It's been well-publicized that the New York Knicks would love to add Jason Kidd to the mix this summer, but the reality is that unless Kidd is just feeling charitable as he approaches the last NBA contract he will ever sign, there's no way he plays more than one game in Madison Square Garden next season. The Knicks have offered him a three-year, $18.2 million deal . . .which Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban will absolutely top.
Plan B for the Knicks, according to the New York Post, is Phoenix Suns forward Grant Hill. It's hard to see why Hill, who is also about to sign the last contract of his NBA career, would choose a team that's eons away from competing for a championship. The Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets are also rumored to have interest in Hill, and it's more than reasonable to include both of those teams in the 2010 NBA Championship discussion.
As for Hill himself, he's made it clear he considers returning to Phoenix to be his best option, but would also love to play in Orlando, where he lives during the offseason. The Magic, of course, are very much in the hunt for a championship, perhaps even the favorites to win the East after acquiring Vince Carter. Phoenix may not be a playoff team, but they're still closer than the Knicks.
Like Kidd, Hill will pay a call on the Knicks, but also like Kidd, the visit may be nothing more than a way of setting his market value so he can re-sign with his current team.
Cavaliers' Plan C?
The Cleveland Cavaliers made a big splash when they got Shaquille O'Neal from the Phoenix Suns for . . .well . . .almost nothing . . .but since then their luck has changed significantly. GM Danny Ferry's plan was to sign either Ron Artest or Trevor Ariza, but yesterday both of them committed to, ironically, each other's team. Where, then, do the Cavaliers turn in their search for a back-up small forward to spell LeBron James?
Lamar Odom is the top name still available, and there would be a certain satisfaction if the Cavaliers were to sign Odom away from the team that took their top free agent target. The reality, however, is that Odom is very unlikely to leave the Lakers. Expect them to sign him right after they sign Artest.
Shawn Marion is at least as good as Odom . . .probably better . . .and he had an instant positive impact on the Toronto Raptors after a mid-season trade that sent Jermaine O'Neal to Miami and paired Marion with Chris Bosh. His impact was so significant that the team has already had discussions with him and have made him their top priority in free agency. Again, very little chance Marion heads to Cleveland (or anywhere else).
Marvin Williams hasn't lived up to his draft status, having been picked #2 overall ahead of players like Danny Granger, Deron Williams, and (cough, cough) Chris Paul. Still, Williams has grown into a player who will give you basically 14 and six, and even added a three-point shot to his arsenal last season. The Cavs would do well to look at him, but the Hawks are unlikely to let him go.
Matt Barnes had a solid season for the Suns in 2008-09, averaging career-highs of 10.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Given the Suns' need to cut costs, it's reasonable to say the Cavs could land Barnes and for a fairly low price - he made $1.2 million last season.
The other name that's been thrown around is that of Josh Childress, who left the Atlanta Hawks at the end of his contract and signed with Greece's Olympiakos. There have been some rumors saying that Childress would like to return to the NBA, but it's more profitable for him to stay overseas . . .meaning he likely will.
The big splash for the Cavaliers this summer was Shaquille O'Neal. Everything else they do will be a small ripple by comparison, and it looks like their next free agent signing will be, at best, a Plan C.
Artest Talks Rockets, Lakers
The Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers will essentially swap forwards next week, when teams can begin to sign free agents. The Lakers' Trevor Ariza will sign with the Rockets, while the Rockets' Ron Artest will sign with the Lakers. Artest was on The Carmichael Dave Show on KHTK in Sacramento today and talked about his decision to leave Houston after a successful one-year run.
"What happened was, my agent told me they offered me a one-year deal and I'm like, 'Hey, let's get moving, let's go somewhere else,' 'cause that one-year deal wasn't gonna be good enough. The Rockets, to their credit, did offer me an extension earlier in the season. They did offer me an extension, it was probably for nine a year or something like that, but you know, after the season of being with the Rockets, I know I would have got more."
It didn't help that Ron learned about a week ago that Yao Ming was not going to be a factor for the Rockets for quite some time.
"When he got hurt, it messed up my whole plan, so to speak, cause I was supposed to be re-signing and playing with Yao, and Tracy, and Shane, and everybody, and getting a much better deal. But, when Yao got hurt, it was nothing I could do - it just put me in a bad situation."
For Artest, the decision to go to LA had a little bit to do with basketball, but as much to do with the idea that he believes being in LA will present other opportunities for him.
"People ask me about the money, I'm like, 'Listen, first of all, I'm still getting paid. When I was in the hood, I was maybe getting like 50 cents a day. I'm still getting millions, maybe not the 90 you guys want. It's still money. And also, I get a chance to possibly do movies, and acting, and TV shows, and all those opportunities that come with it. All that's gonna come from winning."
One thing's for sure - Artest is about to be in the best position he's ever been in as far as being able to win a championship. Whether or not that gets him acting gigs is another matter entirely.
Catch Artest's entire interview here!
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