August 2013 – Page 19 – NBA Blog

Rajon Rondo trade rumors may linger

Rajon Rondo trade rumors may have long shelf life

As Rajon Rondo continues to rehab from a partially torn anterior cruciate ligament injury he suffered in late January, trade speculation involving the All-Star point guard will continue to have a life — possibly up to the trade deadline next year.

The Celtics are rebuilding after the departures of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry. Coach Doc Rivers left to coach the Los Angeles Clippers.

Rondo’s future in Boston depends on his health and relationship with rookie coach Brad Stevens.

The former Butler coach hoped to build a bond with Rondo to keep his interest in the organization. However, there will be many suitors for Rondo, who averaged 13.7 points, 11.1 assists and 1.8 steals, if he wants out. The Pistons could be one of the teams interested in acquiring him even after acquiring Brandon Jennings.

Reported by Perry A. Farrell of the Detroit Free Press

Kobe Bryant ahead of schedule in recovery

Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant said he is way ahead of schedule in recovering from a ruptured Achilles’ tendon.

The scheduled time timetable for recovery is typically six to nine months. Bryant, who was injured in April against the Golden State Warriors, suggested that he could be ready in time for training camp in September.

“The surgical procedure was different … and because of that the recovery has been different,” Bryant said while recently on tour in China, according to NBA.com. “The normal timetable for recovery from an Achilles, we’ve shattered that.”

Reported by the Sports Xchange

Former NBA player Chris Gatling pleads guilty to theft, forgery

A former NBA All-Star accused of squatting at a Paradise Valley home and then trying to list the house for rent on Craigslist has pleaded guilty to theft and forgery charges.

Chris Gatling entered the guilty pleas to one count of theft and one count of forgery on Thursday in Maricopa County Superior Court.

His sentencing is set for Oct. 4.

Gatling was accused of breaking in the key box at the home and living there for about a year.

Reported by the Associated Press

Note from InsideHoops.com: Gatling did make an All-Star team, but was generally a supporting-cast talent, and not an All-Star level player.

Detroit Pistons sign second round draft pick Peyton Siva

Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced today that the club has signed draft selection Peyton Siva to a contract.

Siva was drafted by Detroit with the 56th pick in the second round of the 2013 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-1 guard averaged 10.0 points, 2.4 rebounds and 5.7 assists as a senior last season while leading the University of Louisville to the NCAA Championship. He scored in double figures in 23-of-40 games last year, including 18 points and five assists in the championship game. A native of Seattle, Wa., Siva was named to the All-Big East Third team and the Final Four All-Tournament Team as a senior. He finished his collegiate career as Louisville’s second all-time assist leader with 677 assists.

According to the Detroit Free Press, “A roster spot opened for Siva when the Pistons traded Brandon Knight, Slava Kravtsov and Khris Middleton for Brandon Jennings last month. The Pistons already signed their other draft picks, guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and forward Tony Mitchell.”

LeBron James would like some space

His September wedding in San Diego is the stuff of TMZ and People Magazine. His free agency next summer could eclipse the attention of when he previously entered the market in 2010.

But, for now, LeBron James is asking for a little space.

Please.

At least that’s the message from his Facebook and Twitter posts overnight.

On his Facebook page, as Sunday turned to Monday, the Heat forward posted:

“Man it’s hard to go out and have a good time these days! It’s cool though, it’s part of my life. Wouldn’t change anything(just saying). Been in the spotlight since I was 15. Sometimes u just wanna STOP!! But I refuse cause I have a commitment to the youth to inspire them!! That will keep me pushing forward and focused alone.”

Reported by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Thomas Robinson still finding his way in NBA

Basically discarded by two teams in one year, Thomas Robinson, the fifth overall pick in 2012, is in Portland, for a third opportunity. The Kings sent Robinson to the Rockets after just 51 games, and the Rockets moved him to the Trail Blazers to create salary-cap space for Dwight Howard.

So, change has been a constant, and the dismissals have motivated him.

“I have to find a way to get back to my old self,” said Robinson, who averaged 4.8 points and 4.5 rebounds in just 15 minutes per game as a rookie. “That’s talking and messing with other people [on the other team] and being annoying the whole game. I went back and I watched old tapes and some of the stuff that I did, and I didn’t play with the same emotion. I’m just trying to get back to that. If I get back to that I feel that I’ll be pretty comfortable in this league.”

Reported by Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe

Delonte West wants an NBA contract

Badly misunderstood in certain instances, having made heinous mistakes in others, Delonte West has run the gamut of experiences in his NBA career. He’s 30 now, married and a new father, and he’s looking to return to the NBA, hoping teams can overlook his past troubles and provide him with a sliver of an opportunity.

West, who last played for the Mavericks, said he will accept a nonguaranteed deal, just hoping to impress a coach and make a roster. He was waived by Dallas last October after a dispute with coach Rick Carlisle, then played briefly in the Development League.

West, who has had a pair of stints with the Celtics, said the time away has been rewarding and therapeutic.

“This, in a way, has been the biggest blessing of my life,” he said. “This has given me time to grow. I’m just looking for answers, and all of the things I have been searching for, as a man, not as an athlete, to complete me. In that time period I met my wife and have had a beautiful son, and it’s like everything is falling in place.

“Back in December or January, I stopped trying to trust in man and fight these battles by myself. I just handed the keys to the man upstairs and let him drive. It’s been the biggest blessing of my life. I have so much to be grateful for, thankful for, and I have a lot to play for now.”

Reported by Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe

Suns center Marcin Gortat still experiencing foot pain

Alex Len isn’t the only Phoenix Suns center struggling with foot problems.

Suns starting center Marcin Gortat returned to the U.S. on Thursday to undergo medical tests on his right foot, according to EuroBasket 2013’s website. Gortat had been working out with Poland’s national team as they prepare for the EuroBasket 2013 tournament, which starts Sept. 4 in Slovenia.

The six-year NBA veteran took a leave of three weeks from the Polish team. He is expected to return in time for the tournament to start.

Reported by Andrew Gilstrap of Arizona Sports

LeBron James may run for president of Players Association

LeBron James is seriously considering running for president of the National Basketball Players Association, multiple sources told ESPN.

James is giving a run “some very heavy thought,” one source said.

The biggest consideration for James will be the time commitment being the union president would require. James has limited time to give because of sponsorship and charity commitments in addition to playing. Deep playoff runs with the Miami Heat the past three seasons have also been taxing.

Still, James has been investigating the issue with advisers and fellow players this summer.

“It’s a very important position for where things are going,” a source close to James said.

Reported by Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com

Top talent lends support to Canada Basketball

While they won’t be playing for Canada in next month’s FIBA Americas tournament in Venezuela, give this country’s two newest NBA players credit for showing up.

No. 1 overall pick Anthony Bennett and No. 13 selection Kelly Olynyk are in Toronto for this week’s Canada Basketball camp, lending whatever they can to the group of players assembled.

“It’s tough — I always wanted to play, especially with (this) great group of guys,” said Bennett after watching practice at the Air Canada Centre on Friday. Bennett is still recovering from a shoulder injury, and with Olynyk on the shelf as well, their respective pro teams in Cleveland and Boston would have likely had serious reservations if the frontcourt players had suited up in the maple leaf.

“Everyone wants to be here,” said Olynyk. “It’s really nice to see that everyone is so keen to represent their country and do it as a team.”

Reported by John Chick, special to the Toronto Sun