Mickael Pietrus Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Mickael Pietrus Expects To Sign Soon

November 8th, 2012 at 2:06pm CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY, 2:06pm: The Pacers may be an option for Pietrus, but there are still a few other teams in the mix, agent Bill McCandless tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com.

"A report goes out and everybody thinks Mickael is on a plane headed for Indiana," McCandless said. "Everybody needs to hold their horses."

WEDNESDAY, 12:36pm: The Pacers, who will be without Danny Granger for three months, have reached out to Pietrus, according to Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star (via Twitter). Indiana still has its $2.575MM room exception available.

11:32am: With the NBA regular season having completed its first week, there's still no word on where veteran wing Mickael Pietrus will sign. However, it may not be long before Pietrus finds a spot on an NBA roster. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities tweets that, while it may be hyperbole from Pietrus' camp, they believe he'll sign with a team in the next week to 10 days.

Pietrus has reportedly been seeking more than the veteran's minimum all offseason, with his agent stating in no uncertain terms back in July that his client wouldn't be playing for the minimum salary. As such, the Timberwolves, who could only offer the minimum, don't appear to be in play, according to Wolfson (Twitter link).

Following Brandon Rush's season-ending ACL injury, there was some speculation that the Warriors could pursue a player like Pietrus. Golden State still has its bi-annual exception available, and could gain a disabled player exception worth $2MM for Rush's injury. Still, the club is right around the tax threshold, so it's unclear if ownership would be willing to add more salary.

When I asked a couple weeks ago which unsigned free agent would have the biggest impact on the NBA this season, Pietrus narrowly beat out Kenyon Martin as your top choice.

Odds & Ends: Bledsoe, Paul, McDyess, Pacers

November 4th, 2012 at 12:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

HoopsWorld's Eric Pincus examines the depth of the Clippers, and says that the team has received numerous inquiries about reserve point guard Eric Bledsoe. The Clippers won't consider moving Bledsoe until they sign Chris Paul to a long-term contract, Pincus hears, adding that most executives expect Paul, an unrestricted free agent next summer, to stay with the team. There's plenty of other news from around the Association on the first weekend of the regular season, so let's dive right in.

We heard yesterday that Antonio McDyess is considering a comeback, but he has no interest in joining the Wolves, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News.
In his third season, Lance Stephenson is finally making an impact for the Pacers as he receives minutes for the injured Danny Granger, writes Mark Montieth of Pacers.com. Montieth adds that Granger, who's out indefinitely, could face surgery on his sore left knee.
Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com examines the options for the Warriors in the wake of Brandon Rush's season-ending injury, and mentions Mickael Pietrus, Maurice Evans, Josh Howard and Kenyon Martin as "free agent names arising" in case the team goes looking for a replacement.
C.J. Watson drew interest from other teams that could have offered more money, but he decided to sign with the Nets on a minimum-salary deal instead, notes Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post.
Jeff Teague is using the Hawks' decision not to extend his rookie-scale contract this week as motivation, but he isn't upset with the team, the point guard tells Lang Greene of HoopsWorld.
In the same piece, Greene also checks in with Rockets swingman Daequan Cook, who's looking to prove his worth as a teammate after his inclusion in the James Harden trade caught him off guard.
Neil Olshey took the Blazers' offer to become GM after owner Paul Allen put it on the table with the condition that Olshey was not to give the Clippers a chance to match, writes Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times.
Trey Johnson, who spent 11 games with the Hornets last year, was close to signing with Angelico Biella, but it appears the deal is falling apart, Sportando's Emiliano Carchia reports.

Poll: Which FA Will Make An Impact In 2012/13?

October 24th, 2012 at 3:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics recently snatched Leandro Barbosa off the free agent market, ensuring that perhaps the most prominent name among the remaining unsigned players has a job this season. However, there are still a number of players who not only are free agents, but haven't even participated in training camp with a team.

Along with the players who have yet to sign a contract this offseason, plenty of recent camp cuts have become unrestricted free agents again, further saturating the market. While many of the names on our list of free agents likely won't play for NBA teams this year, odds are that at least a couple will sign with contenders and potentially have an impact later in the season.

So today's poll question is this: Which of the remaining free agents do you expect will make the most significant impact this season? Make your pick below and feel free to explain your choice in the comments section.

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.

Mickael Pietrus Talking To Pair Of Teams

September 23rd, 2012 at 9:16am CST by Chuck Myron

Free agent swingman Mickael Pietrus spoke to Alexis Boissel of the French-language website BasketSession.com and indicated that he's narrowed his choices down to two teams. He said he would have signed already, but wasn't interested in the money he was being offered, which seems to reinforce the notion that he's holding out for more than the minimum salary.

We heard from Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com earlier this week that three teams have displayed significant interest in the 6'6" 30-year-old, with two of those teams "very motivated" to complete a deal. It appears those clubs aren't the Timberwolves and the Celtics, as a pair of reports yesterday downplayed the chances of him winding up with those teams. Haynes also wrote that Pietrus has an offer from an overseas club that includes an out if he wanted to return to the NBA.

The Bucks reportedly had interest earlier this summer, but that has since waned, and with this week's signing of Marquis Daniels bringing the roster to 15 players, all of whom are on fully guaranteed contracts, it would be quite a surprise if Pietrus wound up in Milwaukee. The Raptors had internal discussions about Pietrus, but they can't offer him more than the minimum salary. The Hawks could be a possibility, since they have their $1.957MM biannual exception available and none of their three best fits at small forward have guaranteed deals, but that's just my speculation.

Pietrus, a nine-year veteran, has averaged 8.4 points and 3.1 rebounds with an 11.8 PER for his career. He was hampered by a right knee injury last season with the Celtics, when he put up 6.9 PPG, 3.1 RPG and an 8.5 PER, but after a do-over surgery this summer, he appears to feel much better, telling Boissel that his knee problems are behind him and that he is 100%.

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.

Odds & Ends: Pietrus, Johnson, Raptors, Thomas

September 22nd, 2012 at 12:38pm CST by Zachary Links

Here's today's look around the Association..

While the Timberwolves continue to talk with Mickael Pietrus' camp, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter) is told that there is a better chance the veteran wing winds up with a team in the Eastern Conference. This week it was reported that three teams have major interest in Pietrus with two clubs highly motivated to get a deal done. Pietrus also has a viable option overseas that would include an NBA opt-out.
Doug Smith of the Toronto Star wouldn't be surprised to see either Amir Johnson or Ed Davis traded this season as one is likely to be squeezed out of the rotation in favor of the other. However, Smith is unwilling to handicap the odds of a trade happening or to predict which one will be on the block.
Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld is surprised to see summer league standout Malcolm Thomas still without a guaranteed contract. Thomas posted a double-double in every Summer League game he played for the Bulls, averaging 17.9 PPG and 12.3 RPG for the week in Vegas.
Eric Koreen of the National Post looks at how the Raptors are using advanced statistics to gain an edge going forward. Toronto has contracted KBAR Consulting to handle the analytics for the front office.
Jim Cavan of the New York Times wonders if Adam Morrison will stick with the Blazers in his latest NBA go-round.

Mickael Pietrus Drawing Heavy Interest

September 18th, 2012 at 8:38am CST by Luke Adams

With Mickael Pietrus "healthy for the first time in two years," according to a source that spoke to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, the veteran wing is drawing significant interest from a handful of teams. Haynes reports that three NBA clubs have displayed major interest in Pietrus, and that two of those teams appear "very motivated" to complete a deal. Pietrus also has a viable option overseas that includes an NBA opt-out, says Haynes.

"He's considering all of his options," Haynes' source said of Pietrus. "But he prefers to play in the NBA and he's feeling ten times better than last season."

Pietrus, 30, underwent a knee procedure in Boston this summer, a do-over on an operation he had performed on the knee a year ago. According to Haynes, Pietrus was experiencing pain and discomfort most of 2011/12 with the Celtics, but is now working out pain-free.

A report last week suggested that Pietrus' camp felt like he was getting close to signing a new contract, so perhaps that story prompted a couple more teams to jump into the mix. Wherever Pietrus ends up, it looks like he'll ink a new deal before training camps get underway.

Mickael Pietrus

Mickael Pietrus Close To Signing?

September 13th, 2012 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

Mickael Pietrus' camp believes that Pietrus is close to a deal with a team, according to Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 (via Twitter). While Wolfson isn't sure which club is the frontrunner for Pietrus' services, he says it doesn't appear to be the Timberwolves.

Pietrus' agent said earlier in the offseason that his client wouldn't be signing for the minimum salary, and while that still may be the case, it's hard to imagine the 30-year-old getting too much more than that. Pietrus was said to be interested in returning to the Celtics for the team's bi-annual exception, and the Bucks were also eyeing the Frenchman, though their interest reportedly waned.

Pietrus has been well-traveled in recent years, playing for the Magic, Suns, and Celtics within the last two seasons. In 2011/12 for Boston, the 6'6" wing averaged 6.9 points and 3.1 rebounds in 21.9 minutes per game.