Archives › Kurt Helin
-
At some point, it’s going to come down to just him. LeBron James sitting in a quiet room (or laying in his bed or wherever he does his best thinking) and weighing all the options. Then making a choice. But there are a lot of variables in front of him. One is ownership — he’s…
-
At one point last season, Warriors coach Don Nelson publicly said he might coach the team’s Summer League entry in Las Vegas. But when the league starts in two weeks, Nelson will be in Maui, according to the Oakland Tribune. Assistant coach Keith Smart will run the show. The main reason for no Nelson? No…
-
Two months back, Dwight Howard left Aaron Goodwin as his agent, with rumors swirling a family member would take over, but now he has landed with Dan Fegan. Which makes it a pretty good summer for Fegan, who also has John Wall on his client list. Ken Berger of CBSSports had the story first, and…
-
The Orlando Magic are in a tough spot. One season removed from the NBA finals the ground is shifting beneath their feet — Chicago could be a power, Miami could return to power, maybe both… the road to the finals in the East is getting harder. Desperate times call for desperate measures — and nothing…
-
Joe Johnson is one popular man. He will meet with the Atlanta Hawks this week before free agency begins. Once it does start, the Knicks will be talking to him not long after midnight. He has been rumored as a possibility with the Heat and Rockets as well. Now add Dallas to the mix. Yahoo’s…
-
LeBron to Chicago, with Chris Bosh. Teamed with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. A force in the NBA for the next decade. That is unquestionably how it is going down, right? Except, there are a few questions. Starting with: Would Bulls onwer Jerry Reinsdorf be willing to pay the price for it? Does LeBron James…
-
The Knicks will be in Cleveland on Thursday afternoon, making their pitch to LeBron James — you can be the biggest star on the biggest stage. We can bring in another star with you. There is nothing like winning in New York. But hours before they do that, they will be pitching Joe Johnson and…
-
Chris Bosh is not just LeBron James’ lap dog, going wherever he goes and doing whatever he says. No sir. Chris Bosh is his own man. And would go to Miami to be with Dwyane Wade to prove it, so he tells the Miami Herald. “Miami is in top contention,” Bosh said during a quiet…
-
It's not just you, NBA executives think LeBron will be a Bull, too.
Jun 27, 2010, 3:00 PM EDT
You watched the draft day moves by the Chicago Bulls, saw they freed up almost enough room for two max guys to go along side Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, and you thought, “That is where LeBron is going to go.” You are not alone. According to one NBA executive who spoke with the New…
-
Thinking about a backup big man? Stromile Swift says think of me.
Jun 27, 2010, 2:30 PM EDT
There is real value in low-cost, third-string veteran big men around the league who can help out a little during the long grind of an NBA season. DJ Mbenga has two rings, enough said. On July 1… well, really a couple weeks after that, teams will start to think about and call those guys. Stromile…
-
If Nets are going to get Jerry Colangelo, they are going to have to pay
Jun 26, 2010, 3:45 PM EDT
It was supposed to be: Mikhail Prokhorov = big spender. But Rod Thorn is stepping down as general manager in New Jersey and the rumblings around the league (according to Marc Stein and others) is that part of the reason was Thorn was asked to take a pay cut. Prokhorov was not spending big. Now…
-
Report: Clipper coaching search down to Dwayne Casey, Vinny Del Negro
Jun 25, 2010, 10:53 PM EDT
Two former NBA head coaches — both fired with pretty good records but management thought they could find someone better — are the last two standing in the Clippers search for a head coach. Vinny Del Negro and Dwayne Casey are the two finalists for the Los Angeles job, reports Kevin Arnovitz at ESPNLosAngeles.com. Ironically,…
-
Report: Rod Thorn stepping down as president of New Jersey Nets
Jun 25, 2010, 7:43 PM EDT
In a surprise move, Rod Thorn is stepping down as president and general manager of the New Jersey Nets, ESPN reports. Thorn had met and gotten the approval from new owner Mikhail Prokhorov, and he is not being forced out or asked to leave, according to the report. This is just what Thorn wants. Thorn…
-
Remember talks of LeBron James going on a nationwide tour to be wined and dined by the teams and cities that wanted him? Yea, not so much. All meetings with teams will be at a neutral site, James’ right hand man Maverick Carter told ESPN’s Chris Broussard. “LeBron is not going on a tour,” Carter…
-
Less than 24 hours after getting raves for picking Avery Bradley to backup Rajon Rondo, the Boston Celtics announced their new point guard is going to undergo ankle surgery. According to Danny Ainge (as reported by Associated Press) this is a scoping of the ankle. A relatively minor procedure, but he will miss Summer League.…
-
Derrick Favors is going to be good, maybe very good. Someday. Right now he is a raw rookie who is about to have to refine his game in the rough world of the NBA. It’s not an easy transition for the best of them. Avery Johnson knows this, and told Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts…
-
Clearly all the top draft picks have gone to the Crash Davis school of knowing your cliches — I just want to fit in, do what I can to help the team, take it one game at a time. In today’s world, agents have these guys pretty polished for the basics on draft night.…
-
And now, officially, we have heard everything. Rumors are swirling that the Magic are looking to trade Vince Carter to clear the way for Hedo Turkoglu to return to Orlando. The Orlando Sentinel confirms this Salvador Dali painting of a rumor. Details of how it would shake out are unclear, and frankly might never get…
-
If Phil Jackson steps down, the Lakers need to go with Brian Shaw
Jun 25, 2010, 2:08 PM EDT
For the next week, Lakers fans are heading to their local churches and lighting candles with a prayer that Phil Jackson decides to stay on to coach the Lakers. Fans are nervous, they are doing anything they can — meditating on it, offering rum to Jobu, burning incense to please the gods. There are PETA…
-
Looking for an athletic big man? Talk to Golden State, they have a plethora
Jun 25, 2010, 12:50 PM EDT
The Warriors made the right pick — Ekpe Udoh was the best player available at No. 6. He is long and athletic and likes to block shots into the third row. And he’s now part of one very crowded, very young and very athletic frontcourt. Look at the lineup: at the four you’ve got Anthony…
-
This is John Wall at his post-draft press conference. Saying all the right things. The guy is practiced and polished with the media, just like he is on the court.
-
Draft night trades: Martell Webster traded from Minnesota for Ryan Gomes, Babbitt
Jun 25, 2010, 11:32 AM EDT
If there is one thing David Kahn believes in, it’s getting a lot of players for one position on draft night. The Timberwolves drafted the small forward they were hoping to get — Wesley Johnson at No. 4 — but they also traded for another one in getting Martell Webster out of Portland. The deal…
-
Pat Riley says he's not shopping Michael Beasley, nobody believes him
Jun 25, 2010, 10:47 AM EDT
Sometimes rumors just seem true. Tell me Ke$ha is crazy enough to give bags of dog s%$# to people, and I tend to believe it. Because she may be actually crazier than most of the women I’ve dated. And that’s saying something. Trust me. Tell me that the Heat are shopping Michael Beasley around and…
-
There are a lot of jittery Cleveland Cavaliers fans right now. And not just because they had four cups at the Cleveland Coffee Company. Clevelanders woke up this morning to a new landscape. Yesterday morning they were still the most logical place for LeBron James to play — they had shown him a serious commitment…
