Marbury Could Be Joining the Celtics

Ah yes it’s a new year which means more time to discuss the saga that is the Stephon Marbury situation.  The buyout talks between Steph and Donnie Walsh had reached a stalemate but there were rumors flying around that Walsh would start the talks back up in early January.  Marbury also wrote a blog post for the New York Post that was somewhat bizarre to read.  Everyone knows when Steph blogs, he really drops some knowledge:

I once heard it said that experience is not what happens to a man, experience is what a man does with what happens to him. That’s real science, so I’ll drop that one again. Experience is not what happens to a man, experience is what a man does with what happens to him.

He did even express the fact that he just wants to have a chance to play.  He also claims he didn’t want to be a distraction despite the fact that he sat courtside for a Lakers-Knicks game in LA like a creepy stalker:

I didn’t want to be a distraction for the team first and me second. I honestly came to help the team win. Real talk. I was willing to put in the work necessary to earn my starting spot and humble enough to accept coming off of the bench.

It was unfortunate that the coach wanted to go in a different direction and didn’t want me to be part of the team. I just wish it had been handled correctly from jump. I could understand the fact they didn’t want Chris Duhon looking over his shoulder but if you don’t want me, just pay me and let me go. I just want to play basketball.

Now Marc Stein of ESPN.com is reporting that both the Celtics and Marbury are interested in a deal provided that he can secure a buyout from the Knicks:

Although it has been widely assumed that Celtics forward Kevin Garnett would resist a reunion with the controversial point guard — after Marbury broke up their Minnesota parternship in less than three seasons together by forcing a trade to New Jersey — one Celtics source insists that Garnett has voiced no opposition to the idea of signing Marbury for the rest of the season to strengthen Boston’s backcourt depth behind starters Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen.

When asked specifically about the likelihood of Marbury joining the Celtics this season, the source predicted that “it will happen.”

I’m still not entirely convinced that we will have a resolution to the situation anytime soon.  For someone who claims to be desperate to just have another chance to play, he sure does not seem eager to part with any of the $20+ million that is owed to him this year.  I just don’t think this buyout is going to be as simple as one might think.  Donnie Walsh is very opposed to the idea of paying Marbury his entire salary, or close to it, and still have to watch him play on a winning team and contend for a title.  The only question for the Knicks is how desperate they will be to free up the roster space.

From the perspective of the Celtics, I’m not really sure what to think.  They do need to add some depth to their roster because the truth is that the Cavaliers and Lakers are deeper than them.  Their bench could be what causes their downfall in the postseason if they do not address it.  But they really could use some depth with their bigs as I think you can survive with Eddie House backing up Rajon Rondo.  Plus with the way Rondo has improved this season, there will not be all that many minutes for the backup PG to have.  Rondo has a PER of 19.93 which is 7th best among point guards.

I just don’t think it would be worth the risk to bring Steph in here when the amount of minutes for him to get will be fairly low.  Marbury is also a guy that has quit on his team many times in the past, and who knows how his relationship would be with Kevin Garnett at this point.  Plus I don’t buy the idea of Marbury being able to really help a team when he has never done that in his career.  He has been shipped to a different team three times and each time that team has regressed.  The Nets lost 12 more games with Marbury his first year, the Suns dropped 15 more games from the previous year, and the Knicks had a 4 game drop.  The Celtics should be careful with this decision.

Even if the buyout doesn’t work out for Steph he still seems content with collecting his paycheck.  Who can forget his memorable quote while being interviewed on television at the Lakers-Knicks game?  “I’m still earning my check by doing nothing.”  Classy as always.

Updates on Marbury, James, and Rose

The most talked about issue with the Knicks prior to the start of training camp has obviously been the possible buyout of Stephon.  If you saw his interview with Bruce Beck, you would have learned that Steph is not interested in negotiating a discount for the buyout.  He wants all of his $21.9 million either way.  It seems like Walsh and Dolan are having a hard time letting him play for someone else and paying this large sum of money as well.  I think they would feel more comfortable negotiating a settlement in the $15 million range.  However, they may end up having a bigger problem with letting him remain on the team at the start of the season.  Do not expect this story to go away any time soon.

Newsday has also reported that Jerome James and Malik Rose may be finished with the Knicks as well.  Everyone remembers the assanine 5-year, $30 million contract Isiah signed him to.  Sadly there are still 2 years and $12.6 million left on his deal.  The Knicks are reportedly trying to convince James to retire due to medical reasons.  This would help the Knicks by allowing insurance to pay for a nice chunk of what is still owed to Jerome.  This is funny to me since it seems like James has been in retirement mode the last two seasons.  He sure keeps his body in retirement-like shape.

My favorite Jerome James Knick moment came during the Larry Brown year (AKA “The Longest Year”).  There was one game (I forget the opponent) where James was given the start at center.  It was surreal.  James had the best six minutes of his life.  He was making everything.  I believe he scored a dozen or so points in the first six minutes.  Then there was a whistle for a foul and I see James bent over as he was huffing and puffing.  He was so fat and out of shape that he was gassed midway through the first quarter.  So he signals towards the bench that he needs to be taken out.  This during his best start to a game in forever.  I remember the look on Brown’s face when he signaled to him that he was done.  Brown just gave a blank stare out towards the court and shook his head.  Vintage Jerome James.

The other news is that the Knicks may consider buying out Malik Rose.  This makes no sense to me.  Rose has $7.6 million owed to him for the rest of his deal.  I say hold onto him.  He is a good character guy that can actually play some defense.  Keep him as a mentor for the young guys and a guy you can use off the bench every now and then.  If you’re going to have to pay him, you might as well hold onto him or dump him at the trading deadline to another team.

If you waive Steph, convince James to retire, hang onto Rose, and get a comeback from Allan Houston that leaves you with a roster of 15.  Perfect.  That would be my plan.  Even if Houston’s comeback is short lived, as I expect it to be, you can sign a cheap guard off the street.  Maybe the return of Fred Jones?

Walsh Says Marbury Is Here to Stay

Alan Hahn of Newsday is now reporting that Stephon Marbury may not actually be waived after all.  Donnie Walsh told ESPN.com that Marbury will be reporting to training camp.  Walsh is dismissing this as something that the media has created and blown up.  I doubt that’s the case but what else is Donnie going to say publicly at the moment?

Here is Hahn with the latest on the situation: “Walsh, who did not return a message seeking comment from Newsday on Monday, told ESPN.com that “this thing is initiated in the press and then I have to ask questions about it.” A majority of the Knicks veterans were expecting Marbury to be gone by the time camp opened. And despite Walsh’s statement to the contrary, it would be a surprise if Marbury is on the gym floor at Skidmore College on Tuesday morning. Walsh signed free agent Chris Duhon to a two-year, $12-million contract in July with the promise that he would compete with Marbury to be the team’s starting point guard.”

And here is Hahn on the potential of a buyout: “Multiple sources said the Knicks have had internal discussions regarding Marbury throughout the offseason and there was a conclusion that he should be moved. With no takers on the trade market, the only other option would be to buy him out and place him on waivers. Madison Square Gardenchairman James Dolan would have to approve the buyout, which likely would be somewhere around $16.5 million.”

It really shouldn’t come as a surprise that we get conflicting reports about Marbury’s status with the Knicks.  It appears there have been rumors going back and forth on his situation all summer long.  I also believe that Hahn’s original report of the Knicks wanted to dump him came from some good sources and that is still the way the organization would like to go.  The big amount of money is still and issue but I think they will swallow it just to improve the nature of the locker room.  A lot of veterans on the team appear to not want Steph around.  So despite Walsh claiming Steph will stay, I still expect Marbury to be waived before the start of the season.  

But who knows?  This story seems to change daily so we’ll keep you posted.

Breaking News: The Starbury Era is Over

Alan Hahn of Newsday is reporting that Stephon Marbury’s career as a Knick will officially be over very soon.  People that are close to the situation say that the Knicks plan is to waive and buy out Marbury by the end of the week.  Marbury is currently in the final year of his contract with the Knicks which is to pay him $21.9 million.  

This has been something that has been rumored as a possibility for pretty much the entire summer so it does not come as that big of a surprise.  Donnie Walsh went out and signed a capable veteran when he brought Chris Duhon in during free agency.  Walsh believes that Duhon is a player that is capable of setting up the players around him and making them better.  This was something that Marbury has always been critcized for.  He has never been a good leader and most of his teams have seemed to underachieve.

The move to eat the rest of the contract cannot be easy for the Knicks.  In doing so they are giving him $20 million to play elsewhere and they are also reducing the level of talent on their roster.  However, this is still the move that the Knicks needed to make.  Yes, this is a move that can be classified as addition by subtraction.  It is about separating themselves from the previous era of Knicks basketball and starting the D’Antoni/Walsh era.  It is about starting to rebuild and moving this organization in the right direction.  

The move is also about improving the nature of the locker room by removing someone that was conceived to be a cancer to it.  The uneasiness between Steph and the other players was there, as Hahn reported:

“Marbury, who created a huge divide between himself and teammates after he went AWOL in Phoenix last November, stayed to himself with his workouts at the MSG Training Center this offseason until yesterday, when he joined the other Knicks veterans in pickup games. One observer from yesterday’s workout noted the uneasy atmosphere among the other players. “You could just feel the hate,” the person said.”

So now the Knicks can move forward once the move becomes official.  Let’s hear what you guys think about the move in the comments.  Happy?  Sad?  Indifferent?  Let’s hear it.

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Photo via AP

Zach to Memphis Deal Falls Through

It is now official that Zach Randolph will not be headed to play in Memphis.  Alan Hahn of Newsday has reported that the Grizzlies have decided to pass on a potential deal to acquire Randolph.  The potential deal was supposed to send Randolph to Memphis in exchange for center Darko Milicic and guard Marko Jaric.  The Grizzlies did not feel it was a good enough deal for them to take on the 3 years and $48 million still remaining on Randolph’s deal.  The Grizzlies were asking the Knicks to throw in a first round draft pick for 2009 but this is something that the Knicks just could not afford to do (especially since the Knicks are without their first round pick in 2010).

This is disappointing news for the Knicks as this is the one player that they needed to unload the most.  He has a big contract, does not play defense, has ballhog-like tendencies, and is a bad character guy (I recall reading something about how he demanded a trade in the middle of the locker room), and does not seem like a good fit for Coach D’Antoni’s offensive scheme.  The interesting thing to watch will be how D’Antoni plans to use Randolph if the Knicks cannot unload him before the start of the season.  Will he be in the starting lineup even though he does not appear fit for an up and down pace?  He is a double double guy with All-Star level offensive talent so that will be something to watch.

The other question to ask is if there is another team that might be tempted by the talents of Zach.  I can’t see a team really wanting to take on the big contract at the moment.  Denver could be a possibility as they do not have a really good low post scorer like Randolph is.  If you put Randolph along with A.I. and Carmelo, there will be very few teams that will be able to make stops against them.  However, that would also make the Nuggets the team that is the least interested in playing defense in the NBA, if they aren’t already.

Zach Randolph to Memphis?

Well the Zach Randolph rumors are starting up again with the possibility that he will be sent to the Memphis Grizzlies.  Memphis has been known to be looking for a good low post scorer and that is what Randolph is.  Memphis was originally intertested in Josh Smith but lost out on that as he is staying in Atlanta.  Memphis apparently isn’t interested in giving up any of its good core players for Randolph though.  The rumor is that Darko Milicic would be sent to New York as part of the trade.

Well I highly doubt that the Grizzlies will be willing to make a better offer.  I know I would have huge concerns about his attitude and lack of defensive ability.  So it comes down to how badly the Knicks want to unload Randolph.  I think this deal has a good chance of going down but not right away.  Donnie will probably keep looking for a better return for Randolph but it’ll definitely be hard to find.  But when you have both Eddy Curry and Randolph, two low post scorers that don’t defend, I think you have to move one of them.  Plus it could be nice to have a big man like Darko off the bench instead of the fatso known as Jerome James.  But there is still a month to go until training camp.  There will be plenty of more Randolph rumors until then.

Will The Clown Sell the Knicks? Keep Dreaming

Many Knicks fans have believed James Dolan to be a clown with the way he has run the Knicks and the Rangers (especially in the Knicks case).  You can constantly hear him being bashed year after year if you tune into some sports talk radio shows in the New York area.  Under Dolan the Knicks have gone from a proud and storied franchise to the punch line of a lot of jokes.  Let’s review some of the sad history of MSG under Jimbo:

-The New York Rangers missed the playoffs for seven straight years after making it in 1997, the longest playoff drought in franchise history.  And this occurred with the league’s highest payroll.

-Gave Allan Houston a 6 year, $100 million contract in 2001.  No one else offered him more than $75 million.  He retired 4 years later due to injuries.

-There were all the bad personnel decisions including the Jerome James contract (5 years, $30 million).

-In 2005, he signed Larry Brown to a 5 year, $50 million contract to be the head coach.  Brown won 23 games in his first year and was fired.  Dolan bought out Brown’s contract for $18 million.  That’s $28 million for a 23-win season.  $28 million sure doesn’t buy what it used to.

-Then there washe rest of the Isiah Thomas era which was capped by the embarassing sexual harassment lawsuit which forced MSG to pay Anucha Browne Sanders $11.6 million.  An all-time low for MSG.

-Then there was the situation in September when the Rangers filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NHL.  This after the league allegedly threatened to kick the owners out of the league if they did not give up control of the team’s web site. 

You can see what Knick fans have had to endure.  So you can imagine the reaction of Knick fans when rumors of Dolan selling the Knicks began to surface.  There was some speculation that Dolan might sell MSG, the Knicks, and the Rangers as a way to satisfy shareholders of Cablevision, whose stock price has gone down.  It was reported that this rumor got Knick fans more excited than when they see Marisa Miller in a bikini.

But it appears these rumors could be nothing more than wishful thinking.  A recent report by Newsday addressed these rumors:

“Not so fast, though. Dolan’s gesture to investors – allowing them to voice concerns during a “listening tour” last week – seems to have been little more than a head fake. People knowledgeable about MSG in particular, and the sale of sports franchises in general, tell Newsday that it’s premature to run out onto Seventh Avenue traffic and celebrate Dolan’s departure from the Garden of Ills.”

But at least fans of the Knicks can have some hope with their new regime of general manager Donnie Walsh and head coach Mike D’Antoni.  Maybe they can help offset some of the bad karma that Dolan has been putting over Madison Square Garden for years.

The Seesaw That is the Stephon Marbury Situation

It seems like the future status of Stephon Marbury with the New York Knicks for this season is changing rapidly.  Marbury has been criticized as not being the leader that the Knicks need and being somewhat of a cancer to the team.  Granted he was not the only reason the team won just 23 games last season.  But by the way things went in the offseason it appeared that the Knicks would just cut Marbury and his $19 million contract.  The reason this was thought to be the case was that the Knicks signed free agent guards Chris Duhon and Anthony Roberson.  This gave the Knicks 16 players on their roster, one over the maximum.

So Marbury is outta here.  That is what a lot of Knick fans seemed to be hoping.  But then new GM Donnie Walsh traded Renaldo Balkman to Denver in a salary dump and the roster was back down to 15.  So maybe they refuse to eat Marbury’s absurd salary and stick it out with him.

However, there was still skepticism at this point.  Maybe Walsh reinforced the backcourt with Duhon and Roberson so he could afford to cut Steph loose.  But then recently at a seminar with season ticket holders, Walsh said that Marbury would be given a clean slate and see how he looks in training camp.  Translation: We refuse to eat this jerk’s monster salary and we’ll see if we can get anything out of him.

But it appears that the seesaw has swung back to the other side.  A report has surfaced from the Boston Globe saying:

“Point guard Chris Duhon was New York’s key offseason signee. Talented but troubled guard Stephon Marbury, however, has played his last day in a Knicks uniform, according to an NBA source.”

It has always been rumored that Mike D’Antoni did not get along well with Steph back in Phoenix.  Maybe since the Knicks appear to be rebuilding, they think they’ll be better off without Starbury.  But I think we all know the seesaw could swing a few more times in the next month or so.

And now we wait….