HoopsHype.com Rumors

Tuesday, March 5

Visit the HoopsHype Forums to discuss the latest news and rumors in the NBA.

» 07:57 PM ET Update » 06:05 PM ET Update » 03:15 PM ET Update » 12:26 PM ET Update » 08:39 AM ET Update

» Update: 07:57 PM ET

Last week, for example, I listened to almost two straight hours of speculation on who should be the next head coach for the Bucks. The list was full of the usual suspects: fired coaches, retired coaches, assistant coaches, college coaches. One name I didn't hear, and one that I think should move to the very head of the line is a man I talked with last week who said he'd jump at the chance to coach the Bucks. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. I asked him flat out if he would be willing to be the head coach of the Bucks. "Of course," he replied. OnMilwaukee.com

Milwaukee Bucks, Coaching, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 

Sacramento officials today stepped up their public relations campaign to keep the Kings from leaving, saying the city is a better NBA market than Seattle. Mayor Kevin Johnson's Think Big Sacramento task force unveiled a barrage of statistics to bolster its argument that the city has been more supportive of the NBA than Seattle fans when the SuperSonics were in the league. The report comes four days after investors Mark Mastrov and Ron Burkle gave the NBA their bid to buy the Kings and keep the team in Sacramento. Sacramento Bee

Sacramento Kings, Seattle SuperSonics 

Most characterizations of Morey place him as a fiercely intelligent, nerdy guy with a willingness to think outside the box. However, new video has surfaced that suggests Morey may be a better athlete than we think. In mid-February, Rockets guard Jeremy Lin held a fundraiser for his JLIN Foundation in Houston. Morey took part and proceeded to demolish his prized free agent pickup in table tennis, displaying a range of shots and impressive quickness. It's surprising, in a way, but this is also pretty much exactly how I'd imagine Morey being good at table tennis. He has a routine for his serve, pumps his fist after big winners, and even appears to have come prepared in full athletic clothing. Lin, on the other hand, did not take the match very seriously, presumably because he cannot afford to strain a muscle in a game of table tennis. Yahoo! Sports

Houston Rockets, Daryl Morey, Jeremy Lin 

New York-native and Los Angeles Clippers forward Lamar Odom fell asleep on a hard, not-so-comfortable courthouse bench today as lawyers hashed out his ongoing child custody case behind closed doors. The 6-foot-10 hoopster’s legs dangled well over the short, second-floor wooden bench. His impromptu nap drew the attention of a Manhattan court officer. "Excuse me, are you OK?” the officer asked Odom. After the player said he was fine, the officer said: “I need you to sit up." Odom complied but slumped over, resting his head on his hand. New York Post

Los Angeles Clippers, Lamar Odom, Law 
 
 

» Update: 06:05 PM ET

The NBA has fined Oklahoma City's Serge Ibaka $25,000 for striking Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers in the groin area. The incident, which was called a Flagrant Foul 1 on the floor and upgraded to a Flagrant Foul 2 upon league office review, occurred with 1:52 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Thunder's 108-104 win over the Clippers on Sunday, March 3 at Staples Center. USA Today Sports

Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Blake Griffin, Serge Ibaka 

At .896, the Nuggets are in position to post their best home winning percentage in franchise history. They went 36-5 for an .878 home winning percentage in 1976-77, their first season in the NBA and have never been able to reach such lofty heights since then. "Well, that's reachable," Karl said. They've love to get an extra home game in the first round of the playoffs, which might just be the ingredient they'd need to advance. "We enjoy playing here," Karl said. "There's a connection with the fans. And when we get it going, there's an energy to the building I think everybody can feel. Hopefully, the opposing team feels it some, too." USA Today Sports

Denver Nuggets, George Karl 

Saunders, now an ESPN analyst, was asked by ESPN 980′s Thom Loverro this week whether the Wizards’ current progress is aided by the roster purge over the last 12 months, in which the “knuckleheads” — to use Loverro’s term — were discarded. (Audio here.) “No question,” Saunders said. “I was a proponent from day one of changing that whole atmosphere. Having been in situations where we had success in both Detroit and in Minnesota, we didn’t have that… When I was there, I made my feelings pretty well known. And actually when I left — and had meetings with Ted Leonsis when I left — I pretty much said the same thing: that the team is not gonna take any type of steps until you clean out some of that knucklehead — like you said — the knucklehead factor and get everyone more on the same page.” Washington Post

Washington Wizards, Ted Leonsis, Flip Saunders 

Assuming he doesn’t experience any setbacks, Pau Gasol plans to seek medical clearance to participate in running drills once the Lakers returns Thursday from a two-day trip that includes stops in Oklahoma City (tonight) and New Orleans (Wednesday). When the Lakers (30-30) play the Oklahoma City Thunder (43-16) tonight at Chesapeake Energy Arena, Gasol will have missed 12 games in the past month since tearing the plantar fascia of his right foot. Gasol traveled with the Lakers and spent time at the end of the team’s morning shootaround today with strength and conditioning coach Tim DiFrancesco performing various exercises that test his gluteal and neuro muscles. Los Angeles Daily News

Los Angeles Lakers, Pau Gasol, Injuries 

On Monday night, the Wizards hosted a Special Olympics basketball game on the practice court at Verizon Center. The matchup between the two teams of Special Olympians was refereed by John Wall and Cartier Martin, and coached by Martell Webster, Garrett Temple, Chris Singleton, and Trevor Booker, and it became clear very quickly that these six Wizards players were going to be taking this game very seriously. Webster immediately made his presence known by playfully arguing with Wall after the teams were announced. Wall handed Webster a technical before the game even started, and the tone was set. Washington Post

Washington Wizards, Martell Webster 

Booker had a different word to describe Webster’s coaching style. “It was turrible,” he said. “Like Charles Barkley would say. Turrible.” In the end, the team coached by Singleton and Booker won, 33-32. But the score wasn’t the most important part of the experience for anyone. Washington Post

Washington Wizards, Martell Webster 

To promote his new show “Upload with Shaquille O'Neal,” the former Lakers star appeared on CBS“This Morning” Tuesday and had some tough criticism for his formal rival. “I think we as people should understand our roles in life,” Mr. O'Neal said. “And I think certain people should leave the diplomacy to diplomats. It was a very, very risky move what he did.” Mr. Rodman defended his trip to North Korea on ABC’s “This Week” with George Stephanopoulos Sunday, calling Kim Jong-Un a “great guy” and “very humble.” Washington Times

Shaquille O'Neal, Dennis Rodman, North Korea 
 

» Update: 03:15 PM ET

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed free agent guard Aaron Brooks. To open a roster spot, the Rockets recalled from Rio Grande Valley and then waived forward Tyler Honeycutt. Brooks returns to Houston where he spent the first three-and-a-half seasons of his career. Brooks (6-0, 161, Oregon) has averaged 11.8 points and 3.5 assists in 318 career games (149 starts) with Houston, Phoenix and Sacramento. Waived by Sacramento on Mar. 1, 2013, Brooks averaged 8.0 points and 2.3 assists in 20.8 minutes per game over 46 contests (20 starts) with the Kings this season. He joined Sacramento after spending the 2011-12 campaign with the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association, where he was named a CBA All-Star and took Guangdong to the CBA 2012 Finals. NBA.com

Houston Rockets, Aaron Brooks, Tyler Honeycutt 

Do you want Pekovic to re-sign? Has he talked to you at all about it? Kevin Love: Oh yeah. Pek is a guy … I don’t want to say he’s a recluse or a shut-in, but he's the type of guy who, when he has something and he likes it, he kind of sticks with it. He likes being around this team, and he's familiar with us. Grantland

Minnesota Timberwolves, Nikola Pekovic, Kevin Love 

Milwaukee can't afford to pay the three of them, so Jennings or Ellis will stay, and Milwaukee is prepared to pay Redick as a starting shooting guard. Redick will be in great demand, but make no mistake: To leave the Bucks, he'll have to take less money – probably a lot. Yahoo! Sports

Milwaukee Bucks, JJ Redick 

On his way out of Orlando, the general manager's words stayed with J.J. Redick: It's nothing personal, Rob Hennigan told him. "But it is personal," Redick says now. Perhaps this is a blessing and curse, because professional sports can break a ballplayer's heart this way. Redick's loyal this way. He immerses himself in the franchise's fabric, invests in the community. His two old coaches – Mike Krzyzewski and Stan Van Gundy – still get calls and texts on a regular basis. "My wife Chelsea and I built a life in Orlando," Redick told Yahoo! Sports. "Listen, there was no anger [over the trade], but there was a little bit of disappointment. "Part of me wishes I could've been there my whole career and been part of the rebuilding, part of the turnaround, and gotten back to the finals in my 11th or 12th year. That's the romantic in me, the idealist." Yahoo! Sports

Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic, JJ Redick, Rob Hennigan 

In a fawning interview with Los Angeles’ local CBS station KCAL, Dwight Howard defends himself as a “coach killer,” an interesting decision considering both his former coach and team have gone on record to point out that Dwight Howard asked for coach Stan Van Gundy to be fired before and during the 2011-12 season. It’s probably true that Howard didn’t ask for Van Gundy to be killed, literally, so I suppose Dwight still has that to cling to. That’s not even the worst of it. There’s this choice quote, as well: "My team in Orlando was a team full of people that nobody wanted." Yahoo! Sports

Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Dwight Howard 

Why even come back so late in the season? Does it matter, though, to get at least 10 or 15 games with the Ricky Rubio–Andrei Kirilenko–Nikola Pekovic core before those last two potentially become free agents? I think it definitely matters for us, heading into the future. It matters to have all of us out there at the same time and relatively healthy. Ricky Rubio is still getting back to being himself. For me, it's gonna take me a while to get into my rhythm. But sooner rather than later, hopefully I can be myself and really help. Grantland

Minnesota Timberwolves, Injuries, Kevin Love 

The NBA announced early Tuesday a "comprehensive global preseason schedule" that involves the Chicago Bulls playing the first-ever game in Brazil. The Bulls will face the Washington Wizards at Rio de Janeiro's HSBC Arena on Oct. 12. Chicago Tribune

Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, Schedule, Brazil 

The veteran big man wouldn’t deny the reputation that Brazil — and Rio in particular — has for being a little wild. “I know, and the whole world knows that,” Nene said. “You guys hear about the Carnival. All celebrities come down. But there’s a lot of things to do. Nice beach, nice mall. A lot of shows, a lot of events. For me, nothing’s changed … but for [my teammates], it’s going to be a lot of new things. I hope they slow down.” Coach Randy Wittman didn’t spend a lot of time elaborating on the trip. “Eh, the weather’s nice, especially at that time of year, I hope,” he said. Washington Post

Washington Wizards, Schedule, Nene, Brazil, Randy Wittman 

The NBA global games will conclude with two games in China between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. The teams will play on Oct. 15 at the MasterCard Center in Beijing, then travel to Shanghai for a game at the Mercedes-Benz Arena on Oct. 18. To date, the NBA has staged 138 preseason and regular-season games in 19 countries and territories across Europe, the Americas and Asia since 1978. NBA.com

Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, China, Schedule 

Kerry was asked if it was helpful for Rodman to have visited North Korea, which routinely denounces U.S. "hostility", and whether it undercut pressure on Pyongyang over a nuclear test last month that drew condemnation from world powers. "You know what? Dennis Rodman was a great basketball player, and as a diplomat, he was a great basketball player. And that's where we'll leave it," Kerry told NBC's Andrea Mitchell in an interview in Qatar on his first trip as secretary of state. Chicago Tribune

Dennis Rodman, North Korea, John Kerry 

The Heat and Timberwolves played in a fairly physical game Monday night, which saw Miami continue on its record-setting winning streak. Apparently, Crunch, Minnesota’s mascot, had some extra aggression to let out after the disappointing defeat. In a video released by the Timberwolves' YouTube account on Tuesday, Crunch beats the Heat’s Harlem Shake; with a bat. It is difficult to tell if Crunch is more upset about the Heat’s success on the court or about their video going viral, but his distaste for the defending champions is clear. Albeit interesting, it is kind of awesome to see a struggling team take aim at the champs in such a manner, and the spoof is sure to put a smile on Wolves fans’ faces in the midst of another marginal season in Minnesota. Philadelphia Inquirer

Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, Crunch 

He’s the ultimate benchwarmer! New York-native and Los Angeles Clippers forward Lamar Odom fell asleep on a hard, not-so-comfortable courthouse bench today as lawyers hashed out his ongoing child custody case behind closed doors. The 6-foot-10 hoopster’s legs dangled well over the short, second-floor wooden bench. His impromptu nap drew the attention of a Manhattan court officer. "Excuse me, are you OK?” the officer asked Odom. After the player said he was fine, the officer said: “I need you to sit up." Odom complied but slumped over, resting his head on his hand. New York Post

Los Angeles Clippers, Lamar Odom 

Two weeks ago we relayed a story out of Seattle concerning former SuperSonics center Robert Swift. Swift, out of professional basketball despite being in the same high school and NBA draft class as Dwight Howard, refused to leave his foreclosed-upon mansion, barricading himself in a home strewn with beer cans, tacky paraphernalia, and Chevrolet El Caminos with missing engines. The best case scenario, considering the visible bullet holes and preponderance of beer empties, has come true. Swift has left the house, and it didn’t take some alcohol-inspired shootout to pull him out. The best case scenario is still pretty nasty, though. Watch, courtesy of KOMO: Yahoo! Sports

Law, Robert Swift 

A federal judge has denied a request by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to throw out a civil lawsuit accusing him of insider trading. U.S. District Judge Sidney Fitzwater issued an order Tuesday rejecting Cuban's request for summary judgment against the Securities and Exchange Commission. ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, Law, Mark Cuban 
 
 

» Update: 12:26 PM ET

Fisher, who's now on Oklahoma City's roster as its third-string point guard, played nine games for the Mavs before the team granted his wish to be waived in late December. Fisher, 38, signed with the Thunder last week, and the Mavs weren't surprised to see the five-time NBA champion resurface with a contender, prompting a roll of the eyes by Mavs players and sarcastic comments from owner Mark Cuban. "I was being open and honest at the time and I'm being open and honest now," Fisher told the Los Angeles Times. "At the time, I felt strong about the decision on a personal level. It wasn't anything about Dallas or Mark that I was not happy about. Just personally, I didn't enjoy being away from my family at the time. "Over the last couple of months, being out of the game and having a chance to reflect on some things and think about some things, when this opportunity presented itself and I thought about the totality of my career, I decided that this was something I deserved to do for myself. Sometimes as a leader, you can't make decisions based on what other people are going to think or how they're going to feel. You just do what you think is right at that time and that's what I'm doing here." ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Derek Fisher, Mark Cuban 

Westbrook, in fact, has a face that was made to smile. With his high cheekbones and wide mouth, attributes that lend themselves to brilliant grins, Westbrook has the right facial chops to be the life of a party. And, according to friends, he often is just that. “He’s a dancing machine,” says Perkins, before sarcastically calling Russell a diva. “He’s just a guy who likes to dance all the time.” SLAM

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kendrick Perkins, Russell Westbrook 

Secretary of State John Kerry — who’s 6’ 4” tall — could hold his own against former NBA great Dennis Rodman better than your average diplomat. But Kerry says he would prefer that Rodman — who recently took a trip to North Korea and asked President Barack Obama to call that country’s dictator, Kim Jong Un — stay on the bench. “You know what?” Kerry said in an interview with NBC’s Andrea Mitchell. “Dennis Rodman was a great basketball player, and as a diplomat, he was a great basketball player. And that’s where we’ll leave it.” Politico.com

Dennis Rodman 

The house was owned by former Seattle Sonic and first round pick Robert Swift. He lost the home to foreclosure last year. The Dalzells bought it, but Swift has been living in it ever since. "He never came to the door, he never talked to any of us. We came multiple times. We sent him letters. We left him letters," Ko-Dalzell said. At some point this past weekend, Swift and others moved out of the home. The Dalzells had their first full look inside Monday. "It was a shocker. It was definitely a shocker," Eric said. KOMO

Robert Swift 

Animal feces clogs the deck. Walls are punched out on different levels of the house. One even has an autograph. Pizza boxes and beer bottles are piled on the kitchen granite. Multiple guns were found in the home. Some appear to be air guns, but live ammo was also found. Dalzell said they also found a handgun. A makeshift shooting range is in the basement storage area. Eric Dalzell said load-bearing beams have graze marks from bullets, and part of the home's foundation appeared to stop some of the slugs. A box of letters from colleges around the nation sat pushed against a downstairs wall. It looked like another trash box. Crests and logos of UCLA, Arizona, UConn and others are jammed together as untold memories of what could have been for Swift. KOMO

Robert Swift 
 

» Update: 08:39 AM ET

Knicks point guard Pablo Prigioni said he is unsure he will seek another NBA contract this summer when he becomes a free agent. Prigioni added it’s still possible he will return to the Spanish League to finish up his distinguished career. New York Post

New York Knicks, Free Agency, Spain, Pablo Prigioni 

Asked if he wanted to return to the Knicks next season, Prigioni, the oldest rookie in the modern NBA at 35, said he can’t tell and needs a full season to evaluate. But Prigioni told The Post he is not retiring. “I will play for some team next year — where, I don’t know,’’ Prigioni told The Post. “It could be in the NBA. It could be the Spanish League.’’ “I need to go to the summer, take it by day-by-day and think about it. But I [will] listen to the Knicks.’’ New York Post

New York Knicks, Free Agency, Spain, Pablo Prigioni 

The Houston Rockets and free agent guard Aaron Brooks have reached a verbal agreement on a contract. "I haven't signed anything yet, but I have a verbal agreement," Brooks said in an interview with FOX 26 Sports. "It feels good. It feels weird too." FOX 26 Sports

Houston Rockets, Free Agency, Aaron Brooks 

Sometimes Justin Dentmon wants to strangle his cell phone. But like the rest of us, he can’t live without it. It’s just that so few of us experience the stomach-wrenching anxiety he does with each ring of an incoming call or beep of a text. “I feel like I’m on call every day, I’m waiting every day,” Dentmon said. “Every time Bill [Neff, his agent] calls and leaves a message, I’m thinking that it’s somebody calling for a contract. I’m really just trying to be patient.” But time is running short, on the the NBA season, on that elusive call-up and ultimately on the 6-foot point guard’s NBA dream. “I’m just hoping for that call-up, man,” Dentmon said. “Just the chance, the opportunity.” NBA.com

D-League, Justin Dentmon 

“I just really want to stay here, but playing here it seems like it keeps pushing me away,” Dentmon said. “I’m trying my hardest. Last year, I did a great job of playing the point and this year I’m playing a little bit of both, but it’s just tough, it’s tough.” NBA.com

D-League, Justin Dentmon 

“It all depends on if I’m getting any looks or if get called up this year,” he said. “If I don’t get any call-ups this year, maybe it’s telling me I need to go overseas for a little bit.” NBA.com

D-League, Justin Dentmon 

I think we all understand the basic reasoning for the Rudy Gay trade and that you have more flexibility going forward. But can you explain the reasoning behind the Cleveland trade in the context of the trade that followed? Hollinger: One thing I think a lot of people don’t understand is that we still were facing a potential luxury tax hit even with the Rudy trade we made, because of certain incentive deals in our player contracts. So even though all those little charts on the Web had us $4 million and change into the tax, in reality our potential liability was about $6 million. Because of that, it was inevitable that another deal also had to be made in addition to a Rudy deal. Also, there was a fairly important chess element to this — we were able to improve our leverage in the second deal by being under the tax, because beforehand people were demanding a premium for all the money they’d be saving us. The basketball offers for Rudy got better once we’d done this. NBA.com

Cleveland Cavaliers, Memphis Grizzlies, Trade, Rudy Gay 

Charlotte Bobcats power forward Tyrus Thomas was told not to accompany the team on their four-game West Coast trip by team management. Bobcats president of basketball operations Rod Higgins said Monday the front office felt Thomas’s time was better spent in Charlotte, doing some physical rehabilitation and individual on-court work, rather than be on the road with his team. Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Bobcats, Tyrus Thomas, Rod Higgins 

Allen and Barea got into a near skirmish in the Heat’s 97-81 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves, a moment that surprised just about everyone. The mild-mannered Allen has rarely got into any type of altercation throughout his 17-year career. “It’s uncalled for,” Allen said. “I’ve managed to keep a level head throughout my career. You have your moments where things get heated. When you come down from it, you can say, `That was my fault. I was in a bad situation. I was really frustrated.’ But even in that situation, I wasn’t frustrated. It was just bad judgment, I thought from the other side.” South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, Ray Allen, Jose Juan Barea 

Allen and Barea almost cleared the benches when they nearly got into it with 8 minutes, 9 seconds left in the game. Allen said he was responding to Barea tackling him on a drive. Barea claims he was retaliating to an elbow thrown by Allen earlier. “There was a play where he knocked the ball away and I got it back,” Allen said. “Then he just leveled me. I thought it was uncalled for. There is no place for that in the game." Barea said, “He pushed off, hit me with an elbow close to the neck. Then I gave him a bump back ... I've been playing in the NBA for seven years. I get hit harder than that every night. I don't get up crying. I want to fight." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, Ray Allen, Jose Juan Barea 

Dwight Howard could feel Atlanta forward Josh Smith's pain after Kobe Bryant dunked over him Sunday. The Lakers center reluctantly recalled falling a victim on a similar play in the 2004-05 season with the Orlando Magic. "I was a rookie. It'll never happen again, and he knows that," Howard said. "We don't talk about it." Doesn't Bryant ever try to dunk on him in practice? "I'm pretty sure he wouldn't try," Howard smiled. "He's getting old." Los Angeles Daily News

Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Josh Smith 

Any temptation to look at Tuesday's game in Oklahoma City as a potential 1st round preview? Not for Steve Nash: "I guess (you could)," he said Monday in El Segundo before the Lakers left for OKC. "It's not something I really spend a lot of time thinking about, because I just want to get in. At this point, with all the disappointment, with all the change, all the ups and downs, injuries, and lack of progress for a long stretch of the season, I just want to get in. Just try to find a way to get in, and then we'll worry about who we play." Sulia

Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Steve Nash 

Refusing to be held back, Wilcox pushed on. He heard rumblings of cynicism and was determined to quiet the naysayers. While many were projecting he would be ready to return in November or December, Wilcox didn't think he could wait that long. By that time the season would be underway, and he wanted to be ready for training camp. "It's crazy because I had surgery the end of March, almost like the first of April," he said. "When I got out of the hospital it was April 3 or something like that. April, May, June, July, I had to start back working out four months after my surgery when I wasn't supposed to do anything until probably like six months. So I'm back working out running and I'm not even supposed to." CSNNE.com

Boston Celtics, Chris Wilcox 

He continued, "[The doctors didn't really know what I was doing], but I had to do what I had to do to get back on the court. Nobody knew. The doctor was just like, 'Man, things are coming around so much quicker for you' because I was like, 'I've got to get out of (rehab).'" Wilcox tested his limits. At times his mental strength outlasted his physical endurance. "One time I was working out and I get home and I'm sitting down in the bed and I'm like, damn, I'm hurting, I'm hurting, I'm hurting," he recalled. "I went to the hospital and they told me I had to calm down, chill out, I was doing too much. I had built fluid up around my heart. I had fluid pockets around my heart and my lungs from being out in the weather probably when I wasn't supposed to, working out, just different things. That was probably two and a half months, three months after the surgery. I had to get on a breathing [mechanism] and I had to take medicine to get the fluid pockets down. It's been tough, you know?" CSNNE.com

Boston Celtics, Chris Wilcox 

Last season Wilcox had gelled with Rajon Rondo on the court and proved to be a big man who could run in transition. He also had a tight-knit group of teammates away from the game, which included Rondo, Kevin Garnett, and then-Celtics Marquis Daniels and Keyon Dooling. Wilcox wanted to return to Boston. He couldn't help but wonder if the Celtics would feel the same way. "I think my lowest moment was when I was home in recovery, not knowing if I was going to play again," he said. "I was knowing Jeff (Green) was back playing, but I knew everyone's situation is different. I was like, 'Jeff is young so they might take a chance with (him) and look at me as being the older guy, no chance at all." CSNNE.com

Boston Celtics, Chris Wilcox 

Now as Wilcox once again eyes his first playoff berth, the pain, hustle, and obstacles he experienced over the past year are worth it. When he thinks back to the days when he pushed himself to the limit -- and sometimes far beyond -- he would not have approached his comeback any differently. "Nothing," he said of changes he would have made. "It's a grind and I knew this is what I wanted. If this is what I wanted, I knew I had to work for it. I had to do whatever it took to get back out here." CSNNE.com

Boston Celtics, Chris Wilcox 

But while Williams appreciates where he has landed, he doesn’t for a minute want to take his foot off the gas pedal now that he’s driving in the proper direction. “It’s a comfort level, but I don’t want to be too comfortable,” he said yesterday before practice and a flight to Philadelphia. “At the end of the day, my ultimate goal is not reached. I have the satisfaction that I have some type of security in my mind, but I still have to work every day. “It’s definitely a load off to know that in the summer you know who you’re working for. You’re not thinking about trying to find a team or thinking about overseas or anything like that. You know who you’re working for.” Boston Herald

Boston Celtics, Terrence Williams 

Hunter said his comment last week that forward Michael Beasley doesn’t respond well to a coach yelling at him shouldn’t be misconstrued as a referendum on Beasley’s toughness. “It’s just like raising kids,” Hunter said. “One kid you may be able to raise your voice with, the other kid if you raise your voice they break down and cry.” Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Michael Beasley, Lindsey Hunter 

But how does Beasley then handle things not going well on the floor? “Nobody is yelling at him on the court,” Hunter said. “I know a lot of kids that thrive on the basketball court but can’t take a coach yelling at them. It’s just the way some personalities are. As a coach I have to recognize that and get the best out of the kid. I have to coach him in a way that he’s receptive to.” Arizona Republic

Phoenix Suns, Michael Beasley, Lindsey Hunter 

Anthony (season-low six points in just 14:15) has missed seven games this season (six by injury, one via NBA suspension). He said his knee bothered him yesterday but he tried to play. Coach Mike Woodson knew something was amiss. “One time he wanted to come out so obviously it was bothering him,” said Woodson, who added there will be more evaluations today. “He never asks to come out of the game.” “Before the game,” Anthony said, “ I felt like I was dragging my right leg and then that one particular possession I didn’t really have the control that I wanted to … and I kind of tripped over my other leg.” New York Post

New York Knicks, Carmelo Anthony, Injuries 

On Monday, Howland didn't step back from those comments, but he did admit to having some regret about how he handled the situation, given the fact that he hadn't talked to Muhammad about his draft stock. "I'm sometimes too honest because it would have been better to have answered that question differently the other day because I've never discussed it with Shabazz," Howland said. "It's just kind of obvious when a kid is a lottery pick that they're going to be going to the NBA in this day and age." Orange County Register

Los Angeles Lakers, Draft, Dwight Howard, Shabazz Muhammad 

Muhammad is almost certain to be drafted in the lottery and could even be taken with a pick as high as the top five. That sort of buzz, according to Howland, should probably convince any player to declare for the draft. "It’s incumbent upon me as the coach here, if a kid is a top ten pick, to encourage him to do the right thing for him and his family," Howland said. "And in my opinion, almost without question, if someone is a lottery pick, he should go to the NBA." Orange County Register

Draft, Shabazz Muhammad 

The NHL is borrowing a page from the NBA with the draft lottery. The NHL announced Monday that all 14 teams that miss the playoffs, or the teams that hold the rights to the top 14 picks, will be eligible to win the No. 1 draft pick when the lottery is held April 29. Under the previous system, the five teams with the fewest points had the opportunity to win the top selection since no team could move up more than four spots. St. Petersburg Times

Draft, NHL 

How does your approach to analytics as a team executive differ from your approach as a writer? John Hollinger: The biggest change is that I’m looking at everything through this more narrow lens of “how does this impact the Memphis Grizzlies?” That means I’m probably looking at certain players much more closely and all but ignoring some national stories that I’d be discussing nearly every day in my former gig (like one that rhymes with “Spakers,” for instance), and it means I’m paying a lot more attention to non-NBA stuff (college, Europe, etc.) because that’s the pipeline for incoming players. As a writer I had the luxury of waiting until those guys got to the league if I so chose. NBA.com

Memphis Grizzlies, Media, John Hollinger 

Johnson also announced that former Kings great Mitch Richmond would join the local ownership group and that the city’s proposal would include an option to return WNBA basketball to Sacramento. Sources close to the situation told PBT that the framework of the offer delivered to the NBA on Friday was very close to Seattle’s $341 million offer for a controlling 65 percent interest in the club. NBA spokesman Tim Frank confirmed delivery of the offer on Friday, the day of the deadline. NBCSports.com

Sacramento Kings, Seattle SuperSonics, Tim Frank, Kevin Johnson, Mitch Richmond 

Sources do not expect the Maloof family to push back on the league’s decision to back either Sacramento or Seattle, citing the prohibitive costs of an antitrust lawsuit, and the potential for the family to lose a chance to cash out in Sacramento or Seattle. The issue of market comparisons between Sacramento and Seattle is cloudy, but sources expect Sacramento to be competitive in that area because it has one major sports team in their No. 20 TV market, while Seattle could have six major sports teams in its No. 12 TV market. We will cover this in a bit more detail later in the next few weeks. NBCSports.com

Sacramento Kings, Seattle SuperSonics, Joe Maloof, Gavin Maloof 

If a showdown comes to the owners’ deciding vote, some sources hinted at a scenario in which the league tells the Hansen group that they’re going to choose Sacramento – allowing the Hansen group to bow out gracefully and avoid a divisive ownership vote. Should the league favor Sacramento, sources say the work the city has done to fight for its team and the narrative it will give the league to sell to future cities in arena negotiations will have played a critical role in the NBA’s decision-making process. NBCSports.com

Sacramento Kings, Seattle SuperSonics 

In speaking about Hunter, Stackhouse said, “We’re basketball players, we’ve trusted people to handle situations for us, and that was abused…Guys are on different teams in different cities, and nobody’s able to be on the day-to-day with the union, and that was taken advantage of.” Stackhouse will have a key role in deciding who will replace Hunter. “We have to go out and hire a search firm to find the brightest minds. We have to find an executive director eventually. We need to put a face to our union. For now, there are plenty of lawyers dealing with things, said Stackhouse.” BrooklynFans.com

Brooklyn Nets, Billy Hunter, Jerry Stackhouse, NBPA 

He said that, ideally, the executive director should be someone removed from playing, with knowledge of the sport, to lead the NBPA in the future. One thing Stackhouse emphasized is the role the players need to play, “We have to be more in tune with what’s going on.” BrooklynFans.com

Brooklyn Nets, Billy Hunter, Jerry Stackhouse, NBPA 

The Boston Celtics signed Shavlik Randolph to a 10-day contract because they needed another big man in their front court. If they ever need an entertainer, they now have one of those as well. "I love playing the piano," Randolph enthusiastically told CSNNE.com. "I love playing the piano and I do a mean Michael Jackson impression dancing." CSNNE.com

Boston Celtics, Shavlik Randolph, Michael Jackson 
 
 

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