5 teams want Big Baby

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 18:41 GMT

Gary Tanguay says Dallas is now the 5th team to court Glen Davis.

Dallas has become the 5th team interested in Glen "Big Baby" Davis, along with Memphis, New York, San Antonio and Detroit. He wants to stay in Boston but the money may be to good to turn down. Leon Powe is an example of what can happen. Leon was going to make a lot of money until he blew out his knee. If Baby gets more money elsewhere, he has to take it. Furthermore, if he becomes a starter elsewhere, especially NY, the endorsement deals will roll in.

In a related note, Jose Cuervo is the 5th liquor brand to court me this 4th of July.

I won't blame Baby if he leaves. I can't sit here and defend Danny's decision to no offer Leon a contract and turn around and bash Baby for going for a payday. He's busted his ass... he's earned the money. If the situation is right for him to make a few extra million... then go for it, Glen. I think we'll all thank you for your service and wish you well.

After the jump, I wish all of YOU well... by showing you pictures of hot chicks in American flag swimsuits.

Does the Artest deal help the C's?

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 13:30 GMT

Interesting theory explained on The CMSB. Here's one of the 4 reasons:

How bad does Sheed look if he signs with another team for more money? Currently it sounds like the Spurs, Mavs, and Magic are in play (hat tip to Gary Tanguay's Twitter page). If he signs with San Antonio, it looks alright. If he signs with the other two for more money (or slightly more money), it looks like a money grab. If crazy Ron didn't go for the bigger pile of cash, why would 'Sheed? Also, he has played with Vince Carter before in college, do you really think he wants to do that again?

Interesting thought.

Also interesting is the open letter to Danny Ainge on LOSCY regarding Leon Powe

What is so risky about this? If you were willing to keep on Sam Cassell and Patrick O’Bryant at the start of the season, why not keep Leon? Get rid of Gabe Pruitt and give his roster spot to Leon.

There is nothing that risky about this at all. For $800,000 you take a chance on a guy that helped you win the franchise’s 17th championship and would resign for the future TO BE your bench. He wants to be in Boston and Boston wants him here.

And you know, Danny, you know that Leon would have taken your 1-year contract at the league minimum.

He speaks for a large segment of Celtics fans. Leon was certainly loved here. I hope he knows that. Maybe they'll find a way to bring him back

Hedo heading north: Turkoglu reportedly to sign with Raptors

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 12:55 GMT

Former Magic sharp-shooter Hedo Turkoglu has reportedly agreed to terms with the Raptors.

Musical Chairs

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:30 GMT

The following is a guest post. Guest posts can be submitted via email, but are not guaranteed to be posted. Please don't take it personally

Musical Chairs
by Gant

I doubt there's anyone reading this who was not at some point forced by professional educators to play the game, "Musical Chairs." It was a long time ago though, wasn't it?

In case you've forgotten how to play, here are the rules:
1) The game is played with contestants and chairs.
2) There is one less chair than there are contestants.
3) In the background music plays.
4) While the music is playing the contestants covetously circle the chairs.
5) When the music stops, everyone rushes to seat themselves.
6) The lone contestant without a chair is eliminated and subject to derisive hoots by their onlooking peers.
7) The contest continues until all contestants but one are eliminated, leaving that heroic figure in possession of the last remaining chair.
8) The chair possessor is roundly lauded for their seat capturing acumen.
9) The last runner up receives a particularly severe dose of derisive hooting.
10) Everyone moves on to finger painting.

In case you didn't know, there is a critically important game of Musical Chairs being played right now in the NBA free agent market. In this case there is a slight variation from the traditional rules: There are three contestants and two game-ending chairs.

The name of the game is Capture the Mid-Level Exception Big Man. The contestants are named: The Orlando Magic, The San Antonio Spurs, and The Boston Celtics. The chairs also have names: Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess.

The winner gets Rasheed. The second place finisher get McDyess. The third contestant is eliminated not only from the game, but quite possibly from NBA title contention.

There is one other oddity to the NBA version of Musical Chairs: The chairs get to pick the contestant, not visa versa.

Here's what's happening: McDyess is holding back because Rasheed gets to choose first which he will do next week. After Rasheed picks his new locale, then Antonio can select his.

There's not a whole lot of separation between Wallace and McDyess, just as Boston, Orlando, and San Antonio offer very similar enticements in terms of money and championship possibilities.

Right now the music is playing. Can you hear it? In a short while there will be silence. Two powerful teams will have elevated themselves. The other will be sitting on their ass in humiliation while everyone points and hoots.

Hedo Backs Out–Marion Available at Mid-Level?

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 10:05 GMT

It's July 4th, so I'm going to be quick: I'm sure you all know by now that Hedo Turkoglu backed out of his deal with the Blazers and has agreed–with his wife's backing–to a similar deal with the Raptors. He apparently prefers Toronto's frigid climate and diverse population to Portland's beauty and hipster community. (And, yes, I enjoy reducing complex cities to stereotypes that take up five words or less. It doesn't mean I believe those stereotypes are true. In fact, I've never been to Portland).

Does this mean anything for the Celtics? I highly recommend you check out John Hollinger's breakdown of the Turkoglu Ripple Effect, because he lays out every possible scenario. The main unknown that will determine what this could mean for Boston is whether Toronto will sign Turk in a straight-up free agent signing, or whether the Magic and Raptors will work out a sign-and-trade. If it's the former–a regular old free agent signing–the Raps will have to renounce their rights to basically every free agent on their roster, including Marion and Anthony Parker. Those guys would suddenly be back on the market after Marion was reportedly close to re-signing with the Dinos, who were also working on a Parker sign-and-trade with the Cavs, according to Hollinger's piece and other reports.

And they would be coming into a market that would be considerably less competitive with the Raptors cap space gone, as Hollinger notes. Memphis blew its space on Randolph, the Kings and Thunder may stand pat, and Detroit's space now belongs to Chuckles Villanueva and Ben Gordon, all of which leaves Portland as the last major player standing. And Portland does not appear to have any need for Shawn Marion.

Which means Shawn Marion suddenly could be had for the mid-level exception. Everybody wants to know what Plan B would be for Boston is ‘Sheed picks the Spurs over the C's. This could be it.

I should offer the cautionary note that there are a lot of “ifs” in the above scenario, and the Magic in particular can muck it up by agreeing to a sign-and-trade.

Two semi-humorous things of note:

• Chris Sheridan's story about the Hedo U-Turn includes this pair of sentences: As for the Raptors, the signing signaled their intention of trying to immediately assemble a championship-caliber team that could present matchup problems for Orlando, Boston and Cleveland as they try to persuade superstar Chris Bosh to stay in Toronto when he becomes a free agent next summer.

Toronto's projected starting five for 2009-10 now includes Turkoglu, Bosh, Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon and rookie DeMar DeRozan, with Reggie Evans, Kris Humphries and Roko Ukic the key reserves until general manager Brian Colangelo fills out the roster with minimum-salaried players.

Really? A championship-caliber team that can present problems for Boston, Orlando and Cleveland? Come on. That Raps roster could put them in the running for the 4th/5th/6th spot in the Eastern Conference, but that's it.

• There are a LOT of Turkish people in Toronto. Last summer during the Euro Cup, I was in Toronto when Turkey pulled off a borderline miraculous comeback to beat Croatia, 2-1, in the quarterfinals. (They scored two goals in the last three minutes or so of the game). We decided to take a walk around the city after the game, and discovered the city's Turks were clogging up every street, driving around, beeping their horns, waving flags, etc. And I mean every street. We walked from Lake Ontario well past the Northern edge of the city, and there was no escape. (Not that I wanted to escape the Turks; the woman I was with happened to be Croatian, so she was not thrilled).

So Hedo and his wife will indeed have plenty of company.

Happy Birthday America!

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 09:45 GMT

It's America's birthday... and most people are going to take the day off. But not us. We'll be watching the C's... and letting you know if they make any moves. Well... we will for as long as we're sober.

All is quiet on the NBA front right now. Just some minor moves like Orlando not matching Dallas' offer to Marcin Gortat. It's also interesting to see how Blazers blogs are reacting to Hedo Turkoglu's decision.

Blazer's Edge says:

One of the broader lessons to be learned here is to never lose sight of the game. You have to be a little ruthless to operate in this league. Sometimes you have to make difficult decisions about players or contracts the same way Turkoglu made his decision about his future team. Kevin Pritchard has already had to take on that role. (Anyone remember that post saying goodbye to Channing Frye?) He'll have to again in the future. Nobody should complain about that. Loyalty exists, but it's bound to contracts and performance. Don't forget that.

Perfectly said... especially that last line. That's exactly what every sports fan needs to keep in mind every offseason.

Chuck and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been stopping by or visiting us multiple times a day. Our traffic has grown amazingly over the past month or so. We're at higher levels now than we were at any point in the past two playoff runs. So thank you all for visiting.

And because some of our traffic does come from military accounts and areas where our troops might be stationed... an extra thank you to our troops for helping us keep this opportunity to celebrate America's independence... and the freedom that allows a couple of douchebags like me and Chuck to keep writing crap on the internet.

If this is your only visit today... then please enjoy the holiday. Celebrate... eat a lot.. drink a lot... have a lot of fun... but please be safe.

Fiddlin' and Diddlin' - Daily Links 7/4

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 08:11 GMT

Herald Hedo Turkoglu to Blazers a no-go
Rasheed Wallace mulls Celtics’ offer
Globe Wallace weighing offer
Sites help sports figures keep us posted
Jackson returns to coach Lakers
Marbury believes Celtics days are over
MetroWest Daily Megliola: Rasheed may fill a need for C's
CelticsBlog An open letter to Danny: why you messed up.
More Reasons Why Boston May Be Right Fit
Celtics 17 No Laker Fans, You're Not Champs Yet: 2009-10 Will Be Memorable
Red's Army Detroit pursuing Thibodeau
Celtics Circuit Sudden Improvement is the New NBA Trend
Celtics Hub A Less Depressing Departure, Plus a Round-Up
Celtics Town Danny Ainge Sees Boston Celtics' Window Of Opportunity Closing
NBA Tipoff Talking Off-Season With Nick of Boston Celtics News Station
Shamsports Summer league round-up: Boston Celtics
CSMB Does the Ron Artest Deal help the Celtics?
Chronicle Cavaliers targeting guard Anthony Parker
LA Times Signing Ron Artest is a smart move by Lakers
The Chez Artest and Kobe together?
Yahoo Sources: Assistants in the hunt for Pistons position
Don't question Paul Pierce while he's playing craps
Source: Turkoglu changes mind on Blazers - NBA - Yahoo! Sports
Why did I go to Law School Do the Celtics Need 'Sheed Now that Robert Swift is Here?
CSNE Wallace Agent Tells Tanguay, Rasheed would be a Great fir with Big 3
NY Times Off the Dribble - Many N.B.A. Free Agents, but Few Big Paydays
Connecticut News Recruiting Wallace - Celtics or Spurs?
Mass Live Report: Rasheed Wallace agent Bill Strickland thinks Boston Celtics would be a good fit
Pounding the Rock The Bar Has Been Raised
Waiting for Next Year The Truth About The Cavs and Free Agency
Lakers Nation Plaschke: Lakers make the wrong move going with Ron Artest
Bleacher Report The NBA Economic Crunch In The Summer Of 2009
'Sheed and the Spurs: Why It Works
NESN Big Four? Celtics looking to match moves from competitors
ESPN Sources: Detroit Pistons' Joe Dumars to meet with Avery Johnson
CBS Sports 'Sheed receptive to Celts, but will shop
Our Sports Central Fans Invited to Pick-A-Seat Day for Fun, Games and a Sneak Preview
Howard the Dunk Dwight on Shaq & Turk; Sheed to Vist Orlando, Millsap Has No Offers
Projo Celts are looking to make moves
Dime Raptors get their #1 target; Rasheed waiting to make a call
Orlando Sentinel Magic contact Rasheed Wallace's agent; likely won't re-sign Gortat

[Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!]

Detroit pursuing Thibodeau

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:41 GMT

All I've been hearing is how much Joe Dumars wants an experienced head coach candidate. But suddenly, assistant coaches are being thrown into the mix.

With Avery Johnson no longer considered the inevitable choice, the candidacy of Cleveland Cavaliers assistant John Kuester has gained momentum in the Detroit Pistons coaching search, league sources said Friday.

Johnson, the ex-Dallas Mavericks coach, is still in consideration, but Kuester and Boston Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau have graded out favorably in GM Joe Dumars’ research, sources say.

Kuester has a history with the organization as a Larry Brown assistant. Dumars will meet with Johnson this weekend. Sources say that Dumars had a lengthy telephone conversation with Thibodeau on Friday and is expected to speak with him again.

Just when I thought we were done with the Thibodeau stuff... here comes Detroit screwing things up.

Turkoglu bags Portland

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:49 GMT

Remember when we said Hedo Turkoglu signed with Portland? Yeah... not so much.

Free agent Hedo Turkoglu has backed out of his commitment to the Portland Trail Blazers and plans to sign with the Toronto Raptors, a source close to the talks told Yahoo! Sports on Friday night.

Turkoglu had agreed on a five-year, $50 million deal with the Blazers, but changed his mind and could be headed for a five-year, $56 million deal with the Raptors. Toronto would have to renounce three free agents – Shawn Marion, Carlos Delfino and Anthony Parker – to create the cap space for Turkoglu.

I still think Anthony Parker can help the Celtics... so this is good news. And I don't think Hedo is good enough to put Toronto into any sort of realistic championship contention... so this would be doubly good news. Hedo's good... but not THAT good.

Ramiro: Pondering sports' most difficult questions

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:53 GMT

Ramiro gets some thoughts off his mind, such as the true value of Shaquille O'Neal and Tom Brady.

Big Four? Celtics looking to match moves from competitors

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:26 GMT

The Celtics would like to add Rasheed Wallace. Eric Ortiz: Need for Sheed | Celtics make offer

Big 3 joins brass in pursuit of Wallace

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:00 GMT

BOSTON - The Boston Celtics have offered forward Rasheed Wallace a contract as part of a major push to land the coveted forward, according to a published report yesterday.

Big 3 joins brass in pursuit of Wallace

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:00 GMT

BOSTON - The Boston Celtics have offered forward Rasheed Wallace a contract as part of a major push to land the coveted forward, according to a published report yesterday.

Celtics Reportedly Offer MLE to Rasheed

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:00 GMT

by Gary Washburn

Filed under: Celtics, Pistons, NBA Rumors

The Boston Celtics' courting of Rasheed Wallace culminated with a contract offer, according to the Boston Globe, believed to be for two years at the mid-level exception, approximately $5.8 million.

Wallace, formerly of the Detroit Pistons, has his share of suitors and is in no hurry to make a decision. Orlando and San Antonio have expressed interest in Wallace, who re-signed a five-year, $57 million deal with Detroit in July 2004. The Pistons decided to allow Wallace to walk and agreed to deals with Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. Free agents aren't allowed to officially sign until July 8.

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Hedo to Portland, Zen Master to Return

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:51 GMT

Making news around the league...

The Lakers get Phil Jackson for another season. The greatest luckiest coach of all time has decided to suck up the chronic leg and hip pain and pursue back-to-back titles. All that pain will pale in comparison to the ulcers likely to be created by coaching Ron Artest.

Hedo Turkoglu has signed a $60 million contract with the Portland Trail Blazers, according to ESPN.

I don't care what most of the national media says, this is a huge loss for the Magic. Hedo ran the offense for the Magic. He lead the way in crunch time of every playoff game, something Vince Carter will not be able to replicate. I guarantee Orlando will not make it to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Hoopsworld is reporting Jason Kidd will return to Dallas and sign a 3 year, $24 million contract. This is a horrible contract for the Mavericks. Kidd's skills are eroding faster than Obama's favorability rating.

Nothing screams patriotism more than a smokin' hot Israeli supermodel. Enjoy the holiday weekend and this video of Bar Rafaeli:

Other Celtics Newspaper Links

5 teams want Big Baby

Does the Artest deal help the C's?

Hedo heading north: Turkoglu reportedly to sign with Raptors

Musical Chairs

Hedo Backs Out–Marion Available at Mid-Level?

Happy Birthday America!

Fiddlin' and Diddlin' - Daily Links 7/4

Detroit pursuing Thibodeau

Turkoglu bags Portland

Ramiro: Pondering sports' most difficult questions

Big Four? Celtics looking to match moves from competitors

Big 3 joins brass in pursuit of Wallace

Big 3 joins brass in pursuit of Wallace

Celtics Reportedly Offer MLE to Rasheed

Hedo to Portland, Zen Master to Return