NBA Trades!
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The biggest blockbuster trade has to be Kevin Garnett moving to Boston Celtics to form the big 3 together with Ray Allen and Paul Pierce.
Championship contenders? Especially in the weak easten conference where a 1 man Lebron James could do it.
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BOSTON (AP) -- Kevin Garnett craned his long neck up at the Celtics' 16 championship banners above his new home court and saw that the last one was dated way back in 1986.
"'86, huh?" the 10-time NBA All-Star said.
"21 years ago," a reporter told him.
To which Garnett quickly replied: "21s a good number."
A good number to end the drought on, and any team needs some luck -- whether it's avoiding injuries or getting a key foul call -- to win a title, but Boston needs a lot less of it now.
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With the 6-foot-11 Garnett joining forward Paul Pierce and guard Ray Allen as the team's new Big Three, the Celtics went from the team with the second worst record in the NBA to instant contenders in the mediocre Eastern Conference.
"I thought this is probably my best opportunity to win a ring," Garnett said after being obtained Tuesday from the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 7-for-1 deal -- the most players traded for one player in NBA history. "It was a no-brainer."
Minnesota, which missed the playoffs the last three seasons, adopted the Celtics now abandoned policy of rebuilding with youth. Of the five players they received, four -- forwards Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes and Gerald Green and guard Sebastian Telfair -- are 24 or younger. The fifth is 34-year-old center Theo Ratliff.
"We gave up a lot," Celtics executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge said. "Too much? Time will tell."
The Celtics also gave up their first-round draft pick in 2009, unless it is among the top three, and returned Minnesota's conditional first-round draft pick obtained in January 2006 when they sent Ricky Davis to the Timberwolves for Wally Szczerbiak. Minnesota also received cash considerations.
"I'm confident the (Minnesota) fans know that this is something we needed to do to get better in the long run," Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said.
The key for Minnesota is Jefferson, whom the Celtics were reluctant to part with. He had a breakout season in 2006-07, his third with Boston, when he averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds.
"I'll always have a special place in my heart (for Minnesota), but I think at this point in my career I can't do young," said Garnett, who spent all 12 of his seasons there, "and I think that you need veterans to win."
The outstanding scorer, rebounder, defender and passer signed a multiyear extension to the contract that had one year and an option year left. Ainge wouldn't reveal its length.
Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett, center, smiles while facing reporters as teammates captain Paul Pierce, left, and guard Ray Allen, share a light moment during a news conference in Boston, Tuesday, July 31, 2007. The Celtics, who have 16 championships, but have gone without one for more than two decades, obtained the former MVP and 10-time All-Star on Tuesday, in a 7-for-1 deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
AP - Jul 31, 7:50 pm EDT
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The Celtics were 24-58 last season and have won three playoff series in Pierce's nine years.
"I feel like a rookie again," Pierce said. "I'm just excited. ... It's been hard on me the last couple years just trying to stay motivated."
The last Celtics championship was the third with the Big Three of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. Ainge was on that 1986 team. Twenty-one years later he and McHale orchestrated the blockbuster deal. McHale is the Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations.
"These guys will never be the Big Three until they win," Ainge said of his new trio. "They know nothing has been accomplished by this team at all."
But, he acknowledged, "This is going to be a lot of fun."
The trade left the Celtics with a thin roster and needing veteran backups at point guard and center. Coach Doc Rivers said it would be "fantastic" to get free agent Dikembe Mutombo.
The starting lineup includes second-year pro Rajon Rondo at point guard and Kendrick Perkins at center. Only four other players are under contract.
"Clearly, we need a little bit more help just to shore up the bench," Rivers said, "but it's sure better talking about shoring up our bench than shoring up our starting lineup."
Garnett was the fifth player drafted in 1995, coming out of Farragut Academy in Illinois and starting a trend of players skipping college.
He has averaged more than 20 points and 10 rebounds for each of the last nine seasons. He is among five players in NBA history with at least 19,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists. The others are Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone and Charles Barkley.
Slightly over two months ago, the Celtics got the fifth pick in the draft lottery. They had the second best chance to get the first pick and a shot at Greg Oden of Ohio State or Kevin Durant of Texas.
Getting Garnett is much better than winning the lottery, Rivers said.
Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett laughs during a news conference, in Boston, Tuesday, July 31, 2007. The Celtics, who have 16 championships, but have gone without one for more than two decades, obtained the former MVP and 10-time All-Star on Tuesday, in a 7-for-1 deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
AP - Jul 31, 7:48 pm EDT
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"There's no doubt about that," he said. "It's great to have hope with the young and know that someday they may be good. But we're not talking about potential today."
They were talking about achievement.
Garnett was the league's MVP in 2003-04 and its leading rebounder each of the last four seasons. Allen is a seven-time All-Star and Pierce has been on five All-Star teams. Teams will have to "pick their poison" when defending them, Allen said.
But Allen is 32, Garnett is 31 and Pierce is 29.
"These guys have all tried to carry a franchise," Ainge said. "If they can just have a little bit less burden, spread the wealth a little bit more, there's no reason why they can't prolong their careers."
Ainge talked with Garnett before the draft, but he preferred other destinations. So the Celtics traded with Seattle for Allen on draft day, knowing it would make them more attractive.
"The whole situation changed for me" with that trade, Garnett said.
Suddenly, the Celtics are less attractive to opponents.
"I remember going back to the days when this organization battled against the Lakers and every time (teams) came in here they were afraid," Allen said. "I think those are the days we're headed back to." -
Frankly speaking, i would like to see Jermaine O'Neal move to the Lakers, Kobe no matter how spoilt he is, deserves a chance to win Playoffs MVP.
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one of my fav player last time... gd to hear he rejoin o'neal...
Penny Hardaway getting comeback chance with Heat
MIAMI (AP) -- Penny Hardaway and Shaquille O'Neal are together again.
The 36-year-old Hardaway, who last played an NBA game in November 2005, signed with the Miami Heat on Thursday and is reuniting with O'Neal -- his former Orlando Magic teammate back in the mid-1990s.
"Penny is a player who has been an All-Star and has enjoyed an illustrious career," Heat president Pat Riley said. "We have been impressed at his hard work and dedication this summer to get back in shape and return to the NBA. He is a skilled player who can help us in multiple positions."
The team said Hardaway wasn't available for comment. O'Neal, who has occasionally offered less-than-glowing comments about his time with Hardaway in Orlando, told the Heat he supports the move to sign his former teammate.
Hardaway, a four-time All-Star game starter, has averaged 15.4 points in his career, but hasn't finished a season averaging double digits in scoring since the 2002-03 season with Phoenix. He played in four games with the New York Knicks early in the 2005-06 campaign before succumbing to knee injuries.
He's the second notable acquisition Miami has made during the free agent period; the team signed former Los Angeles Lakers starting point guard Smush Parker last month.
Hardaway figures to be a candidate to inherit the role similar to the one Eddie Jones held with the Heat at the end of last season, someone who can play either shooting guard or small forward. Jones agreed to two-year deal with the Dallas Mavericks last week.
Miami has spent much of the offseason looking for free agent help; the Heat tried unsuccessfully last month to sign guard Mo Williams, who remained in Milwaukee after the Bucks offered him a deal worth more than $20 million over what Miami could afford. Miami also has been in discussions about acquiring restricted free agent Mickael Pietrus from Golden State, and still could bring back James Posey -- another free agent who has spent the past two seasons with the Heat.
"I can't worry about what we don't have or what we missed out on," Heat guard Dwyane Wade said earlier this week. "We have to worry about what we can continue to get."
Somewhat surprisingly, that list includes Hardaway.
Back in his Orlando days, including the Magic's run to the NBA finals in 1995, Hardaway was the first in the triumvirate of young, high-scoring guards that O'Neal has been paired with throughout his NBA career. O'Neal teamed with Kobe Bryant with the Los Angeles Lakers, and helped Wade deliver a championship to Miami in 2006.
Hardaway and O'Neal teamed to average nearly 48 points per game in their three seasons together with Orlando -- but that duo was split more than a decade ago, when O'Neal headed to the Lakers. A year later, Hardaway was widely perceived to be the reason then-Magic coach Brian Hill was fired.
Hardaway was sent to Phoenix before the 1999-2000 season in a sign-and-trade deal for forwards Pat Garrity and Danny Manning, along with two draft picks. The Suns shipped him to the Knicks midway through the 2003-04 season, and another trade brought him back to Orlando in February 2006 -- for five whole days before the Magic waived Hardaway and his expiring $15.8 million contract.
At the time, Hardaway said he planned to continue playing. A year and a half later, he's getting that opportunity. -
Celtics trying to lure retired star Reggie Miller out of retirement
miller back to win his 1st nba ring?
BOSTON (AP) -- The Boston Celtics have spoken with future Hall of Famer Reggie Miller about coming out of retirement to help the once-proud franchise in its push for an unprecedented 17th NBA title.
"I'm always flattered when my name is mentioned as someone who can still help an NBA team win a championship," Miller said Wednesday in a statement relayed to The Associated Press by the TNT network. "I've had limited discussions with Celtics management about their roster and a potential role for me. At this time, I'm enjoying my role as an analyst with TNT."
ESPN.com was the first to report the talks. But both sides confirmed the possibility that Miller, who will turn 42 this month, would consider returning for the chance at a championship he never won during an 18-year career, all with the Indiana Pacers.
"(I have) contacted Reggie and he is contemplating a comeback with us," Celtics basketball boss Danny Ainge said through a team spokesman.
Miller's agent, Arn Tellem, declined comment.
Miller, who has been retired for two seasons, is 13th on the league's career scoring list with 25,279 points and the leader in 3-pointers made and attempted. His uniform No. 31 was retired by the Pacers last year.
In addition to working on television broadcasts of NBA and WNBA games, he has run a movie production company called Boom Baby Productions and co-hosted "Live with Regis and Kelly." But he admitted when the Pacers opened training camp without him in 2005 that it wasn't the same thrill.
"It's strange not to be a part of an (NBA) organization or part of a team," he said then. "I'm not joking with anybody on the bus like I usually do. But waking up with my back, knees and ankles hurting -- that's not stuff I'm going to miss much."
The Celtics were 24-58 last season and have won three playoff series in the nine years since drafting Paul Pierce. But they have undergone a near-complete roster overhaul this summer that has taken them from a rebuilding program to Eastern Conference contenders.
They traded for seven-time All-Star Ray Allen at the draft and then pulled off an unprecedented 7-for-1 trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves for 2004 NBA MVP Kevin Garnett. Those two will team with Pierce to form one of the most formidable top three in the NBA.
But the rest of the roster needs work.
The starting lineup includes second-year pro Rajon Rondo at point guard and Kendrick Perkins at center. Only four other players are under contract.
"Clearly, we need a little bit more help just to shore up the bench," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said after the Garnett deal. "But it's sure better talking about shoring up our bench than shoring up our starting lineup."
That's where Miller would fit in, as a backup for Allen and the kind of veteran who would provide guidance -- and perhaps a key 3-pointer -- in the playoffs. (The last time the NBA's most decorated franchise, made the postseason, in 2005, they were bounced out in seven games by the Pacers in Miller's final season). -
I think Celtics can only go to the playoffs finals, i don't think they have enough to win it all.
Espeically their bench which is so weak.
Latest rumours are the lakers trying to bring in J O'Neal. -
they still lack center n a gd bench... ya.. east finals is best for them...Originally posted by stellazio:I think Celtics can only go to the playoffs finals, i don't think they have enough to win it all.
Espeically their bench which is so weak.
Latest rumours are the lakers trying to bring in J O'Neal. -
i felt that they sacrificed their future for instant glory.Originally posted by BrUtUs:they still lack center n a gd bench... ya.. east finals is best for them...
if they don't win it in 3 years, they're gone.
unless they trade away all their star players for no.1 picks and some above average players. -
Obviously , Celtics did not learn from what happened when Lakers took in Malone & Payton to make the 'Big Four'.
They were beaten by then-unknowns Pistons if i'm not wrong? -
true, but then again the lakers managed to made it all the way to the playoffs final which can't be considered a failure already.Originally posted by innosaint:Obviously , Celtics did not learn from what happened when Lakers took in Malone & Payton to make the 'Big Four'.
They were beaten by then-unknowns Pistons if i'm not wrong?
the pistons were just hungrier and more bonded and younger.
kobe and shaq weren't on good terms and they have already won before, so their desire to win will be lesser.
malone was injured too if i rmb correctly. -
but then heat did win with their all star team too... but if dun win title sure go into decline like lakers...Originally posted by innosaint:Obviously , Celtics did not learn from what happened when Lakers took in Malone & Payton to make the 'Big Four'.
They were beaten by then-unknowns Pistons if i'm not wrong? -
I thot Lakers won with some oldies ? Horry for ex.
Yeah, I cannot see Celtics winning it. KG is not an imposing forward. In the Eastern conference, Pistons & the resurgent Bulls are good.
Western conference. I think Lakers, if they are successful in bringing J O'Neal will be good - bcos they have basically a good coach. And if they can sort out Kobe Bryant. Why keep that fella when he does not want to play? He thinks he is MJ? Moreover, Dallas and San Antonio are pretty formidable - especially SA. -
i seriously doubt how J' O'neal can transform a lakers into a playoff contender.
anyway, latest news is that reggie miller is considering coming out of retirement after an offer. -
yes they did but it was the malone, payton, shaq, kobe tat is considered more powerful but didnt win... o'neal not reali can change the game 4 lakers... moreever in western conference, spurs, mavs, suns(brought in grant hill) n oso nuggets still gng strong so lakers still not ready...Originally posted by red_amoeba:I thot Lakers won with some oldies ? Horry for ex.
Yeah, I cannot see Celtics winning it. KG is not an imposing forward. In the Eastern conference, Pistons & the resurgent Bulls are good.
Western conference. I think Lakers, if they are successful in bringing J O'Neal will be good - bcos they have basically a good coach. And if they can sort out Kobe Bryant. Why keep that fella when he does not want to play? He thinks he is MJ? Moreover, Dallas and San Antonio are pretty formidable - especially SA. -
tink he can jz play 4th quarter n keep shooting 3-pointers...Originally posted by stellazio:i seriously doubt how J' O'neal can transform a lakers into a playoff contender.
anyway, latest news is that reggie miller is considering coming out of retirement after an offer. -
Heat manage to cash in on Laker's in-house quarrels to bring Shaq over.Originally posted by BrUtUs:but then heat did win with their all star team too... but if dun win title sure go into decline like lakers...
Any team wif Shaq will get an instant boost in strenght, coz he can just run ppl over!
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but he cannot take free throws...Originally posted by palachan:Heat manage to cash in on Laker's in-house quarrels to bring Shaq over.
Any team wif Shaq will get an instant boost in strenght, coz he can just run ppl over! -
jerry buss just said he might consider trading kobe.
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he should trade kobe for 2 superstar...Originally posted by stellazio:jerry buss just said he might consider trading kobe.