13. O.J. MAYO: The Grizzlies made qualifying offers to forwards Marreese Speights and Darrell Arthur but not Mayo, whose $7.4 million would have put Memphis well into supertax territory. The combo guard is free to sign with any team but may have to take a bit of a pay cut. He is just 24, makes 3-pointers and can attack off the dribble. But the market is filled with veteran shooting guards. DESTINATION?: Indiana tried to trade for him two years ago and
Free agency started Sunday midnight ET. On Monday, the Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks are expected to make an unrelenting push for All-Star point guard Deron Williams, who is clearly the best available player. The team that lands Williams also has the best chance of acquiring superstar center Dwight Howard, who is not a free agent but has said that he would like to play alongside Williams. In terms of flexibility, the Nets have the inside track. They can offer Williams more money
In the days leading up to the NBA draft, Joe Kotoch provided Sheridan Hoops with six mock drafts. Not one, not two, not three … six. His final mock for our site arrived Thursday morning and was entirely posted – picks 1 through 60 – about six hours before the first boos rained down on Commissioner David Stern at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. How did Joe do? Pretty damn good, if you ask us. Despite the surprise selection of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist at
31. Charlotte Bobcats – Darius Miller, SF, Kentucky The Bobcats still need help at forward, and Miller is an experienced starter and solid all-around player. He is very good at knocking down open looks. 32. Washington Wizards – Festus Ezeli, C, Vanderbilt Both Nene and Emeka Okafor are getting older, and selecting Ezeli to develop behind them would be a good move for the Wizards. Ezeli is a quality defender and rebounder but can’t give you much offense. 33. Cleveland Cavaliers – John Jenkins, SG,
Larry Bird stepped down as president of the Indiana Pacers today, announcing his decision at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, where there was no shortage of smiles and laughter and jokes and platitudes. Boy, folks have a short memory nowadays. Or too long of one. Yes, the Pacers and Bird enjoyed a renaissance this season. The team reached the Eastern Conference semifinals and Bird was named Executive of the Year. It’s interesting how one solid season from an NBA legend obscured a track record
Through his very last timeout huddle with his team, Oklahoma City Thunder coach Scott Brooks said all the right things. “We’re gonna treat them like they’re the champions,” Brooks instructed his club. “After this game, we’re gonna walk and shake their hands and acknowledge all of them. They beat us fair and square. However hard that hurts, they beat us fair and square. Give them credit.” Yes, Brooks said all the right things. It would have been nice if he had done all
Nearly 20 percent of the NBA is comprised of international players, including some of the game’s biggest stars. But when it comes to international jersey sales, American players still dominate. On the first list of the top 15 international jersey sales released Thursday by the NBA, the top 10 spots went to American players, with tried-and-true veteran Kobe Bryant holding the No. 1 slot. The list was based on sales at adidas locations outside the United States during the 2011-12 season. Following Bryant
The two best words in sports are Game Seven. When it comes to the NBA Finals, Game 5 isn’t too bad, either. Either one team has a 3-1 lead, which means the trailing team will scratch, claw, bite, fight and cheat to stay win. Or the teams are tied 2-2, which means both teams will scratch, claw, bite, fight and cheat to win. Our collection of the best Game Five showdowns of the David Stern Era includes three in which the series was