It is going to be the most exciting free agent year of all time next year and you can add the super powered guard from Miami to the list. Dwyane Wade will be joining LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Amare Stoudemire, among others, as 2010 free agents. This just keeps getting better. (Note, appears my Pistons won’t have any free agent money or at least the kind to land these guys.)

Now don’t get me wrong, the rules are rigged to keep a player in his home team town. In this case Dwyane can make 30 million more over 6 years if he stays with the Heat.

But will he stay with the Heat? They have done nothing to improve their roster and Jerry West is 64 years old. Dwyane Wade stated Jerry staying as GM was a factor. Really?

Dwyane Wade to the Bulls?

Now the hot rumors have Wade taking his extreme hoop skills over to the windy city to play for the Bulls.

Wade grew up a huge Bulls fan, idolized Michael Jordan and left Converse this summer to sign with Nike’s Jordan brand. Wade’s charity foundation, his family and his agent are all based in Chicago. Wade even acknowledged Wednesday he probably fueled speculation of a potential homecoming when he recently closed on a $1.4 million townhouse in the Windy City.

“Me buying a place in Chicago, that’s supposed to mean more than what it is,” Wade said. “I just sort of laugh at it, all the speculation.”
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Wow, this would be an awesome backcourt of Derrick Rose and Dwyane Wade. Maybe one of the fastest backcourts in the National Basketball Association. Oh man, this would not be good for my Pistons.

Photo source Newscom

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The Free Press has confirmed the Detroit Pistons have signed Ben Wallace, cornerstone of the 2004 NBA championship team, to a one-year, $1.3-million deal.
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The Detroit Pistons are building a team based on speed, offense, and youth and that has to make you wonder where Big Ben fits in? Ben is no longer fast, has few offensive moves beyond the slam dunk, and in basketball years he is Grandpa Jones.

What Ben Wallace does bring to the Pistons is an unwavering work ethic and an attempt to play low post defense. Once Ben had left the Pistons the low post defense was never the same. On top of that, Ben Wallace plays amazing off the ball defense.

Ben Wallace will provide more defense than Allen Iverson

In his glory years, Ben used to average over 1 and a half steals, more than 3 blocks, and more than 12 boards a game and even though he is listed at 6′ 9″ tall, many think he is a few inches shorter than that. The words “Fear the Fro” used to echo through the NBA.

Now hold on here, these are no longer the Big Ben Wallace glory days and do not expect any sort of a turnaround just because Ben is in Detroit. Ben will show the younger players how hard they have to work and he will provide a link to the past days when Piston defense ruled the NBA. Ben Wallace still has a few blocked shots left in him and will be taking a few more charges to help bring back that defensive spirit.

Oh, and did we mention the Pistons were hurting for big guys and Ben was cheap?

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One of the most encouraging trends is the International trend in NBA basketball to become more popular overseas. One of the bonus’s for that popularity is the amount of money that is flowing into the sport. It is now very possible for a mid range star or aging veteran to extend their career by going to someplace other than the NBA and still make excellent pay.

You have to wonder what David Stern thinks about all this, having NBA players lured away from the NBA. It may seem fine until a Kobe Bryant or LeBron James takes a 50 million dollar contract to play somewhere else.

Now we have rumors that Allen Iverson may take a contract to play in Greece.

Olympiakos, the Greek club that continues to go after NBA free agents, is now going after Allen Iverson; offering the 6-0 guard a $10 million contract over two years (discuss).

The $10 million dollar offer is close to the numbers that Iverson is seeking in free agency, but is Iverson willing to head overseas, play in a completely different basketball culture with great expectations?
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Will Allen Iverson be playing overseas?

After a disappointing season with the Detroit Pistons that ended with a phony injury and an immediate release by the Pistons, there do not seem to be many good options for Iverson. The Memphis Grizzlies recently announced they were not very interested anymore and the Miami Heat and New York Knicks have shown only mild interest. In each case Allen would only be a side show to bring in fans, instead of playing on the contender that he was interested in.

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Won’t anybody just keep this guy? What is he a travelling salesman or something? Quentin Richardson was traded again and again. Quentin Richardson has been traded 3 times in just recent history. First on draft night from New York to Memphis, then from Memphis to the Clippers, and now from the Clippers to the Timberwolves.

Quentin Richardson 3 jerseys ago

Hey, is it possible to belong to all the crummy teams in one year? It is amazing when you think about it.

The Clippers added 3 nobodies in Telfair, Craig Smith, and Mark Madsen and the TWolves get Richardson.

“We are really excited to add these three players to our team,” said Clippers general manager and head coach Mike Dunleavy. “This move really gives some much needed depth.”
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What he is really saying is they stink and with this trade they stink even more.

Image: Zuma Press

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The word out of Chicago is that Allen Iverson will go to the Bulls in an NBA sign and trade deal with Detroit for shooting guard Ben Gordon. The deal would put high scoring Alan Iverson on the Bulls for probably the end of his career in a pretty good basketball market. This way the Bulls get something for Ben Gordon.

Allen Iverson to the Bulls?

What do the Pistons get out of this deal and didn’t they already sign Ben Gordon? Right now no one can figure out how this helps the Pistons, because they would be seeking salary cap relief. The deal was made in principal, but the free agent market is not officially open for signings until July 8.

The key for the Bulls is if Iverson would come off the bench as a happy camper.

The Bulls also would want to know that Iverson, 34, would be totally committed despite not making the $20 million he’s accustomed to and without playing the primary role he enjoyed for his entire career until he was traded to the Pistons for Chauncey Billups last season. Iverson did not adapt well to diminished minutes with the Pistons, and late in the season vowed to retire before he would come off another team’s bench.

But Iverson apparently is invigorated by the prospect of getting past the Detroit experience. He wrote on his Twitter account Thursday, “For those of you who thought that I was done, think again! … My only preference will be to play for a coach that knows what I bring to the table and that I am going to bring it every night.”
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Ben Gordon would actually get a bigger contract in a sign and trade deal, but his agent did not even talk to the Bulls before agreeing to sign with the Pistons.

This whole deal seems crazy for Detroit and Joe Dumars takes risk, but does not do crazy.
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The trade rumor mill is cranked up and some of them are just outstanding. The silly part is they may all come true, because while you are still harping on the Pistons for trading All Star Chauncey Billups for AI, GM Joe D only took him for a free tryout, increased attendance, and a salary of 22 mill that comes off the books. In other words, you don’t know why a team trades for a player.

This rumor you have to love just for the shear unbelievableness. Is that a word? If not, it should be just for this case and this case alone.

Anyway, it looks like the final straw for the little 3 in New Jersey of Kidd, Jefferson, and Carter. Vince was the last one left.

Vince Carter to the Rockets. How messed up can you get? You have body breaking down Yao, gotta have the ball and never will win a playoff Tracey McGrady, and never going to move to Detroit Ron Artest. Now you want to add, gotta also have the ball and never going to win the playoffs Vince Carter to that lineup?

The Nets and Rockets have exchanged trade proposals and continue to talk, according to league sources and sources close to the Nets. One scenario has Carter and Josh Boone going to Houston for Ron Artest, Carl Landry and Luther Head.

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If the trade does go through then Ron Artest would be shipped out of town and head back to New Jersey. Why do some teams just think individual talent will win games?

(This story was posted in Hoopsworld)

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There seems to be a plethora of quality point guards available on the NBA trade market.

Chad Ford breaks it down for ESPN.com.

this information comes largely from two sources: GMs who tell us what other teams are offering them, and NBA player agents who often play important roles in getting their clients moved this time of year.

While most of the players will not be moved by the trade deadline, if history repeats itself, several will.

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Tops on Chad’s list is former North Carolina NCAA champ Raymond Felton of the Bobcats.

Felton is a talented point guard, but he doesn’t fit the pass-first mold that Larry Brown wants in his point guards. With rookie D.J. Augustin looking like the point guard of the future in Charlotte, the chances Felton heads somewhere else are pretty high.

Mike Conley from Ohio State and now on the Grizzlies is next on the list.

Some scratched their heads when the Grizzlies drafted Conley with the No. 4 pick in the 2007 draft. While Conley was a coveted draft prospect, the team was already loaded at the point guard position and it was unclear how he would fit. Eighteen months later, Conley still hasn’t found his groove in Memphis.

Conley is a good distributor and an excellent defender, but his shaky shooting has made him a liability. And with O.J. Mayo now dominating the ball, Conley is often left standing around on offense.

Andre Miller, Kirk Hinrich, and Baron Davis are also on the list.

Sounds like some teams are going to fix their point guard problems this year.

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Stephon Marbury showing his Greek smile

Oh yeah, Stephon Marbury may be headed to Greece.

Olympiacos, which competes in the top-tier Euroleague, shook up the NBA during the offseason when it signed former Atlanta Hawks swingman Josh Childress, a restricted free agent, to a lucrative contract. The team’s owners have said they’re willing to spend to make their club the best Europe has to offer.

According to reports in Greece, the team’s owners have said they are interested in offering about $15 million to broker a buyout for Marbury and bring him overseas, the Post reported.
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Turns out Childress is injured, so Marbury may be a stand in for Josh going into the playoffs.

The Marbury story is a strange one.

Marbury has been exiled since early in the season by the Knicks, who have been unable to make any substantial progress in buyout talks with the former All-Star. Marbury is in the final season of his contract and is making $20.8 million to sit on the sideline. He has offered to give back $1 million to secure his release, but the Knicks have asked for more. Also, Knicks president Donnie Walsh remains convinced that a viable trade opportunity involving Marbury could arise between now and the Feb. 19 trade deadline.
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Darius Miles and the 18 million dollar basketball

Darius Miles wanted to play and Portland will pay, but he won’t play for Portland. Darius will play for Memphis.

Confused?

Portland released Darius saying he was medically ineligible, but if he plays 10 games for anyone then Portland is on the hook for 18 million bucks. Portland’s owner even sent out a mass e-mail to all the NBA owners not to sign Darius. That did not sit too well with a lot of owners.

Miles was signed by the Grizzlies as a free agent on Dec. 13 after missing two seasons (2006-08) following micro fracture surgery on his right knee. The 27-year-old signed a free-agent contract with the Boston Celtics on Aug. 22, 2008 and appeared in six preseason games.

It was believed that Miles had to play in 10 regular-season or postseason games in a season for the $18 million to count against the Blazers. But his six preseason appearances with the Celtics counted toward the 10. Miles then signed with Memphis, served a 10-game suspension for violating the league’s drug policy and played in two regular-season games for the Grizzlies.

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Darius has tried to stay out of it saying he just wants to play.

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Jason Maxiell doing what he does best

The Pistons have failed to arrive at a price for Jason Maxiell that both of them would agree at and now it looks like it won’t happen.

“(The team has) expressed that he is a major contributor to their success,” Maxiell’s agent, Richard Katz, said in a telephone interview on Friday. “What we differ about on, is what that is worth.”

The Pistons have offered the former first-round pick a three-year deal worth $15 million, with a team option for a fourth season.

A strong season could land Maxiell a more lucrative offer from another team. However, Katz made it clear that returning to the Pistons is Maxiell’s first choice.

“He loves it in Detroit, and is very comfortable,” Katz said. “We’ll just have to see how all this plays out.”

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Maxiell brings energy, but is just a few inches too short to make the really big bucks. It may be goodbye.

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