Leandro Barbosa Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Celtics Notes: Projections, Barbosa, Sullinger

October 19th, 2012 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

In their NBA preview issue, ESPN The Magazine teamed up with Basketball Prospectus to project the records of each of the league's 30 teams for the coming season. The magazine's prediction for the Celtics might raise a few eyebrows, as ESPN has them pegged as the fourth seed in the East, and second-best in the Atlantic, behind the Knicks. Let's round up a few more Friday morning Celtics-related links….

Paul Pierce believes a Celtics bench that just added Leandro Barbosa may be the strongest unit he's seen during his time in Boston, according to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. "I think [Barbosa] can definitely help us," Pierce said. "Another veteran who’s one of the better bench players in the league to go along with our bench that’s pretty well rounded. It’s added scoring punch."
Within Bulpett's piece, coach Doc Rivers had praise for the newly-signed Barbosa as well: "I love his speed, his ability to handle the ball. We don’t have a backup point (guard), but we have another ballhandler. Our theory is if we throw three ballhandlers out on the floor, someone can bring the ball up — and that’s the way we’ll play with our second unit."
With two preseason games remaining, Rivers is still seeking chemistry, timing, and cohesion from his rotation, as Bulpett writes in a separate piece for the Herald.
In a mailbag for ESPNBoston.com, Chris Forsberg fields reader questions on whether the Celtics need a true backup point guard, how the minutes figure to be divided at shooting guard, and Jared Sullinger's potential ceiling.

Celtics Sign Leandro Barbosa

October 18th, 2012 at 4:28pm CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY, 5:28pm: The Celtics have confirmed the move in a press release. The Brazilian native won't be available for the team's preseason game tonight against the Nets because of unresolved visa issues.

WEDNESDAY, 3:56pm: Barbosa's deal will be for the veteran's minimum, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com.

3:21pm: The Celtics and unrestricted free agent Leandro Barbosa have agreed to terms on a one-year contract, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Paul Flannery of WEEI.com had reported yesterday that the C's were looking to add another veteran before the end of this week.

After the Celtics waived Dionte Christmas and Jamar Smith yesterday, it left just 16 players left on the team's roster, including Rob Kurz and Micah Downs, who are unlikely to survive cuts. Coach Doc Rivers had said the Celtics planned to open the season with a full 15-man roster, according to Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald, so Barbosa and rookie Kris Joseph appear to be good bets to earn the 14th and 15th spots.

As Rich Levine of CSNNE.com wrote earlier today, the Celtics haven't had a true backup point guard for the last few seasons; Barbosa doesn't exactly match that description either, since he can play both guard positions, and is probably a more natural fit at the two. Still, he seems as likely as anyone to occupy the role that Keyon Dooling had in Boston before Dooling unexpectedly retired last month.

Barbosa, 29, averaged 11.1 PPG on .425/.382/.815 shooting a year ago in 64 games for the Raptors and Pacers. He was said to be seeking more than the minimum, but it was still a little surprising that he remained unsigned this late into the fall. Terms of his agreement with the Celtics aren't known, but I'd guess it'll be a guaranteed, minimum-salary contract. Boston was also believed to have the $1.957MM bi-annual exception in its pocket, but GM Danny Ainge indicated last month that the BAE wasn't available.

Atlantic Notes: Barbosa, Holiday, Wilkins, 76ers

October 17th, 2012 at 10:16pm CST by Alex Lee

As was long rumored, we learned earlier today that the Celtics added Leandro Barbosa to back up both guard positions. After losing Ray Allen to the rival Heat, it appears the Celts have more than replaced him by adding Jason Terry, Courtney Lee and now Barbosa. Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston breaks down the move in his rapid reaction, even pointing out that Barbosa could facilitate the development of rookie and fellow Brazilian Fab Melo. Forsberg also offers a "roster reset" complete with the team's current obligations and some thoughts on how it will shake out. Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe tweets that a big reason behind the move was a desire for more scoring punch from reserve guards.

Here are some other updates from around the Atlantic division:

Tim Keown of ESPN the Magazine writes a lengthy piece that centers on the enigma that is Carmelo Anthony. While Anthony is as gifted as they come scoring-wise, Keown implies that he may not be the "alpha dog" that most NBA teams, Knicks included, need. Anthony seems to thrive in international play when he is amongst stars, but when he is the best player on the court things seem to stall.
We've been hearing all week about a possible long-term contract extension for Sixers guard Jrue Holiday. John Finger of CSN Philly heard today from a source that the talks have begun to pick up. The Sixers have until October 31 to either extend Holiday or make him a qualifying offer for one year and $3.77MM. If Holiday does not take the offer, he will become a restricted free agent next summer.
Tom Moore from Philly Burbs tweets that he believes that the Sixers will soon cut their roster down to 14, with Damien Wilkins nabbing the last spot. If true, that would make Devin Searcy and Dan Gadzuric free agents in the very near future.
Michael Levin of Sixers blog Liberty Ballers writes a guest column on Sheridan Hoops, listing five reasons to feel positive about the 76ers. If everything goes according the plan, Philly could be a rare example of a team that emerges from the typically inescapable depths of NBA mediocrity to become a legitimate contender.

Kennedy On Veterans, Cousins

October 9th, 2012 at 7:07pm CST by Sean Highkin

Earlier Tuesday, Tracy McGrady signed a deal to play in China. With that in mind, HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy takes a look at several veteran players remaining on the market in his latest column:

Josh Howard, Michael Redd, and Leandro Barbosa are two wing players Kennedy points to as among the best available on the market.
Several veteran players, including Mickael Pietrus and Kenyon Martin, are unwilling to sign contracts at the veteran's minimum and are holding out for more money, Kennedy says.
Derek Fisher has been working out with the Lakers recently, but Kennedy points out that he cannot re-sign there until March, after one year has passed since he was traded to the Rockets and waived.
Kennedy suggests that Gilbert Arenas, who appeared in 17 games for the Grizzlies last season, may consider playing in China like McGrady if he cannot find a deal in the NBA.
Also in his column, Kennedy looks at the leadership role third-year center DeMarcus Cousins has been taking on with the Kings in training camp.

Free Agents Seeking More Than The Minimum

September 26th, 2012 at 11:39am CST by Luke Adams

With free agents like Jonny Flynn, Louis Amundson, and Anthony Tolliver coming off the board this week, there aren't many recognizable names left on our list of available players. Of the unrestricted free agents still on the market, a handful stand out: Leandro Barbosa, Kenyon Martin, Mehmet Okur, Mickael Pietrus, and Tracy McGrady.

There's no question that any of these players could help an NBA team. None of them are stars or maybe even starters anymore, but they're solid role players that won't hurt you off the bench. So why are they still on the market? I don't have any inside info about their contract negotiations, but I'd guess it's because their asking prices remain too high. Here's what we've heard this offseason about the contracts these guys are after:

Leandro Barbosa: Barbosa was looking for a multiyear contract earlier this summer, and his interest in the Cavs, who have a ton of cap space, suggested he didn't want to take a huge pay cut. It looks like he won't have much choice in the matter, but I'm not sure he's willing to settle for the minimum yet, or he'd already be signed.
Kenyon Martin: We've heard multiple times this offseason that Martin is seeking more than the veteran's minimum. Most recently, Timberwolves assistant coach Bill Bayno said Martin's asking price is the reason his team isn't pursuing the former first overall pick.
Mehmet Okur: The Timberwolves were linked frequently to Okur this offseason, but the team's inability to offer more than the minimum was a roadblock. It seems Okur's best shot at a bigger payday may come from a Turkish team.
Mickael Pietrus: Agent Bill McCandless stated pretty unequivocally back in July that his client wouldn't be signing for the veteran's minimum. With Pietrus still unsigned, you have to wonder if recent reports of the former Celtic drawing heavy interest and possibly closing in on a deal were floated by McCandless to try to drum up last-minute interest from teams with some spending room.
Tracy McGrady: There haven't been any reports this offseason explicitly suggesting that McGrady isn't interested in the veteran's minimum, but after a solid 2011/12 season in Atlanta, I would think there'd be plenty of teams interested in signing him at that price. The Knicks, for instance, are reportedly willing to take a flier on Rasheed Wallace, but are no longer interested in McGrady. It could just be a matter of Wallace being a better fit, but it wouldn't be surprising if T-Mac's asking price was still too high.

There are a number of other players on our list of free agents who could still be after more than the minimum — Derek Fisher, Michael Redd, and Josh Howard, to name a few. But it appears the five listed above are the best bets to force a team to dip into its cap space, mid-level exception, or bi-annual exception.

Still, we're at a point in the offseason where very few, if any, players are receiving more than minimum-salary offers. So if these free agents don't receive any NBA offers they like, perhaps they'll seriously consider signing overseas, an option that could appeal in particular to players like Barbosa, Okur, and Pietrus, who have international roots.

Celtics Rumors: Fisher, Bibby, Barbosa, Pietrus

September 22nd, 2012 at 4:14pm CST by Chuck Myron

Keyon Dooling's retirement reduced the number of fully guaranteed contracts on the Celtics roster to 13. Though Dionte Christmas and Jamar Smith have small partial guarantees of $237K and $25K, respectively, the team appears to have the flexibility to add another free agent. They still possess their $1.957MM biannual exception, and with Dooling retired and Avery Bradley recovering from right shoulder surgery, they could be in the market for an experienced backup to point guard Rajon Rondo. In the meantime Jason Terry will serve in that capacity, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com, who believes the former Mav will make the greatest contribution of all the new Celtics this year (Twitter links). Blakely unleashed a series of tweets full of notable Celtics rumors, and we've rounded them up here:

While Dooling will be missed, Blakely doesn't think the team will go after Derek Fisher or Mike Bibby to replace him (Twitter links).
Leandro Barbosa and Mickael Pietrus aren't likely to join the Celtics either, Blakely says (Twitter links). Barbosa has indicated a willingness to sign for the minimum with a contender, while Pietrus expressed an interest in returning to Boston, but for the biannual exception instead of the minimum.
Darko Milicic, who signed a guaranteed one-year minimum deal, is a worthwhile gamble given his low price, Blakely thinks (Twitter link).
The last we heard on Bradley's recovery was that it might keep him out until mid-December. Blakely says it's possible, although not likely, that he'll be back for the regular season opener, and believes Bradley will eventually retake the starting shooting guard job from Courtney Lee. (All Twitter links).
Amongst the team's rookies, Jared Sullinger figures to get the most playing time, Blakely tweets.
The Celtics have "a very good shot" at a championship, but it hinges on the team's health, Blakely opines (Twitter link).
Kenyon Martin has been linked to the Celtics recently, but he'll require more than the minimum, according to Timberwolves assistant coach Bill Bayno, who says that's why his team isn't pursuing the big man, tweets Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 radio.

Pacific Notes: Barbosa, Hill, Warriors, Suns

September 14th, 2012 at 6:17pm CST by Alex Lee

We heard earlier this week that former Suns guard Leandro Barbosa, who finished last season in Indiana, had spoken with the Suns, the Nets and the Lakers about his destination this year. The Nets roster looks set at guard, and yesterday it looked like the Suns weren't interested either. We will keep an eye on the Lakers' interest in Barbosa, but in the meantime let's round up all things Pacific Division:

We learned yesterday that Dwight Howard will not be ready for the Lakers first preseason game in early October. According to Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times, the Lakers will likely shift Pau Gasol to center and insert Jordan Hill into the starting power forward spot in Howard's absence. The uncertainty that the Lakers face with Howard's back problems makes their ability to keep Gasol in the deal look even better, if that is possible.
Matt Steinmetz of CSN Bay Area hosted a Warriors chat today. Among the topics covered are the expectations for Andrew Bogut in his first year in Oakland, Stephen Curry's future with the Warriors as well as newcomer Harrison Barnes' rookie role.
Paul Coro from the Arizona Republic checks up on the Suns as we get closer to the starting of training camp. He says the only three players who haven't shown their face in Phoenix of late are Jermaine O'Neal, Marcin Gortat and Michael Beasley. In addition to a Beasley update, Coro says their is word that Goran Dragic, Markieff Morris and Kendall Marshall look good. He also reiterates what we heard yesterday, that Leandro Barbosa's interest in coming back to Phoenix is one-sided.

Suns Not Pursuing Barbosa

September 13th, 2012 at 4:25pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic tweets that although Leandro Barbosa says he has talked to the Suns, the team is not currently pursuing him. The Brazilian guard has also been recently linked to the Lakers and Nets, and whereas Steve Nash has apparently been working to recruit his old Phoenix running mate to Los Angeles, Howard Beck of the New York Times reported on Tuesday that the possibility of Brooklyn had become unlikely.

Barbosa was a member of the Suns from 2003-04 through the middle of the 2009-10 season, winning the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award in 2007. Last year, he averaged 11.1 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 1.5 APG between the Raptors and Pacers.

Pacific Notes: Seattle, Kings, Warriors, Barbosa

September 12th, 2012 at 11:24am CST by Luke Adams

The Seattle arena proposal, led by investor Chris Hansen, still requires the approval of Seattle City Council and King County Council, but the plan took a major step forward yesterday, as Lynn Thompson of the Seattle Times writes. It was announced that Hansen and the city council have reached an agreement on financial terms for the arena, with official approval expected later this month. At that point, Hansen can begin "shopping" for an NBA franchise. Let's round up the latest links on the Seattle situation and a few other topics from around the Pacific Division….

Former SuperSonic Lenny Wilkens believes Seattle could land a team as early as next season, according to Percy Allen of the Seattle Times. Allen says that the Bucks, Bobcats, and Timberwolves are all realistic candidates for relocation, though the Kings remain the odds-on favorite to move.
The cost of relocating an NBA franchise means Sacramento should still have a reasonable chance at keeping the Kings, writes Tom Ziller of SBNation.com.
Marcos Breton of the Sacramento Bee wonders if the city of Seattle would want to bring the Kings to town even if the Maloofs were still a part of the package.
The threat of a lawsuit may impact the future of the Santa Cruz Warriors, says J.M. Brown of the Santa Cruz Sentinel. The city of Santa Cruz had been expected to approve a plan to build a 30,000-square-foot facility to host Golden State's D-League team.
Sean Deveney of the Sporting News believes the Lakers are still the most likely landing spot for unrestricted free agent Leandro Barbosa.

Leandro Barbosa Talking To Suns, Nets, Lakers

September 11th, 2012 at 8:17pm CST by Chuck Myron

8:17pm: Howard Beck of the New York Times hears that the Nets are unlikely to sign Barbosa, given their depth at both guard spots (Twitter links).

6:19pm: Leandro Barbosa is one of the most prominent free agents still on the market, and the Brazilian guard recently told Fábio Balassiano of UOL Esporte that he's in talks with the Suns, Nets and Lakers (Portuguese link; translation via HoopsHype). Barbosa added that former Suns teammate Steve Nash has been sending text messages his way to try to recruit him to L.A.

The Lakers were close to signing him during the Olympics, but the team's deal with Jodie Meeks caused them to back off, Barbosa said. It's hard to put too much weight on comments he made in another language, but Barbosa appeared to indicate he's willing to take the minimum salary from the Lakers or another contending club. The Lakers still have $1.59MM of their taxpayer's mid-level exception remaining after using $1.5MM of it on Meeks, which is a little more than the $1.229MM that Barbosa, as a nine-year veteran, would receive at the minimum-salary level.

The Nets probably fit the profile of a contending club as well. They could offer the biannual exception of $1.957MM, but that would cause them to be hard-capped this season, something they've sought to avoid. The Suns still have more than $8MM in cap space, so they could simply overwhelm the other clubs with the amount of money in their offer if they chose to do so.

Barbosa said in the report that he would go back to Brazil if he can't find a deal in the NBA, but that seems unlikely. Hoops Rumors readers tabbed Barbosa as the best remaining free agent by a wide margin a few days ago.