Allen Iverson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Iverson, Monroe, Bucks, Heat

October 17th, 2013 at 3:10pm CST by Luke Adams

As the Heat prepare to face the Nets for the first time since Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce headed to Brooklyn, LeBron James discussed the ex-Celtics who were critical of Ray Allen signing with Miami a year ago.

“I think the first thing I thought was ‘Wow, Ray got killed for leaving Boston and now these guys are leaving Boston,'” James said, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. “I think it’s OK, I didn’t mind it. But there were a couple guys who basically (expletive) on Ray for leaving and now they’re leaving. That’s the nature of our business, man. I don’t know what Boston was going through at the end of the day. I know Ray had to make the best decision for him and his family and his career. Doc [Rivers], KG and Paul did that as well. You can’t criticize someone who does something that’s best for their family.”

As we look forward to a preseason matchup that could be an early preview of an Eastern Conference playoff series, let’s round up a few other items from around the East….

Confirming that Allen Iverson will indeed announce his retirement later this month, NBA.com’s David Aldridge reports that the former MVP may wind up taking a post-playing job with the Sixers.
Nothing has changed on the Greg Monroe front, according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press, who writes that the Pistons and Monroe are still highly unlikely to reach an agreement on a long-term extension within the next couple weeks.
When it became clear that Brandon Jennings wasn’t interested in re-signing in Milwaukee, the Bucks got what they could for him, and according to Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a couple of those young players who came over in the deal with the Pistons are looking good so far this fall.
Even with Greg Oden suffering a setback and Chris Andersen dealing with a foot issue, the Heat aren’t likely to keep a player like Justin Hamilton on their roster, says Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, pointing to Joel Anthony as the club’s insurance policy.

Ric Bucher Compares T-Mac to AI & ‘Melo

August 31st, 2013 at 5:58pm CST by Spencer Lund

After announcing his retirement this week, there's been a large debate surrounding the career of Tracy McGrady. That polarization could best be summed up in the split vote in our poll asking whether McGrady should make the Hall of Fame earlier this week. McGrady's peak seasons between 2001-2007 point to a dominant scorer who could also pass the ball and rebound.

T-Mac's 2002-03 season with the Magic saw him post the 16th best PER (Player Efficiency Rating) in NBA history, according to basketball-reference. Despite the numbers and the seven consecutive All-Star game appearances from 2001 through 2007, McGrady never led his team out of the first round of the playoffs.

Grantland's E-I-C, Bill Simmons, wrote a long piece on the Friday before Labor Day weekend in which he blames McGrady's playoff failings almost exclusively on his supporting cast. Radio host for 95.7 The Game Ric Bucher has some thoughts on the matter (Sulia link).

While referencing Simmons' piece — where he spoke with McGrady's former coaches and peers and concluded that McGrady just wasn't hardwired to be a leader — Bucher believes that is a referendum on why McGrady didn't reach his full potential over his career.

Bucher then compares McGrady with a contemporary, Allen Iverson, who also officially announced his retirement this month, and current player Carmelo Anthony:

Bill Simmons, in his wonderfully written and one of the longer dissertations on the subject, acknowledges TMac was not a leader. That's just it — once you state that and acknowledge how talented TMac was, you've outlined the crippling combination that foretold TMac never would be all that his talent promised. Such players aren't all that unique; Carmelo Anthony is another example. One of the absolutes in the NBA is that when the best player doesn't set the work-ethic bar for everyone else, a team has no hope of reaching its potential. Allen Iverson doesn't get to play the I-never-had-enough-talent-around-me card for the same reason. Both AI and TMac were never the defensive players they could've been. And when your effort to be in pristine condition is a question mark, as it was with McGrady, and injuries become chronic and sometimes debilitating, it's not as easy to blame bad luck and weak supporting casts.

Bucher goes on to write that McGrady chose to go to Orlando and Houston, even if they didn't have the supporting players he could have used to make a larger dint in the playoffs:

The other element either being overlooked or not widely known is that TMac chose to go to both Orlando and Houston, so it's not as if he was some helpless victim cast into inferior situations. Maybe that's how it turned out, maybe management misled him as far as what they intended to do, but he chose those situations over others. I've long said that on pure talent, TMac had more than Kobe; he was one of the rare few who had the pure ability to dominate whatever aspect of the game he chose, no matter who the opponent was. And as personalities go, I can vouch firsthand that few NBA players had a warmer one. All of which makes painting him as a sympathetic figure or a guy who didn't have the luck that so many others enjoyed easy. Dead wrong, but easy.

Odds & Ends: Paul, NBPA, Butler

August 22nd, 2013 at 7:42pm CST by Ryan Raroque

In discussing Chris Paul's election as the new NBPA president, ESPN's Brian Windhorst writes that neither Paul nor former union vice president Jerry Stackhouse would commit to a timetable nor discuss whether a search firm was in place to find a replacement for ex-NBPA executive director Billy Hunter. Stackhouse, who will remain active with the union in an advisory role, said they aren't in a rush but have already identified a number of candidates. Windhorst also says the union would ideally want a new executive director in place by February 1st, when Adam Silver is set to begin his job as the new commissioner. Here are more of tonight's miscellaneous news and notes, along with more from the above piece:

Some comments from Paul: "I've been thinking about (running) for a while on and off…I've had a lot of dialogue about it with committee members. I wouldn't have taken on the role if I was going to do it alone."
There are a few specific issues that were tabled during the 2011 CBA which still need to be resolved, especially blood testing for performance enhancing drugs (including human growth hormone) and the current age limit to declare for the NBA draft.
Lakers guard Steve Blake and Bobcats forward Anthony Tolliver were added as new members to the executive committee, joining Paul, Roger Mason Jr., Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala, James Jones, Matt Bonner, and Willie Green.
The union has turned to Deloitte Financial Advisory Services to examine its structure and will make necessary changes, such as adding a human resources and information technology department (J.A. Adande of ESPN.com).
Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today notes that the NBPA has hired Reilly Partners to help with restructuring and forming a job description for the executive director position, and that two names have surfaced as potential candidates for the opening: former NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson and former NBA and Madison Square Garden executive Steven Mills.
Suns forward Caron Butler says he's looking forward to being a mentor to teammate Michael Beasley, gives his thoughts on the Clippers, and talks about how he's approaching the upcoming season in Phoenix. Butler adds that no one from the Clippers front office has spoken to him since he was notified by his agent about being traded, but insists there's no ill will: “I don’t leave with bitterness or anything, but a phone call would have helped the situation…But it’s cool, it’s no hard feelings because that’s the nature of the business" (NBA.com's Jeff Caplan).
Hoopsworld's Alex Kennedy looks at a list of 11 of the top 13 players drafted this past June and discusses their chances at winning Rookie of the Year.
In the same piece, Kennedy relays a clip from Gary Payton's interview on FOX Sports, in which the Hall of Fame point guard reveals that he may have had something to do with Allen Iverson's "practice" rant on the 76ers several years ago: "(Iverson) asked me…'How do you keep your body is so good of a shape, and don’t get hurt, and stay always on the court?’ And I just told him for real, my coach George Karl didn’t let me practice. So that was it. I said, ‘You have to stop practicing." While watching the actual rant, Payton recalled thinking: ‘Don’t say it like this! Don’t do it like that, Allen…When he said it, I said, ‘No, that was not our conversation.’”

Atlantic Links: Curry, Sixers, Celtics, Iverson

April 21st, 2013 at 11:55am CST by Chuck Myron

Yesterday was the first day since 1974 that two pro basketball teams held playoff games in New York, and the Knicks and Nets made the most of it. Both came away with victories and 1-0 series leads. The other three teams in the Atlantic Division are making noise off the court, as we detail here.

Sixers players have spoken positively about assistant coach Michael Curry, who appears ready to become a head coach again after his unsuccessful stint leading the Pistons in 2008/09, tweets Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. Curry will interview for the head job with the Philadelphia and may do so with the Cavs, but he doesn't appear to be a candidate for Detroit, Goodwill adds (Twitter link).
John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer believes the Sixers should embrace rebuilding and resist the urge to spend significant cash on free agents this summer in a quick-fix effort.
With Doug Collins no longer in a position to dictate the direction of the team, the time is right for the Sixers to pursue a marquee general manager, argues fellow Inquirer scribe Bob Ford.
Ray Allen is pleased that Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has given him the license to post up smaller defenders, something he said Celtics coach Doc Rivers did not allow him to do, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
Washburn has heard rumors that the Celtics considered signing Allen Iverson this season, but he says there's no truth behind them.
HoopsWorld's Stephen Brotherston looks back on the tenure of Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo, concluding that the team shouldn't fire him. If Toronto wants to make a change to its front office, it should give more responsibility to Ed Stefanski, its executive vice president of basketball operations.

Eastern Links: Rose, Irving, Iverson

March 30th, 2013 at 9:55pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Thunder reserve Ronnie Brewer tells Shams Charania of RealGM he thinks that "it was unfortunate" that the Bulls announced Derrick Rose was cleared to play, elaborating that being 110% mentally ready is just as important as being physically ready: "I don’t think anybody really knows…I don’t think the doctors know. I don’t think any of the players know. Whatever it is, I don’t think he should rush back and not be confident to play, because if you’re not playing with confidence, then everything goes out the window.”

Here's more out of the Eastern Conference tonight:

There was some confusion about Kyrie Irving's status coming out of Cavaliers camp today, as forward Luke Walton hinted that Irving could be coming back soon shortly after Byron Scott told the media that there weren't any updates on the second year point guard (other than he was getting shots up at practice). Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer clarifies that Irving has been working out hard before games and made note that he has reached the third week of a three-to-four week recovery period since spraining his shoulder earlier this month.
During tonight's game between the 76ers and Bobcats, Dei Lynam of CSN Philly caught up with Allen Iverson, who says: "If the road ends here (with regard to not playing again), I'm fine with it…I'm happy and content with everything that's going on in my life…If I get a chance to play again, then I would love the opportunity, but if not, I would continue to just be happy."
Tom Moore of Philly Burbs looks at the options that Philadelphia has this offseason, whether it involves making a significant signing and filling out the roster with minimum contracts, dangling Spencer Hawes, Lavoy Allen, or possibly Evan Turner in trade talks, or look at one-year deals as a means of maintaining flexibility the following summer.
Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel uniquely describes the value of cap flexibility for the Magic moving forward.

Kyler On Dwight, Gasol, Monta, Collins

March 9th, 2013 at 9:52pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld took to Twitter tonight to offer thoughts on various questions about the NBA. Here are some of the highlights:

He thinks that Dwight Howard will remain with the Lakers beyond this summer.
The Lakers could possibly deal Pau Gasol in the offseason for smaller pieces, similar to what the Grizzlies did with Rudy Gay.
On the subject of Monta Ellis opting in, Kyler notes that there could be a lucrative market for him in free agency this summer too.
Doug Collins' coaching days in Philadelphia would seem to be numbered by now.
Gilbert Arenas or Tracy McGrady probably won't sign anywhere this season, for the same reasons why they haven't been able to get anything done since the beginning of the year. He also doubts that Allen Iverson will get another opportunity in the NBA.
It wouldn't be surprise if the Trail Blazers targeted Josh Smith, but re-tooling the bench appears to be the bigger need.
Jerry Sloan would have to be in the right situation to consider returning, but it isn't likely that he'll find it.

Poll: Will Allen Iverson Play In The NBA Again?

January 30th, 2013 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

It's been nearly three years since Allen Iverson last appeared in an NBA game, and even longer since he played a full season. Nonetheless, the 2001 MVP still holds out hope of making a comeback, and a D-League team recently offered him the opportunity to get that comeback underway.

However, it doesn't appear that a stint with the Texas Legends is in the cards for Iverson. AI tweeted yesterday that while he views the D-League as a "great opportunity," it's not the route for him. While Iverson played briefly in Turkey in 2010/11, his pride and his salary demands have seemingly prevented him from showcasing his skills for a European or D-League squad since then.

Iverson's manager, Gary Moore, told the Associated Press yesterday that Iverson would like to pursue a role with the 76ers once his playing career is officially over, but cautioned that the 37-year-old wasn't ready to officially retire quite yet. Moore told USA Today that his client is still working out and may explore the possibility of playing in the NBA later this season.

"Hopefully, one day, he'll get an opportunity to possibly join a team and help a team — come off the bench and maybe give a team some very valuable minutes in this playoff stretch," Moore said. "I'm not a guessing man, but if I had to bet, I would surely feel like Allen is going to try and get himself in shape to return sometime this year."

At age 37 and nearly three years removed from NBA action, it seems highly improbable that Iverson could earn a spot on an NBA roster without proving that he can still be healthy and effective in the D-League or in international play. But we did see Rasheed Wallace make a comeback at age 38 this season, and 'Sheed, like Iverson, hadn't played NBA ball since the 2009/10 season.

So what do you think? Will we ever see Iverson play in another NBA game, or is it about time he officially announced his retirement?

Odds & Ends: Josh Smith, Suns, Iverson, Stuckey

January 29th, 2013 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

A few Tuesday afternoon odds and ends from around the Association….

There's a growing expectation that the Hawks will end up moving Josh Smith before the trade deadline, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Smith and the team are expected to meet this week to discuss the forward's future in Atlanta.
After researching 25 years of NBA franchise methods, the Suns concluded that a full-fledged rebuild was an impractical approach. So while the Suns' current place in the standings may indicate that a rebuild is underway, Phoenix is hoping for a quicker turnaround, as owner Robert Sarver tells Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
In announcing that he wouldn't be taking the Mavericks up on their offer to join their D-League affiliate, Allen Iverson hinted that he still wants to return to the NBA. Manager Gary Moore confirms that, telling Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today that his client is working out and may explore NBA opportunities later this season. "He's going to continue to work very hard to get his mind and his body back to a place where he can help a team in the future," Moore said. "Sooner more so than later."
Rodney Stuckey's name often comes up when teams call the Pistons about trades, but despite the latest incident in Detroit, the team says no deal involving Stuckey is in the works, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.

Allen Iverson Not Interested In D-League

January 29th, 2013 at 9:11am CST by Luke Adams

TUESDAY, 9:11am: It appears Iverson won't be taking up the Legends on their offer, according to a message posted on his Twitter account this morning:

"I thank Donnie [Nelson] and Dallas for the consideration and while I think the D-League is a great opportunity, it is not the route for me," Iverson tweeted.

Iverson added that he still hopes to "complete [his] legacy" in the NBA, but that whether or not he's able to return to the league isn't necessary up to him (Twitter links).

MONDAY, 9:55am: The Texas Legends have recently added Delonte West and Rashad McCants to their roster, and now the team is eyeing another veteran guard. According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, the Mavericks' D-League affiliate is making a hard push to convince Allen Iverson to sign with them.

According to Stein, the Legends have made overtures to Iverson before, which the former MVP has resisted. The Legends are ramping up their pursuit of Iverson again now because they're set to return to the top of the D-League's waiver line once they finalize Mike James' rest-of-season contract — when a non-assigned player called up from the D-League spends 21 consecutive days with the NBA team that signed him, the D-League squad moves to the top of the waiver process. So if Iverson were to join the D-League, the Legends would be first in line to claim him.

Iverson, 37, hasn't appeared in an NBA game since the 2009/10 season, but has long been seeking a return to the league. To date, he hasn't been willing to join the D-League as a step toward a potential comeback. We heard in the fall that Iverson was reportedly seeking a $1MM contract to play in the Chinese Basketball Association, a figure that significantly exceeds a D-League pay check.

Back in September, Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside made the case for why Iverson should seriously consider the D-League route.

Allen Iverson Unlikely To Land Deal In China

October 8th, 2012 at 9:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Allen Iverson, at age 37, hasn't given up on the idea of playing professional basketball, but it appears he's running out of options. He's reportedly been considering playing in China, but according to a report from the Chinese website NetEase (translation via HoopsHype), the former MVP is in poor shape and has virtually no chance of getting a contract from a team in the Chinese Basketball Association.

Iverson's has been asking for a deal worth $1MM, according to the report, but that figure appears to be out of his reach after his speed and explosiveness were missing as he took part in a recent exhibition game in Beijing. The Answer reportedly declined offers from teams in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela last year, and hasn't played in the NBA since the 2009/10 season.

According to the same NetEase report, Iverson at least stands a better shot at a deal in China than fellow former NBA All-Star Steve Francis, who has failed to earn a deal after attending multiple CBA tryouts the past few years and remains out of shape. Francis, 35, last appeared in the NBA in 2007/08.