It’s never too early to start with offseason trade rumors, and two days after the Lakers recorded 2009′s crowning W, there were already All-Star and franchise-caliber players popping up in the rumor mill. T-Mac is at the center of a rumored deal to New York, which would include Larry Hughes going to Houston along with possibly Cuttino Mobley‘s expiring contract. If there’s any truth to this, the biggest obstacle would be the fact that Cuttino is already retired and has a career-ending heart condition that everyone knows about. Read More »

After the “Puppets 4 Rings,” this tee is a can’t miss. That’s all I have to say.

This isn’t going to fly as an alternative to LeBron for the New York faithful. But there’s a chance that the Knicks – who are always assumed to be willing to exceed the luxury tax – would like to bring in Tracy McGrady as a one-year mercenary. It would sell some tickets, some jerseys, and would possibly keep the Garden entertained while waiting for 2010. Read More »

Even if the Magic had won the 2009 NBA championship, there was always the looming decision of what to do about the point guard position. While Jameer Nelson had a breakout first half of ’08-09 and earned his first All-Star berth, Rafer Alston kept the team afloat after coming over in a midseason trade and got them to the Finals. It’d be easier if one of them was a free agent this summer, but no dice: Jameer is owed $6.1M next season (and is signed for three more years after that), while Rafer is due $5.2M on an expiring deal. Read More »

In a candid interview after an NBA draft workout yesterday, Bobcats coach Larry Brown talks about how a draft promise kept the Sixers from selecting Paul Pierce, after he unexpectedly slipped in the 1998 NBA Draft.

Don’t call it a comeback, but the AND1 Tai Chi is set to make it’s return this Fall. I used to rock these kicks back on the AAU circuit and I can’t wait to get a fresh new pair. Read More »

Last we heard from Golden State, they were focusing their pre-draft workouts on yet another wing player, so that they’d have a small militia of guys between 6-5 and 6-9. But earlier this week, all of those lofty draft plans were temporarily put on hold when GSW GM Larry Riley and Don Nelson flew to Atlanta to meet with a very unhappy Monta Ellis. Read More »

Blown out in Houston. Twenty-pieced in Denver. Temporarily shut down in Orlando. Even when the Lakers looked their absolute worst in the ’09 playoffs, there was one man associated with the team who still had reason to celebrate.

David Lee (not the New York Knick) is the agent for both Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza. Throughout the postseason, Lee watched as Ariza, an unrestricted free agent come July 1, made his job easier and his percentages more lucrative with every clutch steal, timely three-pointer, and defensive stop against the likes of Carmelo and Hedo. Read More »

Don’t let the story of the boy who cried wolf affect how seriously you take the Josh Smith trade rumors circa 2009. Granted, we heard the same thing on a bi-weekly basis for the entirety of the off-season last year: the Hawks want to get rid of Smith because he’s been a difficult guy in the clubhouse, but he’s not that much of a problem that they’re willing to sell him on the cheap.

The fact that this is the second year in which the rumor popped up on first day of the offseason says something about the situation. Read More »

As expected, you couldn’t get away from Kobe Bryant yesterday. In fact, if you have any Orlando Magic fans in your life, you might wanna have them stay away from the Internet or any sports TV/radio stations for the rest of the week. The fallout from Kobe’s first “solo” NBA championship has so far revolved around two questions: What is Kobe’s place in history? and What’s next for Kobe and the Lakers? Read More »