All Is Quiet
RedsArmy.com - The Voice Of Celtics Fans — ... the Celtics are taking a very Patriots-like approach… which we can all appreciate.  As much as it sucked to see Adam Vinatieri go… it was the right move.  Also out there… Scott Souza tells us about Bill Walker’s positive outlook.  Marc Spears wonders if the Spurs golden age is over.  ESPN is really looking ahead… to the 2008 free agent class…and 2009 and 2010 too. And there is a bit of a controversy ...

A Leap Into The Future...
The Cowhide Globe — ... As an NBA fan, we've heard numerous rumors about how NBA teams are moving and posturing for the Free Agent Market of 2010. Up to 14 or 15 teams are rearranging their rosters in order to have the necessary cap space for 2010. That's the magical year! The list of potential-available free agents for that year is endless. LeBron, DWade, Dirk, Rip, Kobe Amare, Bosh and McGrady could all be available for the picking in 2010, among many others. ...

The Fundamentals
BallerBlogger.com — ... :  2008 NBA Free Agent List ESPN :  “Those who have been observing as the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks, among others, maneuver to create salary cap space have already heard about “the Summer of LeBron.” That’s 2010, the year that LeBron James can opt out of his contract with the Cavs.  But the offseason of 2010 is not just the Summer of LeBron: It’s also the Summer of Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Ray Allen, Tyson Chandler, Manu Ginobili, Richard Jefferson, Joe Johnson, Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki and ...

Salary Cap FAQs: 2008 Edition
CelticsBlog — ... , although it has yet to be updated. Potential 2009 and 2010 free agents can be found here . 7) Do teams have the right to match offers given to their free agents? Generally not. The only time a team has the right to match an offer sheet given to a player is if that player is a "restricted" free agent. Essentially, a player is a restricted free agent after four years on a rookie deal for first rounders, and for all others players who are entering free agency in their first three seasons. Under those circumstances, a team has a right to match offers to its restricted free ...

Salary Cap Announced, Musings Follow
Hoopinion — ... seventh or eighth seed in the East. There are only three guys on the roster you'd want to sign to another contract: Smith, Childress, and Horford. I still say go ahead and sign Smith and Childress (barring a great sign-and-trade offer for either), budget money to extend Horford in 2 years, and shop everybody else for whatever assets you can acquire to allow yourself flexibility in building a team around your three key young players through the 2009 Draft and the next two free agent classes. I don't fear the Hawks missing the ...

Breaking down Bogut's extension
Brew Hoop — ... And as Dan further notes, the real danger might have been low-balling Bogut and risking the chance that he simply takes the qualifying offer in 09/10 ($8.2 million) and becomes an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2010.  That summer is likely to be a free agent bonanza in which Bogut would make a desirable consolation prize for teams who strike out on LeBron, Wade, Bosh, etc. ...

Marcus Camby Joins the Clippers: Cool… I Guess
SportsHubLA — ... , (the Clips have similar players and the Warriors want to keep both). From there, the impact guy pickings run even slimmer. [image] But keep in mind, there is life beyond this upcoming season. Should the Clips have sat on the extra dough and thrown it at somebody on the market in the ‘09 summer ? That’s what I wondered, but I was again skeptical of a perfect fit waiting in the wings after checking out some names available: ...

The Financial Ramifications of Trading Marcus Camby
Pickaxe And Roll — ... Keep in mind, they do not have to use the entire exception to acquire a good player.  They could bring in a Tyrus Thomas, Anderson Varejao, Shane Battier, Udonis Haslem, Mo Williams or Leandro Barbosa by using only a portion of the trade exception. The Nuggets could also be players in sign and trade deals for any of the 2009 free agent class. ...

Oh Danny Boy…
WaitingForNextYear — ... be a player in the free agent market next summer. The only way to do that is to see who is available next summer. So next up, Rick will take you all through next summer’s free agent market… Playing The Market If the Cavs do not make a move they would find themselves with $35 million in expiring contracts. The current Cavs still around would be LeBron, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Ben Wallace, Daniel Gibson, J.J. Hickson, and possibly Delonte West. What players could be available that summer? Here’s the list . Now, obviously the Cavs couldn’t just pick whoever they wanted off this ...

2009
Canis Hoopus — ... Manu, Nash, Chandler, and McGrady.  The prevailing buzz around Wolves Fandom is that Our Beloved Puppies are setting the stage for a big run at the stars in 2010.  There are two problems with this line of thinking: first, we live in the frozen tundra; second, the Wolves would be much better served to make their free agent run in 2009, as their competition will not be quite as stiff as it will be the following year.  Let's start by taking a quick look at the 2009 free agent market. The 2 big names of the 2009 market are already off the books: Deron ...

Joe Dumars Strikes Again
ESPN.com - TrueHoop — ... Feast your eyes on this list of players who will be available. 2010 free agents include LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Ray Allen, Tyson Chandler, Manu Ginobili, Richard Jefferson, Joe Johnson, Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Redd. ...

Allen Iverson Coming Back East - Traded to Detroit for Billups & McDyess
Recliner GM — ... The question I have is what impact player is Joe Dumars going to target with his new cap space?  Overall the 2009 free agent class sucks.  The big prize obviously being Kobe Bryant IF he uses his early termination option.  But my money would be on Dumar trying to lure Carlos Boozer (player option) away from Utah this summer.  If not maybe he is planning for 2010 like every GM in the NBA.  But I can’t believe he is simply going forward with a youth movement. ...

Allen Iverson traded to the Detroit Pistons and the salary cap ramifications
Full-Court Press — ... it to around 40 million. So If Dumars let Allen Iverson walk after this season, renouncing his Bird Rights, along with Rasheed Wallace, the Pistons(depending on what the salary cap is set at next season) would have around 20 million dollars in cap space. If Rip Hamilton chose to opt out and was also renounced, the figure could climb as high as 33 million. Of course losing talents like Allen Iverson, Rasheed Wallace and Rip Hamilton would be devastating without proper replacements. So who is available in the summer of 2009 for Joe Dumars to try and lure to Detroit ? ...

Linkz of the Week: May Your Hotdogs Fly As High As Your Dreams
BostonsportZ — ... from the contracts that are scheduled to run up. Lebron, Wade, Bosh, Allen, Pierce, Joe Johnson, Dirk Nowitzki, Kenyon Martin, Rasheed, Iverson, Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, TJ Ford, Marcus Camby, Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Like half the Knicks roster, Steve Nash, Shaq, Amare Stoudemire, Manu Ginobli, and, of course, Mark Blount are all unrestricted free agents (some the result of team or player options that might not get exercised, though) in just the next two years. Here's the full list of free agents, restricted and unrestricted for the next two years and here's ...

Bracing for 2010; Lebron James Contract Facts
Cleveland Cavaliers News — ... (ESPN 7/1/2008) - Free Agents: 2009 and 2010 (ESPN: 11/10/2008)

Monday Bolts - 12.1.08
The Thunderworld — ... Start looking over this list and begin coveting players for the upcoming offseason: Among the interesting players - Ben Gordon (Chicago), Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Cleveland), Jason Kidd (Dallas), Allen Iverson and Rasheed Wallace (Detroit), Carlos Boozer (Utah). ...

My Growing Infatuation With Carlos Boozer
Sactown Royalty — ... I keep noodling with this idea that we deal Brad Miller with no regard as to what we receive in return, as long as it is expiring contract. I think this because it would make us players in the 2009 free agent market, giving us the jump on the 2010 crowd. ...

Bosh Wants to Leave Toronto: What a Surprise!
Raptors Republic - Raptors Blog ESPN TrueHoop — ... The goal now should be to be at least 40 million under the cap entering this off season’s free agency period. Here are the 2009 NBA free agents. ...

Five questions for the Detroit Pistons in the second half of the season
It's Just Sports — ... year. Unless they get a guy they are targeting either this year or in the 2010 off-season, I can't imagine Dumars making long-term commitments. With Rip and Prince both recently signing extensions, they will try to build around them. But the question then is: 2) Which free agents are the Pistons targeting this off-season? The obvious answer is Chris Bosh in 2010 as Dumars has stocked up on back court players in recent drafts but that doesn't say anything about this upcoming summer. This year's list isn't overwhelming but still contains interesting prospects in Carlos Boozer ...

Morning Links: Antonio McDyess returns to the starting lineup
It's Just Sports — ... this morning. Oh yeah, Facebook us and subscribe to our site. The Will Leitch Experience : That New Yorker cover is a tad embarrassing. MLive : Antonio McDyess is going to start. Not good news for the Free Amir movement. Why not just play Dyess and Sheed 44 minutes each per night? Oakland Press : Someone stole $1 million from a youth hockey club. Lame salad. Detroit Free Press : Someone tell Rosenberg that Carmelo Anthony is not a free agent in 2010. We would, but we are still not speaking to him . Bless You ...

2009 Free Agents
ESPN.com - TrueHoop — A reference as we approach the trade deadline. Teams are doing calculus, comparing trade offers right now with the players they'll be able to get this summer. As you play along at home, here's your handy reference of who will be available the next two summers.

Trail Blazers Free Agents in 2009 and 2010
Blaze of Love — ESPN has this really super-duper-neat list put together for every single NBA team and the free agents they'll have come the 2009 and 2010 off seasons.  I made it easy on you all and pulled the Blazers free agents, but I encourage you to take a look at the rest of the list, especially during the finals hours of this year's trade deadline. ...

Linkage for Feb 18 from 7am to 10pm
Raptors Republic - Raptors Blog ESPN TrueHoop — Linkage for February 18th from 7am to 10pm: Triano ejected for arguing with officials Cavaliers start slow, then dominate Raptors, 93-76 Ilgauskas scores 22 points to lead Cavs to 93-76 win over Raptors LeBron’s Cavaliers spoil welcoming party for Marion Free Agents: 2009 and 2010 The Q, with Toronto Raptors forward Chris Bosh So You’re Telling Me There’s A Chance! Raptors all-star Bosh misses fifth game in a row with knee injury ...

Orlando Magic Acquire Rafer Alston: Statistical and Financial Analysis
Third Quarter Collapse — ... There's another financial benefit. Suppose the Magic find themselves in a great position at this time next year, perhaps with one of the league's best records. Then suppose they believe they're one player away from winning the championship. Then suppose there are trade-asset-laden teams looking to cut salary in anticipation of 2010's absurdly star-studded free-agent pool. The Magic will have Alston's $5.25 million contract to offer, as well as Tony Battie's $6.29 million contract. Hypothetically, they could package them in a blockbuster move, deal them separately ...

Friday Morning Time Wasters: Barry Bonds Is Trying to Keep His Balls Out of Court
Quite to the Contrary — ... I went to bed four hours ago and am still uncertain as to where my car is parked. That’s the last time I start drinking Tequila before 5 p.m. Alston, Hughes, and Thomas. Not the kind of big names I thought I’d be mentioning this morning, but I’ll take it. There are going to be a lot of good free agents on the market the next two summers. Excuse me while I explain to my boss why I smell like a corpse. ...

Toronto Raptors Linkage for February 17th through February 23rd
The AltRaps Blog — ... - The Raptors shot just 37% from the floor on the evening, with nobody aside from Jose Calderon looking to kickstart the offence in a positive manner. With Calderon obviously hampered by his sore right hamstring, the creativity often amounted to Joey Graham taking ill-advised trips to the basket. Usually, those attempts were more wild than productive. Free Agents: 2009 and 2010 - Who's on track to become a free agent in the summers of 2009 and 2010. We've got the lists. ...

Point/Counterpoint: The Pistons would be wise to spend very little money in 2009
It's Just Sports — ... contracts and cap room so that they can take back more salary than they send out in a trade. Sure, this is all just speculation, but it is at least plausible. Memphis gave away Pau Gasol and teams were lining up to give valuable players to Portland for Raef LaFrentz's expring deal at the deadline. But the point is, if the Pistons tie up their cap space this off-season, they lose all flexibility and while they may add a serviceable player or two in 2009, no one they could sign ( just compare the classes ) makes them instant title contenders.

This town needs an enema
RaptorBlog.com — ... altogether giving the Raptors three first-round picks in the draft. Under this plan, the 2009-10 Raptors could have a young, athletic starting lineup of "Stud Rookie PG", Ben Gordon, Joey Graham, Josh Smith and Andrea Bargnani. Would that team lose 50+ games? Most definitely! Would they be much more fun to watch than this sorry bunch? You bet! Going forward, this team would have the cap space to make a splash in the 2010 free agent market (not for LeBron or Wade, obviously, but there are plenty of fine consolation prizes in that group ) or make an unbalanced trade for a star ...

Should I Stay Or Should I Go Now? An Open Letter To James Harden
Fanster.com — ... LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki, Dwayne Wade, Amare Stoudemire and Chris Bosh are all eligible to be free agents in 2010. Playing with any of those players would be far better than joining the ...

Q & A with a Utah Fan!
With Malice - An LA Lakers blog, news and opinions — ... since he's been guarding Gasol a lot (again, see above). He's giving up 3 inches to begin with and he's not much of a shot blocker so his goal is really to keep Gasol as far from the hoop as possible. Despite that, he has averaged 2 steals and 9.5 boards this series. In all honesty, I think there's a 50/50 chance that he opts out, and even if he does, I think it's a safe bet that he re-signs with the Jazz. Teams are not going to want to spend 75-80 million with the free agency summer coming up in 2010. There will be some teams that strike out next summer ...

Miami Heat Eye 2009 Off Season
Miami Sports Generation — ... In essence, our list addresses each of these needs and gives fans an idea of who is available for Miami. Here are the players we chose according to ESPN's 2009-10 free agent list: ...

The season may be over for D-Wade and company, but for Pat Riley the fun is just beginning
Peninsula is Mightier — ... want to sign a 1-year deal so that they can be a part of the craziness that will go down the next year.   Here are some of the UFA’s that will be available this off-season that I feel could help the Heat out (I realize that some may be at positions we have already filled, but bear with me):  Mike Bibby, Ben Gordon, Jason Kidd, Chris Andersen, Anthony Carter, Rasheed Wallace, Ron Artest, Andre Miller, Matt Barnes, Carlos Boozer (player option to opt-out).  For a full list of the free agents from this and next summer, click here.  I ...

Any fan of Rashad McCants’ Twitter pics page had best be a fan of sexually explicit T-shirts
Randball — ... . Seems like a good idea for a restricted free agent . Hey, but what about the “more photos from rashadmccants7″ section? What might we find there. Oh. That’s where we will leave you to do your own investigation. We point you there mostly out of amusement that he would post these on Twitpic. There’s nothing we would consider NSFW in there. But there are probably three of them we wouldn’t wear around town … This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 13th, 2009 at 12:41 pm and is filed under ...

Priority: Big Man
CelticsBlog — ... Obviously, some of those guys are better fits than others, and some aren't realistically obtainable (i.e., Boozer).  A complete list of all free agents can be found here. ...

The Big (Baby) Questions
CelticsBlog — ... If the choice then becomes "use the MLE" or "sign BBD", it's a difficult one.  As mentioned yesterday, there are a variety of quality free agents on the market, including guys like Rasheed Wallace, Shawn Marion, Antonio McDyess, etc.  (The entire list is available here).  Danny Ainge has said he wants to ...

Why The Olympics Are a Pain
RedsArmy.com - The Voice Of Celtics Fans — One thing that's caught my attention in the conference finals (aside from the dramatic finishes and clutch shooting) is that LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are exhausted. LBJ had to be helped off the court after cramping up in Game 1. Kobe looked like he was going to pass out during last night's post game interview. He could barely stand upright. Looking for a reason? Look no further than the Olympics. I'm sure neither of these guys are enjoying their gold medals right now. This is something Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins and Glen Davis should not before making their decisions to train with USA ...

With LeBron a Lock to Become a Knick, Added SVG’s ‘Stache to Elway’s Drive and Jordan’s Shot
The Big Lead — First, the good news: LeBron’s still only 24. And he just had one of the best postseasons in NBA history (35.3 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 7.3 apg). All the lofty, legendary accomplishments - more titles than Kobe, Magic and Larry; as many as Michael - remain well within reach. And now, the bad: Following a bewildering series defeat at the hands of the Orlando Magic, it has become painfully clear that to attain these goals, LeBron James must test the free agent market next summer. Whereas there was a glimmer a hope that a title this year would have kept him in Cleveland for the long haul, a second straight ouster in the Eastern ...

Wyc looking to spend
17Banners.com — The state of the economy and the luxury tax don't seem to matter when it comes to improving the Celtics and getting that 18th banner: Grousbeck also said the stated intentions of Ainge and Rivers to sign a veteran free agent or two this summer are not hollow. The checkbook, he said, will be ...

Celtics' Salary Cap Situation and FAQs: 2009 Edition
CelticsBlog — The time has come for our Third Annual Salary Cap Situation and FAQs.  Here, we look at the state of the Celtics' cap and try to answer everything you ever wanted to know about the collective bargaining agreement.  Without further adieu, here's our current salary table from now until 2013-2014.  Yes, I know it's not terribly helpful right now, but it will be filled in as we fill out our roster. ...

Tony Allen has ankle surgery
17Banners.com — Add Tony Allen to the list of banged up Celtics to have surgery. From the Herald: Boston Celtics guard Tony Allen has had surgery on his right ankle and leg. The team says he’s expected to recover from the surgery, performed Wednesday, in time for training camp this ...

Lopsided Trades
Blazersedge — If you listened to Kevin Pritchard's podcast interview with John Canzano, you were treated to a lot of KP-speak and a new favorite buzzword: "lopsided trade." What is a Lopsided Trade A lopsided trade occurs when at least one of the participating teams is significantly under the salary cap and ...

Going Big with the MLE
Posting and Toasting — Today's big ruckus is about Magic center Marcin Gortat, who will likely depart Dwight Howard's shadow this summer for greener pa$tures. Everybody knows the Knicks need frontcourt help, and the Post has the scoop on the possibility of Donnie Walsh using his mid-level exception on Gortat. The Knicks had no interior defensive presence, and that's Gortat's strength. He also blocks shots and rebounds. (The Knicks were last in blocked shots the past two years). The Polish big man originally was drafted by coach Mike D'Antoni's Suns in the second round of 2005, but they traded his rights. Gortat probably ...

2009 Free Agent List
Denver Stiffs — More photos » by Jack Dempsey - AP George Karl and the Nuggets front office should have plenty of players to talk with this offseason. ...

A Dud to End the NBA Season, and We Don’t Mean the Painfully Awkward Joey Buss Interview
The Big Lead — Let the record state: NBA team of the 80s - Lakers (five championships) NBA team of the 90s - Bulls (six championships) NBA team of the 00s - Lakers (four championships) To ABC’s Mark Jackson, who struggled throughout the finals with mundane observations and far too many cliches: The Lakers are far from a lock to return to this spot next year. JVG bailed him out with a reminder that Ariza and Odom are free agents. Too bard Barkley wasn’t there to opine that Phil Jackson’s leaving the building with his 10th ...

2009 Free Agents Who Would Get 20+ minutes a Night Playing For Minnesota
Hoops and Other Pop Culture — I took the entire list from here: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=freeagents-09-10. I thought Andrew Bynum was a free agent, but he is not on the list. Here is the Minnesota roster: http://hoopshype.com/salaries/minnesota.htm I gotta imagine that Shelden Williams and Bobby Brown and Rodney Carney are all gone (Brown's deal is listed at $700K guaranteed, but that is something you eat -- he sucked as a Wolf). Madsen MUST be encouraged to retire and become a coach or announcer. Why spend $3MM again on a guy who will log, what? 500 minutes during the year? If you could somehow swing a 3 for 1 deal (Zach ...

Ben Gordon to the Pistons?
Tremendous Upside Potential — Let's get this out of the way before the game starts... News of morning or fraud? Sam Smith says Ben Gordon has a promise from the Pistons that would pay him $11 million annually. Some are calling BS on this - free agency doesn't officially start until July 1, a few days after the draft - but I think it could be legit. The Pistons have $23 million of cap space thanks to the Chauncey Billups-Iverson swap that everyone had a field day bashing. Well this is their reward. It makes sense that they would want two impact guys, and there just aren't that many in this free agent class. Take a look at the list of ...

2009 Free Agent Outlook
The Human Highlight Blog — As free agency approaches, the natural inclination is that everybody else's refuse is our treasure. We look at the warts on the players on our roster and wonder how great it would be if some team would make a deal with us? The HHB wanted to take as honest a look with what limited statistical knowledge we have (thanks to Basketball Reference) and see if the grass was truly greener on the other teams via the free agency route. From what we could gather from ESPN ...

The Lakers and Free Agency: Your Question of the Day
Lakers Blog — The fun begins late tomorrow night, as the NBA's free agent free for all officially kicks off.  Here's the list of guys who will or could be on the market.  LA's priority is bringing back Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza .  Which leads to today's Question of the Day : Is there anyone on the list linked above you'd choose instead of Ariza or Odom?  The big names are guys like Jason Kidd, Rasheed Wallace, Ben Gordon, Chris Andersen, Ron Artest, Andre Miller, Shawn Marion , (presumably) Carlos Boozer , and Morris Almond .  Okay, maybe not him.  But I love the name. Don't ...

NBA Free Agency: Party Like It's '09
Outside the Boxscore — ... A quick update, before we get into the list. The teams with the most cap space are the Memphis Grizzlies, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Portland Trailblazers, and the Detroit Pistons. The teams with potentially the most players to lose to free-agency are the Lakers, Utah Jazz, and Pistons. Do the math, Detroit stands the change the most significantly this summer. You can check out ESPN's list to see all the players eligible this summer and next. It's been pointed out that big name teams are positioning to have loads of cap space next summer. Therefore, for smaller market ...

Welcome to NBA free agency
Bright Side Of The Sun — With the NBA free agency about to kick off on July 1st, we can expect a lot of activity over the next few days as players opt out and teams exercise their options. Mostly though, we will see a lot of movement of some big name players and perhaps even more impactful will be which young up-and-comer signs where. There is rightly a lot of discussion about next year's free agent period dubbed "The Summer of LeBron" but don't go to sleep on who's available now. Before we get into specific players and the Suns salary situation, lets first have a quick primer on some free agency basics.   Free agency period, salary ...

2009 Free Agency Watch
Basketball Fiend — Lamar Odom headlines the free agent class of 2009. The 2009 NBA offseason is going to be crazy. Though we’re still a year away from the LeBron James Sweepstakes, free agency is going to be wild this summer. Why? Because there are some key free agents on the market with the potential to be difference-makers for championship-contending franchises. Lamar Odom, Carlos Boozer, Ron Artest, Trevor Ariza, and Hedo Turkoglu. Just to name a few. These are players with the potential to take a team to the next level, so, as you can imagine, there will be aggressive bidding wars taking place for their service. Granted, it’s not the richest of free agent markets, but ...

Bring Back Jason Kidd to the Bay! ...Why not?
Golden State Of Mind — ... As I was looking at a current list of free agents this offseason, I saw great players pop up like Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur, Leon Powe, Ben Gordon, Joe Smith (I kid, I kid), Chris "Birdman" Andersen, Ron Artest, Lamar Odom, David Lee, Nate Robinson, Matt Barnes, Ike Diogu (I joke, I joke), Shawn Marion...the list goes on.  ...

The Denver Nuggets, NBA Free Agency and You
Roundball Mining Company - Denver Nuggets Blog — With the 2009 NBA meat market known as free agency kicking off tonight at midnight eastern time we need to once again interrupt our individual player evaluations to look at what kind of options are out there for the Nuggets. Before we get started, familiarize yourself with who is available with this team by team list of free agents. A quick look at the Nuggets’ finances shows that they are already over the projected luxury tax limit of $70-71 million with the contracts of Kenyon Martin, Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Nene, J.R. Smith, ...

NBA Free Agency: Bryant, Boozer, and Daryl Morey's Polish Plea
Outside the Boxscore — ... As the dust settles, I'll update this post with where free agents are moving (or staying) and a bit about how it went down. I'll repost Wednesdays with the week's banner players entitled. Until a player's destination is determined, they will be marked TBD (to be determined). Players who are restricted free agents or are only suspected to be moving through trades will be demarcated as such. There are a few other names floating (again, you can check ESPN's list), but for simplicity's sake we'll stick to these 30. Stay tuned. ...

Finding A Big Man For The Washington Wizards
Truth About It - Washington Wizards Blog — I was on a break outside the other day, catching some fresh Penn Quarter air, taking a stroll around Freedom Plaza, when this little kid came up to me, and said, “Hey Mister … don’t you know that the Wizards need another big man? Haywood, Jamison, Blatche, McGee, and McGuire aren’t going to cut it.” “Easy lil’ fella,” I told him. “We’ll keep looking around to see if we can add someone else, but we feel comfortable about what we have currently and the depth of our ballclub.” The kid then kicked me in the shin and ran ...

NBA Free Agency After 2 Days: Artest, BG & CV31, Gortat, and Ariza
Outside the Boxscore — ... On to the list. New developments appear below in red. Just to reiterate: until a player's destination is determined, they will be marked TBD (to be determined). Players who are restricted free agents or are only suspected to be moving through trades will be demarcated as such. There are a few other names floating (again, you can check ESPN's list), but for simplicity's sake we'll stick to these 30. I'm leaving a few of these as simply "verbal agreements" because sometimes those get reneged in the face of better offers. Stay tuned! ...

Which Free Agents Should the Bobcats Target?
Rufus on Fire — More photos » by Jack Dempsey - AP about 1 month ago: Denver Nuggets guard Anthony Carter passes the ball around Los Angeles Lakers ...

Should the Kings Even Be Thinking About 2010?
Sactown Royalty — (From the FanPosts. - TZ) It's a relevant question isn't it?  The summer of 2010 (otherwise known as the summer of James, Bosh, and Wade) has everyone in the sports world nervously tapping their knees in anticipation.  But what about our team?  Is part of Geoff Petrie's master plan to rebuild going to involve this vaunted free-agent market? Let's take a look. First lets take a look at how much space we should have available in 2010, as of now. Using sroufe's wonderful Post-Draft Salaries chart we see the Kings have about $43.5 Million available. If they don't give Sergio ...

Top 10 International NBA Free Agents (2009)
N/A — With Hedo Türkoğlu ready to sign on the dotted line with the Toronto Raptors tomorrow July 8th, there isn’t much left as far as international NBA free agents. Interbasket scanned the list of remaining foreign-born free agents and came up with our top ten international free agents, both restricted and unrestricted. 1. Linas Kleiza, Lithuania (r) - With Denver trying to re-sign the Birdman, Chris Andersen, the Nuggets may not have enough money in the tank to keep the restricted Kleiza from walking away without going into the luxury tax.  Kleiza’s ability to run the ...

Remembering the Free Agent Madness of '96
Posting and Toasting — I was 7 years old in the summer of 1996. I remember when the Knicks signed traded for Larry Johnson and signed Allan Houston, but I don't have much memory of the context. I've been doing a little research, though, and have turned up some artifacts of what ended up being a wild few months of free agency. Those of you who were fully past wetting the bed in '96 likely remember the scenario. Many of the league's superstars were up for new contracts: MJ, Shaq, Payton, Juwan Howard, Tim Hardaway, Alonzo Mourning, Steve Smith...the list goes on and on. Mike Wise's excellent article from the June 30, 1996 NY Times ...

Best of the Rest or Delonte West?
RedsArmy.com - The Voice Of Celtics Fans — The Celtics made a big splash by signing Rasheed Wallace, but haven't done squat since. They unsuccessfully tried to lure Grant Hill to Boston, but he'd rather play for a mediocre team than chase a title. Aside from money spent to match an offer to Glen Davis, the Celtics have $1.3 million and $1.9 million salary slots available. Their most pressing needs remain a backup wing player and backup point guard. Here's a look at who is still available at those positions (in no particular order): Ronald "Flip" Murray Stephon Marbury (I'm still holding out ...

Identifying Potential Late Season Pickups
Bullets Forever — More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP Though he didn't help them to a championship, Joe Smith was a great late season addition for the Cavs last season after having his contract ...

Daniels is great... now what's next?
RedsArmy.com - The Voice Of Celtics Fans — Reading through the comments here and elsewhere, I think Celtics fans are universally psyched about Marquis Daniels.  One of the best parts about the deal is the potential for a sign and trade involving Tony Allen and Brian Scalabrine.  Scal makes $3.4 million and TA makes $2.5... which conveniently add up to the mid-level exception type of money Daniels is looking for.  The Pacers, in exchange, get 2 serviceable players with expiring deals that they can ditch after one season... but who won't totally embarrass them this year. So that would be a good deal... but then what?  There's still business to be ...

What the Cavaliers Really Need in Free Agency
WaitingForNextYear — ... - 12.1 mpg (71 gms), 3.0 pts, 0.6 ast, 1.1 reb on 33% fg These are not the traditionally attractive names that jump out to you in a free agent market , but they fill a much more vital need on the Cavaliers looking forward to the 2009-2010 season than does another stretch forward. The minutes used in the forward position already looks pretty full, and unless Cleveland makes some drastic move in a sign-and-trade for a substantial piece such as ...

Expectations and Frustrations
BobcatsPlanet.com — I'm thinking of my Mom yelling from the other side of the kitchen: "Close the refrigerator door.  If you don't know what you want then obviously you aren't hungry!" This seems to be the thought process over at 333 East Trade these days.  "We just don't know what we want.  But we want something!" We all thought it was Allen Iverson last week, but we didn't really want him.  Brandon Bass, Rasheed Wallace, SideShow Bob, all off the table.  Who knows?  I don't.  I can't think about it anymore.  But I have to try. I just read that some teams are waiting to see where the big names fall.  Lamar Odom isn't coming here.  Carlos Boozer isn't either.  It's pretty ...

Rockets Fans : What do you want Morey to do next?
The Dream Shake — We've had a lot of posts about possible trades, FA signings and draft options for the future, let's consolidate them here unless something huge comes up: One of the Rockets weaknesses was just tightened up with the acquisition and signing of David Andersen.  At the beginning of the off-season that was clearly a need and a want, and in the middle of the off-season it was a necessity with the Yao news.  Now that Morey has that squared away, what's his next step? There is always the possibility that the team is set and training camp will sort out who makes the 15 man roster, who goes to the D league and who gets ...

A Look at the Orlando Magic's Third-String Point Guard Options
Third Quarter Collapse — More photos » by Steve Yeater - AP Browse more photos » The Orlando Magic's search for a third-string point guard continues in earnest. The team must ...

Ten Summer Stories to Watch
ESPN.com - TrueHoop — ... than a year ago. At the same time, dozens of draftees and imported free agents (everyone from David Andersen with the Rockets to new Bull Jannero Pargo) have already filled roster spots. As of this morning there are 381 signed players. If every team sticks to a roster of 13, just 24 more will get contracts. (As many as 71 could get jobs -- that would put every roster at the maximum 15). Meanwhile Chad Ford lists 40 notable free agents, from David Lee to Morris Almond. The full list is at 70. Do the math. Forced retirement is a quiet reality ...

The NBA, where forced retirement happens
It's Just Sports — ... and imported free agents (everyone from David Andersen with the Rockets to new Bull Jannero Pargo) have already filled roster spots. As of this morning there are 381 signed players. If every team sticks to a roster of 13, just 24 more will get contracts. (As many as 71 could get jobs -- that would put every roster at the maximum 15). . No league is harder to break into than the NBA. Some of the names of serviceable players who may not have jobs when the season starts (here's the full list ): Flip Murray, Joe Smith, Von Wafer, Brian Skinner, Luther Head, Rodney Carney, Sean ...

Off-Day Open Thread: the Orlando Magic's Roster Appears to be Complete
Third Quarter Collapse — After re-signing third-string center Adonal Foyle yesterday, the Orlando Magic are likely finished making moves this summer. Foyle brings their roster to 13 players, the NBA's minimum, and it's highly unlikely that the Magic sign anyone else--even for the minimum salary, as Foyle and Jason Williams took--given how much money they've already taken on this summer. Barring a training-camp invitee's blowing everyone away in the preseason, this is it. Your 2009/2010 Orlando Magic, presented in the form of a depth chart. ...

The Offseason: Wrap It Up
Canis Hoopus — Contrary to what the title might suggest, this isn't an offseason wrap-up. It's actually a preview to the end of the Wolves' offseason. Confusing? Well, consider the blurb Sid Hartman had at the Star Tribune (thanks to Sonia at TWolves Blog): "Now that I'm back, what will [sic] be doing over the next few days is try to assemble or finish the roster," [David] Kahn said. "There is still a lot of very fine players [sic] out there that are free agents, and now we want to address some of our needs, now that the [Ricky] Rubio situation has resolved itself, at least for the next couple years. I ...