Sunday Huge Rumor Roundup – June 28, 09
Shaq says Blazers wanted him
Dallas Mavericks’ Kidd expected to have plenty of suitors
Utah Jazz notebook: Millsap won’t wait long for offer
More Rumors – Tyson Chandler
Griz-Clippers swap fails: Los Angeles owner stopped Randolph dealShaq says Blazers wanted him
Ian Thomsen, SI.com
Amid a wealth of midseason rumors that he was headed to Cleveland in February at the trading deadline, Shaquille O’Neal says
another team also was trying to land him — the Portland Trail Blazers.
O’Neal says he vetoed the potential trade to Portland in a conversation with Suns GM Steve Kerr, who this week dealt Shaq to
the Cavaliers in exchange for Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, a second-round pick in next year’s draft and $500,000.
"During the middle of the season, Steve said Portland was interested," said O’Neal. "He said was I interested in going to
Portland? I told him no, so he stopped that."
The Blazers, however, are adamant that they didn’t try to trade for Shaq in February. "Why would we when we’ve got Greg
(Oden) developing and we’ve already got (Joel) Przybilla?" said a Blazers official who asked to remain anonymous. "If were in
go-for-it mode, maybe we would be more interested."
For his part, Shaq insists he was told that Portland was offering the expiring contract of Raef LaFrentz in a package for
him. He made the point while congratulating Kerr for being straightforward and direct in their conversations.
"He did it 1,000 percent professional," said O’Neal. "Steve Kerr was very honest."
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/basketball/nba/06/27/shaq.trail.blazers/index.html
Dallas Mavericks’ Kidd expected to have plenty of suitors
EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News
There will be a new bad guy to deal with when the Mavericks open their pursuit of re-signing Jason Kidd on Wednesday.
The New York Knicks are expected to join the ranks of serious competitors for Kidd’s services for two reasons.
First, it is widely known that Kidd has an affinity for New York. He still has a home there and enjoys the area. He played
for New Jersey for 6 ½ seasons before being traded to Dallas in 2008.
Secondly, the Knicks are going to start stockpiling assets to help lure LeBron James next summer. Having Kidd as their point
guard, even at age 37 in 2010, would be a nice selling point.
Wednesday is when teams officially can begin talking to free agents, and Kidd is expected to get overtures from several
teams: Cleveland, Portland, Boston, New York and perhaps the Lakers.
All of those teams except for Portland are stymied by the salary cap. The Knicks can only offer their mid-level exception,
expected to be between $5 million and $6 million. Kidd earned $21 million last season.
The Mavericks can pay him any amount up to the league maximum. The only way the Knicks can pay him more than the mid-level
exception is through a sign-and-trade.
Utah Jazz notebook: Millsap won’t wait long for offer
Tim Buckley – Desert News
General manager Kevin O’Connor has said the Jazz will make a contract offer to their own restricted free agent power forward,
Paul Millsap, as soon as the NBA’s summer negotiating period opens at 10 p.m. Tuesday.
According to his representative, however, Millsap will be seeking a deal equal to, if not more than, the sort of money New
York Knicks restricted free agent David Lee desires — reportedly a multi-year deal starting at $10 million per season.
Without discussing money, O’Connor suggested he’s confident Utah can re-sign Millsap before he even considers signing an
offer sheet with another team — one that, if he did sign it, the Jazz would have the right to match.
"He’s expressed to us," O’Connor said, "that he likes it here, that he appreciates the fact that he’s gotten an opportunity."
More Rumors – Tyson Chandler
Bill Ingram – Hoopsworld.com
There is ongoing speculation that the New Orleans Hornets will send Tyson Chandler to the Suns for Ben Wallace, with the
expectation being that Wallace will retire and come off the books for something less than what his 2009-2010 salary would
have been. The question then becomes who will play center for the Hornets? They were interested in Chris Wilcox at the trade
deadline, and while Wilcox has expressed an interest in returning to the Knicks, he might get some love from the Hornets
again. Marcin Gortat could also be on New Orleans’ radar.
The Indiana Pacers today announced that they will not be bringing back forward Marquis Daniels. The Pacers owned an option on
Daniels for over $7 million, which they will not pick up. Daniels had a career-best year in 2008-09, averaging 13.6 points
and 4.6 rebounds per game, but his propensity for getting injured makes it difficult to commit that kind of money to him. In
his six-year NBA career with the Dallas Mavericks and Pacers, Daniels has managed to play in 70+ games just once, and
averages just 58 games per season over that span.
In the ongoing Ricky Rubio drama, Knicks Gm Donnie Walsh said he planned to contact the Minnesota Timberwolves today in an
effort to ascertain what it might take to get him to New York. Rubio did not show up for the press conference in Minny that
was to introduce the team’s newest additions, furthering speculation that Rubio won’t show up unless he’s traded
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=13111
Griz-Clippers swap fails: Los Angeles owner stopped Randolph deal
Ronald Tillery , Memphis Commercial Appeal
The Grizzlies had agreed in principle to acquire power forward Zach Randolph on Thursday night but Los Angeles Clippers owner
Donald Sterling later nixed the trade, according to two NBA sources.
During the NBA Draft, executives from both teams hammered out a package with Randolph and Darko Milicic as the key pieces.
Griz guard Greg Buckner would also have been included in the transaction.
The Griz ended up dealing Milicic to the New York Knicks for swingman Quentin Richardson after they waited on a final answer
from the Clippers and received a "no."
Los Angeles selected power forward Blake Griffin with the No. 1 overall pick.
Power forward is a position where the Griz need the most help. This was Memphis’ second flirtation with a Randolph deal over
the past year.
The Griz held discussions with New York about acquiring Randolph’s services before he was dealt to the Clippers last
November.
And aside from Randolph’s off-the-court, character issues, the deal could have been costly for the Griz.
The 6-9 beefy scorer and rebounder is owed more than $33 million over the next two seasons. With Milicic entering the final
year of a deal that pays $7.5 million this season, the Griz would have absorbed more than $22
million in additional costs
when the final math was completed on the deal.
Sources confirmed Friday that the Grizzlies weighed numerous deals — some reasonable while others team officials felt were
not worth considering.
The Phoenix Suns, who tried to move Amare Stoudamire to Memphis at last season’s trade deadline, were at it again. This time,
the Suns wanted Rudy Gay and the No. 2 overall pick for Stoudemire.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/jun/27/griz-clippers-swap-fails/?partner=RSS