Metta World Peace, Chinese Team Agree To Deal
MONDAY, 7:55am: World Peace took to Twitter to confirm the deal, posting a photo of what appears to be him next to Blue Whales officials, set to put pen to paper on a contract.
FRIDAY, 10:01am: Multiple sources tell David Pick of Eurobasket.com that World Peace’s contract will only be worth $700K (Twitter link).
THURSDAY, 2:40pm: The deal is worth $1.43MM, according to Shams Charania of RealGM. It’s indeed for just one season, and World Peace will look for work in the NBA once it’s done, Charania hears (Twitter links).
11:18am: Free agent forward Metta World Peace has an agreement in principle with the Sichuan Blue Whales of the Chinese Basketball Association, the team’s GM confirms to Sina.com (hat tip to Sportando’s Enea Trapani). It’s a $1.3MM arrangement, according to Trapani. Presumably it covers one season. Ian Begley of ESPN.com wrote earlier this week that the sides had been close to a deal.
The Knicks had been thinking about giving World Peace an invitation to training camp, and the 34-year-old has expressed regret about buying out his contract with New York last season before the team hired Phil Jackson as president. The Marc Cornstein client had also been eyeing the Lakers and the Clippers, but it didn’t seem like those teams reciprocated that interest.
The deal with Sichuan will give him slightly less than the $1,448,490 he would have made on a veteran’s minimum deal with an NBA team, but his Chinese salary appears to be guaranteed. Going to China will also probably give World Peace the chance to return to the NBA for the stretch run, since China’s season ends as early as February.
World Peace put up career lows in several categories thanks to a drastic cut in minutes this past season. He averaged just 13.4 minutes per game compared to 33.7 in 2012/13, which helps to explain why he engineered the buyout.
And-Ones: Wiggins, Cavs, Murry, George
The No. 1 overall pick in June’s draft is in a weird spot, writes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. Andrew Wiggins has been heavily connected to a possible Kevin Love deal between the Wolves and Cavs and on top of that, it turns out that he hasn’t even chatted with LeBron James since the game’s top player announced in Sports Illustrated that he was going back to Cleveland. “No. I’m sure he’s busy,” Wiggins said. “I feel like I’m busy, so I am sure he’s busy.” More from around the NBA..
- Toure’ Murry still has interest from the Heat, Jazz, and Clippers and a return to the Knicks remains a possibility, writes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
- Paul George‘s injury isn’t just a loss for the Pacers, it’s a loss for all of basketball, writes Candace Buckner of the Indy Star. It has been noted that in 1985, when quarterback Joe Theismann suffered a similar horrific fracture, the injury forced him into retirement at age 36. However, Buckner notes that George has the advancements of modern medicine on his side as well as his youth.
- Italian team Ferentino is eyeing former D-League guard Chris Roberts, sources tell Paolo DePersis of Sportando. The swingman spent last season in Serie A with Caserta averaging 11.6 PPG and 3.1 RPG.
Poll: Kevin Love And The Cavaliers
Last time we asked you to pick where Kevin Love would start the 2014/15 season, there was a wide field of teams to choose from that did not include the Cavaliers. Boy, how things have changed. The Cavs brought LeBron James home to Cleveland and now Love badly wants to join his friend in Ohio. Finally, months of denials from the T’Wolves organization, owner Glen Taylor finally confessed that he expects to trade the All-Star shortly after August 23rd.
August 23rd isn’t just some random date on the calendar, of course. That’s the date when Andrew Wiggins‘ rookie contract with the Cavs can be moved. It’s not exactly clear what a package for the pending free agent would look like, but it has been said that the Wolves will walk away with at least Wiggins, Anthony Bennett, and a future first-round selection. It won’t be easy to replace Love, who turned in a ~27 PER which was good for third in the NBA behind James and Kevin Durant, but two consecutive No. 1 picks and a future first wouldn’t be a bad way to start the rebuilding process.
In the Love poll from two months ago, the Celtics were the leading vote getter followed by the Bulls and the T’Wolves. The Warriors, Lakers, and pie-in-the-sky Kings were among the other clubs receiving votes, but at this stage, Marc Stein and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com hear that Wolves are no longer in serious talks about Love with any team other than Cleveland. So, now we ask you to weigh the Cavs vs. the field. Do you see Love starting the 2014/15 season with any team other than the Cavs? And, yes, that includes the Timberwolves.
Where Will Kevin Love Start The 2014/15 Season?
-
Cleveland 86% (1,726)
-
Somewhere else 14% (290)
Total votes: 2,016
NBA Will Discuss International Competition
In the wake of Paul George‘s gruesome injury in Friday’s Team USA scrimmage, many are questioning the wisdom of allowing NBA players to compete in international events. At the very least, the NBA will discuss the merits of international competition this fall, commissioner Adam Silver tells Marc Stein of ESPN.com (via Twitter links).
“I don’t anticipate a major shift in the NBA’s participation in international competition,” Silver said. “We will continue to evaluate the pros and cons of participating in international tournaments [and] this will be a topic at our next NBA Competition Committee meeting in September and Board of Governors meeting in October.”
Of course, one could argue that the real blame for George’s injury lies with the unusual location of the basket stanchion at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. Still, that won’t stop others in the league from pushing for NBA players to be kept out of international competition altogether. Over the weekend, Mavs owner Mark Cuban said that he hoped George’s injury would lead the NBA to change its policy.
“I think it’s a bigger issue than star players. We are being taken advantage of by the IOC (International Olympic Committee) and to a lesser extent FIBA (International Federal Basketball Association),” Cuban said. “We take on an inordinate amount of financial risk for little, if any, quantifiable gain. It’s like our guiding principle is to lose money on every game and make it up in volume. There is no logic to our position. [We] just hope we get value somewhere in the future.”
Hoops Links: George, Grizzlies, Heat, Gobert
On this date in 1949, the Basketball Association of America (BAA) merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) to form the NBA. The BAA included the Boston Celtics, Minneapolis Lakers (later Los Angeles Lakers), New York Knicks, Philadelphia Warriors (later Golden State Warriors), and the Rochester Royals (later Sacramento Kings). The NBL included the Syracuse Nationals (later Philadelphia 76ers) and the Tri-Cities Blackhawks (later Atlanta Hawks).
Got a great basketball blog post that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Send it to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s look around the basketball blogosphere…
- Red Rock Fantasy Basketball laments the Paul George injury.
- The Daily Dribble gives us their all-time Grizzlies starting five.
- Hot Hot Hoops looks at what George’s injury means for the Heat.
- SLC Dunk tries to figure out what the Jazz have in Rudy Gobert.
- Grizzly Bear Blues sizes up Quincy Pondexter.
- At The Hive looks at the Hornets’ offseason agenda between now and training camp.
Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.
Hoops Rumors Originals
Here’s a look at the original analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff this week..
- Chuck Myron examined Warriors standout Klay Thompson as an extension candidate.
- Charlie Adams asked Hoops Rumors readers whether the the Pacers will make the playoffs without Paul George. The overwhelming majority of you said no.
- Here’s are the 2014/15 roster tallies as of August 2nd.
- Here’s a look at 2014/15 draft-and-stash signees, courtesy of Chuck.
- Cray Allred asked readers to choose between five rebuilding efforts and decide which will pay off first. Results were rather even with the Bucks, Celtics, and 76ers getting roughly 25% of the vote.
- I asked if Byron Scott is the right hire for the Lakers.
- Chuck offered up a primer on the rookie scale extension.
- Chuck looked at the free agent stock of Shawn Marion.
- Follow Hoops Rumors on Facebook, Twitter, and RSS.
- We featured the best of your comments in Hoops Rumors Featured Feedback.
- Here’s a rundown of the league’s longest tenured coaches.
- If you missed out on this week’s chat, get caught up with the transcript.
Grizzlies, Pacers Interested In Gary Forbes
Free agent Gary Forbes has interest from the Grizzlies and Pacers as he mulls an offer in China, a source tells Shams Charania of RealGM (on Twitter). A contract in China would allow him to join an NBA team midseason when the Chinese season is complete.
Forbes, 29, signed a non-guaranteed deal with the Nets last offseason before being cut in mid-October. Soon after, the 6’7″ swingman hooked on with the Nets’ D-League affiliate, the Springfield Armor, before being cut in January due to injury.
Forbes played in China during the 2012-13 season and has been away from the NBA since 2012. In his two years with the Nuggets and Raptors, Forbes averaged 5.8 points and 2.0 rebounds per game.
Earlier today, we learned that the Pacers are interested in MarShon Brooks and it stands to reason that they’ll be looking into several options to help to try and fill the void.
Week In Review: 7/28/14 – 8/3/14
Pacers swingman Paul George is likely to miss all of next season after suffering a horrific injury to his right leg early in Friday’s Team USA intra-squad scrimmage in Las Vegas. The injury occurred when George attempted to block a transition layup by James Harden, and George’s leg came down awkwardly and buckled as he knocked into the basket stanchion. The injury certainly hurts the Pacers’ chances of contending in 2014/15 and is nothing short of heartbreaking for the 24-year-old. More from the week that was..
- Wolves owner Glen Taylor expects to trade Kevin Love by August 24th, the date when Andrew Wiggins can be officially moved. One report indicated that the Wolves are no longer in serious talks with any team other than the Cavs.
- The Spurs signed Tony Parker to a multi-year extension. It’s the third extension that Parker has signed with San Antonio over the course of his career and it will take him through the 2017/18 season.
- Derrick Rose acknowledged that there is some tension between him and the Bulls, but owner Jerry Reinsdorf doesn’t agree with that assessment.
- A judge ruled in favor of Shelly Sterling, which means the transfer of the Clippers to Steve Ballmer will probably go through.
- The NBPA elected Michele Roberts to lead the union.
- The Lakers officially hired Byron Scott.
- The Hawks and Mike Scott agreed to terms.
- The Heat signed forward Shawne Williams.
- The relationship between Eric Bledsoe and the Suns is reportedly in bad shape.
- The Sixers are reportedly fighting changes to the lottery.
- The Wolves are targeting Thaddeus Young.
- The Kings, Cavs, Spurs, Thunder, and Wizards are eyeing Dahntay Jones.
- Metta World Peace has agreed to play in China next season.
- Nemanja Dangubic has chosen to sign with Serbian club KK Crvena Zvezda.
- The Wizards waived Melvin Ely.
- Todd Mayo is planning on going pro.
- The Warriors waived Hilton Armstrong.
- Mo Williams and the Wolves agreed to a one-year deal.
- The Mavs signed Ivan Johnson.
- The Pacers are interested in MarShon Brooks.
- Byron Mullens will sign with a Chinese team.
- The Raptors will sign Lucas Nogueira after helping him out of his overseas contract.
- The Raptors inked Will Cherry.
- The Jazz will guarantee the 2014/15 for Ian Clark.
- Former Sixers and Clippers point guard Maalik Wayns has signed to play with Zalgiris Kaunas of Lithuania.
- The Magic added Peyton Siva.
- The Lakers worked out Michael Beasley.
- The Grizzlies added Ed Stefanski to their front office and gave Chris Wallace an extension.
- The Kings signed free agent forward Eric Moreland.
- The Kings have interest in former No. 11 overall pick Terrence Williams.
- The Knicks signed second-round pick Cleanthony Early.
- The Bucks signed No. 36 pick Johnny O’Bryant.
- Lorenzo Brown is headed to Italy.
- It’s “very likely” that Hawks second-round draftee Edy Tavares, also known as Walter Tavares, will continue to play overseas next season.
Pacers Interested In MarShon Brooks
In the wake of the potential season-ending injury that Paul George suffered Friday night, the Pacers have MarShon Brooks on a short list of free agent possibilities, reports Shams Charania of RealGM. George sustained a fracture in his right leg early in the fourth quarter of Team USA’s exhibition game in Las Vegas.
Brooks played for the Kings in the NBA summer league last month, and averaged 10.1 points and shot 53.1 percent from the field in seven games. The Kings and an Eastern Conference contender have also been in discussions with the free agent, notes Charania.
The 6’5″, 25 year-old swingman has played for four different teams in his three years in the league. His career numbers are 7.7 PPG, 2.2 RPG, and 1.4 APG. His career slash line is .442/.326/.748.
And-Ones: NBPA, Allen, Sixers
History was made last week with the hiring of Michele Roberts as head of the NBPA, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. Roberts is the first woman to be named the head of a professional sports union, and she will strive to rectify the apathy and disinterest that plagued the union during the final years of former chief Billy Hunter‘s reign, writes Washburn.
Here’s more from around the league:
- The Sixers would rather be good than be liked, writes Bob Ford of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia’s alleged tanking in order to rebuild their roster through the draft hasn’t garnered them many fans around the league, notes Ford. Their strategy has also prompted discussions to revise the draft lottery process, as well as angered teams who received less via revenue sharing thanks to the attendance dropoff the losing has caused.
- Free agent Ray Allen would be content with retiring this summer, writes Don Amore of the Hartford Courant. Allen said, “My family is very important in making the decision. Right now, there is nothing that I need to do. If I ultimately decide this will be it for me, I’m content with that.” Allen isn’t hurrying his decision, saying, “I’m not in any rush. I’ve played 18 years, and the way I look at my career, I’m content with everything that I’ve done. I just want to take this summer and see how it goes.”
- Selecting players in the NBA Draft is always a gamble. Every year there are players who are steals, and selections that don’t pan out. Jay Yeomans of the Deseret News looks back at the 2010 draft, and where each player should have been taken given their performance in the league thus far.