2006 NBA Draft/Offseason Thread

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Mantle2600

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2513416

CLEVELAND -- LeBron James won't be leaving home anytime soon.

Cleveland's All-Star forward accepted a five-year contract extension worth about $80 million from the Cavaliers on Saturday, a huge relief for the rising team and its fretting fans who worried he might be planning an escape.

James, who in three seasons as a pro has turned the Cavaliers from doormats into a playoff team, will sign the deal once the league's moratorium ends Wednesday, said his agent Leon Rose.

"I am very excited and happy to be re-signing with the Cavaliers. Staying in Cleveland ... provides me with the unique opportunity to continue to play in front of my family, friends and fans," James said in a statement released by his publicist. "I look forward to working toward bringing a championship to our great fans and the city of Cleveland."

Actually the deal is 4 years/60 million, and there is an opt out clause on the the 4th year. So the Cavs have 3 years to win a title, or they will probably have to trade him in that following year.

[miami_fan]

I think if they are competing for a championship over the next three years, I think he stays. Competing for me would be Eastern Conference finals or better 2 out of the next three years.

[miami_fan]

Dola,
Since they should have been building for a championnship since he got there you can actually say that they will have seven years to build a champion.

Interesting commentary on the radio this morning. The deals for Bosh, Wade and Anthony have not been signed yet. What are the chances of one, some or all of these guys doing the same thing James has done?

[stevew]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

Dola,
Since they should have been building for a championnship since he got there you can actually say that they will have seven years to build a champion.

Interesting commentary on the radio this morning. The deals for Bosh, Wade and Anthony have not been signed yet. What are the chances of one, some or all of these guys doing the same thing James has done?

Bosh and Wade probably haven't made the same kind of money that Melo has off of sneakers. I think Wade only got something like 400k for the converse line. Obviously he's probably renegotiating by now. Bosh and Wade both would be wise to lock themselves into 5 years for financial reasons, both probably have the 5th year as an early termination option if they choose too. Wade is a great player, he seems the type that if he were to tear an ACL that he might lose a step and therefore become more mortal.

Carmelo probably did very well on his sneakers, but he should definitely stay with 5 years. Some would already consider him questionably overpaid as it is.

[Mantle2600]

Well according to the Akron-Beacon Journal...

http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjourna...s/15004361.htm

LeBron contract in flux
ESPN report says deal only for four years
By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sportswriter

The LeBron James contract story won't go to bed.

Late Sunday night, ESPN reported James will not be accepting the full five-year maximum contract extension worth $80 million as widely assumed after he announced he'd re-sign with the Cavaliers on Saturday.

Instead, the network reported, he'll sign a four-year deal worth close to $60 million and have an opt-out clause after the third year of the extension, giving him a chance to be an unrestricted free agent in 2010. The extension begins in 2007.

The report appears both premature and flawed. NBA officials confirmed the Cavs and James have not even discussed final terms of the deal yet. Those talks are scheduled to begin today or Tuesday.

According to the new collective bargaining agreement reached last year, contracts of fewer than five years cannot have opt-out clauses, referred to as ``early termination options.''

ESPN also reported that James' strategy would be tied to a new collective bargaining agreement in 2011. But the current agreement actually runs through 2012.

James' contract might indeed have an opt-out clause after the fourth year, meaning he could be a free agent in 2011.

James' agent, Leon Rose, declined to discuss the contract terms until after the NBA's moratorium period ends on Wednesday.

[miami_fan]

Dwyane Wade could be following LeBron James' lead.

Wade, who reportedly agreed to a five-year, $80 million max extension with the Miami Heat last week, is instead expected to sign a three-year deal with a player option for a fourth season, ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher reported Tuesday.

Earlier this week, sources told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith that James had agreed to a three-year extension worth approximately $60 million, with a player option for a fourth season (rather than what was reported earlier as James being able to opt out of a four-year deal).

On Monday, ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported that Carmelo Anthony was also considering signing a contract extension with the Denver Nuggets similar to the deal James intends to sign with Cleveland.

Wade is under contract for next season with the Heat, who will try to defend their first NBA championship. Wade has repeatedly said he wants to stay in Miami. Other than coach Pat Riley saying that getting Wade to agree to an extension is Miami's top offseason priority, the team has not commented on the negotiation process.

Wade was the fifth pick in the 2003 draft, and his rise to stardom was quick. He averaged a career-best 27.2 points during the regular season, making 49.5 percent of his shots, plus averaging 6.7 assists and 5.7 rebounds.

In the playoffs, he was even better, averaging 28.4 points -- and 34.7 in the NBA Finals, when he led the Heat past the Dallas Mavericks in six games.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

In other news
-The cap is 53.135 while the luxury tax threshold will be 65.42.

The Knicks are the only team that is guaranteed to be over the cap.

-Mike James is expected to sign a 4 deal with the Wolves

-Free Agency can officially begin at 12:01am et

[Groundhog]

*Spurs sign Jacque Vaughn. I like Vaughn and think he's a decent 2nd string PG for a winning team. Nothing flashy, but a bargain pickup.

*Derek Fisher trade from Warriors to Jazz for Devin Brown, Keith McLeod and Andre Owens. Eh. Jazz get a decent backup PG I guess. A bit of a nothing trade IMO, mainly because I'm not a big fan of Fisher.

*Raptors sign Anthony Parker. The Euroleague MVP. I'll be interested in how this guy does. I have a friend who followed him at Maccabi Tel Aviv, and thinks he is a legitmate NBA SG. We'll see.

*Hornets trade Kirk Snyder to Rockets for cash and "future draft considerations". The Hornets publically slammed Snyder a few days ago, calling him a selfish ballhog, so this is no surprise. Could be a bargain for the Rockets if he gets his head together.

*Adrian Griffin to the Bulls. Good signing. I don't agree with the amount of cash that the Bulls threw at Ben Wallace, but I like the core they are putting together here. They have the role players in Wallace, PJ Brown and Griffin, but are their young guys good enough to be the stars that can carry this franchise?

*Drew Gooden still unsigned. Asking for ridiculous cash, but the Cavs won't bite. I really hope we can sign and trade him this offseason. I'll sleep much easier if he isn't our starting PF next season.

*Mourning back with Heat. No surprise.

And I think that just about catches us back up...

[MacroGuru]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

*Derek Fisher trade from Warriors to Jazz for Devin Brown, Keith McLeod and Andre Owens. Eh. Jazz get a decent backup PG I guess. A bit of a nothing trade IMO, mainly because I'm not a big fan of Fisher.

He is a SG for the Jazz, they wanted his ability to shot and his veteran leadership

[bulletsponge]

Kirk Snyder? never heard of him

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by bulletsponge

Kirk Snyder? never heard of him

He is a 6'6 SG who was selected #16 in the NBA draft back in 2004 by the Utah Jazz. He averaged 5.0ppg in 68 games as a rookie, notching 7 starts, before falling out of favour and being traded to the Hornets before the 2005 season. As a Hornet he started 45 out of 68 games, averaging 8.0ppg on .453 shooting, but again he found himself in the doghouse.

He's talented but has quickly fallen out of favour with two teams in his first two seasons. Low risk/decent potential pay-off for the Rockets, as they can just opt not to pick up the option on him after this season if he doesn't pan out for them.

[JeeberD]

It pained me when I learned that my Rockets traded for a former Nevada Wolfpunk player...

[Groundhog]

*JR Smith, who was sent to the Bulls in the Chandler-PJ Brown trade, is on the move again to the Nuggets for Howard Eisley (who will be waived) and 2 2nd rounders. Bulls needed to free up some cap space, and the Nuggets get a young kid with potential.

*Gary Payton returning for one more season with the Heat. He, along with Mourning, should have gone out on top IMO.

*Hornets re-sign Rasual Butler, and coach Byron Scott slams former player and new Rocket Kirk Snyder yet again, "I could throw Kirk in the game, and I don't know what I'm going to get."

[chinaski]

damn gary, im your biggest fan and even i think you shouldve hung it up.

[Groundhog]

Here's how some of the top picks of the draft performed in the Las Vegas summer league:

#1 pick Andrea Bargnani - Raptors - 13.2ppg, 3.8rpg, 0.6apg, .467fg%
#2 pick LaMarcus Aldridge - Portland - 11.6ppg, 6.6rpg, 1.8bpg, .479ppg
#6 pick Brandon Roy - Portland - 19.0ppg, 3.4rpg, 3.6apg, .647fg%
#7 pick Randy Foye - Minnesota - 24.8ppg, 4.2rpg, 2.2apg, .530fg%
#9 pick Patrick O'Bryant - Warriors - 9.6ppg, 4.2rpg, 1.4bpg, .450fg%
#12 pick Hilton Armstrong - Hornets - 12.7ppg, 6.3rpg, 0.3bpg, .609fg%

[miami_fan]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2522205

The Washington Wizards signed free agent forward Darius Songaila to a five-year, $23 million dollar deal, Songaila's agent, Mark Bartlestein, told ESPN.com.

Songaila's deal includes a player option for the fifth year of the contract.

Songaila is a skilled four man with a sweet outside shot and the ability to go inside and bang. The move means that it's now very likely that the Wizards' first-round pick, Olexsiy Pecherov, will return to Europe for another season, a source close to the Wizards confirmed to ESPN.com.

The moves use the up the majority of the Wizards' mid-level exception, with Songaila's deal taking up around $4 million of Washington's $5.135 million mid-level exception.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by Chad Ford

Songaila is a skilled four man with a sweet outside shot and the ability to go inside and bang.

I find this line hilarious. Sounds like something The Ladies Man would say.

[miami_fan]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2519912

ORLANDO, Fla. -- As summer leagues go, the 2003 version in Orlando will likely forever remain the gold standard. Having players like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Darko Milicic and T.J. Ford making their professional debuts tends to help matters.



The 2006 version wrapped up Friday in Orlando, and while it certainly didn't pack the same sort of punch as the one three years earlier, it will remain memorable because of the depth of talent among the youngsters.

The summer camp featured six first-round draft picks -- seven if you want to figure in Magic rookie J.J. Redick, who was reduced to watching because of his lingering lower back injury.

Adam Morrison (Bobcats), Tyrus Thomas (Bulls) and Marcus Williams (Nets) showed flashes of greatness throughout the week, while fellow first-rounders Shawne Williams (Pacers), Thabo Sefolosha (Bulls) and Josh Boone (Nets) proved themselves to be more than capable.

"All I have to do is look down at this logo and know that I'm in the NBA now,'' said Thomas, who averaged 16.2 points and seven rebounds in five games for Chicago. "I think this week will be the perfect springboard into training camp."

Before the looking ahead to training camp starts, let's take a look back at this summer league. Veterans Sean May (Bobcats), Earl Barron (Heat), Danny Granger (Pacers) and Antoine Wright (Nets) made huge strides, matching their rookie counterparts.

Here's one writer's all-tournament team from the past week:

• Small forward -- Adam Morrison, Bobcats: Sure, he averaged a camp-best 24.6 points per game, but it was the sophistication with how he scored that was the most impressive. When he wasn't raining in deep jumpers from the perimeter, he was burying floaters in the lane or scoring on nifty post-up spins. Far more athletic than many want to give him credit, Morrison was also able to consistently beat defenders off the dribble and get to the basket. That helped him get to the line a whopping 53 times in the five games (49 makes).

Morrison admitted he's been pleasantly surprised with the respect he's gotten from NBA officials. "I like it because they don't let guys just mug you away from the ball," Morrison said. "In college, they would hold and smack me every night because of some of the things I did. In the NBA, they at least protect you somewhat.''

• Power forward -- Sean May, Bobcats: When May went down in a heap Friday it looked for an instant that Charlotte's worst fears had come true. May had his rookie season ruined by a knee injury, and had to hobble off the court Friday against Indiana.

As it turns out, it was little more than a mild ankle sprain. And that injury could hardly overshadow the 6-foot-9 forward's impressive week. On a stage where it's often hard for big men to thrive because of the sloppy nature of the games, May poured in 18.6 points a game on 60.5 percent shooting. And by Friday it was hard to tell which was more impressive -- May showing no signs of rust from being out most of last season or that he had added a perimeter shot to his offensive arsenal?


• Center -- Earl Barron, Heat: Who knew a Miami Heat center could actually shoot 88.7 percent from the foul line? Maybe the 7-foot, 245-pound Barron's first assignment upon getting back to South Florida should be to work with Shaq at the charity stripe. Barron gave the rest of the league a look at why the Heat are so high on him with several impressive showings. Miami already knew he had the ability to bury 15-foot jumpers in pick-and-pop plays, but the mild-mannered Barron also displayed some grit on the low block this week.

After Barron averaged 22 points and 7.2 rebounds, it's a near certainty the Heat will pick up the option on his contract and have him in camp in October. And if Alonzo Mourning leaves the Heat via free agency or retirement, don't be surprised to see Barron playing big minutes alongside of Shaq come next season.

• Small forward/power forward/shooting guard -- Tyrus Thomas, Bulls: He was arguably the best pure athlete in Orlando this week with his ability to soar high into the air and snatch rebounds and block shots from the weak side. But still, there are lingering questions as to what position Thomas will play for the Scott Skiles this season. At 6-foot-9, 215 pounds, he's not nearly big enough to withstand the punishment of guarding NBA-caliber power forwards on the low block. And with his jump shot still a work in progress, some wonder how he'll do as a wing player in the NBA.

But because he is a gritty defender and an athletic specimen, few doubt that Skiles will have trouble getting Thomas on the floor for significant minutes.

"My main thing is to just do whatever it takes to get on the court and not worry about what position I'm playing,'' Thomas said. "At LSU, I could shoot the ball, but I didn't really get the chance to in games. I think I shot it pretty well this week. I'll keep working at it and make myself a better shooter.''


• Point guard -- Travis Diener, Magic: Somewhat unsure about Diener after a shaky rookie season rattled his confidence, Orlando invited former Syracuse star Gerry McNamara to this camp to challenge Diener. But by the end of the week, this was no contest, with Diener being the clear winner.

(It should be noted that McNamara was playing with a groin injury and it showed in his rocky play).

Morrison was the clear-cut star of the camp and New Jersey's Marcus Williams redeemed himself after falling to the 22nd pick on draft night. But it was the 6-foot, 175-pound Diener who played the role of giant-killer for the Magic.

His 34-point, five-assist, four-rebound demolition of Chicago was the week's best single-game effort. And by turning the ball over just four times -- ball security is a must in Brian Hill's offense -- Diener likely played his way back onto the Magic's regular-season roster next season.

"This was probably the best thing that could have happened to me,'' said a relieved Diener, who shaved his scraggly beard off before Friday's finale. "My confidence is really high. I can go back home now and just get myself ready for training camp.''

John Denton covers the Orlando Magic for Florida Today.

So Morrison is already getting the calls from the NBA refs?

[miami_fan]

Fashion Update

Steve Nash has a buzz cut

[JeeberD]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

Fashion Update

Steve Nash has a buzz cut

In other news, the Rockets are bringing in 2004 second round pick Vassilis Spanoulis from Greece on a 3 year, $6million contract...

[mckerney]

Marcus Banks is headed to Phoenix, don't think he'll be missed much by the Wolves. Wish I could say I couldn't believe McHale gave up first rounders for him and Jaric last season in two deals where the other teams got the better end of the deal even without the picks, but it's not like it's the worst use of picks during his tenure.

[rkmsuf]

Originally Posted by mckerney

Marcus Banks is headed to Phoenix, don't think he'll be missed much by the Wolves. Wish I could say I couldn't believe McHale gave up first rounders for him and Jaric last season in two deals where the other teams got the better end of the deal even without the picks, but it's not like it's the worst use of picks during his tenure.

Banks stinks but probably is in a great situation for him in Phoenix.

[miami_fan]

-Jackie Butler is going to leave the Knicks. He is going to the Spurs for three years $7 mil. He is a casualty of the Knicks' salary cap. His numbers may not be huge, but from the few times I saw him play he seems like a pretty good young big man. Kinda of funny the rumors are that the Spurs signed him to the deal on the recommendation of......Larry Brown.

-Nuggets pick up JR Smith from the Bulls for Howard Eisley and two second round picks in the 2007 draft.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by mckerney

Marcus Banks is headed to Phoenix, don't think he'll be missed much by the Wolves. Wish I could say I couldn't believe McHale gave up first rounders for him and Jaric last season in two deals where the other teams got the better end of the deal even without the picks, but it's not like it's the worst use of picks during his tenure.

Even better--I believe we (Clips) have tabs on your pick now next year, no matter where you end up. We had it this year, but it was lottery-protected. I don't think you have that same guarantee for next year.

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Even better--I believe we (Clips) have tabs on your pick now next year, no matter where you end up. We had it this year, but it was lottery-protected. I don't think you have that same guarantee for next year.

I believe that's true.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by mckerney

I believe that's true.

Sorry about that, mckerney. I know how it feels to have a dumbass like McHale as a GM for one of your favorite teams. As a GM, he makes a terrific power forward. I can't believe he can fail to surround such an amazing talent like Garnett with real players for ten years straight. And even if he did have decent success, he would still qualify as a twit for the Joe Smith fiasco. I mean, Joe Smith!

How does he keep his job? Does he carry around the same magic fired-be-gone elixir that Millen apparently has in Detroit?

[MrBug708]

Generally when picks are protected, the first year it's lotto protected, the second it is Top 3 protected, then the third year is unrestricted

[stevew]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Generally when picks are protected, the first year it's lotto protected, the second it is Top 3 protected, then the third year is unrestricted

2007 first round draft pick from Minnesota
Minnesota’s own 2007 1st round pick to the L.A. Clippers (top 10 protected in the 2007 Draft, top 10 protected in the 2008 Draft, top 10 protected in 2009, top 10 protected in 2010, top 10 protected in 2011, and unprotected in the 2012 Draft). [LA Clippers – Minnesota, 8/12/2005]

[miami_fan]

Combined with the earlier trade (Marquis Daniels for Austin Croshere), the Mavs have shook up their roster much more than I expected they would.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Pacers will send point guard Anthony Johnson to the Dallas Mavericks for veteran floor leader Darrell Armstrong and two other players, Armstrong's agent said Sunday.

Armstrong, forward Josh Powell and swingman Rawle Marshall are headed to the Pacers in a sign-and-trade deal that can't be completed until the NBA office opens Monday.

Johnson gives the Mavericks a pass-first point guard to complement starters Jason Terry and Devin Harris, both of whom are more scorers than distributors. Johnson also is taller than Armstrong, and a strong defender with solid playoff experience.

Dallas had been considering signing Chucky Atkins to fill the same role. By getting Johnson in a trade, the Mavs instead can spend their remaining salary cap money on a backup swingman and a third-string power forward, the final two items on their offseason want list.

The 31-year-old Johnson averaged 20 points and 5.2 assists in six playoff games last season. He'll make around $2.6 million this season and $2.8 million the following year.

Johnson had been a backup for most of his career, but started 89 regular-season games the past two years while the Pacers fought through injuries and suspensions. He scored 40 points in his last game with Indiana, a loss to New Jersey in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The 38-year-old Armstrong is a 12-year veteran with career averages of 10.1 points and 4.4 assists. He spent most of his career with Orlando before brief stints in New Orleans and Dallas.

Armstrong played much of last season with a torn rotator cuff. His biggest contribution, though, was as a locker room leader. Among the players he mentored was Marquis Daniels, who was traded by Dallas to Indiana for Austin Croshere earlier this month.

Glenn Schwartzman, Armstrong's agent, said Daniels' move helped Armstrong, an unrestricted free agent, agree to go to the Pacers.

"I think Marquis going there certainly was a factor," Schwartzman said. "But Darrell's decision was about what was best for Darrell and his family."

Powell and Marshall were players being developed by the Mavericks. Both are coming off their first NBA season.

Powell played 37 games, starting twice, and saw mop-up duty in six playoff games. Marshall played 23 games, starting nine, but was left off the postseason roster.

[miami_fan]

http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/wbc200...ory?id=2529354

Associated Press


LAS VEGAS -- Shawn Marion, Adam Morrison and Luke Ridnour were left off the U.S. national team's roster Tuesday before its trip to Asia for the world championships next month.

Amare Stoudemire and Kirk Hinrich were the only moderately surprising inclusions on the 15-man roster, which will play five warmup games in Las Vegas, China and Korea before opening the world championships in Japan on Aug. 19.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski and his staff must trim the roster to 12 players before the world championships.

Marion, the Phoenix Suns' three-time NBA All-Star, apparently was left off the roster because of a minor knee injury. He was just one of five candidates remaining from the 2004 U.S. Olympic team, which won a disappointing bronze medal.

Hinrich, the Chicago Bulls point guard, beat out Ridnour for the ostensible third-string spot behind Chris Paul and Gilbert Arenas. Hinrich was slowed by a hamstring injury during the team's weeklong training camp in Las Vegas, but apparently did enough to impress Krzyzewski.

Stoudemire earned a spot on the traveling team with a remarkable comeback from surgery on both knees during last season with the Suns, when he played in three NBA games. The 6-foot-10 forward looked strong and mobile during training camp despite struggling during summer-league play a few weeks ago.

The rest of the 15-man roster includes LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Shane Battier, Chris Bosh, Bruce Bowen, Elton Brand, Dwight Howard, Antawn Jamison, Joe Johnson, Brad Miller, Arenas and Paul.

In all, 25 players have committed to be members of the U.S. national team for the next three years, through the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

[miami_fan]

Kevin Pittsnogle and Mike Gansey have both signed two year deals. Kevin with the Celts, Mike with the Heat.

[Groundhog]

Wow, with the way Pittsnogle stunk it up in the summer leagues I thought it'd be amazingly unlikely for him to sign anywhere but Europe. I guess the Celtics are looking for a LaFrentz replacement.

[miami_fan]

Neither one played particularly well.

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Sorry about that, mckerney. I know how it feels to have a dumbass like McHale as a GM for one of your favorite teams. As a GM, he makes a terrific power forward. I can't believe he can fail to surround such an amazing talent like Garnett with real players for ten years straight. And even if he did have decent success, he would still qualify as a twit for the Joe Smith fiasco. I mean, Joe Smith!

How does he keep his job? Does he carry around the same magic fired-be-gone elixir that Millen apparently has in Detroit?

The most popular explaination for how he still has a job is because of the Joe Smith situation. Most people in the media here seem to think that the situation was mostly Taylor's fault, but since McHale took most of the blame Taylor feels he owes it to McHale to let him keep the job.

[miami_fan]

Knicks make 5-year, $30M offer to Wizards' JeffriesESPN.com news services


A month ago, Isiah Thomas said he was "very comfortable" with the state of the New York Knicks' roster. Evidently "comfort" is only a temporary state of being.


On Friday, the Knicks offered Washington Wizards restricted free agent Jared Jeffries their mid-level exception, a five-year deal worth around $30 million. The Wizards will have seven days to match the offer once the team officially receives the paperwork.


"We have not received an offer, and if or when we do, we will have a week to explore all our options to determine our course of action," Wizards president of basketball operations Ernie Grunfeld told the New York Post.

Jeffries, listed as a guard/forward, played shooting guard, small forward, power forward and even center for the Wizards last year. The fourth-year player out of Indiana averaged 6.4 points per game and 4.9 rebounds while playing 25.4 minutes.



The Knicks already have four other small forwards -- David Lee, Quentin Richardson, Jalen Rose and first-round draft pick Renaldo Balkman -- but at 6-foot-11, Jeffries provides a different look for the team.



"We recognize they have a right to match," Jeffries' agent Andy Miller told the New York Times. "But hopefully, they take into consideration some of the human factors of it. In Jared's mind, he'd be better suited to playing in New York and for the Knicks."


Last season, New York stumbled to a 23-59 record -- second-worst in the NBA and equaling the most losses in club history. On June 22, the team fired coach Larry Brown just one season into a five-year deal worth a reported $50 million.


Thomas, who also serves as the Knicks' GM, replaced Brown. In his only other NBA coaching stint, Thomas went 131-115 in three seasons with the Indiana Pacers.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.


I am not exactly sure what the significance is when it come to Jeffries' height. He is all of 2 inches taller David Lee, and 3 inches taller than Isiah's prized first round pick Renaldo Balkman. I swear this man makes moves just for the sake of making of move.

[chinaski]

woohoo! Blazers send PG Steve Blake, PF Brian Skinner and C Ha Seung-Jin to the Bucks for..... Jamal Magloire! My Jailblazers are looking better and better.

hxxp://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2534901

Something seems stinkier than usual in Milwaukie, first dump Ford and now Magloire for peanuts?

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by chinaski

woohoo! Blazers send PG Steve Blake, PF Brian Skinner and C Ha Seung-Jin to the Bucks for..... Jamal Magloire! My Jailblazers are looking better and better.

hxxp://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2534901

Something seems stinkier than usual in Milwaukie, first dump Ford and now Magloire for peanuts?

Well, they didn't exactly dump Ford, as they got Charlie V in return. Charlie V allows Bogut to slide down to C, and is an exciting young prospect to boot. The Bucks have some depth at PG too. Maurice Williams had a good year and Charlie Bell can play some PG too. The addition of Steve Blake helps, but Williams should be the clear cut starter.

Don't be too excited about Magloire either; he puts up numbers, but the fact that this was the best the Bucks could get for him should tell you something. He is a very mediocre post player with a bland game on the offensive end consisting mainly of an inconsistent jumpshot, but he'll help allow the Blazers to bring Aldridge along slowly, as I doubt he's ready to step right in and start from day 1.

[Groundhog]

dola

Plus, the Bucks also have the under-rated Gadzuric on the bench as well as Joe Smith, so they are in good shape in the frontcourt.

I've become a mini-fan of the Bucks now that they have Bogut, and I've been pretty happy with the moves they've made. I only wish I could say the same for the Cavs...

[Groundhog]

Mavs sign ex-Laker Devean George for 2 years, 4.2mil.

I think George is a decent player, though he got more cash than I expected that he would. Very strange signing for the Mavs though. They drafted Maurice Ager, a 2-guard, and signed Greg Buckner earler - another 2-guard. Not to mention that they have Devin Harris + JT too. Looks like they may think Ager isn't ready just yet, while Harris+Buckner+George will battle for minutes and starts.

[stevew]

NBA Schedule is out.
Among other things, Kobe and Shaq spend their 3rd straight Xmas together.

Also the Cavs and Utah meet in Cleveland on St. Patty's day, for Duracell D battery night. I'd try to get tickets to this game, but I'm sure Boozer will strain something.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by stevew

NBA Schedule is out.
Among other things, Kobe and Shaq spend their 3rd straight Xmas together.

Also the Cavs and Utah meet in Cleveland on St. Patty's day, for Duracell D battery night. I'd try to get tickets to this game, but I'm sure Boozer will strain something.

Is there anybody outside of Los Angeles who is still interested in the Kobe/Shaq "rivalry"? Hell you could include the people in LA and you would still find that most people don't care. There are better matchups for the Christmas day slot.

[miami_fan]

The NBA is changing the way teams are seeded in the postseason, looking to avoid the controversy that surrounded last season's playoffs.

Starting in the upcoming season, the top four seeds -- the three division winners and the second-place team with the best record -- will be seeded according to their win-loss total, guaranteeing that the top two teams in each conference can't meet until the conference finals, the league announced Wednesday.

The NBA had given the top three seeds to division winners regardless of record, meaning a second-place team could not do better than the No. 4 seed, even if it had a better record than a division champion.

That rule came under fire last season when division rivals San Antonio and Dallas were forced to meet in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs, even though the second-place Mavericks had a far better record than division champions Phoenix or Denver.


Dallas knocked off the first-place Spurs in a thrilling matchup of 60-game winners, capturing Game 7 on the road in overtime.

The league's board of governors also voted to expand the postseason rosters to 15, instead of 13, with 12 players active for each game. That duplicates the rule used in the regular season.

The NBA champion Miami Heat were among those that criticized the policy that forced teams to carry fewer players in the playoffs than during the season.

Also, if a team has two 60-second timeouts left in the final two minutes of regulation or in overtime, one will be reduced to a 20-second timeout. Teams will now have two 60-second timeouts and one lasting 20 seconds in overtime, instead of three one-minute timeouts. Clubs will no longer be permitted to carry over a 20-second timeout from regulation into overtime.

"Our owners are intent on making the playoff seeding more fair for all teams going forward and in quickening the pace of the end of games," NBA executive vice president Stu Jackson said in a statement. "The board also thought it made sense to allow teams to utilize the same 15-man roster in the playoffs that they use during the regular season."

2005-06 playoff seedings
East West
1. Detroit San Antonio
2. Miami Phoenix
3. New Jersey Denver
4. Cleveland Dallas
5. Washington Memphis
6. Indiana L.A. Clippers
7. Chicago L.A. Lakers
8. Milwaukee Sacramento

2005-06 playoff seedings
under new format
East West
1. Detroit San Antonio
2. Miami Dallas
3. Cleveland Phoenix
4. New Jersey Denver
5. Washington Memphis
6. Indiana L.A. Clippers
7. Chicago L.A. Lakers
8. Milwaukee Sacramento



For the talk about the Western conference seeding, I did not notice that the Eastern conference seeding would have changed too. I wonder how the first round matchups of Nets/Wizards and Cavs/Pacers might have looked.

[jbmagic]

The NBA needs to reseed after every round like the NHL does it.

[Groundhog]

Knicks get Jeffries as the Wizards decide not to match.

Knicks frontcourt is now Eddy Curry-Channing Frye-Jared Jeffries. Not much in the way of rebounding, but I think it's safe to assume that Curry will score more and that Frye will continue to impress. Jeffries doesn't impress with his stat-line, but he would be a great role player for a good team. The Knicks aren't a good team however, so I'm not sure exactly how happy people will be with him. They have a lot of cash tied up in Q-Rich, too, who now figures to backup Jeffries and perhaps see some time behind Francis/Crawford. This roster really is a mess. They will be better this year, but they are stuck with mediocre players signed long term. They should bite the bullett and release the overpaid malcontents and suck for a few years - though not until this next season is over, as you don't want to increase the Bulls' chances of landing Oden as they own the Knicks pick.

Lorenzen Wright also signed with the Hawks for two years at a decent price (6mil I think). There was talk that the Cavs were talking with him, but I don't know how accurate that was. A nice signing for the Hawks, and I was sorta hopefull that we'd land him if we couldn't land Reggie Evans.

Speaking of whom, I haven't heard much else about Evans. He wants the whole mid-level to stay with Denver, but I'm doubtful they will give him that, and I don't think the Cavs will either. Money is on him returning to Denver however.

[Coffee Warlord]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

They should bite the bullett and release the overpaid malcontents and suck for a few years - though not until this next season is over, as you don't want to increase the Bulls' chances of landing Oden as they own the Knicks pick.

Hush you. They should do this immediately.

[sovereignstar]

I just read a sizzling hot rumor that Al Harrington might be part of a deal that would send him to LA. Chris Mihm plus someone else would go to Atlanta.

[jbmagic]

Hot rumour in LA.

There talks that the Lakers and Atlanta trying to work out a deal.

Lakers will get AL Harrington and send Chris Mim and another player to Atlanta.

I hope it goes thru.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by jbmagic

Hot rumour in LA.

There talks that the Lakers and Atlanta trying to work out a deal.

Lakers will get AL Harrington and send Chris Mim and another player to Atlanta.

I hope it goes thru.

Depending on which other player is included, that would be an OK trade for both teams. I think Mihm is a decent C - if somewhat inconsistent - and that's more valuable than an above average SF. The Lakers have Kwame Brown to fill his shoes, can slide Odom to PF, play Al at SF, and are able to get scoring from someone who doesn't have the surname of Bryant.

[Groundhog]

Team USA squeeks past Brazil.

Nuggets trade Ruben Patterson to the Bucks for Joe Smith. I'm a little surprised that the Bucks traded away more frontcourt depth. I suppose that Bobby Simmons hasn't really worked out as hoped for them (gee wiz, I bet no one saw THAT coming...), and Patterson is a nice defensive player. He has character issues, but I think he'll do fine here. Bucks also have Skinner and Gadzuric on the bench, so it's not a major issue.

Does this mean that the Nuggets are no longer looking to sign Reggie Evans? The Cavs and T'Wolves are apparently the other suitors, and the T'Wolves only have ~$1.75m to spend, which won't be enough.

[Logan]

I've been a career-long Joe Smith fan since my brother was friends with him in college, and would always tell me how despite the fact that he basically owned the campus, he was one of the nicest guys he ever met. It's been harder to follow him in recent years as his injuries have gotten more prevalent, and his playing time slipped, but was he really the captain of Milwaukee like the ESPN article said?

[Groundhog]

Cavs lock up Gooden for 3 years at 7m/per. That's much more reasonable. It makes him very tradeable, and the fact that it's short term means that we won't see him slacking off and just cashing in his paycheck for the next 6 years.

As I've said a zillion times, I'm not a Gooden fan, but I'm very happy we held out made him sign a reasonable contract. I expect Chris Wilcox will now sign for a similar amount with the Sonics, and Reggie Evans will accept an offer from Denver for less than the mid-level.