The Official 2011-2012 NBA season thread
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EmM HoLLa. wrote: »I saw him and John Wall at Love during howard homecoming.. Dude looks to be at his normal weight... He could be a much better player if he actually took the game seriously.. He out here in DC ? ? n gettin ? n high.. LoL..
That's all he does He actually has stripper Tuesdays down in Miami -
nene might bout outta denver
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AqQeZakR8StKgW5awZWKkPu8vLYF?slug=mc-spears_nene_nba_free_agents_112911Nene eyes possible move from Denver
By Marc J. Spears, Yahoo! Sports
41 minutes ago
Nene has played for the Denver Nuggets all nine seasons of his NBA career and plans to make Colorado his home when he retires. His wife, Lauren, is a Colorado native and gave birth to the couple’s first child earlier this year. The Nuggets also have the ability to offer their starting center a longer, more lucrative contract than any other NBA team.
And yet that still might not be enough to entice Nene to re-sign with the Nuggets when the NBA’s free-agent market opens Dec. 9.
“I learned last season that this was a business,” Nene told Yahoo! Sports. “No matter how nice you are to people, no matter how nice people are to you, this is a business. I did my best for the team and they waited and waited to extend me. I was like, ‘Oh, OK, all these years playing good, doing your best and they still test you.’ That’s not about family, love and somebody liking you. It’s a business.
Nene was offered a four-year, $50 million extension by the Nuggets before the lockout.
“So how do I think about [free agency]? I want to be happy. I want to improve my game. I want to enjoy it. It was very stressful for me and I don’t want to go through this in my career anymore.”
Nene made $11.3 million in the final year of his contract. He entered last season hoping for an extension, but didn’t push too hard while Denver was trying to trade Carmelo Anthony(notes). But after Anthony was sent to the New York Knicks in February, Nene expected an offer from the Nuggets. They instead waited until just before the July 1 start of the lockout, proposing a four-year, $50 million deal, sources said.
Nene says he likely would have taken that offer during the season, but felt disrespected because the Nuggets waited so long. So he opted to join this year’s limited free-agent market at the urging of his agency, Lagardère Unlimited.
“When the season was over they didn’t offer me nothing good,” said Nene, who averaged 14.5 points and 7.6 rebounds while shooting a league-best 61.5 percent. “It’s hard. When my option came, it was good for my side and I to seize the opportunity of free agency. I tried to make a deal before that. Yes, I would have signed before the end of the season. But after the season was done, after going into the summer and waiting a little more in the summer, they ask me to sign?
“There was so much pressure on my shoulders. It was hard for me and I still did my job.”
Not only are the Nuggets in danger of losing Nene, but free agents J.R. Smith(notes), Wilson Chandler(notes) and Kenyon Martin(notes) signed contracts to play in China. Guard Arron Afflalo(notes) also is a restricted free agent, and could draw significant interest from other teams.
Nene hasn’t been able to talk to anyone from the Nuggets since the lockout. Asked about his relationship with the franchise now, he said: “I like the organization. I do need to be professional just like they were with me. They did what was best for them, and now I need to do what is best for me.”
Nene won’t lack for suitors. The Golden State Warriors, New Jersey Nets, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers are among the teams that figure to have interest.
Nene, 29, says he wants to play for a contender – perhaps at the expense of a more lucrative contract elsewhere. The Heat and Mavericks, who will both be over the salary cap, should be happy to hear that.
“It’s not about the money,” Nene said. “If I wanted to retire today I could retire because I saved my money. So right now I want to be happy and improve. That’s what I want. That’s what everybody wants. I need help. I need good players around. People say, ‘Nene, the last six years you averaged 14 points and eight or seven rebounds.’ OK, but they don’t say why.
“Right now I want to happy first. Two, I want to win. Money? Money, I am going to have because I worked and busted my butt. Money will come.”
Nene is arguably the top free agent in a thin group that also includes Mavericks center Tyson Chandler(notes), New Orleans Hornets forward David West(notes) and Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol(notes), who is a restricted free agent.
[ Related: China could block NBA players return ]
“I’m a big man who can defend different positions and do different things,” Nene said. “You can’t find that so easily in the league. I don’t like talking about my game, but you know what I can do and what I’m capable of doing. [Other teams] know, too.”
Nene began working out six days after the Nuggets were eliminated by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs. He worked out five days per week, playing five-on-five and three-on-three regularly. He also spent a week in San Antonio working out with several NBA players, including San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan(notes).
He stopped participating in contact workouts and scrimmages last month, however, after watching his personal manager, Alex Santos, break his leg during a pickup game. Since then, Nene has worked out alone to ensure he doesn’t get hurt before the start of free agency.
“? put me in this opportunity to be one of the top players in free agency, and I’m going to take advantage of it because it’s never going to come back again,” Nene said. “It’s one opportunity I have in my life.”
Marc Spears is an NBA writer for Yahoo! Sports. Follow him on Twitter.
Send Marc a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.
Updated 41 minutes ago -
KeepOnPushing wrote: »Before he went to ? ass New Jersey yes he was he was averaging 21 and 9 before the trade ..."he was just Deron" whats that mean?? lol
Derrick Rose is not even close to being a better PG Than Deron Williams is ....
Co-Sign. And if my memory serves doesn't rose have like the worst percentages out of every MVP winner or something like that? -
EmM HoLLa. wrote: »I mean yo u right... I gave Rose the Nod cuz man.. He led the Bulls to the best record in the league.. While the other good players on his team were constantly injured.. Noah.. ? .. Deng.. etc.. etc.. A lot of people were hurt.. Rose was the consistent player and they won 60 games.. You gotta give that man his credit.. Not sayin Derron aint been ballin either.. But Rose had a helluva season.. With limited help..
I would say Thibodeau led the team to the record they had just as much if not more than rose. But not once last season did I ever say Rose didnt deserve the MVP award -
looks like B ROY is as good as gone. Orlando needs to bring him in asap.
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and rondo/milsap are on the block
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Damn I can't wait for the season to start, how much yall think Direct TV is gonna sell the League Pass now that there's less games and ? ??
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af.r.i.c.a. wrote: »looks like B ROY is as good as gone. Orlando needs to bring him in asap.
Spurs should go after him and get rid of jefferson -
...............[size=+2]Report: Lakers to Target Dwight Howard and Chris Paul [/size]
One of the reasons we just went through that painful lockout, was the claim by small-market team owners that they’re sick and tired of teams like the Lakers gobbling up all of the major talent in the NBA. Well, um, …. From Sheridan Hoops: “It’s not hard to tell who won this war–the owners, especially the big ones. Nor is it hard to tell which of them won the most: That was Jerry Buss, the biggest of all. When the NBA couldn’t get a full ban on sign-and-trades, it left his Lakers in position to pull off a coup they’re dreaming of, which would make signing LeBron James pale by comparison. If Dwight Howard and Chris Paul wind up on the market — a safe assumption as far as I’m concerned — the Lakers could offer Andrew Bynum for Dwight and Pau Gasol for CP3, or vice versa. Nothing says that they will be enough to land either player, but it should put the Lakers in the running for both. (Oh, and Dwight likes the Lakers. Asked which All-Star he would most like to play with last season, he answered ‘Kobe Bryant.’) Nor will finances be a problem, ever again. … Next season, the Lakers start their 20-year, $3 billion deal with Time Warner, which will take them from their annual $30 million from Fox Sports West to $150 million. On paper, that would put the Lakers, who now average a profit of $45-60 million, zooming past $150 million. In fact, an informed source projects an even higher figure, in the $170 million range. (To put that in perspective, Forbes said the Knicks made a league-leading $64 million profit in 2009-10. The Lakers will more than double that.) In either case, Jerry, Jim and Jeannie Buss are going to have a lot to say about what happens in this league for a long time …” -
Alpha Outlaw wrote: »Co-Sign. And if my memory serves doesn't rose have like the worst percentages out of every MVP winner or something like that?
nah i think a.i. got him beat lmao. -
EmM HoLLa. wrote: »Rondo for Paul... Woooww!!
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/sam_amick/11/29/chris.paul.celtics/index.html
? is getting interesting -
EmM HoLLa. wrote: »Rondo for Paul... Woooww!!
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/sam_amick/11/29/chris.paul.celtics/index.html
C's on the brink of rebuilding, Paul wont sign with them -
Chitown Bully wrote: »C's on the brink of rebuilding, Paul wont sign with them
not only that but NO wants young players........ Not gonna happen. D. Howard to the Clips would just be ? unfair, smh @ the 82 game dunk contest/posterize session that would take place in L.A. -
damn no one is talking about the nets ready to offer a deal for howardThe New Jersey Nets are prepared to offer a trade package featuring Brook Lopez and two future first-round picks to acquire Dwight Howard before the Orlando Magic center becomes a free agent in July 2012, according to sources close to the situation.
Sources told ESPN.com this week that, to sweeten the proposal, New Jersey would likewise offer to take back the contract of Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu, who has three seasons left on his contract worth just under $35 million. Absorbing Turkoglu's remaining salary would become financially feasible for the Nets after the expected release of swingman Travis Outlaw through the amnesty clause that will be included in the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement and by including another smaller contract or two in the deal.
Lopez
Lopez
Howard
Howard
Although teams won't be cleared to start making official roster moves until Dec. 9 at the earliest following the 149-day lockout, sources say team executives have been discussing potential trades for some time in anticipation of a condensed and hurried free agency period before the season's scheduled Dec. 25 start.
No trade deadline for the 2011-12 season has been set in stone yet by the league office, but many team executives believe it will fall in March. Once the league officially re-opens for business, Howard's future in Orlando is sure to be one of the season's dominant story lines, along with Chris Paul's future in New Orleans and the Nets' attempts to secure a long-term commitment from star guard Deron Williams.
It's been an open secret around the league that the Nets' dream scenario is pairing Howard with Williams, after they followed up their failed pursuit of Carmelo Anthony last season by trading for Williams just before the February trade deadline. It remains to be seen whether Howard will regard the Nets as a prime destination on par with the New York Knicks, even after they move out of New Jersey, but sources say that Russian owner Mikhail Prokhorov has long believed that teaming them up would convince both Team USA stars to commit their long-term future to the Brooklyn-bound Nets.
Most rival teams, however, doubt that the Magic can be convinced to start seriously considering trade scenarios for Howard this early. Orlando has thus far resisted outside interest in hopes of convincing the NBA's reigning Defensive Player of the Year to stay in Central Florida. Two team executives monitoring the situation told ESPN.com on Tuesday night that they expect Orlando to take a patient approach with what could be Howard's last year in town.
The Los Angeles Lakers are also expected to eventually lodge their own trade bid for Howard -- featuring some combination of Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom -- but the Nets appear poised to furnish Orlando with a young replacement for Howard in Lopez, two higher draft picks than the Lakers could presumably offer and the ability to shed Turkoglu's expensive deal, which will enable Orlando to take another big rebuilding step.
It should be noted, though, that making such an offer -- even if Orlando ultimately proves amenable -- comes with its own risks for the Nets. The new tentative labor agreement struck last weekend by NBA owners and players has established new restrictions on extend-and-trade deals that would prevent New Jersey from offering Howard more than a one-year extension to his current contract as part of any trade. That's a sharp contrast from the four-year extension worth nearly $86 million that Anthony received as part of his trade from Denver to New York in February.
The Nets, then, would be putting themselves in danger of surrendering three more prime assets for Howard, after everything they gave up to get Williams, with both stars capable of opting out after the 2011-12 season and becoming unrestricted free agents.
Despite the Nets' obvious interest, the Lakers and Knicks continue to be widely presumed to be Howard's preferred destinations. The Los Angeles Clippers are also regarded as a legit contender Howard, despite the franchise's history under owner Donald Sterling, because they'll have cap space and could pair him with rising star Blake Griffin.
In a recent interview with Esquire magazine, Howard said: "There's more you can do in a bigger place. I'm stuck in a tough position because I feel like right now, where I'm at, I've done so much. And I just don't know what else I can do."
Sources say that the Nets, furthermore, will go ahead with their plans to be very active in free agency starting Wednesday at 9 a.m., when teams and agents are allowed to start discussions about player signings. Howard remains Prokhorov's No. 1 target, but New Jersey is expected to lodge bids for two of the top big men available in free agency -- Denver's Nene and Dallas' Tyson Chandler -- knowing that Howard will be hard to acquire even with its solid trade assets and that Williams is unlikely to stay with the Nets unless the roster is upgraded at center and small forward. -
Damn, if only the Nets could somehow get Dwight & D-Will.
Boom! Title contenders -
king papichulo wrote: »Damn, if only the Nets could somehow get Dwight & D-Will.
Boom! Title contenders
That would be sick but it's just wishful thinking right now -
It's not a bad deal. If Orlando trades Dwight, they will be in full rebuilding mode.numbaz...80's baby wrote: »Who is Brook Lopez? You really think Orlando goin take that offer? I'd laugh in they face. They might as well just offered the draft picks by themselves.
They'll get a young talented center in Lopez, and they'll get tons of cap relief since they will be trading Hedo and amnestying Arenas. Doubt they will accept though. -
numbaz...80's baby wrote: »Who is Brook Lopez? You really think Orlando goin take that offer? I'd laugh in they face. They might as well just offered the draft picks by themselves.
Honestly the 2nd best Pure Center in the NBA....... -
Nets GM Billy King is on WFAN 660AM right now and he just said that he hasn't talked to Orlando in over a year and that he was surprised that he woke up and read this stuff.
He also said that they haven't even gone into the new CBA enough to even see if a deal like this can be done yet.
Although, he is saying that they're on the phones and he keeps stressing that the Nets are trying to win now.
Btw, he was asked if they will trade Deron anytime this season. He says absolutely not. -
so the heat are the favorites???
what about dallas??? -
pacers have jumped n the rondo/paul convoPacers talk with Celtics about Rondo deal
By Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports
14 hours, 29 minutes ago
As Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge aggressively pursues possible deals for Rajon Rondo, the Indiana Pacers have emerged as an intriguing suitor for the point guard, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.
For the past few days, Pacers officials – and third-party surrogates – have been making calls and gathering information and insight into Rondo’s reputation as a teammate and leader, sources said.
The Pacers and Celtics have discussed the preliminary framework of a deal, but two sources said Indiana would need a third team to provide Boston with the talent it wants to do a deal. The Celtics are likely trying to gather the necessary pieces to make a bid for Ainge’s ultimate target: New Orleans point guard Chris Paul, sources said.
It was unclear if the Pacers had begun to reach out to broaden discussions, but there was an expectation they would do so.
The Celtics have been gauging Rondo’s trade value for more than a year, and have held discussions with teams about him across the past few trade deadlines and NBA drafts. There have long been divides within Boston’s front office, coaching staff and locker room about Rondo. He can be moody, difficult and stubborn, and several league sources were dubious if the Pacers’ young coach, Frank Vogel, would have the stature to deal with Rondo.
Boston could be trying to gather players to make a more attractive bid for Paul, sources said. New Orleans has shown no interest in a deal that would include Rondo and any combination of Celtics teammates. Yet, New Orleans GM Dell Demps is determined to get maximum value for Paul, if it’s clear the point guard sees his future elsewhere. Demps has no desire to simply let Paul walk away as a free agent to New York.
Most teams in the league are engaging New Orleans about Paul, whose intentions are to get to the New York Knicks as a free agent in the summer of 2012. Paul does have some history in Oklahoma City, having played there with the Hornets in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, but the Thunder have resisted dialogue on a Paul-for-Russell Westbrook deal, sources said.
The Thunder are prepared to make Westbrook a substantial contract offer – probably a maximum deal – in the near future. -
Im not even a nets fan but they need to sign david west from the hornets and put him wit deron and lopez if dwight dont go there
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why c's tryna trade rondo so bad
he ? ainge daughter or something? -
rice n gravy wrote: »why c's tryna trade rondo so bad
he ? ainge daughter or something?
what im asking myself sure c.p better but rondo does his thing -
dalyricalbandit wrote: »what im asking myself sure c.p better but rondo does his thing
they need another scorer
