Sunday Scoop: Smith in Demand
J.R. Smith in Demand
The smaller the free agent market gets, the more the interest in J.R. Smith increases. Smith, a restricted free agent, is one of the few reliable role players left who can make a legitimate impact off the bench. He was the Nuggets leading three-point shooter last season (40.3%) and shot 46% from the field. He also displayed impressive poise for a 22-year-old in the playoffs, averaging more than 18 points per game and shooting better than 53% in the Nuggets first round loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Smith redeemed himself after a disappointing postseason run in 2007, wherein he posted less than five points per game and shot 27%. This turnaround has reportedly caught the attention of the Smith's former team, the New Orleans Hornets, although they already acquired reserve swingman James Posey this summer. Oklahoma City could also be in the mix for Smith, but the Nuggets still have a hold on his rights. The Nuggets traded Marcus Camby partly to open salary cap space to re-sign Smith, leaving signs pointing to Smith's return to Denver.
Boozer's Future
Now that the Utah Jazz have locked in Deron Williams for at least four more seasons, the focus has shifted to keeping Carlos Boozer on the court with him. Boozer has one more guaranteed year left on his contract before his player option (worth more than $12 million) kicks in for the 2009-2010 season. Is Williams' long-term commitment to the Jazz a big enough draw to keep Boozer in Utah?
Boozer, who spends his offseason in Miami, recently addressed talks of being traded to the HEAT. He told the Boston Globe the rumors are just that, rumors. "Obviously, they have a huge hole at power forward. I'm very good friends with [HEATowner] Micky Arison. So, the rumors are going to fly. We'll worry about those [rumors] later. I don't concern myself with rumors, rumors of being traded," he said.
According to the Deseret News, Williams made a plea with Boozer to stay with the Jazz the day he re-upped his contract. Williams also had a hand in convincing the Jazz to re-sign C.J. Miles and admitted that although he is not overbearing in discussions with team executives, he will offer his input if asked. Now it is up to Boozer and the Jazz to heed his suggestions.
False European Rumors
Josh Childress' signing with Greece's Olympiacos has opened a floodgate of European rumors and speculation. There is some truth to the talks -- Carlos Delfino, Jorge Garbajosa, Bostjan Nachbar, and Juan Carlos Navarro have signed overseas -- but for every legitimate story there is a handful of falsified accounts.
Cleveland Cavaliers' guard Delonte West is the most recent subject of fabricated gossip. Talks of a Russian team's interest in the restricted free agent were proven to be false, posing the question of who started this rumor?
There is the concern that agents could begin circulating false stories to increase their client's value and create a sense of immediacy to re-sign. Players have been stifled by restricted free agency this summer, as many competitive organizations have refused to make offers knowing they will be matched. Now will teams be duped into offering big money to keep a player from signing with an international club that was never a legitimate threat?
Celtics Willing to Go the Extra Mile?
Internet rumors have indicated that the Boston Celtics are still interested in Darius Miles. The 26-year-old has not played in the NBA since April 15, 2006 after suffering a potentially career-ending knee injury.
Although Miles reportedly impressed the Celtics in an early July workout, the buzz around the league is that Miles is not as ready to return as he would like teams to believe. The Dallas Mavericks brought him in for a thorough workout in which he struggled.
Signing Miles would be a risk for a team who is trying to defend the NBA Championship. Can the Celtics afford to take a chance on a 'maybe' when they need their entire roster to be on point for another title run? GM Danny Ainge's seemingly questionable moves proved to be genius when the Cs won it all; will he add Miles to his list of "Told You So's?"
About the Author: JESSICA CAMERATO
|
|
Jessica Camerato is a member of the Professional Basketball Writers Association and has covered the NBA for HOOPSWORLD for two years, powering HOOPSWORLD.COM and HOOPSWORLD Magazine.
|
|
|
Comments (3 posted)
|
Post your comment
|
| Please be respectful of the writers in your comments or they will be removed |
|
posted By Matty.G, 28 July 2008 12:03:20 AM
Quiet news day?! Geez, that quote from Boozer was from before the draft even took place!
If you haven't got anything concrete or new then save it for the gossip sites.
posted By Jessica Camerato, 28 July 2008 9:47:43 AM
The quote from Carlos Boozer was featured in the July 27 Boston Globe: http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/articles/2008/07/27/americas_got_talent/
posted By Matty.G, 28 July 2008 6:20:30 PM
I apologise, my mistake.
I still don't think there was anything in it though.
It's the media creating something out of nothing, just like Wade to Bulls and LeBron to Knicks.Unfortunatly people then take it as fact.
Bring on season 08-09.
|
|
Checkout HOOPSWORLD on 
& 
