A better basketball site.
For intelligent readers, from veteran writers.
Keep scrolling down. Good stuff here.
Its 2:30am in London and I was just woken up with great news.Welcome to the family #20!!
— Micky Arison (@MickyArison) July 7, 2012
So it looks like LeBron James had inside information on Ray Allen’s future uniform number when he tweeted this photoshopped picture of the NBA’s all-time 3-point leader a few nights ago:
Deron Williams stayed.
Jason Kidd left.
Steve Nash was traded, and so was Kyle Lowry.
Thus far, the NBA’s free agency season has been dominated by point guards, but as we count down the days to the end of the moratorium on July 11, there are plenty of other deals, signings, and trades being made.
On Friday, the Celtics were dealt a crushing blow (exactly how crushing will be determined in part by Jason Terry) when Ray Allen decided to join the Miami Heat. The Philadelphia 76ers, on the other hand, took out the dynamite severed ties with Elton Brand and Lou Williams.
Meanwhile, after agreeing to terms with Jason Kidd, the New York Knicks are still pretty active in the free agent market.
And although there’s still some time before July 11, it seems as though the fates of Nicolas Batum and Eric Gordon are settled – their personal wishes be damned.
We don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, but here’s a rundown of the major stories from the recent past:
Ray Allen Joins The Heat
After the Celtics were knocked out of the playoffs by the Miami Heat, I got word that Ray Allen was probably on his way out of Boston. I took to Twitter and relayed what I’d heard, mainly that Allen’s relationships with Danny Ainge, Doc Rivers, and Rajon Rondo had all deteriorated to the point where it was very likely that Allen would seek employment elsewhere once he became a free agent.
Ainge tried to trade Allen to the Memphis Grizzlies last April, and it’s something Allen wasn’t able to forget. In the end, the Celtics final contract offer to Allen was a two-year, $12 million deal and it included a no-trade clause. So there’s your confirmation.
Despite the fact that the Celtics reportedly offered Allen more than any of the other teams courting him—the Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Clippers, and Miami Heat among them—Allen ended up settling for half the money that the Celtics offered.
In the end, Allen agreed to join the Miami Heat on Friday, ending his five-year run as a member of the Boston Celtics. Allen is expected to accept the Heat’s $3.09 million taxpayer midlevel exception, though it’s unclear whether Allen will receive a two-year deal or a three-year deal.
Fresh off of winning the 2012 NBA championship, the Heat unequivocally offered Allen a chance to join a team on the rise with something that the Celtics wouldn’t offer — a starting job.
Allen just turned 37 years old, but the NBA’s all-time leader in 3-point makes just shot the best percentage of his 16-year career this past season and still believes he’s still a starter. From what I hear, Allen didn’t feel as valued by the Boston Celtics as he once did, and the signing of Terry didn’t help much. Terry will play a very similar role in the Celtics’ offense as Allen did, and with Avery Bradley expecting to return next season, Allen saw the Celtics’ backcourt getting more crowded.
First, Steve Nash was traded to the Lakers and now, Allen signs with Heat. I guess all we need now is for Tony Parker to be traded to the Mavericks.
The lesson in all of this? The NBA is a business. Fans takes rivalries much more seriously than the players do. At the end of the day, most players want an opportunity to win and want to feel as though they’re needed.
Allen got that from the Heat, and that’s why he ditched North Station for South Beach.
Sixers Sever Ties with Elton Brand and Lou Williams
In a move that shouldn’t surprise many, the Philadelphia 76ers decided to use their one-time amnesty right on Elton Brand. He was due to earn over $18 million this coming season and though he will still be paid, his salary comes off of the books and allows the team to sign Nick Young to a one-year deal for $6 million.
The Sixers have also decided to part ways with Lou Williams. Williams had spent his entire seven-year career as a Sixer prior to announcing on Twitter that he wouldn’t be returning to the team.
This past season, Williams averaged 14.9 points per game off the bench and accomplished the rare feat of leading his team in scoring, despite being a reserve.
These moves indicate that the club is looking to build around the young nucleus of Jrue Holiday, Young, Evan Turner, and Spencer Hawes—whom the club recently re-signed to a two-year extension worth $13 million.
What’s more interesting is where all of this leaves Andre Iguodala. Iguodala is one of the game’s best perimeter defenders and has an all-around basketball game and IQ reminiscent of a poor man’s Scotty Pippen. Each year, his name comes up in trade rumors and if the Sixers are cleaning house, this may be when he is finally moved.
Last June, the Lakers and Sixers discussed a trade that would have sent Lamar Odom to the Sixers for Andre Iguodala, but the Sixers backed out. At this point, the Lakers probably don’t have the assets to complete any such trade, but there will always be a market for a player like Iguodala.
For that reason, you should keep your eyes on this situation.
Knicks To Sign Kidd, Match Lin, Meet With Camby
After losing out on Steve Nash, the Knicks rebounded nicely and agreed to terms with Jason Kidd. Kidd is expected to back Jeremy Lin up next season. Lin agreed to a four-year, $28 million offer sheet with the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, but the Knicks are believed to be prepared to match the deal.
Though Kidd can’t officially be signed until July 11 the Knicks will sign him to a three-year deal worth $9 million and would like to execute a sign-and-trade deal with the Mavericks so that they can preserve their taxpayer midlevel exception of $3.09 million and offer it to another free agent.
That other free-agent may very well be a former Knick, Marcus Camby. Camby is expected to meet with the Knicks over the weekend, but probably not until after he’s met with the Miami Heat. Fortunately for the Knicks, the Heat have agreed to terms with Ray Allen for their taxpayer midlevel exception, so they would only be able to offer Camby the veteran’s minimum salary of about $1.4 million. Camby is said to be looking for a bigger payday, but the fact that the Heat could offer him a starting role and a serious chance at winning a championship probably improve their chances.
The Knicks are still very active in the free-agent market, more so since they are not expected to match the Toronto Raptors’ three-year, $20 million offer for Landry Fields. Though Fields spent most of his two-years as a Knick as a shooting guard, coach Mike Woodson favored Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith.
Fields, in my opinion, was always a small forward playing out of position and his departure leaves questions as to who will be Carmelo Anthony’s primary reserve. On Friday, news trickled out from Portland that the Trail Blazers have reached a buyout agreement with Shawne Williams. Bringing Williams back might make some sense for the Knicks, especially with the uncertain contract status of J.R. Smith and Steve Novak.
Nicolas Batum and Eric Gordon Likely To Be Matched
Earlier this week, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Phoenix Suns made news when they agreed to offer sheets with Nicolas Batum and Eric Gordon, respectively. Batum’s Timberwolves offer sheet is for four years, $45 million, while Gordon’s offer sheet with the Suns will pay him $58 million over four years.
Batum and Gordon were two of the more coveted restricted free agents on the market, so the following should come as no surprise: all indications are that each of their offers will be matched.
The Trail Blazers’ matching of Batum’s offer sheet makes a lot of sense considering last season’s trade that sent Gerald Wallace to the Brooklyn Nets. The move was done in large part to clear the way for Batum to be Portland’s small forward of the future and at this moment, it appears that’s what’s going to happen.
The same can’t be said for Gordon, however. Gordon was the centerpiece of the trade that sent Chris Paul to the Clippers, but the Hornets failed to sign him to a long-term extension when they had the opportunity to do so earlier this year. Now, after drafting Anthony Davis with the first overall pick in last month’s draft and Austin Rivers with the 10th overall pick, I wonder how well Rivers and Gordon will be able to co-exist.
The Suns—who have agreed to terms with both Goran Dragic and Michael Beasley—are hoping that the Hornets elect to not match the offer sheet to Gordon so that the rebuilding effort in the dessert can be short-lived. Dragic and Beasley couldn’t ensure that, but if you add Gordon to those two, the Suns would probably have a fighting chance at securing a spot in next season’s NBA playoffs.
There’s still a long way to go, but stay plugged in to SheridanHoops.com. We’ve got you covered.
Moke Hamilton is a Senior NBA Columnist for SheridanHoops.com and will be providing the latest news and commentary during the NBA’s free-agency period. Follow him on Twitter to stay up-to date.
Tweet of the Night goes to Jarrett Jack, who took a big swing and called Ray Allen a traitor for leaving the Boston Celtics to join the Miami Heat.
If you’re a Celtics fan, there’s reason to believe that Allen is a traitor. He left the organization and will take less money to play for a team he has played against in three consecutive postseasons – a rival team that took Boston out of the playoffs in seven games in the Conference Finals just last month.
Lets take this from Allen’s perspective, though:
1. It’s well documented that he didn’t exactly get along with moody point guard Rajon Rondo. In fact, his deteriorated relationship with Rondo played a big role in his decision to leave the team. It’s difficult to play the game of basketball with someone you genuinely dislike – win or lose – which appears to be the case here.
2. Allen willingly took less money in 2010 to return to the Celtics, but was noticeably a part of trade rumors and was nearly traded at the midway point this past season to the Memphis Grizzlies, something he was very upset about.
3. The Celtics repeatedly stated their desire to retain Allen, but recently agreed to sign Jason Terry – likely to play a bulk of his minutes at Allen’s position. With Avery Bradley already in position to take over the starting job at shooting guard next season, where did that leave Allen for playing time? The team talked up the idea of playing him together with Terry, but it would have put Allen in a limited-role situation
At the end of the day, Boston did most of the stabbing before Allen’s decision to leave the team. Even with that fact, he was torn about the situation. Like all other free agent, though, he fulfilled his obligations to the team and made a reasonable choice to join a team that gave him the best chance to win another championship – the ultimate goal for every NBA veteran.
Allen is still one of the deadliest shooters in the league, but will turn 37 this month and obviously isn’t the player he once was. It’s a loss, but it’s not necessarily the most devastating one. Boston fans may not like the choice of destination, but before they consider showering him with heavy boos next season, they should remember a true professional that was once a part of the Big Three that helped bring the only championship the town has seen in over two decades.
Louis Williams’ Tweet of the Day
Before Ray Allen agreed to join the Miami Heat, nothing of major significance happened in free agency today, with the exception of the return of one Brandon Roy and the Philadelphia 76ers making some major roster adjustments. Aside from that, today’s news is filled with teams and players’ options, desires, possibilities and opinions.
First reported by Jason Quick of the Oregonian, Brandon Roy has agreed to deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves: “Brandon Roy has agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to sources close to the situation. Roy can officially sign with the Timberwolves on July 11, when the league’s moratorium ends. The 27-year-old met with Timberwolves brass earlier this week and the two sides reached an agreement on Thursday afternoon, according to sources. Prior to agreeing to terms with Minnesota, Roy received interest from the Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers, according to sources.”
Jeff Green is closing in on a deal with the Celtics, according to Sam Amick of SI.com: On the Celtics front, agent David Falk continues to say he thinks a deal gets done with Boston for free agent forward Jeff Green. One source with knowledge of the talks says it may be in the four years, $40 million neighborhood, but it is not done. ”I’m confident it’ll get done,” Falk told SI.com. “I guess they got (Brandon) Bass’ (contract) done, which is great. Jeff is trying to get a sense of what the team looks like first before he makes a commitment, but I expect he’ll be there and I expect it’ll be done by the 11th (when the free agency moratorium ends). We’ve gotten a lot of interest from other teams. But as far as Boston, we’re very confident we’ll get it done.
Elton Brand will be cut from the Philadelphia 76ers via amnesty clause, which will help allow the signing of Nick Young, reports Adrian Wojnarowski: “The Philadelphia 76ers will use the NBA’s amnesty clause to cut Elton Brand and the $18.2 million left on his contract, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. In part, this move clears the way for the Sixers to sign Los Angeles Clippers free agent Nick Young to a one-year, $6 million deal. The 76ers can’t use the amnesty clause until the league’s moratorium on signings ends July 11. Teams under the salary cap can place bids on Brand through the amnesty wire with the highest bid claiming him. Teams currently under the cap include the Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets.
Deron Williams explains why he chose the Nets over the Mavericks, from our Jan Hubbard: “People close to me know how hard it was to not pick Dallas . . . I think Mark is a great owner. But I just felt like Brooklyn the way they were going and willing to spend under this new CBA was a better situation. DWill on getting $98M over five years rather than $75M over four in Dallas. “Money never really factored into my decision. Honestly. The extra year in NY because of the cost of living and taxes and I live in the city so there’s city tax on top of that. It doesn’t end up becoming that much more money. It was just more of a basketball decision. I love Dallas, I was looking forward to going home and living there. It fits more of my lifestyle with four kids. But as far as basketball and the direction [the Nets are] going and they’re willing to spend money. … Swayed me the other way.”
Tyson Chandler took a bit of a shot at his former team today, from Brian Mahoney of AP: “Chandler, on the Mavs’ plan: “Everybody gets so caught up in trying to make a home run, but we had the formula and it’s obviously gone.”
Micky Arison tweeted the following news: “Its 2:30am in London and I was just woken up with great news. Welcome to the family #20!!”
The Indiana Pacers are eyeing one of the following two players, from Mike Wells: “OJ Mayo or Courtney Lee? Pick one. Not both. Only one. Those are the two shooting guards the Pacers have their eyes on as they try to plug their hole at sixth man and also give Paul George a good wakeup call that he’ll have to continue to work to keep his starting spot. They’ve reached out to Mayo and Lee. Mayo is the top choice for the Pacers. He’s been their top choice for a few years now.”
Eric Gordon really wants to leave the Hornets, from Jimmy Smith: “New Orleans Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon said if the team matches the four-year, $58 million offer sheet he signed this week with the Phoenix Suns, he’ll play in the Crescent City, but he won’t be happy about it. Gordon made his comments speaking with reporters for the first time since issuing a statement through his agent that his “heart” was in Phoenix. ”If (the Hornets) were interested, there wouldn’t have been no tour, there wouldn’t have been nothing,” Gordon said. “There’s been no negotiations. I was right there in Indiana. I haven’t received no calls, to me personally. They’ve contacted my agent. ”As for now, I don’t know what’s going on. (If the Hornets match) as of right now, I’d be disappointed.” Is there anything the Hornets could do to change his mind? ”I don’t think there is,” Gordon said.”
Jason Kidd was supposed to stay with the Mavericks, but a golf session changed his mind, from Dwain Price: “When he went to bed Wednesday night, Kidd was sure he was going to re-sign with the Mavs. Then, he had a major change of heart. ”It was very close,” Kidd said. “In the morning I felt like I was going to be a Mav, then I went and played golf, and I just didn’t feel right. ”I talked to my wife about it and my agent, and we all kind of agreed that if you feel like you want to go to New York and try to help them, then you should. So that’s the decision we made.”
Hakeem Olajuwon will be very busy tutoring more notable NBA players this summer, according to Chris Tomasson: “Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon, who tutored (LeBron) James last summer before his regular season and Finals MVP season with Miami, said Saturday that New York big men Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler will work out with him in August in the Houston area and he’s optimistic of Clippers forward Blake Griffin also enlisting his services. Olajuwon also said he’ll try to get Oklahoma City forward Serge Ibaka in for a summer session and that Denver will be sending three or four big men to work with him, two he anticipates being JaVale McGee and Timofey Mozgov. McGee is a restricted free agent but the Nuggets expect to re-sign him.”
Doug Collins and LeBron James share a special relationship, from Chris Tomasson: “James, then with Cleveland and now with Miami, had been moved by Collins’ speech about the pride he felt in being an Olympian despite the pain he went through. So he headed directly for Collins, who was an NBC analyst at the 2008 Games and is now Philadelphia’s coach, after the 118-107 win over Spain for the gold. ”When we were able to win that gold-medal game against Spain, he was the first person I looked for,” James said. “He was sitting across from our bench, and I went over and gave him a big hug to say, it was basically, ‘This was for you as well.”‘ Collins was touched, and shed some tears. He has a keepsake of the moment in his 76ers office.
Shawne Williams will be a free agent moving forward, from Sam Amick: “Portland has finalized the buyout agreement with F Shawne Williams, per source. He was owed $3.1 million next season & joins free agent pool”Houston Rockets trade Kyle Lowry to the Toronto Raptors
Tweet of the Day goes to Evan Turner, who was happy to see Steve Nash stay on the West Coast. Had Nash gone to the Toronto Raptors, he would have become a division rival for Turner and the Philadelphia 76ers. It would have turned the Atlantic Division into one of the most competitive divisions in the league, given the fact that the Celtics are mostly keeping their core, the Knicks look to be more consistent next season with a healthier roster, and the Nets have and continue the process of revamping their roster.
Luckily for the 76ers, Nash will be a Laker and the Raptors appear to be ready for another hopeless season. Just don’t tell Evans that he is lucky, because even though he’s glad about not having to face a tougher Raptors team, he apparently doesn’t give a freak about who he has to play against.
UPDATE: The Raptors will send a package to the Houston Rockets for point guard Kyle Lowry (We’ll have more in our news later).
