Elton Brand struck a pessimistic tone about his chances to play again, in a remark that Al Coqueran of The Examiner News relays. “I could get in shape if I got the call but this looks like the end of the run for me, right now it is family time,” Brand said at a youth basketball camp this weekend in his native Peekskill, New York. Still, while the 36-year-old indicated that he hasn’t received an offer from an NBA team yet, won’t rule out a return for what would be a 17th NBA season, observes Jane Lerner of The Journal News. “We’ll see what happens,” Brand said.
While we wait to find out if Brand will be playing in any of the games that will go on the calendar when the NBA announces the regular season schedule Wednesday, there’s more from around the league:
- The Lakers surprised Larry Nance Jr. when they made him a first-round pick, as Nance tells Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Chad Ford of ESPN.com ranked the Wyoming power forward the 46th-best prospect heading into the draft and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress had him at No. 64. “I was just hoping to hear my name called at all,” Nance said. “So to hear it called 27th overall by the Lakers, I was like, ‘Really? Really?!’ I had a sense of disbelief because it was just so crazy. I mean, I was just fighting to hear my name called at all and now I’m picked in the first round by the best franchise in history? I couldn’t have dreamt up a better scenario.”
- Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor doesn’t anticipate that coach/executive Flip Saunders will need to step away from his duties at any point this season, tweets Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Saunders remains in charge of the Wolves front office and as head coach in spite of a cancer diagnosis that the team revealed today.
- A court dealt the National Basketball Players Association a setback Monday as it fights to dismiss a lawsuit that former executive director Billy Hunter brought against the union, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Hunter, who alleges wrongful termination, is seeking at least $10.5MM. The matter will proceed in Los Angeles Superior Court, where Hunter has previously received a favorable ruling, Berger notes.