Around the League
Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak said he's actually received a few trade proposals that include Kobe Bryant. Here's his response. "Teams fish around," Kupchak told the L.A. Daily News. "My response is, 'No, we're not'. We're not going to break up the team. I wouldn't share any conversations I've had, but we have not received an influx of calls based on the perception that we're trying to move (Bryant) or that we would move him. And to me, that just verifies our position -- that why would you do that? Teams know we wouldn't do it."
The Hawks waived Michael Doleac on Wednesday. The speculation has been that Doleac, if he clears waivers, will return to the Knicks. But he may not clear waivers. Two teams with room enough under the cap to assume his contract, the Nuggets and Jazz, both have interest in the center and may claim him.
The war over the termination of Vin Baker's contract, which happened on Wednesday, is about to get ugly. The Players Association is in the process of filing a grievance and both the NBA and NBPA are digging in for a fight. Both sides claim that they're confident that they'll prevail.
"We were advised we could move to terminate this player a year ago, but chose to give him what has amounted to a year of additional chances," owner Wyc Grousbeck told the Boston Globe
NBPA spokesman Dan Wasserman had a different view. "With regard to the termination of a guaranteed contract, it doesn't matter if it's Vin Baker or any other player," said Wasserman. "The Players Association will contest this as aggressively and vigorously as possible. We expect to prevail as we have in other termination cases like this, such as those involving Latrell Sprewell and Nate Huffman."
The issue is whether Baker's alcoholism prevented him from performing under the terms of the uniform players contract. The Celtics maintain that when a doctor failed to clear Baker for 10 consecutive games, that he had run out of chances and could no longer fulfill his part of the contract. The NBPA disagrees. Baker's agent, Aaron Goodwin, is claiming that a number of teams have interest in Baker and are lining up to sign him. If Baker was really unable to perform, why are so many teams interested in re-signing him?
What both sides are really fighting about here is precedent. The league would love to establish a precedent for terminating guaranteed contracts when a player, because of substance abuse or lack of conditioning, makes himself unable to play. The NBPA obviously wants this nipped in the bud and claims that what the Celtics and league are trying to do is find a way to circumvent the guaranteed provisions of the CBA.
All of this mess would be less sticky if teams weren't tripping over themselves to sign up Baker for cheap. You have to believe that Ainge and Grousbek are furious that teams aren't lining up in support of them.
"It's unbelievable," one league source told Insider. "No one should touch this guy. It send every bad message there is. We should be lining up behind the Celtics here, but greed always gets in the way. Look at Eddie Griffin. We'll always take big risks for talent. But for Vin? I'm not sure the talent is even there anymore. If a team really does sign him, not only does it hurt the Celtics chances of prevailing, it hurts the league."
-------------------------------
Peep Show
NBA Insider
Wednesday, February 18
Updated: February 18
11:04 AM ET
Milwaukee Bucks: Head coach Terry Porter is having a hard time describing his team's 19-2 run against the Magic Tuesday night. "I don't think in all my years I've ever seen anything like that," Porter said in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "(Orlando) did a great job of closing the gap and then, all of a sudden, it was just, bam: dunk after dunk after dunk after layup after layup. I don't know how to describe it. I just don't." Even Tracy McGrady was envious after the 124-104 game. "Those guys were out there having fun and I'm a little jealous," said Orlando's Tracy McGrady. "It was very embarrassing."
Seattle SuperSonics: Those trade whispers are getting awfully loud in Seattle these days. "I think we're maybe a little more active because we have more assets than last year," general manager Rick Sund said in the Seattle Times. "Last year we had a situation where we pretty much were going with the youth route and Gary (Payton) was the only one of our players with any real value. You look at our team now, and we have some young pieces. So there's a lot of dialogue going on around the league. I don't know if it's posturing for June or if it's anything substantial." Sund wouldn't mention any names but didn't deny any, either. "In terms of consummating a deal or putting something together, who knows?" he said. "If somebody calls and we get wind of a deal, who knows? You're always looking to upgrade your club if you can. But you don't want to do a trade just to do a trade."
New Jersey Nets: There's no "I" in team or Nets or Frank Lawrence as New Jersey goes for a record 10th straight victory for a new coach tonight. "It would be hypocritical of me to seek any kind of joy out of that individual goal knowing, No. 1, it's not really an individual accomplishment," Frank said in the New York Post. "It's a team accomplishment, totally, because I had nothing to do with winning those games. I guess there are milestones for everything, but we're more concerned with team milestones."
Gaines
Orlando Magic: Reece Gaines is the fourth-string point guard for the Magic behind Tyronn Lue, Rod Strickland and Shammond Williams, and his agent doesn't want to have to use his thumb. "Reece may need a fresh start. He's caught in a crossfire," agent Andy Miller said in the Orlando Sentinel. "Philosophically, does it not make sense to get a fresh start?" Magic officials wouldn't say if Gaines was on the block or not. The rookie has played in 20 games so far this season and scored 18 points.
Atlanta Hawks: Just because the Hawks are saving money with all their recent deals doesn't mean they're only trying to save money. Or something like that. "This is not a save-money situation," general manager Billy Knight said in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "Ownership did not have anything to do with this. I had to convince the owners that this is the thing to do. They were like, 'We can spend money.' I didn't think that was the smartest way to go. I can save money, but I can spend money, too. That's no problem at all. I thought that it was best for the organization." Knight was also unlcear on the Rasheed Wallace situation. "I don't have anything to say about that," Knight said. "But Rasheed is a heck of a player, a heck of a talent. It's good to see him at our practices. He's done some things that I haven't seen done here for a long time."
Cleveland Cavaliers: The world can't get enough of LeBron James, but his head coach Paul Silas said he has seen too much of him already. "I am hoping to give him more rest," Silas said in the Plain Dealer. "I don't know how many minutes of his I will cut back on, but I do know I don't want him playing 40 a game. And I have a lot more confidence in our bench." James has been averaging 40 minutes a game for fifth in the league.
Toronto Raptors: Jalen Rose doesn't have one broken bone in his left hand as earlier believed. He has four and will be out indefinitely. "I always considered this my time of year, and I feel like this is the time of year that I'm really here, this is the time of year that they brought me here for -- a playoff run, and the playoffs," Rose told the Toronto Star. "It's somewhat disheartening, but injuries are a part of the game. The good thing that's going to happen is now I'll be completely healthy. And I get a chance to feel like myself, for whatever that's worth."
Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak said he's actually received a few trade proposals that include Kobe Bryant. Here's his response. "Teams fish around," Kupchak told the L.A. Daily News. "My response is, 'No, we're not'. We're not going to break up the team. I wouldn't share any conversations I've had, but we have not received an influx of calls based on the perception that we're trying to move (Bryant) or that we would move him. And to me, that just verifies our position -- that why would you do that? Teams know we wouldn't do it."
The Hawks waived Michael Doleac on Wednesday. The speculation has been that Doleac, if he clears waivers, will return to the Knicks. But he may not clear waivers. Two teams with room enough under the cap to assume his contract, the Nuggets and Jazz, both have interest in the center and may claim him.
The war over the termination of Vin Baker's contract, which happened on Wednesday, is about to get ugly. The Players Association is in the process of filing a grievance and both the NBA and NBPA are digging in for a fight. Both sides claim that they're confident that they'll prevail.
"We were advised we could move to terminate this player a year ago, but chose to give him what has amounted to a year of additional chances," owner Wyc Grousbeck told the Boston Globe
NBPA spokesman Dan Wasserman had a different view. "With regard to the termination of a guaranteed contract, it doesn't matter if it's Vin Baker or any other player," said Wasserman. "The Players Association will contest this as aggressively and vigorously as possible. We expect to prevail as we have in other termination cases like this, such as those involving Latrell Sprewell and Nate Huffman."
The issue is whether Baker's alcoholism prevented him from performing under the terms of the uniform players contract. The Celtics maintain that when a doctor failed to clear Baker for 10 consecutive games, that he had run out of chances and could no longer fulfill his part of the contract. The NBPA disagrees. Baker's agent, Aaron Goodwin, is claiming that a number of teams have interest in Baker and are lining up to sign him. If Baker was really unable to perform, why are so many teams interested in re-signing him?
What both sides are really fighting about here is precedent. The league would love to establish a precedent for terminating guaranteed contracts when a player, because of substance abuse or lack of conditioning, makes himself unable to play. The NBPA obviously wants this nipped in the bud and claims that what the Celtics and league are trying to do is find a way to circumvent the guaranteed provisions of the CBA.
All of this mess would be less sticky if teams weren't tripping over themselves to sign up Baker for cheap. You have to believe that Ainge and Grousbek are furious that teams aren't lining up in support of them.
"It's unbelievable," one league source told Insider. "No one should touch this guy. It send every bad message there is. We should be lining up behind the Celtics here, but greed always gets in the way. Look at Eddie Griffin. We'll always take big risks for talent. But for Vin? I'm not sure the talent is even there anymore. If a team really does sign him, not only does it hurt the Celtics chances of prevailing, it hurts the league."
-------------------------------
Peep Show
NBA Insider
Wednesday, February 18
Updated: February 18
11:04 AM ET
Milwaukee Bucks: Head coach Terry Porter is having a hard time describing his team's 19-2 run against the Magic Tuesday night. "I don't think in all my years I've ever seen anything like that," Porter said in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "(Orlando) did a great job of closing the gap and then, all of a sudden, it was just, bam: dunk after dunk after dunk after layup after layup. I don't know how to describe it. I just don't." Even Tracy McGrady was envious after the 124-104 game. "Those guys were out there having fun and I'm a little jealous," said Orlando's Tracy McGrady. "It was very embarrassing."
Seattle SuperSonics: Those trade whispers are getting awfully loud in Seattle these days. "I think we're maybe a little more active because we have more assets than last year," general manager Rick Sund said in the Seattle Times. "Last year we had a situation where we pretty much were going with the youth route and Gary (Payton) was the only one of our players with any real value. You look at our team now, and we have some young pieces. So there's a lot of dialogue going on around the league. I don't know if it's posturing for June or if it's anything substantial." Sund wouldn't mention any names but didn't deny any, either. "In terms of consummating a deal or putting something together, who knows?" he said. "If somebody calls and we get wind of a deal, who knows? You're always looking to upgrade your club if you can. But you don't want to do a trade just to do a trade."
New Jersey Nets: There's no "I" in team or Nets or Frank Lawrence as New Jersey goes for a record 10th straight victory for a new coach tonight. "It would be hypocritical of me to seek any kind of joy out of that individual goal knowing, No. 1, it's not really an individual accomplishment," Frank said in the New York Post. "It's a team accomplishment, totally, because I had nothing to do with winning those games. I guess there are milestones for everything, but we're more concerned with team milestones."
Gaines
Orlando Magic: Reece Gaines is the fourth-string point guard for the Magic behind Tyronn Lue, Rod Strickland and Shammond Williams, and his agent doesn't want to have to use his thumb. "Reece may need a fresh start. He's caught in a crossfire," agent Andy Miller said in the Orlando Sentinel. "Philosophically, does it not make sense to get a fresh start?" Magic officials wouldn't say if Gaines was on the block or not. The rookie has played in 20 games so far this season and scored 18 points.
Atlanta Hawks: Just because the Hawks are saving money with all their recent deals doesn't mean they're only trying to save money. Or something like that. "This is not a save-money situation," general manager Billy Knight said in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "Ownership did not have anything to do with this. I had to convince the owners that this is the thing to do. They were like, 'We can spend money.' I didn't think that was the smartest way to go. I can save money, but I can spend money, too. That's no problem at all. I thought that it was best for the organization." Knight was also unlcear on the Rasheed Wallace situation. "I don't have anything to say about that," Knight said. "But Rasheed is a heck of a player, a heck of a talent. It's good to see him at our practices. He's done some things that I haven't seen done here for a long time."
Cleveland Cavaliers: The world can't get enough of LeBron James, but his head coach Paul Silas said he has seen too much of him already. "I am hoping to give him more rest," Silas said in the Plain Dealer. "I don't know how many minutes of his I will cut back on, but I do know I don't want him playing 40 a game. And I have a lot more confidence in our bench." James has been averaging 40 minutes a game for fifth in the league.
Toronto Raptors: Jalen Rose doesn't have one broken bone in his left hand as earlier believed. He has four and will be out indefinitely. "I always considered this my time of year, and I feel like this is the time of year that I'm really here, this is the time of year that they brought me here for -- a playoff run, and the playoffs," Rose told the Toronto Star. "It's somewhat disheartening, but injuries are a part of the game. The good thing that's going to happen is now I'll be completely healthy. And I get a chance to feel like myself, for whatever that's worth."
