Chauncey Billups Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Los Angeles Notes: Dwight, Meeks, Clark, Clippers

May 4th, 2013 at 6:31pm CST by Ryan Raroque

The winds of change appear to be traveling in the direction of Los Angeles this summer, especially after the conclusion of a disappointing injury-riddled season for the Lakers and a first-round playoff collapse by the Clippers. Both teams will certainly have significant decisions to make this summer as they look to regroup and come back strong in 2013-14, and coincidentally, it starts with determining the futures of their respective franchise players. We've got a few rumblings to share from each camp as we inch closer to the NBA offseason:

When asked if Dwight Howard might try to force Mike D'Antoni out of Los Angeles, Steve Kyler of Hoopsworld (via Twitter) says that the soon-to-be free agent doesn't want to be involved in dictating the job security of the Lakers' coach. As for the player option of Jodie Meeks and the possibility of re-signing Earl Clark, Kyler points to the priority of determining Howard's future before taking care of anything else.
Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles hears that Chauncey Billups would like to return to the Clippers next season, adding that he's feeling as good as he's felt in two years: "I would love to be back here and continue to help in this process…I feel like we are getting closer. I definitely want to be a part of it and I'll be able to show everybody who I've always been with a summer of getting myself together, so hopefully it works out like that."
Billups also says that his goal is to play two more seasons and briefly touched upon his desire to be invovled in an NBA front office instead of coaching once his playing career is over.
Though there were hints about Grant Hill's plans to retire after this season, Markazi writes that Hill could come back for another year if he feels healthy enough. Hill is currently under contract for about $2MM for 2013-14.
Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles tweets that there's no truth to the rumor which suggests that Chris Paul will be leaving his agent Leon Rose for Rich Paul, who currently represents LeBron James and Clippers teammate Eric Bledsoe among others.

Clippers Notes: Billups, Paul, Howard, Griffin

May 4th, 2013 at 10:40am CST by Zachary Links

The Clippers are going to wait a little while before deciding what to do with coach Vinny Del Negro but its not too early for some to start speculating on possible replacements. Phil Jackson is unlikely for a number of reasons, but Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (on Sulia) has an equally eyebrow-raising idea for L.A.'s other team: Chauncey Billups. One NBA exec suggested that hiring the veteran guard to man the sideline would maximize the club's chances of re-signing star Chris Paul. Bucher doesn't know if Billups is going to retire or is even interested in becoming a coach, but he notes that the consensus around the NBA is that the Clips' early exit is almost certain to cost Del Negro his job. Here's more on the Clippers..

With about $45MM on the books next year, the Clippers would have to move someone to re-sign Paul and make a run at Dwight Howard, but there's always a way, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. The Clippers, like everyone else, doubt that Howard would leave money on the table to leave the Lakers, but they can make a nice pitch if he's willing to talk. One way to free up space could be by moving DeAndre Jordan, who has lots of fans in front offices around the league (Twitter links).
Blake Griffin sounded confident that Paul will re-sign with the club in his post-game comments after last night's loss. "He knows how we've done things, especially the last two years. I think he knows it's a great place to play," said the forward, according to Shelburne (on Twitter).
While the free agent focus will be on Chris Paul, Matt Barnes is going to get paid this summer as well, notes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter). The veteran capped off his season with a 30 point and 10 rebound performance last night.

Kyler On Paul, Teague, Jack, Billups, Bledsoe

April 22nd, 2013 at 12:33pm CST by Luke Adams

In his latest NBA AM piece for HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler focuses on the playoff point guards that may be heading for free agency once their respective seasons end. Kyler has tidbits on those players, as well as notes on Eric Bledsoe and Phil Jackson, so let's check out the highlights:

Chris Paul is essentially a lock to re-sign with the Clippers and he'll have a "tremendous amount of input" in the team's roster moves and overall direction.
The Hawks will extend a qualifying offer to Jeff Teague, and while the club plans to keep its options open, it's unlikely that Teague will end up leaving Atlanta.
Jerryd Bayless is expected to decline his player option in search of a longer-term contract.
There's mutual interest in a new deal between Jarrett Jack and the Warriors, and the team will have Jack's Bird Rights, but the Warriors figure to be well into the tax unless they can make a cost-cutting move or two, which could complicate negotiations.
If Chauncey Billups doesn't return to the Clippers, retirement is more likely for him than signing with another club.
The Bucks will definitely match almost any offer sheet signed by Brandon Jennings, though if he receives the max from a rival suitor, Milwaukee will "have to seriously look at that."
While Bledsoe is expected to be an offseason trade candidate, Clippers sources are adamant that they don't need to make a decision on Bledsoe until the summer of 2014, or at least next year's trade deadline.
With a handful of head coaching jobs already opened up, Jackson's name will pop up frequently in the next several weeks, but Kyler hears that the odds of the 11-time champion accepting a coaching job aren't great.

Odds & Ends: Coaches, Mavericks, Pacers

April 13th, 2013 at 9:04pm CST by Ryan Raroque

The NBA has its first official playoff matchup cemented in the postseason schedule, as the Bucks' loss to the Bobcats tonight guaranteed them a first round dance with the Heat. Now that Boston is a lock for seventh place, five of the remaining playoff seeds in the Eastern Conference are still yet to be determined. We've got plenty of miscellaneous links to share tonight, and you can find them below:

Kurt Kragthorpe of The Salt Lake Tribune thinks Tyrone Corbin will face plenty of scrutiny next season from the Jazz front office. Corbin appears likely to keep his job regardless of whether the team captures the final playoff spot this year.
Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times figures on at least six coaching vacancies in the offseason, with the Pistons most likely to have one of them. Woelfel hears Rockets assistant coach Kelvin Sampson is already drawing serious consideration from a couple of teams. Sampson was recently linked to the Bucks, where coach Jim Boylan appears on unsteady footing.
According to Paul Franklin of The Times of Trenton, Lakers assistant coach Eddie Jordan is expected to be announced as the new head basketball coach at Rutgers University. Tom Luicci of the Star-Ledger heard about the possibility earlier this afternoon (Twitter link).
Dirk Nowitzki believes the outcome of the Mavericks' attempt to retool this summer might determine the effectiveness of Mark Cuban's decision to break up his 2011 championship team, observes Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com.
Even without a superstar, the well-balanced Pacers appear to be primed as a dangerous post-season matchup, writes Zach Schonbrun of the New York Times.
Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register tweets that Kobe Bryant will likely seek advice from soccer star and friend David Beckham, who also suffered an Achilles injury but returned after six months. Dan Woike (also of the OC Register) says that Clippers guard Chauncey Billups – who also suffered the same injury last season – is also willing to lend his support (Twitter link). Lastly, the LA Times' Sam Farmer and Broderick Turner gathered some thoughts from NFL star Terrell Suggs, who shed some light on the process of recovery.

Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors contributed to this post.

Chauncey Billups Not Considering Retirement

April 11th, 2013 at 8:46am CST by Luke Adams

Injuries have wiped out the majority of Chauncey Billups' last two seasons, as the veteran guard has combined to play just 40 games since December 2011 — 20 in '11/12 and 20 more this season. However, despite being slowed by health issues, Billups isn't contemplating retirement, as Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com writes.

Before he sat out last night's game against the Timberwolves, the sixth in a row he has missed, Billups assured reporters, including Markazi, that he'd be back on the court by the end of the regular season. Asked whether this would be his last season and/or postseason, Billups replied, "No. Not at all."

While Billups' drop-off in production over the last two seasons can probably be attributed in large part to his health, he'll also turn 37 years old before the 2013/14 season gets underway. Having made over $100MM in his playing career, according to Basketball-Reference, and with no contract yet for next season, it wouldn't have been totally shocking if Billups called it a career. But he did suggest earlier this season that he'd like to play for a few more years, and it looks like he's sticking to that stance.

Billups signed a one-year deal worth $4MM last summer to remain with the Clippers. I'd imagine there will be mutual interest between the two sides in continuing the relationship beyond this season, though it would likely have to be for a reduced salary.

Injury Notes: Gasol, Noah, Garnett, Lee

March 23rd, 2013 at 8:41pm CST by Ryan Raroque

There aren't very many games left in the regular season, and the playoff picture in both conferences could look drastically different by mid-April with plenty of teams close together in the standings as of today. While it's not usual for us to focus on injuries, we have a few significant notes worth mentioning tonight:

Pistons rookie big man Andre Drummond could be close to returning after a 21-game absence, says David Mayo of MLive. Although the Pistons aren't in the playoff race in the Eastern Conference, a few more regular season games couldn't hurt the former UConn product's development if healthy.
Clippers guard Chauncey Billups is still day-to-day with a groin strain but could return on Tuesday against the Mavericks, writes Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles.
Mike Bresnahan of the LA Times tweets that Lakers forward Antawn Jamison has ligament damage in his right wrist. Although he'll try to play through it, Jamison probably faces surgery in the offseason.
According to Ken Berger of CBS Sports (via Twitter), the Grizzlies have announced that center Marc Gasol will be out indefinitely after re-aggravating an abdominal tear last night against the Hornets. Though they are ahead of the sixth place Warriors by a comfortable margin in the standings, Memphis is separated from the third place Nuggets by one game and the fourth place Clippers by just half a game.
Joakim Noah will sit both of the Bulls' games this weekend as he continues to deal with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, says Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago. The team is currently one game behind the fifth-place Hawks and a half game ahead of the Celtics.
Greg Payne of ESPN Boston says that both Courtney Lee and Kevin Garnett are individually recovering from sprained left ankles. There doesn't appear to be a sense that those injuries are expected to keep either out for an extended period of time, but with just 14 games left and Boston currently on a three-game slide, missing two key rotation players can't necessarily help.
Knicks center Tyson Chandler has already missed six straight games due to a neck strain, and is still considered day-to-day (Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York reports). New York still remains atop the Atlantic Division, and while they are only one game behind the Pacers for second place in the East, the fourth place Nets aren't too far behind in their rear view mirror (1.5 games).

Los Angeles Notes: Clark, Dwight, Clippers

March 9th, 2013 at 10:26pm CST by Ryan Raroque

To say that the Lakers' season has been a roller coaster ride would be an understatement, and with a 7-2 record over their last nine games amidst a strong push for a spot in the Western Conference playoff picture, the purple and gold faithful have reason to hope that the car keeps climbing up. However, one of the biggest pleasant surprises seems to have hit a slump, as ESPN Los Angeles' Ramona Shelburne notes that Earl Clark has only reached double figure scoring once in the team's last seven games. We have a few links to share out of Los Angeles tonight, and you can find them below:

Chauncey Billups opens up about the adjustments that he's had to make with the Clippers, from moving to shooting guard and returning from an achilles injury (Broderick Turner of the LA Times).
Although he's had his share of struggles from the free throw line, Dwight Howard is too valuable in other areas of the game to be kept off the court during crunch time, opines Janis Carr of the OC Register.
Howard tells Eric Pincus of the LA Times about what he's learned by playing alongside Kobe Bryant, particularly about getting over his fear of missing shots and improving off the court habits. "I think this is a blessing for me, to experience the stuff that I've experienced this year. It's just going to make me a better man and a better player…Just from watching Kobe — this has been great for me. I wouldn't have it any other way."
Defending the three point line has been a glaring concern for the Clippers, who may find themselves unable to advance in the playoffs if things don't change, writes Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles.
Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer notes the importance of the Lakers making the playoffs for the Cavaliers, as Cleveland will have the option of swapping Miami's first round pick with the Lakers' if it falls out of the lottery.

Odds & Ends: Billups, Pistons, Aldridge, Blazers

December 18th, 2012 at 12:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Clippers guard Chauncey Billups says that he would like to keep playing for a few more years and won't rule out a return to the Pistons, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. "You never say never to any situation. I got nothing but great memories about here and winning, and this building was on fire. I would like for my memories to stay like that," said the 36-year-old. Here's more from around the Association..

The Blazers have said repeatedly that big man LaMarcus Aldridge will be the cornerstone of the franchise for years to come, but Aldridge doesn't see himself as "untouchable", writes Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Aldridge is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2014-15 season.
The Hawks made a bold move this summer when they traded franchise player Joe Johnson to the Nets in an effort to improve their depth. The Lakers might want to take a page out of their book, writes Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld.
The Timberwolves may have an abundance of point guards after Ricky Rubio's return, but Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel doesn't see the Heat pursuing them as they want to avoid taking on long-term money. Luke Ridnour will make $4.3MM next season, while J.J. Barea has two additional seasons at more than $9MM total.
Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld looks at five underrated members of the rookie class, including Nando De Colo of the Spurs and Pablo Prigioni of the Knicks.

Western Notes: Billups, Nuggets, Lakers, Suns

December 17th, 2012 at 4:54pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest rumblings from around the Western Conference:

Chauncey Billups thinks the Pistons might still be an elite team if they hadn't traded him to the Nuggets four years ago, as Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News documents. "I still had some great, great years left," the point guard said. "I never wanted to leave, even though I was home (Denver) and it was good to be home, I always wanted to be a Piston. I wanted to retire a Piston."
Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com tweets that Nuggets coach George Karl wants to coach in Europe again one day, with his son, Coby Karl, as an assistant.
Aaron J. Lopez of Nuggets.com writes that JaVale McGee is becoming more efficient for the Nuggets.
Paul Coro of USA Today points out that the Suns own the Lakers' 2013 first-round draft pick as part of the Steve Nash trade, meaning they could benefit if the Lakers continue to struggle.

Pacific Notes: Kings, Virginia Beach, Billups

November 29th, 2012 at 10:17am CST by Luke Adams

The latest update on Virginia Beach's arena proposal comes from Dale Kasler, Tony Bizjak, and Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee. According to the Bee report, the arena proposal would include commitments of $150MM from the state of Virginia, $195MM from the city of Virginia Beach, and just $35MM from Comcast-Spectator. Part of that cost would be put toward relocating a professional sports team, presumably the Sacramento Kings, to Virginia Beach.

Given that the proposal calls for 90% public funding, it's already drawing opposition from some public officials, according to the Bee report — city councilman Bill DeSteph suggested that Virginia Beach "can't afford" to put $195MM into the project.

As we wait to see if Virginia Beach's arena plan continues to move forward, here are a few more notes from around the Pacific Division:

Rob McAllister of Cowbell Kingdom is skeptical that Virginia Beach is really a viable relocation option for the Kings, contending that the Maloofs are playing the city in order to boost the value of the franchise.
Chauncey Billups' return to the Clippers lineup was timely, writes Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game, who says Billups helped quell a locker-room revolt last season and could be instrumental in convincing Chris Paul to remain long-term with the Clips.
Young Warriors players like Jeremy Tyler and Kent Bazemore could be shuttled back and forth between the NBA and the D-League this season, given the proximity of the team's Santa Cruz affiliate, writes Carl Steward of the Oakland Tribune.
Making his case for why the Lakers should trade Pau Gasol, Sean Deveney of the Sporting News writes that it's "becoming obvious that the rumor mill may know something the Lakers and Gasol don’t seem to know — he would be better off elsewhere."