Loading ...The Oklahoman: “Many of Oklahoma City’s new NBA team’s 125 employees will remain in Seattle through the end of the WNBA season, the Seattle Times is reporting. According to the Times, every employee will receive a bonus for staying with the team the past two years, and any employee who chooses not to move will receive severance pay. Anyone who chooses to relocate to Oklahoma also can negotiate a relocation package.”
Kurt of Forum Blue and Gold: “On this blog, in Lakers forums all over the Internet, on talk radio, seemingly everywhere there is a fascination among some Lakers fans with bringing Ron Artest to the LA. And I don’t get it. I understand being unsure how well Odom will do as the small forward, it’s a legitimate question and concern. But Ron Artest is not the answer.”
Marc J. Spears of The Boston Globe: “Once the Spurs were eliminated from the playoffs, many believed they needed to get younger. San Antonio’s roster averaged 31.6 years of age this past season, while the Celtics were at 28.8. The Spurs, however, laughed at the notion that they were too old, especially since Duncan (32), Ginobili (31 on July 28), and Parker (26) are still playing well when healthy, and are younger on average than the Celtics’ Allen (33 on July 20), Garnett (32), and Pierce (30).”
Blake Murphy of Hoops Addict: “What’s worse for free agents is that the teams with cap room to spend above the MLE are largely those at the bottom of the standings, meaning most higher profile free agents are facing the decision of competing for the playoffs (or a title) or taking a big pay day and hoping their new franchise can build a winner quickly. Sure, there are exceptions like Elton Brand and Baron Davis, who have both received offers from Golden State and the Los Angeles Clippers (not respectively, as both have offers from both teams). But for every Elton Brand or Baron Davis, there is a Corey Maggette. Maggette faces the unique situation of being an extremely valuable asset to any team, but having very little demand for his services in the financial sense. Any competitive team will likely jump at the chance to sign Maggette at the Mid-Level amount (in fact, the Spurs and Celtics have reportedly tried to do so already), but Maggette’s value is probably closer to the $8-10M range, not the $5.5-6M Mid-Level Exception. So what’s a player to do?”
The New York Times: “Three national championships and more than 800 victories say Mike Krzyzewski is one of the greatest college basketball coaches. Anything less than an Olympic gold medal this summer would probably say something else about him. Krzyzewski fell short two years ago in his first shot with the professionals. If he cannot win in Beijing with the most talented team he has had, it may be time to wonder if Krzyzewski is little more than an elite college coach.”
ESPN: 2008 NBA Free Agent List
ESPN: “Those who have been observing as the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks, among others, maneuver to create salary cap space have already heard about “the Summer of LeBron.” That’s 2010, the year that LeBron James can opt out of his contract with the Cavs. But the offseason of 2010 is not just the Summer of LeBron: It’s also the Summer of Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Ray Allen, Tyson Chandler, Manu Ginobili, Richard Jefferson, Joe Johnson, Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Redd, each of whom can become an unrestricted free agent in 2010. And in 2009, the list is illustrious, too: Kobe Bryant, Carlos Boozer, Allen Iverson, Ron Artest, Richard Hamilton, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Andre Miller, Lamar Odom and Rasheed Wallace can become unrestricted free agents next year.”
Mike Kahn of Foxsports: “Ever since the popularity of the NBA exploded during the 1980s, along with the exceptional growth of the soft salary cap, unrestrained free agency and guaranteed contracts, the only thing we knew for sure was when a player said it wasn’t about the money … it was about the money. There are indications that this offseason may be the exception.”
