Rodrigue Beaubois

And-Ones: Alexander, Kobe, Knicks, Sampson

The Warriors invited Joe Alexander to training camp over the offseason already knowing that the small forward was dealing with a serious injury, writes Andrew Matheson of the Santa Cruz Sentinel.  “Joe was always a long term play,” said Kirk Lacob, GM of the Santa Cruz Warriors, the team Alexander is with now. “By the time he showed up, we did a lot more sensitive testing and realized he wasn’t ready to go for a while — if we wanted him to be healthy for the rest of his career and regain a lot of the athleticism he lost, because he used to be an absolute freak athlete,” Lacob said. “So we brought him to camp and told him, ‘Here’s the deal: You’re going to miss camp, you’re going to miss a couple of months, but we’re going to get you there. We promise that.’”  More from around the NBA.

  • After openly questioning Lakers management and declaring he has no patience for a rebuilding effort, Kobe Bryant has since opened up communication with the Lakers front office, the 18-year veteran said in a conversation with ESPN’s Darren Rovell.  “[Jim Buss] and I actually talked after that and it’s important for us to have that conversation because this is their team, it’s been in their family for years and we all know what the track record is for that, but I’ve also been part of this franchise since I was 17 years old,” Bryant said, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. “I feel like I bleed purple and gold and I want to see this franchise be successful. I don’t want to hear the comments of dissension between Jim and [Lakers president] Jeanie [Buss]. We need to figure this thing out. We’re all moving in the same direction.”
  • Irving Azoff is reportedly becoming Knicks owner James Dolan‘s closest confidant, but Azoff tells Scott Cacciola of The New York Times that he won’t play any further role with the Knicks after shepherding the hiring of Phil Jackson as team president.
  • Rockets assistant Kelvin Sampson is a leading candidate for the newly-vacant University of Houston job, sources tell Pat Forde and Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.  The gig opened up earlier today when James Dickey stepped down after four years as coach. Dickey was 64-62 in his career at Houston
  • Rodrigue Beaubois turned down an offer from Italian team Olimpia Milano, according to catch-and-shoot.com (on Twitter).  With Beaubois still available, Paris-Levallois is set to bring him in for a tryout.

Celtics, Rodrigue Beaubois In Talks About Deal

WEDNESDAY, 2:44pm: The Celtics and Beaubois are discussing a possible 10-day contract, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

TUESDAY, 11:15pm: Rodrigue Beaubois was brought in by the Celtics for a private workout on Tuesday and is said to have had a “strong showing,” reports Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Boston currently has one open roster spot, and Haynes adds that a decision to sign him or not is expected soon. Beaubois became a free agent in the offseason after the Mavericks chose not to offer him a new contract.

The 6’2 guard underwent hand surgery in March of last year to repair a fractured metacarpal in his left hand and has reportedly recovered. It’s worth noting that not only was it the third time he had the operation, but Haynes writes that it was the sole reason why the French point guard was unable to land on an NBA roster last summer.

Originally selected 25th overall by the Thunder in 2009, Beaubois was traded to Dallas and spent four seasons with the Mavs; he owns career averages of 7.1 PPG, 2.1 APG, and nearly 44% shooting overall in 15.9 MPG.

Southeast Rumors: LeBron, Bosh, Beaubois

Cavs owner Dan Gilbert still believes strongly that LeBron James will entertain the idea of signing with the Cavs either this summer or next if the Heat‘s run of titles ends, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. There are plenty of hypotheticals in that statement, but if James does return, Kyrie Irving‘s development means the move would more closely resemble James’ decision to hook up with other stars in Miami than a simple homecoming, Berger opines. Here’s more from another of the Heat’s trio of big names:

  • Chris Bosh won’t pester LeBron about where he’ll choose to play next, but Bosh offered up a hint about his own free agency, explaining to Sam Amick of USA Today that he’s moved past the idea of being a team’s No. 1 option. “I’m over it,” Bosh said. “It’s just all about winning at the end of the day. It’s about being in the game. I mean everybody isn’t meant to take the last shot. Everybody isn’t going to be the MVP. It’s only for a very, very small percentage, for a small percentage of guys. I understand that, and I’m just lucky enough to be in this situation I am now, just competing at the highest level in the league. That’s good enough for me.”
  • There’s no chance Rodrigue Beaubois will work out for the Wizards, two sources tell J. Michael of CSNWashington.com, contradicting a weekend report that indicated Beaubois would audition for the Wizards and Grizzlies.
  • Gerald Wallace is still upset with the Bobcats for what he says happened when they traded him at the 2011 deadline, as he tells Jessica Camerato of Basketball Insiders. Wallace says the Bobcats told him they wouldn’t trade him, then dealt him anyway without giving him an explanation.

Odds & Ends: Beaubois, Jordan, Paul

Chris Paul told reporters at All-Star Weekend that he isn’t sure if he would have stayed with New Orleans or left as a free agent had he not been traded to the Clippers  in 2011, reports Ken Berger of CBS Sports. “I can’t answer that because I don’t know,” Paul said. “It’s crazy; what was that, three years ago? It’s almost scary to think how much smarter I am now than I was then. That’s one of those that I don’t know.” Here are some more notes to pass along:

  • Rodrigue Beaubois will work out for the Grizzlies and Wizards late next week, a league source tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. The four-year veteran point guard is still just 25 years old, but he has struggled to live up to the high expectations many had for the 6’2″ speedster. Beaubois recently recovered from a third surgery to his left hand, a procedure that has kept him from signing anywhere as a free agent so far this season.
  • Jerome Jordan is leaving the Italian league’s Virtus Bologna to join the Lebanese pro league, according to Il Corriere di Bologna (translation via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). The 7-footer spent his lone NBA season with the Knicks in 2011/12.
  • St. John’s has multiple pros on the roster this year, scouts tell Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv, but none of them should come out for the upcoming draft. Zagoria runs down why the scouts think Rysheed Jordan, JaKarr Sampson, Chris Obekpa and D’Angelo Harrison, would all be best served by spending at least another year in college.

Latest On Notable Veteran Free Agents

Even with about 550 players currently under contract with NBA teams, there are still a number of interesting names remaining on our list of 2013/14 free agents. That list will only grow in the next several weeks, as teams release camp invitees in an effort to reduce their roster counts to the regular-season maximum of 15. Still, it wouldn't be surprising to see some of the players presently available to land on NBA teams once the season gets underway.

Injuries are already starting to pile up for some teams, and when a club needs to add an extra body or two during the season, a veteran addition is more likely than a rookie signing. Even if a team would rather take a look at a few young players during camp, a known commodity has more value when that same team needs immediate help during the season.

So which players could we see join teams at some point after training camp ends? Here are a few names to keep in mind, along with the latest rumors and updates we've heard about them:

Rodrigue Beaubois
Previous team: Mavericks
Latest updates: The Heat were reportedly hoping to bring Beaubois in for an "audition," but a wrist injury derailed those plans. If and when he gets healthy, Beaubois could draw renewed interest, though perhaps a lottery team would be more likely to take a flier than a contender.

Jason Collins
Previous team: Wizards
Latest updates: ESPN.com's Marc Stein recently explored Collins' free agency, identifying the Nets, Wizards, and Clippers as potential fits for the big man. Coach Mike Woodson also confirmed that the Knicks kicked the tires on Collins before deciding to go younger.

Chris Duhon
Previous team: Lakers
Latest updates: The Knicks and Sixers were said to be considering Duhon back in August, and we heard again about Philadelphia's interest last month. The team went younger and cheaper shortly thereafter though, signing Darius Morris.

Richard Hamilton
Previous team: Bulls
Latest updates: A report a month ago indicated that the Rockets and Knicks could have interest, but both clubs have several other options for now. Perhaps New York could re-emerge as a viable option if J.R. Smith has lingering issues related to his offseason knee surgery.

Josh Howard
Previous team: Timberwolves
Latest updates: While some of the players on this list may be waiting out the market in the hopes that teams will get more desperate when rosters are reduced to 15 players and injuries start to add up, Howard was said to be in the market for a camp invite. That doesn't seem to bode well for his chances of catching on with an NBA team this season, though there's still plenty of time.

Stephen Jackson
Previous team: Spurs
Latest updates: Jackson was linked to the Rockets and Heat back in August, but both of those teams have several other three-point shooters in the mix. With Jackson's production in decline, clubs may be reluctant to roll the dice on the 35-year-old and his strong personality.

Mickael Pietrus
Previous team: Raptors
Latest updates: Although Pietrus received a camp invite from the Spurs, he continues to seek a guaranteed deal, as he did a year ago. It worked out for him last fall, when he signed a guaranteed contract with the Raptors several weeks into the season, but he didn't play well and didn't stay healthy in Toronto. We'll see if his patient approach to free agency pays off again this time around.

Other notable veterans on the market: Daequan Cook, Drew Gooden, Lamar Odom, Sasha Pavlovic, Tyrus Thomas, Jamaal Tinsley, Luke Walton, Hakim Warrick, Chris Wilcox

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Heat Rumors: Beaubois, Beasley, Mason, LeBron

The Heat signed Roger Mason Jr. and guard Charlie Westbrook over the weekend to round out their training camp roster, but they'll have their work cut out for them if they plan on making the team.  Miami already has 13 guaranteed players under contract and with Michael Beasley almost definitely taking spot No. 14, Mason Jr. and Westbrook will have to vie with Larry Drew II, Eric Griffin, Justin Hamilton, and Jarvis Varnado for the 15th spot.  Of course, there's also no guarantee that the Heat will carry 15 players on their roster.  Here's the latest out of South Beach..

  • The Heat wanted to bring point guard Rodrigue Beaubois in for an audition, but a wrist injury prevented that from happening, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.  The 25-year-old averaged 7.1 PPG for the Mavericks over the past four seasons.
  • Miami could do worse than filling out the roster with Mason and Beasley, but it's probably not what Pat Riley had in mind when he spoke of "cannibalizing" the free agent market late in the summer, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.
  • More from Winderman, who explains why it wouldn't make sense for LeBron James to sign a new deal with the Heat before the start of the 2013/14 season.  Of course, as soon as next summer, LeBron can opt out and return on a brand-new five-year contract.  Even if King James went that route, however, it would probably have a series of out clauses like his current deal.

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Eastern Links: Wizards, Pistons, Heat, Raps, Bulls

The Wizards have a number of option decisions due before the end of the month, and not all of them will be easy, as J. Michael of CSNWashington.com writes. Jan Vesely is coming off a disappointing year, and Chris Singleton has been sidelined by foot surgery, but president Ernie Grunfeld says the team already has a pretty good idea of where its players stand.

"We have a good feel for where [Singleton] is and what he brings to the table and it is an important year for these guys," Grunfeld said. "That's a decision we'll make at the appropriate time which will probably be at the end of [October]."

Here's more from around the East:

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Odds & Ends: Spurs, Sixers, Suns, Mekel

No team in NBA history has seen their 15th man have a significant impact on their season and the Spurs aren't likely to be the first, writes Dan McCarney of Spurs Nation.  However, the fact that the Spurs are thinking about point guard Mike Bibby and Sebastian Telfair might say something about their concerns over the aging Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.  Here's more from around the Association..

  • The 76ers are considering a number of free agent point guards including Rodrigue Beaubois, Chris Duhon, and Daniel Gibson, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (on Twitter).
  • New Suns GM Ryan McDonough is eager to rebuild in Phoenix, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.  McDonough moved or released five of the team’s top nine scorers from last season with an eye on the bigger picture.  “Walking in there, the main thing I wanted to do is upgrade the talent,” said McDonough. “And do it in a fashion that was sustainable for the long term. I didn’t want to try to take any shortcuts or try any quick fixes.
  • Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype caught up with new Mavs point guard Gel Mekel.  Mekel said that he chose Dallas over three other NBA clubs because he believed that Dallas sees him as a long-term piece.
  • Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside wonders if financial security would make the D-League more desirable for players.
  • Based on an early best estimate, Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld looks at the teams that will be in position to go shopping during the free agent bonanza of next summer.

Odds & Ends: Pacers, Billups, Mavs, Reinsdorf

The Mavs have had a busy offseason, since there was so much turnaround after loading up on expiring contracts last season with a chance to nab Dwight Howard or Josh Smith in free agency this summer. Since they failed to land any of the upper-tier free agents, they decided to surround 35-year-old Dirk Nowitzki with mid-tier acquisitions in an attempt to get Dirk a second title, but without spending their way out of contending for the free agents next summer when Dirk, Shawn Marion and others have their contract's expire.

Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram listed all the Mavericks from last season who will be playing on different rosters next season (Twitter): O.J. Mayo is on the Bucks, Elton Brand and Jared Cunningham joined the Hawks, Darren Collison signed with the Clippers, Chris Kaman joined the Lakers after they failed to re-sign Howard, and Anthony Morrow joined an improved Pelicans team. Two former Mavs are still unsigned, though, as Price tweets: Rodrigue Beaubois and Mike James

Here are a few more tidbits as the NBA comes up on the end of the free agency period…

Odds & Ends: Kings, Tolliver, Lakers, Ellis

After a bid to relocate the NBA's Kings failed, Seattle-based investors also reportedly explored the possibility of moving the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes to the city. Although the franchise appears to be staying put in Phoenix, Seattle wasn't the only city interested in relocating it. According to Dwight Jaynes of CSNNW.com, Paul Allen and the Trail Blazers were also interested in buying the Coyotes and moving the team to Portland's Rose Garden.

Here are more odds and ends from around the NBA on a very busy Wednesday:

  • The Kings have named high-ranking NBA executive Chris Granger as their new team president, according to Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee. Granger, who had been the executive VP of team marketing and business operations for the NBA, will oversee the team's role in the development of a new downtown sports arena and its business operations, says Lillis. It doesn't sound like Granger will be involved much, if at all, in the Kings' basketball operations.
  • Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports (via Twitter) that Anthony Tolliver is in talks with five teams, including the Hawks, and hopes to make a decision soon.
  • The Lakers have had conversations with Josh Powell's representative, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. McMenamin adds in a second tweet that the team has also spoken to a couple more former Lakers: Sasha Vujacic and Lamar Odom.
  • As Monta Ellis continues to seek a free agent deal, there doesn't appear to be a clear favorite to sign him, writes Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. News broke today that Ellis has parted ways with his longtime agent.
  • Elton Brand and Brandan Wright are still talking to the Mavericks about a potential return, but Rodrigue Beaubois is almost certainly headed elsewhere, as GM Donnie Nelson told reporters today, including Bryan Gutierrez of ESPNDallas.com.
  • Before he agreed to sign with the Bobcats, Al Jefferson received interest from the Mavericks and Pelicans, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.