Jermaine O’Neal Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Warriors Notes: Speights, O’Neal, Bynum

July 8th, 2013 at 7:56pm CST by Zachary Links

The Warriors made another free agent pickup this evening when they agreed to sign Marreese Speights to a three-year deal. While Speights wasn't a fit in Cleveland and turned down a player option of ~$4.52MM to go elsewhere, he played some of his best basketball there in the second half of last season. Here's more out of Golden State..

The Warriors have begun reaching out to reserve point guards to find a replacement for Jarrett Jack, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter). They've offered minimum contracts to a few one-guards already in the last week.
One source close to the process tells Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that the Speights deal does not impact their pursuit of free agent center Jermaine O'Neal. The veteran is expected to make his decision soon.
Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com (on Twitter) is surprised that the Warriors haven't been linked to Andrew Bynum this summer. It's a signing that would make sense for them (though the Speights signing may change that) and they've been linked to every other free agent up to now.

Free Agency Rumors: Bynum, Clippers, Warriors

July 6th, 2013 at 10:49pm CST by Spencer Lund

Andrew Bynum is one of the biggest wildcards of this year's crop of free agents after failing to play a single minute while in a Sixers uniform this past season. Bynum's belabored knees kept him from showcasing the All-Star talent he displayed during the 2011/12 season with the Lakers, which is what prompted the Sixers to deal for him in the first place.

Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News notes that the Mavs have positioned themselves to be in the mix for Bynum this summer, but signing the injury-plagued seven-footer would have to be contingent on a couple of different stipulations:

One would be whether Bynum could fly to Dallas for a thorough physical with the Mavs to see how his knees are doing after another surgery this year. There's also no chance they'd sign Bynum to a long term contract unless the deal was written in such a way as to protect the team should he miss extended time because of injury.

Sefko notes that Bynum was a force for the 2011/12 Lakers averaging 18.7 PPG and 11.8 RPG while making the All-Star team, but he missed 28 games in 2010/11, 32 games in 2008/09 and 47 games in 2007/08.

Here are a few more rumors surrounding Bynum, the Clippers and Warriors during another whirlwind night of the NBA's free agency:

Tom Moore of Phillyburbs.com tweets that he doesn't think a proposed hypothetical with the Mavs sending Shawn Marion's $9.3MM contract plus a second round draft pick to the Sixers would be enough to acquire Bynum.
According to sources for the Los Angeles Times' Brad Turner, the Clippers are looking to bring back big men Ryan Hollins and Ronny Turiaf (Twitter).
The Oakland Tribune's Marcus Thompson says the Warriors are interested in J.J. Hickson (Twitter), but the price might be too high to make a deal right now.
Thompson also writes (via Twitter) that the Warriors are not looking for a number 2 point guard, but a number 3 point prospect that's more Charles Jenkins than Jarrett Jack. Coach Mark Jackson and GM Bob Myers have Andre Iguodala to fill their back-up point guard duties.
Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld guesses that Lamar Odom may spurn his current Los Angeles team, the Clippers, for his former LA team, the Lakers (Twitter).
Chris Haynes of Comcast Sportsnet Northwest says Jermaine O'Neal will make his free agency decision in the next 2-3 days, and that he wasn't pursued by the Blazers (Twitter).

Rockets Rumors: Gibson, Brewer, Asik

July 6th, 2013 at 6:17pm CST by Spencer Lund

The Rockets have been the toast of the NBA's free agency period after agreeing on a deal for free agent Dwight Howard last night, but since the move they haven't rested on their laurels. General manager Daryl Morey has signed Omri Casspi from the Cavs, and re-signed Francisco Garcia.

But Morey and the Rockets aren't done as they're testing the waters to shore up their backcourt and figure out what to do with Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik, who have been offered in trade packages as the Rockets look to team James Harden and Howard with a third superstar.

The offering of Lin and Asik comes despite reports from Ken Berger at CBSSports.com earlier today that the Rockets may keep Asik and Lin next year. Asik has already voiced his displeasure at staying in Houston to back-up Dwight at center.

Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets that a rumored Pelicans sign-and-trade for Asik, which sources originally revealed to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnawrowski, hasn't even been discussed, and if it had the Pelicans would not be interested in the former Bulls center who took on a larger role with the Rockets this year. Let's look at a couple more rumored moves involving the Rockets this afternoon:

Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle says the Rockets are interested in the Nuggets' unrestricted free agent Corey Brewer (Twitter).
The Rockets are also looking at Houston native and Cavs free agent, Daniel Gibson, tweets Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, but cautions they're holding off on signing him for now.
Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets that with the Mavs and Warriors both currently looking to sign Suns unrestricted free agent Jermaine O'Neal, the Rockets might also be in the running.
Because the Rockets signed Casspi and Garcia to two-year deals, they're not reimbursed for parts of contract over $884,293 tweets Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld.

Jermaine O’Neal Interested In Trail Blazers

April 29th, 2013 at 10:14am CST by Luke Adams

After a pair of relatively unproductive years in Boston, Jermaine O'Neal bounced back this past season with the Suns, averaging 8.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and a 16.7 PER in 55 games. O'Neal will be a free agent again this summer, and the Trail Blazers are one team he'll definitely be considering, as he tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.

"I'm very open to Portland. They're definitely a team I'm looking forward to having talks with this summer," O'Neal said. "LaMarcus [Aldridge] and Damian [Lillard] along with [Nicolas] Batum are some great pieces to build around. All they need to do is shore up the bench and add a paint presence on defense and they'll be right there. It's hard to put that type of stress on your starting five and I know I can help ease some of that stress."

It was Portland that drafted O'Neal in the first round of the 1996 draft, taking him as an 18-year-old out of high school. The veteran big man hasn't played for the Blazers since the 1999/2000 season, but he hasn't forgotten the opportunity the franchise gave him.

"That city has always been in my heart because one: Mr. [Paul] Allen gave me my opportunity, and two: that city took me in as their second child," O'Neal said. "I didn't play for two or three years but you couldn't tell. The organization and the fans really allowed me to grow at my own pace. It's a special place to me. I met my wife in Portland. At this point for me, it's all about competing and winning and the Blazers are doing those things."

The Blazers figure to have a decent chunk of cap space to use in free agency this summer, and GM Neil Olshey has talked about trying to sign two or three bench pieces using that room. One area of need for the team is in the middle, so it wouldn't be a surprise if O'Neal's interest in Portland was reciprocated this offseason.

Stein’s Latest: Josh Smith, Boylan, Collins, Holiday

April 12th, 2013 at 10:19pm CST by Chuck Myron

Marc Stein's final ESPN.com Weekend Dime of the season doubles as his awards ballot, and he has LeBron James winning MVP, of course. More intriguing are his selections in some of the tighter races: George Karl for Coach of the Year, Kevin Martin for Sixth Man of the Year, Tim Duncan for Defensive Player of the Year and Jrue Holiday for Most Improved Player. Stein also has plenty of news from around the league, as we round up:

Before the season, the Hawks offered Josh Smith a three-year extension for the maximum amount, which would have been about $45MM, but Smith made it clear he wanted to hit free agency. That's no surprise, since an extension would have meant a smaller annual salary than he can sign for as a free agent, per collective bargaining agreement rules. The Hawks, wary of letting Smith walk, aggressively pursued trades, according to Stein, but wound up keeping him when an offer from the Bucks wasn't to their liking.
Bucks GM John Hammond is publicly heaping praise on coach Jim Boylan, but Stein hears Boylan has little to no shot of retaining the job, based on the team's late-season slump.
Doug Collins may join the Sixers front office or simply become an adviser to the team if he decides to step away from coaching.
Justin Holiday's deal with the Sixers includes a team option for next season, and it appears the deal is partially guaranteed for $50K, becoming fully guaranteed if he's not waived by August 15th.
The Nets also have a team option on Kris Joseph's deal for 2013/14.
A source insists to Stein that the Jazz will retain Tyrone Corbin for the final year of his contract next season, regardless of whether the team makes the playoffs.
Jermaine O'Neal, 34, is leaning strongly toward playing again next season. He signed a one-year, minimum-salary deal with the Suns last summer.

Western Notes: Hornets, Jamison, Mavs, O’Neal

March 1st, 2013 at 4:51pm CST by Luke Adams

When I looked earlier this week at teams with open roster spots, only four clubs had more than one opening. Since then, the Celtics have filled their two open spots, leaving the Hornets, Warriors, and Grizzlies as the NBA's only teams carrying just 13 players. Now, the Hornets will find themselves with one fewer player available, as the team announced today that Jason Smith will miss the rest of the season with a torn labrum. As one club that took full advantage of 10-day contracts last season, it may be only a matter of time before New Orleans brings in some young players on 10-day deals to add some roster depth.

Here are a few more Friday updates from around the Western Conference:

Antawn Jamison turned down a three-year, $11MM offer from the Bobcats to sign for the minimum with the Lakers last offseason, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. The veteran forward also has no intention of retiring after this season, as Shelburne tweets. "I don't think this is my last run," Jamison said. "I can still compete with these young guys."
Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks aren't interested in playing the what-if game when it comes to misses in free agency, as Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News writes. "In free agency, we can’t always get what we want," Nowitzki said of the team's pursuit of Deron Williams. "It’s not a Wish concert. It didn’t go the way we wanted so we have to move on as a franchise."
After a bounceback 2012/13 season with the Suns, Jermaine O'Neal can count on drawing more interest as a free agent this coming summer than he did last year, says Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld.
In a piece for Grantland, Bill Simmons lists his choices for the NBA's best contracts, and three of his top 15 belong to the Spurs.

Jermaine O’Neal Will Not Seek Buyout From Suns

February 21st, 2013 at 5:52pm CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY, 5:52pm: Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that O'Neal will not seek a buyout from the Suns and plans to remain in Phoenix for the rest of the season.

WEDNESDAY, 10:37pm: The Suns have agreed to acquire Marcus Morris from the Rockets for a second-round pick, and while Phoenix won't have to send out a player in the deal, the team will have to make a corresponding move to clear a spot for Morris. The Suns had been carrying 15 players, the maximum allowed by NBA rules.

The top candidate to be involved in that second roster move for the Suns is Jermaine O'Neal, whose name has come up in trade rumors. According to ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst (via Twitter), rival teams have been expecting the Suns to buy out or release O'Neal if they can't find a taker for him on the trade market.

Since O'Neal is on a one-year, minimum-salary contract, he'd be a fairly attractive trade target for a team in search of inexpensive frontcourt help. With the Suns forced to make a move, a second-round pick would likely be enough to land O'Neal, which Eric Pincus of the L.A. Times notes (via Sulia) that the Lakers could offer.

If the Suns do end up buying out or releasing O'Neal, the Knicks figure to be at the front of the line trying to sign him as a free agent, tweets ESPN.com's Marc Stein.

Knicks Rumors: Deadline, Amundson, Redick

February 21st, 2013 at 8:42am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks' front office typically doesn't talk to the media too often, which leaves coach Mike Woodson to discuss the team's plans as the trade deadline approaches. And Woodson has been insisting this week that a deal isn't likely for the Knicks, who the head coach believes can beat the Heat with the current roster. Here's the latest out of New York from Marc Berman of the New York Post:

One source to Berman, on the Knicks' deadline plans: "They’re not even waiting on anything. It’s pretty safe to say they’re not making a deal."
The Knicks are more likely to sign a free agent after they wait to see which players receive buyouts. Jermaine O'Neal is one possibility there, and the team also continues to monitor current free agent Kenyon Martin.
Contrary to previous reports, Berman says the Knicks have "no interest" in Louis Amundson.
A source shot down a previously-reported rumor that the Knicks could explore trading Iman Shumpert and Amare Stoudemire for Josh Smith. No surprise there, since the idea of the Hawks taking on Stoudemire's contract was always pretty outrageous.
There's also no traction on talks with the Magic involving J.J. Redick, says Berman. The Knicks would have needed to include a third team, and weren't interested in giving up Shumpert anyway.

Kyler’s Latest: Suns, Redick, Lakers, Novak, Blair

February 21st, 2013 at 8:17am CST by Luke Adams

With less than six hours until today's trade deadline, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld explores a few of the latest rumors in his NBA AM piece. Here are the highlights:

Besides Jermaine O'Neal, Sebastian Telfair is another candidate to be a roster casualty once the Suns finalize their acquisition of Marcus Morris, says Kyler. If Phoenix trades either player for virtually nothing, the Grizzlies, who have seven trade exceptions and a need to add a 13th man to their roster, could get involved.
As they explore J.J. Redick deals, the Magic continue to seek a high-level first-round pick or a package that includes a young player and second-round picks. Several teams have questioned whether it's worth meeting that asking price for what could be a 30-game rental of Redick, according to Kyler.
If the Lakers make a trade, it's expected to be one that reduces their luxury-tax bill rather than one that drastically changes the roster.
In addition to shopping Ronnie Brewer, the Knicks have also made Steve Novak available. The duo isn't drawing a whole lot of interest though.
The Hawks are a potential destination for DeJuan Blair, particularly if Atlanta finalizes a Josh Smith trade.

Odds & Ends: Repeater Tax, Bobcats, T-Wolves

February 20th, 2013 at 1:08am CST by Ryan Raroque

Yahoo's Marc J. Spears says (via Twitter) that trade talk has been quiet, as teams are waiting to see what happens with Josh Smith first. One major factor which undeniably has affected discussions around this time has been the looming "repeater tax," which Adrian Wojnarowski tweets is the reason why most teams have been reluctant to take back long-term deals at the deadline. We'll round up the rest of tonight's miscellaneous links below:

In addressing the biggest issues for the Lakers moving forward, Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times puts the chances of Dwight Howard re-signing next season at 25%. If Howard stays, Bresnahan thinks the Lakers could possibly amnesty Pau Gasol. If Dwight chooses to leave, Bresnahan opines that L.A. would likely keep Gasol and amnesty Metta World Peace.
Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune directs attention to Luke Ridnour and the Timberwolves' multiple first-round picks as their most attractive pieces in trying to acquire a legitimately-sized shooting guard.
According to Wojnarowski, the Bobcats have been trying to find takers for Gerald Henderson and are looking for a first-round pick in return.
John Reid of NOLA.com hears that the Hornets would be interested in trading Eric Gordon to the Warriors in any package that includes Klay Thompson, although Golden State is said to be reluctant in parting ways with the second-year guard right now. Reid notes Gordon has the power to veto any trade, and while he showed a strong interest in signing with Phoenix over the summer, the Hornets are prohibited from dealing him to the Suns.
With no first-round picks or salary cap space to use, Tim Kawakami of Mercury News believes that the Warriors aren't looking or aren't likely to make a deal soon.
ESPN's Chris Broussard reports that Derrick Rose appeared good enough to return to in-game action judging by the way he looked during 5-on-5 practice, according to eyewitnesses (Twitter link). On the same token, head coach Tom Thibodeau told ESPN Chicago earlier today that Rose might not make his return this season.
Paul Coro of AZCentral.com says that Sebastian Telfair and Jermaine O'Neal could be sent to title contenders in minor deals, and that Telfair would be the most likely candidate to be moved.
While there aren't any concrete trade connections between Oklahoma City and the following list of players, Royce Young of Daily Thunder names five reasonable targets for the Thunder: Luc Mbah a Moute, J.J. Barea, Luke Ridnour, Darren Collison, and Rodney Stuckey.