Greg Oden gets another shot at NBA with Miami Heat
Longer-term, the Lakers’ rebuilding plans will depend in part on how willing they are to pay the NBA’s increasingly punishing taxes on teams carrying big payrolls. Each year the NBA sets a spending limit that triggers the luxury tax. In eight of the last 10 seasons, the Lakers have willingly crossed that line. The penalty has been a dollar-for-dollar tax, costing the Lakers a cumulative $113.7 million since the 2002-03 season. Last season the Lakers’ $99.9-million payroll triggered a tax bill of $29.6 million, the most they have paid in a single season. And under the NBA’s new labor deal, the tax penalties get even more severe starting this season. In the 2013-14 season the luxury tax threshold will be $71.75 million.
NBA-National Basketball Association roundup
Powerful stuff. Jeremy Gordon, Brooklyn’s Finest : Chris Paul. The standards by which we define the “best” point guard are fairly fluid — all of the top ones have singular qualities in their favor, such as Derrick Rose ‘s penchant for attacking or Tony Parker ‘s masterly control of the Spurs’ system. But Paul controls the game’s pace and sees the floor like no other, and can even score. Andrew Han, Clipper Blog : Chris Paul. He is still the standard by which all other point guards are measured. Case in point: The only players to average at least 16.5 points, 9.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game for a season: Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, Tim Hardaway and Chris Paul (including last season). Curtis Harris, Hardwood Paroxysm : Chris Paul. His reign may come to an end soon, but he has been the default answer to this question for half a decade and deservedly so.
Prospects who clearly weren’t ready for the bright lights were flaming out in spectacular fashion, but despite the risks and uncertainty, NBA front offices just couldn’t plug their ears to the siren songs of untested teenagers like Kwame Brown and Darius Miles. So Stern championed ” Article X ” of the NBA’s 2005 Collective Bargaining Agreement, a provision that required all potential NBA draftees to be at least 19 years old and one year removed from their high school graduation. Article X, which has come to be known as the “one-and-done rule,” was meant to protect unprepared high school players from the difficult professional transition while also giving NBA teams a better opportunity to evaluate potential draftees on the college stage. In theory, the NBA figured to be the biggest beneficiary of the rule, as it would enjoy better-prepared prospects and suffer through fewer lottery mistakes. Even the NCAA was going come out ahead, as the top-tier stars that had been bypassing college for the pros would have to spend at least one year on campus.
34.9% No, he’s not worth it. 14.8% Total votes: 813 He holds career averages of 6.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game and took a major step forward during the 2012-13 campaignputting up 9.8 points, 9.5 boards and 2.8 blocks per contest. As a shot-blocking big man that can protect the rim, the 611 Sanders is going to command a massive extensionespecially now that the Bucks have cap room with the departures of Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis. Stein reported that Sanders would likely earn over $10 million per season once the deal is finalized. As long as Sanders keeps improving and stays at the top of his class defensively, the center will be worth every penny. Knicks Land Beno Udrih The New Kevin Durant Shoes York Knicks have made it no secret that they desired to land Beno Udrih to fill out their backcourt rotation this summer. According to Newsdays Al Iannazzone , the clubs pursuit has paid off, with the two sides agreeing on a one-year, $1.27 million minimum contract. Beno Udrih will sign a one-year deal with the Knicks according to a league source. Al Iannazzone (@Al_Iannazzone) August 8, 2013 ESPNs Brian Windhorst confirmed the signing on Thursday morning.
Why the NBA’s 1-and-Done Rule Is Causing More Harm Than Good
Sign up now! NBA news roundup: Trail Blazers add Mo Williams, Knicks still active in free agency Travel Deals Kevin Zimmerman, SBNation Posted: Wednesday, August 7, 2013, 6:35 PM If any team had a single glaring weakness last season that kept it from being successful, it’d be hard to argue that weakness was worse than the Portland Trail Blazers ‘ bench unit. A capable starting five had too much on its plate for Terry Stotts ‘ team in 2012-13, so the offseason goal was to change that. Portland reached an agreement with point guard Mo Williams on Wednesday , which effectively communicated the goal being accomplished. His two-year, $5.6 million deal will help reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Damian Lillard find more time on the bench after he led the league in minutes played. Sure, the drafting of combo guard C.J. McCollum and shooting guard Allen Crabbe , along with the offseason signings of Dorell Wright and Earl Watson , will make the backcourt a bit crowded. Still, it’s better to have too many options than none at all. Blazers Edge: More on the Blazers’ signing of Mo Williams The Williams deal comes at a bargain for a team in a loose financial spot, too.
The NBA, A-through-Z: Efficiency, and the tale of Monta Ellis
– – – Minnesota Timberwolves guard Shabazz Muhammad was booted out of the NBA’s Rookie Transition Program in Florham Park, New Jersey, after violating a rule by bringing a woman to his hotel room, USA TODAY reported. Muhammad, the No. 14 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, was participating with about 50 fellow rookies in a four-team program designed to ease the transition to professional basketball through a series of seminars and instructions. No guests, unless they are approved by program administrators, are allowed into a player’s room. Muhammad, who left UCLA after his freshman season to enter the draft, will be required to pay a fine and return next year with a new crop of rookies and others who are required to complete the program. – – – The New York Knicks signed free agent center Jeremy Tyler , the team announced. Terms of the deal were not revealed by the team.
NBA news roundup: Trail Blazers add Mo Williams, Knicks still active in free agency
Log out of Facebook How to remove this experience The NBA, A-through-Z: Efficiency, and the tale of Monta Ellis 0 Monta Ellis, when he doesn’t have the ball (Getty Images) The free agents have just about all been signed up. The NBA is down to a series of Instagram photos from moving yachts and crossed fingers from worried teams hoping their players stay safe in the summer off. Theres nothing going on, save for that clock on the wall that is ticking down to the 2013-14 season. And its moving SO SLOWLY. This is why weve decided to pick 26 things were looking forward to in 2013-14.
NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Larry Sanders, Beno Udrih and More
(Don Ryan / AP) Greg Oden officially signed with the Miami Heat on Wednesday and the welcome was a little less intense than hes used to. There was no press conference, no giant photos on display, just a statement from Heat President Pat Riley and an admission by Oden that hes a work in progress. Its a great challenge for him, Riley said in a statement. We know all about his past injuries, but we feel that there is a huge upside and the possibility of him helping us. We will continue his program and then we will tackle basketball issues after that. Oden, the No. 1 draft pick of the Portland Trail Blazers in 2007, has not played in the NBA since December 2009 and has had microfracture on his knees three times. He communicated by press release, too. Oden, drafted ahead of Kevin Durant, was released by Portland in March 2012 and has been most frequently been seen writhing in pain with yet another awful knee injury . Still, Riley thought it was worth taking a chance on Oden, who signed a two-year, $2.1 million contract, with a player option for 2014-15. Hell be brought along slowly and therell be less pressure with the presence of LeBron James in the lineup.
Let The Dog In 