Rumor has it that Jabari Parker may be considering another year at Duke: “Despite a recent report on NBA.com suggesting Duke freshman phenom Jabari Parker plans to remain in college after this season, the father of the projected top pick in this June’s NBA draft remains adamant that a decision has not been made — and the subject will not even be broached until after the season. “My wife, my son and I haven’t talked about it,” Jabari’s father, Sonny Parker, who played for the Warriors from 1976-82, told WEEI.com. “We honestly don’t know. After the season, we’ll talk about it. That’s what I told Coach K [Mike Krzyzewski] when he was recruiting Jabari, and that’s what I tell him now. “We just want Jabari to enjoy the season. People can speculate all they want, but it’s not a discussion. Right now, he’s dealing with being a student-athlete at Duke. He’s not entertaining that.””- And from Sam Smith of NBA.com: “And the growing view among NBA executives seems to be Jabari Parker will not leave Duke this year. Chicagoan Jahlil Okafor, a Parker friend and big man, is going to Duke next season. Parker is a bright young man with a strong family and the feeling is he understands both the importance of education and feels he owes Duke and the chance to have a great Duke team, which more than likely is the next two seasons. Plus, Parker has seen what staying in school has done for other greats compared with the tough starts for even stars like Kobe Bryant.”
The same goes for Kansas big man Joel Embiid, who may delay his jump to the NBA: “When Embiid first got to Kansas, Self told him he believed he could be a No. 1 draft pick. At the time, Self meant eventually, as in maybe 2015, more than likely 2016. Instead “eventually” has arrived a little early. Asked what he intends to do about it all, Embiid at first says he doesn’t want to think about next season. He wants to help his team win games, win a Big 12 championship and win a national championship. For someone still learning the English language, he has mastered the fine art of sports clichés. But gently pressed to imagine himself in that place and lifestyle, Embiid shakes his head. “I don’t know,” he said. “I think it would be too overwhelming for me right now. I’m not sure I’m ready.””
Dirk Nowitzki says he is likely to extend with the Mavericks 2-3 years: “The next plan will be maintaining Dirk’s status with the team while having the flexibility to still target a big name free agent to throw alongside him in the next summer or two. Nowitzki has stated he would like to re-sign in Dallas and possibly take a pay cut to help the team bring in more talent. From Sportando, Nowitzki said in a recent interview that he will likely extend his contract with the Mavericks this summer for two or three years. Dirk Nowitzki said in an interview with Sport1 that he will likely extend his deal with the Mavs in the summer for two or three years.
“In the summer I will be free agent and likely extend the contract for two or three years” said Nowitzki. “As long as the body supports me, it is still fun to play basketball. After the new contract I will be 38 or 39 and I will probably stop. For a few years it will work out all right” added the German forward who spoke about his friendship with Mark Cuban. “It is clear that our relationship is amicable. We had so many ups and downs together. The championship was the best part. Mark has always supported me. Even when things were not going well, he has always told me: ‘You are and will remain my franchise player” ended Nowitzki.
Forget about Stephon Marbury? Well, his story is far from over: “How does a point guard – a 6-2, 205-pound specimen of a point guard, two-time NBA All-Star, NYC playground legend, Coney Island’s Finest – get to this point? How does a player gracefully cap off a star-crossed professional career halfway around the world, beloved by millions, with a manifest destiny to coach the Chinese national team? How does an American player win the hearts and souls of Chinese fans everywhere? Where others have failed to make inroads in the Middle Kingdom, Marbury has become an honorary resident and fixture of the sport. To understand him is to understand the insatiable desire to compete, the business evolution of basketball, and the creation of a basketball icon half a world away from where he flamed out.”
Signs in Milwaukee point to the Bucks staying put: “In regard to the potential sale of the Bucks, I have been told there likely will be four serious suitors who’ll be more than happy to do business with long-time Bucks owner Herb Kohl. One is said to be a consortium of five or six individuals who are from Wisconsin or have Wisconsin ties. Because of the delicate nature of the situation, none of the individuals I spoke with would publicly acknowledge their interest in the Bucks. Additionally, a source contends there is an individual from the Chicago area who has made it perfectly clear to Kohl that he’ll buy the franchise whenever the latter desires to sell. This offer, I’ve been told, has been on the table for several years. Selling the Bucks to local investors appears to be Kohl’s preference, though. Kohl’s predecessor as Bucks owner was the late Jim Fitzgerald, a wonderful man from Janesville who also had an unwavering sense of loyalty to Wisconsin. Fitzgerald could have easily sold the Bucks to investors from outside the state and made more money on the transaction. But to ensure the Bucks would remain in Milwaukee, Fitzgerald accepted a lesser offer from Kohl, a native of Milwaukee.”
Ben Baroff is a basketball journalist who blogs for SheridanHoops.com. Follow him on Twitter here.
Phoenix! That is where Melo should threaten to leave for in free agency.
That may be the only destination that will scare James Dolan to the point of trading him for a loss, to a team of his choice.
The Lakers could be even worse that the Knicks, not to mention a coach who doesn’t like him.