Poll: Will Lamar Odom Return To The NBA This Season?
After a troubling summer in which Lamar Odom spent equal time on TMZ and ESPN, a return to the NBA for the 2013/14 season seemed highly unlikely. Thankfully, Odom appears to have gotten his life back on track and his comeback could happen sooner rather than later. Last week, we learned that even though they remain wary of Odom’s alleged hard drug use and DUI arrest, the Lakers and Clippers are both keeping him in mind. Shortly thereafter, Odom met for almost two hours with Doc Rivers and Clippers front office officials after a team practice, leaving players with the impression that he was about to sign with the club. While that’s not quite the case, the odds look a whole lot better after a month of solid workouts from the 34-year-old.
They say that beggars can’t be choosers, but the veteran forward is apparently telling friends that he’ll only come back to play for the Clippers. Rivers & Co. have kept mum on the issue so far, but Jared Dudley handicaps the odds of Odom signing with the Clips at “100%”. We know how Jared is voting – how about you?
Will Lamar Odom Return To The NBA This Season?
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Yes, he'll sign with the Clippers 60% (346)
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No 24% (136)
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Yes, he'll sign with the Lakers 12% (72)
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Yes, he'll sign, but not with one of the L.A. teams 4% (24)
Total votes: 578
Odds & Ends: Asik, Odom, Iguodala, Rockets
The Rockets say they won’t give in to Omer Asik‘s trade demands, but it’s hard to imagine them keeping the disgruntled center when they can satisfy another need by moving him. Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops suggests three trades involving the defensively-minded center, including a deal that sends Asik and a future first-rounder to 76ers for Thaddeus Young and Kwame Brown. More from around the Association..
- Free agent Lamar Odom is working out with elite trainer Rob McClanaghan in Rhode Island this week, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
- A deal sending Asik to the Pelicans for Ryan Anderson makes sense, opines Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. The Rockets‘ biggest weakness this season has been the play of their power forwards and Anderson would be the type of player that could help them stretch the floor. Meanwhile, pairing Asik with Anthony Davis would give New Orleans one of the best defensive frontcourts in the league.
- David Thorpe of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req’d) explains why Andre Iguodala and the Warriors are a great fit. Golden State likes to play fast and loose, which has helped Iguodala get his groove back.
- Todd Ramasar, an NBA agent who has worked for prominent basketball agents Arn Tellem and Bill Duffy, has opened his own shop and is in talks to merge with another basketball agency, writes Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal. You can keep tabs on everyone’s representation with the Hoops Rumors Agency Database.
Southeast Notes: Afflalo, Smith, Magic, Hawks
Sometimes, it’s the moves you don’t make that define your team. The Magic reportedly received “lots of interest” in guard Arron Afflalo, this summer, but ultimately decided to hang on to him. They’ve been handsomely rewarded for rebuffing the advances of other clubs as Afflalo is putting up 21.7 PPG – more than double his career average. Tonight’s look at the Southeast Division..
- Pistons forward Josh Smith told 92.9 FM that the Hawks never came to him with a contract offer this summer, writes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “No, there wasn’t,” Smith said when asked if there was a contract offer. “During free agency, during that period, there were a lot of guys out in L.A. that were meeting with various teams. I was one of those guys. That’s where I work out in the summertime as well. The only time I saw the Hawks during free agency was when they came to one of my workouts just to say hello. I think they were meeting with Dwight Howard that day. They never came in or sat down with me during the free agency period to offer me anything.”
- Veteran point guard Jameer Nelson is less-than-thrilled about his playing time situation with the Magic, but he’s refusing to blow it up into a major issue, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. The 31-year-old wants to contribute, but at the same time, he wants to remain with Orlando for years to come.
- Guys like Afflalo and Nelson have trade value, but their stocks will be even higher around draft time after logging productive seasons, tweets Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.
Northwest Notes: Sefolosha, Thunder, Jazz
Here’s tonight’s look at the Northwest Division as the Blazers, Thunder, and Jazz look for Monday night victories..
- There’s no guarantee that Thabo Sefolosha will return to the Thunder next season, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman. Oklahoma City has never allowed a player like Sefolosha, a five-year fixture in the rotation, to get to free agency, but the defensively-minded guard could be the first. The threat of the luxury tax looms large over OKC and they have a more pressing deal to try to get done with Reggie Jackson, a rising star who is eligible for an extension on July 1. Sefolosha has previously stated his desire to remain with the Thunder.
- How good is Jabari Parker? One NBA assistant coach says the Duke star would be the best player on the Jazz today, writes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. While many have said that Kansas’ Andrew Wiggins is the undisputed top talent in the draft for months now, it appears that the tides have shifted in the last month or so with many execs saying that Parker or Julius Randle could be the first man off the board in June.
- Thunder guard Derek Fisher says that he’ll leave nothing on the hardwood this season as it will definitely be his last, writes RealGM’s Shams Charania. “It’s my last season, so I don’t have to worry about pacing myself for next season per say,” Fisher said. “I’m trying to make sure that I’m ready every night for whatever the team needs me to do…it’s just about being a leader by example and continuing to show our guys that you help your team win by doing whatever it takes – not just things that show up on the stat sheet.”
Warriors Sign Dewayne Dedmon
Dewayne Dedmon is suited up for the Warriors’ game tonight against the Jazz, signaling that he has officially signed with the team, tweets Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle. There was no press release, but the center is warming up with Golden State hours before tipoff.
The 7’0″ center went undrafted in June and joined the Warriors as a camp invitee, averaging 3.4 PPG and 4.0 RPG in five preseason games and was said to impress the club in practice. While he didn’t make the NBA roster, the 24-year-old’s D-League rights had been retained by the Santa Cruz Warriors.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported earlier today that the Warriors were planning to sign Dedmon. Simmons also noted earlier today that the team even briefly considered asking assistant coach Brian Scalabrine if he’d come out of retirement to replace the injured Jermaine O’Neal. Dedmon, along with Marreese Speights, and Ognjen Kuzmic, are expected to help support Andrew Bogut at center.
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Shumpert, Rondo, Davies
In a move that was long expected, the Knicks assigned Chris Smith to the D-League’s Erie BayHawks earlier today. The younger brother of star guard J.R. Smith was in the headlines recently after Pistons guard Brandon Jennings insinuated that he was the beneficiary of nepotism and the elder Smith responded with what appeared to be a threat via Twitter. Here’s the evening edition of Atlantic Notes..
- Iman Shumpert‘s name has been all over Hoops Rumors for the last week but he says that he won’t let it affect his play. “Thanks to all fans who [are] concerned. I feel [your] presence in my corner as usual! I’m more worried about winning than trade rumors,” tweeted the Knicks guard.
- Celtics head coach Brad Stevens says that star Rajon Rondo is making progress but a timetable for a return remains unclear, tweets Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe. Stevens says that he doesn’t expect Rondo’s return to come “very, very soon.” Earlier today, Celtics GM Danny Ainge made it clear that Rondo is not going anywhere, despite talk of interest from other clubs.
- Brandon Davies went undrafted out of Brigham Young University and was waived by the Clippers in the preseason, but the 6’10”, 240-pound rookie is making quite an impression with the Sixers, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “He’s got a real motor,” coach Brett Brown said of the combo forward. “He’s got a tenacity that you are born with. … I love the way he plays.”
Lamar Odom Will Only Sign With Clippers
MONDAY, 9:30am: A source close to Odom tells Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) that the veteran forward is doing well and that there’s a “90% chance” he eventually signs with the Clippers. There’s no timetable yet, but no other teams are in the mix, according to Zwerling’s source.
This report sounds similar to Friday’s, though a Saturday update suggested that nothing is expected to happen quite yet.
SUNDAY, 2:06pm: This week, we got some encouraging news when it was reported that Lamar Odom is looking sharp in workouts and could conceivably return to the hardwood this season. Both Los Angeles teams have interest in the forward, but it now appears that he’s only interested in a return to one of them. Odom has said that the Clippers are the only team he would play for, NBA executives who are not authorized to speak on the matter tell Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
Odom met with coach Doc Rivers for nearly two hours on Friday and Clippers players were left with the impression that he was on the verge of signing a deal, but that apparently wasn’t the case. The troubled forward has put in a month of encouraging workouts and while he had hoped for a second-half return, he could be ready to jump back in even sooner than that. Unsurprisingly, execs say that if Odom signs with the Clippers, it’ll be for the prorated portion of the veteran’s minimum.
It’s been a rough year for Odom who was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence weeks before unnamed peers alleged that he was using hard drugs. Odom has played 12 of his 14 seasons in Los Angeles between the Clippers and Lakers.
Odds & Ends: Jefferson, Mavs, Asik, George
Over his ten years in the league, Bobcats center Al Jefferson has been through a number of rebuilding projects with multiple teams, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. “I have been playing [a pivotal] role since I left Boston,” Jefferson said. “Minnesota was rough. Utah, I had a little success and that’s what got me here. I like my team. We’ve got a great group of guys, guys who have been going through some trials and tribulations themselves the last couple of years. I want to help turn this thing around and I think the coaching staff is amazing and I think we have a chance to do that.” Here’s tonight’s look around the Association..
- One draft-conscious observer told Bob Finnan of the News-Herald there could have been as many as 13 first-round picks playing in the Champions Classic (featuring Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan St., and Duke) in Chicago on Tuesday. Kentucky power forward Julius Randle and guards James Young and Andrew Harrison could be lottery picks along with Michigan State combo guard Gary Harris. The second game was Duke vs. Kansas, which could have three more lottery picks in Jayhawks small forward Andrew Wiggins, center Joel Embiid, and Duke small forward Jabari Parker.
- Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki is glad that the club went out and signed free agents to multi-year pacts rather than last summer where they inked nine one-year deals, writes Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld. This offseason saw Dallas sign Monta Ellis to a three-year deal and Jose Calderon to a four-year contract.
- More from Ingram, who writes that a trade of Omer Asik would be a bad move for both the Rockets and the center. A trade demand makes it seem as though everyone hasn’t bought in to Houston’s philosophy, a bad sign for a team with championship aspirations. Meanwhile, the trade request makes Asik look selfish since he appears to be putting himself above winning.
- Pacers star Paul George can earn a pay hike by earning an MVP selection or making an All-NBA team, but he won’t get the maximum deal allowed by the Collective Bargaining Agreement, explains HoopsWorld’s Eric Pincus.
- Former player’s union official Joseph Lombardo faces 20 years in prison over fraud charges, according to the Associated Press. Authorities say Lombardo used a stamp to forge the signature of a deceased general counsel for the National Basketball Players Association and another employee, a move that directed $3MM to his firm over five years.
- The Knicks have fallen apart, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com. Even if the Knicks could deal Shumpert for a big who plays with effort like a Kenneth Faried, it’s not going to solve all the Knicks’ problems, Youngmisuk opines.
- Former NBA standout Grant Hill says that he’s proud of his career in retrospect and the way that he navigated through its ups-and-downs. “I’m proud of coming back and my last [five] years in Phoenix, finding great joy and fulfillment in sort of reinventing yourself,” Hill told Michael Lee of the Washington Post. “I know, in retrospect, that’s not an easy thing to do, either.”
- Wolves president of basketball ops Flip Saunders is drawing upon his time as coaching adviser for the Celtics in 2012 as he finds his way through his new job, writes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. “One of the things I really noticed is the way things worked between Danny (Ainge) and management and the coaching staff,” said Saunders. “I think it helped that Danny had been a coach, but I really like the way people there worked together.“
- Jared Jeffries fits in well with the Nuggets front office, writes Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post. The forward says that he’s glad to not be dealing with physical pain every day and seems content with his decision to retire and move on to a new chapter.
Hoops Links: Dwight, Grizzlies, Blazers, Martin
On this date in 2000, Suns guard Jason Kidd tied the NBA record for turnovers in a game when he turned the ball over 14 times in a 90-85 loss to New York. John Drew of the Atlanta Hawks committed 14 turnovers at New Jersey on March 1, 1978. That’s the kind of sloppy play that Kidd doesn’t endorse as head coach of the Nets.
Got a great basketball blog post that you want featured on Hoops Links? Send it to me at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s look around the basketball blogosphere..
- Red94 brings us another installment of DwightLife.
- 3SOB talks about what’s up ahead for their Grizzlies in their latest podcast.
- Blazer’s Edge wonders if C.J. McCollum’s return might give the offense a much needed boost.
- Hardwood Paroxysm discusses Kevin Martin and the importance of having the right coach.
- Raptors HQ wonders if trading Kyle Lowry might solve some of their problems.
- Grizzly Bear Blues wants to see Memphis do a better job of guarding the perimeter.
- Posting And Toasting ponders life without Iman Shumpert.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached here.
Knicks Notes: Shumpert, Rondo, Celtics, Asik
Earlier today, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reported that Knicks guard Iman Shumpert received a second offseason knee surgery that was kept under wraps from fans and others in basketball. The Knicks have chatted with the Nuggets about a possible deal involving Kenneth Faried and, as Isola reported, called the Celtics about Rajon Rondo, but today’s developments don’t bode well for his trade value. Here’s more on Shump and the Knicks..
- Right now, the Celtics have every intention of keeping Rondo and seeing if they can build around him, sources tell Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (on Twitter). That’s not surprising to hear as that has been the C’s public position ever since the club traded away Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.
- If the Knicks want to try their luck with the Rockets and center Omer Asik, they might not get far. The club’s lack of draft picks (they can’t trade a first rounder or an unencumbered second-round pick before 2018) will be too much of an obstacle in a potential deal, tweets Chris Mannix of NBC Sports. “When dealing with Boston and Houston, it’s all about picks,” a rival exec told Mannix.
- While the C’s aren’t moving Rondo, they would take back Amar’e Stoudemire in a deal where they could unload the longer deals of Gerald Wallace and/or Courtney Lee, tweets Broussard.
- Marc Berman of the New York Post (Twitter link) hears that Shumpert’s surgery went down in mid-to-late August and was so minor that the guard didn’t even need to use crutches.
- The timing of Shumpert’s left knee surgery annoyed some people in the Knicks organization, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
- Adam Zagoria of SNY (Twitter link) notes that the offseason surgeries of Shumpert and Stoudemire were kept quiet by the Knicks and first reported by Isola, with whom the club is famously hostile.