Daily Basketball
NBA and NCAA blogging on an occasionally daily basis
Archive for September, 2006
September 18, 2006 at 4:43 pm · Filed under NBA
Shawn Kemp will be trying out for the Chicago Bulls after deciding to make a comeback in the NBA. Kemp, 36, is no longer the high-flying forward he was for the Seattle Sonics a decade ago but instead has struggled with his weight and substance abuse. Other players who may fill the Bulls’ final roster spot are Andrew DeClercq and Luke Schenscher.
The New Jersey Nets have extended their lease in New Jersey for another five years, though the team is expecting to move to Brooklyn before the lease is over. The move of the team has been expected over the last couple of years, and it’s unsure what the team will do when it’s new arena in Brooklyn is built.
Luke Ridnour is reluctant to sign an extension with the Sonics since he believes he should be getting more of the minutes which have been rewarded to Earl Watson. Team GM Rick Sund has acknowledged the discussions, but nothing is imminent.
The Denver Nuggets have shown the strongest interest in Bonzi Wells, but a sign-and-trade with the Sacramento Kings seems highly unlikely. Neither team has the cap room for the money Wells would like to sign, and it’s unknown whether he would sign for the minimum.
The Minnesota Timberwolves decided to bring in former Raptors GM Rob Babcock, which earned the title “#1 worst front office”. Slam Online named the top ten, which you can read here.
September 13, 2006 at 8:31 pm · Filed under NBA
The Phoenix Suns and Boris Diaw are struggling to sign an five-year contract extension, because the team believes that Diaw wouldn’t have thrived so much on another team. Diaw wants $50 million over the extension, while the Suns are offering closer to $40 million.
Michael Olowokandi was forced to pay his way to Phoenix for his tryout with the team. One of the biggest draft busts in the history of the NBA, is a long shot to make the team.
Yao Ming is upset with the lack of progress being made by his Chinese national team. “As the 2008 Olympics are drawing near, we should send abroad the likes of Yi Jianlian…in a bid to raise our level in the short term,” Yao said. “Even if our basketballers fail to play as regulars, we still could benefit at least from their training.”
The Miami Heat waived veteran guard Derek Anderson, ruling out the chance of the NBA champions returning with the same roster as last season. Anderson put up solid numbers for the team, but the team appears to be keeping Jason Williams as well as Gary Payton.
T.J. Ford hasn’t played a single game with the Toronto Raptors, but the organization is already trying to get a contract extension signed. If the deal doesn’t happen soon, Ford could become a restricted free agent after this season.
September 6, 2006 at 4:02 pm · Filed under NBA
This Friday, Memphis Grizzlies star and FIBA MVP Pau Gasol will have surgery on a metatarsal in his left foot. The surgery will keep Gasol on the sidelines for around three months, depending on how quickly he is able to rehab.
Gary Payton is going to re-sign with the Miami Heat, after winning his first NBA championship. The contract is worth a little more than the league’s veteran minimum, and he will stick with the Heat after the team re-signed Alonzo Mourning and head coach Pat Riley decided to return.
The New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets are going to have at least part of their training camp back in New Orleans. The team will continue to play home games in both cities.
Reggie Evans is going to re-sign with the Denver Nuggets. The contract is a long-term deal in the range of $25-30 million over its length.
The Cleveland Cavaliers signed veteran guard David Wesley to a two-year contract. The contract took up part of the team’s midlevel exception to sign Wesley.
Regardless of Sarunas Jasikevicius’s disappointing season, Indiana Pacers‘ official Donnie Walsh denies that the team would consider trading the point guard for a second-round pick. “It will be a different year for him,” said coach Larry Bird.
Even after USA Basketball was forced to settle for the bronze in the FIBA World Championships, Jerry Colangelo believes the team is headed in the right direction. “We gained the respect of the world basketball community and put a good team on the floor.” They may have gone 13-1, but bronze is definitely falling short of gaining respect in the world basketball community.
September 4, 2006 at 12:38 pm · Filed under Other
Led by Jorge Garbajosa and Carlos Navarro, Spain dominated Greece 70-47. Pau Gasol was forced to sit out with a foot injury, and other NBA prospects Sergio Rodriguez and Rudy Fernandez spent most of the game on the bench. Pau Gasol was named the MVP of the FIBA World Championships, but his injury will require him to sit out for about three months.
Bonzi Wells would like to return to the Sacramento Kings after failed to get any offers larger than the $40 million over five years offered by the the team. Wells rejected the offer at the time, and now team president of operations Geoff Petrie says the team has moved on. Maybe Wells can join Latrell Sprewell at the food bank?
The Los Angeles Clippers are happy that Sofoklis Schortsanitis’s buyout clause is only $500,000. Schortsanitis, drafted in 2003, scored 55 points in 69 minutes of play while shooting 86% from the field during the World Championships. You’d think he would have played longer for Greece, except that he only pulled down one rebound a game.
In case you missed The Young and the Restless, Luke Walton’s acting career will probably take after his dad’s play-by-play commentary. Deadspin has a clip of the show on their blog.
The Daily Basketball fantasy football league is still in need of several coaches.
September 1, 2006 at 4:25 pm · Filed under NBA
The USA Basketball team decided to keep things interesting by losing to Greece in the semi-finals of the World Championships. Greece won, 101-95, led by Vasileios Spanoulis (who will be joining the Houston Rockets this season and seems to be a great player). Team USA will play Argentina for the bronze medal.
Gilbert Arenas his more than disappointed about being left off the USA Basketball team. Arenas plans to destroy the teams of assistant coaches Nate McMillan and Mike D’Antoni, who he says used his groin injury as an excuse to leave him off the team. “I can’t wait to play the Suns and Portland. Against Portland, Nate McMillan, I’m going to try to score 100 in two games and against D’Antoni, I’m going to score 100 in two games. I’m going to try.”
The Philadelphia Sixers are expecting to be sold by the end of this year, for nearly a half-billion dollars. The NBA believes that there are several possible suitors making offers for the team.
The Denver Nuggets are willing to send Kenyon Martin to the Portland Trailblazers for Zach Randolph, according to one general manager. Both teams have been rumored to be trying to unload their power forwards for quit some time now. The executive says the Trailblazers aren’t currently look
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