Mon Jul 09, 2012 3:54 pm
13/12/13
Celtics bring Perkins back as Raptors look to next season's free agency
The Celtics welcomed back an old friend today by acquiring former championship center Kendrick Perkins in a 6-player trade with Toronto.
Boston also received Jason Maxiell and James Johnson in the deal. The Raptors get Samuel Dalembert, Troy Murphy and Toby Lynch in return.
Since the 'big 3' of Garnett, Pierce and Allen are all no longer in Boston, Rajon Rondo had been left carrying the Celtics on his shoulders.
Now with this deal they'll hope that Perkins and Rondo can combine and rediscover their 2008 title form so they can enjoy a deep playoff run.
Aside from trying to make the team better, this deal was also done to help convince Rondo to re-sign with the Celtics at the end of the season.
Perhaps general manager Danny Ainge figured that bringing back Rondo's best friend would increase the chances of him remaining in Boston.
Currently the Celtics are sitting in 12th spot in the eastern conference with an 11-15 record, but they are only 3 games behind the Pistons in 8th.
Toronto did this deal to become the biggest player in the season end free agency period. They will have a huge amount of money to spend.
Stars like Kevin Durant, Amare Stoudemire, Derrick Rose, LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy are just a few who could be available next year.
Now the Raptors only have about $10m in guaranteed contracts next season. They could completely change the fortunes of their franchise.
Of course they do have the likes of Rodney Stuckey, Evan Turner, Amir Johnson, Ed Davis and Jerryd Bayless expiring at the end of the season too.
It will remain to be seen if they decide to stick with their current young core next season or throw everything at a couple of superstar players.
The potential free agent class is deep with Andrew Bynum, John Wall, Joakim Noah, Rudy Gay, Paul George, Serge Ibaka and Rajon Rondo.
Veterans Dalembert and Murphy may be bought out at some point, unless the Raptors coaching staff feel they can help out with a playoff run.
The Raptors are in 6th spot in the east with a 14-11 record. If they hope to challenge in the playoffs they will have to rely on their young guns.
Boston receive
Kendrick Perkins - 29 - C - $35.94m - 3 years (82)
Jason Maxiell - 30 - PF - $28.77m - 3 years (75)
James Johnson - 26 - SF - $18.56m - 4 years (72)
Projected line-up:
Kendrick Perkins - Othello Hunter - Terrence Williams - Von Wafer - Rajon Rondo
Bench options:
Brandan Wright, Jason Maxiell, Kirk Hinrich, James Johnson, Avery Bradley, Jamario Moon
Toronto receive
Samuel Dalembert - 32 - C - $15.19m - 1 year (77)
Troy Murphy - 33 - PF - $15.65m - 1 year (71)
Toby Lynch - 21 - SG - $1.94m - 2 years (65)
Projected line-up:
Ed Davis - Amir Johnson - Corey Brewer - Evan Turner - Rodney Stuckey
Bench options:
Jerryd Bayless, Chase Powell, Kyle Weaver, Samuel Dalembert, Troy Murphy
Mon Jul 09, 2012 4:06 pm
Andrew wrote:Interesting...
qfrmcpt310 wrote:Guess he's tired of loosing to the Thunder in the finals
Martti. wrote:No way, he can't leave Miami.
Mon Jul 09, 2012 4:31 pm
Mon Jul 09, 2012 5:08 pm
14/12/13
Heat locked in talks with Bulls over Wade deal
Sources in Miami have reported that the Heat have begun trade discussions with the Bulls after revelations yesterday that Dwyane Wade wants out.
General manager Pat Riley is believed to have flown to Chicago today to meet with Bulls' management in the hopes of reaching a satisfactory deal.
Wade shocked the whole of Miami yesterday after allegedly making it known to Heat management that he wanted to be traded to his hometown Bulls.
Neither Wade or the Heat have made any public statement about the request yet as they're probably waiting for confirmation of a deal before talking.
Several rumours are spreading over Twitter that a deal is being thrashed out in Chicago and that Utah may possibly be involved to make it work.Adrian Wojnarowski @WojYahooNBA
Pat Riley is in Chicago to conduct talks with Bulls over Wade. Utah being mentioned as third team, league sources tell Y! Sports.Marc J. Spears @SpearsNBAYahoo
Wade deal could be finalised in next two days. Third team needed to make it work. Jazz likely to be that team, source tells Y!John Hollinger @johnhollinger
A few names mentioned as possibly included in Wade trade: Boozer, Jefferson, Deng, Miller. No confirmation as yet though.
Mon Jul 09, 2012 10:32 pm
Tue Jul 10, 2012 1:20 pm
14/12/13
Oklahoma City Thunder [16-8] vs New Orleans Hornets [12-12]
Hibbert has career game against Hornets
OKC - 23 30 28 38 119
NOH - 34 26 18 28 106
Player of the Game: Roy Hibbert
(37pts, 8reb, 4ast, 1blk)
OKC _______ NOH
48-95 - FGM/A - 47-88
6-19 - 3PTM/A - 4-12
17-17 - FTM/A - 8-9
31 - Rebounds - 38
29 - Assists - 30
8 - Blocks - 8
17 - Steals - 8
19 - Turnovers - 30
7 - Fouls - 10
Top Scorers
Roy Hibbert - 37
Jose Calderon - 36
Kevin Durant - 28
Rudy Fernandez - 22
Marc Gasol - 17
Ersan Ilyasova - 15
Rolf Young - 15
Blake Griffin - 10
Derrick Rose - 10
Assists
Jose Calderon - 10
Derrick Rose - 9
Blake Griffin - 6
Pau Gasol - 5
Rudy Fernandez - 5
Rebounds
Marc Gasol - 13
Roy Hibbert - 8
Blake Griffin - 6
Michael Beasley - 6
Kelly Neumann - 5
Video Highlights
Harden gets open and sinks a three.
Flash
Harden gets around Fernandez and dunks over Mensah-Bonsu.
Flash
Thu Jul 12, 2012 9:25 pm
15/12/13
Heat grant Wade his wish and send him home to Chicago
The Chicago Bulls announced today that they had reached an agreement to acquire Dwyane Wade from the Miami Heat.
In a complex three-team trade the Bulls also get center Al Jefferson and forward Derrick Favors from the Utah Jazz.
The Jazz receive forward Carlos Boozer from Chicago as well as Mario Chalmers, Channing Frye and Mike Miller from Miami.
Utah will also acquire a first round pick from the Bulls in next year's draft, which is projected to be a late first rounder.
Finally, the Heat get center Tyson Chandler and guard JR Smith from the Bulls, also Raymond Felton from the Jazz.
Chicago finally has a new hero to worship, two years after Derrick Rose shocked them, and the nation, by leaving for Milwaukee.
Wade returns to the city we where he was born, on the South Side of Chicago, and spent his childhood living in Robbins, Illinois.
As a child, Wade idolised former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan, and has said in interviews that he patterns his game after him.
Now he gets the chance to wear the same jersey as his idol and look to bring some of that success back to the city of Chicago.
Jefferson will provide them with quality offensive post presence and his partnership with Favors has already been established in Utah.
The pair should be able to fill the rebounding hole left by Chandler and Boozer. The latter were the best rebounding duo in the league.
With the Bulls currently occupying the second seed it may seem like a big risk to change things up after finally being competitive again.
But clearly they felt that an opportunity like this was worth taking. It's not everyday that a local superstar becomes available for trade.
Wade's averages this season are somewhat down on his usual output. He's averaging 19 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists per game.
Perhaps it is because he was the third option in Miami. Now he will be able to play like he did pre-'big 3', as the Bulls' star player.
Jefferson on the other hand is having an MVP like season. His 27 points and 13 rebounds per game is up with Bosh and Stoudemire.
Favors meanwhile hasn't been very effective offensively, but he is a solid defensive player and pulls in 11 rebounds per game.
Miami actually come out of this situation relatively well. Their roster has a much more balanced look to it now with these additions.
After four consecutive years of failure in the finals against Oklahoma City, it may be good for them to try something different.
Chandler will complement the defensive play of Chris Bosh and LeBron James, whilst Smith will add a solid third scorer to the team.
Their frontcourt matches up very well with the Knicks now with Chandler, Bosh and James vs Randolph, Stoudemire and Anthony.
They now have the option to switch out Smith for defensive specialist Mickael Pietrus and totally lock down any opposition offense.
Pietrus, Arenas and Hill off the bench give them decent rotation depth too. They will surely be a big player in this year's playoffs.
Sitting top of the eastern conference, the Heat didn't really need this distraction. They will hope the new players gel quickly now.
With Chandler and Bosh they now have two players who average 13 rebounds per game now. A formidable prospect for any team.
Smith should more than replace Wade's scoring on this team with his current form. He's fifth in the league in scoring with 31 ppg.
Felton should be a good fit for the Heat as well. He is averaging a very solid 19 points and 10 assists per game this season.
Utah got involved because they wanted to cash in on Jefferson and gain some cap flexibility for the upcoming free agency period.
Every player they got in this deal has an expiring contract. That means that they now only have $37m on the books next season.
It gives them a lot of room to manoeuvre in next season's free agency period. We may see more moves from them later in the season.
If they fully commit to the same strategy as Toronto, they could try and move Randy Foye and Sebastian Telfair at the trade deadline.
A top priority for the Jazz at the same time will no doubt be getting 23 year old forward Gordon Hayward to commit to the team long-term.
Boozer left Utah for Chicago in the summer when the three amigos were getting together in Miami. Now he returns to the Jazz.
Despite his age, the 32 year old is having a productive season. He averaged 21 points and 12 rebounds as a starter this year.
Frye will likely be playing center with the Jazz like he was in Miami. 18 points and 11 rebounds per game indicates he can do it.
Perhaps the best piece in the deal for them is Mario Chalmers. He is still only 26 years old, but he is very experienced in the league.
Chalmers was a starter in 4 consecutive finals series'. He doesn't score as much as Felton, but he can run offense just as well as him.
They likely won't see much action out of Miller as he was basically just a make-weight in the deal, but he can still play a role.
Chicago receive
Dwyane Wade - 31 - SG - $41.61m - 2 years (94)
Al Jefferson - 28 - C - $17.91m - 1 year (95)
Derrick Favors - 22 - PF - $5.37m - 1 year (78)
Projected line-up:
Al Jefferson - Derrick Favors - Luol Deng - Dwyane Wade - Ramon Sessions
Bench options:
Beno Udrih, Sean Williams, Kris Humphries, Ronnie Price
Miami receive
JR Smith - 28 - SG - $12.23m - 1 year (90)
Raymond Felton - 29 - PG - $30.53m - 2 years (87)
Tyson Chandler - 31 - C - $14.60m - 1 year (84)
Projected line-up:
Tyson Chandler - Chris Bosh - LeBron James - JR Smith - Raymond Felton
Bench options:
Gilbert Arenas, Mickael Pietrus, Acie Law, Austin Daye, Jordan Hill
Utah receive
Carlos Boozer - 32 - PF - $14.40m - 1 year (88)
Mario Chalmers - 26 - PG - $10.69m - 1 year (86)
Channing Frye - 30 - PF - $6.80m - 1 year (80)
Mike Miller - 33 - SG - $6.60m - 1 year (71)
Bulls' 2014 1st round pick
Projected line-up:
Channing Frye - Carlos Boozer - Gordon Hayward - Randy Foye - Mario Chalmers
Bench options:
Sebastian Telfair, Hamed Haddadi, Mike Miller, Sonny Weems, Jonas Jerebko
Thu Jul 12, 2012 10:08 pm
Fri Jul 13, 2012 6:30 am
Fri Jul 13, 2012 3:05 pm
16/12/13
Oklahoma City Thunder [17-8] vs Utah Jazz [13-13]
New look Jazz can't handle Thunder
OKC - 27 30 35 27 119
UTA - 21 29 38 17 105
Player of the Game: Kevin Durant
(33pts, 6reb, 2ast, 1blk, 4stl)
OKC _______ UTA
47-89 - FGM/A - 44-89
7-21 - 3PTM/A - 3-12
18-24 - FTM/A - 14-18
37 - Rebounds - 39
31 - Assists - 24
7 - Blocks - 5
11 - Steals - 7
18 - Turnovers - 20
12 - Fouls - 14
Top Scorers
Kevin Durant - 33
Mario Chalmers - 25
Rolf Young - 23
Randy Foye - 21
Carlos Boozer - 19
Channing Frye - 14
Gordon Hayward - 12
James Harden - 12
Michael Beasley- 12
Blake Griffin - 11
Roy Hibbert - 10
Howie Jeffries - 10
Derrick Rose - 8
Assists
Derrick Rose - 12
Mario Chalmers - 7
Rebounds
Channing Frye - 13
Roy Hibbert - 10
Carlos Boozer - 9
Blake Griffin - 7
Hamed Haddadi - 6
Kevin Durant - 6
Michael Beasley - 6
Video Highlights
Beasley finds Griffin in the paint and he dunks.
Flash
-----
Boozer and Griffin had foul trouble in the first half.
Fri Jul 13, 2012 5:31 pm
Andrew wrote:Sweet deal for the Bulls. I like it.
Martti. wrote:Don't like it at all, but maybe now the Heat can finally beat you in the Finals with a decent C and PG next to CB and LeBron.
Fri Jul 13, 2012 7:36 pm
Sat Jul 14, 2012 3:05 pm
18/12/13
Thunder fill out roster with Billups signing
Oklahoma City have today announced the signing of former finals MVP Chauncey Billups on a one year veteran's minimum deal.
The 37 year old last played for the Clippers and has been without a club since being released by them at the end of last season.
His role with the Thunder will likely be as backup for James Harden and Kyle Korver. It's unlikely that he will see much game time.
No doubt he was signed to add some veteran leadership in the locker room, just like Garnett, McGrady, Iverson and Shaq before him.
He will be hoping to add another ring to his collection with the Thunder. This will be the eight different team that he has played for.Depth chart
C - Hibbert, Jeffries
PF - Griffin, Young
SF - Durant, Beasley
SG - Harden, Korver, Billups
PG - Rose, Maynor, Lin
Sat Jul 14, 2012 3:13 pm
Andrew wrote:Those are some strong lineups indeed. Deron Williams certainly has improved, too.
Sat Jul 14, 2012 10:05 pm
20/12/13
Oklahoma City Thunder [18-8] vs Golden State Warriors [12-15]
Thunder underwhelming as Curry leads Warriors to win
OKC - 20 25 31 27 103
GSW - 22 34 20 35 111
Player of the Game: Stephen Curry
(28pts, 16ast, 1reb, 4blk, 2stl)
OKC _______ GSW
34-93 - FGM/A - 46-80
7-24 - 3PTM/A - 3-11
28-28 - FTM/A - 16-24
32 - Rebounds - 42
22 - Assists - 29
8 - Blocks - 18
9 - Steals - 7
19 - Turnovers - 27
15 - Fouls - 17
Top Scorers
Stephen Curry - 28
Kevin Durant - 23
David Lee - 22
Blake Griffin - 18
Anthony Morrow - 16
Matthew O'Donnell - 15
Rolf Young - 13
Derrick Rose - 12
Andris Biedrins - 11
Al-Farouq Aminu - 11
Roy Hibbert - 10
Assists
Stephen Curry - 16
Eric Maynor - 4
Rebounds
Andris Biedrins - 13
David Lee - 10
Blake Griffin - 9
Roy Hibbert - 6
Kevin Durant - 5
Ekpe Udoh - 5
Video Highlights
Young sinks a three at the end of the first quarter.
Flash
Jeffries gets blocked initially, but regains the ball and dunks over Lee.
Flash
Billups sinks a three after Jeffries bulldozers some space.
Flash
Sun Jul 15, 2012 12:19 am
Sun Jul 15, 2012 5:20 pm
22/12/13
Oklahoma City Thunder [18-9] vs Los Angeles Clippers [15-13]
Griffin pours on the points against former team
OKC - 32 39 33 31 135
LAC - 30 19 32 29 110
Player of the Game: Blake Griffin
(40pts, 5reb, 6ast, 4blk, 1stl)
OKC _______ LAC
53-90 - FGM/A - 45-88
7-18 - 3PTM/A - 5-15
22-22 - FTM/A - 15-21
26 - Rebounds - 29
33 - Assists - 25
14 - Blocks - 8
7 - Steals - 7
16 - Turnovers - 22
14 - Fouls - 15
Top Scorers
Mo Williams - 44
Blake Griffin - 40
Kevin Durant - 25
James Harden - 20
Kevin Love - 20
Declan Giles - 14
Marcus Williams - 13
Rolf Young - 13
Roy Hibbert - 10
Derrick Rose - 10
Assists
Derrick Rose - 17
Blake Griffin - 6
Declan Giles - 6
Mo Williams - 6
Kevin Love - 5
Rebounds
Kevin Love - 12
Serge Ibaka - 10
Roy Hibbert - 9
Blake Griffin - 5
Video Highlights
Griffin dunks over Ibaka.
Flash
Griffin spins around Giles and dunks.
Flash
Maynor sinks a three at the end of the third quarter.
Flash
-----
Griffin went mental in the second quarter. He scored 24 points (11/11 fg, mostly dunks)
Mon Jul 16, 2012 11:51 am
Mon Jul 16, 2012 1:22 pm
Mon Jul 16, 2012 7:20 pm
Tue Jul 17, 2012 8:16 pm
24/12/13
Kings add Blatche as Wizards free up cap space
The Sacramento Kings today confirmed a deal in which Yi Jianlian and Toney Douglas head to Washington for Andray Blatche.
It is potentially a great deal for them as they have really lacked a rebounding big man to help out star center Yao Ming.
The oft-maligned forward is having a solid season, averaging 18 points, 13 rebounds and 2 blocks per game for the Wizards.
The 33 year old Yao is coming to the end of his 4-year $58m deal that he signed in 2010 and starting to slow down on court.
At this point in time it's unknown whether he will be re-signed as his body seems to be failing him. He's lost his stamina and agility.
Before bringing in Blatche they were playing Omri Casspi at power forward. Something he was clearly uncomfortable with.
Now Blatche can take over that role and Casspi can return to his natural position, with Trevor Ariza dropping to the bench.
Sacramento will be hoping that this deal will help them in the fight to secure one of the lower playoff berths out west.
They are currently 12th in the western conference with a 13-14 record, just one game behind the Clippers in eighth spot.
For the Wizards this is another cost cutting exercise with one eye seemingly focussed on next season's free agency period.
Getting Blatche's monster contract off their books leaves them with only $8.5m in guaranteed wages for next season.
They, along with Toronto, look set to be big players in the free agent market next season and could create a super team.
Top of their list will be local guys Kevin Durant, Ed Davis and Rudy Gay. The trio grew up in or around the nation's capital.
They may also target players from the surrounding region like big men Andrew Bynum (New Jersey) and Joakim Noah (New York).
First and foremost for them though will be convincing former top pick John Wall to re-sign with them for the long term.
The former Kentucky guard has taken over leadership of the team since Gilbert Arenas left for Orlando several years ago.
He is averaging 18 points and 9 assists per game this season, leading the team along with fellow guard Marcus Thornton
It could be a busy week in Washington as rumours continue about several veteran players' futures with the Wizards.
Rashard Lewis, Josh Howard and Luis Scola have all been subject of possible buyouts as the Wizards look to next season.
Such players would be very handy bench players for a competitor. Possibly getting one last chance at that elusive ring.
Bottom of their conference with an 8-20 record, the Wizards are eight games out of the playoffs and look done already.
In the past four seasons the Wizards have had a pick in the top 8 of each draft, including taking Wall with pick 1 in 2010.
Surely they will be hoping for another top pick next season so they can add another high potential youngster to their roster.
Sacramento receive
Andray Blatche - 27 - PF - $26.02m - 2 years (85)
Projected line-up:
Yao Ming - Andray Blatche - Omri Casspi - Ronnie Brewer - Tyreke Evans
Bench options:
Trevor Ariza, Andrei Kirilenko, Glen Davis
Washington receive
Yi Jianlian - 26 - PF - $8.55m - 1 year (77)
Toney Douglas - 27 - PG - $5.85m - 1 year (78)
Projected line-up:
Luis Scola - Yi Jianlian - Courtney Lee - Marcus Thornton - John Wall
Bench options:
Rashard Lewis, Josh Howard, Toney Douglas
Tue Jul 17, 2012 8:21 pm
26/12/13
Oklahoma City Thunder [19-9] vs Sacramento Kings [12-15]
Thunder's inconsistent form continues
OKC - 25 33 28 29 115
SAC - 34 29 32 26 121
Player of the Game: Tyreke Evans
(32pts, 14ast, 1reb, 1blk, 1stl)
OKC _______ SAC
42-83 - FGM/A - 49-90
3-16 - 3PTM/A - 5-11
28-29 - FTM/A - 18-24
33 - Rebounds - 33
22 - Assists - 30
10 - Blocks - 7
10 - Steals - 6
20 - Turnovers - 17
15 - Fouls - 19
Top Scorers
Tyreke Evans - 32
Blake Griffin - 28
Kevin Durant - 27
Omri Casspi - 26
Andray Blatche - 18
Derrick Rose - 18
James Harden - 16
Ronnie Brewer - 13
Michael Beasley - 12
Yao Ming - 10
Trevor Ariza - 10
Assists
Tyreke Evans - 14
Derrick Rose - 10
Ronnie Brewer - 9
Rebounds
Blake Griffin - 10
Roy Hibbert - 7
Yao Ming - 7
Andray Blatche - 6
Ronnie Brewer - 6
Glen Davis - 6
Derrick Rose - 5
Video Highlights
Young produces a stunning dunk.
Flash
Durant pumps the crowd up after giving the Thunder the lead in the fourth.
Flash
Tue Jul 17, 2012 10:21 pm
Wed Jul 18, 2012 5:33 pm
29/12/13
Oklahoma City Thunder [19-10] vs Milwaukee Bucks [15-14]
Thunder storm home to win in Milwaukee
OKC - 30 34 28 43 135
MIL - 33 26 39 27 125
Player of the Game: Andrew Bogut
(16pts, 14reb, 6ast, 1blk, 1stl)
OKC _______ MIL
50-91 - FGM/A - 54-92
5-17 - 3PTM/A - 3-8
30-34 - FTM/A - 14-19
27 - Rebounds - 40
28 - Assists - 29
9 - Blocks - 6
14 - Steals - 4
11 - Turnovers - 24
15 - Fouls - 19
Top Scorers
Kevin Durant - 30
Andrea Bargnani - 30
Jeff Green - 25
Blake Griffin - 25
Russell Westbrook - 21
James Harden - 18
Derrick Rose - 18
Andrew Bogut - 16
Ryan Anderson - 16
Monta Ellis - 15
Rolf Young - 13
Roy Hibbert - 11
Michael Beasley - 11
Assists
Derrick Rose - 12
Russell Westbrook - 11
Andrew Bogut - 6
Monta Ellis - 6
Jeff Green - 5
Rebounds
Andrew Bogut - 14
Andrea Bargnani - 9
Ryan Anderson - 9
Monta Ellis - 5
Howie Jeffries - 5
Blake Griffin - 5
Roy Hibbert - 5
Video Highlights
After blocking Bogut at one end, Griffin runs the floor and lays it in.
Flash
Durant gets past Westbrook and manages to make a tough shot despite being fouled.
Flash
-----
Griffin, Bogut and Ellis ended the game with 5 fouls.
Wed Jul 18, 2012 10:46 pm