Richard Hamilton Rumors

Richard Hamilton Eyeing NBA Return?

July 13th, 2016 at 5:46pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Former NBA player Richard Hamilton is considering making an NBA return this season, Ananth Pandian of CBSSports.com relays. Hamilton told Pandian that he his agent put out feelers to several teams and he is planning on training hard for the next 30 days. If his body holds up during that time period, Hamilton is going to attempt a comeback, the scribe adds.

“I’m giving myself thirty days where I am really hitting the gym.” Hamilton said. “I’m working on my game. I’m in the weight room. I’m running my two, three miles a day. And I’m trying to see if my body can hold up. If my body can hold up after these thirty days, I will be making a comeback.”

The 38-year-old last played in the NBA during the 2012/13 season with the Bulls, appearing in 50 games and averaging 9.8 points, 1.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 21.8 minutes per outing. The Leon Rose client retired with more than $109MM in earnings over the course of his time in the NBA, according to Basketball-Reference. He averaged 17.1 PPG and 3.4 APG with 34.6% three-point shooting and a 16.5 PER for his career.

Hamilton acknowledged it will be difficult to rejoin the league after being away from the game for three years and will only come back if it is the right situation, Pandian writes. “If I get the opportunity where I can come in and earn my minutes,” Hamilton said. “I think that I will be able to make an impact on someone’s NBA team.” The swingman also noted that one reason he wants to play again is because of his children and to get another shot at winning a title. “I’m actually doing it for [my kids] and for myself, too, to get an opportunity to make one more run at it,” Hamilton said. “And if there’s an opportunity, where I could go out and win another championship, I’m all for it.” I’d also wager the deals handed out this summer courtesy of the spike in the salary cap played a part, but I can’t fault Hamilton for giving it a go.

Richard Hamilton

Richard Hamilton Announces Retirement

February 26th, 2015 at 11:29am CST by Chuck Myron

Three-time All-Star and 14-year NBA veteran Richard Hamilton announced his retirement today on ESPN2’s “His & Hers with Michael Smith and Jemele Hill” show, as Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles notes (Twitter link). The 37-year-old last played in the NBA during the 2012/13 season. He’d said this past July that he’d heard from NBA teams a couple of times and was hoping to return to the league to play for a contender, but no deal ever materialized. Hamilton added that the Wolves had shown interest early in 2013/14, and they appeared to be one of several teams interested at that point, but it appears his final NBA appearance will go down as a 35-minute, 15-point performance for the Bulls in a playoff loss to the Heat in 2013.

The seventh overall pick in the 1999 draft out of Connecticut, Hamilton averaged single digits in points as a rookie and in his final season, but he never otherwise did so as an NBA player, peaking with 20.1 points per game with the Pistons in 2005/06, his first All-Star season. The 6’6″ swingman also averaged 20 PPG in the last of his three seasons with the Wizards, his original NBA team. His arrival in Detroit in a trade that sent Jerry Stackhouse to Washington helped turn the Pistons into perennial contenders, and Detroit won the NBA title in Hamilton’s second year with the club.

His tenure with the Pistons ended acrimoniously as he clashed with then-coach John Kuester, and the team let him go shortly following the 2011 lockout. He signed a three-year, $15MM contract with the Bulls soon thereafter, but the Bulls waived him in July of 2013 rather than pay him more than his $1MM partial guarantee, effectively bringing an end to his playing days.

The Leon Rose client walks away with more than $109MM in earnings over the course of his time in the NBA, according to Basketball-Reference. He averaged 17.1 PPG and 3.4 assists per game with 34.6% three-point shooting and a 16.5 PER for his career.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Western Notes: Huestis, Kings, Hamilton, Hill

July 24th, 2014 at 5:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

The idea of having Josh Huestis sign in the D-League in exchange for becoming an NBA first-round draft pick came from his representatives rather than the Thunder, agent Mitchell Butler tells SB Nation’s Mike Prada.

“This was the perfect team and the perfect storm,” Butler said. “This isn’t for everyone.”

Butler also told Prada that the Thunder haven’t said whether they plan to sign Huestis to an NBA deal next summer or at a later point. There’s more on Huestis among the latest from the Western Conference, as we detail:

The union sees the Thunder‘s arrangement with Huestis as a positive, as interim executive director Ron Klempner said to Grantland’s Zach Lowe. “This is an example of the player flipping the script,” Klempner said. “The player essentially drafted his team.”
Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro said he’s on the lookout for rim-protection and particularly shooting to round out the roster in an attempt to make the playoffs this season, as he told Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report.
Richard Hamilton tells David Alarcon of HoopsHype that he’s fielded a couple of calls from NBA teams and that while he considered retirement, he’d like to return to the NBA with a contending team. The 36-year-old, who last played in 2012/13, said that the Timberwolves showed interest in signing him early last season, but he declined to specify any teams that have spoken with him more recently.
Jordan Hill‘s two-year deal with the Lakers contains a team option for the final season, according to Mark Deeks of ShamSports.

Amico On Aldridge, Turner, Bulls, Thornton

November 25th, 2013 at 4:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Sam Amico of FOX Sports has tons of great stuff in his latest column, let’s dive in and check out some of the highlights..

LaMarcus Aldridge was all over Hoops Rumors this summer with talk of dissatisfaction with the Blazers and trade demands, but it sounds like we can finally put that to rest. Aldridge, who looks like the best power forward in the league so far this season, appears to be content with his 12-2 club.
There is some relevance to a suggested potential trade involving the 76ers and Cavs, according to league sources. Philly is likely to shop small forward Evan Turner, an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, and the Cleveland is exploring the idea of landing a starting-caliber small forward. It could be a good match, depending on the Cavs’ desire to gamble on the uncertainty of Turner’s contract. The possibility also exists the Sixers will hold on to Turner and re-sign him in the summer as he has played well and been a team leader under new coach Brett Brown.
However, Cavs GM Chris Grant is not actively trying to make a deal, even though he likes to make trades and is always willing to listen.
League sources believe Kings swingman Marcus Thornton is available. Thornton is a talented scorer, but a less-than-stellar defender and has fallen out of Michael Malone‘s rotation.
The Derrick Rose-less Bulls could shake things up. Chicago still wants to win and get into the playoffs, sources say, but if things head south quickly, they could gut the roster and aim for a high lottery pick to pair with Rose when he returns. A team source says if the Bulls trade Luol Deng, they would have to get what they consider a steal (a young player and picks) to move him within the Eastern Conference. The asking price from a Western team wouldn’t be as high.
One league source said that as of today, the Bulls won’t even think about what to do with Deng until the trade deadline nears.
Guards Richard Hamilton, Shannon Brown, and Kendall Marshall remain unsigned, but they’re all drawing interest from several teams. League sources expect Brown and Marshall to sign somewhere by the New Year, and Hamilton perhaps not long after that.

Amico On Bynum, Roster Cuts, Hamilton, 76ers

October 27th, 2013 at 6:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Andrew Bynum represented one of the more interesting free agent cases of the offseason, and his new contract reflects that: Bynum could earn as little as $6MM with the Cavaliers if he’s released on or before January 7th, or as much as $24MM+ if he plays out the two years of his deal. It doesn’t look like the former All-Star will be in Cleveland’s lineup when the regular season gets underway, but he’s making progress, according to head coach Mike Brown, who confirmed today that Bynum has gone through “most of practice.”

Sam Amico of the FOX Sports Ohio has the latest details on the ex-Laker, along with plenty of other tidbits from around the league, so let’s check out the highlights from his piece….

Shannon Brown and Kendall Marshall are drawing interest around the league, with clubs expecting them to be waived by the Wizards tomorrow. Marshall could hear from the 76ers, a league source tells Amico.
Other recently released players who are receiving some level of interest include Royce White, Josh Childress, Damion James, Vander Blue, Royal Ivey, Jermaine Taylor, and Seth Curry.
At least seven teams have inquired on free agent guard Richard Hamilton, a GM tells Amico. The former Bull appears likely to wait until midway through the season to sign with a team, perhaps anticipating that a guaranteed deal or a non-minimum contract will be more attainable at that point.
“Scuttlebutt around the league” suggests that there’s a good chance the Sixers move the expiring contracts of Evan Turner and Spencer Hawes by the trade deadline.

Amico’s Latest: 76ers, DeRozan, Hawks, Hamilton

October 21st, 2013 at 3:46pm CST by Luke Adams

This week’s Amico Report from Sam Amico has been published at FOX Sports Ohio, and it features a few rumors and rumblings from around the NBA. Let’s check in on Amico’s latest updates….

Jimmer Fredette and Omer Asik are among the potential trade candidates “generating whispers” around the league, says Amico. He adds that practically every Sixer, besides the team’s two 2013 lottery picks (Nerlens Noel and Michael Carter-Williams), could also be available.
One GM tells Amico that there’s “strong league-wide interest” in DeMar DeRozan, though the Raptors don’t seem too interested in anything that’s been offered.
When James Johnson was waived today by the Hawks, I speculated that he could explore overseas options, but Amico suggests there are a few NBA teams with Johnson on their radars.
With the Hawks expected to keep either Royal Ivey or Shelvin Mack as their third point guard, the player that gets cut will likely be grabbed by another NBA club, according to Amico.
While no teams have stepped up with a commitment to him yet, free agent guard Richard Hamilton is “drawing loads of interest,” writes Amico.

Western Notes: Leonard, Hamilton, Blazers, Favors

October 19th, 2013 at 8:08pm CST by Spencer Lund

With Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili all carrying a lot of mileage on their legs after multiple years of long playoff runs, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has taken to resting his old stars during back-to-backs while also limiting their game-to-game regular season minutes.

After the excellent play of Kawhi Leonard in last season’s NBA Finals, it might mean an increased role for the “3 & D” wing entering his third year. The San Antonio Express-News’ Jeff MacDonald shares, in a couple different tweets, that Popovich will be increasing Leonard’s responsibility on offense. McDonald thinks his scoring should jump significantly as a result.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference tonight:

The Timberwolves have expressed interest in unsigned free agent Richard Hamilton, but Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities tweets that there has been no further movement from GM Flip Saunders.
As noted earlier, the Blazers‘ starting five have yet to appear on the court together this preseason due to multiple injury issues. The lack of time playing together means they haven’t gotten a chance to “gel” as a team, writes the Oregonian’s Mike Tokito.
Grantland’s Zach Lowe spoke with Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey about the Derrick Favors extension, and mentions in a tweet that Lindsey repeatedly mentioned the Bulls as a model for the Jazz franchise.
After the Jazz officially confirmed the four-year, $49MM+ extension this morning, everyone’s pretty happy writes the Deseret News’ Mike Sorenson.
Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune says Favors earned his extension with his defensive prowess for the Jazz.

T-Wolves Considering Richard Hamilton?

October 17th, 2013 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves are currently carrying 18 players, including 14 on guaranteed deals, but the team’s regular-season roster could still include an outside addition. According to Nate Sandell and Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 Twin Cities, president Flip Saunders continues to keep an eye on free agents and possible trade targets in search of potential options.

“We’re looking at all the players we have and where are they going to fit in,” said head coach Rick Adelman. “It’s not just the guys who are here. Flip is constantly talking to people around the league who are evaluating everything. I think it’s something that is a process that you go through, and you make that decision sometime next week.”

One player the Wolves are considering is Richard Hamilton, who remains on the free agent market after being released by the Bulls over the summer. Wolfson reports that the idea of signing Hamilton has been “floated among the Wolves front office personnel.” The veteran guard has ties to Saunders, having played for him in Detroit, and would provide depth on the wing for a club that will be without Chase Budinger to start the season.

If the T-Wolves decide not to add any outside players, camp invitees Othyus Jeffers and A.J. Price look like strong bets to make the team, according to the ESPN 1500 report. While the Wolves have 14 players on guaranteed contracts, Chris Johnson‘s roster spot could be in danger, which would leave two openings for non-guaranteed players. Minnesota’s other two camp invitees, Robbie Hummel and Lorenzo Brown, may end up playing for the club’s D-League affiliate in Iowa.

Amico On Lakers, Nuggets, Hamilton, Cavs

October 14th, 2013 at 8:46am CST by Luke Adams

In Sam Amico’s latest piece for FOX Sports Ohio, he focuses on last August’s Dwight Howard trade, which initially looked like a questionable move for the Magic. Given the fact that Orlando ended up with the best long-term pieces in the deal, it’s an illustration of why we shouldn’t immediately decide whether teams “won” or “lost” a trade or signing, writes Amico. The FOX Sports Ohio scribe also shares a few rumors and rumblings from around the NBA, so let’s check out the highlights….

An Eastern Conference executive tells Amico that his team has heard from the Lakers recently, and that word around the league suggests L.A. may look to make a “substantial” move before the season begins. Pau Gasol isn’t untouchable, writes Amico.
Given the questions surrounding Steve Nash‘s health and age, a young scoring point guard may be on the Lakers‘ wish list, though it won’t be easy to obtain one.
The Nuggets are also potentially willing to make a move or two before the season, and Amico speculates that a trade candidate like Jimmer Fredette or a free agent like Richard Hamilton could be a fit.
Hamilton, Sebastian Telfair, and Daniel Gibson are among the veteran free agents who may draw interest before opening night.
The Cavaliers seem to “really like” camp invitees Matthew Dellavedova and Jermaine Taylor, but are unlikely to have the room to keep both on their regular season roster. I wouldn’t be surprised if the team tried to get the odd man out to join the Canton Charge, Cleveland’s D-League affiliate.

Latest On Notable Veteran Free Agents

October 3rd, 2013 at 8:53am CST by Luke Adams

Even with about 550 players currently under contract with NBA teams, there are still a number of interesting names remaining on our list of 2013/14 free agents. That list will only grow in the next several weeks, as teams release camp invitees in an effort to reduce their roster counts to the regular-season maximum of 15. Still, it wouldn't be surprising to see some of the players presently available to land on NBA teams once the season gets underway.

Injuries are already starting to pile up for some teams, and when a club needs to add an extra body or two during the season, a veteran addition is more likely than a rookie signing. Even if a team would rather take a look at a few young players during camp, a known commodity has more value when that same team needs immediate help during the season.

So which players could we see join teams at some point after training camp ends? Here are a few names to keep in mind, along with the latest rumors and updates we've heard about them:

Rodrigue Beaubois
Previous team: Mavericks
Latest updates: The Heat were reportedly hoping to bring Beaubois in for an "audition," but a wrist injury derailed those plans. If and when he gets healthy, Beaubois could draw renewed interest, though perhaps a lottery team would be more likely to take a flier than a contender.

Jason Collins
Previous team: Wizards
Latest updates: ESPN.com's Marc Stein recently explored Collins' free agency, identifying the Nets, Wizards, and Clippers as potential fits for the big man. Coach Mike Woodson also confirmed that the Knicks kicked the tires on Collins before deciding to go younger.

Chris Duhon
Previous team: Lakers
Latest updates: The Knicks and Sixers were said to be considering Duhon back in August, and we heard again about Philadelphia's interest last month. The team went younger and cheaper shortly thereafter though, signing Darius Morris.

Richard Hamilton
Previous team: Bulls
Latest updates: A report a month ago indicated that the Rockets and Knicks could have interest, but both clubs have several other options for now. Perhaps New York could re-emerge as a viable option if J.R. Smith has lingering issues related to his offseason knee surgery.

Josh Howard
Previous team: Timberwolves
Latest updates: While some of the players on this list may be waiting out the market in the hopes that teams will get more desperate when rosters are reduced to 15 players and injuries start to add up, Howard was said to be in the market for a camp invite. That doesn't seem to bode well for his chances of catching on with an NBA team this season, though there's still plenty of time.

Stephen Jackson
Previous team: Spurs
Latest updates: Jackson was linked to the Rockets and Heat back in August, but both of those teams have several other three-point shooters in the mix. With Jackson's production in decline, clubs may be reluctant to roll the dice on the 35-year-old and his strong personality.

Mickael Pietrus
Previous team: Raptors
Latest updates: Although Pietrus received a camp invite from the Spurs, he continues to seek a guaranteed deal, as he did a year ago. It worked out for him last fall, when he signed a guaranteed contract with the Raptors several weeks into the season, but he didn't play well and didn't stay healthy in Toronto. We'll see if his patient approach to free agency pays off again this time around.

Other notable veterans on the market: Daequan Cook, Drew Gooden, Lamar Odom, Sasha Pavlovic, Tyrus Thomas, Jamaal Tinsley, Luke Walton, Hakim Warrick, Chris Wilcox