HoopsHype.com Rumors

Tuesday, February 23

Visit the HoopsHype.com Forums to discuss the latest news and rumors in the NBA / You also can check out rumors from back in the day in the Rumors Archive

Last update: 6:05 pm ET

If Allen Iverson can't make it back to the Philadelphia 76ers by next week, a parting of ways between the iconic star and the city where he tried to resurrect his career will be inevitable, a person with close ties to the future Hall of Famer told CBSSports.com Tuesday. "For the team's sake and his own sake, he can't keep trying to go back and forth with this," the person said. "If he can't get back by next week, it's probably not going to work." CBSSports.com

Contrary to Iverson's often stormy history with the organization, sources described his indefinite leave of absence as "amicable" and "nothing sinister." Iverson has been in and out of the lineup in recent weeks while he tends to his ill daughter. CBSSports.com

Ross Siler: Carlos Boozer said he hopes the Jazz will be aggressive in trying to re-sign him this summer even after $32M commitment to Millsap. Twitter.com

The Los Angeles Clippers continue to insist that ex-Mav Drew Gooden -- shipped to Washington in the deal for Brendan Haywood and Caron Butler and then routed to L.A. in the three-way deal that landed Antawn Jamison in Cleveland -- will stay on their roster for the rest of the season. Had he been able to secure a buyout from the Clippers, Gooden would be eligible to sign with Dallas after a 30-day wait. ESPN.com

Michael Lee: Wiz are "making progress" with Zydrunas Ilgauskas buyout. Was told an agreement won't be reached until Wed., at the earliest. Twitter.com

Nelson also admitted they've been making the rounds, looking for another center to help cover the middle while Erick Dampier is recovering from his latest injury. They've talked about players like Jake Voskuhl, who was in camp with the team this season, and put out feelers on Dikembe Mutombo, but a source close to the situation said they're really waiting to see what happens with Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Everyone believes he'll be out of Washington very soon, and while the best bet would seem to be a return to Cleveland, the Mavs have their bi-annual exception to use and will offer it to Ilgauskas at the earliest possible opportunity. HoopsWorld

Van Gundy also joined the chorus of coaches, particularly Boston Coach Doc Rivers, in objecting to the rule that allows it to happen. "I don't like the idea they could use Ilgauskas ... and it's selfish on my part ... to basically get Jamison for nothing,'' Van Gundy said. "The league needs to think about that, look at it, and I'm sure they will after so many questions have been raised. But that's the rule now.'' FanHouse

"It (Ilgauskas' return) won't change the way I play,'' Howard said after practice Tuesday. "It just gives them another big to give up fouls. It might help them, but for me and the rest of my team, if we play aggressively, I don't think there is any team out there that can beat us.'' FanHouse

The Mavericks would naturally have huge interest in Zydrunas Ilgauskas, too, after Ilgauskas' forthcoming buyout from Washington. It's likewise believed that they would have a decent chance of convincing Ilgauskas to give Dallas consideration given his longstanding relationship with Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson after their time working together with Lithuania's national team. The Mavs, though, are resigned to the reality that Ilgauskas is determined to wait the mandatory 30 days and re-sign with the Cavaliers after finalizing his buyout with the Wizards. ESPN.com

Marc Stein: If Big Z wasn't going back to CLE, Mavs WOULD have shot, partly because Donnie Nelson and Z are old colleagues from Lithuanian national team. Twitter.com

Mark Heisler: WELCOME HOME Z! Despite what one league official said privately--just the opposite--NBA now signals it can't stop Z from going home. Twitter.com

The Dallas Mavericks are never completely satisfied with their roster, something that has been a defining characteristic of the team since the day Mark Cuban bought in. Adding Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood has many around the league saying the Mavs are back in the championship discussion, but that doesn't mean the front office guys are ready to sit back and watch it happen. GM Donnie Nelson has been busily scouring the market to try and find another piece or two for the stretch run. We've mentioned the team's interest in free agent guard Von Wafer in this space, and Nelson took a few minutes to talk about Wafer's situation last night. "He can shoot it, we know that. He's athletic, and when he's healthy he can really defend. His athleticism is what separates him, but we want to see where he's at physically and have a chance to work him out one more time and then we'll make a decision." HoopsWorld

Wafer's back issues kept him from passing a physical in Houston last December, and that same back issue is a concern for the Mavericks. "It's not uncommon," said Nelson. "He's got a disc that's giving him some issues. A guy like Steve Nash has played a long time with an injury like that. I don't think it will be a preventative type of situation, but we just want to make a good discussion." HoopsWorld

NBA sources told FOX 26 Sports Tuesday Rio Grande Valley Vipers forward Mike Harris will sign a 10-day contract with the Washington Wizards. It's expected Harris will fill the roster spot that opened when the Wizards lost the newly-acquired Josh Howard for the season because of a knee injury. MyFOX Houston

Michael Lee: According to sources, Wiz will look into signing Michael Harris from the NBADL to replace Josh Howard. Morris Almond also being considered. Twitter.com

Michael Lee: Wiz like progress of Andray Blatche & JaVale McGee. Don't want them looking over shoulders. Have no plans of signing another big man now. Twitter.com

Have you been in contact with the Rockets since your 10-day contract earlier this season? Will Conroy: Yes, I have spoken with the Rockets a few times since being back in RGV. It seems that I'm still very high on their list and I just have to stay ready. Ridiculous Upside

Currently there are rumors that the Portland Trailblazers are looking for a backup point guard to help out their possible playoff push. Can you tell me if you or your agents have had any contact with the Blazers? Will Conroy: Yes, I've heard my named linked to a couple Blazer conversations, but you know how that goes - Until it happens it's just speculation. It does feel good whenever you hear things like "your name is one of a handful of guys on a shortlist for an nba organization," especially in the Northwest because I was born in Portland, Oregon and lived there until I was 8 and I have a lot family there. Ridiculous Upside

Sources say that the Mavericks, like several playoff-bound teams, were also hopeful that the Milwaukee Bucks would buy out veteran power forward Kurt Thomas after the former Hillcrest High and TCU star was not dealt before last Thursday's trading deadline. Yet one source with knowledge of the Bucks' thinking told ESPN.com that Milwaukee is adamant about keeping Thomas for the rest of the season. ESPN.com

The Dallas Mavericks are bringing in a D-League rebounding machine to audition for the sudden vacancy created by Erick Dampier's finger injury. Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com that the Mavericks will work out Dwayne Jones of the Austin Toros later Tuesday and sign him to a 10-day contract if they like what they see. ESPN.com

The Mavericks have already lined up Von Wafer to provide some backcourt depth by signing a 10-day contract, which is expected to be formally inked Wednesday to maximize the number of games Wafer can play in after the ex-Houston Rocket started this season in Greece. Dallas plays six games in 10 days starting with Wednesday night's showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers. ESPN.com

The Mavericks also considered re-signing Jake Voskuhl to a 10-day contract after Voskuhl was Dallas' last cut in training camp. But the first chance to fill in for Dampier will go to Jones, who is averaging 16.8 points, 15.4 rebounds and two blocks while shooting 61.1 percent from the field for Austin. ESPN.com

Sources close to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers have reported that the Washington Wizards will call-up former Houston Rocket Mike Harris, presumably to fill the void left by Josh Howard, who is out for the season with a torn ACL. Ridiculous Upside

Terry said he believed Kobe was being sincere. So I asked Terry what was so central to that deal that it could elevate the grinding, middling Mavs into optimistic West contenders. "Mentally we’re right," Terry said. "Before, you didn’t know what you were going to get out of us. Now we’re consistent and hopefully we can continue to build on it. "These guys are hungry. I’ve never seen guys smile as much as they have, and like he said on the bus in Orlando, DeShawn Stevenson (the third player acquired by Dallas in the trade) was like, 'Man, Caron, I’ve never seen you smile this much.' I said, 'If you would’ve been here a couple weeks ago, we weren’t smiling much either.' So both parties are welcoming each other." ESPN.com

Actually, Barkley, the Hall of Fame player with the Hall of Fame mouth, got into Beasley's head about nine months ago. That was when Barkley, in his role as a NBA analyst for TNT, first uttered the line about Dwyane Wade being Michael Jackson and the rest of the Heat being a bunch of Tito Jacksons. Barkley, of course, was referring to the old "Jackson 5" singing group, of which Michael was the front man and his brothers were backup singers, supporting cast. "It's just disrespectful," Beasley, the Heat's second-year forward, said Monday. "Not disrespectful to Tito Jackson. The way Charles worded it, it makes us feel a little disrespected." HoopsWorld

Wade, Barkley's buddy from all the T-Mobile commercials they've done, keeps it in perspective. "I don't really worry about what Charles says," he said while smiling. "To me it's a bunch of gibberish. Use that word. It's a bunch of gibberish." HoopsWorld

Nevertheless, the 21-year-old Beasley seems genuinely hurt by Barkley's words. It's puzzling. For one thing, it's been nine months. For another, Barkley was just clowning. It's what he does for a living. But for some reason, Beasley can't let Barkley's words go. Beasley has referenced the comment twice in the past month. "You don't say things like that about people's craft," Beasley said, "especially when you're a playoff team." HoopsWorld

Of bigger concern to the Magic is LeBron James, who is playing so well now that a day after the Magic started promoting Howard for the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, Van Gundy conceded that race to the Cleveland star. "LeBron is going to get the award. You can talk about everything else if you want -- and there are a lot of good candidates for it -- but it's over,'' Van Gundy said. "It's not going to be a close vote. All the players and coaches in the league know who is going to get the MVP.'' FanHouse

SLAM: When did you figure out that Dirk could play in the NBA? Holger Geschwindner: After we had practiced for weeks that summer. I told him that we needed to talk to his parents. The schoolboy did not like the idea of an older man talking to his parents. It was dangerous. [laughs] They invited me for coffee and it was our first time getting to really know each other. I had to come up with a statement and it was this: If you want to become the best basketball player in Germany, we can stop right now. But if you want to play with the best players in the world, we need to practice everyday. I told Dirk that I didn’t want to hear that decision from his parents. I wanted to hear it from him. If he didn’t want it, it wasn’t going to work. He decided to show me his room and there were Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan posters. That’s when I said, wait a minute—this is his dream. SLAM

Geschwindner: Then we went to Kentucky. Tubby Smith was the coach those days and had made him an offer. We took all the paperwork with us back to Germany and had to make a decision. By then, NBA scouts were in touch with us and so were European teams, making crazy offers. So I said to Dirk, ‘Listen, put your name in the draft. In the states they have a list and if you make that list, you can help determine your market value, more or less.’ So we did that because I found out he could always withdraw his name 10 days before the draft and he had an exemption because he needed to go to the German army. Three weeks before the draft, his name suddenly showed up among the first 10 prospects. We said, wait a minute. We still had the idea that Dirk was going to go to one of those colleges for a year or two. But the top 10 changed everything. Do you really want to wait until you get injured and go in the second round? So we went in this direction and he was at my house for the draft. It was three o’clock in the morning and we didn’t get it. I was on the phone with a friend who was watching it. Then pick No. 9 comes and he gets drafted and traded right away by Milwaukee. They’re still killing them about that. [laughs] SLAM

SLAM: Donnie said Dirk was very tough but the transition was difficult. HG: We ran into a thousand little problems. First of all, there was the culture difference. Dirk had only learned school English. He was 19-years-old. He could not rent a car, could not rent an apartment. I had to put everything under my name. He had no furniture. They tried their best for him, but they were coming from an entirely different perspective. We had to start from scratch. Nellie tried everything. He played him with the first five, benched him. We had a few days where he was close to giving up but he didn’t come to give up. SLAM

Recently acquired Washington Wizards forward Josh Howard will miss the remainder of the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld made the announcement in a statement Tuesday. Howard was injured Monday night in Washington's win over the Chicago Bulls, only his fourth game with the Wizards since being acquired from Dallas in a seven-player trade on Feb. 13. He collided with the Bulls' Flip Murray with 4:23 to play in the first quarter and stayed on the floor for a minute before being helped off the court by two trainers. ESPN.com

Without Howard, Washington has just 10 players on the active roster. Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton are suspended for the season for carrying guns in the locker room, and two other players, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Mike James, are seeking buyouts. Ilgauskas was acquired from Cleveland in a trade for Antawn Jamison on Feb. 16, and Grunfeld said that "we're making progress" in buyout talks. ESPN.com

As word filtered out that Josh Howard is out for the season, several Mavericks voiced support for their former teammate. "It's unfortunate for Josh,'' said Jason Kidd. "He was playing well for them and it's a contract year. So I just hope he has a speedy recovery.'' Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Joakim Noah participated in the Bulls' light practice on Tuesday, but his "request" for more playing time likely won't be met when the Bulls face the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday. "We want him out there more," Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said. "It's just that he's not healthy. His foot is healing as fast as it can. "It's frustrating for him, I'm sure, but he's got to keep on getting his rest, getting his therapy and, hopefully, it'll continue to improve." Chicago Sun-Times

Lance Stephenson told the Enquirer’s Bill Koch today that he will likely return next season, saying he has not had an NBA-type year. Stephenson, the pre-season rookie of the year, leads all Big East freshmen in scoring with an 11.2-point average. He also ranks fifth in rebounding with an average of 4.8. Cincinnati Enquirer

Chatter about a potential sale of the Charlotte Bobcats is heating up, with some industry experts predicting a deal within the next week. The chatter remains just that for the moment. None of the principals involved are offering perspectives on Robert Johnson’s campaign to sell his majority interest in the NBA franchise. Former Houston Rockets executive George Postolos is leading one group bidding to buy the team, with current Bobcats minority investor Michael Jordan heading the other. Charlotte Business Journals

NBA Commissioner David Stern, discussing the potential Bobcats sale at the All-Star Game in Dallas earlier this month, said he expected it would be completed within 60 days. A team spokesman says there have been no changes in the discussions with prospective buyers. Neither Jordan nor Postolos is speaking to the news media about a potential Bobcats acquisition. Johnson paid $300 million for the expansion franchise in 2003. Forbes puts the Bobcats’ current value at $278 million. Charlotte Business Journals

MJ would be fine as an owner. Probably better than Bob Johnson. However, from what I hear, MJ is struggling to get the partners together to buy the team. I think it's 50-50 that he owns the team next year. ESPN.com

The Sonics are long gone, but Seattle still has a strong presence in the National Basketball Association. According to Seth Kolloen at thesunbreak.com, Seattle sends more high schoolers per capita to the NBA than any city in America. By a huge margin. Chicago has more players in the league (13), but the Windy City also has a much bigger population. Seattle has nine representatives who have played in an NBA game this season. That mean's for every 1 million city residents, there are 15.04 players in the NBA. Miami is second a 9.68 players per million. Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Viewers of ESPN's talk show, PTI, will have to pardon the interruption of co-host Tony Kornheiser's television career, as he has been suspended for remarks he made about SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm on his Washington radio show. Kornheiser, who was replaced this year by Jon Gruden in the Monday Night Football booth, said last week Storm, who co-hosts the mid-morning SportsCenter, was wearing a "horrifying, horrifying outfit" and a "very, very tight shirt," adding that she "looks like she has sausage casing wrapping around her upper body." A number of blogs and media outlets are reporting that Kornheiser has been suspended for a few days, though the question probably should be what exactly Kornheiser would have to do to get fired. FanHouse

Former NBA star Jayson Williams was sentenced to five years in prison Tuesday for fatally shooting a hired limo driver in 2002, ending an eight-year legal odyssey by tearfully apologizing to the victim’s family. He will be eligible for parole in 18 months. Williams, avoiding a retrial on a reckless manslaughter count that deadlocked the jury at his 2004 trial, pleaded guilty last month to aggravated assault in the death of Costas Christofi on Feb. 14, 2002. At the same 2004 trial, he was acquitted of aggravated manslaughter but convicted on four counts of covering up the shooting. MSNBC.com

Adrian Wojnarowski: Jayson Williams has told friends he's paid over $15 million in legal defense since fatal shooting in 2002. Twitter.com

Just as she did during the trial, Tanya Williams sat behind her estranged husband. Williams had filed for divorce last year, but has attended his recent court appearances. After the hearing, she admitted not being surprised that Superior Court Judge Edward Coleman had given the full term outlined in the plea deal, although it still hit her hard. "I'm numb," she said. "My children don't even know yet." Newark Star-Ledger

During the sentencing hearing, a letter written by Andrea Adams, the victim's sister, was read during by a court employee that the punishment "didn't fit the crime" and spoke of going through "eight years of agony watching Jayson Williams prance around and live his life and acting like nothing happened." "What has made things worse is that Jayson has not shown any sign of remorse," Adams said in the letter. Newark Star-Ledger

Last update: 9:52 am ET

Real Madrid will make a run at Brazilian forward Tiago Splitter. Noticias de Alava

The Brazilian forward is at the top of coach Ettore Messina's wish list. Noticias de Alava

Not that long ago, Bryant seriously considered switching allegiance from L.A. Lore to my Paper Clips. Should his Lakers' lingering extension negotiation founder, for whatever motivation, Staples Center's stepchild has a whole lot more real (Chris Kaman, Baron Davis, Eric Gordon, Blake Griffin) and imagined (Minnesota's unprotected 2012 No. 1 pick) assets going for it today than three summers ago. Remaining in Los Angeles was a peak priority in 2007. Should the Knicks never show up on Bryant's radar, it stands to reason the Clippers automatically will become a favored destination. All it takes to end the above speculation, of course, is for Bryant to autograph a brand new Lakers contract. Well, half of it, anyway. Clearly, Jackson's future with the team is far more uncertain. New York Post

Whether those will stand as his final numbers remains to be seen. But speculation is running rampant that Iverson might call it a career. His return this season to the Sixers did more for the team off the court than on. The Sixers were 5-15 before he started playing for them and have gone 16-19 since. The players and coaches all talked of Iverson bringing new life to a team that was in the midst of a 12-game losing streak and on the verge of total collapse when he returned. Philly Burbs

An NBA source disputed reports that the Sixers sent Iverson home. Iverson, who signed with the Sixers for the pro-rated veterans' minimum on Dec. 2, is 69 points from joining Hal Greer, who is the only player in franchise history to score 20,000 points. Philly Burbs

Iverson has said that doctors in Atlanta, where his wife and five children live, couldn't find answers as to what ails Messiah, only that many tests that were taken had all come back negative. Last week, Iverson said he was bringing his daughter to Philadelphia so that she could be examined by doctors at Children's Hospital. He informed his coaches of his decision Sunday. "He notified me before we got on the bus to fly here [to San Francisco], before we left the hotel, that he needed to go back home and tend to family matters, so we excused him," coach Eddie Jordan said after the team practiced yesterday at the Olympic Club in downtown San Francisco in preparation for tonight's game against the Golden State Warriors. "I'm not going to speculate [about a return]. For this trip, he definitely will not return. When we get back home, we'll see where things are." Philadelphia Daily News

During all-star weekend, Denver Nuggets coach George Karl said, "There's no doubt he can help an abundance of teams in this league. I've coached him for a couple of years and I watch him. But I do also know he's not the same player. It's just more important that he knows that." Add to that Eddie Jordan's recent proclamation that "Allen helps us in an abundance of ways that have little to do with scoring. He's a contributor. An asset." Philadelphia Daily News

"Put it this way," one Eastern Conference official explained. "If Iverson was what he use to be, he'd play no matter what. It says something about his inability to play." Philadelphia Daily News

If Zydrunas Ilgauskas returns to the Cavs, one player must be cut. It might be Jackson or second-round pick Danny Green. Many observers think Green has a little more upside, so Jackson could be the odd man out. News-Herald

The Cleveland Cavaliers aren’t the only Eastern Conference contenders who will try to sign Zydrunas Ilgauskas once he becomes a free agent. So will the Atlanta Hawks. And they might go to some unusual lengths to do so. “Anything I had to do to get a guy like that, I’d do it,” Hawks center Al Horford said. “If I have to buy him lunch, go watch his kids, anything. He’s the kind of guy that can help us once the playoffs come around.” Yahoo! Sports

The Hawks will likely try to sell Ilgauskas on the minutes they’d have available for him to play. Ilgauskas lost his starting job to Shaquille O’Neal, and the Cavs landed Antawn Jamison in their trade with Washington. J.J. Hickson and Anderson Varejao are also in the team’s rotation at the power forward and center positions. With Atlanta, Ilgauskas would probably have to share minutes only with Horford, Josh Smith and Zaza Pachulia. Pachulia is the only true center of the three, and he’s struggled. Veterans Joe Smith and Jason Collins have seen little playing time. “I don’t know how much he’d play back there,” said Joe Smith, who played with Ilgauskas in Cleveland. “… It depends on what he is looking for at this point in his career. If he is looking for a lot of playing time or whatever, I think we have a chance to do something special.” Yahoo! Sports

If Big Z wants to return to Cleveland after the Wizards buy out his contract the league doesn’t plan to stand in his way. A league official with knowledge of its procedures said there’s been no discussions by the NBA about blocking Zydrunas Ilgauskas’ return to Cleveland after he secures a buyout. The official said the NBA would only look into the matter if there were evidence of a prearranged deal for Ilgauskas to re-sign with the Cavaliers after being traded to Washington and released. The Wizards plan to buy out Ilgauskas’ contract soon, and he then would have to wait 30 days to re-sign with the Cavaliers or he could sign with another team immediately after clearing waivers in 48 hours. Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Ilgauskas, traded to Washington on Wednesday in the three-team deal that brought Antawn Jamison to Cleveland, will receive offers from a number of teams, Rudoy said. He would not discuss specific organizations, but Dallas, Atlanta and Denver are said to be interested, in addition to the Cavaliers. “I’m positive we’ll hear from lots of teams once the buyout is finalized,” Rudoy said. Chronicle-Telegram

Chris Tomasson: Rudoy just e-mailed the following about Ilgauskas' buyout: "I hope in the next 48 hours,'' he wrote about it being done. Twitter.com

Rudoy also vehemently denied a report that said the NBA had informed teams Ilgauskas would not be allowed to re-sign with Cleveland based on evidence of a prearranged deal. A league source confirmed there was no truth to that report. “That’s ludicrous,” Rudoy said. “That’s impossible. We had no prearranged deal whatsoever. Someone made the whole story up. We are absolutely in a position where he will be able to choose any team he wants. I have not heard a word about that from the NBA. It’s absolutely not true.” Chronicle-Telegram

Also, a person close to Mike James said that the veteran reserve guard is hoping to receive his release, rather than a buyout. Washington Post

Wendell Maxey: von wafer underwent a physical today with the dallas mavericks.....could sign an 10-day contact if all goes well. Twitter.com

	Want to follow HoopsHype.com on Twitter too? Click here.

The Dallas Mavericks will put swingman Von Wafer through one more workout before deciding whether to give the swingman a 10- day contract. The skills of Wafer, who averaged 9.7 points off the bench for the Houston Rockets last season, aren't the Mavs' concern. They want to evaluate his sore back again. ESPN.com

A source close to the situation has confirmed that the Wizards are interested in Dwayne Jones, a 6-foot-11, 250 pound big man who is currently dominating the D-League for the Austin Toros. While I'm told that there is nothing imminent, Jones is currently averaging 16.8 points and 15.4 boards while shooting 61% from the field and averaging nearly two blocks per game, making him the best available option from the D-League pool. Bullets Forever

Scott Schroeder: Interview with Will Conroy going up in the morning. He's heard from the Trail Blazers, but says "Until it happens its just speculation." Twitter.com

(Fred) Jones, who starred at Gresham's Barlow High School, has been back in town for two weeks after his stint with Pallacanestro Biella in Italy ended with a shoulder injury. He's working to rehab the shoulder as he looks to catch on with another team, hopefully in the NBA, but possibly overseas. He took the opportunity Saturday to take in the Ducks' game against Cal, and what he saw, from his seat a few rows up from the baseline near Oregon's bench, was nowhere near top tier. Oregonian

Guard Sebastian Telfair could hang around, even though it's uncertain he will ever play a minute for the Cavs. His $2.7 million contract for next year is an asset in trades. News-Herald

Yes, obviously, financial flexibility is the biggest reason the Knicks sent Jared Jeffries, Jordan Hill and Larry Hughes packing. They want to go after LeBron James and Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. But the Knicks also think Tracy McGrady can still play. And they think he can play for the foreseeable future. For New York. Guess whom they asked? Their director of pro scouting, John Gabriel, the man responsible for bringing McGrady to Orlando from Toronto in 2001 and the man who, after sniffing around, still thinks McGrady can be a major contributor on a good team. "First off, this is Donnie's show. He deserves all the credit," Gabriel told SI.com. "Did they ask me about T-Mac? Yes -- and they also asked [Knicks VP of basketball operations] Glen Grunwald, who had T-Mac in Toronto before I got him in Orlando." SI.com

Gabriel sees hints of McGrady's prowess, evidenced by the 26 points McGrady hung on the Thunder in Saturday's overtime loss to Oklahoma City -- which is what Gabriel told Walsh. "He is not the T-Mac of three or four years ago," Gabriel said, "but Tracy McGrady at 80 percent is still better than most of the rest of the league." SI.com

"Losing Brewer was terrible," Carlos Boozer said. "I can't stress that enough. He's a brother to a lot of us in here and he was obviously a huge part of our team. It's tough. It's just tough to move on." SI.com

Robinson spent the past 4 1/2 seasons trying to cement an image and fill a role with the Knicks, but while there were thrilling highlights there also were tumultuous moments. Tonight will be the beginning of a new opportunity for the three-time slam dunk champion, acquired at the trade deadline to give the Celtics a boost off the bench. “This is a great opportunity to grow as a player and mature as a player and be around some great vets that know the game,’’ Robinson said before the Boston premiere of the HBO documentary “Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals’’ at TD Garden. “They can pass down the traits to becoming a good veteran. I’m still young, I’m 25, and there’s a lot of basketball to play.’’ Boston Globe

“One thing I respect about Doc, when we played the Celtics, the one thing he would do is show respect and say he loves my game, he loves how I play,’’ Robinson said. “He told me I was going to be a good player one day. Now that I am here, it shows how much he really did respect my game and how much he liked me as a player. It’s a blessing to be here and [have] an opportunity.’’ Boston Globe

This season, the Cavaliers have won two of the three matchups against Orlando. But take a trip to the Magic locker room and the players are quick to remind you that they were on the second night of back-to-backs in each of the two losses and were missing Rashard Lewis in the first game. They point to their win on Sunday afternoon as evidence that they can run with Cleveland. "It's just one win but I think it's a big win because they took the first two from us. No matter what people may think, the East hasn't been decided yet," said Barnes. "We had confidence before [the win]. They won the first two games but last game in Cleveland, we should have beat them. We let that slip away. But it's a big win. We need to get one more to tie the series up." HoopsWorld

Orlando's biggest motivation comes from the disrespect that they believe they've been receiving all season. "You look at the commercials now, and you'd think Cleveland and the Lakers already were in the championship. I guess that's what the fans want to see,'' said Jameer Nelson. "But I think we're here to spoil it for the fans.'' "I think some people considered it a fluke," said Stan Van Gundy when asked about beating Cleveland in the playoffs. "It's not a fluke when you win a playoff series." HoopsWorld

Kamenetzky Brothers: "I want him to do well, but at the same time, I don't want him to do better than me." - Pau on "mixed feelings" playing against Marc. Twitter.com

Chauncey Billups is their quarterback, an all-star, a member of Team USA. And yet, by the numbers, neither is the Nuggets' most indispensable player. That would be power forward Kenyon Martin. "Every team has a guy that holds it together, what I call a glue guy," Nuggets coach George Karl said Monday. "Around the league, he'd definitely be in that race as one of the top guys who make it function, make it work." Denver Post

Jamison got off to a quick start, scoring the Cavs' first eight points and keyed a 16-4 run that gave the Cavs, who had little offensive flow beyond LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal, a lift and a shot to win. ''I'll think more about it tonight, but I will probably start him [against the New Orleans Hornets],'' Brown said Monday. It was clear to James after the game that Jamison was a starter. ''No offense to J.J. [Hickson]. J.J.'s a great player and his athleticism and his work ethic will really be good off the bench,'' he said. Akron Beacon Journal

And what often happens is what happened Sunday, where he gets off to a fast start, then he doesn’t see much of the ball in the second half. “Defenses aren’t stupid,’’ coach/GM Kiki Vandeweghe said when asked why Lopez seems to have so many hot starts/cold finishes. “They’re going to load everyone around him and when he catches they’re running guys at him. In that case they push him off the block. He doesn’t get as good of catches. At that point someone’s got to step up. There’s no alternative. He cannot play one-on-three in the post. He’s got to pass and other guys have got to hit shots. It’s not complex.’’ Newark Star-Ledger

"I wasn't happy that I thought we went away from playing team ball," Lopez explained, trying to avoid talking about how the Nets forgot him in the second half after leading by 18 in the first. "Keyon (Dooling) was playing well in the first half, Devin (Harris) was playing well, I think he had 12 assists or something like that at the half. We were really clicking and it showed obviously with the score. That's a position we haven't been in many times this year. "And we got away from team ball." New York Daily News

Chris Douglas-Roberts: Sorry to all my followers who have been missing me.I haven't been in the mood @ all.Really focusing on staying positive thru this. Twitter.com

Dave McMenamin: Ron Artest didn't know who the Grizzlies' coach is today at practice. Also didn't know the USA-Canada hockey outcome. Twitter.com

Maybe it was done to expedite the process of removing Kevin Martin's likeness from anything Kings-related, or perhaps it was a way of making Francisco García feel better after he didn't play in Phoenix on Sunday. Whatever the motive, the Kings wasted no time moving past Martin on Monday. The mural above the Arco Arena security door, which just a few days ago featured Martin, now features García. This is just one of many changes the Kings will have to make. Martin's face is on billboards all over town after they tapped into the local artists earlier this season. Sacramento Bee

Cavs forward Darnell Jackson has left agent Roger Montgomery and has signed with Michael Harrison. News-Herald

But the constant change has applied to the reserve roles as well, and his players are growing tired of the approach and questioning whether it's affecting their productivity. "Coach is probably going insane just trying to think of things to help us out, but it's extremely difficult," May said. "And you can see it with guys coming in and out of the starting lineup – especially J.T. (Jason Thompson) and Spencer, and how they're up and down. It makes it tough. "It's hard. Every (general manager) and every coach wants consistent results. That's all anybody wants in this league, a consistent player, consistent results. But any time you have an inconsistent system, it's hard to ask for consistent results, and I think that's where a lot of guys' frustration is right now." Sacramento Bee

Hawes acknowledged his frustration, saying "that's about right" when asked if this trend made an already-tough situation tougher. "All year we've kind of been dealing with that," he said. "When you think you have kind of gotten over that hump, it comes back up again. That's the philosophy, so you've just got to deal with it. "Everyone up and down the roster has had a taste of that, so everyone can relate. I think it's kind of tough, the not-knowing part on a game-to-game basis, to get in that rhythm. But that's the way it's going and there's not a whole lot you can do about it." Sacramento Bee

Also hurting him early in his NBA career is the brutal transition he’s had to go through. Unlike most international prospects, Haddadi didn’t see much real competition before joining the league and is still playing the price for it. “Everything goes so fast,” Haddadi said. “Here everybody can run, shoot and jump. In Iran, if you were good at one of those things, you were not good at the others. It’s difficult for me.” HoopsHype.com

Moore, who played against him during his time in Iran, wasn’t surprised by Haddadi’s impressive performance. “He has a great amount of natural skill and potential,” Moore said. “I would compare him to Dirk Nowitzki skill-wise, with enough heart to get dirty around the basket - which Dirk doesn’t have. He has great footwork and, for some reason, a natural feel for the game.” HoopsHype.com

Kobe Bryant said he would play Tuesday against Memphis, 18 days after his last game with the Lakers, bolstered by a four-day weekend and a Monday morning practice that didn't produce any pain in his left ankle. "I feel good, like a gazelle," he said. "As always, the ultimate test is to see how it develops and how it holds up to stress and the pressure of traveling and playing in back-to-backs." Los Angeles Times

Jackson and Bryant said the shooting guard's minutes will not be limited Tuesday despite the ongoing healing, but Wednesday's game in Dallas could be a challenge. "There's always the ultimate test to see how it develops and how it holds the stress or the pressure of travel and playing in a back- to-back," Bryant said. "That's always a huge test. We'll just have to see how it does." ESPN.com

Cleared on Sunday to ditch his protective walking boot, Wade took his first steps in the rehabilitation process Monday. But he didn't sound like he would soon be leaping into game action. Wade, who strained his left calf in the first quarter of Wednesday's victory against New Jersey, is officially listed as ``day-to-day.'' But the injury has become a week-to-week ordeal that will keep him out Tuesday against Minnesota. ``You have a reality check real fast when you do something on one leg and try to do it on the other leg and it ain't the same,'' Wade said of his limited workout with trainers during Monday's practice. ``We'll see how it feels from one day to the next. Hopefully, it doesn't take too long. But if I have to be smart about it, then I will [wait].'' Miami Herald

Paul Pierce expects to miss "the next few days" as he tries to recover from a thumb injury he suffered last Thursday in Los Angeles against the Lakers. The Celtics captain spoke with Michael Holley on Mohegan Sun's Sports Tonight on Monday from TD Garden at an event to unveil a Celtics/Lakers documentary. CSNNE.com

Tracy McGrady's comeback took a troubling turn when the new Knick limped off the court in the final minutes of his second game. The cursed Knicks limped to a horrifying 83-67 loss to the Bucks and were booed off the court by a surly Garden crowd after scoring their season low. McGrady said afterward he knocked knees twice and wouldn't guarantee he'll be healthy enough to face the Celtics tonight in Boston. "Hopefully it's not sore [today]," McGrady said. "Maybe I'll lace them up and play, but we'll see. We'll see how it feels before the game." New York Post

McGrady later explained he first injured his knee in the second quarter. "In the first half, I knocked knees with somebody. I didn't really feel it until I came in here and sat 15-20 minutes and went out," McGrady said. "Toward the end, I banged knees again. Coach saw me limping, so he pulled me out." New York Post

Is Charles Garcia ready for the NBA? Seattle’s star junior gives away his answer by revealing a gap-toothed grin before saying, “I think I’m ready.” ESPN.com

Twenty-two NBA scouts were credentialed to attend Seattle’s 90-88 win against San Jose State on Monday, with the talent evaluators filling up press row while empty seats dotted the front row at The Event Center. The 14-14 Redhawks, currently making the transition to Division I, have become a somewhat of a traveling circus. “I like to say rock band,” coach Cameron Dollar said. “They’ve followed us all year long.” ESPN.com

If Jerry Buss can't see that, it will be the Lakers' loss and Sterling's fortuitous opening to pull off a major coup -- because Jackson, by all accounts, is feeling strong and categorically wants to coach next season. How much would The Donald II pay to sign Jackson? It would take Bernie Madoff at least 20 minutes to loot all of it. New York Post

Warriors GM Larry Riley was pressed on the topic a week ago but declined to respond. When asked if he had given any thought to firing Nelson, he answered with a “no comment.” But on Monday, Riley was more forthcoming on a conference call with season-ticket holders. One caller asked specifically about Nelson and whether he was the right coach for this team. Riley said he was. “As far as we’re concerned, I’ve seen him in a lot of situations,” Riley answered. “He has not lost the ability to coach or forgotten how to put teams together as far as strategy and using lineups and so forth. CSN Bay Area

I posed the hypothetical question to a high-ranking NBA official about whether the Kings could move their operations to Seattle, the league's next-best market, if the Kings are unsuccessful in their pursuit of a new arena -- which appears as if it will be the case. Seattle has a ready-made arena sitting in town going virtually unused, and it is in better shape than Arco Arena. The official said, however, that unless KeyArena is redone, it would not make sense for the Kings to move because they would not make enough money to recoup their relocation fee. SI.com

Speaking of which, I wonder how much it makes Amar'e Stoudemire and Steve Nash want to perform at their highest level for their owner when they both see that Robert Sarver is one of the hawks in sticking it to the players. SI.com

One team official wondered this about the union's executive team: Because Derek Fisher plays for the Lakers, whose games are always sold out, and Adonal Foyle is with Orlando, whose games are always sold out, do those players really have a concept of what some of the smaller-market teams are going through? Do they really grasp that the league may be losing money when all they see if full arenas? SI.com

Tom Wilson's long ride as Pistons CEO could be of timely value to Mike Ilitch, the Red Wings owner who's been seeking to build a new hockey arena in downtown Detroit. It was reported Monday by WXYZ-TV that Wilson is joining Ilitch Holdings, Inc., which owns the Red Wings and Tigers, in addition to its flagship companies: Little Caesars Pizza, Motor City Casino, and Olympia Entertainment. Tom Pyden, vice president for Ilitch Holdings, issued a statement Monday that said Wilson "would be a terrific addition to any organization." But the statement neither confirmed nor denied that Ilitch Holdings would be bringing Wilson aboard. Detroit News

You followed the Knicks through Marv's electrifying voice on the radio – when the "Yesss!'' call started. Nobody in the universe has ever done radio basketball play-by-play better than Albert, who worked that season alone, with no partner. (John Andariese joined Marv in 1972-73). Albert won't be there tonight at the Garden when the Knicks celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Knicks' first championship in 1969-70. Albert was not invited. Not only should he have been invited, he should have emceed the event, though Mike Breen is a good second choice. New York Post

Albert declined to comment about the lack of invite but he knows the deal. The breakup a few years back was messy, though not messy enough for MSG Network to employ his son, Kenny Albert. Kenny, the truest professional, does 20-plus Knick games as a backup to Breen in addition to his Rangers' gig. New York Post

The struggling Minnesota Timberwolves don't want to lose any more support. During the month of March, the Wolves will cut their 2010-11 season ticket prices by up to 50 percent in the arena's lower level. President of basketball operations David Kahn also wrote a letter to fans, seeking their support. The team printed it as part of a full -page ad on the back of the sports section in Monday's Star Tribune newspaper. USA Today

Adidas and the National Basketball Association are hitting the malls. Adidas, which is the league's official uniform provider, has inked a deal with the NBA and mall-based retailer Champs Sports for an "Official NBA Shop at Champs Sports." The NBA Shop will debut in 69 Champs Sports stores this month and will be in the remaining 486 Champs Sports stores nationwide by the start of the 2010-11 NBA season, per the companies. The store will be a dedicated retail space with "adidas NBA" apparel, on-court products, fashion and co-branded accessories. MediaPost

Retired NBA star Earvin Magic Johnson said an affiliate of his company held “advanced discussions” to buy Johnson Publishing Co., the closely held owner of Ebony and Jet, and was unable to reach an agreement. Johnson, 50, said he remains interested in African-American media, without disclosing whether he is looking at other properties, according to a statement. Tammy Warren, a spokeswoman for Johnson, wasn’t available for further comment. Business Week

Jared Dudley: Top 5 worse NBA cities to travel to lol: Memphis,OKC,Milwakee, Indiana, Cleveland..These are the cities where u know ur gettin room service. All these cities having many things in common like: terrible weather, bad nightlife, and not a lot of good restaurants, etc. Twitter.com

Ex-NBA player Kirk Snyder’s day in court on his arrest for aggravated burglary and assault has been postponed another month. Snyder, 26, is accused of breaking into a neighbor’s townhouse in the Beacon Hill Townhouses in Deerfield Twp. in the middle of the night and assaulting a man in his bedroom in April 2009. He was scheduled for a competency hearing on Feb. 23 to determine whether he was mentally fit to stand trial on Thursday, but the trial has been moved to March 29. Dayton Daily News

Bronson deemed Snyder incompetent and sent him to Summit for treatment May 27. Following treatment, Bronson on Aug. 21 found that Snyder was able to stand trial. Snyder’s attorney Hal Arenstein has said Synder’s family has asked him not to discuss the case, but he has filed a “suggestion of incompetency” motion twice. The most recent motion came after Snyder tampered with his GPS monitoring bracelet in November. Dayton Daily News

Former NBA star Jayson Williams faces sentencing Tuesday for a shooting that happened eight years ago in New Jersey. Williams is scheduled to appear in court in Somerville. He's expected to get 18 months in prison after pleading guilty last month to aggravated assault in the February 2002 death of hired driver Costas Christofi. Williams was acquitted of aggravated manslaughter in 2004 but convicted on four counts of covering up the shooting. His sentence for those convictions will run concurrent to the assault sentence. AP

Any rumor missing? E-mail us at hoopshype@hoopshype.com.