Earlier today, we learned that the Rockets are no longer the frontrunner for Marcus Camby as the big man isn’t overly thrilled with the direction that the club seems to be going in. While the veteran hopes to play for the here-and-now, Houston’s moves this summer indicate that they plan on rebuilding. Here’s the latest on Camby and the Rockets..
4:09pm: Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports confirms (via Twitter) that the two teams Camby is visiting in the coming days, the Heat and Knicks, are the frontrunners to land him.
3:23pm: If the questions I received in yesterday's live chat were any indication, Rockets fans aren't entirely on board with the direction of the team's offseason so far. It seems that stance may extend to the team's free agents as well, as a source tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (Twitter link) that Houston is no longer Marcus Camby's preferred destination. According to Tomasson, Camby's tune has "changed greatly" this week, and he's now wary about re-signing with the Rockets, since the team appears to be rebuilding.
2:47pm: Allen left Miami without giving the Heat an answer on their offer and is "torn" on whether to leave the Celtics, says Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. TNT's David Aldridge adds (via Twitter) that the Grizzlies and Timberwolves are still options, though Allen doesn't have plans to visit either team. I'd guess his decision comes down to Miami and Boston.
FRIDAY, 1:54pm: The Timberwolves are the "dark-horse" in the chase for Allen, tweets Ric Bucher of ESPN.com. As Bucher acknowledges though, Minnesota is an extreme long shot.
Brandon Roy, Jason Kidd, and Jamal Crawford were among the players to reach agreements with new clubs yesterday, while Nicolas Batum and Jeremy Lin agreed to lucrative offer sheets that their current teams are expected to match. What will Friday bring? Here are the latest rumors on a number of free agents still on the market:
- The Suns and Bulls are the two teams "most heavily in the mix" for Michael Redd, says Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida.
- Marcus Camby will meet with the Heat tomorrow and the Knicks next, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Feigen adds that Camby likely won't meet with the Rockets until there's resolution on Omer Asik.
Earlier updates:
The Heat have reached agreement on a deal with free agent guard Ray Allen, Heat owner Micky Arison announced via Twitter. The agreement was confirmed by agent Jim Tanner, tweets Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated. The veteran is widely expected to sign for the mini mid-level exception, worth $3.09MM per year.
"Its 2:30am in London and I was just woken up with great news. Welcome to the family #20!!," Arison announced.
Allen met with Miami on Thursday night without giving them an answer on their contract offer. The 36-year-old reportedly widdled his choices down to the Heat and Celtics, despite interest from other clubs including the Timberwolves and Grizzlies.
WEDNESDAY, 1:33pm: Lewis has been in contact with at least three teams on his list so far, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld — the Lakers, Knicks, and Heat.
TUESDAY, 3:37pm: Having cleared waivers, Rashard Lewis will likely be looking to sign with one of five teams, according to the New York Post's Marc Berman. Berman names the Knicks, Heat, Spurs, Hawks, and Lakers as the clubs on Lewis' "short list."
TUESDAY, 1:06pm: Camby has updated his wish list, replacing the Celtics with the Nets, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. The timing is a little odd, as Brooklyn committed its mid-level exception to Mirza Teletovic today, so Camby would have to sign for the bi-annual exception or veteran's minimum to end up in Brooklyn.
The Rockets, Knicks, Heat, Spurs, and Mavericks are Camby's other options.
So far during the free agent period, we've heard that the Heat are considering offering Ray Allen their full mini mid-level exception, the Grizzlies are offering their full mid-level exception, and the Celtics are offering more than either team. With a number of teams in the hunt for Allen, we'll round up all of today's rumblings on the veteran sharpshooter right here, with any new updates added to the top of the page throughout the day….
It's been another whirlwind day of player movement in the NBA, as the Hawks agreed to two significant trades, sending Joe Johnson to the Nets and Marvin Williams to the Jazz. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld speculated that Josh Smith may be the next Hawk to go (Twitter link), but Brian Windhorst and Marc Stein of ESPN.com report that Smith is excited about the moves, which would free up plenty of cap space for next summer, when Atlanta could go after Smith and other major targets. Here's news from elsewhere around the busy Association.
The Heat have had multiple conversations with Tony Dutt, the agent for Rashard Lewis, about bringing the 6'10" long-range shooter aboard with the NBA champions, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports. Dutt says money is not a primary issue for his client, who will receive the $13.7MM guaranteed portion of his contract for next season after he was waived by the Hornets this weekend.