:: Today's NBA Rumors (courtesy of Yahoo! Sports) ::
(Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:56:56 PDT)
Nuggets not engaging in Carmelo trade talks
Carmelo Anthony made it pretty clear this offseason that he's interested in leaving the Denver Nuggets, which still has a three-year, $65 million contract extension offer on the table to their star.
But Anthony becomes a free agent next season and ESPN is reporting that the Nuggets, at least for now, aren't trying to trade Anthony at all. Five teams that ESPN spoke to say that the Nuggets cut off potential trade talks involving Anthony before talks could even begin, telling the teams that they don't want to trade Anthony.
New GM Masai Ujiri is planning to sit down with Anthony to see what it would take to keep him happy in Denver.
Follow Yahoo! Sports Rumors on Twitter at @markjmill.
(Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:43:55 PDT)
Heat shorthanded at point guard?
The Miami Heat might have the most talented roster on paper going into the season, but when training camp starts in less than a month, they could be without their starting point guard from last year, Carlos Arroyo, the South Florida Sun Sentinel is reporting.
Arroyo is currently stuck on the bench at the world championships due to a deep bruise in his left quadriceps, the paper reports.
If that weren't enough, third-year guard Mario Chalmers, who is expected to make a run at being the starting point guard, also might not be ready when training camp starts because of a high ankle sprain he suffered in July, the paper reports.
The remaining point guards are two guys who have yet to appear in an NBA regular-season game: Patrick Beverley and Kenny Hasbrouck. The Heat also have veteran Eddie House, but he is thought of as more of a shooter than a playmaker.
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(Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:32:36 PDT)
Chris Paul never asked for trade
Back in early July, when the free-agent floodgates got thrown open, the New York Daily News reported that New Orleans Hornets star Chris Paul felt that team owner George Shinn had "lied" to him about upgrading the team this offseason.
Paul is under contract till the end of 2012 but the paper reported that Paul was unhappy with his situation there, which is likely what led to him saying in a speech at Carmelo Anthony's wadding in New York City, "We'll form our own Big 3," referring to himself, Anthony, and the big addition to the New York Knicks this offseason, Amar'e Stoudemire.
Now head coach Monty Williams, who came onboard July 7, tells the Sporting News that Paul's supposed disgruntlement was never an issue and that he never asked for a trade.
"You can say it has settled down now, but it was settled before that," Williams told the Sporting News. "For me, it was never an issue. Chris never said anything about a trade. He never asked for a trade. He wants us to be a better team, but we all want that and Dell [Demps] and I are going to do all that we can to make it a better team. We're going to make this a better team with Chris here."
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(Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:58:42 PDT)
Three teams ask about Hawks' Crawford
It became clear early this week that Atlanta Hawks guard Jamal Crawford and his agent want the team to hand over a contract extension so that he won't be a free agent next summer. If that can't be done, he'd like to be moved elsewhere.
His agent was set to meet with Hawks general manager Rick Sund this week to discuss the topic. Now the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that "at least three teams inquired about his availability" before his desire for an extension from the Hawks became public.
The paper reports "there's some sentiment" in the Hawks front office "to just deny Jamal the extension and have him report to camp."
Crawford averaged 18 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3 assists per game for the Hawks last year.
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(Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:11:29 PDT)
Bucks expect Bogut back for season's start
"Our hope and anticipation is that Andrew will be ready to go when the season begins," Bucks general manager John Hammond told the paper. "The great thing about going through this process with Andrew is he's proven to us as an organization and to our fans that his effort, energy and toughness will never be questioned."
The 25-year-old averaged 15.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game.
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(Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:48:11 PDT)
Artest: Doc Rivers full of excuses
Los Angeles Lakers forward Ron Artest isn't one to back down from a fight and his hackles went up when he sensed that the Boston Celtics were using the blown-out knee of Kendrick Perkins in Game 7 of the NBA Finals this year as an excuse as to why they lost the championship to the Lakers.
His anger manifested in the form of three successive Tweets, via WEEI, that read:
"Boston lost to lakers because of Kendrick Perkins injury. What about in 08 when [Andrew] Bynum was injured. What about this year Bynum was injured."
"What about Kobe played with a broke finger .... What about Ron artest defense When the Boston staff said Ron artest was too slow."
"Doc [Rivers] got one million excuses."
One suspects that Rivers won't be coaching Artest anytime soon.
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(Tue, 31 Aug 2010 03:45:49 PDT)
Cavaliers, at sub-.500, to blow up roster at trading deadline?
The Cleveland Cavaliers were a fairly stable franchise during the LeBron James Era, but now that the team is moving into life without the kid from Akron, things aren't expected to be so solid.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that there aren't any trades currently planned, but if the team can't get itself above .500 at mid-season, there could be a lot of player movement.
The Plain Dealer claims that if that's the case, the team will put Mo Williams, Antawn Jamison, Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon on the trading block and is guessing there's a 60/40 chance right now that Jamison will be gone before the trading deadline passes.
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(Mon, 30 Aug 2010 05:01:14 PDT)
Hawks' Crawford looking for extension
Guard Jamal Crawford produced 18 points, 2.5 rebounds and three assists per game last season, his first with the Atlanta Hawks. His contract runs out at the end of the coming season, so he is seeking an extension, according to the Boston Globe.
Crawford's agent, Aaron Goodwin, will meet with Hawks general manager Rick Sund this week to discuss the possibility of an extension, the Globe reports. The paper said it appears that Crawford is seeking the security of a long-term contract in light of the uncertainty with the new collective bargaining agreement.
Crawford, who has also played for the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors in his decade in the league, wouldn't say anything about it when the Globe asked. "I don't want to talk about next season," he said.
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(Mon, 30 Aug 2010 03:22:00 PDT)
Nuggets seeking to deal Anthony to Nets, Kings, Timberwolves?
The Denver Nuggets are trying to trade disgruntled superstar forward Carmelo Anthony, and Sam Amico of The Hoops News and NBA.com Tweeted that he'll likely go to one of three teams.
Amico reports that the New Jersey Nets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings are the teams that the Nuggets are most interested in trading Anthony. Anthony has one year left on his contract and a three-year, $65 million extension offer on the table from the Nuggets.
The only one of those teams thought to be on the list of teams Anthony gave to the Nuggets last year is the Nets, since they are moving to Brooklyn in a few years and have a basketball-loving owner who is willing to spend.
Follow Yahoo! Sports Rumors on Twitter at @markjmill.
(Fri, 27 Aug 2010 04:54:43 PDT)
Nuggets open phone lines for trade talks on Anthony
Denver Nuggets are apparently done with trying to convince disgruntled forward Carmelo Anthony to accept a three-year, $65 million offer and are now trying to trade him, according to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski. This comes on the heels of Anthony reiterating his desire to leave in a meeting Sunday with team-owner-to-be Josh Kroenke.
This wasn't a productive, nor particularly pleasant meeting, and multiple sources said it could turn out to be the point of no return for Anthony and the organization, Wojnarowski writes.
Anthony's agents, William Wesley and Leon Rose, have given the Nuggets a list of teams that their client would be willing to play for, Wojnarowski reports. Anthony is set to become a free agent at the end of the coming season.
"It's almost a given they're going to move him," a front-office executive who's talked with the Nuggets and Anthony's agents told Wojnarowski.
Follow Yahoo! Sports Rumors on Twitter at @markjmill.
