NBA Offseason Stuff

[Precious Roy 0]

Calbert Cheaney exercised his option to stay with the Warriors.  I'll be editing the first post to reflect this stuff.

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Now there's a name I haven't seen in a while. Was he ever worth a damn in the NBA? He's still revered in most IU fan circles.

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He's been a pretty good role player for GS the last couple years, filling in when JR was injured, but there's no way he could live up to the second coming hype he got at Indiana. Indiana has to be one of the worst "big" schools at producing pros, Isiah Thomas is like the only success story.

 

And if the Bulls wanted Peja they'd probably have to do a sign and trade with Chandler and throw in Nocioni as well. I doubt they'd want to give up that much.

 

I'd like to see the Knicks make a run at Peja. Sacto can have Tim Thomas (expiring contract) and our lottery pick.

[Dangerous A 0]

Thanks, but no thanks on Tim Thomas. I cannot fathom having a guy who called Kenyon Martin "fugazi" when he himself is actually lamer.

 

Pot. Kettle. Black, my friend.

[razazteca 0]

What about sending Michael Finley and draft pick for Peja?

[Guest news_gimmick]

...

[Brett Favre 0]

I rather keep that lottery pick, than trade it for Peja, and taking on a bigger salary (because Peja/TT don't match).

[Guest news_gimmick]

..

[Dangerous A 0]

What about sending Michael Finley and draft pick for Peja?

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Absolutely not. Finley is too old now. I don't see how that would benefit the Mavs anyhow. Dirk loves the perimeter too much and needs the ball in his hands to be an effective player. Same with Peja. You'd have a problem with 2 guys who need the ball to be worth a damn and only one ball.

 

Again, I'd love a crack at Paul Pierce. I just hope Petrie and the Kings won't stand pat this offseason.(barring a lockout of course)

[Mr. S£im Citrus 0]

Well, Petrie said that he traded Webber in order to have more flexibility with trades for this offseason, so he'd damn well better fucking trade somebody.

[Dangerous A 0]

Here is the skinny on the Chicago Pre draft combine athletic tests (strength, speed, agility,etc.) courtesy of ESPN Insider...

 

 

There are three ways to help your draft stock at the Chicago predraft camp.

 

First, you can actually play well in the event, like Luther Head and David Lee did, and convince scouts that you're first-round material.

 

Second, you can stand against a wall, spread your arms out and possibly measure longer/bigger than team originally thought you were. Guys like Chris Paul and Ike Diogu did that this year.

 

Finally, you can go through the NBA draft combine and prove to scouts that you're quicker, stronger, or can jump higher than your original scouting report.

 

Insider exclusively obtained a list of the Chicago pre-draft camp combine results on Wednesday. The combine measures four key areas: strength (bench press repetitions of 185 pounds), vertical jump, lane agility (how fast a player moves laterally around the key), and speed (¾-court sprint). Then the league adds those up and gives an athletic ranking to each player in the draft.

 

The overall winner this year was Oklahoma State's Joey Graham, who blew away the competition. Second was Georgia Tech's Will Bynum. Other top players with good scores included Rashad McCants (3rd overall), Luther Head (6th), David Lee (11th), Marvin Williams (15th), Chris Paul (16th) and Raymond Felton (18th).

 

There was one major surprise in the top 20 -- Illinois point guard Deron Williams finished 10th, ahead of both Paul and Felton. Part of that had to do with strength; Williams bench pressed 185 pounds 15 times, which is really great for a point guard. However, that wasn't the full story.

 

There have been major questions about Williams' lateral quickness, but he actually tested quicker than Paul in the lane agility drill and finished .03 seconds behind Paul in the sprint. Williams has lost about 15 pounds and is down to 7½ percent body fat, which obviously has helped his athleticism.

 

The bottom end of the spectrum included mostly international players and lumbering big men. Georgia Tech center Luke Schensher finished at the bottom of the list (75th). Ersan Ilyasova (74th) and Martynas Andriuskevicius (73rd) also tested poorly.

 

The shock on the low end was high school star Monta Ellis, who finished 70th. His strength, vertical jump and lateral quickness were all on the low end of the scale. That could be devastating to his draft chances.

 

Other disappointments included Andrew Bogut (61st), Martell Webster (60th), Rudy Fernandez (57th), Antoine Wright (55th), Jarrett Jack (54th) and Francisco Garcia (51st).

 

Luther Head ranked as the most athletic point guard in camp. Will Bynum took the award for the 2-guards. Joey Graham won for 3s, David Lee for 4s and Marcin Gortat for centers.

 

Ellis was the worst ranked guard in camp at either position. Ilyasova finished last among small forwards while Taylor Coppenrath was last for power forwards and Luke Schenscher finished at the bottom of the heap for centers.

 

On the individual test front, Will Bynum recorded the highest one-step vertical jump at 40½ inches. Gerald Green and Ronnie Price tied for second at 39 inches, followed by Luther Head at 38½. Chris Paul and Hakim Warrick rounded out the top-five, each launching a 38-inch leap.

 

Luke Schensher recorded the worst vertical jump, at 26½ inches. He was followed by Taylor Coppenrath and Jason Klotz (27 inches) and Martynas Andriuskevicius and Wayne Simien (27½ inches).

 

Joey Graham won the strength test, bench pressing 185 pounds an impressive 26 times. Ike Diogu finished second with 21 reps, followed by Chuck Hayes with 20. Channing Frye helped himself shed the soft label a bit by hoisting the bar 19 times. Eric Williams, Marcin Gortat and David Simon all finished tied for fifth with 18 reps.

 

As happens every year, several top players were unable or barely able to do this drill. Monta Ellis, Rudy Fernandez, Martynas Andriuskevicius, Brandon Rush and Daryl Dorsey got a zero for the drill. Luke Schensher and Travis Diener could only lift the bar once.

 

In the lane agility drill, Michigan State's Alan Anderson recorded the fastest time at 10.32 seconds. Rashad McCants was second at 10.39. John Lucas ranked third, Rudy Fernandez fourth and Raymond Felton fifth.

 

Jason Klotz, Ellis Myles and Deji Akindele finished at the bottom of the heap. Monta Ellis and Andrew Bogut also recorded terrible times of above 12 seconds.

 

In the ¾-court sprint, Will Bynum recorded the fastest time at 3 seconds. Joey Graham, Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants and John Lucas were also in the top five. Marvin Williams and Julius Hodge finished in the top 10.

 

Jason Klotz earns the awarded as the slowest guy in camp with a 3.68 seconds time. Ersan Ilyasova, Andrew Bogut, D'or Fischer and Torin Francis rounded out the five slowest guys in camp.

 

Note that several top prospects, including Fran Vazquez, Johan Petro, Nate Robinson, Ryan Gomes, Brandon Bass, Matt Walsh and Linas Kleiza, did not participate in the testing.

 

 

So who was helped and hurt by the testing?

 

 

WINNERS

Deron Williams -- Scouts have been questioning his quickness and athleticism all year. Now that he's lost some of that body fat, that no longer seems to be an issue. He's not as fast as Raymond Felton and doesn't jump as high as Chris Paul, but he's clearly in the same league athletically.

 

Joey Graham -- It doesn't come as a huge surprise that Graham came out on top. If you've seen him play much, you know he's an unbelievable athlete. Still, finishing on top of the heap should guarantee he gets selected in the lottery.

 

Will Bynum -- He was the last guy invited to Chicago and played extremely well, especially on the defensive end. A few scouts believe he might be a better prospect than Nate Robinson (the guy who tested as the top athlete in Chicago last year). I doubt he gets selected ahead of Nate, but he's definitely in the second-round mix now.

 

Rashad McCants -- There are still questions about his attitude, but it's rare to find such a great shooter who can also test off the charts athletically (just look at Martell Webster and Antoine Wright). Someone's going to ignore the baggage and take him in the late lottery to mid-first round.

 

Channing Frye -- He's stronger and more athletic than scouts have given him credit. The 19 reps on the bench press will turn a lot of heads.

 

David Lee -- Athletically, he tested as the top power forward in the draft. His lane agility scores are what really stand out. Lee has very quick feet, which will really help him defensively in the pros. Combine that with his strong play in Chicago and Lee seems like he's another step closer to securing a spot in the first round.

 

Marcin Gortat -- He had just a so-so camp, but he tested out as the most athletic center in the draft. He could be off the board in the first 10 picks of the second round if he decides to stay in the draft.

 

Sean May -- His numbers don't jump out at you, but he showed a better vertical jump and more agility than his main competition: Ike Diogu, Wayne Simien and Chris Taft. Maybe that will balance out the fact that he measured smaller than all of them.

 

 

 

LOSERS

Andrew Bogut -- He's been trying to dispel the "great white stiff" myth for the past few weeks. This doesn't help. While his vertical leap is actually above average for a guy his size, his lateral quickness and sprinting speed were just awful. That will hurt him defensively.

 

Wayne Simien -- Simien finished well below the other top big men in almost every area. Especially shocking is his lack of explosion jumping off one foot. His one-step vertical was only a half inch more than his standing vertical. That was, by far, the worst in the camp.

 

Antoine Wright -- Scouts have been warning that Wright looks more athletic than he actually is. At the combine, he was significantly below Francisco Garcia, a guy almost every scout in the league has knocked for his lack of athleticism. Had he not benched an impressive 12 reps, he would have landed close to the bottom. That's going to come back to haunt Wright.

 

Jarrett Jack -- He has great size and toughness, but athletically, he tested well behind most of the point guards in this draft. With Roko Ukic making a strong push, it could cause him to slip.

 

The High Schoolers -- Monta Ellis, Martell Webster and Brandon Rush all tested terribly. That's partly because of their age and partly because guys like Ellis and Rush might not have been training for these particular tests the way some players do.

 

We knew that Webster was just an average athlete but Ellis was a huge shock. For an undersized 2-guard to be successful in the League, he has to be long, quick and explosive. Ellis is none of the above. There's been talk that Minnesota is flirting with taking him at No. 14. It's pretty hard to justify that after seeing these numbers.

 

The Internationals -- They always struggle every year. With the exception of Gortat, they all were near the bottom of the heap. Most of them have never lifted weights before (which hurts their bench press numbers) and most are bigs lacking any real explosion or quickness.

 

Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.

[Precious Roy 0]

I like to see teams, even when they aren't teams I particularly like, get it right. For that reason, I'm really crossing my fingers that Atlanta takes Deron Williams at #2. They NEED a PG, they already have Harrington, Josh Smith and Josh Childress, all swingmen of varying skill sets, and really have no need for a green, though obviously talented 3 like Marvin Williams. Deron Williams will make those three players better. Chris Paul might be more talented as a 1-1 scorer, but I really think D-Will is the better fit given what ATL has. I am not on the M-Will bandwaggon, I think Milwaukee should take Bogut #1 regardless of how he does in these combines, and he's the only other guy I'd consider over Deron Williams if I were ATL, though I'm sure if they decide to go with a PG Chris Paul will get major consideration.

 

As for my boys at MSG, I think Isiah is high on this Martell Webster kid, a HS SG. I would support that pick if he's as good as people say, Ray Allen type is what I'm hearing as far as a silky smooth shot which he can create off the dribble, which is a talent that you can't teach. We do have Crawford at the 2, but Webster can come off the bench for a couple years and Crawford can play a little 1. Danny Granger intrigues me, but it's probably a little early for him, and we have Ariza. And I love Sean May, think he'll be one of the best pros from this class, but we're kind of stacked up front. I'd still take him though.

[Dangerous A 0]

The word I have heard PR is that the Knicks are also very high on Channing Frye right now and might take him over Granger or Webster because Frye has helped his stock tremendously with great workouts. Too bad for me, because I was hoping he'd go to the Warriors, who I've slowly started to get behind now that I live in Oakland. (originally from Sacto, Go Kings!)

[Brett Favre 0]

I hope the Knicks take Granger or the possibility of Gerald Green dropping. If Portland doesn't take Green, there's a small possibility he drops to the 8th spot. The reason I don't like Webster is it seems from scouting reports that all he does is shoot, and does not play any defense. Granger is an all-around player, with leadership skills, and can still improve a little bit (still only about 22). Green would be my number one choice though for the obvious T-Mac comparisons reasons.

 

On the Channing Frye stuff, I really think and hope it's a smokescreen. They said he added 15 pounds of muscles, but offical measurements showed that he gained nothing, and is only really 6'10 and a half. I'd be pissed off with that pick.

[Precious Roy 0]

I hadn't heard that Webster can't D, but that's something that can be learned, especially with Herb Williams teaching. Unfortunately, there isn't a single guard on the Knicks right now who plays real D, so there's a chance he picks up bad habits off of Crawford and Marbury. I don't think Green will drop that far, if Portland doesn't get him I think Charlotte probably would, they've got time to let him develop, or maybe Toronto who could use a swingman. Frye, I honestly don't know much about, I only saw Arizona play a couple times last year. His scouting reports say he's got good post moves, is athletic, can run, and is a pretty good shot blocker and rebounder. He's listed at 250, which if legit is a good size, but the knock on him is that he's too soft. If he won't bang down low he'll be pretty useless to us. I could be wrong, but I'm hoping Frye isn't the pick.

[Brett Favre 0]

I think Charlotte will go with Raymond Felton, with the UNC love down there in Charlotte; they will sell tickets. With that, there's a chance Green drops down to 8, and I don't think Isiah will past up.

 

Frye is as good as Chris Mihm. He's only 6'10, not even a 7'0 footer. Not worth it.

[bobobrazil1984 0]

^ which basically means Isiah WILL pass it up. one of the worst GMs i've ever seen (or whatever his position is)

 

speaking of which, did anybody ever come up with a logical reason for that godawful Nazr trade (other than 'Isiah is still working for the Pistons to destroy the Knicks')? get rid of a developing strong center and pick up another super huge contract?

[Brett Favre 0]

People outside of NY, who don't watch the Knicks day in and day out, have to understand something. Nazr Mohammed is a bench player. The only reason it "seems" like he's doing well with San Antonio is because the pressure is taken off of him with Duncan right by his side. NY doesn't have a Tim Duncan player, and he basically had to be the man downlow. He isn't that good. He doesn't rotate on defense, and most of his shots come on tip ins and what not. He's a bench/roleplayer at best. The reason we made the trade was because we recieved two draft picks. Yeah they are late, but for any teams trying to save money this year and next year, it gives us more flexibility to move up in the draft, or use them as add-ins in another trade.

 

Also, I trust Isiah in the draft. He did draft T-Mac, and last year he drafted Ariza mid-2nd round. Hopefully the Frye stuff is a smokescreen.

[Precious Roy 0]

People outside of NY, who don't watch the Knicks day in and day out, have to understand something. Nazr Mohammed is a bench player. The only reason it "seems" like he's doing well with San Antonio is because the pressure is taken off of him with Duncan right by his side. NY doesn't have a Tim Duncan player, and he basically had to be the man downlow. He isn't that good. He doesn't rotate on defense, and most of his shots come on tip ins and what not. He's a bench/roleplayer at best. The reason we made the trade was because we recieved two draft picks. Yeah they are late, but for any teams trying to save money this year and next year, it gives us more flexibility to move up in the draft, or use them as add-ins in another trade.

 

Also, I trust Isiah in the draft. He did draft T-Mac, and last year he drafted Ariza mid-2nd round. Hopefully the Frye stuff is a smokescreen.

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^what he said. Nazr played really well the first month and a half/two months of the season, and then did NOTHING until getting traded to San Antonio. He had a ton of games where he played 30 minutes and put up numbers like 2 and 9 or 4 and 7. He's a nice guy to have if you're the Spurs and need a tall guy to compliment Duncan, but he wasn't going to help the Knicks. It really bugs me when talking heads, Bill Walton (who I like) especially, rant and rave about the deal like it's the basketball equivalent of the Babe Ruth deal.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Perhaps what was just as bad was hearing people talk about the Mourning to Miami deal being like last season's Rasheed to Detroit deal.

[alfdogg 0]

Cleveland waives Lucious Harris and declines to pick up the option on Robert Traylor.

 

Miami picks up Alonzo Mourning's option.

[alfdogg 0]

Minnesota hired Seattle assistant Dwayne Casey as head coach. Perhaps one of our Sonic fans can shed some light on this.

[alfdogg 0]

Labor talks making progress

[Dangerous A 0]

Me likey a lot.

[Dangerous A 0]

Latest rumors from ESPN Insider. Paging Vitamin X and Spicy McHaggis....

 

 

It's crunch time. Just eight days until the NBA draft and everything still is in utter commotion.

 

Picks two through seven are for sale. Workouts are going full steam. The deadline for underclassmen to withdraw from the draft is Tuesday.

 

Among the top players, it sounds like the following early-entry guys are staying in the draft: Jarrett Jack, Andrew Bynum, Yaroslav Korolev, Ersan Ilyasova, Roko Ukic, Johan Petro, Louis Williams, C.J. Miles, Dwayne Jones, Von Wafer, Carl Krauser, Anthony Roberson, Drago Pasalic and Deji Akindele.

 

Meanwhile, it sounds like these early-entry guys are withdrawing: Tiago Splitter, Nemanja Aleksandrov, Marko Tomas, Peja Samardziski, Dee Brown, Kevin Pittsnogle, Brandon Bowman, Torin Francis, James White, Olu Famitimi, Juan Jose Barea, Ivan Chiriaev, Paulius Jankunas, Miguel Marriaga, Pops Mensah-Bonsu and Dusan Sakota.

 

Among those still on the fence: Ike Diogu, Randolph Morris, Martynas Andriuskevicius, Rudy Fernandez, Mile Ilic, Kosta Perovic, Marko Lekic, Marcin Gortat, Linas Kleiza, Eric Williams, Steven Smith, Brandon Rush and Amir Johnson.

 

Check back with Insider Tuesday for a full breakdown of who's in and who's out of the 2005 NBA draft. And on Wednesday, look for our latest mock draft.

 

Here's what's going on around the rest of the league:

 

 

Blazers heating up the phone lines?

Bobcats GM Bernie Bickerstaff has called the Blazers' No. 3 pick the key pick in the draft.

 

Why? Because the Blazers are more than willing to trade it and a number of teams, including the Lakers, Bobcats and Jazz, are willing to offer a lot to get their hands on it.

 

With Phil Jackson now running the show in Los Angeles, you can expect the Lakers to be pretty active over the next few weeks, retooling the team to Jackson's liking.

 

That's led to whispers that the Lakers are talking to the Blazers about a deal that would give them the No. 3 pick in the draft and Ruben Patterson for Caron Butler, Chucky Atkins and the No. 10. There's also talk that the Lakers have been trying to resurrect talks with the Jazz for Carlos Boozer.

 

If the Lakers do move up in the draft, who are they targeting?

 

For months GM Mitch Kupchak has been hot on the trail of high school phenom Gerald Green. Green worked out for the Lakers and Jackson on Thursday. The workout raised more than a few eyebrows because Green isn't expected to slip past the Raptors (who are also very high on him) at No. 7.

 

Meanwhile, Green and the Blazers continue to fight over his refusal to work out for the team in a group setting. Factor in that Portland just brought in another high school two-guard, Martell Webster, for a workout, and the dots are there, ready for someone to connect. Webster wouldn't be drafted as high as No. 3, but he would be draftable as the 10th overall pick.

 

However, don't hold your breath just yet, Laker fans. This is just one of a number of different trade scenarios the Blazers apparently are working on. The ideal trade is to convince the Bobcats to swap Nos. 5 and 13 for No. 3 – a deal that GM Bernie Bickerstaff admits is on the table but says he isn't interested in.

 

The Blazers are also talking to the Jazz about a deal that would swap No. 3 for the No. 6 and No. 27 picks. That deal could also include some players. Sources claim that Gordan Giricek and Kirk Snyder could be sent to Portland with Ruben Patterson and the draft rights to Russian 2-guard Sergei Monia headed back to the Jazz. The Jazz, who desperately need a point guard, would select Chris Paul or Deron Williams with the No. 3 pick.

 

If the Lakers stay at No. 10, folks in the camp of high school big man Andrew Bynum are suggesting, pretty loudly, that the Lakers are leaning toward drafting him.

 

 

 

Bucks work out Williams

Bucks GM Larry Harris continues to assert that he still hasn't decided whether the Bucks will select Andrew Bogut or Marvin Williams with the No. 1 pick.

 

While most in the league have assumed the Bucks will eventually choose Bogut over Williams, Harris gave his first real hint Sunday that Williams is truly in the running for the pick.

 

Williams worked out with the Bucks on Sunday, and Harris and head coach Terry Porter came away raving about his post skills.

 

"Early on, I see him more as a power forward and a guy who can play some three [small forward] as well," Harris told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel after the workout. "His post-up game is a lot further along than people have seen.

 

"Eventually, he's going to grow some more, so he's going to get bigger. He has the bulk to him to play the four, and it's going to be a very easy transition for him. He's definitely strong and solid in the post."

 

Those statements are significant because on lottery night, when the Bucks got the top pick, Harris told Insider that what his team really needs is a power forward. Joe Smith plays the bulk of Milwaukee's minutes at power forward, with mixed results. Desmond Mason plays small forward, and a combination of Dan Gadzuric and Zaza Pachulia plays center.

 

It's been assumed that Bogut is the pick because he's a big upgrade over Gadzuric and Pachulia in the middle, while Williams would duplicate a position played well by Mason. However, if the Bucks really believe that he'll be a power forward, Williams might have a much better chance at being the No. 1 pick than people are giving him.

 

Bogut is scheduled to work out for the Bucks today.

 

 

 

Magic focusing on May

In Insider's previous two mock drafts, we've had the Magic taking Webster with the 11th pick in the draft. Expect that to change when we release our third mock draft Wednesday.

 

Sources in Orlando told Insider this past weekend that if North Carolina power forward Sean May is on the board when the Magic draft, they're leaning strongly toward taking him. Why would the Magic draft May when they took Dwight Howard at the same position last year?

 

"I think they're such different players that you play them together on the front line," the Magic source told Insider. "Howard has the size, athleticism and defense and May has the bulk and skills scoring in the low post. [Tony] Battie and [[Kelvin] Cato are role players. I think those two guys would fit great together."

 

We'll see. This is the time of year when some NBA teams start to throw out misleading information to mess with other teams drafting below them. It could be a smokescreen to convince a team drafting a few picks behind the Magic to give up something in a trade to get May.

 

 

 

Vazquez working out on Sunday

Spanish stud Fran Vazquez is coming to New York on Friday and has scheduled a general NBA workout on Sunday and an NBA physical on Monday.

 

Vazquez is widely regarded as the top international player in the draft and a likely top-10 pick. His team recently was ousted from the playoffs, where Vazquez put up solid numbers of 12.1 ppg and 7.8 rpg.

 

Vazquez was scheduled to come over and do a handful of individual workouts with the Hornets, Jazz, Raptors and Bobcats; however, he's opted instead to do just one group workout. That news didn't please everyone. According to one team that was scheduled to work him out, the news isn't good.

 

"He was seriously in the mix," the GM told Insider. "I'm not sure that we'd still consider him without a private workout."

 

Marc Cornstein, Vazquez's agent, defends the decision. "He had a tremendous year in Spain," Cornstein told Insider. "Virtually every team in the league has scouted him extensively. I don't know how big of an issue it really is."

 

 

 

Draft Cards

• Croatian point guard Roko Ukic must have made quite an impression at the Reebok Eurocamp. After dominating in competition there, Ukic flew to the United States and worked out for the Raptors on Friday and the Celtics on Saturday. Raptors GM Rob Babcock and Celtics vice president Danny Ainge were both in Treviso at the camp and were impressed. They'll seriously consider him with the 16th and 18th picks, respectively.

 

• Slovenian big man Uros Slokar has surprised a number of teams with strong workouts. Sources with the Pistons, Clippers and Sonics all claim that he was impressive when they had him in.

 

"The report that we had on him from Europe was that he was a little on the soft side," one scout told Insider. "He actually looks much tougher than we expected. He could be an interesting second-round pick for someone."

 

Slokar has been a well-regarded prospect for years but never developed for Benetton. This year, with Andrea Bargnani taking his playing time, Slokar was loaned to a smaller team in Italy and began to put up impressive numbers.

 

• Arizona's Channing Frye refused to work out with the Charlotte Bobcats, fueling the fire that the Knicks have given him a promise at No. 8.

 

• There are a couple of great workouts scheduled on Monday to keep an eye on:

 

The Bobcats have Deron Williams, Rashad McCants, Raymond Felton, Julius Hodge and Monta Ellis coming in. Look for Williams to work out individually while the other four all go at it. Williams has been refusing to work out against anyone other than Chris Paul.

 

The Nets also have a sweet big man workout planned with Hakim Warrick, Charlie Villanueva and Wayne Simien all scheduled. Whoever performs well there could be the No. 15 selection in the draft.

 

Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Why would the Lakers waste their time drafting a high school player that needs a shitload of developmental time, when they don't have any kind of salary cap room to sign any impact free agents? They need someone from the draft that can contribute right away, especially since it's rare that they get this high in the lottery. I really like the idea of shopping around Butler and Atkins as well; Butler was a disappointment last season and maybe just didn't fit in with the team as well as he could have, while Atkins is not only a headache and detrimental to any team he goes to but extremely inconsistent and a terrible solution at PG for the Lakers as anything but a bench player, so good riddance to him.

 

I know they tried out Sasha Vujacic last year when they drafted him at PG, but he barely played last season and I don't think the Lakers are too high on keeping him around. He's another "in progress" type of player, and it'd be a bit frustrating to see them continue to take players that won't realistically make an impact for another couple years.

[Precious Roy 0]

I gotta disagree. The Lakers aren't going to contend for a championship for at least two years, if this Green kid is really a stud he could blossom at just the right time. And learning from another HS-->pro guy in Kobe would be good for him.

 

Thanks for posting that stuff Dangerous A. Would it be possible to cut and paste the next mock draft?

[Dangerous A 0]

That won't be a problem, Roy. That's why I'm here.

[Kurt Angle Mark 0]

From ESPN

 

 

The NBA and its players' association are close to agreeing on a new collective bargaining agreement that would institute a new 19-year-old age limit, reduce contract lengths and raise the salary cap, sources close to both negotiating committees said Monday night.

 

The potential agreement would run for six years and would allow the two sides to avoid a July 1 lockout.

 

The two negotiating committees were scheduled to meet again on Tuesday morning in New York, NBA spokesperson Tim Frank said. Union spokesperson Dan Wasserman declined comment on the story.

 

A source close to the NBA negotiating committee and a source close to the union's negotiation committee claim that all of the major issues between the sides have been agreed to in principle, and the purpose of Tuesday's meeting is to work out some of the finer points of the agreement that weren't addressed during a lengthy, breakthrough negotiation session Friday. Both sources asserted that none of the issues left on the table are major sticking points.

 

If those issues can be worked out in a timely fashion, the two sides would be ready to announce a deal.

 

If a new agreement is reached soon, the players would have the opportunity to ratify it during a summer meeting on June 28. It might take several more weeks for the final agreement to get drafted, possibly delaying the start of the free agent period scheduled to start July 1.

 

The owners will have won several key concessions from the players, if the current proposal is agreed upon, according to sources on both sides.

 

• A 19-year-old age limit would be implemented. Players who are not 19 by draft night would be ineligible to declare. Under current rules, American players are eligible for the draft the year their high school class graduates. Foreign players must be 18 by draft night. The new proposed age limit would bar most, but not all (Amare Stoudemire was already 19 when he was drafted), high school players from entering the draft.

 

• Contract lengths would be reduced by one year. Currently, players can sign a fully guaranteed contract for a maximum of seven years if they re-sign with their current team. Players signing with a new team in free agency can sign a six-year deal. Under the new proposal, maxiumum contract lengths would shorten to five years for players signing with new teams and six years for players re-signing with their current team.

 

• Raises in contracts would be reduced. Under the current CBA, players are allowed maximum raises of 12.5 percent per year if they re-sign with their current team and 10 percent if they sign with a different team in free agency. Under the new proposal, raises would be reduced to 10 percent if a player re-signs with his current team and 8 percent if they sign with a different team in free agency.

 

• Teams would pick up an extra option year on rookie contracts. Currently, first-round picks are tied into a league salary scale. When a first-round pick signs a contract, the first three years are guaranteed, with a team option for the fourth year. Players are paid a set amount based on where they were selected in the draft. Under the new proposed rules, first-round picks would get the first two years of their contract guaranteed. The third and fourth years of the contract would be team options.

 

In return the owners would make the following concessions to the players if the current proposal is ratified:

 

• Total player salaries would be guaranteed. The proposed agreement guarantees that players receive a minimum of 57 percent of basketball-related income (BRI) in the form of salaries each year.

 

• The salary cap would increase. The current CBA bases the salary cap on BRI. The cap is set at 48 percent of BRI; last year, that came to $43.87 million. According to sources, the owners would agree to increase that percentage to 51 percent, in effect raising the salary cap. Sources say the cap would, in that case, rise to between $47 million and $50 million next season.

 

• Escrow would be reduced and distribution of escrow moneys modified. Currently, players must pay 10 percent of their salaries into an escrow account each season. If, at season's end, the total amount of player salaries exceeds 57 percent of the league's total basketball-related income, that money goes to the owners whose teams stay below the luxury-tax threshold (and a few that fall within a certain "cliff threshold"). If it doesn't exceed 57 percent, the players get their money back. Under the proposed agreement, that number would be slowly fazed down to 8 percent by the end of the agreement.

 

There is potentially another significant development in this area. Under current rules, the NBA has sole discretion over the use of the escrow money. Currently, it redistributes the cash (and luxury tax revenues) to teams that are under the luxury tax threshold. In essence, Clippers owner Donald Sterling gets a bonus for being cheap. Under the new proposed agreement, distribution rules would be changed so that luxury tax revenues would now be distributed equally among all 30 teams.

 

• No super luxury tax. Owners had been pushing for a "super tax" for teams who exceed the salary cap by more than a certain percentage. They would be penalized $2 for every dollar they were over the tax threshold. However, the owners dropped their demand for a super tax

[Dangerous A 0]

Thank God the NBA learned from the mistake the NHL made...

 

 

League to announce agreement prior to Game 6

 

 

NEW YORK -- NBA owners and players agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement Tuesday, averting the possibility of a lockout.

 

The league called a news conference in San Antonio prior to Game 6 of the NBA Finals, with commissioner David Stern and union director Billy Hunter announcing their agreement, ESPN Insider Chad Ford has confirmed.

 

The deal came on the fourth consecutive day of talks between the sides. The league's old seven-year agreement is due to expire on June 30.

 

 

The league and its players' association on Monday night were close to agreeing on a new CBA that would institute a new 19-year-old age minimum, reduce contract lengths and raise the salary cap, according to sources close to both negotiating committee.

 

Among the main items the players were seeking was a reduction in the so-called escrow tax under which 10 percent of their salaries are withheld if the amount of revenues devoted to players salaries exceeds a specified percentage.

 

Owners had already offered to raise the salary cap from slightly more than 48 percent of revenues to 51 percent, thereby increasing the amount of money each team can spend on player salaries.

 

The NBA has a system known as a "soft" salary cap, allowing teams to exceed the cap threshold to retain their own free agents, and to sign free agents under the so-called midlevel exception that was added to the labor agreement in 1999 after the sides went through a 7½-month lockout.

 

Another lockout could have begun July 1.

 

The agreement will still need to be ratified by the league's Board of Governors and by the members of the players' union at their annual meeting in Las Vegas next week.

 

 

A source close to the NBA negotiating committee and a source close to the union's negotiation committee claim that all of the major issues between the sides had been agreed to in principle as of Monday night.

 

Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider and contributed to this report. Information from The Associated Press was also used in this report

[Precious Roy 0]

So, what's the point of an age limit of 19? I thought the whole argument of "the man" is that school is important and these guys need something to fall back on in case basketball doesn't work, and now you're telling them they only have to go for ONE year?!?! Do you think ANY HS kid that this rule actually effects is going to give a shit about his classes in that one year?? They're only there cuz Papa Stern wouldn't let them play. This is more of a slap in the face to the institution of college and the college game more than anything, producing a whole bunch of one and done's like Marbury or Melo. Am I the only one who sees the extreme irony and pointlessness of this? Just let the fucking kids in at 18, and if you pick a bust or fuck up someone's development it's your own damn fault.

[Dangerous A 0]

A lot of it has to do with throwing college hoops a bone. One year in for a lot of these kids will at least give scouts and teams a chance to see how these kids can play at another higher level. I think the timing sucks because it delays Greg Oden (top rated high school player this year nationally that isn't a senior) by a year, but not that big a deal to me. The college game would much rather have some one or two and done's because it helps market the game better. If any of you think the college game is about the "student-athlete" you are only kidding yourself. The NBA doesn't want to pump money into a developmental league when the NCAA can do it for them, similar to the NFL. Yeah there is NFL Europe and whatever, but the percentage of guys who go there and end up in the league is very slim. The NFL basically has college football developing it's talent. NBA is trying to do the same. A star recruit can bring in tons of money to a university if he is very good, even if it's just for a year or two. It's all about the money.

 

I don't think 19 is bad. I still don't like them telling people when they can and can't make money, but oh well. It's the league protecting itself from itself, which I don't like, but as long as there is not work stoppage, I'm a happy camper.