NBA News Blog – Page 1018 – NBA Blog

Celtics hope to keep Ray Allen

Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers made his first phone call on Sunday, the official opening of free agency in the NBA, to Ray Allen. He said he does not think the call was in vain, despite a variety of reports that have the Celtics’ guard ticketed for Miami, Memphis or ABB (Anywhere But Boston.)

“It’s a stretch for me to see him go somewhere else,” Rivers said after completing a morning round of golf in the Boston area.

As for fellow Celtics free agent Jeff Green, Rivers said, “We’re going after Jeff. We’re going to get Jeff. I believe that, yes.”

Green missed all of last season after needing heart surgery.

So with the re-signing of Kevin Garnett and the potential re-signings of Allen and Green, the 2012-13 Celtics are going to look a lot like the 2011-12 Celtics?

“We want to add players and we’re going after a couple of free agents who I can’t name,” Rivers said.

— Reported by Peter May of ESPN Boston

Clippers look to land a shooting guard

Chauncey Billups, who played in 20 of the 66 games before suffering a season-ending left Achilles’ tendon injury, remains the Clippers’ top target. Billups’ agent and the Clippers are working on a one-year deal.

Billups, a 14-year veteran who turns 36 in September, has said he plans on being back playing no later than December.

The Clippers also have talked to Jamal Crawford’s agent. Crawford, who opted out of his $5.2-million contract with the Portland Trail Blazers, probably will seek the mid-level exception that starts at $5 million for the first two years of a four-year deal.

The length of the contract with Crawford is something the Clippers have to sort out.

The Clippers also have interest in bringing back free-agent guards Randy Foye and Nick Young. The Lakers also have an interest in Young.

— Reported by Broderick Turner by the Los Angeles Times

Timberwolves plan to be aggressive in free agent market

When the Timberwolves’ once-promising season came to a disappointing end, coach Rick Adelman said the team had to be aggressive with free agency and trades to bring in skilled veterans who could change the culture in Minnesota.

It would be difficult to find another word to describe their activity when the free-agent market opened on Sunday.

The Timberwolves hosted Boston Celtics free-agent Greg Stiemsma and were working hard to bring in Portland restricted free-agent Nicolas Batum for a visit, two days after visiting Brandon Roy in Seattle. The Celtics and Blazers have the right to match any offer that Stiemsma and Batum, respectively, receive. Roy is free to sign with any team, and was expected to meet with Dallas and Chicago, among others as the week progressed.

The Wolves have also expressed interest in unrestricted free agent shooting guard Jamal Crawford and, according to a report from Yahoo Sports, scheduled a visit with forward Jordan Hill for Monday.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Gerald Wallace to re-sign with Nets

The Brooklyn Nets reached a verbal commitment with swingman Gerald Wallace on a four-year deal worth $40 million, according to sources close to the process.

The Nets have been openly confident in their ability to re-sign Wallace, who opted out of the final year of his contract last month with the intent of staying with the Nets.

No new contracts in the NBA can be officially signed until July 11, but sources told ESPN.com that Wallace — originally expected to land a three-year deal worth $24 million — will instead land the four-year deal.

— Reported by Marc Stein of ESPN.com

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No Ben Gordon at British Olympic training camp

Britain has lost a second NBA player for the men’s basketball tournament at the Olympic Games after Ben Gordon failed to link up with the squad at its training camp in the United States.

Britain coach Chris Spice says the guard couldn’t commit to playing for the host nation after he was traded from the Detroit Pistons to the Charlotte Bobcats on Tuesday.

Spice says “It’s really disappointing as he’s a world-class player who would have made a huge difference.”

With Bobcats center Byron Mullens out because of injury, it leaves Britain with only one NBA player — Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng.

— Reported by the Associated Press

Trail Blazers offer Roy Hibbert a max contract

The Portland Trail Blazers offered Indiana Pacers restricted free agent center Roy Hibbert a maximum contract after meeting with him in Washington, D.C., early Sunday, SI.com has learned.

A source with knowledge of the meeting said Indiana did not offer a max deal at the outset of the free-agent negotiating period and, unless that changes, Hibbert is leaning toward signing the Trail Blazers’ four-year, $58 million offer sheet. Hibbert cannot do so until July 11, when the free-agent moratorium ends, after which the Pacers would have three days to match the offer and retain the 25-year-old All-Star.

In addition, the source said one other team, which was not named, also offered Hibbert a max deal after the start of free agency on Sunday at 12:01 a.m. ET.

New Blazers general manager Neil Olshey and team president Larry Miller were among those who met at the office of Hibbert’s agent, David Falk, the source said.

— Reported by Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated

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Steve Nash meets with Knicks, Raptors

The Knicks met with Steve Nash on Sunday knowing that they face an uphill battle in their pursuit of the future Hall of Fame point guard.

Nash also met with the Toronto Raptors on the first day of free agency and the club reportedly offered the Canadian citizen a three-year contract worth approximately $36 million.

The Knicks can only offer Nash a contract starting at $3 million annually unless they can engage the Phoenix Suns in a sign-and-trade. It’s unlikely since the Suns seem more inclined to use the money freed up by Nash leaving to pursue other free agents. Phoenix president Lon Babby has set up meetings this week in Los Angeles with point guards Raymond Felton and Goran Dragic as well as shooting guard Eric Gordon.

Phoenix hasn’t entirely ruled out re-signing Nash but it seems more and more likely that the two-time MVP won’t return to the Suns.

— Reported by Frank Isola of the New York Daily News

Dwight Howard wants trade to Nets, again

Dwight Howard met with new Orlando Magic general manager Rob Hennigan on Friday and told him he wants to be traded to the Brooklyn Nets, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.

Howard and Hennigan sat down face to face in Los Angeles, meeting for the first time since Hennigan became Orlando’s GM nearly two weeks ago.

Hennigan was noncommital when Howard told him he wants to be traded to Brooklyn, sources said.

Hennigan did not tell Howard whether he would trade him. His intentions were merely to hear the thoughts of the Magic superstar.

Howard picked up the option for the final year of his contract with Orlando on March 15. But since then, he has grown increasingly disgruntled with the organization, even telling people close to him that he feels the Magic blackmailed him into signing the “opt-in” clause.

— Reported by Chris Broussard of ESPN.com

Wolves do not extend qualifying offers to Michael Beasley or Anthony Randolph

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team will not extended qualifying offers to forwards Michael Beasley and Anthony Randolph. With Minnesota not extending qualifying offers to Beasley and Randolph by today’s deadline, both players will become unrestricted free agents on July 1.

Beasley, a 6-10 forward, has averaged 16.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game in two seasons with Minnesota. Acquired from the Miami Heat on July 12, 2010, Beasley averaged a career-high 19.2 ppg in 2010-11, his first season with the Wolves. Originally selected No. 2 overall in the 2008 NBA Draft by Miami, Beasley owns career averages of 15.1 points and 5.6 rebounds in 279 contests over four NBA seasons.

In his second season with the Wolves, Randolph, a 6-11 forward, totaled averages of 7.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 34 games (five starts) during the 2011-12 campaign. Acquired on Feb. 22, 2011 from the New York Knicks, Randolph has averaged 9.2 points and 3.0 rebounds in 57 games with the Wolves. Randolph owns career averages of 8.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 170 games (38 starts) with Golden State, New York and Minnesota. He was originally selected by the Warriors with the 14th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft.

Cavs extend qualifying offers to Alonzo Gee, Luke Harangody, Semih Erden

The Cleveland Cavaliers have extended qualifying offers to center Semih Erden, guard/forward Alonzo Gee and forward Luke Harangody, Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

By extending qualifying offers to each player prior to June 30, Cleveland owns the right to match any offer sheet they may sign with another team.

Erden, 25, averaged 3.5 points on .527 shooting and 2.6 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per game in 28 games (nine starts) during the 2011-12 season. Gee, 25, averaged career highs in points (10.6), rebounds (5.1), assists (1.8) and steals (1.3) in 29.0 minutes per game in 63 games (31 starts) this season. Harangody, 24, averaged 2.9 points and 2.5 rebounds in 11.0 minutes per game in 21 games (one start).