HoopsHype.com Rumors

Charlotte Bobcats power forward Tyrus Thomas woke up in Houston this morning with a sore knee and missed shootaround. Whether he plays tonight will be a game-time decision, according to the team. Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Bobcats, Tyrus Thomas, Injuries 

The Bobcats said post-game that Thomas has been medically cleared for a full-contact pratice Tuesday. If that goes well, he'll be activated (either Wednesday against the Bulls or Friday against the Blazers). Silas will be happy to have him back, particularly as a shotblocker. I wouldn't have a problem with Silas starting Thomas, considering Diaw's performance, but I think some of you get ahead of yourselves: Thomas has a wealth of talent, but he needs to play under control. Kind of like that running back who rushes into the hole so fast he never gets to make a fake. Still, I'm glad he's here. Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Bobcats, Tyrus Thomas 

The Bobcats just lost Tyrus Thomas for eight weeks (I had precisely the meniscus injury Thomas has, and while Glenn Perry is a marvelous doctor, there’s only so much you can do to speed that recovery time. So don’t assume Thomas will be back sooner). The problem isn’t just Thomas’ value to the Charlotte Bobcats. It’s how poorly structured the Bobcats are to compensate for his loss. Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Bobcats, Tyrus Thomas, Injuries 

Charlotte Bobcats forward Tyrus Thomas has been suspended by the NBA for today's game in Philadelphia, in response to the elbow Thomas threw at New Orleans Hornets center Emeka Okafor Saturday. Charlotte Observer

New Orleans Hornets, Philadelphia 76ers, Emeka Okafor, Tyrus Thomas 

Thomas caught New Orleans Hornets center Emeka Okafor in the face with an elbow late in Saturday’s loss. He was assessed a flagrant foul, penalty two (the harsher penalty) and was ejected from the game. “It’s unfortunate he’s not going to be here, but he has to learn from it,’’ said Silas, who lost his top reserve. “If he does that, then it’s all worthwhile.’’ Charlotte Observer

New Orleans Hornets, Philadelphia 76ers, Emeka Okafor, Tyrus Thomas 

That MRI showed no damage, so whether Jackson plays Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves is about his pain level. The team planned to drain fluid from Jackson's knee, which should give him quick relief from the discomfort he's feeling. Otherwise... Gerald Wallace (ankle) and Nazr Mohammed (knee bruise) are both expected to miss the Timberwolves game. Also, Tyrus Thomas missed practice Tuesday with tendinitis in his right knee, but is expected to play in Minnesota. Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Bobcats, Gerald Wallace, Tyrus Thomas, Nazr Mohammed, Stephen Jackson, Injuries 

Of those, Thomas is least likely to be dealt; the Bobcats are high on his prospects and his new contract makes him a base-year compensation player, an impediment to most trades. Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Bobcats, Trade, Gerald Wallace, Tyrus Thomas, Stephen Jackson 

In case you were wondering why Tyrus Thomas didn’t play late, he suffered a left quadriceps injury that gave him a scare. But an examination suggested this is likely nothing serious. Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Bobcats, Tyrus Thomas, Injuries 

Al Iannazzone: The Nets' interest helped Rudy Gay get his deal; they also helped Carlos Boozer and Tyrus Thomas get a little something extra. Twitter

New Jersey Nets, Rudy Gay, Carlos Boozer, Tyrus Thomas 

Brown has been known to joke that Tyrus Thomas is his new Rasheed Wallace. By that Brown means he'll live with Thomas' quirks if in the balance he can develop all that talent. Case-in-point about Thomas' quirky, but intense, personality: Augustin overthrew him on a lob pass, and Thomas was a bit too emphatic in his reaction. But Thomas had the good sense on the way back downcourt to give Augustin a little hug that said, ''Didn't mean to overreact.'' Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Bobcats, Tyrus Thomas 

Speaking of Thomas, one of the neat things about his athleticism is how long he can hang in the air. He almost hovers at the top of his leap, which means he doesn't need perfect timing to block shots. He had a heck of a block in the post of an Antoine Walker jump hook. Jump hooks are generally the toughest shots to block. Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Bobcats, Tyrus Thomas 

Power forward Tyrus Thomas looks in tremendous shape; looks like he's trimmed any spare weight over the summer (not that he ever looked chunky). Thomas made the best play I saw Wednesday, a look-away, one-handed pass out of the post to Walker, setting up an easy driving layup. Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Bobcats, Tyrus Thomas 

Wishful thinking. Rich Cho has better options, such as prying Charlotte's protected first rounder that went to the Bulls in the Tyrus Thomas deal. Fernandez certainly would be open to playing in Chicago next to a great point guard in Derrick Rose. Newsday

Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers, Trade, Rudy Fernandez, Tyrus Thomas, Rich Cho 

Tyrus Thomas has listed for sale a three-bedroom, 3.5-bath townhome at 32 Wellesley Circle in Northbrook for $499,900. Thomas bought the property in the Ivy Club of Northbrook subdivision for $598,000 in Jan. 2007 from fellow NBA player Jannero Pargo. The 2,426- square-foot townhome is part the Ivy Club of Northbrook development, which was built in 1998 in North Northbrook. Barry Newman of Century 21 M.B. Real Estate is the agent for the listing. BlockShopper.com

Charlotte Bobcats, Tyrus Thomas 

Tyrus Thomas made it official Monday, signing his five-year, $40 million contract. Nice quote from Thomas, explaining why he so quickly developed chemistry with coach Larry Brown: "He lets me be me and he is him, and there are no smoke screens between us.'' Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Bobcats, Free Agency, Tyrus Thomas 

The Charlotte Bobcats have reached agreement with free-agent forward Tyrus Thomas on a five-year, $40 million contract, a league source told Y! Sports. Thomas’ agent Brian Elfus had serious talks with the New Jersey Nets, but his client ultimately decided to return to the Bobcats with the $8 million -a-year offer. New Jersey feared Charlotte would’ve tied up the Nets in free agency for the seven-day period in which the Bobcats could match the offer sheet. Yahoo! Sports

Charlotte Bobcats, New Jersey Nets, Free Agency, Tyrus Thomas 

And just like that, Tyrus Thomas gets a five-year, $40 million contract from the Bobcats, with a 17.5 percent bonus up front. That means his first-year salary is $12 million, a chatty agent tells us. Nice work if you can get it. So the Nets are back to playing the field to find a power forward, mindful that their pursuit of Thomas was dubious at best – he is simply not close to being worth $40 million. Newark Star-Ledger

Charlotte Bobcats, Free Agency, Tyrus Thomas 

They backed out this morning – presumably – because it took this long to convince Avery Johnson that it would be a foolhardy investment: Face it, this kid had problems with Scott Skiles, he would have had some problems with A.J. The only reason a kinder, gentler, more nurturing Larry Brown got three good months out of him was by saying, “You’re three months away from the end of your NBA career – Chicago wasn’t going to pick up your option, they traded you here for a backup two-guard, and we’re not going to pick up your option either unless you shape up and grow up.” Newark Star-Ledger

New Jersey Nets, Free Agency, Avery Johnson, Tyrus Thomas 

Prepare for the possibility the New Jersey Nets sign power forward Tyrus Thomas to a front-loaded offer sheet that could make the Charlotte Bobcats blink. The Nets lost out on the big-name free agents and still have a ton of cap room. They were quite generous in their offer to small forward Travis Outlaw (five years and $35 million) and feel they need a ready-to-play power forward, so as not to depend right away on rookie Derrick Favors. The Nets have expressed interest in Thomas, the Bobcats' restricted free agent. With the Bobcats determined to avoid the luxury tax, it's conceivable they wouldn't match a front-loaded offer sheet, which would be most expensive the first season, then decrease in value each remaining year of the deal. Charlotte Observer

New Jersey Nets, Free Agency, Tyrus Thomas 

The Nets are not done. There's Thomas, who is the leading candidate for the four spot, a position the Nets want to solidify until the readiness of draft pick Derrick Favors, who Johnson called, "a perennial all-star in the future." New York Post

New Jersey Nets, Free Agency, Derrick Favors, Tyrus Thomas