Kenyon Martin Sr. Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Noel, D’Antoni, Smith, Lopez, Russell

February 4th, 2012 at 12:31pm CST by Zachary Links

The Knicks suffered another tough loss last night as they fell to the Celtics, 91-89. Here's more on New York and other items from around the league..

Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak doesn't regret trading Lamar Odom to the Mavericks in December, writes Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times.
Kyle Singler isn't sure if he'll play for the Pistons next season, writes Justin Rogers of MLive.com. The Duke product, who was taken in the second round by Detroit in 2011, says he's enjoying his time with Real Madrid in Spain.
Cathal Kelly of the Toronto Star asked Andrea Bargnani if he'll consider leaving the Raptors at the end of his deal in 2015. The former No. 1 overall pick said that he has made it "pretty clear" that he wants to remain in Toronto.
Chauncey Billups recruited Kenyon Martin heavily to join the Clippers, tweets J. Michael Falgoust of USA Today. Martin and Billups are both represented by agent Andy Miller.
Massachusetts high school center Nerlens Noel now appears to be in line for the 2013 NBA Draft rather than 2014 after reclassification, writes Adam Zagoria for Sheridan Hoops. Earlier this week, Noel told Dave Telep of ESPN.com that he's now set to graduate with the class of '12 rather than '13. The center now projects as the top pick in the 2013 draft according to DraftExpress.com.
Despite uncertainty surrounding his job, Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni will not be fired today despite back-to-back, last-second losses to the Bulls and Celtics, NBA sources tell Marc Berman of the New York Post.
Even though the Knicks were linked to Kenyon Martin, the guy that they've really had their eye on is J.R. Smith, writes Moke Hamilton of Sheridan Hoops. Smith said to be considering five teams, including New York. The Clippers are also in that group but they can only make Smith a minimum offer after agreeing to sign Martin using their room exception.
Six weeks after undergoing surgery on his right foot, Nets center Brook Lopez still isn't sure when he'll be able to return, writes Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger. The Nets will likely need a healthy Lopez in order to put together a package for Orlando's Dwight Howard.
Friday marks the league deadline for teams to either release players with non-guaranteed contracts or guarantee their deals for the rest of the season. Pistons 29-year-old rookie Walker Russell is making a strong case to stay with Detroit, writes David Mayo of MLive.com.

Clippers Agree To Sign Kenyon Martin

February 3rd, 2012 at 11:53am CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers and Kenyon Martin have reached an agreement on a contract, reports Mike James of the Los Angeles Times. The Clippers will use their $2.5MM room exception to sign Martin, finalizing the deal after he passes a physical.

Earlier today, we heard that CBA officials were fighting to reverse the letter of clearance FIBA awarded Martin. The 34-year-old's contract had stipulated that he couldn't sign and play with an NBA team until the end of the Chinese season, but the international basketball federation decided to clear Martin yesterday. For now it appears the power forward will be able to join the Clippers once his new contract becomes official, though Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports tweets that the CBA will still try to delay his debut.

The Heat, Hawks, Spurs, Knicks, and Lakers also had interest in signing Martin, who should see consistent minutes behind Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan in the Clippers' frontcourt. Chauncey Billups, Martin's former teammate in Denver, played a large role in getting his friend to Los Angeles.

"If the Clippers end up getting him, Chauncey should get all the credit," a source told Ramona Sherbourne of ESPNLos Angeles.com yesterday. "Chauncey has been the guy talking to him."

China Fighting FIBA Decision On Martin

February 3rd, 2012 at 8:24am CST by Luke Adams

FIBA allowed Kenyon Martin to become an unrestricted free agent yesterday, at least two weeks before his obligation to China was set to end, and the Chinese Basketball Association isn't happy about it. Adrian Wojnarowksi of Yahoo Sports reports that CBA officials are fighting FIBA's decision, demanding the contract Martin signed during the NBA lockout is upheld.

Martin signed a $2.6MM deal to play for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers, but reached an agreement on a buyout after just 12 games. While the 34-year-old hasn't played in China in weeks, his contract stipulated that he couldn't sign with an NBA club until the end of the Flying Tigers' season. FIBA granted Martin a letter of clearance after China failed to reply to a request for such a letter. According to Wojnarowski, CBA officials are insisting the request was intentionally sent during the Chinese New Year — FIBA's guidelines allow it to issue a letter of clearance if a request goes unanswered for a week.

It's unclear whether Martin's clearance could be reversed, but FIBA's decision has reportedly angered other NBA players who are still contractually obligated to Chinese teams.

Right now, it’s a huge distraction for teams," an international official said. "Players are angry, want out now, and this is a huge investment that's blowing up in the face of [Chinese] teams and owners."

Whenever Martin is allowed to sign, it looks like he'll be deciding from a handful of teams that includes the Clippers, Heat, Hawks, Lakers, Spurs, and Knicks.

Kenyon Martin Sr.

Poll: Which Team Will Sign Kenyon Martin?

February 2nd, 2012 at 7:10pm CST by Jason Hahn

Kenyon Martin, who was recently given clearance to sign with an NBA team, is drawing interest from a handful of squads. We noted earlier today that Martin was approached with an offer from the Heat, while the Clippers look to make an informal offer. The Hawks also met with Martin's representatives, while the Knicks reportedly have him on their radar. This isn't even to mention the other teams mentioned in reports, including the Lakers and Spurs.

Martin is expected to choose which suitor to join by the weekend.

Kenyon Martin Sr.

Nuggets Notes: Martin, Karl, Playoffs

February 2nd, 2012 at 6:01pm CST by Jason Hahn

Here are the latest notes on the Nuggets, who visit the Clippers tonight…

Kenyon Martin will not return to the Nuggets this season, writes Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post, citing a league source. The 34-year-old power forward had been playing in China but was recently cleared by FIBA to return to the NBA, as we noted earlier today.
Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports takes a look at the Nuggets post-Carmelo Anthony. Among the interesting tidbits of information is that coach George Karl says this version of the Nuggets easier to coach than his previous teams. Karl also shared what he said to Anthony when the Nuggets visited the Knicks on Jan. 21: "I respect you. You’re the best scorer I ever coached. What you did [in Denver] before I got here, and what we did once we got together, is a pretty good run. It doesn’t have a lot of playoff success, but it has a lot of good basketball."
Kiki Vandeweghe, a contributor for FOX Sports and former GM of the Nuggets, discusses the Nuggets as they visit the Clippers tonight and host the Lakers on Friday. He says the Nuggets will have to assert their running-style of play if they hope to win against their next two opponents. If they can't, the stars on the other teams (e.g., Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin) will find a way to push their teams to victory. "And that's why I think it's fair when people wonder whether the Nuggets can succeed in the playoffs," writes Vandeweghe. "It's the truth. NBA championships are won by teams with stars."

Odds & Ends: J.R. Smith, Powe, Celtics, Redd

February 2nd, 2012 at 3:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are a few Thursday links of note from around the NBA:

The Knicks have more interest in J.R. Smith than they have in Kenyon Martin, tweets Howard Beck of the New York Times. If Smith's CBA team doesn't make the playoffs, he could make his way back to America in a couple weeks.
Leon Powe has talked to the Bulls, and may be a backup plan if Chicago doesn't land Joel Przybilla, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
The Celtics have discussed sending JaJuan Johnson to the D-League, but head coach Doc Rivers tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com that it won't happen anytime soon.
Early-season signee Michael Redd is still trying to get comfortable on the floor with the Suns, writes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
In an NBA.com mailbag, Keith Langlois answers readers' questions about the Pistons, including a couple related to possible Rodney Stuckey trades.

Kenyon Martin Granted Unrestricted Free Agency

February 2nd, 2012 at 1:18pm CST by Luke Adams

NBA teams were informed today that Kenyon Martin has become an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any team, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter). Martin's former Chinese team, the Xinjiang Flying Tigers, failed to reply to a request for a letter of clearance, so FIBA made the decision to clear him, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.

The Heat have already extended an offer to Martin, while the Clippers intend to make him a formal offer as well. The Hawks also met with the the 34-year-old's representatives this week, reports Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Stein hears that West teams probably have an edge based on the minutes they could offer (Twitter link), and the Clips "like their chances," according to Broderick Turner of the L.A. Times. However, Martin is intrigued by the role he could play in Atlanta, Wojnarowski tweets.

Since the restrictions on Martin's availability were lifted earlier than expected, Monday's report suggesting he'll decide where to sign by this weekend seems more logical. The Lakers, Spurs, and Knicks are among the other teams who have some interest in the power forward.

Clippers Have Yet To Make Offer To Martin

February 2nd, 2012 at 9:23am CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers haven't extended a contract offer to Kenyon Martin yet, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. However, Turner says the team is willing to offer Martin their mini mid-level exception, or "room" exception, of $2.5MM.

Chauncey Billups has talked about wanting to bring Martin to L.A., and the 6'9" power forward recently met with Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro and VP of basketball operations Neil Olshey. I think they may be the best fit for Martin, but the Clips aren't the only team interested — yesterday, we heard that at least five other clubs were involved, with Martin expected to make a decision by this weekend.

While Martin will reportedly make up his mind soon, there's no rush for him to decide, or for the Clippers to extend a formal offer. The 34-year-old can't sign with an NBA team until the season ends for the CBA's Xinjiang Flying Tigers, which won't happen until at least February 16th. Martin will be in for an even longer wait if his former team in China earns a playoff spot, as Jon Pastuszek explains at NiuBBall.com.

Odds & Ends: Hughes, Smith, Martin, James

February 1st, 2012 at 8:55pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Here are a few miscellaneous tidbits from around the league…

Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports (via Twitter) that the Magic have waived guard Larry Hughes. The 33-year-old guard had played in eight games for the Magic this season.
Marc Berman of the NY Post reports that J.R. Smith and Kenyon Martin are on the Knicks radar. The Knicks will have to wait until Smith and Martin are no longer obligated to their respective teams in China to be able to make an official offer. New York still possesses a 2.5MM mini mid-level exception and will have to waive one player to make room for any free agent addition this season.
Mike James was waived by the Chicago Bulls after appearing in three games. The 36-year-old point guard has been looking to work his way back into the league and had earned a call-up by the Bulls after three games in the NBA D-League. The Bulls roster now stands at 13.

Heat Make Offers To Przybilla, Martin

February 1st, 2012 at 6:43pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com reports that the Miami Heat have offered contracts to both Joel Przybilla and Kenyon Martin.

We heard earlier about the mutual interest between Przybilla and the Heat, and it was reported that a decision is expected to be made by the end of this week. Ira Winderman of South Florida Sun Sentinel indicated (via Twitter) that Przybilla is leaning toward selecting the Heat over the Bulls, who have also shown interest. It was also noted that Kenyon Martin could make his decision by this weekend as well.

The current Heat roster stands at the maximum of 15 players, so Miami would need to find a way to clear a roster spot for Przybilla and/or Martin if they accept their respective offers. Terrell Harris and Mickell Gladness, two rookies who are currently playing on unguaranteed contracts, are candidates to be waived.