Official NBA Thread

[RatBastich]

Riley texts extension interest to Wade

Associated Press

MIAMI -- The Miami Heat didn't wait long to announce the NBA's worst-kept secret: They want to keep Dwyane Wade.

The reigning NBA scoring champion said he received a text from Heat president Pat Riley regarding a contract extension shortly after midnight Sunday, the first day the team could make such an offer.

Wade said he will have more formal talks with the team later this summer.

"There's no rush," he said Sunday night, before he and Alonzo Mourning hosted a charity basketball game in Miami.

[thatonezombie]

I do believe that Wade should do what he feels is the best move for him but at the same time I want him to stay in Miami because all it seems like they need is time for Chalmers & Beastly to develop. But they should also put more established weapons around Wade.

[RatBastich]

Bulls add G Pargo with 1-year deal

ESPN.com news services

CHICAGO -- Free agent guard Jannero Pargo has signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Bulls.

The contract is worth $2 million, a source close to the situation told ESPNChicago.com's Roman Modrowski.

The 6-foot-1 guard, known for his outside shooting, was also with Chicago from 2003-06. Pargo played in Russia and Greece last season. He is a six-year NBA veteran, having also spent time with the Lakers, Raptors and Hornets.

He has averaged 6.9 points in 316 regular-season games, while shooting 36.5 percent from the 3-point line. In 33 playoff games, his average is 6.5 points and 36.8 percent on 3-pointers.

Pargo gives the Bulls backcourt depth after they lost leading scorer Ben Gordon to Detroit.
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Cavs sign ex-Raptor Anthony Parker

Associated Press

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Anthony Parker's fondest basketball memories came overseas, where he won three Euroleague championships and twice was named league MVP.

After signing Monday with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Parker believes he has a legitimate shot at winning his first NBA title.

"For me it's always about who really saw me fitting in with what they're trying to do," Parker said. "Cleveland has been that team from the beginning. They showed the most interest and pursued me the hardest. It just so happens they're also a team that's contending, which is even better. It was a fit all the way through."
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Afflalo, Sharpe dealt to Denver

By Marc Stein
ESPN.com

LAS VEGAS -- The Detroit Pistons on Monday traded Arron Afflalo, Walter Sharpe and cash considerations to the Denver Nuggets for a future second-round pick.

The deal clears nearly $2 million extra in salary-cap space for the Pistons to search for a free-agent big man.

The Nuggets, according to NBA front-office sources, will also receive $350,000 to apply to Sharpe's salary next season as a bonus to the acquisition of Afflalo, who played sparingly in Detroit over the past two seasons after the Pistons selected him No. 27 overall in the 2007 draft.

After the recent signings of Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva, Detroit will have an estimated $3.5 million in cap space after completing this deal.

Among the top big men still available on the free-agent market are Boston Celtics restricted free agent Glen Davis and San Antonio Spurs unrestricted free agent Drew Gooden. The Pistons earlier expressed strong interest in Brandon Bass, who has signed with the Orlando Magic.

The draft pick to be conveyed to Detroit, sources say, will be Denver's second-round pick in 2011. But Portland owns the right to switch its second-round pick with the Nuggets that year as part of an earlier transaction. That means the Pistons will end up with the lower of Portland's or Denver's draft choice in 2011.

Afflalo averaged 4.9 points in 74 games last season. The former UCLA star scored a career-high 24 at Houston on March 18.

Sharpe played in eight games with the Pistons last season. He also appeared in four with Fort Wayne of the NBA Development League. The 6-foot-9 forward was taken by the Seattle Sonics in the second round of the 2008 draft, before being dealt to Detroit later that night.

"We are very pleased to add two young promising prospects like Arron and Walter to our veteran roster," said Mark Warkentien, the Nuggets' vice president of basketball operations. "Arron is a proven NBA defender with an incredible work ethic and Walter is a talented but raw player with tremendous upside."

 

[RatBastich]

Report: Clips talking to A.I.

ESPN.com news services

The makeover of the Los Angeles Clippers may include a former scoring champion.

The team is in "very serious" talks with Allen Iverson on a contract, the Los Angeles Times reported on Monday. ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported on Sunday that the Memphis Grizzlies have been pursuing Iverson, but owner Michael Heisley thought the Miami Heat had the inside track. The Charlotte Bobcats were also reported to have interest.

Iverson is a 10-time All-Star who has led the league in scoring four times. He has averaged 23.5 points and 5.4 assists per game over his 13 seasons but posted a career low 17.4 ppg average last season.

A bad back limited Iverson to 57 games last season between the Denver Nuggets and Detroit Pistons. He was also embroiled in controversy when he bristled at coming off the bench for Detroit.

The Clippers may be prepared to offer their full mid-level exception of $5.8 million on a one-year contract. The Grizzlies are reportedly willing to offer something in the same neighborhood, but the Heat are thought to be interested in paying him less than half of that figure.

The Clippers drafted Blake Griffin with the first overall pick in this year's NBA draft. They also traded forward Zach Randolph to the Grizzlies for swingman Quentin Richardson.
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Grizzlies hope to lure Iverson

By Marc Stein
ESPN.com

LAS VEGAS -- Memphis Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley thinks that the Miami Heat are "the odds-on favorite" to sign free-agent guard Allen Iverson but hasn't abandoned hope of acquiring the four-time scoring champion.

In a halftime interview Sunday at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, where No. 2 overall draft pick Hasheem Thabeet made his professional debut in the Grizzlies' 86-57 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Heisley confirmed to ESPN.com that he still wants to bring Iverson to Memphis.

"I think he's got three teams he's talking to," Heisley said, referring to the Grizzlies, Heat and the Charlotte Bobcats, who are widely presumed to be interested because Iverson's former coach, Larry Brown, has said he's open to coaching Iverson again.

[RatBastich]

Report: Suns buy out Wallace

ESPN.com news services

Ben Wallace, acquired by the Phoenix Suns in the trade that sent Shaquille O'Neal to the Cleveland Cavaliers, has been bought out of his contract, the Arizona Republic reported.

The team agreed to pay Wallace $10 million for a contract that would have paid him $14 million in 2009-10, according to the report. Wallace, the NBA's defensive player of the year in 2006, was hampered by injuries last season and has said he is considering retirement.

Wallace averaged 6.5 rebounds and 2.9 points per game in 56 games for the Cavaliers this season, well below his career averages of 10.3 rebounds and and 6.2 points per game.

According to the report, the buyout could save the Suns $8 million, because the team's payroll is projected to exceed the league $69.9 million luxury tax limit -- above which teams must pay a dollar-for-dollar penalty for salaries in excess of that figure. It also frees up funds for the Suns to sign forward Grant Hill and Channing Frye.

[RatBastich]

Walker owes $822K in Vegas

Associated Press

LAS VEGAS -- A warrant has been issued for the arrest of former NBA star Antoine Walker on criminal charges stemming from $822,500 in gambling debts.

A court clerk says Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Melanie Tobiasson signed the warrant Tuesday.

Walker is accused of three felony counts of writing bad checks. County prosecutors say he failed to make good on 10 checks totaling $1 million written to Caesars Palace, Planet Hollywood and the Red Rock Resort.

Walker's lawyer in Las Vegas, Jonathan Powell, didn't immediately respond Tuesday to messages.

Prosecutor Bernie Zadrowski told the Las Vegas Sun that Walker has repaid $178,000 of the debts incurred last July to January.

Walker last played for the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2008. He was an All-Star with the Boston Celtics, and won an NBA championship in 2006 with the Miami Heat.

[RatBastich]

Sources: Lakers pull Odom offer

By Marc Stein
ESPN.com

LAS VEGAS -- Lamar Odom and the Los Angeles Lakers had reached an agreement on annual salary before the Lakers pulled out of contract talks with their versatile sixth man, sources with knowledge of the talks said on Tuesday.

Sources told ESPN.com that Odom and the Lakers had reached an accord entering the weekend on a per-season wage of $9 million for the 29-year-old. But Odom balked at L.A.'s unwillingness to extend an offer spanning more than three years in length and spent the past few days weighing his options.

The Los Angeles Times reported on its Web site earlier Tuesday night that Lakers owner Jerry Buss, upset that he was still waiting for Odom's response, has decided to take the offer off the table. Yet one source told ESPN.com that Odom was never given a deadline to accept or pass on the Lakers' three-year, $27 million pitch.

[RatBastich]

Stoudemire deal depends on health

Associated Press

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns want to see how Amare Stoudemire returns from eye surgery before offering him a contract extension.

The All-Star forward missed the rest of the season after a Feb. 20 operation to repair a partially detached retina, and last week he underwent another procedure as part of the recovery process.

"I think everything looks great, but before you make that kind of a financial commitment, or any commitment in this league, you have to know that your player is fine and ready to go," Suns general manager Steve Kerr said on Tuesday. "I'm on the same page as Charlie [Grantham, Stoudemire's agent] and Amare. We need to see Amare on the court in October and see that everything's going to be OK, which we fully expect. Before we make that kind of commitment, you'd better be sure."

After a workout at U.S. Airways Center last week, Stoudemire said he believes he deserves a maximum extension.

Stoudemire can become a free agent after next season, but he has said he'd like to remain with the team that drafted him in the first round in 2002 -- as long as the Suns are contenders. Phoenix missed the playoffs last season.

The Suns have fielded trade offers for Stoudemire this summer. But if they decide to keep him, they could sign him to an extension at any point next season.

Those talks could heat up if Stoudemire comes back strong from his surgery, as he has vowed to do.

"We need to see him play," Kerr said. "Charlie knows that. Amare knows that. Obviously, the eye situation was more serious than what we first thought. The recovery time has taken longer."

Meanwhile, Kerr seemed optimistic that the club will be able to sign two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash to an extension. The team has an option for the upcoming season.

Kerr said he and Suns owner Robert Sarver planned to meet with Nash's representative this week in Las Vegas, where the Suns brass is attending the Las Vegas Summer League. Kerr said discussions with Nash have been upbeat.

"We've kind of put the ball in their court, and we'll see how the next meeting goes," Kerr said. "I feel confident, but it has to actually happen before we can celebrate."

[RatBastich]

Boozer expects trade from Jazz

Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY -- Carlos Boozer doesn't expect to be playing for the Utah Jazz this season.

Just two weeks ago, Boozer opted to remain with the Jazz for the final year of his contract. But the two-time All-Star told a Chicago radio station Tuesday he expects the Jazz to trade him.

"The Jazz told me they want to go in a different direction and I respect their decision," Boozer said Tuesday during an interview with WMVP. "We mutually agreed to work out a trade that was beneficial for them and beneficial for my family and me. So with that being said I'm gonna be traded relatively soon or in good time."

Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor did not return messages seeking comment Tuesday.

Boozer had an option to void the final year of his contract, but decided on the final day to stay with the Jazz for the guaranteed $12.7 million rather than risk losing money in a tight free-agent market.

The Jazz already appear headed above the luxury tax threshold, especially if they match Portland's four-year, $32 million -- including $10.3 million up front -- offer to restricted free agent Paul Millsap. Utah has until the end of the week to decide whether to keep Millsap.

Boozer has averaged 19 points and 10 rebounds since Utah signed him as a restricted free agent five years ago, but has only played in 276 of a possible 410 games with the Jazz. He was limited to 37 games last season, due largely to an injury that required surgery on his left knee in January.

"I've had a couple of spells, injuries that I can't control but my body feels 100 percent," Boozer told WMVP. "I'm healthy and doing really well. I'm looking forward to next season so much to prove to everybody that I can play through the whole season and at the same time to dominate again, so I'm looking forward to it."

[champloofan]

Just wanted to say thanks for posting all the NBA news, L-san. Makes it easy for me! I hope LO stays with the Lakers!

[RatBastich]

Kahn to discuss Rubio buyout

Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Timberwolves cannot do much financially to help Ricky Rubio with a multimillion-dollar buyout of his contract with DKV Joventut in Spain.

So team president David Kahn is heading across the Atlantic to meet with the team personally in hopes of lowering the $6.6 million price tag that has threatened to keep the wunderkind point guard in Europe for at least next season.

Kahn confirmed his plans to travel to Spain in a text message to The Associated Press on Thursday but declined further comment, including when the trip will take place. It was first reported by YahooSports.com.

Rubio, who was drafted fifth overall by the Timberwolves in June, is still under contract with Joventut for the next two seasons. After helping Spain to a silver medal at the Beijing Olympics and playing in the Spanish ACB since the tender age of 14, the 18-year-old is ready to test his skills in the NBA.

The one thing holding him back appears to be money. Rubio made less than $100,000 playing for Joventut last season, so it is no surprise that the prospect of being on the hook for millions of dollars before he even plays a game in the United States would give him pause.

Further complicating the matter is a rule in the NBA's collective bargaining agreement that stipulates the Timberwolves can only pay $500,000 of that large sum to help offset the cost.

From the day Kahn drafted Rubio, to the delight of the Timberwolves fan base, the new president has taken a pragmatic approach to a sticky situation. He said the young and rebuilding team would be willing to wait a year, or even two, if Rubio could not reach an agreeable buyout agreement with Joventut.

Before joining the NBA, Kahn was an attorney at the law firm Proskauer Rose, the same firm that produced NBA commissioner David Stern. That experience could help him as the Timberwolves try to navigate what he has called "a thorny" legal issue.

"We will be totally supportive of Ricky and his family and [agent Dan] Fegan in any way, shape or form," Kahn said the day after Rubio was drafted. "If there's anything we can do to be of assistance or of help, as long as it is within the rules, we will."

[RatBastich]

NBA, players to talk deal Aug. 4

ESPN.com news services

LAS VEGAS -- After covening a rare summer session of the NBA's Board of Governors, commissioner David Stern revealed that a newly formed labor committee will start negotiations with the NBA Players Association on a new collective bargaining agreement early next month.

Saying that less than half the teams in the league made a profit last season, Stern spoke at length Tuesday about the financial difficulties facing the league's 30 franchises and announced that the first negotiating session with the NBAPA will be Aug. 4, some 15 months before the current agreement ends in December 2010.

"The losses that are being shown by the league and the decrease in business, although our decreases are less than many other businesses, are going to be delivered in some detail to the players with an understanding that whatever further details they need they'll have," Stern said after meeting with the board in Las Vegas.

[RatBastich]

Report: Heat, offer Odom deal

ESPN.com news services

The Miami Heat and Lamar Odom have discussed a deal that would approach the $9 million salary the free-agent forward nearly agreed to last week with the Los Angeles Lakers before talks broke down, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel has reported.

The Heat, who traded Odom to the Lakers five years ago in the trade that brought Shaquille O'Neal to South Florida, have made Odom a firm offer to return, according to The Associated Press.

Pat Riley, addressing Heat season-ticket holders in a two-day session Thursday and Friday that was closed to media, said the Heat were also monitoring Carlos Boozer's status with the Utah Jazz but had not entered discussions on acquiring the forward.

Riley said the team could add Odom, Boozer or both without sacrificing its goals toward 2010's free-agent class, the Sun-Sentinel reported, citing people in attendance at the private sit-ins and sources involved in the Heat's dealings.

Florida's lack of state taxes and other payment options give the Heat the ability to offer Odom a contract matching the scrapped Lakers deal, the Fort Lauderdale newspaper reported.

[thatonezombie]

Dwyane Wade leaves Converse to join Jordan Brand

Upon signing, Dwyane had this to say, “For me, the move to Jordan Brand is a dream come true. As a kid, I grew up on the south side of Chicago idolizing Michael Jordan and have worked hard to achieve the same success that he’s had on the court. I have enormous respect for this brand and all that it stands for. I’m humbled to be a part of the Team Jordan family and I’m looking forward to a great future.”

When asked about the landing Wade, Michael Jordan replied, “I’m thrilled to have Dwyane Wade join the Team Jordan family. In his short time in the league, Dwyane has transformed himself into one of the game’s best and is the embodiment of leadership both on and off the court, a signature trait of our athletes. As the Jordan franchise approaches its silver anniversary, Dwyane will become a pinnacle member of the Jordan roster poised to help lead the Brand for years to come.”

http://sneakernews.com/2009/07/17/dwyane-wade-signs-with-jordan-brand/

[RatBastich]

Yao to have surgery, likely out 2009-10

By Ric Bucher
ESPN The Magazine

Houston Rockets center Yao Ming has elected to have extensive surgery on his fractured left foot that almost certainly eliminates his chances of playing next season but offers hope that he can resume his NBA career and not fracture the foot a career-ending third time.

After consultation with a battery of doctors, Yao, 28, has decided to undergo a bone graft to heal the existing fracture and have his arch surgically lowered to reduce the stress on his foot.

Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas had a fracture in the same part of the foot, had a similar combination of surgeries and has played the last eight seasons without suffering another fracture.

Yao has broken the foot twice, most recently last May in Game 3 of Houston's second-round playoff battle with the eventual champions, the Lakers.

[RatBastich]

Clips trade Randolph to Grizzlies

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- The Clippers have traded leading scorer Zach Randolph to Memphis in exchange for Quentin Richardson.

The deal was announced Friday.

Richardson averaged 10.2 points and 4.4 rebounds in 72 games with the New York Knicks last season. He's returning to the Clippers, where he played from 2000-04 after being drafted by the team out of DePaul.

The 29-year-old guard-forward was acquired by Memphis on June 25 in exchange for Darko Milicic. Richardson originally left Los Angeles as a free agent and went to Phoenix, where he played one season before joining the Knicks.

Randolph was acquired in a trade with the Knicks in November 2008. The forward averaged 20.8 points and 10.1 rebounds in 50 games for the Clippers last season.

But he had a rocky season off the court, including his father's death in March.

Randolph was suspended for two games by the team after being arrested for investigation of drunken driving in April. He was suspended for two games for punching a Phoenix player in February.

In 2003 while with the Portland Trail Blazers, Randolph was arrested after an officer noticed the smell of marijuana coming from his vehicle.

[RatBastich]

Walker arrested at Lake Tahoe cabaret

Associated Press

LAS VEGAS -- Former NBA All-Star Antoine Walker is playing golf this weekend in northern Nevada before a scheduled court date Monday in Las Vegas in a case involving an $822,500 gambling debt.

Walker, who last played for the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2008, teed off Friday in a celebrity golf tournament at Lake Tahoe a day after posting a $135,000 cash bail following his arrest at Harrah's Tahoe.

Walker, 32, of Chicago made no mention of his arrest at the start of play in the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship. His lawyer, Jonathan Powell in Las Vegas, did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

[RatBastich]

Source: Wilcox agrees with Pistons

By Chad Ford
ESPN.com

The Detroit Pistons have agreed to a two-year deal with free agent Chris Wilcox, a source told ESPN.com.

The deal is for $6 million over the next two years according to sources.

Wilcox was signed as a replacement for Antonio McDyess, who left the team via free agency to sign with the Spurs.

Wilcox is an athletic big who, at 26, still has some upside. However, he's coming off one of the worst seasons of his career.

The previous three years, Wilcox averaged a little more than 13 points, but his numbers dipped to 7.2 per game last season in time split between the Thunder and Knicks.

The Pistons are hoping Wilcox can provide some scoring and athleticism off the bench behind another free agent signing, Charlie Villanueva.

[RatBastich]

Cavs ink Moon to offer sheet

By Marc Stein
ESPN.com

The Cleveland Cavaliers have continued their offseason remodeling by signing restricted free agent Jamario Moon to an offer sheet.

Full details of the offer sheet are unlikely to be known until Monday, when the contract is submitted to the league office. But sources said that the deal signed Friday which Heat officials confirmed after an ESPN.com report earlier Sunday -- spans two guaranteed years.

The Miami Heat will have seven days to match the offer once it's formally processed, but Cleveland would appear to have a good chance of landing Moon given Miami's well-chronicled desire to avoid new contracts longer than one year to protect its 2010 salary-cap space.

[RatBastich]

Thabeet signs with Grizzlies

Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- First-round draft pick Hasheem Thabeet has signed with the Memphis Grizzlies.

The 7-foot-3 center from Connecticut was the second pick in the draft. Thabeet is due to make about $7.7 million over two years under the rookie salary scale.

Thabeet is the first Tanzanian-born player drafted by an NBA team. He averaged 13.6 points, nearly 11 rebounds and four blocks per game at UConn last season and was named Big East co-player of the year.

Thabeet is also second on the Big East's all-time blocked shots list behind Patrick Ewing.