Carmelo Anthony has 30 million reasons to remain with the New York Knicks after he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer. But if the Knicks don’t have his word that he’ll re-sign with them for five years at a max salary, can they afford to take the risk that he might leave? That is the question owner Jim Dolan and his tight-lipped lieutenants are asking themselves as New York struggles through the first half of the season, entering tonight’s game against
Mitch Kupchak shouldn’t be playing hardball. In his desire to trade Pau Gasol, the GM of the Los Angeles Lakers should not have insisted on receiving Dion Waiters or a first-round pick from the Cleveland Cavaliers. Nobody has overpaid for a rental since Ernie Grunfeld sent Ray Allen to Seattle for Gary Payton — and that was a long time ago. Kupchak should have lowered his demands to match the team’s expectations. The Lakers are done for this season and should be
As an action packed weekend of basketball comes to a close, here’s the good, bad and the ugly of what took place. [Read more…]
Kyrie Irving spent a piece of New Year’s Day having an MRI performed on his knee. He went down against the Indiana Pacers yesterday, and he said he “heard something pop.” That’s usually not good, although the MRI revealed a mere contusion, meaning 2013 did not end with yet another potential landscape-altering injury. Al Horford? Out for the season, joining Derrick Rose and Brook Lopez. Russell Westbrook and Kobe Bryant? See you after the All-Star Game — if your rehabs go according to
Four years ago, when the Los Angeles Lakers were winning their second NBA championship in as many years behind the big bodied, long armed and incredible skill of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum (oh, and that Kobe guy), would it have ever crossed your mind to see the two Laker bigs as the centerpiece of a midseason trade? For each other? [Read more…]
The scorer still looks back nostalgically on those summer days in suburban Los Angeles when he would lace up his sneakers, put on his Lakers jersey and head out to the park. Adults and kids of the neighborhood would flock to the playground every afternoon to watch the human mirage in action. He stood tall at 6-6 and had confidence and moves that were better suited for the Staples Center’s hardwood than Reseda’s blacktops. From afar, if you didn’t know any better,
Despite the Houston Rockets retracting their self-imposed December 19th deadline to trade disgruntled center Omer Asik — a trade he was reportedly being dangled in — Thaddeus Young has sent in a formal request to Philadelphia 76ers GM Sam Hinkie to be traded. [Read more…]
One’s loss is another’s opportunity when it comes to the NBA, and that will be the case for Kendall Marshall, the Los Angeles Lakers’ soon-to-be newest acquisition at point guard. With the unexpected injury to Kobe Bryant, the team now stands without a point guard. Steve Nash has been out for much of the season and will miss at least another month, Steve Blake is out with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, and Jordan Farmar won’t be back