By Matt Moore 

Dwight Howard told media on Monday that he was still open to the possibility of staying in Orlando, if "changes" were made to improve the team. From the Orlando Sentinel: 

Said Howard, "As of right now, I have on a Magic uniform. Right? So I'm with nobody else, and that's the only thing that matters. And if it's meant for me to stay here, then I'll stay. And I love this city. There's no place I'd rather be but here in Orlando. And I just want to make sure that we have the right things here so we can win a championship.

"And I'm all about change. If you're willing to change and you're willing to do what it takes to win, then, you know, you've got me. And if you're not willing to do what it takes to win, I don't think anybody here would question anybody's motives if you want to stay in the same position you are."

via Orlando Magic: Dwight Howard hints he might stay with Magic - OrlandoSentinel.com.

ESPN.com reports that one of those changes is to bring in Chauncey Billups once he clears the amnesty waiver process. Because clearly, that's the kind of move that will put the Magic over the top. Howard has listed wanting input over the direction of the franchise as his biggest reason for wanting out. This despite his reticence at moves like trading Rashard Lewis and amnestying Gilbert Arenas. Essentially, Dwight Howard wants more control to run the franchise badly, which would only serve to make the team worse and drive him out of Orlando. 

Meanwhile, the Nets are reportedly considering making an amnesty offer to Billups the same day. Their efforts to bring in Howard have been nothing if not consistent. 

Howard's discussions of staying are a bit cruel, in a way. No one has believed Howard would stay in Orlando, not for two years. He's had every opportunity to say so and he's declined every time, instead leaning on the "I just want to win a title" talk which is code for "Don't blame me, blame the GM."

Now, by wanting Billups he's basically giving Jameer Nelson a vote of no confidence, if reports are accurate. That's the kind of thing that hurts chemistry, especially when Nelson has stuck up for Howard so many times. But this is all part of Howard and his management's plan to ease their way out. You say the things you can to put the onus on the team so when the time comes, people have somewhere else to drive their anger, which keeps the most public support you can. It's all part of the playbook, and Howard's filling it out nicely.

Posted by EOB Staff

Monday, December 12, 2011

On a shortened schedule with the conclusion of the NBA lockout, free agency is going to be fast and furious. To keep track of all the wheelings, dealings, rumors, and reports, check Eye on Basketball daily for the Free Agency Buzz.

1:09 p.m. ET

• The Pacers will amnesty James Posey and his $6.9 million contract, according to Yahoo! Sports.

• Ken Berger of CBSSports.com tweets that the Knicks could be after Baron Davis if the Cavs amnesty him. A source tells him it's "looking promising." However, Davis has a bad back right now and it could be a while before he plays, Berger says.

12:23 p.m. ET

• New Orlando Magic president Alex Martins told reporters Monday that he thinks the Magic can convince Dwight Howard to stay in Orlando. Someone should give the Cavaliers a call.

• Chauncey Billups was amnesty'd by the Knicks and said he didn't want to go to a rebuilding team. According to ESPN.com though, the Bobcats, a rebuilding team, are interested in putting in a bid. Another team to watch for? The Hawks.

• The 76ers are looking to trade Marreese Speights potentially to the Nuggets, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.

• What is Nene up to? It's down to the Nets and Nuggets, according to Berger. However, if the Rockets offer to Marc Gasol falls through, they could jump back in.

<img style="float: right; margin: 10px;" src="http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/visual/whatshot/derrick-rose-2.jpg" height="353" width="250" />By Matt Moore</a> <br /><br />This will come as no surprise, but the Bulls plan to keep Derrick Rose. Shocker! From the <em>Chicago Tribune</em>: <br />

<blockquote>Rose will win on the bottom line soon. General manager Gar Forman said the formality of Rose's five-year, $94 million extension is being finalized with Rose's agents, Arn Tellem and B.J. Armstrong.<br /><br /> "Derrick is the centerpiece of what we're putting together here," Forman said. "We want Derrick to be a Dull for a long, long time. It's very important that we put the right pieces around Derrick."</blockquote>

via Chicago Bulls: Derrick Rose won't beg stars to join Bulls, but he loves everything about team - chicagotribune.com</a>.<br /><br />You could have said, "a five-year, $11ty Billion extension" and it would still be a steal. Rose's extension will have one huge consequence though. For months, people have lauded the Bulls as the way to win without spending in the luxury cap. But the extension for rose to pay him upwards of $16 milion per year is going to change all that. Along with Carlos Boozer's blood-sucking fiend of a deal and probably re-signings of Luol Deng as well as Joakim Noah's extension, and any other upgrades the Bulls try for, the Bulls will have to pay to win. That's how the league works. The CBA didn't change that, it just made it more expensive. <br /><br />Bulls ownersip has always been thrifty for reasons beyond belief considering their success, but it'll be time to break out the poket book to keep a title-contending core around Rose and pay him market value. Rose will end up being the first recipient of the "Rose Rule" negotiated in the lockout</a> to allow teams to provide players coming off rookie deals with exceptional value higher raises than their counerparts on the earthly plane.  <br /><br />(Via <a href="http://www.iamagm.com/news/2011/12/12/mvp.derrick.rose.set.sign.five.year.94.million.extension?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter" target="_blank">IAmAGM.com</a>)<br />

By Matt Moore 

The Dallas Mavericks will look nothing this season like the team that took the floor at the beginning of last season, nor the one that took the floor for Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Tyson Chandler has signed with the Knicks. Caron Butler has signed with the Clippers. And now it appears J.J. Barea will be gone as well. 

NBA.com reports that Barea has received a four-year, $19 million offer from the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

This deal is right on the cusp between being great value and slightly overpaid. Barea lacks size (obviously) and athleticism. But he's 27, still in his prime, and has an incredible ability to not only manage the offense effectively, but score in bursts using savvy and quickness.

It's easy to pull out the old Timberwolves point guard jokes, but considering their actual situation, with Luke Ridnour being their only other primary viable point. Barea can work in small lineups at the two-guard spot (or extremely big ones if the frontcourt is loaded). He's versatile and plays within the system. He should work extremely well under Rick Adelman.

For the Mavericks, the fans don't even get to enjoy one night of seeing the team that knocked off the Heat to bring the Mavericks their first ring. And the team will be very different when it takes the floor on Christmas against the Heat. The Mavericks won the title and decided to go in a different direction. Immediately.

It should be noted that the deal for Barea is actually less than the Timberwolves paid for Darko Milicic. So they're learning.  

Posted by EOB Staff

Saturday, December 10, 2011

On a shortened schedule with the conclusion of the NBA lockout, free agency is going to be fast and furious. To keep track of all the wheelings, dealings, rumors, and reports, check Eye on Basketball daily for the Free Agency Buzz. 

7:37 p.m. ET

• Magic general manager Otis Smith said the team is close with re-signing Jason Richardson and could have a deal finalized by Monday. Yahoo Sports reports the deal is done and it's four-year, $25 million deal.

7:16 p.m. ET

• Via NBA.com, the Knicks and Wolves are both after 27-year-old J.J. Barea.

• Derrick Brown is looking to re-sign with the Bobcats, according to the Charlotte Observer.

• The Knicks will trade Ronny Turiaf to the Wizards to make room for Tyson Chandler. The Washington Post reports the Wizards will also receive some cash.

• The Pacers told James Posey not to show up for training camp. "He's not going to be with us," head coach Frank Vogel said. "We're going to make a decision what to do with James at a later date, but he's not going to be in camp." Posey is on the books for $7.5 million next season. The Pacers won't be using the amnesty on him, but can buy him out or trade him.

• The Bulls sent out a press release saying they are evaluating the situation with Keith Bogans and he won't be in camp until then. I think the better way to take that is, Chicago is looking for a new shooting guard and wants to see what happens first.

• The Knicks used their amnesty clause on Chauncey Billups, meaning he'll be sent to the waiver wire. Billups was owed $14.2 million next season and the funny part is, the Knicks picked up his option right before the lockout started. Good move!

• The Celtics have signed Jeff Green to a one-year deal for $9 million. What are the Celtics doing? Hedging their bets. They need wing depth and scoring for next season but will also leave open their options in free agency for 2012.

1:30 p.m. ET

• CSN Bay Area reports that the Nuggets have offered a four-year, $19 million offer sheet to Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, a restricted free agent for Milwaukee. Milwaukee might match, depending on their contract situation, but if Denver pulls it off, that's a great quality signing.

• Steinmetz also reports Brandan Wright gets a two-year, sub-$2 mil deal from the Mavericks. We'll see if he sticks this time. Between he and Corey Brewer, two guys with talent drafted in terrible situations and kicked around by coaches.

• Utah has reportedly made a "firm offer" for Josh Howard. That idea makes zero sense whatsoever, given the Jazz' situation in terms of roster, salary, and future.

11:00 a.m. ET

• The Mavericks are planning on using the trade exception they nabbed from the Tyson Chandler Knicks sign-and-trade to swing it to Sacramento, in exhange for a sign-and-trade for Samuel Dalembert. ESPN reports the idea is to make a huge one-year offer for Dalembert, which allows them to contend this year with a decent Chandler replacement for one year, then have room to make a splash in the big 2012 free agency... if there are any free agents left by that point. 

• We've started to hit the lower end of the barrel. Gary Forbes has signed a multi-year deal with the Raptors. Forbes is 26 and has a ways to go on defense, but he also scored 15 points per 36 and shot 45 percent from the field last year. Depending on the money, it's not a bad pickup.
  

By Matt Moore  

You can't blame the Sixers, they got their guy. The Sixers have been making noise about intending to match any offer for forward Thaddeus Young in restricted free agency, and instead of letting it get to that point, the Sixers signed Young on Friday to a five-year, $43 million deal, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. 

And it's a steal.

Young blossomed under coach Doug Collins. Last season he pulled in 17.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per 36 minutes, which is a terrific rate for a bench combo forward. His stellar 18.4 PER is a reflection of his increased efficiency on the floor, and his career high 54 percent field goal percentage was as much a reflection of his move away from perimeter play to attacking the rim as anything. In short, a player who once very strongly considered himself a small forward has evolved into a true combo forward. 

The only question is, what are the Sixers really planning on with this signing? They currently have Andre Iguodala, Evan Turner, Craig Brackins, Elton Brand, and Marreese Speights at forward. It's not that Young will have a hard time getting minutes. He won't. It's that the Sixers have made a significant committment to a number of players at forward and have yet to set out a plan for how to build a team around them. Maybe the answer is for Young to become a true (undersized) power forward alongside Iguodala and Turner. Perhaps they just love the production off the bench. But it's an $8 million per year investment for a team that still seems to be struggling with its identity.

Young needs improvement but at least has the years ahead of him to work into it. His rebounding isn't stellar but it's quality for his position. He's the quintessential combo forward, but that comes with a price, especially when you lack range as Young does. He shot 33 percent from 10-15 feet and 34 percent from mid-range last season. If Young's going to be a stretch four, he's going to have to improve. The Sixers giving him this deal with their current roster situation means he's going to have to develop them sooner rather than later. 

Again, there's no way to fault them for the deal. Young is 23 and on potential alone would warrant that kind of deal on the open market. The question is not whether it was a good signing. The question is what the signing means.  

By Matt Moore  

The Knicks have their man, and it's not CP3. Even after talks broke down in a deal that would send Chris Paul to the Lakers, leaving open the possibility of the point guard joining the team he toasted in 2010, the Knicks have agreed to a deal with center Tyson Chandler. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reported Thursday that the Knicks had moved to the front of the line for the 29-year-old veteran who was a key component in the Dallas Mavericks' championship run. 

Chandler joined a Dallas radio station Friday to announce he would sign with New York and thank fans and the Mavericks organization. Dallas is clearly pushing to clear cap space in advance of 2012's free agency class, which seems to be narrowing every second, with both Chris Paul and Dwight Howard heavily involved in trade rumors that would put them on teams they would then re-sign with in July. 

The New York Times reports his asking price was a four-year, $58 million deal, which puts him at an average of $14.5 million per year. Compared to the ridiculous amount the New Jersey Nets are reportedly offering Nene, that makes Chandler a steal. It's a big win for the Knicks, who need a better interior defender and legitimate center. There are injury concerns with Chandler along with his age, but in a league that's short on big men, and for a team so despereately in need of defense and rebounding, this was a spectacular fit. 

Chandler, Amar'e Stoudemire, and Carmelo Anthony now make up arguably the best three-man frontcourt in the league. With Melo's perimeter range, Stoudemire's post and elbow offense, and Chandler's ability to clean up the offensive glass, the Knicks will be in a prime position to contend for the Eastern Conference Finals at the very least. To get this deal done, however, Chauncey Billups will be amnestied, something Billups is dead set against, and the Knicks will have to find some way to bring in a competent starting point guard. Toney Douglas hasn shown flashes but not enough overall, and rookie Iman Shumpert is an unknown at this point, playing under Mike D'Antoni who's not the rookie-friendliest coach in the league.

But Chandler does address immediate concerns, and helps out Stoudemire immensely. Stoudemire is a poor help defender, and Chander is excellent at that. Stoudemire lacks the length and size to play center, Chandler is a pure five. Stoudemire struggles with double-teams in traffic, Chandler can finish off dum-offs. And Stoudemire is an attrocious rebounder and Chandler is of high caliber. 

The Knicks have a big man, a true 5. They may not get Chris Paul, but they're going to be a better team in 2011-2012. 

Posted by EOB Staff

Friday, December 9, 2011

On a shortened schedule with the conclusion of the NBA lockout, free agency is going to be fast and furious. To keep track of all the wheelings, dealings, rumors, and reports, check Eye on Basketball daily for the Free Agency Buzz.

8:35 p.m. ET

• According to ESPN Dallas, the Mavs are close to signing Vince Carter, who was waived by Phoenix Friday. Look for this to be done by Saturday.

5:59 p.m. ET

• According to multiple reports, Thaddeus Young has agreed with the 76ers on a five-year, $42 million deal.

• Marcus Thornton, who had his deal hit a reported snag earlier, has finished off a deal, according to SI.com. The shooting guard gets four-year, $33 million deal from the Kings.

• Oklahoma City has re-signed Daequan Cook to a two-year, $7.5 million deal, according to Yahoo Sports.

3:58 p.m. ET

• Veteran Miami Heat forward Juwan Howard will return for a second year with the team, Yahoo Sports reports. Howard, 38, played in 57 games last season for Miami.

• Per a press release, the Mavs signed Brandan Wright, formerly of the Warriors.

• According to the Detroit Free Press, Richard Hamilton has been waived. Just bought out though, not amnestied.

3:25 p.m. ET

• The Knicks are trying to re-sign forward 3-point marksman Shawne Williams but the Nets are working on pulling him away according to Yahoo! Sports.

2:38 p.m. ET

• No big surprise here: The Magic have used their amnesty clause on Gilbert Arenas.

• The Kings have signed Marcus Thornton to a $40 million, five-year deal, via ESPN.com. But wait! That deal could be hitting a snag and may not even be accurate, according to SI.com.

2:05 p.m. ET

• Thaddeus Young is close to re-signing with the 76ers, according to the Philly Inquirer.

1:34 p.m. ET

• The Celtics have dealt Glen Davis to Orlando for Brandon Bass, according to reports.

• According to Yahoo! Sports, the Nets are preparing to offer Nene a big four-year, $60-65 million deal. The Nets are in pursuit of Dwight Howard as well, reportedly, and could be looking to add Nene as a piece to a major trade to acquire Howard. SI.com reports that there are "indications" that Nene is leaning toward the Nets. The New York Daily News reports as well that the "Nets are closing in on Nene."

• The Pacers are planning to sign forward Jeff Pendergraph to a two-year deal today.

11:51 a.m. ET

• Dwight Howard has switched agents from Dan Fegan to his father. So that'll be good, I'm sure.

• Grant Hill has signed a one-year $6.5 million deal with the Suns, via the AZ Republic.

10:41 a.m. ET

• Mario Chalmers will re-sign with the Heat, reports Mario Chalmers. Early Friday morning Chalmers tweeted that he intends to re-sign with the Heat. "Imma MIAMI HEAT player until they don't want me no more. Let's get this ring"

• Everyone kind of knew this was coming, but according to the New York Times, Tyson Chandler will indeed sign with the Knicks Friday with Chauncey Billups amnestied.

• According to Yahoo! Sports, the Warriors may be looking to go after DeAndre Jordan with a four-year, $10 million to replace missing out on Tyson Chandler.

• The Suns will deal Mickael Pietrus to the Raptors for a second-round pick according to the Toronto Star.

• SI.com reports that New Orleans, Houston and Minnesota are also in the running for DeAndre Jordan.