Josh Howard Continues To Seek NBA Contract
One of the more recognizable veteran names on our current list of unrestricted free agents, Josh Howard is still looking for a chance to join an NBA roster, writes Jeff Caplan of NBA.com. According to Caplan, Howard has been working out in Dallas, staying in shape while he waits for his next opportunity.
"I’m just waiting for the opportunity to get on a team," Howard said. "My agent has been staying in contact with teams and continues to communicate with those teams. It’s a waiting game."
With teams focusing on cutting rather than signing players over the last couple weeks, there haven't been many opportunities out there for Howard. However, with the regular season underway and some teams already being hit by injuries, veterans like the former Mav may begin to look more appealing in the coming weeks. For his part, the 32-year-old says he's motivated by the fact that he remains unsigned.
"I look at it as motivating," Howard said. "It’s never a disappointment. I look at my career and if it were to end today I can say honestly that I was one of the best players in the league for a while. I made it to the Finals, but you know my goal is to win the Finals and I want another opportunity. That’s my drive in me still and my competitiveness. I’m not ready to stop playing. I’m staying aggressive and hoping a team picks me up."
Earlier in the offseason, Howard received interest from the Knicks, Spurs, Sixers, and Timberwolves, among other teams, but those clubs moved on to other options, meaning new suitors could arise once we get a few weeks into the season.
Atlantic Notes: Copeland, Rasheed, Bynum
We rounded up a host of Celtics news earlier, but there's more out of the Atlantic Division this evening, as the Nets and Knicks face off in the final preseason game for both teams.
- Reports have been optimstic about camp invitee Chris Copeland's chances of making the Knicks regular season roster, and SNY.tv's Adam Zagoria and Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com give further indication the power forward will remain with the team for the start of the regular season.
- Rasheed Wallace is likely to get the team's other open roster spot, Zwerling reports in the same piece, adding that the Knicks aren't in pursuit of free agents Kenyon Martin, Chris Andersen or Josh Howard to fill in for the injured Amare Stoudemire.
- The Sixers have no timetable for the return of Andrew Bynum, who continues to be held out of practice. John Finger of CSNPhilly.com and Zach Lowe of Grantland.com examine what the team will do as long as its marquee offseason acquisition can't play.
Poll: Which FA Will Make An Impact In 2012/13?
The Celtics recently snatched Leandro Barbosa off the free agent market, ensuring that perhaps the most prominent name among the remaining unsigned players has a job this season. However, there are still a number of players who not only are free agents, but haven't even participated in training camp with a team.
Along with the players who have yet to sign a contract this offseason, plenty of recent camp cuts have become unrestricted free agents again, further saturating the market. While many of the names on our list of free agents likely won't play for NBA teams this year, odds are that at least a couple will sign with contenders and potentially have an impact later in the season.
So today's poll question is this: Which of the remaining free agents do you expect will make the most significant impact this season? Make your pick below and feel free to explain your choice in the comments section.
Latest On Unsigned Free Agents
With Tracy McGrady having signed to play in China earlier this week, our list of 2012/13 unrestricted free agents continues to grow more and more sparse. Still, there are surprising names on there, such as Kenyon Martin, Leandro Barbosa, Mickael Pietrus, and Michael Redd. We don't have any new updates on those four, but here's the latest on a few of the other notable names on the market:
- Derek Fisher: Kobe Bryant tells Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link) that he's confident his longtime teammate will find an NBA home soon, since "every team needs a guard like him." Fisher had been working out with the Lakers this fall, but can't re-sign with Los Angeles at this point, since the team traded him in March. There was speculation that the Celtics could kick the tires following Keyon Dooling's retirement, but there doesn't appear to be anything concrete there.
- Josh Howard: While Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com tweets that Howard should be on a roster before opening night, it's a little surprising he's still out there at all. We've heard rumblings that Howard was closing in on a decision since late July, after all. I wouldn't rule out the Sixers, who were said to be eyeing Howard last month and currently appear to have camp invitees Dan Gadzuric, Damien Wilkins, and Devin Searcy fighting for the final two roster spots.
- Chris Andersen: Within the previously-linked Zwerling tweet, the ESPNNY scribe adds that the Birdman should find a suitor by opening night as well, though it's unclear where he'll land. Andersen seems to have been willing to sign with a number of teams earlier in the offseason, but the Timberwolves, Heat, and Knicks all failed to reciprocate his interest. An August report suggesting the big man had offers of up to $5MM annually seems a little outrageous now, but perhaps there would still be modest offers available overseas.
- Maurice Evans: Another player Zwerling expects to sign with a team this month, Evans wants to continue his playing career despite receiving interest from the Wizards in a front office capacity. Last week, we heard that teams would likely evaluate what they have in camp before moving on someone like Evans, so perhaps a club disappointed with its camp invitees will turn to the veteran wing within the next few weeks.
Kennedy On Veterans, Cousins
Earlier Tuesday, Tracy McGrady signed a deal to play in China. With that in mind, HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy takes a look at several veteran players remaining on the market in his latest column:
- Josh Howard, Michael Redd, and Leandro Barbosa are two wing players Kennedy points to as among the best available on the market.
- Several veteran players, including Mickael Pietrus and Kenyon Martin, are unwilling to sign contracts at the veteran's minimum and are holding out for more money, Kennedy says.
- Derek Fisher has been working out with the Lakers recently, but Kennedy points out that he cannot re-sign there until March, after one year has passed since he was traded to the Rockets and waived.
- Kennedy suggests that Gilbert Arenas, who appeared in 17 games for the Grizzlies last season, may consider playing in China like McGrady if he cannot find a deal in the NBA.
- Also in his column, Kennedy looks at the leadership role third-year center DeMarcus Cousins has been taking on with the Kings in training camp.
Odds & Ends: Josh Howard, Pittman, Paul
- Shandel Richardson of the Sun Sentinel says that this could be Dexter Pittman's last year to prove himself as a keeper for the Heat.
- In addition to news that Chauncey Billups has been increasing his practice time, it has also been noted that Clippers guard Chris Paul is reportedly close to returning from a thumb injury (Janis Carr of the OC Register writes).
- In this article from Lakers.com, Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, and coach Mike Brown offered their thoughts on the impact that Steve Nash has brought to the Lakers locker room.
- Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel discusses Chris Bosh's role as Miami's third option as coach Erik Spoelstra looks to utilize more post-up opportunities for LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
- Doug Smith of TheStar.com writes that Raptors coach Dwane Casey is yet to decide between Aaron Gray and Jonas Valanciunas for the team's starting center position. Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld provided a comprehensive break down of the competition for key rotation spots in Toronto's camp.
- Wizards owner Ted Leonsis held an interview with reporters on Thursday to speak about topics including John Wall, building team chemistry, the dramatic roster changes from this summer, and the overall growth of the team (according to Michael Lee of the Washington Post).
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside examines the difficult balance that coaches face in the D-League between winning and player development.
Odds & Ends: Knicks, Walton, D12, Jazz, Wright
As NBA training camps continue, the big stories around the league today involved the Association's new anti-flopping policy and the Knicks finally making Rasheed Wallace's signing official. In spite of the buzz surrounding Wallace's return to the NBA, Knicks coach Mike Woodson tells Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link) that he views 'Sheed as an insurance policy, rather than someone who will play big minutes. Here are a few more odds and ends from around the league:
- There's still a chance Josh Howard ends up on the Knicks, but the team would have to cut someone to make room for him, tweets Zwerling. For now, New York is in "wait-and-see mode" while the team evaluates its current players, a source tells Zwerling (Twitter link).
- If the Cavaliers have made Luke Walton a buyout offer, he isn't aware of it, says Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Sulia link). According to Amico, Walton leaves such matters to his agent, and is expecting to play out the final year of his contract with the Cavs.
- The timetable for Dwight Howard's potential return keeps moving up, if you ask Howard, who tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that he could play in the preseason.
- While Jazz players like Chris Quinn, Brian Butch, Darnell Jackson, and Trey Gilder are long shots to make the club's roster, coach Tyrone Corbin says everyone has a chance, according to Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News.
- Israeli team Maccabi Rishon LeZion has announced the signing of 2007 lottery pick Julian Wright, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
- In an Insider piece, ESPN.com's David Thorpe explores the impact it would have if the D-League evolved into a full minor league system for the NBA.
Knicks Expected To Sign Rasheed Wallace
WEDNESDAY, 8:07am: Wallace missed the Knicks' first practice on Tuesday because his contract has yet to be finalized. Agent Bill Strickland is working out some "minor details" of the agreement, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post, who adds that Wallace's pact is unlikely to be guaranteed unless he makes the team.
MONDAY, 10:46am: Wallace has yet to sign with the Knicks, but the team still he expects him to, as GM Glen Grunwald told the media today (Twitter link via Al Iannazzone of Newsday).
FRIDAY, 11:48am: Rasheed Wallace has informed the Knicks that he'll come out of retirement and will be in attendance on Monday when the team opens training camp, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. As of this morning, agent Bill Strickland said he hadn't begun formal contract negotiations with the Knicks, but it appears Wallace will officially sign with the team within the next few days.
Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com had reported earlier today that Wallace took a physical on Thursday and that Knicks players expected the team to sign the veteran forward. Newsday's Al Iannazzone, meanwhile, heard from Strickland that if his client decided to come out of retirement, it would be for the Knicks (Twitter link).
If and when Wallace's deal becomes official, it would put the Knicks' roster at the offseason maximum of 20 players. Assuming the team guarantees Wallace's contract, 14 of those 20 players would be fully guaranteed.
Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com reported today (via Twitter) that the Knicks could still attempt to sign Josh Howard if Wallace agreed to join the team, but it would likely be one or the other. If New York did still want to add Howard, the club would need to waive another player to make room.
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.