NBA Hoops News

Oklahoma City Thunder Lock Up Serge Ibaka With Four-Year Extension And What It Might Mean For James Harden

2012-08-18T22:28:00.001-05:00

According to Yahoo! Sports, among other sources, the Oklahoma City Thunder have locked up the third member of the team's four-headed monster of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, and James Harden when the team agreed to a four-year, $48 million deal with Ibaka to remain with the Thunder.

Ibaka's new extension leaves Harden as the only member of the Thunder's core group that isn't locked in for the foreseeable future with Oklahoma City.

With Harden emerging last season as the best bench player in the NBA, averaging 16.8 points per game en route to earning NBA Sixth Man of the Year honors, most people thought Thunder GM Sam Presti would have a deal worked out with Harden before moving on to Ibaka's.

However, for reasons that remain unknown at this time, Presti decided to lock in Ibaka first, who is one of the league's best defensive players and only beginning to scratch the surface of his potential ceiling.

At 6'10", and with freakishly long arms, Ibaka has led the league in total blocks in each of the past two seasons, averaging a whopping 3.7 blocks per game while playing and starting all 66 games this past season for OKC.

Ibaka also led the league in total postseason blocks in each of the past two seasons, including a 2.68 average this past postseason to go along with his 9.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game as he helped lead the Thunder to the 2012 NBA Finals.

He was also named to the All-NBA first Defensive Team this past season, and finished second to Tyson Chandler of the New York Knicks in voting for Defensive Player of the Year.

You can't really make an argument that efficiency played much of a role in the team opting to deal with Ibaka's extension before Harden's considering they had very similar PERs this past season, with Harden narrowly edging Ibaka 21.1 to 19.0 in that category.

Both players have had extremely good luck staying healthy and on the court during their first three seasons in the league, as Harden has only missed 10 out of 230 regular season games, while Ibaka has missed only 9 out of 230 games (all nine of his missed games came during his rookie season).

It wasn't because Harden was busy with the Olympics, playing alongside Durant and Westbrook for Team USA on their way to a gold medal because Ibaka played just as deep in the tournament with Spain, settling with a silver medal after Team USA's 107-100 victory over the Spanish team.

Harden was reportedly being shopped around the league at the time of the 2012 NBA Draft, with the Charlotte Bobcats being one team reportedly very interested in making a move for him (they supposedly considered sending their number two overall pick to OKC in exchange for Harden.

I can't say with any certainty that Presti hasn't shopped Ibaka at some point over the past three seasons, although I'd venture to say it's likely Presti has shopped everyone on the roster except for KD at some point just to gauge interest in his players from around the league.

The reason Presti decided to lock up Ibaka for the next four years before dealing with Harden's extension could be as simple as he realized just how bad the Thunder will need Ibaka when they inevitably get matched up against the Los Angeles Lakers and their newest incarnation of twin towers, Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol, in the postseason.

For instance, remove Ibaka from the Thunder's squad and replace him with Dante Cunningham of the Minnesota Timberwolves, who had a PER of 14.94 last season (15.0 is the standardized league average and Cunningham was closet to the mark at the power forward position last season).

I don't think Oklahoma City would win more than two games against the 2012-13 Lakers in a seven game series with that swap, and that's assuming Durant AND Westbrook each have at least one out of this world performance during that series.

Now, let's remove Harden from the equation and replace him with Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors, who posted a 14.97 PER during the 2011-12 season (again, the closest player at shooting guard to a 15.0 PER).

I still don't think the Thunder would be able to pull out four wins against that same Lakers squad (maybe once in every five seven game series between the two), but I do know that it would be a much, much closer fight with Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins down low battling Howard and Gasol with Durant and Westbrook still handling their business.

Basically, what this proves is that Oklahoma City will need all four pieces of their four-headed monster if they want to get past a Lakers squad being led by an insanely determined Kobe Bryant (Do you honestly think the Black Mamba is going to show any sign of mercy or focus on anything beyond the hardwood in his pursuit of his Jordan-tying sixth ring?) and an almost equally determined Steve Nash (still chasing his first ring while holding the fairly embarrassing title of having played more playoff games than anyone in NBA history without even reaching the NBA Finals at an astounding total of 118 games.. and counting).

While the Thunder NEED that four-headed monster intact to secure their best odds at a title, it's a different story entirely whether or not they can actually make it happen.

Assuming Ibaka will be earning about $12 million a season under his new extension, Oklahoma City would have around $47 million committed to Durant, Westbrook, and Ibaka alone starting with the 2013-14 season.

Tack on another $15 million (approximately) for Kendrick Perkins, Thabo Sefolosha and Nick Collison, and those six players alone eating up about $63 million in cap space in 2013-14.

While Harden's qualifying offer is only $7.64 million, it's almost a certainty he will be offered somewhere between $12 million per season and a maximum contract by a team that's chasing him next summer as a restricted free agent.

Even if he draws the short straw out of those numbers, still $12 million per year, that means the Thunder would be committed to $75 million in salary in 2013-14 for Durant, Westbrook, Harden, Ibaka, Perkins, Collison, and Sefolosha if they matched his offer sheet.

With the salary cap expected to be somewhere in the range of $58 million and the tax threshold at around $70 million (and reportedly getting more punitive in 2013-14, hitting teams harder that are over the line), that puts the Thunder almost $17 million over the cap and paying at least $10 million in luxury taxes with a minimum of six more spots to fill on their roster.

While Clay Bennett, owner of the Thunder, has never been one to shy away from spending, I'm not sure he is going to want to spend that kind of money when it can't even guarantee a championship with the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers on equal or higher ground than the Thunder.

In the end, although it may be tough for Bennett to swallow financially, I don't think he has a choice but to pay James Harden whatever he commands as they easily have the youngest core of the three super teams right now (Thunder, Heat, Lakers. Sorry everyone else, they're just on a separate level at this point) and would almost certainly win at least one championship over the next four or five seasons.

If for some reason Oklahoma City decides they can't afford to keep Harden around and they allow him to leave town, they may be regretting it over the next decade if they fail to win multiple titles without him, because as long as OKC has their four-headed monster of Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka, and Harden in tact, they will remain a threat to win the Larry O'Brien championship trophy almost every season for the next five to ten years.

The Five Best Moves Of The NBA Offseason

2012-08-18T09:53:00.000-05:00

In no particular order, here at the five best moves that have been made so far this offseason by front offices across the league:

- The Los Angeles Lakers adding Steve Nash and Dwight Howard AND keeping Pau Gasol: The basketball gods must heavily favor the purple and gold because it seems they ALWAYS come out of trades looking like thieves.

Most recently, prior to this summer, it was the Pau Gasol robbery from Memphis (although that deal looks much better now with Marc Gasol's emergence with the Grizzlies than it did when it actually went down back in 2008).

This summer, they somehow made off like bandits not once, but twice, in separate trades that could alter the championship picture for years to come.

First, they were able to land Steve Nash from their division rival, the Phoenix Suns, for a total of four draft picks (two in each round) that will almost certainly be near the bottom of each round. Two of those picks (their first and second rounders for 2013) are coming in one of the weakest drafts since 2000 and will likely fall at the tail end of each round, making them virtually useless.

While the offer was absolutely horrendous from Phoenix's end, they did the right thing for Steve Nash after everything he gave the franchise, which is something of a rarity for teams in today's sports landscape. Nash, even as he approaches the end of his career, instantly becomes the best point guard Kobe Bryant has played with in the NBA.

Then, for some ridiculous reason that will never make sense to me, the Orlando Magic finally caved in and decided to part with Dwight Howard, only somehow they managed to fail to even get Pau Gasol out of the deal. Other than Andrew Bynum, Josh McRoberts and Christian Eyenga were the only other players Los Angeles had to part with to ADD THE BEST CENTER IN THE NBA.

Instead of potentially landing Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, while shedding most, if not all, of their horrendous contracts in the inevitable trade of Dwight Howard, the Magic decided to take back a package that didn't include either player and left the Lakers with a starting five of Nash-Bryant-World Peace-Gasol-Howard.

I'll never know how Los Angeles Laker's GM Mitch Kupchak managed to swing those deals, but I'm going out on a limb here and declaring him the NBA Executive of the Year. Heck, the NBA might as well go ahead and give him the real award now, it's not like anyone is topping his moves this offseason.

- The Denver Nuggets acquiring Andre Iguodala in the Dwight Howard mega-deal: The Nuggets found a way to sneak themselves into the Dwight Howard mega-deal as one of the two teams that helped facilitate D-12's move to the City of Angels and they made out quite well for their troubles.

Denver added one of the most well-rounded players in the league in Iguodala and all it cost them was Aaron Afflalo, Al Harrington, and the lower of their 2014 first round draft picks.

Afflalo is a great young talent at point guard, however, the Nuggets will be just fine with Ty Lawson and Andre Miller still manning the back court. Lawson is also two years younger than Afflalo, and his 19.4 PER (Player Efficiency Rating) crushed Afflalo's 14.7 PER this past season, so I think it's safe to say Denver kept the better of the two.

Iguodala is still on the right side of 30, at only 28 years old, and is coming off a pretty solid run with the USA's Olympic squad that earned their second consecutive gold medal. Through his first eight seasons in the league, all with the 76ers, Iguodala averaged 15.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.

His critics have always hammered him for not being able to be "that guy" who carries a team on his back. However, Denver doesn't need him to fill that type of role, making him the perfect fit for their system.

Iggy's addition could push Denver from a borderline playoff squad all the way up the ladder in the West to the upper rungs, just below the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder, but as good or better than anyone else in their conference.

- The Brooklyn Nets walking away from negotiations for Dwight Howard with the Orlando Magic: The Nets and Howard had their eyes set on each other for nearly a year, dreaming of a pairing they felt would be perfect both for the franchise and the player.

However, in mid-July, after months and months of negotiations that had gone no where, Nets GM Billy King gave the Orlando Magic a deadline to get something done or Brooklyn was walking away from the table for good.

I'm not sure if the Magic and/or their new GM Rob Henenigan thought King was bluffing when he told them of the deadline, however, we are sure of how it turned out now.

King wasn't bluffing, as the Nets walked away from negotiations for Howard and almost immediately swung a deal with the Atlanta Hawks to bring Joe Johnson to Brooklyn to pair with Deron Williams in the backcourt.

They re-signed Williams and Gerald Wallace to long-term deals, signed Brook Lopez to an extension, kept Kris Humphries on a two-year deal, and added several other complementary pieces as well.

While the pairing of Williams and Howard might have been nice for Nets fans, their supporting cast would have been somewhere between pretty bad and "Seriously, THIS is why we wanted to team up in Brooklyn?" bad for the duo.

Think about it. They would have had to part with Lopez, Humphries, MarShon Brooks, and several decent draft picks just to land Howard and bring back some of Orlando's collection of horrible contracts, which in turn, would have kept them from signing role players like C.J. Watson, Jerry Stackhouse, and Mirza Teletovic.

I'd much rather have Williams-Johnson-Wallace-Humphries-Lopez and a decent bench instead of Williams-Jason Richardson-Hedo Turkoglu-Earl Clark-Howard and a bunch of nobodies (with no draft picks) any day, all day, and twice on Saturday's.

- The Atlanta Hawks moving their two worst contracts (Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams) in less than 24 hours AND arguably improving in the process: New Atlanta Hawks' general manager Danny Ferry would almost certainly be the front-runner for NBA Executive of the Year if not for Mitch Kupchak's two armed robberies.

First, he traded Johnson, and the league's most expensive contract, to the Brooklyn Nets for Anthony Morrow, Jordan Farmar (since waived), Jordan Williams, DeShawn Stevenson and Johan Petro, as well as a 2017 second round pick.

Later in the day, he then shipped Marvin Williams (the team's constant reminder that the Hawks could've drafted Chris Paul to his hometown Hawks and blew it) to the Utah Jazz for Devin Harris.

On paper, the moves don't look like much of an upgrade. However, once you realize that Ferry turned Johnson's 2012-13 salary of $19.8 (and the near $70 million beyond this season) and Williams into a top ten three point shooter (Morrow, career 42.6%), a solid back-up point guard (Harris), and $20.5 million in expiring contracts (all six players they acquired have contracts expiring after this season, including Farmar, who was already waived),

After their other signings and moves, including the additions of Kyle Korver and Lou Williams, the Hawks are right back at the level they were at prior to the trade, only with approximately ten times the potential when you factor in all the new faces and the franchise-altering amount of cap space they will have next summer.

While their 2012-13 roster might not fare much better than Atlanta's recent string of first or second round playoff losses, they are primed to transform into legitimate, consistent contenders if they continue making all the right moves.

Keep an eye on the Hawks and their stockpile of expiring contracts at the trade deadline in February. With a core of Josh Smith, Al Horford, Jeff Teague, Lou Williams, Devin Harris, and Kyle Korver, Atlanta is only a player or two away from being a serious contender in the East (although they will almost certainly remain in the Miami Heat's massive shadow as they share the same division).

However, with Danny Ferry trading the most untradeable contract in the league within days of taking the Hawks' GM job, nothing he does will surprise me from now on.

- The Miami Heat stealing Ray Allen away from their biggest rival in the Eastern Conference while also adding Rashard Lewis: While many people who follow basketball thought Pat Riley would focus on adding some more size to the Heat's front court as his top priority this offseason, he went out and did almost the exact opposite.

However, when you have the opportunity to land the best three point shooter in NBA history AND one of your main rivals' best players in the same signing, you just can't pass that up, regardless of current needs.

While Miami could clearly use an upgrade at the center position, they have already shown they have what it takes to win an NBA title playing "small ball" and employing a rotation of semi-competent big men other than Chris Bosh.

While Allen lost his starting role with the Celtics last season to Avery Bradley amid lingering injuries, he won't have to play nearly as many regular season minutes for Miami and will almost certainly be used primarily as a spot up shooter lurking around the three-point line, meaning a lot less running around the floor on offense which means less wear and tear on his body.

With his ability to knock down open threes with such consistency, as well the Heat's plethora of other talented three point shooters (Mike Miller, Shane Battier, James Jones, etc.), Miami will almost certainly be one of the best three point shooting teams in the league next season.

With LeBron James and Dwayne Wade commanding double and triple teams every time they drive to the rim, I also expect more than a few of those threes will be wide-open looks.

Although Rashard Lewis might not be the legitimate big man Riley and the Heat have been searching for during the past two summers, at 6'9, he gives them another player like Chris Bosh that can shoot the ball well enough away from the basket that it forces the man covering him to leave the post and come out to guard him.

With a line-up of James-Allen-Wade-Lewis-Bosh on the court, for instance, head coach Erik Spoelstra would have an almost unlimited amount of options on the offensive side of the ball to work with.

Lewis and Bosh can either take the ball down low to the rim or spot up and shoot from 15 feet, causing nightmares for the large percentage of the league's power forwards and centers that have trouble playing defense away from the rim.

If either one of them draws their man away from the basket, it makes it all the easier for LeBron or Wade to take off and drive to the rim, scoring an easy dunk or lay-up and/or drawing a foul on someone moving off their defensive assignment to try and cover the guy with the ball.

By chance someone makes the defensive switch in time to stop whoever is driving to the rim, it will likely come at the expense of leaving Allen or another one of Miami's deadly three point shooters wide open on the perimeter.

Allen also knows Miami's chief rival in the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics, quite well having spent the past five seasons with them prior to deciding to take less money and playing time to chase a second (and maybe even a third or fourth) ring with the Heat.

While the Lakers clearly made some earth-shaking moves by acquiring Steve Nash and Dwight Howard this summer, Miami's addition of Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis keeps them in the pole position of the championship race as they look to repeat and build upon last season's success.

Honorable Mention:

- The Oklahoma City Thunder stealing Perry Jones with the 28th pick in the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft: Normally, teams coming of an appearance in the NBA Finals don't find themselves in a position to land a player at the NBA Draft that will have any meaningful impact on the franchise in the immediate future.

However, that's exactly where Oklahoma City found themselves during this year's draft as they were the beneficiary of Jones' tumble down the draft board after last minute medical red flags went up regarding his potential knee problems.

Jones, who was once projected as high as a top five draft pick, fell into the Thunder's lap after many teams passed on him due to concerns about the meniscus in his knee dating back to before he played at Baylor.

Standing 6'11 and talented enough to play almost position on the floor, Jones will almost certainly find decent minutes starting out as a rookie, and if he begins to live up to his sizable potential early in the season, could even find himself playing a significant role with the team come postseason time.

Even if for some reason Jones doesn't work out in the long run and fails to live up to his once towering expectations, Sam Presti and the Thunder will have lost nothing other than a late first round pick. If he does work out, Presti once again looks like a genius grabbing the guy everyone else was scared to touch. It's a win-win situation for the Thunder and there is potential here for it to be an extremely big win if Jones pans out.

2012 NBA Draft Grades: Atlantic Division

2012-06-29T07:20:00.001-05:00

Boston Celtics

Picks: #21 Jared Sullinger PF, #22 Fab Melo C, #51 Kris Joseph SF

Sullinger saw his draft stock fall due to a herniated disk that caused red flags from several team's medical staffs. However, Boston rolled the dice on him anyway, which was a great move as they need someone with his offensive talent to bolster their front court moving towards the post-KG era.

I think the Celtics reached a little bit taking Melo where they did, although they definitely needed help at the center position as they were forced into small line-ups for a majority of the second half of last season and the playoffs with Garnett at center. With their desperate need at the position taken into account, the big man's selection becomes less of a stretch as he has the potential to turn into a big time force with his size.

While it's unknown if Joseph will make the final roster, he had a pretty decent career at Syracuse and he would provide the Celtics with an excellent wing player to come off the bench behind Paul Pierce, so definitely don't write him off.

Final Grade: B+

Brooklyn Nets

Picks: #41 Tyshawn Taylor PG, #54 Tornike Shengalia SF, #57 Ilkan Karaman PF

The Nets landed an excellent point guard in Taylor and considering how far he fell in the draft, they got him at an absolute steal with the 41st pick. While the Nets are doing everything in their power to keep free agent point guard Deron Williams as they move to their new home, Taylor gives them a quality talent at point that will easily be able to come in off the bench for him or play extended minutes should he sign elsewhere.

Brooklyn's other two selections will likely never play a minute in the NBA and for that they aren't factored into their grade since they were basically filler picks. Taylor was just too good an option to pass up for the Nets.

Final Grade: B

New York Knicks

Picks: #48 Kosta Papanikolaou SF

This selection drew plenty of boos from the dozens of Knicks fans in attendance at the draft last night, as it was a sign that the team had no interest in actually using this selection as their is almost no chance Papanikolaou will ever play in the NBA. In fact, his name has probably been used more in this post (twice) than the Knicks will use it all season long.

Final Grade: Incomplete

Philadelphia 76ers

Picks: #15 Maurice Harkless SF, #27 Arnett Moultrie PF, #45 Justin Hamilton C

The Sixers made a curious selection by taking Harkless with their top draft pick considering they already have Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young on their roster. Unless they are planning to move Iggy, I'm not sure this pick makes much sense for them, although Harkless had an amazing freshman season this past year and should have a good NBA career if he is given enough playing time.

Moultrie was acquired in a move with the Miami Heat and adds some depth to their front court, something that they definitely needed heading into the draft. His best asset is his ability to crash the boards which is something the Sixers desperately need.

Hamilton is another solid front court player that could make it easier for the team to consider using their amnesty clause on Elton Brand. It's unknown if he will make their final roster for sure, but he would definitely provide them a much needed big man with the ability to shoot from a fairly decent range for his size should they decide to give him a contract.

Final Grade:B-

Toronto Raptors

Picks: #8 Terrence Ross SF, #37 Quincy Acy PF, #56 Tomislav Zubcic

The Raptors really wanted to move this selection heading into the draft, however, after failing to find any deals to their liking, they settled instead on making a huge reach and selecting Ross, someone they probably could have taken five picks later. While Toronto needed an upgrade at small forward and got a player that filled the need well, they are getting penalized here for jumping the gun on this one and not moving back to take him.

Acy is a pretty decent selection for Toronto where they took him, however, they took a big gamble leaving Tyshawn Taylor on the board with this selection as they gear up to make a huge run at Steve Nash at the beginning of free agency (and for Jeremy Lin if the pursuit of Nash doesn't work out). Taylor is the type of scoring point guard that the Raptors could really use and it's unlikely they can actually land either of their aforementioned targets, meaning missing out on Taylor could really haunt them down the road.

The selection of Zubcic is likely just another in the long list of international players Toronto has selected over the past few years that have never made it to the NBA.

Final Grade: C-

Will Houston Rockets Pull Off A Blockbuster Deal On Draft Day?

2012-06-27T04:38:00.002-05:00

The Houston Rockets have probably been the most active team in the NBA heading into tonight's 2012 NBA Draft, as they have been linked to countless trade rumors and free agent interests ranging from Tyreke Evans to Dwight Howard over the past few weeks.

There's no question Houston has the ammunition to pull off a blockbuster trade tonight with any number of teams as they currently own three first round draft picks after sending Chase Budinger to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the #18 pick on Tuesday (they already owned the #14 and #16 picks).

The most prominent rumor circulating around the internet involves Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, who the Rockets have been fascinated with for quite some time now, even attempting to acquire him at this past season's trade deadline before he ultimately signed a one-year extension with Orlando.

While it's unknown if the Rockets have officially made any offers for him yet, it's almost certain they will make an attempt to land Howard from the Magic with their haul of draft picks before moving on to other players of interest.

The craziest part about Houston's infatuation with the perennial All-Star center is the fact that it's almost certain that he would not re-sign with the Rockets next summer when he is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent.

However, anything is possible if they somehow manage to pull off a deal with Orlando, as he could fall in love with the city of Houston and/or the fan base and decide to stay with a long-term deal in free agency.

He might decide to stay with the Rockets even if he isn't crazy about the franchise, as they would be able to offer an extra year and more money than any other team could in free agency if he is on their roster when he hits the market.

Almost everyone on the Rocket's current roster has been linked to trade rumors and could likely be had by Orlando, along with the draft picks, should they decide to send Howard to Houston.

Kyle Lowry is almost certain to be moved prior to or during the draft tonight, as he is publicly stated he wanted to be traded amidst an apparent irreparable relationship between him and head coach Kevin McHale.

The Rockets have reportedly offered him to the Sacramento Kings, along with the #14 and #16 picks, in exchange for Tyreke Evans and the #5 pick according to DraftExpress.com.

Houston also has been linked to trades involving the Toronto Raptors and their #8 pick, as the Rockets reportedly would like to draft center Andre Drummond out of Connecticut if they fail to land Howard from the Magic.

With the team clearly interested in upgrading the center position one way or another, the Rockets have also reportedly made Samuel Dalembert available, according to HoopsWorld, trying to attach with him with one or more of their picks in attempt to move up in the draft or land a proven veteran.

Earlier this month, HoopsWorld also reported the Rockets had expressed interest in Andre Iguodala of the Philadelphia 76ers and Danny Granger of the Indiana Pacers.

Either of those players could likely be had be had with a package of Kevin Martin (expiring contract) or Luis Scola and a pair of their three draft picks if the Rockets decided to go in one of those directions.

Another option that could be possible, although I have not seen or heard any rumors about this one, could involve the Rockets making an attempt to land Pau Gasol of the Los Angeles Lakers, whom they almost acquired last December in the failed Chris Paul to the Lakers trade.

The Lakers have reportedly been interested in trading him should the right offer come along, and quite frankly, they likely won't receive a better offer for him than Houston could offer with their plethora of draft picks and talented players.

With so many options open to them, and with so many assets stock-piled together, the Rockets have a real chance of pulling off at least a semi-blockbuster move (or two) during tonight's draft as it's highly unlikely they will stand pat and hold onto all three of their draft picks and not either move up or deal for an All-Star.

The real question for Houston is which superstar(s) will the Rockets ultimately land or how far up the draft board will they climb with their U-Haul full of assets?

Saturday's Late News & Notes: Bucks & Bulls Want To Trade Up In Draft, Knicks Interested In Derek Fisher, & More

2012-06-17T05:01:00.000-05:00

-- The New York Knicks are apparently interested in Oklahoma City Thunder reserve point guard Derek Fisher, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

The 16-year NBA veteran has played extremely well for the Thunder in recent weeks and looks as though he has at least a couple more years left in the tank.

The Knicks could definitely use someone with Fisher's veteran experience and leadership to help create chemistry for a team that clearly lacked it for much of this past season.

While they will have major interest in the guard, they won't be able to offer him any major money if they do pursue him, as New York won't be able to offer him more than a $1.4 million veteran minimum contract.

After the way Fisher has played in the postseason, there definitely won't be a shortage of offers for his services, and if the Knicks want to convince him to come to the Big Apple, they will need to make a heck of a sales pitch.

One factor that may not work in their favor, if it plays a role at all, is the fact that Fisher's former head coach Phil Jackson currently appears to have a little bit of an issue with the team.

While Jackson recently said the Knicks roster was "clumsy" (verifying that he meant the chemistry between Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire wasn't there) and that he wouldn't have taken the teams' head coaching job even if it had been offered to him, the fact remains that team owner James Dolan apparently never even considered the thought of offering it to the Zen Master.

I highly doubt Jackson will play any type of role in where Fisher ends up signing in free agency, however, I still can't see Fisher going to the Knicks when he could stay with Oklahoma City, who definitely has better odds of seeing another Finals appearance over the next two years than the Knicks do.

Which team do you think would be the best fit for Fisher next season? Will he retire if the Thunder win a championship, giving him a seventh ring?
-- The Chicago Bulls are keeping their options open this summer when it comes to improving their roster, and according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio, one of those options includes potentially trading up in this month's NBA Draft, possibly all the way into the lottery.

The Bulls won the Eastern Conference during the regular season, finishing with a 50-16 record, tied with the San Antonio Spurs for the best record in the NBA.

However, Chicago lost superstar Derrick Rose in the opening game of their first round series against the Philadelphia 76ers to a torn ACL and the Bulls went on to lose the series in six games.

Although the Bulls have some quality talent surrounding Rose already, including Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah, and Luol Deng, they could definitely use some more depth behind them.

Chicago currently owns the #29 pick in the draft so they would almost certainly have to include a player or two to make a deal to get them in the lottery.

Luckily for the Bulls, they have the contracts of Ronnie Brewer and Kyle Korver (both around $5 million) to offer in any potential trades, as both are valuable assets with expiring contracts.

According to sources close to the team, the Bulls are rumored to be interested in guards such as Austin Rivers, Dion Waiters, or Jeremy Lamb.

-- The Milwaukee Bucks are also moving up in the NBA Draft, although their climb won't be nearly as far as Chicago's if the Bulls can somehow make it into the lottery.

Milwaukee, who currently owns the #12 selection, is rumored to be interested in moving up into the top ten.

According to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal-Times, the Bucks have spoken to the Charlotte Bobcats about acquiring their #2 pick, although Milwaukee doesn't have much to bargain with beyond Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis (neither of whom are going anywhere).

The Bucks are apparently looking for a big guard even though they already have one of the top backcourts in the NBA in Jennings and Ellis.

“They told me they could use a big guard like me,” said Will Barton, who played in college at Memphis and recently worked out for Milwaukee. “We’ll see what happens.”

Also of note, according to the same article, the Bucks and Jennings' agent, Bill Duffy, have yet to have any meaningful discussions about an extension for the team's starting point guard.

Could that be a sign they might consider taking another point guard with their lottery selection?

-- Which team do you think would be the best fit for Derek Fisher in free agency? Who should the Bulls target if they trade for a lottery pick? How far up in the draft will Milwaukee go if they can make a trade? Share your thoughts below in the comments section.

Memphis Grizzlies Sale To Robert Pera In Trouble Of Falling Through?

2012-06-16T23:51:00.001-05:00

It seems as though the sale of the Memphis Grizzlies to California-based billionaire Robert Pera Jr. may be in danger of falling through after Pera's net worth took a massive tumble in recent weeks, according to the New York Daily News.

Pera, who agreed last week to purchase the Grizzlies for an estimated $350 million, owns Ubiquiti Networks, a controversial communications technology company, and their stock has plummeted over the past two weeks.

The drop in the companies stock value has also caused his overall worth to drop from over $1 billion all the way down to $200 million, according to league sources.

Unless Pera has a group of investors lined up to help him with the purchase, there's a very good chance that the deal will fall through (previous reports stated that Pera had no such group in place and was planning to make the purchase on his own).

If Pera is unable to buy the team, current owner Michael Heisley will resume control over the franchise.

This wouldn't be the first time that Heisley has seen a deal fall through that would have transferred his 70% stake in the franchise to a new owner.

In 2007, Heisley had a deal in place with an ownership group headed by Brian Davis and former NBA player Christian Laettner before it eventually fell apart.

Heisley, who is based in Chicago and is 75 years old, has been trying to sell the franchise for quite some time as he is ready to enjoy retirement, however, he has been unable to find a new owner that is willing to keep the franchise in Memphis.

Larry Ellison, another California-based billionaire, had serious interest in purchasing the Grizzlies, however, Heisley refused to even entertain his offers, as he wants the franchise to stay in Memphis and knew Ellison had intentions of relocating the team.

Unless Pera can form an investment group on the fly, his chances of becoming the youngest owner in the NBA are not looking too well as of right now.

Brandon Roy Will Attempt An NBA Comeback Next Season

2012-06-16T18:40:00.001-05:00

After months of speculation regarding his future in basketball, it appears Brandon Roy is ready to come out of early retirement and will attempt to make an NBA comeback next season.

While answering questions from fans on a friend's (Will Conroy) Twitter account, Roy said that he is now training daily and is preparing for a return to the hardwood next season.

“Lord willing, I will play again soon,” Roy said in a series of tweets. “Yes, I’m preparing for a comeback. I’m training daily. I’m preparing for a return next year. I appreciate the love. Hopefully I’ll be back on the floor soon. Health is good.”

Roy has said on several occasions in recent months that he would like to return to basketball after he abruptly retired from the Portland Trail Blazers prior to the season due to concerns over his knees being unable to handle the condensed schedule.

The former three-time All Star traveled to Los Angeles earlier this month and reportedly underwent a procedure on his knees similar to the one Kobe Bryant had done in Germany last year.

"Tuesday was the first of a series of treatment Roy's going through. He's doing something similar to the treatment Kobe Bryant had on his right knee. It can only help," said a source close to Roy.

Peter Vecsey of the New York Post reported last month that Roy would be interested in playing for the Los Angeles Lakers should be decide to come out of retirement.

He also mentioned the Golden State Warriors as a potential destination as Roy's former agent, Bob Myers, is currently the general manager there.

When a fan asked Roy if a return to Portland would be a possibility, the guard had this to say:

“I wish, but due to the NBA rules I cannot play in Portland until 2014-2015,” Roy tweeted. “I’m looking to return sooner. Thanks for your support. I’m fortunate to have played for such a great fan base. No matter where I play, Portland will always have a special place in my heart.”

If Roy, who will be 28 by the time next season starts, is healthy and teams feel like his knee troubles are a thing of the past, there definitely won't be a lack of interest in the talented guard when he officially announces his return.

When healthy, Roy has proven he is capable of scoring 20+ points a night and being a solid contributor to a contending franchise.

While it is probably unlikely he will able to return with the same level of athleticism that made him a three-time All Star, Roy should still have enough left in the tank to be a quality second or third scoring option on a decent team as long as his minutes are carefully monitored.

I think the Phoenix Suns would be a great fit for Roy to consider when he returns, as both Steve Nash and Grant Hill have said that the team's medical staff is top notch and a major reason as to why they are in such great shape despite their ages.

Which team do you think would be the best fit for Roy? Do you think he will be able to stay healthy and on the court if returns? Share your thoughts below in the comments section.

Tony Parker Injured In Brown-Drake Nightclub Fight, Iman Shumpert Unharmed

2012-06-16T03:07:00.000-05:00

NBA superstars Tony Parker and Iman Shumpert were hanging out at the W.i.P. nightclub in New York City early Thursday morning when a brawl broke out between Chris Brown and members of Drake's entourage, according to multiple reports.

The fight broke out after Brown sent a $2,000 bottle of Ace of Spades champagne to Drake and his 15-member entourage in an attempt to make peace, as the two musicians have had problems with each other for quite a while.

Both of them have previously been romantically linked to R&B singer Rihanna, which is apparently what sparked the fight.

Drake responded by sending the bottle back to Brown along with an "incendiary note" that sparked the incident, according to the New York Daily News.

Punches, as well as glass bottles, were thrown during the ensuing melee, which led to Parker receiving a scratched retina and a hurt cornea in one of his eyes.

“I was with my friend Chris Brown and me and my friends took some punches, so I’ll be missing the start of the French team because I can’t do anything for a week except keep the lens in and then take drops,” the San Antonio Spur's point guard said to a group of reporters in Paris, where he flew after the incident.

"I was quietly with my friends when a fight broke out. Bottles started flying everywhere. I tried to protect my girlfriend and I got everything. The cornea is affected. I cannot do anything for seven days. Wear a therapeutic contact lens and I get drops. I was lucky, that I almost had to get stitches," he added from behind a pair of sunglasses worn to hide the injury.

Parker will almost certainly be better in time to help France attempt to go for a medal at the 2012 Olympics in London.

New York Knicks guard Iman Shumpert left the scene unharmed, as he tweeted after the incident saying that security had led him out just prior to the brawl breaking out.

"Definitely pre bottle smash. Lol. Security walked me out before it broke out," Shumpert said in the tweet yesterday.

Chris Brown wasn't quite as lucky, as he posted a picture on his Twitter account of his chin, which had a decent sized gash on it from what was likely a glass cut.

Mary J. Blige and Fabolous were other notable celebrities in attendance when the brawl broke out.

End Of The Week Free Agency Updates: Brandon Bass, Jameer Nelson, Gerald Wallace, & Jamal Crawford

2012-06-15T19:59:00.000-05:00

-- In a somewhat surprising move, Brandon Bass has decided to opt-out of the final year of his contract with the Boston Celtics and test free agency this summer.

Bass would have made $4.25 million next season with the Celtics under his current deal, but considering he is coming off a season in which he posted career highs in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks, it's fair to say he is due for a raise.

However, according to the report from Comcast Sportsnet, it's likely Bass will return to Boston and sign a multi-year contract with the team.

"I would love to be back here," he told reporters after Boston's season-ending loss to the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. "The fans here are unbelievable. For any player, this organization is the organization that you want to play for."

Regardless of whether or not the Celtics bring back Kevin Garnett next season, Boston still needs some quality front court players for the post "Big Four" era and Bass is exactly the kind of player they need as they move forward and build for the future.

Bass took less money to stay with the Orlando Magic once upon a time, so it's not totally out of the realm of possibility he will give the Celtics a fair discount as well if they commit to him for the long-term.

-- The Orlando Magic and point guard Jameer Nelson have agreed to an extension on his contract opt-out date until June 29 amidst all of the coaching and front office uncertainty within the franchise.

Nelson was originally supposed to have made a decision by today, however, he asked the team for an extension until he finds out who will be the next head coach and general manager of the team.

"The extension gives Jameer the opportunity to evaluate the decisions that Orlando's about to make, which helps in clarifying what Jameer's role would be and whether or not the new management team has a role for him," Nelson's agent Steve Mountain told the Orlando Sentinel.

If Nelson chooses to return to Orlando next season and exercises his player option, he will earn about $7.9 million, but he could also find himself being dangled in trades because he will have a contract that expires after the 2012-13 season.

However, if he chooses to opt-out, he will hit the free agent market on July 1 as an unrestricted free agent and will be free to sign with any team without Orlando having the right to match an offer.

Nelson has spent his entire NBA career with the Magic and says he would like to return to Orlando if the situation feels right.

-- Gerald Wallace has decided to take a gamble on his value on the free agent market, as he will opt-out of the final year of his contract with the Brooklyn Nets that was due to pay him $9.5 million.

Wallace, who was acquired by the Nets in a midseason trade with the Portland Trail Blazers, will likely draw interest from several contending teams, although he almost certainly won't be offered a contract paying him what he would have made by picking up his player option with Brooklyn.

The Nets gave up a mini-truckload for Wallace, sending Mehmet Okur to the Blazers as well as a first round draft pick, which ended up being the sixth overall selection in this month's NBA Draft.

With that being said, expect Brooklyn to make a major run at re-signing Wallace to a multi-year contract, even it means paying him more than his original deal would've given him for the first season or two of the new contract.

Although Wallace is an 11-year veteran in the league, he is only 30 years-old and still has quite a few solid years left in the tank, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

-- Portland Trail Blazer's guard Jamal Crawford will test free agency this summer and opt-out of the final season of the two-year deal he signed just last summer with the franchise.

Crawford would have earned $5.225 next season with the Blazers if he had decided to pick up his player option on the deal, however, he apparently didn't enjoy his time with Portland according to multiple reports throughout the season.

Part of the reason for Crawford's unhappiness can be traced to the number of minutes he played with the Blazers this year, averaging only 26.9 minutes per game in the 60 he played in, which was his lowest minutes per game average since 2003.

Sam Amico of FoxSports reports that Crawford is interested in signing with one of the following teams in free agency: the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks or Cleveland Cavaliers.

He was drafted 8th overall in the 2000 draft by the Cavaliers, although he never played for them as he was traded almost immediately after being drafted to the Chicago Bulls for Chris Mihm.

Crawford has played for the Knicks in the past, and although they weren't very good during his first tenure there, they are much better these days and would greatly benefit from the addition of a player of Crawford's level.

If the 32 year-old guard is interested in chasing a championship, Miami and New York would probably be his best options, although the heat would likely have to trade or amnesty Mike Miller to make something happen.

Where do you think these players will end up in free agency? Who will re-sign with the current teams and who will find themselves wearing new uniforms next season? Share your opinions below in the comments section.

Complete Highlights From Game 2 Of 2012 NBA Finals, Which The Miami Heat Won 100-96 Over The OKC Thunder

2012-06-15T05:31:00.000-05:00

This is the best video I have found so far with highlights from the second game of the 2012 NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Heat jumped out to a big lead early in the game, however, Oklahoma City fought back hard in the second half in what almost seemed like deja vu from Game 1.

However, this time the Oklahoma City Thunder couldn't finish off their late comeback attempt, with Kevin Durant missing a potential game-tying shot with under 10 seconds remaining in the game, allowing the Heat to end a three-game losing streak in the NBA Finals dating back to last season.

Which play do you think qualified as the "Play of the Game"? Was it one of Serge Ibaka's sick blocks? Perhaps one of D-Wade's ridiculous shots? Or was it one of the thunderous dunks that got thrown down throughout the night? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Did The Referees Miss A Crucial Foul Call Against LeBron James In The Final Seconds Of Game 2?

2012-06-15T03:20:00.003-05:00

With the Oklahoma City Thunder only trailing 98-96 to the Miami Heat as time ran down in Game 2 of the 2012 NBA Finals last night, three-time league scoring champ Kevin Durant drove to the rim and put up a floater only a few feet away from the rim.

As Durant released the shot, it appeared LeBron James put his elbow into Durant's abdomen/rib area, possibly affecting the shot and causing the shot to come up just short.

To make matters worse, it also seemed like James fouled Westbrook trying to secure the rebound off the missed shot, however, the referee called the foul on Russell Westbrook and Oklahoma City.

That foul call, with just 7.1 seconds left in the game, sent the reigning MVP to the free throw line for the Miami Heat, where James clinched the game with two made shots.

Check out footage of the controversial play right here:

Do you think the referee missed the call(s) on the play? Or did he make the right decision letting the play go since the contact was pretty minimal? Share your thoughts below in the comments section.

Oklahoma City Thunder's Serge Ibaka With The Sick Block On LeBron James In Game 2

2012-06-15T02:24:00.001-05:00

Serge Ibaka had five blocks in Oklahoma City's 100-96 defeat to the Miami Heat last night, but none may have been bigger than this one he had on reigning league MVP, LeBron James.

Ibaka's solid all-around defense was a huge reason the Thunder were able to dig themselves out of a 17 point hole in the first half and trim the lead just two points in the games' final minutes.

Is Serge Ibaka the best shot blocker in the NBA right now? If not, who do you consider to be the best? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Could Oklahoma City Actually Be Considering Trading James Harden In The Offseason?

2012-06-15T01:07:00.000-05:00

Arguably the second most popular player on the Oklahoma City Thunder roster behind Kevin Durant, reigning Sixth Man of the Year James Harden could possibly be on the trade block during the offseason according to a report from CBSSports.com.

The report quotes an anonymous source as saying the Thunder might consider moving Harden, as he and Serge Ibaka are both due for extensions following next season.

Considering the team has committed a huge amount of money on Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, the Thunder would be hard pressed to keep all four players unless someone is willing to stay for less than market value.

Durant signed a five-year maximum extension in July 2010 worth $86 million, while Westbrook inked a five-year maximum extension in January of this year rumored to be in the $80 million range as well.

With that much money tied up already, it's not out of the realm of possibility the team may have to trade Harden or Ibaka, but could the Thunder really part with one of the most important reasons why they are playing in the 2012 Finals?

While Harden comes off the bench for the Thunder, he is almost always on the floor in the fourth quarter when the game is on the line, which is the time when the really good players are always on the court.

He's averaging 16.8 points per game in these playoffs, which oddly enough is the same number he averaged during the regular season.

But the most important thing about Harden isn't necessarily the number of points that he provides, but when he provides them.

When Durant and Westbrook are struggling, more often that not Harden is the one that will keep the team together on offense by sparking big turnarounds with even bigger shots.

He's also one of the big reasons teams struggle guarding the Thunder on defense as almost no one in the league has three players that are good enough defensively to hold Harden, Durant, and Westbrook in check for a full game.

The report from CBSSports.com mentions that Harden might be in play in a potential trade with the Charlotte Bobcats, as they are looking into trade scenarios involving their #2 pick in this month's draft and are interested in acquiring a solid veteran in return.

The Bobcats know they need more than just one rookie to help turn around their franchise after a horrendous season in which they had a league worst 7-59 record, and they could use a player of Harden's abilities to help in that movement.

However, I can't imagine the Thunder letting go of Harden this summer unless they get a mind-blowing offer that they just can't pass up.

With the rumors that the Bobcats want whichever team they trade the second pick with to also take on a bad contract like Tyrus Thomas or DeSagana Diop, there's almost zero chance Thunder GM Sam Presti agrees to a deal like that.

Even if the Thunder realize they can't afford to keep their quartet together, I can't imagine them doing anything before next season's trade deadline.

However, I think team owner Clay Bennett will find a way to keep this core group together, as they could dominate the Western Conference for the next decade with Durant, Westbrook, Harden, and Ibaka leading the charge.

If you were Sam Presti, would you consider moving Harden or Ibaka? If so, is a deal with Charlotte the right move for them to make? Share your thoughts below in the comments section.

John Calipari Boots Charlie Villanueva From Dominican Republic National Team

2012-06-14T05:44:00.000-05:00

Charlie Villanueva has been informed that he won't be playing for the Dominican Republic national team this summer, as he was cut by national team head coach John Calipari for being overweight according to multiple reports.

"Charlie was not in good form when we saw him," Calipari told Deportes en la Z. "He was overweight, and unfortunately, we could not slow down the entire team and it was a decision taken collectively. Last year, Charlie behaved really well with us and his only problem was his weight."

Villanueva was listed as having a playing weight of 232 pounds last season for the Detroit Pistons, and according to a picture of him standing on a digital scale posted on his Twitter account, he is currently at 243.5 pounds.

For some reason that is beyond me, Villanueva tweeted "Lol case closed" with the picture, although he is 11.5 pounds overweight and only proving Calipari's point that the forward is out of shape.

It has been a rough start to 2012 for the Pistons forward, as he was limited to only 13 games for Detroit this season due to injuries and averaged career lows in almost every major category, including a career-worst 7.0 points per game.

The loss of Villanueva leaves the Dominican team with only two current NBA players, Al Horford of the Atlanta Hawks and Francisco Garcia of the Sacramento Kings.

Horford's younger brother Jon, who plays at the University of Michigan, is also a member of the team. Villanueva never worked out with the team this summer, despite reports saying he met with team officials in New York City, the team (and Coach Cal) were reportedly disappointed with the shape that he was in last summer, which led to the decision to drop him.

"An NBA player like him deserves respect and for respect, we have taken this decision," Calipari said. "I enjoyed coaching him a lot. He is a great player."

While he may no longer be with the team due to his weight, Villanueva used to be a major contributor for the Dominican national team.

Villanueva was drafted seventh overall in the 2005 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors before being traded after his rookie campaign to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for T.J. Ford.

His best season in the NBA came in 2008-09 while he was still a member of the Bucks when he averaged 16.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, both career highs.

Detroit signed him during the following offseason to one of the worst contracts in recent NBA history that looks worse with each passing season.

The Pistons owe Villanueva $16.6 million over the next two seasons and although reports say team officials aren't considering using their Amnesty Clause to rid themselves of his contract, they may change their minds if he doesn't show up at camp in top shape.

It's hard to justify paying a player that amount of money when his numbers have dropped off in each of his three seasons since arriving in Detroit in the summer of 2009, and there's currently no reason to believe he will significantly improve anytime soon.

Do you think Coach Cal made the right choice in dropping Villanueva or do you think they will miss him once they start playing? Should the Pistons give up on the forward and amnesty him over the summer? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Rapper Lil Wayne Feels Disrespected By Oklahoma City Thunder's Arena Staff

2012-06-13T23:42:00.000-05:00

Earlier in the postseason, rapper Lil Wayne was upset because he wasn't given tickets by the Oklahoma City Thunder to attend Game 3 of their Western Conference Finals match-up with the San Antonio Spurs.

"Was going to go to the Thunder game tonight but was denied by the team to be in their arena. Wow. Smh. Go Spurs!," tweeted the rap superstar the night of Game 3, which was played in Oklahoma City.

The team would later admit to not supplying Wayne with tickets, saying it was due to limited supply and due to the fact that the rapper would only sit in the front row, which was already sold out by the time he made his request.

Thunder stars Kevin Durant and James Harden offered him tickets to attend Game 4 of the same series, with Durant offering the rapper two tickets in an attempt to bring some celebrity power to Oklahoma City.

While "Lil Weezy" refused to show up for the game, American Idol host Ryan Seacrest was shown courtside during the game, prompting the rapper to hint that race may have played a role in him being denied seats to the previous game.

“That’s not the point, though,” Lil Wayne said. “It’s the players stepping up but, of course, the players aren’t white. I don’t want to be sitting there on behalf of you and I’m sitting next to a (person) that’s like ‘I don’t want this (guy) sitting next to me.’"

Although he was still upset with the Thunder, the multi-platinum rapper turned up at the Chesapeake Energy Arena for Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Heat and Thunder on Tuesday night.

However, Lil Wayne was still apparently offended or upset by something the staff at the arena did or said to him at some point during his visit.

"Again I was treated like sh!t by the Thunder arena staff...dam..I hope da Heat beat da dog sh!t out em!!" he tweeted about his experience at Game 1.

While he may be upset with the Thunder and their staff, it's not much of a surprise he would cheer for the Heat, as he is routinely at their games when they play at home in Miami anyway, including during their Eastern Conference Finals run against the Boston Celtics.

As matter of fact, I fully expect the self-proclaimed best rapper alive to be sitting courtside in his normal spot Saturday night at the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami cheering for the Heat.

Do you agree with Lil Wayne that the Oklahoma City staff has treated him differently due to race? Or do you think they did the right thing by not catering to the millionaire rapper? Share your thoughts below in the comments section.

Jim Rome & David Stern Get Into Heated Converation On Radio Show

2012-06-13T17:53:00.003-05:00

NBA commissioner David Stern has apparently grown tired of hearing about conspiracy theories revolving around the New Orleans Hornets winning the 2012 NBA Draft Lottery.

Earlier today while he was a guest on Jim Rome's radio show, Stern got into a pretty intense argument with Rome after the radio host asked him about the draft lottery and told him that many fans thought the process was rigged.

Stern went on to ask Rome if he still beats his wife on live radio within seconds of the draft lottery being brought up by the host, which led to the rest of the interview turning a bit sour to say the least.

Skip ahead in this clip to the recommended 7:37 mark if you want to jump straight into the argument:

If this was a team owner or player making these comments, do you think Stern would let it go unpunished? What should be done to Stern for stepping out of line? Will there even be any punishment since he is the commissioner? Share your thoughts on their conversation and argument below in the comments section.

Boston Celtics Free Agency & NBA Draft News

2012-06-13T16:18:00.000-05:00

According to an unnamed Western Conference GM that spoke with Sam Amico of FoxSports, the Boston Celtics are considering making one more run with the core group of players that helped the franchise come within one victory of playing in their third NBA Finals in five years.

While the anonymous GM said he believes Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers will try to keep most of the core group together, it seems as though one member of Boston's "Big Four" might be finding a new home during the offseason.

“I think they’ll re-sign Garnett, but let Allen walk,” said one Western Conference executive. “Then they’ll spend some money in free agency. They’re a respected franchise. They’ll draw some interest from the available bigger names, but the key will be to keep Garnett first.”

If the Celtics do indeed decide to allow Ray Allen to walk in free agency, they would be free to target one of the marquee names on this summer's free agent market such as Deron Williams, Steve Nash, or Eric Gordon.

Since the Celtics only have Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley, and JaJuan Johnson locked in under contract for next season (Brandon Bass has a player option for $4 million that he will likely exercise), they only have $34.5 million on their books in salary.

As long as they can convince Garnett to return at a moderate discount to chase one more ring and retire a Celtic, the team should have enough money to pursue someone that will be commanding something close to a maximum deal or several mid-level talents to restock around the core group.

Amico quoted the anonymous GM as saying he thought the Celtics might have interest in the following unrestricted free agents: Jason Terry (Dallas Mavericks), Andre Miller (Denver Nuggets), Carlos Delfino (Milwaukee Bucks), Shannon Brown (Phoenix Suns) and Nick Young (Los Angeles Clippers).

The GM also mentioned restricted free agents O.J. Mayo (Memphis Grizzlies) and Eric Gordon (New Orleans Hornets) as potential targets for Boston.

Brook Lopez is another player to keep an eye on, in my opinion, as I can't imagine him resigning with the Brooklyn Nets after they have spent two solid seasons trying to move him in exchange for Dwight Howard.

Lopez would give Boston a solid scoring threat in their front court to go along with Bass and Garnett (assuming both players return to the Celtics) and is now the best center on the market after Howard signed his one-year extension with the Orlando Magic.

Also, according to Amico, the Celtics are considering packaging the #21 and #22 picks they own in an attempt to move up "five or six spots" in this month's NBA Draft.

The Philadelphia 76ers (#15) and Houston Rockets (#16) are reportedly interested in trading their selections in return for a proven veteran, however, they might be enticed to make a deal with Boston if they feel they have a better chance of acquiring someone with two picks as opposed to one.

Definitely keep an eye out for a Boston-Houston trade, as the Rockets own the 14th pick as well as the 16th and I'd be very surprised if Houston doesn't trade at least one of the selections.

Although it's highly unlikely, if Boston does manage to trade up in the draft, they may find themselves in the awkward position of having Austin Rivers, son of head coach Doc Rivers, still available on the board when they pick.

Since both Austin and Doc have said in interviews that they would rather not end up with the same franchise, it's extremely unlikely to happen even if he is on the board when their pick comes up, however, there's always a chance things could change if the Celtics find themselves with a realistic chance of landing the young guard who played last season with Duke.

The only thing that is certain for the Boston Celtics this summer is that Danny Ainge will have his hands full as he tries to decide what direction the franchise wants to move into as they depart from the "Big Three" era and into a new, much more uncertain one.

Which free agents do you think would be the best fit for the Celtics? Should they try to trade up in the draft or grab two players in what many to consider to be a deep draft? Share what you think Ainge should do this summer below in the comments section.

Yesteday's Late News & Notes Round-Up From Around The League

2012-06-12T04:47:00.000-05:00

This post is a round-up of random news and notes from Monday that I found interesting enough to write about, however, most of them didn't warrant their own posts so I've decided to put them all in one convenient place:

-- Cleveland Cavaliers offer their #4, #24, #33, and #34 picks to the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for the #1 pick:

According to Chad Ford of ESPN, the Cavaliers made a decent offer to the Hornets in an attempt to land likely number one overall pick Anthony Davis.

However, New Orleans rejected the offer making it seem even more certain that they will select Davis despite refusing to publicly commit to the big man who won a NCAA National Championship in April at the Superdome in New Orleans.

"It's not set in stone," the former Kentucky star has said when referring to being the first overall selection in the 2012 NBA Draft on June 28th.

While the Hornets and Davis may be saying that to the media, I'm not sure they're going to convince anyone that it's the truth.

-- Toronto Raptors reportedly have interest in trading for Rudy Gay, Andre Iguodala, or Tyreke Evans:

The Raptors have been attached to almost every player that is reportedly on the trading block that can play the small forward position since the regular season came to and end.

They have been rumored to be offering packages including Ed Davis, Andrea Bargnani and/or Jose Calderon, and their lottery pick in exchange for one of those players.

The problem for Toronto is that the Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings already have talented centers on their rosters meaning they likely wouldn't be interested in taking back Bargnani, although they may have some interest in Davis due to his young age and high ceiling on his potential.

Prying Iguodala away from Philly might be there best bet, however, I think the Sixers could probably receive a better offer by moving him elsewhere if they decide to trade him (maybe Los Angeles to the Lakers in a package for Pau Gasol for instance).

-- Rudy Gay reportedly unhappy with Memphis Grizzlies and would welcome trade to another team:

According to the same report from HoopsWorld as the Raptors note, Rudy Gay is reportedly unhappy with the Grizzlies since they have been offering him on the trade market since last season's successful postseason run while he was out with a shoulder injury.

Apparently Rudy is so unhappy with the franchise that he would now welcome a move to a new team and a chance to receive a fresh start in a new city.

However, with yesterday's announcement that team owner Michael Heisley will be selling the team to billionaire Robert Pera, it's now completely unknown what Gay's status with the franchise will be under the new ownership.

While Gay was reportedly being shopped to save money, it's likely Pera won't worry about trying to save cash during his first season with the team, especially while they already have a successful core in place coming off two consecutive playoff runs.

If Gay ends up being traded this summer, expect it to be a result of him asking for a change of scenery, as I can't picture a new owner coming in and splitting up a successful group coming off their best season in franchise history for any other reason.

-- Referee Greg Willard diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, will miss the NBA Finals:

Longtime NBA official Greg Willard was diagnosed with with pancreatic cancer after a blood test revealed a potentially serious illness, according to ESPN.com.

Willard has been an NBA referee for 24 seasons and began serving as an NBA referee for the NBA Finals during the 2009-10 season.

Referees working this year's NBA Finals will all wear Willard's #57 jersey in his honor, which is a gesture worth mentioning.

-- Bradley Beal will only work out with the New Orleans Hornets, Charlotte Bobcats, Washington Wizards, and Cleveland Cavaliers:

Bradley Beal, who is widely considered the best shooting guard in this season's deep draft class, will reportedly only work out for the teams with the top four selections in this month's draft according to his agent Mark Bartelstein.

While Beal is an extremely talented player who spent his college career at Florida playing under Billy Donovan, this decision could come back to haunt him.

With so many talented players in this years draft class, there's no guarantee that those four teams will need help at shooting guard, and even if they do, they may feel another player still on the board at their pick is a must-have type of player.

Although Beal is widely considered to be a high lottery pick by many scouts and online mock drafts, others believe he could fall somewhere closer to the middle to late lottery and this decision makes that all the more likely as teams picking beyond fourth won't know much firsthand knowledge about him.

Charlotte Bobcats Narrow Their Coaching Search To Three Candidates

2012-06-12T01:40:00.001-05:00

It appears the Charlotte Bobcats are finally entering the final stages of selecting their next head coach, as Chris Broussard of ESPN reports they have narrowed their search to three candidates: Brian Shaw, Jerry Sloan, and Quin Snyder.

Each of the three will meet with team owner Michael Jordan within the next week or so according to the report, and then a decision will likely be made soon thereafter.

Recent Hall of Fame inductee Jerry Sloan is the only candidate with prior head coaching experience, resigning midseason during his 23rd season leading the Utah Jazz.

Sloan took the Jazz to the NBA Finals twice during his tenure as their coach, however, he was denied of a championship both times by the Chicago Bulls and his potential future boss, Michael Jordan.

Although Shaw doesn't have any previous head coaching experience, he was a protege of the legendary Phil Jackson and has been an assistant head coach with the Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers.

He has been an assistant coach since 2004-05 and was considered for the Lakers and Orlando Magic's head coaching vacancies over the past two seasons.

Quin Snyder was an assistant with the Los Angeles Lakers this past season (he still likely will be if he doesn't land the Bobcats job) and coached in the NBDL for three seasons prior to that with the Austin Toros.

Snyder was also interviewed for the Minnesota Timberwolves job last summer, before they had even fired Kurt Rambis.

The narrowing of candidates comes after the team originally had ten people interview with team executives Rod Higgins and Rich Cho for the position.

Including the three finalists, the others that were interviewed were Orlando assistant Patrick Ewing, former Portland coach Nate McMillan, Golden State assistant Michael Malone, Cleveland assistant Nate Tibbetts, Charlotte assistant Stephen Silas, Memphis assistant Dave Joerger and St. John's University assistant Mike Dunlap.

In my opinion, Sloan would probably be the best choice for the job if the Bobcats were closer to being a championship contender, but considering the fact that he is 70-years old will probably mean he won't be coaching long enough to see the transformation through.

With that being said, I think the Bobcats will likely pick Shaw when all three of the meetings with Jordan are complete, as he is widely considered to be the best assistant coach in the league right now.

Shaw spent plenty of time learning coaching tactics from Jackson and has first-hand experience with the Triangle Offense, which with the right players, can be one of the most successful offenses in basketball.

I think Shaw is ready at this point in his coaching career to take a head coaching position, and a spot with the Charlotte Bobcats would be the perfect place to begin his career in the lead role on the bench.

Regardless of who lands the vacant job, they will have a massive task on their hands of turning around a franchise that finished with the worst winning percentage in NBA history last season (.106).

Which coach do you think would be the best fit with the Charlotte Bobcats? Do you think they left someone out of their final three that would've made a better coach? Share what you think about their coaching vacancy down below in the comments section.

Memphis Grizzlies Owner Michael Heisley Announces Sale Of Franchise

2012-06-11T23:19:00.002-05:00

Pending approval from the NBA Board of Governors, antitrust clearance, and other conditions, Michael Heisley plans to sell the Memphis Grizzlies franchise to 34 year-old billionaire Robert J. Pera according to multiple sources.

ESPN.com was the first to report the pending change of ownership, which according to ESPN's report, will cost Pera around $350 million, which he will apparently cover on his own as he doesn't have an ownership group in place.

This is what Heisley, who purchased the franchise in 2000 when the team was still known as the Vancouver Grizzlies, had to say on the pending sale and his thoughts on leaving behind the team he brought to Memphis:

"I have enjoyed my ownership of the Grizzlies and the support for professional basketball in Memphis,” said Heisley. “I am confident that the franchise will continue its development toward being a perennial championship contender and an important member of the Memphis community. I am particularly gratified that we have put together a team which is poised to continue its improvement. We have an outstanding team of players, coaching staff, and basketball and business management. In Robert, we have a new owner who has expressed a total commitment to build on our success in Memphis.”

Pera, who is on Forbes' list of the ten youngest billionaires in the world, will become the youngest owner in the league as long as nothing derails the sales process, which began Monday afternoon when Heisley received an eight-figure deposit from Pera.

“I am excited about the opportunity to build on the work that has made the Memphis Grizzlies a highly competitive NBA team,” Pera said about purchasing the team. “I look forward to getting to know the Memphis community and to continuing the team’s success in Memphis.”

While Pera was born and raised in California near Silicon Valley, it appears unlikely he will attempt to relocate the team to another city, although Heisley admitted that relocation was never brought up during his discussions with the young billionaire.

“This has nothing to do with either staying or it’s moving,’’ Heisley said in an interview with FoxSports. “We still have … nine years left on a contract with the city to stay in the city. I have not yet figured how people … think somebody is going to buy the team and leave. It’s going to be here for a while.’’

Heisley has had previous offers in the past, however he turned most of them down because the potential new owners were interested in moving the franchise to another city and leaving Memphis, the city that Heisley has grown very fond of since bringing the Grizzlies here in 2001.

“It’s very bittersweet,’’ Heisley said of selling the team. “I love Memphis …. I’ve spent a huge amount of money to make the team successful there …. I did it because I love basketball and I love the city of Memphis and the people there, and they’ve treated me fantastic. I have nothing but wonderful feelings …. I’m 75. My son (Michael Heisley Jr.) is not interested in going to Memphis and running the team. So, obviously, at some point it was going to have to be done. And, quite honestly, I thought it was my job to get it done rather than leave it to my heirs."

Under Heisley's ownership, the Grizzlies have made it to the postseason five times and are coming off the two most successful seasons in franchise history, the latest ending in heart-breaking fashion with a Game 7 loss at home to the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs.

However, the team weathered a storm of injuries that included losing Darrell Arthur for the season and missing Zach Randolph for 37 games as to finish 41-25, which was good for a franchise record .621 winning percentage.

“We got to Game 7 and we just came out flat,’’ Heisley said. “I think we should have beaten them but we didn’t …. Everybody wants to dwell on that. I dwell on the fact we had the highest winning percentage in the history of the franchise (41-25 for .621).’’

If the sale is approved, Pera should be able to help take the Grizzlies to an even higher level as he will have plenty of money to spend to keep the roster at a contending and competitive level, something that was a problem for Heisley during parts of his tenure.

What are your thoughts on the potential change of ownership? Will it benefit or hurt the Grizzlies in the foreseeable future? Share your thoughts on the sale below in the comments section.

List Of Teams Attempting To Trade Draft Picks Prior To 2012 NBA Draft

2012-06-11T04:28:00.001-05:00

By: Stephen Patterson

There are two things that are pretty well known facts regarding the 2012 NBA Draft that is coming up in just under three weeks on June 28th:

First, it's almost a guarantee that the New Orleans Hornets will select former Kentucky forward Anthony Davis with the first overall pick. Second, beyond Davis likely going with the #1 pick, it's a complete toss up as to how the rest of the draft will turn out, beginning with the second pick.

While the Charlotte Bobcats currently own the second overall pick, they are open to moving the selection if it brings an All-Star caliber talent or a package of picks and players back in return.

According to Alex Kennedy on his Twitter account, the Bobcats were still shopping the pick as of Friday, however, most teams thought they were asking for too much in return.

Charlotte is reportedly interested in making a trade for Rudy Gay of the Memphis Grizzlies, who are supposedly shopping Gay in an effort to cut down on salary, despite owner Michael Heisley saying those reports were false. The Bobcats are rumored to be offering the number two pick in trade talks for him.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have supposedly offered the #4 and #24 picks to Charlotte in an attempt to move up to the second spot, as sources have said they are extremely interested in Davis' former Kentucky teammate Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

However, the Grizzlies or Cavs would also likely have to take on the contract of either Tyrus Thomas or DeSagana Diop as Charlotte is attempting to unload their salaries in any move involving the second pick.

Cleveland is also rumored to be interested in making a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers in which they would send the same two picks to the Blazers in exchange for their #6 and #11 picks according to Kennedy, who writes for HoopsWorld.

The Sacramento Kings reportedly have a lot of interest in North Carolina sophomore Harrison Barnes, although he is likely to be off the board by the time they are on the clock with the fifth overall pick.

Don't be surprised if they make a move to improve their pick unless they feel comfortable enough taking another player that they pass on dealing to take Barnes.

The Golden State Warriors own four picks in the draft (#7, #30, #35, #52) and are considering packaging two or more of those picks together in an attempt to move up in the draft.

Their goal is to move up far enough to land Kidd-Gilchrist, however, they would also package picks in exchange for a proven veteran at small forward or future assets according to HoopsWorld.

The Hornets, who own the #10 pick as well as the first, are reportedly interested in moving that pick if the team acquiring it would also be willing to take on a bad contract belonging to either Emeka Okafor or Trevor Ariza according to NBA.com columnist Shaun Powell.

Meanwhile, the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, neither of whom currently own a first round pick, are looking to trade into the latter part of the first round according to a report by Sam Amico of FoxSports.

Which team(s) do you think will make the biggest splash on or before draft day when it comes to making a trade? Do you think there will be any blockbuster deals involving current players as well as draft picks? Share your thoughts below.

NBA Players React to Manny Pacquiao's Controversial Loss

2012-06-11T02:36:00.001-05:00

By: Stephen Patterson

It seems like everyone has an opinion on the Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley fight from Saturday night that ended with one of the most controversial split-decisions in recent boxing history.

Pacquiao, who is a huge fan of the Boston Celtics, landed nearly 100 more punches, with ringside punching statistics showing Pacquiao land 253 punches compared to only 159 by Bradley.

And while the three ringside judges had two scorecards with Bradley winning 115-113 and a third with him winning by the same margin, the Associated Press had Pacquiao winning 117-111, a pretty huge difference than what the judges scored it.

Bradley even fractured his left foot in the second round, apparently bad enough for him to hear it snap, and sprained his right ankle in the fifth.

Yet, somehow, through all of that, Bradley is the new owner of the WBO welterweight title and Pacquiao is still trying to figure out how his seven-year winning streak is now a thing of the past.

Plenty of NBA players weighed in with their opinions through their Twitter accounts, many of them angry that Pacquiao, who waited to start the fight until after the conclusion of Game 7 of the Heat/Celtics series, was blatantly "robbed".

Here is what they had to say:

Earl Barron: Chris Paul somewhere watching the fight like I guess the NBA blocking my trade ain't so bad. #SMH

Tyson Chandler: My Boy PAC-MaN just got robbed without a GUN!!!

Richard Hamilton: I'm done watching boxing. WWF

David West: This is why MMA has taken over...

Jared Dudley: This is crazy.. Those judges n vegas need to be fired ASAP!!!! I never felt so cheated of my money in my Life!!!!

Kyle Lowry: I'm not watching boxing ever!! Wow!! Please overturn this judgement

Mark Jackson: I think I’m DONE with boxing!!! Manny just got ROBBED! What a JOKE!

LaMarcus Aldridge: Pac man got robbed !

Al Horford: Are you kidding me?? They gave the fight to this other dude. PAC-Man is the best. Terrible judges... #SMH

Roger Mason: Where's the instrant replay when you need it? #gotitallwrong

Deron Williams: Boxing is now the worst sport in the history of the world Im never buying a fight again

Brandon Jennings: Welp go ahead and retire Mayweather.... No reason to fight him now!!!!

What did you think of the outcome of the fight? Did the judges make the wrong call or did Bradley deserve the win? Share your thoughts below.

Ray Allen's Future Uncertain As Free Agency Looms

2012-06-10T23:31:00.000-05:00

By: Stephen Patterson

After the Boston Celtics fell to the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the immediate question for Celtics' fans became "What's next?", as the future of the team they have fallen in love with over the past five seasons might be in store for a major shake-up this summer.

With Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett both set to hit the open market in free agency, it's extremely likely we have witnessed the end up of the "Big Three" era (really it's been the "Big Four" era, especially this season) in Boston.

While Celtics' GM Danny Ainge has said he isn't opposed to bringing back Allen and Garnett, it's hard to imagine the team being able to find the money to keep both of them while still bringing younger and more talented players in to build for the future.

"I really value having those guys around young players,'' a league source quoted Ainge as saying, according to an article on SI.com.

Garnett's status for next season is nearly impossible to predict right now, as there have been reports circulating for months that he was going to retire at the end of this season, while there have been just as many reports stating the opposite.

Head coach Doc Rivers has stated several times in recent weeks that he believes KG will play at least one more season, although there is also a decent chance he will choose to walk away on a high note, following a postseason in which he played a massive role in helping Boston make it as far as they did while Allen and Paul Pierce battled leg injuries for most of the playoffs. (For more on KG, check out this post from earlier in the week.)

Allen, who will turn 37 next month, is planning to undergo surgery as soon as possible to remove bone spurs from the ankle that bothered him throughout the postseason, causing him to miss Boston's first two playoff games against the Atlanta Hawks in the opening round.

"If I could do it tomorrow, I would do it tomorrow," he said. "That's probably my main concern right now, is taking care of that. My body feels good. That's my only issue."

Assuming everything goes well with the surgery and no other issues are discovered, Allen should return to full strength in plenty of time for the start of training camp. The only question is which teams' training camp will Allen be attending?

Contenders such as the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, and Memphis Grizzlies are rumored to be interested in pursuing Allen this summer according to Sports Illustrated.

According to Chris Mannox of SI, the Knicks and Miami Heat are reportedly the top two teams on Allen's wishlist of potential destinations if he leaves Boston.

The Memphis Grizzlies almost landed Allen at the trade deadline, having a deal in place with the Celtics that would have sent O.J. Mayo and a lottery pick to Boston in exchange for Allen before the Grizzlies backed out at the last second.

If Allen were to receive similar offers from Boston and a team such as the Bulls, who are on the cusp of being very serious title contenders once Derrick Rose returns from his torn ACL, it would be difficult for Allen to pass up a chance at a second title to return to the Celtics, although he does have serious respect for the organization and the players who played there prior to him.

“It’s always been somewhat intimidating,” Allen said when talking about playing in Boston. “You walk into a building every day and you see the banners and the retired jerseys in the building. It just always makes you work a little bit harder. When [John] Havlicek is in the building, when [Bob] Cousy is around. Tommy [Heinsohn] is watching us every day. Bill Russell is at the games. Those are like our big brothers. We knew that we had some big shoes to fill and a lot that we needed to do to try to compare to what they’ve done. We have definitely fallen short, but we’ve gone out trying to play as hard as we can every night.”

So don't completely rule out a possible return to Boston, especially if Garnett decides to retire or ends up signing with another team, which would leave a lot more salary cap flexibility for the Celtics to retain Allen while still bringing in some solid role players and young talents.

Then the Celtics could possibly make one final run at a title before fully transitioning into a new era with Rajon Rondo leading the charge and Pierce and Allen still having large roles while mentoring the younger guys in the locker room.

My personal guess is that Allen will probably end up in a new uniform after this summer, as I think he might have felt a little betrayed by the fact that Ainge almost dealt him to Memphis without even giving him a real heads up on the matter during the season.

Where he will end up signing what will likely be his final contract, I have no idea, although I'm almost positive Allen will sign with a team that has a very real chance at winning a championship next season.

Considering the fact that he pretty much carried the Celtics early in the season, along with Rondo, while Pierce and Garnett were adjusting to the condensed schedule and shot 45% from downtown during the regular season, there definitely won't be a lack of interest in the all-time leader in made three point attempts.

Which team do you think will end up signing Ray Allen this offseason? Will he return to Boston to finish out his career or will he go to a team that has a better chance of giving him another ring? Share your thoughts below.

Boston Celtics & Miami Heat Eastern Conference Finals Game 7 Highlights

2012-06-10T04:36:00.000-05:00

By: Stephen Patterson

Austin Rivers Apparently Has Guarantee From Team Late In NBA Draft Lottery

2012-06-10T04:14:00.001-05:00

By: Stephen Patterson

Austin Rivers, who is the son of Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers, reportedly has a guarantee from a team picking late in the lottery of the NBA Draft according to a report by Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports.

Teams picking in that range include the Toronto Raptors (8th), Detroit Pistons (9), New Orleans Hornets (10), Portland Trail Blazers (11), Milwaukee Bucks (12), Phoenix Suns (13), and Houston Rockets (14).

The Raptors are reportedly interest in moving their selection in a package for an All-Star caliber player, however, they might be inclined to select Rivers instead. According to the Charlotte Observer, the Raptors are "attracted to his assertive, don’t-back-down attitude."

Detroit is in desperate need of a franchise-altering type player, and Rivers could fit that bill. He would also give them a talented point guard capable of scoring and facilitating the offense.

New Orleans is unlikely to pick up Rivers, as they already plan to invest a lot in Eric Gordon, but they could always decide they need a talented young point guard to strengthen their back court depth and to compliment likely top pick Anthony Davis.

While the Blazers already have Jonny Flynn and Nolan Smith on their roster, they are likely to lose Jamal Crawford in free agency so there is a chance they might take Rivers, as he is arguably better than both of the aforementioned players.

Milwaukee is the least likely destination for Rivers of these teams as they already have Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis on their roster and will likely be looking for a big man with their selection.

Phoenix is a very intriguing possibility, as they are more than likely going to lose two-time MVP Steve Nash in free agency and will have a gaping hole at point guard left behind. If Rivers somehow manages to still be on the board for their pick, I can't picture the Suns picking anyone else unless they absolutely fall in love with another player during workouts.

The Rockets are another intriguing possibility. Kyle Lowry is reportedly wanting out of Houston amid clashes with coach Kevin McHale and having Rivers on their roster would make it much easier for Houston to deal their disgruntled point guard to another team.

Rivers will likely work out with the Portland Trail Blazers, Toronto Raptors, Houston Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Phoenix Suns, Washington Wizards and New Orleans Hornets according to the report from Yahoo! Sports.

Regardless of which team selects Rivers, he will likely be one of the better players from this draft class. If he goes to the right team, he has the potential to be an All-Star talent and could be a great floor general for a contending team.

Which team do you think would be the best fit for Rivers? Share your thoughts below in the comments section.