Marcus Camby Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: ‘Melo, Mavs, Bledsoe, Kaman

July 4th, 2014 at 1:19pm CST by Chuck Myron

The offer the Mavs are making to Carmelo Anthony involves a starting salary of slightly more than $18MM, reports Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com (Twitter link). That would mean a max of $77MM over four years, though McMahon pegs the likely value of the offer at $75MM. In any case, that’s significantly less than the nearly $96MM over four years the Lakers are reportedly offering in a max deal, and about $50MM less than the five-year max that the Knicks have apparently put on the table. There’s more from MacMahon on the Mavs amid the latest from the Western Conference:

The Mavs have confidence they’ll strike a deal to re-sign Devin Harris, presuming they don’t land Anthony or LeBron James, even if some of the inflated agreements around the league this week have pushed his market value higher, MacMahon writes. The team sees Isaiah Thomas as its primary fallback option should Harris sign elsewhere, and Dallas has also been in contact with the agent for Wasserman client D.J. Augustin, MacMahon adds.
There are some who believe that agent Rich Paul’s talks with teams about LeBron are instead intended to pitch clubs on Suns restricted free agent Eric Bledsoe, whom Paul also represents, tweets USA Today’s Sam Amick.
The Blazers came to terms with Chris Kaman believing they wouldn’t be able to sign Spencer Hawes or Channing Frye, according to TNT’s David Aldridge (Twitter link).
The Warriors have officially hired Alvin Gentry, Ron Adams and Luke Walton as assistant coaches, the team announced. Gentry, who spent last season as a Clippers assistant, was a candidate for multiple head coaching vacancies this summer. Adams was an assistant with the Celtics last season while Walton was an assistant for the Lakers D-League affiliate.
Marcus Camby, 40, still harbors aspirations of returning to the NBA after missing last year as he recovered from left foot surgery, an injury that prompted the Rockets to waive him just before the start of the regular season.

Western Rumors: Bazemore, Camby, Rockets

April 11th, 2014 at 12:17pm CST by Chuck Myron

The loss the Warriors suffered to the Nuggets on Thursday puts them just two games up on the ninth-place Grizzlies, and the Jazz, who own Golden State’s first-round pick, will surely be rooting for the Warriors to lose in the season’s final days. Here’s more from the Western Conference:

Kent Bazemore is set to become a restricted free agent at season’s end, and while his value appears to have surged since he joined the Lakers at the trade deadline, he’s not simply looking to cash in, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News observes. “I’m all about the basketball aspect of things. I don’t want much. I’m not a guy who’s going to chase money on a bad team. I want to win,” Bazemore said. “This is the Los Angeles Lakers. I don’t see many people turning down an opportunity to be here.”
The Rockets gauged Marcus Camby‘s interest in rejoining the team several weeks ago, only to learn that he would be unavailable to return to the NBA this year as he tries to come back from a left foot injury, reports Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
Rockets GM Daryl Morey confirmed that the conclusion that Greg Smith will miss the rest of the season led the team to waive him and sign Dexter Pittman, as Feigen passes along in the same piece.
The Rudy Gay trade muted the effect of Sacramento’s acquisition of Derrick Williams, who’s seen his playing time continue to decline of late, notes Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Kings coach Michael Malone wants to give Williams more minutes, but his lack of consistency dissuades him from doing so, Jones writes.

Odds & Ends: Gasol, Suns, Bulls, Mirotic

February 14th, 2014 at 3:21pm CST by Chuck Myron

At least three NBA GMs won’t be in New Orleans for All-Star weekend, as technology has changed the way deadline deals take shape, observes Ian Thomsen of SI.com. Thomsen’s piece is a revelatory examination of what goes on in the hidden world of NBA executives, and it’s worth a read. We’ll pass along another tidbit from it here among our look at the league’s latest:

Executives think Pau Gasol is the most significant player with a strong chance to be dealt, Thomsen writes. The likehihood of a Gasol deal has grown as the Lakers have dropped further from contention, Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding writes, identifying Chris Kaman, Jordan Hill and Steve Blake as other prime trade candidates on the Lakers.
Sam Smith of Bulls.com hears the Suns, who’ve been pursuing Gasol and his expiring contract, aren’t looking for short-term help and would prefer to trade for a player who can be a mainstay for years to come.
Smith also says that the Bulls are targeting veterans and buyout candidates rather than D-Leaguers for their 13th roster spot, suggesting Marcus Camby as a possibility, though it’s unclear if the Bulls truly have interest in signing the 39-year-old big man.
An NBA executive thinks that if Nikola Mirotic were eligible for this year’s draft, he’d be a top-three pick, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
Jameer Nelson says the Magic haven’t indicated to him they have any plans to trade him, and, according to Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling, he has no plans to test free agency this summer. Of course, Nelson might not have a choice, since the Magic can save $6MM of his $8MM salary for next season if they waive him on or before July 15th.
Adam Silver isn’t quite sure why players would be opposed to the idea of raising the age limit to 20, which he supports, as the commissioner tells Sam Amick of USA Today. Silver also suggests that allowing teams an extra year to scout prospects will help clubs with high draft picks make the right choice more often, leading to more leaguewide parity.

Odds & Ends: Camby, Rookies, Conroy

February 10th, 2014 at 5:35pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Going into the 2013 NBA draft, experts had viewed it as one of the weakest in recent memory. There was no franchise savior available, and the lottery was looked on as a guessing game at best. A little more than halfway through the season, the rookie class hasn’t done anything to dispel this notion. Outside of Michael Carter-Williams, Victor Oladipo, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, there hasn’t been much rookie production. Nate Duncan of Basketball Insiders.com believes there are five rookies who might be able to turn their seasons around. The players he examines in the piece are Anthony Bennett, Cody Zeller, Ben McLemore, Alex Len, and Otto Porter.

Southwest Notes: Camby, Rockets, Randolph

January 6th, 2014 at 7:15pm CST by Zachary Links

Tonight’s look at the Southwest Division..

Marcus Camby is working to get back to the hardwood after undergoing surgery on a torn plantar fascia and tells Mark Berman of myFOX Houston that he would like to return for the Rockets. “(My) preference is to stay home,” said Camby, who lives in Pearland, Texas.
With the Grizzlies on the verge of acquiring Courtney Lee from the Celtics, Zach Randolph tells Michael Cohen of the Memphis Commercial Appeal that the front office’s willingness to try to improve this season’s roster is “very encouraging.”
John Reid of The Times-Picayune wonders if the Pelicans should make a deal. Eric Gordon has been linked to trade talk but they could also dangle backup one-guards Brian Roberts and Austin Rivers. Earlier tonight, we learned that they’ve given D-League prospect Pierre Jackson the greenlight to find a trade.

Eastern Notes: Butler, 76ers, Melo, Brand

January 5th, 2014 at 10:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Caron Butler seemed reasonably happy in Phoenix, but when Suns Assistant General Manager Pat Connelly approached him with the option of playing for the Bucks, the Wisconsin native was packed up and out of town within 48 hours, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. “I got an opportunity of a lifetime,” Butler said. “What man wouldn’t want to play in his home state and home city? I thought it was great for me.” More out of the East..

The 76ers announced that they have assigned guard Elliot Williams to the Delaware 87ers of the NBA Development League. Williams signed as a free agent with the Sixers on Nov. 20 and has appeared in 18 games with one start. To keep up with all of this year’s D-League assignments, check out Hoops Rumors’ running list.
Clippers coach Doc Rivers thought the talk of a Carmelo Anthony-for-Blake Griffin trade was “so stupid” and Melo agrees. “Everybody talks about it,’’ the Knicks star said of one day playing with Paul, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. “Back to the USA team [in 2008]. Those three guys did it [LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh]. It happens. Everybody always says they want to play with this guy and that guy. But me and Chris have been rumored since he [came] to the NBA. There’s always been trade rumors trying to get us together. It never happened…it was stupid and silly.’’
The Bulls chased both Elton Brand and Marcus Camby hard in free agency last summer, hoping one would sign as a fifth big man, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. When the Hawks offered a one-year, $4MM deal, Brand turned down the chance to return to where he started his career.

Odds & Ends: Bynum, Gasol, Nash, Camby

January 3rd, 2014 at 10:58pm CST by Chuck Myron

Andrew Bynum‘s agent won’t get into specifics over what dissolved Bynum’s relationship with the Cavs, but it apparently wasn’t about his surroundings.

“Cleveland is not the problem. Cleveland is not a negative connotation,” agent David Lee said, according to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. “Andrew has shied away from publicity his entire life. He’s not a guy who needs the limelight. He lives in a simple neighborhood there. He walks his dog and rides his bike to the store. He goes to the movies by himself. Cleveland wasn’t a problem for him.”

While we wait to find out Bynum’s next destination, here’s the latest from around the NBA:

The Lakers can envision ways of avoiding the luxury tax that don’t involve trading Pau Gasol, so that’s why they’re insisting they receive more than salary relief in any potential Gasol swap, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter links).
Steve Nash acknowledged to fellow ESPNLosAngeles.com scribe Dave McMenamin that he’s a candidate to hit the waiver wire this summer if his health doesn’t improve. “I don’t know all the technical possibilities but obviously know that nothing is guaranteed,” Nash said. “Obviously right now I have a guaranteed contract, but the future is totally in flux and anything is possible in the NBA and frankly with my health.”
Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) spoke with Marcus Camby‘s agent, who gave him an update on the big man’s status as he recovers from the foot injury that prompted the Rockets to waive him in October. “[He’s] doing well, still rehabbing and does plan on playing when he completes his rehab likely towards the end of the month,” the agent, presumably Rick Kaplan, said.
Raptors GM Masai Ujiri isn’t necessarily looking to overhaul his club. “We’ll continue to evaluate the team. I know it’s what we keep saying but it’s been a huge encouragement by the way the team has played,” the GM said, according to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun (Twitter links). “We want to be a good team. We want to be a winning team. But if it’s not that way, then we have to figure out a way to rebuild the team.“

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Western Links: Camby, Lakers, Suns, Jazz

October 30th, 2013 at 1:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Much of today’s NBA discussion has centered on the surprising opening night result at the Staples Center, where the Kobe Bryant-less Lakers upset Doc Rivers and the Clippers. When the Hoops Rumors team revealed its predictions for the season yesterday, all of us had the Clippers finishing into the top three in the West, while none of us expect the Lakers to make the playoffs.

As we look forward to whatever surprises tonight’s slate of games will bring, let’s check in on a few items out of the Western Conference….

Although Marcus Camby was waived by the Rockets earlier this week, he hasn’t gone anywhere. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports that Camby was back at Rockets practice yesterday, taking the team up on its invitation for him to work with players as he recovers from a foot injury.
The Lakers‘ Plan B this offseason after they missed out on Dwight Howard was dicey, but it looked awfully good on opening night, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
Paul Coro’s latest column for the Arizona Republic focuses on Channing Frye‘s comeback, the rise of offseason acquisition Miles Plumlee, and the team’s plans for newest Sun Emeka Okafor.
Timberwolves camp invitee Lorenzo Brown requested and received a trade from the D-League’s Iowa Energy, who sent him to the Springfield Armor, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. Minnesota will no longer hold any form of rights, D-League or otherwise, on the 2013 second-rounder.
Brad Rock of The Deseret News examines Tyrone Corbin‘s job security and argues the Jazz must make the playoffs this season to be considered a success. If that’s the benchmark the team uses, Corbin might not be around much longer.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Rockets Release Marcus Camby

October 28th, 2013 at 12:09pm CST by Chuck Myron

MONDAY, 12:09pm: The Rockets have released Camby, the team formally announced today in a press release.

SUNDAY, 11:56am: The Rockets will release Marcus Camby on Monday, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. A torn plantar fascia tissue in his left foot has kept him out of action in the preseason, and he tells Mark Berman on Fox 26 Houston that he’s decided to have surgery next week to correct the problem (Twitter link). Feigen adds that the Rockets could look to re-sign him later this season once he’s healthy (Twitter link). The 39-year-old may also transition into coaching or player development with the team, as Kevin McHale would welcome him in any role, Feigen notes (on Twitter).

The move will help the Rockets pare their 17-man roster down to the 15-player regular season limit. Camby’s fully guaranteed salary will remain on the team’s books this season regardless of whether he signs another deal, providing no other team claims him off waivers. Camby will make the veteran’s minimum for players with 10 or more years of experience, which is close to $1.4MM, though Houston is only stuck with $884,293, the equivalent of the two-year veteran’s minimum. The league will pay Camby the rest, since he’s on a one-year deal.

The Rockets have 12 fully guaranteed deals aside from Camby’s, plus partially guaranteed contracts for Ronnie Brewer and Reggie Williams and fully non-guaranteed pacts for Patrick Beverley and Greg Smith. Beverley and Smith are key pieces for the team, so the Rockets figure to owe money to at least one more player who won’t be on the team’s opening-night roster. Aaron Brooks and undrafted rookie Robert Covington are guaranteed only the minimum salary this season, just like Camby, so perhaps they’re candidates to be waived, though that’s just my speculation.

Latest On Marcus Camby

October 27th, 2013 at 2:56pm CST by Chuck Myron

Agent Rick Kaplan insists client Marcus Camby will return to play this season after undergoing surgery to repair torn plantar fascia tissue in his left foot, reports Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. The Rockets are set to waive the 39-year-old on Monday, and the surgery he’ll have next week will keep him out for two or three months, Kaplan tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).

“Without a doubt, Marcus plans to rehab next few months and come back and play this season for the Rockets or somebody,” Kaplan said to Feigen.

Camby himself suggested to Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston that he would resurface as a player once he’s healthy (Twitter link). The big man would prioritize inking with another championship contender if he doesn’t re-sign with Houston, as Kaplan indicated to Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling (on Twitter). Camby said to Berman that he plans on sticking with the Rockets organization as he heals (Twitter link), and earlier it seemed as though he might join the team in a coaching or player development role. Camby indeed wants to coach once he retires, but he intends to continue his playing career for a couple more years, Zwerling tweets.