July 2012 – Page 27 – NBA Blog

Heat and Knicks want Marcus Camby

Highly sought-after unrestricted free agent big man Marcus Camby postponed his meeting with the Miami Heat on Saturday, according to a source with knowledge of his plans.

It was done to allow the team to work on a potential sign-and-trade with the Houston Rockets, but the Rockets aren’t currently interested in dealing with the Heat.

The Rockets, according to sources, are more interested in a sign-and-trade with the New York Knicks. Sources told ESPN.com that the Knicks have had discussions with the Rockets about Camby, as well as the Dallas Mavericks about a sign-and-trade for free agent Jason Kidd, who agreed to join the Knicks earlier this week.

The Knicks are hoping to make a sign-and-trade deal for one of them and use their $3.09 million mid-level exception to sign the other.

A source close to Camby would be “shocked” if he signs anywhere for the veteran’s minimum of $1.4 million, which is what the Heat only have available after Ray Allen agreed to their mid-level exception of $3.09 million on Friday.

— Reported by Jared Zwerling and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com

Bucks likely keeping Ersan Ilyasova

The Milwaukee Bucks are close to a deal with free-agent forward Ersan Ilyasova, according to a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on Sunday on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been completed. Multiple media reports earlier in the day

indicated the sides were close to a contract.

The 6-foot-10, 235-pound Ilyasova had a breakout season for Milwaukee in 2011-12, averaging 13 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. He played in 60 games and made 41 starts last season.

The 25-year-old native of Turkey has played four seasons with the Bucks, with career averages of 9.7 points and six rebounds per game.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Anthony Davis to play on Hornets summer league team

One day after being denied a spot on the USA Basketball team that will play in the London Olympic Games, New Orleans Hornets rookie Anthony Davis said Sunday he’ll be playing with the Hornets team in the summer league that begins here [in Las Vegas] later this month.

Initially Davis had said he wouldn’t participate in the summer league. But it’s unclear whether he’ll be joining the younger, men’s select team that works against the Olympic team in preparation for the Games next week in Washington, D.C.

Davis is still an alternate for the Olympic Games.

— Reported by Jimmy Smith of the New Orleans Times-Picayune

Kirk Hinrich will return to Chicago Bulls

The Bulls have made their first move in the NBA’s free-agency period by bringing back a familiar face: Kirk Hinrich. As first reported by the Chicago Tribune, the veteran guard agreed to a two-year, $6-million contract, a source confirmed to CSNChicago.com.

The deal is believed to be the “mini” mid-level exception, according to the same source, which is earmarked for teams up against the salary cap. While Hinrich drew interest from several other NBA teams, including the nearby division rival Milwaukee Bucks, ultimately returning to the franchise that drafted him and being able to live with his family in his north-suburban home he has resided in during offseasons since being traded from the Bulls in the summer of 2010 was a deciding factor.

Hinrich, who is capable of playing both guard positions and is regarded as a strong defender, will likely start the season as the Bulls’ starting point guard as Derrick Rose recovers from ACL surgery.

— Reported by Aggrey Sam of CSN Chicago

Celtics coach Rivers meets with Courtney Lee

Celtics coach Doc Rivers meets with Courtney Lee

The Celtics, with need for another shooting guard now that Ray Allen has left for Miami, didn’t need long to identify their next target.

A Celtics source just confirmed an ESPN report that coach Doc Rivers met with Courtney Lee Saturday night. Lee, the former Magic and Nets guard who played the last two seasons with Houston, lives in Orlando, and knows Rivers’ family well.

Lee, 26, averaged 11.4 points for the Rockets last season. Shooting efficiency isn’t his strong suit.

— Reported by the Boston Herald (Blog)

Celtics guard Avery Bradley may be out until December

The Celtics’ search for a shooting guard may intensify even further after the club revealed that Avery Bradley could miss some of the regular season because of another shoulder surgery scheduled for Tuesday at New England Baptist Hospital.

Bradley had surgery to repair repeated separations in his left shoulder in June and needed to wait for that to heal properly before undergoing a more minor surgery on the right shoulder. It will take weeks for both shoulders to completely heal, and that would take Bradley into the regular season.

Bradley missed the entire series vs. the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals because of the troublesome shoulders and without Ray Allen, the Celtics may be with a brand new shooting guard on opening night.

— Reported by Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe

Magic will send Ryan Anderson to Hornets

The Orlando Magic are in advanced talks with the New Orleans Hornets about a sign-and-trade deal that would send restricted free agent Ryan Anderson to New Orleans for 27-year-old center Gustavo Ayon, the Orlando Sentinel has learned from league sources.

Anderson, a 24-year-old power forward, was on the verge of signing a lucrative offer sheet for four years and, according to Yahoo! Sports, about $36 million with the Hornets. Magic general manager Rob Hennigan decided it was not prudent to match an offer sheet because of the long-term salary-cap implications.

So, instead of seeing Anderson sign with the Hornets and the Magic receiving no assets in return, Orlando decided to discuss a sign-and-trade deal with New Orleans.

— Reported by Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel

Photo: LeBron James party at Tao in Vegas

I’m in Las Vegas partying right now at Tao nightclub at LeBron James’ party. It’s a wild, awesome scene here

Trail Blazers president Larry Miller resigns

Larry Miller, the top executive of the Trail Blazers for the past five years, has resigned as president and will return to Nike, The Oregonian has learned.

Miller, 61, had two years remaining on his contract with the Blazers, but he informed owner Paul Allen of his resignation on Friday. Miller we rejoin Nike later this summer as president of Brand Jordan, the same title he held from 1999 through 2006.

“It felt like it is the right time, and the right thing for me,’’ Miller said Saturday morning.

Affable and well-liked within the walls of the Blazers, Miller was an understated leader who preferred to stay out of the limelight while allowing his employees to do their jobs. He was an engaged president with both his staff and the public, easy with conversation in the office and quick with a handshake on the concourses of the Rose Garden, where he often roamed before games. His style improved morale and bridged a divide between the front office and fan base after the rigid and confrontational reign of Steve Patterson, his predecessor.

— Reported by Jason Quick of the Oregonian

Ray Allen will sign with Miami Heat

Ray Allen will take less money for a chance at another NBA championship.

Allen told the Miami Heat on Friday night that he intends to accept their contract offer and leave Boston after five seasons, even though the Celtics could pay him about twice as much as the reigning NBA champions will be able to next season. Miami could only offer Allen the mini mid-level, worth about $3 million a year.

Heat owner Micky Arison tweeted the news just after 9:30 p.m. — or about 2:30 a.m. Saturday in Europe, where Arison has been for several days.

“I was just woken up with great news,” Arison wrote. “Welcome to the family.”

Arison ended the tweet by making mention of Allen’s jersey No. 20, and did not mention the NBA’s leading 3-point shooter by name.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Allen, tired of being offered as trade bait by Danny Ainge in each of the last two years, was also being offered trade security by the Celtics, either in the form of a trade kicker or a no trade clause.

But according to a league source, Allen’s request from the Celtics went beyond the pale – reportedly a demand for a three-year, $27 million contract. The Celtics, according to the source, were in the process of attempting to talk Allen down from $9 million to $6 million per year.

So Allen may have had several issues issues, perhaps starting with the Celtics’ signing of Jason Terry earlier this week – a former sixth man of the year winner (2009) with Dallas who could duplicate many of Allen’s functions. And then there are growing reports that Allen no longer desired to play with Rajon Rondo – the Celtics point guard with whom he has been known to occasionally bicker.

The Heat certainly pulled out the stops in their attempt to get him. LeBron James, a major figure in that recruitment drive, even photo-shopped a picture of Allen in a Heat uniform and sent it out over the twitter-sphere.

— Reported by the Boston Herald (Blog)

In choosing the Heat’s offer, Allen walked away from a two-year deal with the C’s worth as much as $12 million.

With Allen off to Miami, a league source said the Celtics would still pursue adding another perimeter shooter.

One possibility would be to re-sign Mickael Pietrus.

His agent Bill McCandless told CSNNE.com that he didn’t foresee a scenario that would have allowed his client to return to Boston if the Celtics re-signed Allen.

— Reported by A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE

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