NEW YORK — It pays to be a center, whether you are an All-Star or a promising young Turk. Also, there is a lot of interest in a 38-year-old two-time MVP. And, the main domino has not yet fallen, although Monday will be a key day in the life of Deron Williams, the Brooklyn Nets and the Dallas Mavericks. One more thing: For the first time ever, restricted free agents rather than unrestricted free agents ruled the day on Day One of the
The NBA is recovering from its collective draft hangover just in time to start the madness of free agency. We have big news coming out of Boston, plus all the latest NBA buzz as we gear up for the start of free agency at midnight ET. Kevin Garnett is remaining a Celtic, writes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. “[Garnett’s] loyalty to coach Doc Rivers made him likely to return to Boston once he decided to keep playing. One NBA executive
We told you restricted free agency is tricky. Well, it’s so tricky that the Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves decided not to participate in it. This week, the Grizzlies decided against making a $7.4 million qualifying offer to guard O.J. Mayo while making cheaper QO’s to forwards Marreese Speights and Darrell Arthur. The Timberwolves made the same decision on their $8.2 million qualifying offer to Michael Beasley. Those decisions make Mayo and Beasley unrestricted free agents – and remove them from our
NEW YORK — The Knicks came out winners again Friday in the arbitration case involving Jeremy Lin and Steve Novak’s free agency after the NBA and the players’ union reached a settlement and the league dropped its appeal of arbitrator Kenneth Dam’s ruling. Lin and Novak, who were acquired by New York through waiver claims, will have “Early Bird” rights that will allow the Knicks to exceed the salary cap to re-sign them. In essence, it means New York can use its
With the NBA Draft over, evaluations of the decisions were made from general managers, owners, players, writers and even fans. See our exclusive sights and sounds of the Draft here, and check who said what, along with today’s biggest news below: Mo Williams has cleared the path to complete the Lamar Odom deal, and he was never in the way, reported by Ramona Shelburne: “Los Angeles Clippers guard Mo Williams has officially picked up his option for next season, clearing the way
// NEW YORK — Free agency opens in less than a week, unless the New York Knicks go to court to halt it. Is that really possible? Well, nothing can be ruled out with the Knicks sitting in a state of limbo after the NBA said it would appeal an arbitrator’s decision granting full Bird rights to Jeremy Lin and Steve Novak (along with J.J. Hickson of the Portland Trail Blazers and Chauncey Billups of the Los Angeles Clippers.) If the ruling stands,
NEW YORK — The NBA announced this afternoon it will appeal an arbitrator’s ruling that granted full “Bird rights” to players claimed off waivers, including Jeremy Lin and Steve Novak of the New York Knicks. In an unexpected victory for the players’ union and the Knicks, arbitrator Kenneth Dam ruled that a player’s Bird rights travel with him when his contract is claimed off waivers. The Knicks acquired Lin and Novak in that manner, and they will now have the right
The truncated NBA season is finally over. LeBron James and the Miami Heat became champions on Thursday night, and you can find plenty of articles and clips of their celebration below, along with other news. Ken Berger’s story on LeBron James and his journey to his first championship: “Last year, I tried to prove something to everybody,” James said, “and I played with a lot of hate. And that’s not the way I play the game of basketball. I play with