Back in March, Grant Hill told Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida that he hopes to keep playing in the NBA until he "can't go or it's not fun anymore." Hill doesn't seem to be contemplating retirement this summer, so he must still be having fun. He also recently underwent the platelet-enrichment procedure that Kobe Bryant popularized among NBA players, according to Ric Bucher of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Bucher adds that the Lakers, Suns, Raptors, and Knicks are among the teams with interest in signing the veteran forward.
We keep hearing teams like the Mavericks, Nets, and Raptors named as potential suitors for Steve Nash, but if one of those teams misses out on both Nash and Deron Williams, its next target could be Jeremy Lin. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld hears from sources that one of those three clubs could sign Lin to an offer sheet, forcing the Knicks to match. Here are a few more free agent updates from Kennedy, with just over 12 hours left until the fun begins….
This past December, then-free agent Grant Hill was rumored to be interested in the Bulls, Knicks, Clippers, and Spurs before ultimately choosing to stay in Phoenix. At the time, Steve Nash had publicly stated that it was "very, very important" to him that the Suns retain Hill. Now that Nash's future with the franchise remains up in the air, the former Duke product could also be wearing a different uniform on opening night in October.
Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports quoted Hill before a loss in Miami on March 20: "I definitely think I can go another year, maybe two…If the season were to end right now, and I would sort of evaluate the season, I would definitely want to come back and play next season." Hill would undergo knee surgery 10 days later, and wasn't able to play much for the rest of the season after returning on April 13.
Now heading into another summer of free agency, it's safe to presume that Hill will have some question marks about his durability that may not have been there during last year's offseason. From 2008-09 to 2010-11, Hill managed to play in at least 80 games in each of those seasons and averaged roughly 30 MPG. Despite being able to play 28 MPG this season, he missed 17 games (many of them occurring late in the season while the Suns competed for the eighth seed in the West), which marks the most he's missed since being a member of the Magic in 2006-07.
This year, Hill averaged 10.2 PPG while shooting 44.6% from the field and 76.1% from the free throw line. Although those numbers rank among the lowest statistical averages he's produced over his 17-year career, that type of contribution could still be valuable on a playoff team looking to add depth and veteran leadership. Should he decide to play next year, I don't expect Hill to be playing nearly the same amount of minutes as he did with the Suns.
At this point, I'm not so sure he'd be able to garner a contract for more than the veteran's minimum. Hill turns 40-years-old in October, so his chances of receiving a multi-year deal are very slim. With that being said, I could see him being linked to wherever Steve Nash's name comes up this summer. Their friendship was a major reason why Hill stayed in Phoenix, and after playing five consecutive years together, the opportunity for both to compete together as teammates on a contending team will be an intriguing option to consider moving forward, especially if it will be Hill's last season as a pro.
Let's round up a few Friday morning links….
- According to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld, Jason Terry won't be willing to take a discount to stay with the Mavericks. Terry, an unrestricted free agent at season's end, would prefer to remain in Dallas, but at a fair market price, says Kyler. Terry said yesterday that he'd be interested in signing with the Heat this summer, so I wonder if the no-discount stance applies to them as well — as a taxpaying team, Miami couldn't make Terry a very significant offer.
- Suns forward Grant Hill will undergo minor knee surgery and could miss the rest of the regular season, writes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
- Retirement is becoming a distinct possibility for Anthony Parker, says Bob Finnan of The News-Herald. As he has said before, the veteran Cavalier will weigh his options, including retiring, at season's end: "It's not something I've decided on. Obviously, it will be decided after the season."
- In a mailbag for Bulls.com, Sam Smith fields readers' questions on Derrick Rose, Greg Oden, Joakim Noah, and more.
The Pacific Division was turned upside down last night, as the division's three playoff contenders all lost, while the last-place Kings topped Memphis behind 31 points from Marcus Thornton and Jason Thompson's fourth consecutive double-double. As the Lakers, Clippers, and Suns look to get back in the win column tonight, let's round up the latest updates on the Pacific's top three squads….
- Devin Ebanks' agent David Bauman told the Los Angeles Times that his client likely won't return to the Lakers next season if Matt Barnes and Metta World Peace are still on the team and receiving most of the small forward minutes: "He'll find an opportunity where he'll have a better chance to break into a rotation." Ebanks, 22, will be eligible for restricted free agency if the Lakers extend him a qualifying offer worth $1.03MM, in which case L.A. would be able to match any offer sheet he received. Barnes' contract expires at season's end, while World Peace is an amnesty candidate.
- The ongoing changes to the Clippers' roster and rotation have affected the team's offensive output, says Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
- Suns forward Grant Hill wants to keep playing until he "can't go or it's not fun anymore," he tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida. The 39-year-old, who's on a one-year, $6.5MM contract, thinks he can play for at least another season or two.
Fewer than half of the NBA's 30 teams are involved in a seven-game slate tonight, but four of the five Pacific Division clubs are in action. Let's take a look at what's happening out west:
- Grant Hill, 39, thinks he can play "another year, maybe two" after this season and hopes to finish his career with the Suns, writes Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida.
- Rasheed Wallace, who has been linked to the Lakers and the Heat, will wait until after Friday to make his decision on where to sign, Tomasson tweets.
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel looks back on last year's Suns–Magic trade, which had Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat and Mickael Pietrus going to Phoenix and Jason Richardson, Hedo Turkoglu and Earl Clark headed east. After tonight's loss to the Heat, the Suns are 51-52 since the trade, and even though Gortat has ably filled a hole at center, Schmitz believes the Magic won the deal, if only by a hair.
On Thursday, Phoenix Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby, President of Business Operations Brad Casper, and GM Lance Blanks answered questions from fans on the team's official website. Here are some relevant details regarding the team's future:
- Babby praised the team's analytics-based system for evaluating players, pointing to rookie Markieff Morris as an example of its success
- He believes that the Suns have the cap flexibility and assets to get back into contention in the near future.
- Blanks uses Grant Hill as an example of a free agent choosing to play in Phoenix in answer to a question regarding the city's attractiveness to players.