Greg Oden Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Greg Oden Interested In Joining Heat

May 16th, 2012 at 5:27pm CST by Ryan Raroque

After recently undergoing microfracture surgery, Greg Oden had originally planned to sit out next season in order to rehab and return for 2013-14. His agent, Mike Conley Sr., indicated that Oden could actually be ready to play as far as "being effective and in shape" by this upcoming December or January and will explore his options this summer.

According to a report from Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Oden has entertained the idea of joining the Miami Heat next season. Conley Sr. had this to say:

"The Heat hasn't called but Greg has talked about Miami. He has interest. He's not retiring.”

Ben Golliver of CBS Sports also cited Jackson's article and further examined the possibility, saying that the move would be low-risk and wouldn't cost the Heat more than the veteran's minimum to take their chances on the oft-injured center. If Miami was willing to take on Eddy Curry as a reclamation project, writes Golliver, then it isn't out of the question for them to do the same with Oden.

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Greg Oden

Odds & Ends: Clippers, Celtics, Oden, Trail Blazers

May 13th, 2012 at 3:56pm CST by Michael Pina

Writing for Spurs Nation, Tim Griffin asks whether or not the Spurs should take a long, hard look at free agent Greg Oden once he recovers from his third microfracture knee surgery in 2013.

With his team getting only one day of rest in between the first four games of their first round series against the Sixers, Doc Rivers will give his team the day off on Sunday, and most likely throughout the series, depending on how it goes, according to ESPNBoston.com's Chris Forsberg.
After defeating the Grizzlies in their Game 7 showdown earlier today, the Clippers are primed for a tough match-up with the Spurs, writes USA Today's J. Michael Falgoust.
CSNNW.com's Dwight Jaynes takes a look at Paul Allen's current situation as owner of the Trail Blazers, and whether or not a possible sale could be in the near future.

Greg Oden Aiming For Return To NBA In 2013

May 9th, 2012 at 7:34pm CST by Luke Adams

7:34pm: Blazers president Larry Miller defended the team against allegations in the Grantland.com story that the Blazers rushed Oden back before the 2010/11 season, resulting in the need for another microfracture surgery. As recounted in a series of tweets from Joe Freeman of The Oregonian (All five Twitter links here) and later supplied in full by Ben Golliver of Blazers Edge, Miller said "one thing we're certain of is that we took great care of Greg and always put his health and well being first."

Freeman also spoke with Oden's agent, Mike Conley Sr., who defended the Blazers medical staff, which the Grantland.com story said is "considered by many to be the worst in the NBA" (Twitter links).

1:50pm: Greg Oden's former teammate Mark Titus conducted an interview with the 2007 first overall pick, resulting in an incredibly compelling piece at Grantland.com. The entire article comes highly recommended, but of particular interest are the details on Oden's future plans. According to Titus, Oden intends to sit out the 2012/13 season, continuing to work toward his degree at Ohio State. He'll also take all the time he needs to rehab his knees to full strength, in hopes of getting healthy and signing with an NBA team in 2013.

After five injury-plagued seasons in Portland, Oden was waived by the Blazers in March to make room for players acquired at the trade deadline. The 24-year-old reportedly considered retirement at that point, but ultimately decided he wants to try to play again, despite having undergone three microfracture surgeries to date.

"I don't care about what all of these injuries mean for any legacy I might have," Oden said. "I just want to play basketball. I could've signed with a team after Portland cut me and just sat on the bench and collected paychecks, but that's not my style. That just seems really unethical. Besides, money doesn't matter to me. I've got enough money. All I want is to get 100% healthy and get back on the court."

Even if Oden never lives up to the potential that made him the top pick over Kevin Durant in 2007, it would be great to see him eventually return to an NBA lineup. We'll be rooting for him.

Greg Oden

Agent For Greg Oden Discusses Future

April 5th, 2012 at 6:31pm CST by Sean Highkin

The agent for former Trail Blazers center Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Sr., spoke with CSNNW.com's Chris Haynes about his client's future in the NBA. Conley says that Oden, the former No. 1 overall pick who was waived by Portland in March, does not plan to retire from basketball.

“No he's not retiring. The only way that would happen is if he was forced to and I don't see that happening,” Conley said. “He's dedicated to making sure he's back on the court as soon as possible.”

Oden was drafted first overall by the Blazers in 2007, but repeated knee injuries have limited him to 82 games in five seasons. He has not played since November 2009. Despite being released by Portland last month, Conley did not close the door on an eventual return for Oden:

“There's a possibility. Obviously, that decision is up to the Blazers, but my job as his agent is to find him the best offer out there on the market. Absolutely, no way in the world is the answer no.”

Oden is currently an unrestricted free agent and recovering from his third microfracture surgery in five years. There is no timetable for a potential return to the court.

Oden Wants To Play Again, Interested In Pacers

March 16th, 2012 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

It's been another disappointing season for Greg Oden, who underwent knee surgery that sidelined him for the year, then was waived by the Blazers yesterday to clear a roster spot. However, Oden's agent Mike Conley Sr. tells the Associated Press (link via ESPN.com) that his client is committed to playing basketball again.

When Portland waived Oden, his agents Conley and Bill Duffy released a statement saying that "the first priority is Greg's health" and that there's no timeline for his return to the hardwood. According to Conley, while Oden initially contemplated ending his career, he's fully focused on rehab now. Conley says the former first overall pick is rehabbing at home in Indianapolis and would have interest in joining the Pacers once he gets healthy.

When Oden clears waivers this weekend, he'll be an unrestricted free agent.

Blazers To Waive Greg Oden, Chris Johnson

March 15th, 2012 at 4:39pm CST by Luke Adams

After completing a pair of two-for-one trades today, the Blazers found themselves over the maximum roster size by two players. To clear roster spots for the new additions, it appears the team will waive Greg Oden and Chris Johnson. Joe Freeman of The Oregonian tweets the Oden scoop, while Johnson's wife first broke the news on her husband on her Twitter account, tweeting "C just got released :(" (hat tip to Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge).

In addition to those moves, the Blazers are also working on a possible buyout for newly-acquired forward Shawne Williams, tweets Freeman.

Oden, the former first overall pick, was sidelined by health issues again this season, having undergone season-ending knee surgery. Johnson, meanwhile, has seen limited action in 20 games with the Blazers this year, averaging 1.6 points and 0.9 rebounds in less than five minutes per contest.

Odds & Ends: Spurs, Diaw, Kaman, Morris

March 13th, 2012 at 6:38pm CST by Ryan Raroque

On the speculation that Dwight Howard could be the determining factor with regard to his job security, coach Stan Van Gundy was forthright: "If they want to fire me to please somebody, fire me," later adding, "our job, my job is to focus on the basketball." Regardless of what happens before the deadline, the Magic coach will be able to put the trade speculation aside by the time Friday hits. Here are some other notes worth looking at from around the league:

The Spurs may be looking into the trade market for a point guard, according to Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld.
Tony Parker spoke about his desire for Boris Diaw to join him in San Antonio should he be granted a buyout from the Bobcats. Interestingly enough, Parker referred to the Knicks as another team that is interested in Diaw.
Center Chris Kaman says he feels comfortable with his role in New Orleans and would hope to stay with the Hornets, writes Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune.
Lakers rookie Darius Morris suffered a bruised wrist during a game in the D-League and will be day-to-day, says Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times. (Twitter link)
Greg Oden appears to be preparing to move on from the Trail Blazers. According to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, a source close to the situation has said that Oden is in the process of selling his home in Portland and has no intention of returning to the team next season.

Greg Oden Doesn’t Intend To Retire

February 22nd, 2012 at 11:01am CST by Luke Adams

Having previously had microfracture surgery on each knee, Greg Oden underwent yet another microfracture surgery on his left knee this week, ending his season. While the procedure is just the latest in a number of setbacks for the former first overall pick, Oden has no plans to retire yet, reports Chris Mannix of SI.com.

At this point, a comeback for Oden, who hasn't played in an NBA game since December 2009, looks like a long shot. The Blazers don't figure to offer Oden another contract this summer, though acting GM Chad Buchanan wasn't about to write off the center's career.

"Greg's still very young, in relative terms, for a professional basketball player," Buchanan said. "He's recovered from a couple of these before. His last two microfracture lesions have healed fine. So there's no reason to think he couldn't come back as long as he shows the work ethic and desire that he's had in the past to come back."

Agent Bill Duffy told Jason Quick of the Oregonian that it's too early to speculate about Oden's future, but that the 24-year-old "is not going to hear anything from us but optimism" (Twitter links).

Greg Oden Out For Season

February 20th, 2012 at 7:27pm CST by Ryan Raroque

An official press release by the Portland Trail Blazers announced that center Greg Oden will miss the season after undergoing micro-fracture surgery on his left knee.

Trail Blazers general manager Chad Buchanan told reporters that while Oden's procedure was supposed to be minor, things took a turn for the worse.

"Once the doctors were inside Greg's left knee, they unfortunately found articular surface damage and determined microfracture was necessary."

The former number one pick has played a total of 82 games since being drafted in 2007, and this latest setback will certainly affect Oden's status as an unrestricted free agent this summer. If Oden plans to make a comeback, the 7'0'' center will have to find a team who will be willing to wait for him to recover.

Ben Golliver of the BlazersEdge.com tweets that Buchanan will consider releasing Oden to free a roster spot and apply for a Disabled Player's Exception.

Blazers Notes: Oden, Crawford

February 3rd, 2012 at 1:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Coming off a disappointing 95-92 loss to the Kings last night, the news on the Trail Blazers hasn't gotten any better today. Here's the latest out of Portland:

Greg Oden will undergo another knee procedure to remove debris from his right knee, the team announced (via Twitter). Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com reported that Oden would undergo a procedure on his left knee as well, which interim GM Chad Buchanan confirmed was a possibility (Twitter link). To make matters worse, a source also told Haynes that Oden has blood clots in his ankles.
Buchanan said it was too early to declare Oden's season over, but as Jason Quick of the Oregonian points out, it would be a miracle if the former first round pick can return by season's end (Twitter links). The real question, Quick tweets, is whether Oden's career may be over.
SI.com's Sam Amick discusses the adjustments Jamal Crawford has made since joining the Blazers as a free agent this offseason. Crawford holds a player option worth $5.2MM+ for next year, but "fully intends" to test the market, says Amick.