Elton Brand Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Rumors: Wizards, Heat, McRoberts

July 1st, 2014 at 1:57pm CST by Chuck Myron

Plenty of teams are hoping for a chance to pitch to LeBron James, but the Wizards aren’t one of them, as owner Ted Leonsis explained in an appearance on 106.7 The Fan today. Scott Allen of The Washington Post has the transcription.

“You’d have to have cap space and you’d have to renounce all your free agents,” Leonsis said. “Then you’d have to be able to call their agent and say, ‘Would you think he would consider coming here?’ So, I never understood the grandstanding. Some of the bloggers have said, just get in the mix and throw your name out there. OK, so you generate positive pixels and it creates these faux expectations, and LeBron is in total control of his future. LeBron will do what LeBron wants to do. We have to be able to control what we want to control, and right now our main targets are retaining our players.”

Here’s more from around the Southeast Division:

The Heat‘s top two targets for outside improvement appear to be Kyle Lowry and Luol Deng, but neither seem likely to end up with the team, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Deng is unwilling to take a discount to go to Miami, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com, probably putting him out of reach (Twitter link).
Hornets free agent power forward Josh McRoberts and the Blazers have mutual interest in a deal, as Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com hears.
The Wizards would like to bring back free agent point guard Garrett Temple, but they face competition from the Heat, Magic and Bulls, who have also expressed interest, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
The Hawks are interested in re-signing Elton Brand, but the Knicks are eyeing him, too, writes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Eastern Notes: Heat, Love, Celtics, Brand

June 2nd, 2014 at 7:44pm CST by Zachary Links

You might think that the Heat have been talking three-peat every day for the last three years, but you’d be mistaken. “We talked about it from the first day, we talked about the legacy of this team,” coach Erik Spoelstra said, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. “The players that weren’t here that first year, they inherited all of those experiences. But it was only that first day. We’ve never brought it up since then. It was about now tackling the challenges of the day‑to‑day life of an NBA season.” More out of the Eastern Conference..

If Rajon Rondo made a pitch to Kevin Love to sell him on the Celtics, he’s not admitting it, as the Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn writes. “I talked to Kevin for about 39 seconds,” Rondo said. “It was all over the web? Well, we do work together. We played against each other. We compete, so when I saw Kevin, I spoke, wished him good luck on his time here in Boston.” Rondo also reiterated his desire to retire with the C’s.
Elton Brand, who spent last season with the Hawks, intends to play a 16th NBA season, writes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Brand played 73 games, including 15 starts, for the Hawks last season after signing a $4MM deal. That was the most games Brand has played in since he appeared in 86 regular season and postseason contests with the Sixers in 2010/11.
Shane Battier has signed on to be a college basketball analyst with ESPN next season and, as expected, will be retiring from the Heat, writes Jason McIntyre of The Big Lead. Before he gets set for the broadcast booth, he’ll try and help the Heat capture a third consecutive title. Battier received preliminary inquiries to run for a Senate seat in Michigan or work in the Pistons’ front office, but chose broadcasting first, tweets Ethan J. Skolnick of Bleacher Report. Out of respect for the Finals, however, he’ll says he’ll wait until it’s all over before he addresses the new ESPN gig (link).
With the Clippers about to sell for $2 billion, John Gonzalez of CSNPhilly.com wonders how much the Sixers would go for if they were on the market. Ultimately, Gonzalez feels that a $1 billion price tag for the Sixers isn’t implausible.

Eastern Notes: Sixers, Brand, Celtics

May 11th, 2014 at 12:27pm CST by Eddie Scarito

If the Sixers pull the trigger on a trade of Michael Carter-Williams, their point guard of the future might be Dante Exum, writes Bob Ford of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Many believe that Exum has a higher upside than Carter-Williams, Ford notes, pointing to Carter-Williams as one of the Sixers’ most appealing trade chips.

Eastern Notes: Bucks, Hawks, Brand, Mack

May 7th, 2014 at 8:23pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Bucks‘ Brandon Knight doesn’t have a preference to who the team chooses if it lands the first overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Knight said, “That’s for our team to decide. I just want a guy, whoever he is, to come in and work hard and understand the type of year we had last year. He [the draft pick] wasn’t a part of it, but understand we can’t repeat that type of season and that none of the guys here will be in a mood where that will be repeated. Our mind-set is going to be totally different. We’re going to approach the game differently. We’re going to remember how this year went for us and use it as motivation.”

Eastern Links: Grunfeld, Kerr, Vasquez, Ariza

May 5th, 2014 at 3:49pm CST by Chuck Myron

Ernie Grunfeld‘s contract with the Wizards was believed to run only through this season, but Mike Wise of The Washington Post reports that it covers next season, too. That Grunfeld is on target to return to the team for 2014/15 is no surprise, given Washington’s revival this year, and perhaps Grunfeld may still have the opportunity to parlay the success into an extension. Still, it looks he won’t be hitting the open market this summer. Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Steve Kerr was the only voter to have Tim Hardaway Jr. atop his Rookie of the Year ballot. It’s seemingly further indication that Kerr is on his way to the Knicks, and a source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post that the would-be coach sees re-signing Carmelo Anthony as “vital” to the team’s future, as Berman writes.
Greivis Vasquez is set for restricted free agency this summer, but he apparently has no intention of leaving the Raptors, as he told reporters today, including Cathal Kelly of The Globe and Mail (Twitter link). “I want to be back. I truly want to be back … It will truly be heartbreaking if I’m not back,” Vasquez said.
Trevor Ariza would like to re-sign with the Wizards in free agency this summer and says that returning to the West Coast to be closer to family wouldn’t be his top priority, but the small forward tells Michael Lee of The Washington Post that he’ll go “wherever I’m wanted.”
Elton Brand remains uncertain about retirement, though Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution gets the sense that the 15th-year veteran still thinks he can play (Twitter link).
Fellow Hawks big man Mike Scott, a restricted free agent, probably earned a raise as he established himself as a key part of Atlanta’s rotation this year, and he says he would like to come back to the team, Vivlamore tweets.

Southeast Rumors: Haslem, Brand, Magic

April 4th, 2014 at 4:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Hawks can go a long way toward the playoffs if they win at home tonight against the Cavs, while a loss puts Atlanta in trouble. The Southeast Division could have as many as four teams in the playoffs, with the Heat leading the way, as usual. Here’s the latest on the Heat and their division rivals:

A source tells Bleacher Report’s Ethan Skolnick that the Heat fielded offers for Udonis Haslem before the deadline this year, and Mario Chalmers and others in the locker room are glad the team didn’t deal away Haslem and mess with its chemistry.
Elton Brand still hasn’t made up his mind about returning for a 16th NBA season next year, tweets Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Hawks center will be a free agent at the end of the season.
The players the Magic acquire in the offseason could determine whether the team continues its experiment with rookie Victor Oladipo at point guard, coach Jacque Vaughn told reporters, including Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.

Eastern Notes: Butler, 76ers, Melo, Brand

January 5th, 2014 at 10:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Caron Butler seemed reasonably happy in Phoenix, but when Suns Assistant General Manager Pat Connelly approached him with the option of playing for the Bucks, the Wisconsin native was packed up and out of town within 48 hours, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. “I got an opportunity of a lifetime,” Butler said. “What man wouldn’t want to play in his home state and home city? I thought it was great for me.” More out of the East..

The 76ers announced that they have assigned guard Elliot Williams to the Delaware 87ers of the NBA Development League. Williams signed as a free agent with the Sixers on Nov. 20 and has appeared in 18 games with one start. To keep up with all of this year’s D-League assignments, check out Hoops Rumors’ running list.
Clippers coach Doc Rivers thought the talk of a Carmelo Anthony-for-Blake Griffin trade was “so stupid” and Melo agrees. “Everybody talks about it,’’ the Knicks star said of one day playing with Paul, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. “Back to the USA team [in 2008]. Those three guys did it [LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh]. It happens. Everybody always says they want to play with this guy and that guy. But me and Chris have been rumored since he [came] to the NBA. There’s always been trade rumors trying to get us together. It never happened…it was stupid and silly.’’
The Bulls chased both Elton Brand and Marcus Camby hard in free agency last summer, hoping one would sign as a fifth big man, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. When the Hawks offered a one-year, $4MM deal, Brand turned down the chance to return to where he started his career.

Odds & Ends: Brand, CP3, Obradovic, Rush

October 23rd, 2013 at 1:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Let’s round up a few odds and ends from around the Association….

Elton Brand tells Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he was “a little surprised” that the Mavericks didn’t re-sign him this summer. However, the veteran big man added that Dallas had been in the mix: “They had to get their cap situation straight and they did tender an offer.”
Appearing on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (video link), Chris Paul admits that he could see himself retiring a little earlier than expected in order to spend more time with his children (hat tip to Matt Moore of Eye on Basketball). Of course, the Clippers guard just signed a five-year deal with the club this summer, so he’s not about to call it a career anytime soon.
Rigas Dardalis of Eurohoops.net translates an interview with longtime Panathinaikos coach Zeljko Obradovic on Greece’s OTE TV. Shortly after the 2012/13 NBA season ended, Obradovic said he’d consider taking an NBA job if a playoff team reached out to him, but he tells OTE TV that while a couple clubs were considering interviewing him, none ended up contacting him directly.
After recently working out at the Lakers facility, former NBA vet Kareem Rush is prepared to rejoin the team’s D-League affiliate, the L.A. D-Fenders, he tells Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link). Rush appeared in seven games for the D-Fenders in 2011/12.

Hawks Rumors: Brand, Johnson, Carroll

October 4th, 2013 at 11:51am CST by Zachary Links

The Hawks had a roster makeover this offseason that included the acquisition of former Jazz big man Paul Millsap. The forward views this as a brand new chapter in his career and isn’t interested in being compared to Josh Smith. “I don’t really try to compare myself to anybody else,” Millsap told Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld this week. “We’re two different players and two different people. I’ll be myself and I know the things I’m capable of doing. When we get out there, I can shoot the basketball, be very energetic and rebound. There are some of the same similarities, but [we’re] different.” More out of Hotlanta..

Forward Elton Brand says that he has no plans to retire at the end of the season, writes HoopsWorld’s Lang Greene. Brand signed a one-year, $4MM deal with Atlanta this summer after seeing the lowest minutes per game average of his career last season. Brand will be playing behind fellow newcomer Millsap and Al Horford.
James Johnson chose a non-guaranteed two-year deal with Atlanta over several offers from overseas, Greene writes. Johnson has career averages of 6.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game in stints with the Bulls, Raptors, and Kings.
Hawks forward DeMarre Carroll is happy to have an opportunity to start this season, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. The small forward is in his fifth season with his fifth NBA team.

Hawks Sign Elton Brand

July 15th, 2013 at 1:14pm CST by Luke Adams

1:14pm: The Hawks have formally announced Brand's signing in a press release, making it official. The veteran's one-year pact with the team will be worth $4MM, reports Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. While that's an increase over the $2.1MM Dallas paid him last season, it's a significant pay cut from the $18MM+ overall salary he was earning after being amnestied by the Sixers.

12:20pm: The Hawks have reached an agreement on a one-year deal with Elton Brand, agent David Falk tells Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype. Terms of the contract have yet to be reported, but Brand figures to sign for a portion of Atlanta's cap space, rather than the minimum salary.

Brand, 34, is coming off a season with the Mavericks in which he established new career-lows in a number of categories, including PPG (7.2) and RPG (6.0). Still, he remained relatively efficient (15.2 PER), and Falk tells HoopsHype that he believes his client could play another four or five years.

The Mavs were believed to be in the hunt for Brand, who also drew interest from the Knicks, Lakers, and Cavs, among other teams. For the Hawks, the former first overall pick becomes the latest addition to a revamped frontcourt that lost Josh Smith and Zaza Pachulia, but has gained Paul Millsap and DeMarre Carroll.