Atlantic Rumors: Celtics, Knicks, Allen, Nets
The Celtics have won the Atlantic Division five straight years, but the Nets and Sixers made changes this offseason that they hope will put them over the top. The Knicks have been active as well, and that's the club that wears the bullseye in the mind of Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck, as Peter May writes in the New York Times. "My favorite games in this league are going down to Madison Square Garden and beating those guys," Grousbeck said. "We don’t always do it, but that’s my favorite experience of all — going to New York and beating the Knicks." Coach Doc Rivers acknowledged the division will be tough, but says he's primarily focused on beating the Heat, the team that kept the C's from the Finals last season. There's more from Boston and the rest of the Atlantic Division today, and we'll round it up here:
- Ray Allen spoke about his departure from the Celtics, as Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel notes. "You always felt you had one foot in, one foot out," he said, referring to trade rumors he'd been a part of during his time in Boston. Still, he said the decision to leave the Celtics was more difficult than the choice he made to sign with the Heat.
- Allen responded to comments Kevin Garnett made to reporters at Celtics media day, including Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com. Garnett said that he no longer has his former teammate's phone number. "That's a shame," Allen told Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com and other reporters following the Heat, saying he still considers Garnett a friend. "I'm a good person to talk to on the phone."
- Nets GM Billy King believes his team's backcourt of Deron Williams and Joe Johnson is the best in the league, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USAToday.com, who sizes up the Nets as they begin training camp.
- Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld, writing for USAToday.com, briefly examines the potential impact of Rasheed Wallace, who's expected to sign with the Knicks.
Knicks Links: Wallace, Age, Felton, Questions
We learned earlier today that Rasheed Wallace will officially join the Knicks in the next few days, which will put their training camp roster at the maximum number of 20, 14 of which would have guaranteed contracts including Wallace. With Sheed joining Marcus Camby, Kurt Thomas and Jason Kidd, the Knicks will have four of the six oldest players in the NBA, tweets Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com. The two non-Knicks in that ignominious group are Grant Hill and Steve Nash.
Let's round up all things Knicks on Friday night right here:
- ESPN New York's Ian Begley provides his Knicks' training camp primer. Begley's preview includes five pivotal questions about the Knicks, most of which center on their veteran, but retooled roster.
- Al Iannazzone of Newsday has his own list of five Knicks questions. Iannazzone wonders about the club's chemistry, the club's age and if Raymond Felton's second trip through New York will be similar to the first.
- Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld isn't sure that Wallace can help the Knicks. Ingram says that when he hung up his hightops after a 2009-10 season in Boston, it appeared that Wallace has "left it all on the court."
Knicks Rumors: Martin, Wallace, Howard
As the Knicks look to fill out their roster with training camp around the corner, let's round up the latest rumblings out of New York….
- Marc Berman of the New York Post tweets that the Knicks aren't currently on Kenyon Martin's radar, due to the situation being too "mercurial."
- On the other hand, it appears more and more likely that Rasheed Wallace will be joining the Knicks. According to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter), Wallace took a physical on Thursday, and all the Knicks players expect a signing to become official.
- Even as the Knicks wait on Rasheed's decision, the club continues to keep in touch with Josh Howard's representatives, says Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter). Begley adds that it's possible that the Knicks decide to bring in both players, since they have the space to do so, but it's more likely to be one or the other (Twitter link).
Josh Howard In Negotiations With Four Teams
Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune says (via Twitter) that Josh Howard is still negotiating with four NBA teams, listing the Knicks as one of the possible destinations. In another tweet, Smith says that Howard hopes to sign a contract before the start of NBA training camp, and that any move involving the Jazz will be contingent on what the team does with Raja Bell. Yesterday, we relayed a report that intimated New York's continued interest in the 32-year-old swingman.
Atlantic Rumors: Wallace, Knicks, Holiday, Fields
Yesterday, we heard that Nick Young wasn't expecting to sign with the 76ers, the Knicks still have interest in Josh Howard, and Rajon Rondo believes the Celtics are one of five teams with a realistic shot at an NBA title in 2012/13. We've got a few more updates out of the Atlantic Division today, so let's round them up right here:
- The Knicks are said to be considering signing Rasheed Wallace, and Tyson Chandler is on board with the idea, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes. "I don't know what the situation is, but he's a great communicator on defense and we know he can knock down the open three and the jump shot," Chandler said. "To have myself and Amare [Stoudemire] and to have Marcus Camby and Rasheed as backups, it's going to be nice."
- A report back in early July suggested Jrue Holiday would seek a max extension from the Sixers this offseason, something Holiday was asked about yesterday. "That's the type of player that I want to be," Holiday said, according to John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I want to be seen as that type [of max-contract] player. But I'm not really worried about it; that's not the type of player that I am, honestly. I'm not really a money man. I'd rather get the wins."
- After signing what many observers felt was an overpriced three-year deal with the Raptors, Landry Fields says he's not feeling any extra pressure to live up to the contract, according to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star.
Minor Moves: Julian Wright, Gene Cross
A few of the training camp invitees who've been signing deals with teams this month will probably be impressive enough to earn regular season roster spots, but the majority are likely headed elsewhere. Here's the latest from the D-League and overseas:
- Julian Wright, whom the Hornets took 13th in the 2007 draft, is close to a deal with the Israeli club Maccabi Rishon LeZion, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Wright last appeared in the NBA with the Raptors in 2010/11. He spent 16 games with the D-League's Austin Toros last season, averaging 15.1 points and 8.0 rebounds in 28.1 minutes per game.
- Tim Bontemps of the New York Post takes a look at Gene Cross, whom the Knicks hired yesterday as coach of their D-League affiliate. Cross, who'll be in charge of the Erie Bayhawks, spent last season as an assistant coach with the D-League's Iowa Energy.
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside spoke with agent B.J. Bass of RBA Sports, who's using the tighter bond between D-League teams and their NBA parent clubs to help his clients land deals.
Knicks Maintain Interest In Josh Howard
The Knicks, one of a handful of teams linked to Josh Howard over the summer, are still interested in the veteran swingman, a league source tells Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link). Howard met with the Sixers on Monday and Tuesday, a week after he visited the Spurs.
Howard was reportedly close to making a decision on where to sign at the end of July, with the Knicks one of five teams he was to have been choosing between, but nothing materialized. We heard a month later that the Knicks were one of three teams still in on him, and now it appears the Knicks are again a part of a new set of NBA clubs going after the 32-year-old former All-Star. He could be viewed as an alternative to Tracy McGrady, whom the Knicks are apparently no longer pursuing. The persistence of their interest would seem to make the Knicks a favorite to land Howard, but that's just my speculation.
When Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors looked today at free agents likely to receive more than the minimum, Howard received an honorable mention of sorts. Given the length of time his free agency has dragged on since he was reportedly close to a deal, it seems he's been holding out for more than the minimum, though the tenor of negotations may have changed since then, and Howard could simply be fighting for a deal that's fully guaranteed. He's been injury-hit the last several years, having played no more than 52 games in a season since 2007/08. Last year, he averaged 8.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in 23.0 minutes with a 10.5 PER for the Jazz.
Latest On Rasheed Wallace, Knicks
WEDNESDAY, 4:37pm: Salary doesn't figure to be a factor in Wallace's decision, according to agent Bill Strickland, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes. It doesn't appear the veteran will seek more than the minimum for the Knicks or any other team if he decides to return.
"He's done very well and he has been good about his money," Strickland said. "I just think that it has got to be the right place."
TUESDAY, 9:41am: Whether or not Rasheed Wallace wears a Knicks uniform this season may be up to Rasheed himself, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. According to Berman, the Knicks are willing to "take a gamble" on Wallace, but the 38-year-old hasn't decided yet whether he wants to dedicate himself to getting back in NBA shape and playing again.
Wallace's agent, Bill Strickland, says six teams have tried to get his client to come out of retirement over the last two years. The Knicks made an attempt last season, and there were strong rumblings that the Lakers were interested as well. Berman also writes of "hints" that the Celtics made a play for Wallace earlier this summer, though Boston has since added other bigs. As for the Knicks' interest, Strickland says he's leaving that decision up to his client.
"He will make this decision on his own," Strickland said. "Rasheed’s his own man. This time I’ll be more a facilitator than an advisor. As he’s told me, he’s a grown man and he’s got this."
Strickland adds that he has yet to talk specific contract details with the Knicks, so it's unclear what sort of deal Wallace could land. The Knicks can't offer more than the minimum salary, of course, but I'm not sure whether they'd be willing to guarantee most or all of a contract for Wallace.
Knicks No Longer Considering Tracy McGrady
Despite working him out earlier this month, the Knicks are no longer considering signing Tracy McGrady, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. However, both Berman and Al Iannazzone of Newsday confirm a weekend report that suggested the Knicks are looking at Rasheed Wallace.
Berman notes that Wallace and Knicks assistant GM Allan Houston share an agent, while Iannazzone points out that 'Sheed has a good relationship with Knicks coach Mike Woodson. Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link) suggests that a Wallace signing would be another indication that Woodson has significant input in personnel decisions. Zwerling adds (via Twitter) that the Knicks' interest in Wallace is likely dependent on how much the team believes he can improve and contribute over the course of the season, rather than his current condition.
As for McGrady, it isn't clear whether the Knicks simply weren't interested in the veteran guard, or if T-Mac's asking price made it impossible for the two sides to reach an agreement. Last we heard, McGrady was seeking a guaranteed contract from a contending team.
Odds & Ends: Pacers, Valanciunas, Wallace, Kidd
Let's consolidate all the odds and ends from Sunday night in this post:
- Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York reports, via Twitter, that Mike Bibby likely won't sign with a team before the start of training camps. The veteran point guard does expect to sign somewhere, however, but not the Knicks and we heard yesterday, probably not the Celtics.
- Ben Golliver of CBS Sports provides his offseason report for the Clippers. Golliver says that after decades where the goal was to not screw up their draft, the Clippers were able to employ a more competitive approach of acquiring established veterans to fit around Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.
- Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman outlines the roster changes and season outlook for each team in the Northwest division, including the hometown Thunder.
- The Kamenetzky brothers of ESPN Los Angeles discuss via video who has the most to gain and the most to lose on the bolstered roster of the Lakers.
Earlier updates:
- The staff at HoopsWorld puts together their season preview on the Pacers. All five of their writers selected the Pacers to win the Central Division, a year after finishing second behind the Bulls. Lacking the star power of the Heat, Indiana will need popular breakout candidate Paul George to fulfill his potential if they want to go deep into the playoffs.
- Raptors Lithuanian prospect Jonas Valanciunas injured his left foot, reports the Toronto Sun. After Toronto used the fifth pick in last year's draft on him, Valanciunas enters his first NBA season with a ton of hype. The seven footer was spotted with a walking boot, though all indications are that it is a minor injury.
- Keith Schlosser of the Knicks Journal gives his take on the news that Rasheed Wallace is being considered by the Knicks. If that move comes to fruition, Wallace would be joining a roster full of late 30-somethings. Jason Kidd, in this NBA.com video, seems confident that the supplemental pieces that the team added could put them over the top.