant with their second child. She never got to give Reggie the news.
Then, over subsequent months and years, it became very ugly. There were unconfirmed reports that cocaine had been at least partly responsible for the tragedy, and a debate arose among doctors whether the death could have been prevented. "The real tragedy is that right now we should be saying, 'Reggie has a pacemaker and can't play basketball anymore,' " Kevin McHale said after Lewis' death. "Instead we have to mourn him."
After his death, still reeling from the personal loss of their captain as well as the loss the previous year of Len Bias, the Celtics tried to pick up the pieces and go on. They petitioned the league for relief from his salary but were denied. It seemed the franchise was given one blow after another and it took 22 years for the franchise to recover from the devastating series of events starting with the death of Len Bias and continuing with the death of their very talented captain, Reggie Lewis. The Celtics retired #35 in Reggie's honor on March 22, 1995.
Reggie's accomplishments on the court are well documented. He is only player in the history of the Celtics to have registered 100 rebounds, 100 assists, 100 steals and 100 blocked shots in a single season which he did in the 1991/92 season with 394 rebounds, 185 assists, 125 steals and 105 blocks. Reggie once blocked four shots from Michael Jordan in one game.
Reggie Lewis left fans around the nation with memories of his basketball accomplishments. But also memorable was what he did off the court. His contributions to the community were just as consistent as his jumpshots. Reggie began an annual giveaway where he purchased hundreds of turkeys and gave them to underprivileged families in the area, without any media or fanfare surrounding it. He was always seen with a smile and was a genuine caring person. Reggie's widow, Donna Harris-Lewis, has continued her husbands legacy of kindness through the Reggie Lewis Foundation, which still annually sponsors the turkey giveaway that Reggie began.
After his death, The Reggie Lewis Track and Field Center, was opened in Roxbury, Massachusetts. The center was funded partially by Lewis and routinely hosts major track and field competitions as well as home basketball games for Roxbury Community College. Reggie's greatest influence on people occurred ojavascript:void(0) Publish Postff of the basketball court. Reggie had strong morals, humility and compassion. Today, 15 years after his death, we remember Reggie and can only think of what might have been. There will never be a clear method of telling just how good Reggie Lewis would have been. We caught a brief moment. We have many memories. Rest in peace, Reggie. We love you and miss you.
