Tracy McGrady Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Pacers, Gelabale, Joseph, Wolves

January 28th, 2013 at 2:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Tonight's schedule includes a battle for Western Conference positioning between the Rockets and Jazz, Andrew Bogut's possible return to the court for the Warriors, and an opportunity for the Wizards to win their third straight game (and eighth of their last 11). As we look forward to the evening's slate of games, let's check out a few odds and ends from around the NBA….

Dominic McGuire's second 10-day contract with the Pacers has expired, and the team has elected to let him go rather than sign him to a rest-of-season deal. According to Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star (via Twitter), the Pacers will likely bring back Sam Young, though it's not clear whether he'll get a 10-day contract or a rest-of-season deal. Indiana released Young before his contract became guaranteed, and shortly after he suffered an ankle sprain.
Agent Bill McCandless expects the Timberwolves to keep Mickael Gelabale for more than just one 10-day contract, as he tells Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype: "Based on my conversations with Timberwolves management, I understand that Minnesota is very likely to offer M.G. a second 10-day contract." (Twitter links).
With Sacramento and Seattle potentially set to battle over the Kings, Neema Hodjat of RealGM.com makes a case for why the NBA should consider expansion as an alternative to relocation.
We heard last week that Kris Joseph had signed a contract to play for Orleans in France, but David Pick of Sportando reports (via Twitter) that Joseph backed out of that deal for a possible D-League offer.
A.J. Mitnick of Sheridan Hoops makes his early picks for the top 10 European prospects of the 2013 draft class.
Tracy McGrady, Gilbert Arenas, and D.J. White are among the former NBA players in China whose CBA teams won't qualify for the postseason, according to Shaopeng Shen of Hupu.com (via Twitter). As such, those players would be free to return to the NBA sooner, assuming there's any interest.
The Timberwolves received a disabled player exception worth about $381K for Malcolm Lee, tweets Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times and HoopsWorld. Considering how small that amount is, the team is unlikely to use the exception.

International Moves: Johnson, Tskitishvili, Jones

December 6th, 2012 at 4:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

While the majority of NBA executives are holding off on movement until December 15th, when most of the free agents signed this summer can be traded, there's plenty going on overseas. We'll round up the latest here.

Armon Johnson has signed with Kazakhstan's BC Astana, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Johnson, 23, has NBA experience with the Trail Blazers and Nets, and was in camp with Orlando this fall before being waived by the Magic.

Earlier updates:

Nikoloz Tskitishvili, whom the Nuggets selected with the fifth overall pick in 2002, has signed to play for Champville in Lebanon, Sportando's Emiliano Carchia reports. He'll replace Dwayne Jones, who played parts of five NBA seasons (Twitter link). Tskitishvili, who hasn't appeared in the NBA since 2005/06, began the season with an Iranian team.
Jermareo Davidson has inked with the Turkish club Antalya, according to Carchia. Davidson, a second-round pick of the Warriors in 2007, last played in the NBA in 2008/09.
Jon Pastuszek of NiuBBall.com chronicles the struggles of Tracy McGrady in China, who's straining under the pressure of having to carry the winless Qingdao Double Star Eagles. Pastuszek notes the team is trying to unload fellow American import D.J. Mbenga, according to SinaSports (Chinese link). Mbenga signed with the team after the Mavericks cut him right before training camp.

Odds & Ends: McGrady, Curry, Spurs, Vujacic

October 18th, 2012 at 12:37pm CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder, Lakers, Spurs, and Celtics are considered the most dangerous threats to the Heat this season, but ESPN.com's Tom Haberstroh thinks he's put together the team most capable of knocking off the defending champs. In an Insider-only piece, Haberstroh puts together a squad of "Heat Beaters" that adheres to the NBA's salary cap rules by surrounding a pair of superstars (Chris Paul and Dwight Howard) with a number of players on rookie-scale deals, including Serge Ibaka, Taj Gibson, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard.

Here are a few other Thursday links from around the league:

NBA commissioner David Stern and former teammate Shane Battier are among those applauding Tracy McGrady's decision to sign in China, according to Alastair Himmer of 560 WGAN.
Though there's no real update on extension talks between Stephen Curry and the Warriors, both sides remain optimistic that a deal will be worked out by Halloween, says Sam Amick of SI.com (Sulia link). Amick adds that Curry's next contract is now being negotiated by Octagon's Jeff Austin after the point guard's previous agent, Lance Young, left Octagon.
The battle for the Spurs' 15th roster spot is going down to the wire, according to Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News, who breaks down the four candidates for the opening. McCarney believes the Spurs' decision will come down to Eddy Curry and Josh Powell.
In an Insider-only piece, ESPN.com's Chad Ford names his top five 2013 draft prospects out of the Big 12.
Sasha Vujacic says he'll consider returning to the NBA next summer, according to a Sport24.gr report (translation via HoopsHype).
Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside previews the NBA D-League draft, which is set to take place on November 2nd.

Tracy McGrady Signs In China

October 15th, 2012 at 8:22am CST by Michael Pina

OCTOBER 15TH, 8:22am: The Qingdao Double Star Eagles held a press conference over the weekend to formally announce McGrady's signing and present a copy of the contract, complete with T-Mac's signature, says Jon Pastuszek of NiuBBall.com.

According to Pastuszek, McGrady is expected to arrive in China on October 24th, and Qingdao is hoping to keep the two-time NBA scoring champ on its roster for multiple years.

OCTOBER 9TH, 6:17pm: Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reports that McGrady has officially signed his contract with Qingdao.

8:54am: Qingdao manager Sheng Xishun confirmed the signing and said that it should be made official by tomorrow, writes Yan Weijue of China Daily. Sheng went on to say that the deal was inspired by what Stephon Marbury and his Beijing Ducks accomplished last season, as he led the team to their first league title in two decades.

OCTOBER 8TH, 6:36pm: Two-time NBA scoring champion Tracy McGrady is currently finalizing a one-year contract with Qingdao of the Chinese Basketball Association, reports Yahoo! NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski. McGrady is expected to complete the deal in the next few days, and will head to China at some point in the next few weeks.

After spending the last few seasons in miniscule roles—relative to where he's been throughout his illustrious career—with the Pistons and Hawks, McGrady tried out for several teams (including the Spurs and Knicks) in the past month, but no franchise could guarantee him a contract. McGrady hasn't averaged double digits in scoring since 2008/09, and was last an All-Star in 2006/07. He is 33 years old.

McGrady Drawing Interest From Chinese Team

October 3rd, 2012 at 9:26am CST by Luke Adams

9:26am: ESPN.com's Chris Broussard tweets that McGrady may end up playing in China, but signing with an NBA contender remains his first choice, and he won't rush into a decision.

9:21am: Despite receiving some interest from the Spurs, Bobcats, and Knicks, unrestricted free agent Tracy McGrady is still looking for work, with NBA training camps underway. According to a report from QQ.com (Chinese link; translation via HoopsHype), McGrady's most aggressive suitor may not be an NBA club, but a team from the Chinese Basketball Association. The Qingdao Doublestar are said to be in touch with the seven-time All-Star, in an effort to bring him overseas.

According to the QQ.com report, McGrady has previously been courted by Chinese teams, but turned down their advances for a number of reasons, including proximity to his family. However, it appears he's at least considering the idea of signing with Qingdao. There are some obstacles on both sides — Qingdao has concerns about McGrady's injury history, and questions about whether he'd adjust well to CBA travel, which isn't as comfortable as in the NBA. Salary is, of course, also expected to be an issue, though the report suggests the 33-year-old's asking price wouldn't be exorbitant.

As we saw during last year's lockout, the salaries that NBA veterans can earn from teams in China aren't insignificant. Kenyon Martin signed a $2.6MM contract, about double what he would have earned on the veteran's minimum in the NBA. If McGrady can't find an NBA team willing to offer more than the non-guaranteed minimum, the CBA may be his most lucrative option.

Tracy McGrady

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.

Odds & Ends: Irving, Spurs, Clippers, McGrady

September 24th, 2012 at 10:00pm CST by Michael Pina

Reigning rookie of the year point guard Kyrie Irving rejoined his teammates on Monday, competing in his first five-on-five scrimmage since breaking his hand two months ago, writes Yahoo! Sports NBA reporter Marc J. Spears.

Here's a look elsewhere around the league.

Hoopsworld.com's Yannis Koutroupis asks whether or not the Spurs title window is closed, given the fact that they only added one player (Nando De Colo) to their roster this offseason.
Hoopsworld.com's Joel Brigham gives five teams from the Eastern Conference he believes must be watched heading into next season.
Sporting News' Sean Deveney believes both Tracy McGrady and Baron Davis are at the crossroads of their respective careers, with both players possibly at a point where no more NBA basketball will be played.
In his continuing series previewing each division, NBA.com's John Schuhmann writes about the Pacific Division, honing in on the Clippers and how they'll try to keep up with the Lakers this year.
NBA.com's Sam Smith writes that the Bulls didn't dismantle their "bench mob" — they improved it.
It's a contract season for Jazz forward Paul Millsap, and in many ways it'll also be the biggest year of his life, writes The Salt Lake Tribune's Brian T. Smith.

Knicks No Longer Considering Tracy McGrady

September 24th, 2012 at 9:41am CST by Luke Adams

Despite working him out earlier this month, the Knicks are no longer considering signing Tracy McGrady, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. However, both Berman and Al Iannazzone of Newsday confirm a weekend report that suggested the Knicks are looking at Rasheed Wallace.

Berman notes that Wallace and Knicks assistant GM Allan Houston share an agent, while Iannazzone points out that 'Sheed has a good relationship with Knicks coach Mike Woodson. Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link) suggests that a Wallace signing would be another indication that Woodson has significant input in personnel decisions. Zwerling adds (via Twitter) that the Knicks' interest in Wallace is likely dependent on how much the team believes he can improve and contribute over the course of the season, rather than his current condition.

As for McGrady, it isn't clear whether the Knicks simply weren't interested in the veteran guard, or if T-Mac's asking price made it impossible for the two sides to reach an agreement. Last we heard, McGrady was seeking a guaranteed contract from a contending team.

Atlantic Notes: McGrady, Nets, Sixers, Celtics

September 14th, 2012 at 11:59am CST by Zachary Links

The Knicks worked out Tracy McGrady yesterday to see if the 33-year-old could give the club some extra depth with Iman Shumpert and Ronnie Brewer recovering from injuries. A team source told Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com that even though McGrady appeared to be in good health, it doesn't appear that a signing is imminent. T-Mac also worked out for the Spurs this week and hopes to land a guaranteed deal with a contender. Here's more out of the Atlantic Division..

While the Nets are still expected to bring two or three more players to training camp, Josh Childress and Andray Blatche are solid bets to be on the roster when they open the season, writes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. Childress fills a significant need for the Nets at backup small forward after Donte Greene, who was set to sign on a non-guaranteed deal, injured his ankle in a pickup game.
Sixers head coach Doug Collins told Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News that he felt last year's team peaked, necessitating some significant changes this offseason. Collins also insisted that the club did not draft Moe Harkless as trade bait for the Magic but instead truly believed that he was the best player on the board at No. 15.
Gary Dzen of the Boston Globe profiles center Jason Collins, who hooked on with the Celtics for the veteran's minimum this summer. The C's won't look for a ton of minutes out of the big man with Kevin Garnett, Brandon Bass, Chris Wilcox, and Jared Sullinger playing in front of him.

Spurs, Knicks Eyeing Tracy McGrady

September 13th, 2012 at 10:34am CST by Luke Adams

In search of a guaranteed deal for the coming season, Tracy McGrady worked out for the Spurs this week, and has a workout scheduled with the Knicks today, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Wojnarowski adds that time may be running out for McGrady to land a guaranteed contract — the seven-time All-Star might have to eventually accept a make-good training camp invite or sign overseas.

McGrady was reportedly drawing some interest from the Bobcats, but we heard a little over a month ago that the 33-year-old would prefer to join a contender. I'm a little surprised that McGrady hasn't received more interest this offseason. He may not be the same player that twice led the NBA in scoring, but he has been fairly productive over the last two years for the Pistons and Hawks, recording a 14.5 PER in 124 total games.

The Spurs have brought a number of players to San Antonio in recent weeks, and are still determining whether or not McGrady will fit into their plans, says Wojnarowski. As for the Knicks, the team has discussed the possibility of adding another perimeter scorer. With Iman Shumpert and Ronnie Brewer currently recovering from injuries, it wouldn't be a bad idea for the Knicks to bring on a veteran like McGrady for depth purposes.