Ray Allen Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Links: Allen, Copeland, Chandler

October 25th, 2012 at 10:48pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Jackie MacMullan of ESPN Boston points out that not only did Heat guard Ray Allen turn down more money over a shorter contract length from the Celtics (compared to Miami's offer), he also left a no-trade clause on the table. She also delves into Allen's thoughts on the constant trade rumors and his reactions to them, Boston's efforts to re-sign him, and the feeling of rebirth in Miami. Here are more of tonight's Atlantic links:

Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com thinks that 28-year-old rookie Chris Copeland has presented a strong case to make the Knicks roster.
Despite leaving last night's pre-season game early after hurting his knee during a collision with Nets forward Gerald Wallace, Knicks center Tyson Chandler could be available for the season opener, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. An MRI revealed that Chandler did not suffer any structural damage.
While Celtics coach Doc Rivers notes that having days off could have an effect on a team's ability to remain sharp, he likes having a week for his players to recuperate before the season starts (says A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com).
Brian Daly of the Toronto Sun writes about Kris Joseph earning a spot on the Celtics roster and what it means for Canadian basketball.

Odds & Ends: Harrington, Heat, Celtics, Christmas

October 24th, 2012 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Six days from today, we'll be gearing up for an opening night that includes a showdown in Miami between the two odds-on favorites in the Eastern Conference. As we continue to count down the days until the 2012/13 regular season tips off, let's round up a few links from around the NBA, including some Heat and Celtics notes….

Al Harrington probably doesn't fit into the Magic's long-term plans, but his recovery from knee surgery is important for Orlando, since the team likely wants to showcase him in advance of the trade deadline, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.
Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida spoke to a few former Celtics stars about Ray Allen's decision to leave Boston for the Heat.
While the decisions at the back of the roster may be difficult, the Heat are unlikely to cut a player with a guaranteed contract to make room for a non-guaranteed player, says Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe takes a look at the acclimation process for the Celtics' offseason acquisitions.
Dionte Christmas, recently released by the Celtics, is drawing interest from Greek team Olympiacos, according to a Sports24.gr report (translation via Sportando).
At ESPN.com, David Thorpe makes his picks for the NBA's top five most potent duos (Insider link), while Kevin Arnovitz examines five teams he believes are at a crossroads.

Celtics Notes: Offseason, Allen, Barbosa, Bradley

October 21st, 2012 at 10:25pm CST by Alex Lee

It seems hard to steal the NBA's offseason headlines without landing a star these days. While the Celtics didn't do that, the team had an extremely effective offseason, adding Jeff Green, Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, Leandro Barbosa and drafting Jared Sullinger, Fab Melo and Kris Joseph. Chuck Myron posted some Celtic-specific links this morning, and here are a couple more:

Doc Rivers said the Celtics will carry 15 players and that the team will announce the final cuts soon, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely. Blakely also says that Kris Joseph will get the 15th spot, meaning Rob Kurz and Micah Downs will be cut. We will keep an eye out for official word from the C's in the coming days.
Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald tweets that he doesn't think that Kurz and Downs will be on the Celtics roster for much longer. The signing of Leandro Barbosa seems to have closed the door on their roster hopes.
In this CSN New England video, former NBAer turned
Celtics analyst Donny Marshall addresses Ray Allen's comments over the weekend
that the Celtics put him in a position where he had to leave.
Marshall, who played 119 games for the Cavs and Nets, said it is easy to blame
the player, but many times the teams are just as much at fault in situations like this one.
We heard earlier that Barbosa talked to the
Lakers before joining the Celtics. While the newly-signed Barbosa won't be
playing for the team until his visa issues are resolved, the veteran guard has said all the right things since arriving in
Boston, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston.
Jimmy Toscano of CSN New England caught up with Avery Bradley, who is now shooting every other day to work his way back from two offseason shoulder surgeries. Bradley is on track to come back in mid-December and while the team is deeper than they were last year, Bradley is hoping to come back stronger than ever: "I just have to be ready for my team. If I'm starting, I'm starting. If I'm not, I'm not. I just have to be prepared for what Doc wants me to do, and I'm going to. Like I tell everybody, I'm going to come back stronger than last year."

Odds & Ends: Nolan Smith, Allen, Rondo, Paul

October 21st, 2012 at 12:58pm CST by Chuck Myron

Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com wonders whether Nolan Smith's preseason troubles for the Blazers might be due in part to the pressure of the looming October 31st deadline the team has for picking up the third-year option on his rookie contract. Blazers GM Neil Olshey told Haynes he's going to wait as long as possible to make a decision. Stay up to date on this month's rookie-scale option decisions with the Hoops Rumors Rookie Contract Option Tracker, and check out the latest notes from around the league right here.

The root of the hard feelings between Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen stemmed from a phone call Allen made to his then-teammate to get him to lobby against a trade that would have sent the pair to the Suns in 2009 for Amare Stoudemire, Leandro Barbosa and a 2010 draft pick, Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald reveals.
Chris Paul was instrumental in recruiting Jamal Crawford and others to the Clippers, and doesn't give the look of someone who wants to leave L.A. as he enters the final season of his deal, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld writes (Sulia link).
Marvin Williams is paying early dividends for the Jazz after coming aboard in an offseason trade, as Mike Sorenson of the Deseret News and Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune examine.
Coach Doug Collins pointed to four Sixers whose minutes he wants to limit during the season, and all of them are offseason acquisitions, as Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com chronicles.
Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com and Newsday's Al Iannazzone share the opinion that a cyst in Stoudemire's left knee that will keep him out two to three weeks boosts the chances that Knicks non-guaranteed camp invitee Chris Copeland will make the team (Twitter links).
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel thinks Garrett Temple, Josh Harrellson and Dexter Pittman will all be on the Heat roster come opening night.

Eastern Notes: Hawks, Allen, Fields, Ilyasova

October 19th, 2012 at 3:05pm CST by Luke Adams

In this morning's round-up of Celtics items, we linked to ESPN The Magazine's 2012/13 NBA projections, which included the Celtics as a No. 4 seed in the East, behind the Knicks (No. 3). While those ranks are somewhat surprising, the team that ESPN and Basketball Prospectus placed directly behind the top-seeded Heat is even more of a shock: The Hawks will be the East's second-best team, according to the magazine's predictions. We've got updates on Atlanta and a few other Eastern Conference clubs, so let's check them out….

If and when John Jenkins and Mike Scott officially earn spots on the Hawks' roster, they'll be the team's only draft picks in the last five years besides Jeff Teague to do so, says Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
It's been over three months since Ray Allen officially left the Celtics for the Heat, but the veteran's free agent decision is still a hot topic in both Boston and Miami. Allen appeared on WMEN in Miami recently and said he felt the Celtics put him in a position where he had to leave (link via Sports Radio Interviews). Celtics coach Doc Rivers, meanwhile, says he's over Allen's departure but is still "disappointed" with the way it played out (link via the Boston Herald).
Landry Fields told reporters, including Al Iannazzone of Newsday (Twitter link) that he lost some of his confidence and comfort level after the Knicks acquired Carmelo Anthony and needed a change of scenery.
It appears Ersan Ilyasova's new long-term contract with the Bucks has him feeling more comfortable in Milwaukee, writes NBA.com's Steve Aschburner.
The Cavaliers aren't expected to make their final roster cuts for a few days yet, but it appears one of Donald Sloan or Jeremy Pargo has the upper hand in the backup point guard battle — coach Byron Scott just won't say which, according to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Sulia).
Sam Smith fields Bulls questions on Nate Robinson, Kirk Hinrich, and others in his latest mailbag at Bulls.com.

Eastern Notes: Blatche, Pacers, Allen, Nelson

October 3rd, 2012 at 12:15pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic were ripped by fans and pundits alike when they dealt Dwight Howard and failed to receive a true impact player like Andrew Bynum in the trade. However, as Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel writes today, the team's decision not to take on Bynum and his balky knees is looking better now than it did at the time. The former Laker, who has been ruled out for three weeks, may end up being fine, but it's something of an ominous start for the Bynum era in Philadelphia, says Bianchi. Here are the rest of the morning's notes out of the Eastern Conference:

Former NBA head coach John Lucas believes the Nets' signing of Andray Blatche could be the "steal of the summer," as Howard Beck of the New York Times writes. Of course, Lucas may be a little biased — Blatche spent three months this offseason working out in Houston under Lucas' tutelage.
The Pacers are keeping an "open mind" about whether to carry 15 players into the regular season or whether to keep an open roster spot, according to GM Kevin Pritchard. Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star says he would be "shocked" if Sam Young didn't earn a place on Indiana's roster.
Ray Allen spoke on the Dan LeBatard Show in Miami about how Pat Riley influenced his decision to sign with the Heat, and Eric Schmoldt of Sports Radio Interviews has the transcript.
Raymond Felton will get the first shot to start at point guard for the Knicks, and fellow free agent signee Jason Kidd doesn't mind assuming the backup role, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post.
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld (Sulia link) explains why the Magic re-signed Jameer Nelson this summer and looks at whether they'd consider trading him later in the season.
The Bulls' bench may include plenty of new faces, but Taj Gibson doesn't want to retire the "bench mob" moniker. Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Tribune writes that the team's new additions are looking to be just as productive as last year's second unit.

Atlantic Rumors: Celtics, Knicks, Allen, Nets

September 29th, 2012 at 1:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Celtics have won the Atlantic Division five straight years, but the Nets and Sixers made changes this offseason that they hope will put them over the top. The Knicks have been active as well, and that's the club that wears the bullseye in the mind of Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck, as Peter May writes in the New York Times. "My favorite games in this league are going down to Madison Square Garden and beating those guys," Grousbeck said. "We don’t always do it, but that’s my favorite experience of all — going to New York and beating the Knicks." Coach Doc Rivers acknowledged the division will be tough, but says he's primarily focused on beating the Heat, the team that kept the C's from the Finals last season. There's more from Boston and the rest of the Atlantic Division today, and we'll round it up here:

Ray Allen spoke about his departure from the Celtics, as Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel notes. "You always felt you had one foot in, one foot out," he said, referring to trade rumors he'd been a part of during his time in Boston. Still, he said the decision to leave the Celtics was more difficult than the choice he made to sign with the Heat.
Allen responded to comments Kevin Garnett made to reporters at Celtics media day, including Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com. Garnett said that he no longer has his former teammate's phone number. "That's a shame," Allen told Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com and other reporters following the Heat, saying he still considers Garnett a friend. "I'm a good person to talk to on the phone."
Nets GM Billy King believes his team's backcourt of Deron Williams and Joe Johnson is the best in the league, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USAToday.com, who sizes up the Nets as they begin training camp.
Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld, writing for USAToday.com, briefly examines the potential impact of Rasheed Wallace, who's expected to sign with the Knicks.

Spoelstra On Juwan, Injuries, Cole

September 27th, 2012 at 4:40pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Erik Spoelstra has had a busy summer, consulting with former NBA coach Paul Westhead about his perspective on fast break offenses in addition to meeting with Florida Gators head coach Billy Donavan to talk about the pressures associated with aiming to repeat as national champions (Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes). Now on the cusp of training camp, Spoelstra opened up on a few notable topics regarding the Heat:

Juwan Howard will not be a member of the team's training camp, but could eventually join the team down the line.
Dwyane Wade has been recovering from an arthroscopic surgery procedure in July, but is expected to be ready for the season opener on October 30. Spoelstra added Wade is "not 100 percent" and that he will be brought along slowly as training camp begins. Ray Allen has been recovering from offseason ankle surgery in July, and while Spoelstra says that the sharpshooter isn't 100 percent healthy either, it's not noticeable. Mike Miller is well enough to take part in all the training camp drills, but will be limited at times as a precaution. Lastly, Jarvis Varnardo is dealing with a strained hamstring that will sideline him heading into camp.
Norris Cole appears to be doing well after experiencing some issues with his groin recently, and has had a strong summer considering the team's goal of improving his playmaking and shooting.
Dexter Pittman has had a productive offseason and will be in the best condition he's been in going into a training camp.

Rajon Rondo Talks Allen, Terry, Lee, Celtics

September 26th, 2012 at 12:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Since Ray Allen left Boston for Miami, Celtics head coach Doc Rivers has addressed the topic multiple times, taking the blame for Allen's departure. Rajon Rondo, who reportedly had a strained relationship with Allen, hadn't said much about the topic, but in a conversation with Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, the Celtics point guard opened up about Allen and a number of other topics. Here are a few comments from Rondo, who has been in Los Angeles hosting a players-only minicamp for the Celtics:

On his relationship with Allen:

"People act like because me and Ray didn't get along or they think me and Ray didn't get along that I'm a bad person or he's a bad person. No. It's just life. If you look at your job, everyone doesn't always get along with every co-worker they work with. It's just part of life. People are blowing the Ray thing out of proportion. We had some words, but other than that it was no big deal…. There were so many rumors like I was looking Ray off. Why would I look Ray off? That doesn't make sense. He's the best shooter, so why would I look him off? People can see it how they want to. They can talk to Ray. But from my standpoint, he made his decision. I don't know why he made the decision, but he made the decision. I don't think it had anything to do with me."

On early workouts with new Celtics Jason Terry and Courtney Lee:

"The game is about tempo. We don't want to make it more complicated. It's just basketball. I am just trying to get the timing with J.T. and Courtney. That is why I wanted to get to work early, so I can know where I want them to be when I drive baseline or drive to the middle and where they like the ball."

On his role as a leader for the Celtics:

"I've kind of have taken that leadership and veteran role because I am a point guard and I have been in Doc's system. Other than [Paul Pierce], I have been here the longest. I know exactly what Doc wants, especially for me and this team. I'm trying to lead the team the best that I can."

On the Celtics' expectations in 2012/13:

"We won a championship and that's great, but I don't want to settle. I have a lot of NBA time left on my clock and I got the talent around me. Everyone can't say they can compete for a championship each year. With the talent around me now with the Celtics, it's time to obtain that goal…. There are only five teams right now that can say they can compete for a title realistically. And we're one of them."

Doc Rivers Talks Allen, Lee, Terry, Darko

September 24th, 2012 at 1:26pm CST by Luke Adams

With the NBA's training camps just around the corner, Celtics head coach Doc Rivers tells Jackie MacMullan of ESPNBoston.com that he can't wait to see his team in the gym to find out if he likes his roster as much on the court as he does on paper. Rivers also discussed a number of the Celtics' summer additions and departures. Here are a few of the highlights from the conversation:

On Ray Allen's departure and the impact that Rajon Rondo had on Allen's decision:

"It's just not right to put it all on Rondo. Ray didn't leave because of Rondo. He left because of Ray. He wanted the ball more. He wanted a bunch of different things. He didn't feel loved. That doesn't make Ray a bad guy…. Sometimes guys just run their course at a place. It's probably best for all of us and for Ray that he moves on."

On adding Courtney Lee:

"I love Courtney Lee. He's a very good player. I know that sounds very simple, but it's true. He does things well. He's a good defender, a great team defender, and he shoots the ball very well. He was second best behind the 3-point line after Ray. I don't think people realize how good a shooter he is. The thing I like the most about him is he's always fit in wherever he's gone. He accepts his role and goes out and plays. That's hard to come by."

On adding Jason Terry:

"Jason is a motivated guy. He's always been that. We needed another player who could score off the dribble, who could play in the pick-and-roll. Rondo could do it, Paul [Pierce] too, and we used Ray a little, but that was one of the things he was unhappy about. He wanted us to do it more, and I just didn't think he was as good at it."

On adding Darko Milicic:

"It didn't cost us much. He has it in him, and if we can get it out of him, then great. If not, well, I'd rather take a chance on a really talented guy."