THE BASKETBALL ORACLE

Report: Varejao Gets $50 Million From The Cavs (Seriously)

Posted by Ryan Drescher on July 9, 2009

No, the headline is not a joke. Anderson Varejao, the power forward who started a little more than half of the Cavaliers games last season, has reached a 6-year deal to remain in Cleveland. The contract is worth up to $50 million. SI.com:

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Anderson Varejao reportedly have agreed on a six-year contract that could be worth as much as $50 million.

Agent Dan Fegan told The Plain Dealer late Wednesday that the club and Varejao have agreed on a new contract. The team would not confirm the report Thursday morning.

General manager Danny Ferry had earlier stated his intent to re-sign the 6-foot-11 Brazilian.

Varejao did not exercise his option on a $6.2 million contract for next season, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Can someone explain to me what the Cavaliers are doing this offseason?

Trading for Shaquille O’Neal was not a good move. The Cavs will need to be playing their best basketball all season long in order to try and get home-court advantage in what is sure to be an incredibly difficult Eastern Conference. If Shaq has to play full-speed for the entire season, he will surely be worn out by the time the playoffs come around. He’s 37-years-old, and the Cavs may be better off resting him a few game here and there in the regular season to save him for the playoffs, but that could end up costing them valuable playoff position. Then there is the question of whether Shaq and LeBron can coexist in Cleveland. Both have big egos, and both like getting their share of touches. When Shaq was in Los Angeles with Kobe, the steadying force that kept the two calm enough to win three championships was Phil Jackson. Does Mike Brown have the ability to keep the two from colliding?

From  a pure on-court standpoint, how will Shaq being in the middle affect the Cavs? Every season of LeBron’s career, he never has had a big center clogging the lane — Zydrunas Illgauskas typically plays on the perimeter. This allowed LeBron to drive to the basket with the only thing ahead of him being the defender. Will Shaq’s presence not allow LeBron to drive full-speed to the basket every possession?

Then, the Cavs courted free agents Ron Artest and Trevor Ariza, which were interesting decisions, to say the least. Both are small forwards — doesn’t LeBron play small forward? — and certainly would want to be a starter wherever they went. The Cavs had a  solution, which was to give them a chance to start at shooting guard. The key word there being “chance.” Is it hard to surmise why neither Artest or Ariza didn’t go to Cleveland.

The Varejao signing takes the cake, though. In this, the summer of the mid-level exception, the Cavs have gone beyond the call of duty, and grossly overpaid for Varejao. Does 8.6 points per game warrant $50 million? Absolutely not. It is just another strang decision in a strange offseason in Cleveland.

Posted in Basketball, Cavaliers, NBA, Sports | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

Birdman Will Be Back In Denver

Posted by Ryan Drescher on July 8, 2009

One of the best things that happened to the Nuggets last season was the emergence of forward Chirs “Birdman” Andersen as an excellent bench player. Anderson was second in the league in blocked shots last season behind Dwight Howard — the league’s defensive player of the year — and has converted that into a nice chunk of change. SI.com:

Chris “Birdman” Andersen has reached a five-year deal to continue his high-flying, shot-blocking act with the Denver Nuggets.

Andersen’s attorney, Mark Bryant, confirmed the agreement on Wednesday, saying it could be signed later in the day. The deal was first reported by the Denver Post.

Andersen could make up to $26 million over the lifetime of the contract. It’s a backloaded deal to give the Nuggets financial flexibility.

He’ll make close to $3.65 million in 2009-10, up from the $998,398 he made last season.

That’s quite a nice raise, and the way he played last season, Birdman deserves it. Coming off the bench, Andersen gave the Nuggets high energy — and production. He averaged 6.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in a little over 20 minutes a night. His length and shot-blocking prowess make him one of the best interior defenders in the league, and a nice complimentary piece in Denver. He became a rockstar in Denver last year, as the fans loved his crazy hair and tattoos. Bringing him back keeps fan interest high and truly does help the Nuggets on the court.

Posted in Basketball, NBA, Nuggets, Sports | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

Sources: Pistons Hire John Kuester

Posted by Ryan Drescher on July 7, 2009

John KuesterWhen Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars fired head coach Michael Curry, it was believed that the Pistons would look for an experienced coach after failing with a rookie in Curry. TNT analyst Doug Collins was rumored to be the Pistons first choice, but he declined even an interview. The Pistons then engaged in talks with Avery Johnson, who was out of coaching last season, but talks reportedly broke off. With very few candidates with experience still remaining on the market, the Pistons have settled on Cavaliers assistant John Kuester, according to ESPN.com:

Avery Johnson will not be the next coach of the Detroit Pistons, who are instead closing in on hiring Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach John Kuester.

Johnson, an ESPN NBA analyst, confirmed in a SportsCenter interview Tuesday afternoon that he and the Pistons have broken off contract talks after more than two days of negotiations.

Sources close to the process told ESPN.com that the job would instead go to Kuester in a deal likely to be completed later Tuesday or Wednesday.

The Pistons’ pursuit of Johnson ended, sources said, because Detroit — having paid both Flip Saunders and recently fired Michael Curry last season and still owing an estimated $5 million to Curry over the next two seasons — was only prepared to extend a two-year offer to Johnson with a team option for a third season.

It’s believed that Johnson wanted no less than the security of a four-year contract, given where the retooling Pistons stand in the Eastern Conference hierarchy after a 39-43 season and the fact that Detroit is looking for its sixth coach in team president Joe Dumars’ 10 seasons running the front office. When that gap couldn’t be bridged, sources said, no formal offer was made to Johnson.

“I looked at it, I was interested in it, but I was only interested in it if we could agree on a vision for the team going forward,” Johnson said in the SportsCenter interview.

Dumars told the Detroit News: “Where we are right now as a team is kind of like where we were at the start of the Rick Carlisle era. And a $4 [million] to $5 million [per year] coach is not what we need right now. We didn’t have one of those until we were close to contending for a championship when we got Larry [Brown].”

TNT analyst Doug Collins withdrew from consideration last week after sources told ESPN.com that he was formally offered the Detroit job. Boston Celtics associate head coach Tom Thibodeau is the only other known candidate, but sources say Dumars was always planning to move quickly to Kuester if no deal with Johnson could be reached.

It’s believed that Kuester’s offensive expertise and his history with the Pistons after working in Detroit as an assistant under Brown appeal greatly to Dumars. That’s despite that fact that Kuester — who was expected to travel to Detroit to meet face-to-face with Dumars later Tuesday — has never been a head coach in the NBA.

With all of the turmoil that went on in Detroit last season, I think the only way the locker room is going to come together is with a veteran head coach. Kuester is not that guy, as he has never been a head coach in the league before. Players like Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince won’t buy whatever he is going to sell, and if I’m Dumars, I look hard to try and trade the two. They clearly have worn out their welcome in Detroit and need a change of scenery. Making them suffer with another new, inexperienced head coach just doesn’t seem fair considering all they did for the franchise.

The Pistons were not the a good offensive team last year, so if Kuester can help on that end of the court, the team may be able to improve. Still, this is a questionable hire at best.

Posted in Basketball, NBA, Sports | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

The Dumbing Down Of A Franchise ……

Posted by Alan Parkins on July 7, 2009

The Detroit Pistons as a franchise team were the envy of a number of teams around the NBA. Their remarkable stretch of consistency over the past six years spoke for itself. And in their esteemed GM Joe Dumars they perhaps have one of the best young general managers in the entire NBA.

Pistons' GM & President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars

Pistons’ GM and Head Of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/ Ian McIntosh ………

And granted the Darko Milicic experiment went about as successfully as having one’s tooth pulled without the assist of having anasthesia in order to abate the pain. But herein lies a fact from 2002-08 they won 6 divisional titles, 2 conference titles, and to cap it all their third NBA championship title in 2004. There they defeated the league’s poster child in terms ostentatious success, the Los Angeles Lakers. Defeating the storied franchise 4-1 in the best of the seven games series finals . Less we forget the Phil Jackson coached team was ladened with stars and future Hall of Famers in the guise of Gary Payton, Karl Malone, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Byant.

Allen Iverson of the Detroit Pistons.

An angst ridden Allen Iverson looks up at the scoreboard after a Pistons’ loss at the Palace of Auburn Hills. picture appears courtesy of getty images/ Michael Russo ………

However, this past season we saw the upheaval that can be brought when a monumental mistake can be made from a disasterous decision. Dumars thought it best to trade away his erstwhile point guard Chauncey Billups to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for former NBA scoring champion Allen Iverson.And whilst no one would doubt the heart of Iverson. It has to be be said that this isn’t the same player who captivated the hearts of many from his heydays with the Philadelphia 76ers. Iverson , nowadays is more a viable candidate as a triage patient than he would be on the roster of an NBA franchise. At this juncture one would have to question the resolve of Dumars and what he might’ve been thinking at the time.

Avery Johnson former Mavericks' coach

Former Mavericks’ coach Avery Johnson. He was widely considered to be the front-runner for the vacant Pistons’ head coaching position. picture appears courtesy of espn.com/nba/ Tim Arthur ………….

Now after a lackluster season where they underperformed greatly , posting a (39-43) record , barely squeaking into the playoffs. The franchise is without a coach. As Dumars fired Michael Curry, who many felt was unable to communicate with the players on the Pistons’ roster. It almost certainly didn’t help that Iverson barely played in any games , constantly befelled by recurring injuries. And to top it all when the player was told that he would benched for the remainder of the regular season. It could be viewed that the writing was on the wall . Not only for Iverson , but also for the fate awaiting Curry, himself.

Austin Daye taken in the first round by the Detroit Pistons. Daye is seen here on stage at the Wamu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY,. picture appears courtesy of nbae/getty images/ Ivan Kusmanov ..........

Austin Daye taken in the first round by the Detroit Pistons. Daye is seen here on stage at the Wamu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY,. picture appears courtesy of nbae/getty images/ Ivan Kusmanov ..........

Iverson for his part wasn’t at all happy with the situation , as he voiced his disapproval and discontent. But adding insult to injury was the way with the Pistons were cast aside by the LeBron James’ led Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs. That series if anything was indicative of how woefully inept this Pistons’ team had become. And it may well have been the watershed moment for Dumars. He’ll now to have to disassemble the roster and try to find the integral pieces that will once again make the Pistons a perennial contender.

Curry now formerly of the Detroit Pistons seen here coaching the team in a regular season game against the Charlotte Bobcats. picture appears courtesy of the charlotteobserver.com/sports/

Curry now formerly of the Detroit Pistons seen here coaching the team in a regular season game against the Charlotte Bobcats. picture appears courtesy of the charlotteobserver.com/sports/

In the midst of this all Dumars still has to fill the vacancy as to the Pistons’ coaching position. The person thought to to be most likely candidate was former Dallas Mavericks’ coach Avery Johnson . But as may well have been the custom the two were either not of the same mindset . Or merely from the fact that a renumeration package couldn’t be reached. The interview process obviously didn’t go all that well. Either way it leaves Dumars with the unenviable task of trying to lure a top line coach to take over the vacant position.

Chauncey Billups (1) formerly of the Detroit Pistons seen here with then teammate Richard Hamilton

Chauncey Billiups (1) seen here with then teammate Richard Hamilton during a regular season game for the Detroit Pistons. picture appears courtesy of guardian.uk.co/sports/basketball/ Tony Stephenson …………

And the second candidate on Dumars’ wish list is said to to be Cavaliers’ assistant coach John Kuester. There’s also talk that the Boston Celtics’ assistant Tom Thibodeau could also be in the mix for the vacant position. Thibodeau is the primary architect of the Celtics’ much vaulted defense. At this juncture however , it can only be viewed as mere speculation.

Whatever the future may well now hold for the Detroit Pistons. It has to be said that insult was most definitely added to injury with regard to two particular maneuvers made by Joe Dumars. The first was taking Darko Milic and making him a first round draft pick. When in his stead he could have chosen Carmelo Anthony. And quite obviously the other was the trading away of Billups to the Nuggets in exchange for Iverson. While we can all agree that Dumars was the primary architect behind the franchise’s resurgence and the capturing of an NBA title . It has to be said that he’s also been behind the dumbing down of the franchise.

Darko Milicic the misnoma that was and still is to this day

Former Pistons’ first round draft pick Darko Milicic seen here in a rare moment when he was actually in a Pistons’ uniform and playing well ? picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/ Craig McIntyre ………..

In part much of this may well have been from the fact like everyone else around him. Dumars felt it was good to try and keep up with the Joneses. But the failures have manifested themselves in such a way. That it is very hard to view the direction that the franchise now must take. Albeit that the teams now in the Eastern Conference such as the Orlando Magic, Cavaliers and Boston Celtics have gotten better . As the Pistons have regressed and entrenched themselves in mediocrity.

As a fan of the NBA , I would hope to see the franchise rise again. As its history has proven what it is capable doing. Teams such as the Pistons with their renowned history sometimes have to be beset by real adversity if they’re to learn from their mistakes. Let’s just hope that stubborn pride won’t stand in the way of Dumars as he seeks to rebuild the franchise once again.

Posted in Basketball, Detroit Pistons, NBA, Sports | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

ESPN Corrects Its’ LeBron Report

Posted by Ryan Drescher on July 7, 2009

Earlier today, ESPN’s Chris Broussard reported that LeBron James had told Trevor Ariza he was going to stay in Cleveland past 2010. Well, Broussard’s original source was wrong, according to  Broussard:

LeBron James did not tell Trevor Ariza he would stay in Cleveland past 2010, according to sources close to the Cavaliers’ superstar — contradicting what a person close to Ariza said Monday night.

That source said that James told Ariza he planned to remain with the Cavaliers past next summer, when he can become a free agent. James could not be reached for comment Monday night, but on Tuesday, sources who spoke to James said the story told by the person close to Ariza was wrong.

James’ conversation with Ariza was, according to the Ariza source, part of the Cavaliers’ attempt to make Ariza the next Hedo Turkoglu, who backed out of his promise last week to join Portland and instead accepted a deal with Toronto.

I didn’t believe the original story for a second, so it makes sense that it was never true to begin with. LeBron knows he would be lying if he told anyone he’s staying in Cleveland. It’s amazing to me that ESPN reported the story so quickly without checking with more sources. With any report on LeBron, it’s going to be big, and getting the story right would seem to be the top priority.

Posted in Basketball, Cavaliers, NBA | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

LeBron Not Leaving Cleveland In 2010?

Posted by Ryan Drescher on July 7, 2009

LeBron James LeBron James has worked hard this offseason trying to recruit players to come to the Cavaliers. What he’s using to attempt to lure them in? Reportedly, he has told the likes of Ron Artest and Trevor Ariza that he’ll be in Cleveland after the 2009-10 season. ESPN.com:

The Cleveland Cavaliers got some bad news followed by some potentially terrific news on Sunday. In a last-ditch effort to recruit Trevor Ariza away from the Houston Rockets, LeBron James told Ariza he would remain with the Cavaliers past 2010, according to a person close to Ariza.

Even that wasn’t enough to get Ariza, who verbally committed to join the Rockets last Thursday, to change his mind and go to Cleveland.

But the Cavaliers will gladly settle for the consolation prize; if indeed James’ statement to Ariza was more than an empty sales pitch.

“Trevor asked LeBron if he would be in Cleveland after next season,” the source said. “And LeBron said, ‘I’ll be there. Of course, I’ll be there.’”

James could not be reached for comment on Monday.

James’ conversation with Ariza was part of the Cavaliers’ attempt to make the free agent swingman the next Hedo Turkoglu, who backed out of his promise last week to join Portland and instead accepted a deal with Toronto.

Cavs general manager Danny Ferry and head coach Mike Brown flew to Los Angeles and met with Ariza on Sunday, according to several sources with knowledge of the situation.

Ariza, who had accepted a five-year, $33.5 million offer from the Rockets last Thursday, also received telephone calls from James and Shaquille O’Neal. When James told Ariza he’d be a Cavalier past next season, Ariza was less than convinced.

“He thought it was just a recruiting tool,” the source said. “LeBron definitely said it, but until he signs the contract it doesn’t mean much.”

The Cavaliers did not ask James or O’Neal to call Ariza, but as he did with Ron Artest, James took it upon himself to reach out. James’ future in Cleveland has been an issue with potential signees.

Artest, whom the Cavaliers had interest in before he agreed to terms with the Lakers, was concerned about signing a multiyear deal with Cleveland because of James’ ability to leave in 2010. And even O’Neal, who was traded to the Cavs less than two weeks ago, tried to find out about James’ long-term plans with the club during trade talks.

Even so, according to sources, a flattered Ariza strongly considered reneging on his agreement with the Rockets and heading for Cleveland, which made him the same offer as Houston last week. In the end, however, he decided to keep his word to the Rockets.

“He’s a very loyal person,” the source said. “[Rockets coach] Rick Adelman had lunch with him for three straight days last week and that meant a lot to him.”

Ariza presumably will sign with the Rockets on Wednesday, the first day free agents are allowed to sign contracts. But until then, other teams can recruit him, and he can change his mind.

Though Ferry and Brown left Los Angeles Sunday night thinking their mission had failed, the Cavaliers spoke with Ariza’s representatives one last time Monday afternoon, only to be told that he still planned to be a Rocket.

Sources say several factors led to Ariza’s decision. First, his toddler son lives in Los Angeles with his mother and Ariza liked that Houston was a much shorter flight than Cleveland. Second, Adelman promised him the Rockets would feature him offensively while the Cavaliers refused to guarantee him a starting job. Instead, the Cavs told him he’d be given a legitimate chance to compete for the spot against last year’s starter, Delonte West.

“He wanted to be sure he’d start,” the source said. “That was a big hang-up.”

While an about-face is still possible, the Cavaliers, who met with Channing Frye in Cleveland on Monday, aren’t holding their breath.

Please try and contain your laughter. LeBron, who has sent signals ever since his arrival in Cleveland that he won’t be staying for long, is telling this to potential teammates to lure them to Cleveland, and nothing more. Just because he says it doesn’t mean it is actually going to happen.

LeBron has always come off as a guy who deeply cares about his money — and his image — and the best place to make the most money is likely elsewhere than Cleveland. While he has been able to market himself just fine in Cleveland — much like Jordan did in Chicago — the prospect of playing in New York may be too good to pass up. The Knicks — and the Nets for that matter — are saving up all their money in order to sign LeBron next summer. Don’t think LeBron isn’t noticing.

Look, there’s a reason LeBron frequently wears a Yankees cap around the city. He wore it to the Yankees-Indians playoff game, in Cleveland, two years ago. More importantly, he wore it the day after the Cavs lost to the Magic. His dreams and ambitions appear to be elsewhere.

Think about it from a basketball perspective: the Cavaliers had the best record in the league last year, arguably the deepest bench, and arguably the best player — and they still couldn’t reach the NBA Finals. Thoughts must be going through LeBron’s head that is best chance to win is somewhere other than Cleveland. While the Cavs may think that putting together the best supporting cast around LeBron is what will keep him in his home state, it could be much more complicated.

First off, he is a very good friend of rapper Jay-Z, who is part owner of the Nets. Playing in New Jersey probably isn’t LeBron’s dream, but the team most likely will be moving to Brooklyn in the next few years. Being able to play with his good friend and have even more marketing opportunities could be a big selling point for LeBron. Playing with the Knicks in Madison Square Garden is likely enticing for LeBron as well. The point is there will be a number of opportunities for LeBron when he opts out of his contract after next season. He’s going to have to weigh all factors — and until he does, don’t buy into the fact that he’s telling recruits he’ll stay in Cleveland.

As for going after Ariza, what in the world are the Cavs thinking? He’s a small forward who started all of last season. Do they really believe that he is going to come to Cleveland to come off the bench? There’s no reason for Ariza to go to Cleveland when LeBron is without question going to be the starter.

Posted in Basketball, Cavaliers, NBA, Sports | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

Bibby Back With Atlanta

Posted by Ryan Drescher on July 7, 2009

In a move that isn’t exactly surprising, the Hawks are planning on signing free agent point guard Mike Bibby to a 3-year, $18 million deal. AJC.com:

Free agent point guard Mike Bibby has agreed to a three-year deal worth an estimated $18 million to return to the Hawks, according to two people familiar with the situation.

Wednesday is the first day NBA free agents are allowed to sign contracts.

Bibby, 31, guided the Hawks to back-to-back playoff appearances in his year and half with the team after being acquired in a trade with Sacramento at the trade deadline in February 2008.

An 11-year veteran, Bibby averaged 14.9 points, 5.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 last season for the Hawks, who won 47 games during the regular season and advanced to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time in over a decade.

Bibby?s deal is the first of several the Hawks have to get done this summer. Hawks general manager Rick Sund is scheduled to fly to Washington today to meet with representatives for fellow Hawks free agents Marvin Williams, Zaza Pachulia and Josh Childress.

Bibby is the leader of the team, and the Hawks had no choice but to bring him back. They have a group of young, talented players, and Bibby provides a veteran presence who can command the locker room. His experience is invaluable, as he has seen just about everything over his career.

The Hawks have taken some big steps over the last two season with Bibby, as the team has made the playoffs in two straight season. There’s no doubt that Bibby has had a major role in the Hawks’ development. While the Hawks have been going a round farther in the playoffs the last two years, it’s difficult to imagine a scenario in which they are able to get through two rounds in the extremely difficult Eastern Conference and reach the Conference Finals.

Atlanta has been relatively quiet this offseason, and I don’t think they’ll be doing too much else, other than attempting to retain their own free agents. Pachulia is a high-energy backup center, who was sorely missed last season any time he was unable to play. Bibby is a good first step in the offseason for the Hawks.

Posted in Basketball, NBA, Sports | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

Lakers Re-Sign Shannon Brown

Posted by Ryan Drescher on July 6, 2009

Shannon Brown -- Photo Courtesy of Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty ImagesThe Lakers took another step on Monday toward retaining most of the players that helped win a championship in 2009. The team has re-signed backup guard Shannon Brown, according to Yahoo! Sports:

Los Angeles Lakers free-agent guard Shannon Brown has committed to re-sign with the team, a league source said on Monday. He will receive a two-year, $4.2 million contract with the second season at his option.

The Lakers were Brown’s fourth team in three years in the NBA. The Charlotte Bobcats traded him withAdam Morrison to the Lakers for Vladimir Radmanovic midway through the season.

Brown played sparingly until late in the season, but was a valuable contributor off the bench early in the playoffs.

Free agents can’t officially sign with teams until Wednesday.

When Brown originally came to Los Angeles, few expected to get much out of him. The move was a salary camp dump for the Lakers, who saved nearly $7 million by getting rid of Vladimir Radmonovic’s contract. He was virtually unknown, but turned into an important piece to the championship puzzle for the Lakers. A 6-foot-4 point guard, Brown is a valuable asset, as he can defend multiple positions. He played big minutes in the first round of the playoffs against the Jazz, and he did a fairly good job of defending Deron Williams. His athleticism is off-the-charts, and he should see a fair amount of minutes next season.

Posted in Basketball, Lakers, NBA, Sports | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

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