The only reason I can imagine why the Montreal Canadiens unloaded Chris Higgins to the NY Rangers would be his partying ways. That’s of course an allegation, but let me highlight how bad this deal is for the Habs:
TO HABS
- Scott Gomez (an $8M salary cap hit for an 16-goal scorer!)
- Tom Pyatt (”he will be lucky if he plays in NHL and is a mini Guy Carbonneau”, according to Pierre McGuire)
- Michael Busto (East coast player)
TO RANGERS
- Pavel Valetenko
- Doug Janek
- Chris Higgings
- Ryan McDonagh (former top round pick)
Bear in mind the Habs will lose defenseman Mike Komisarek, especially now that his pal Higgins is gone.
Way to go Bob Gainey.
The Phoenix experiment did not work and Shaq is on the move again. It should be very interesting to see how he meshes with LeBron! Read more from TSN.ca:
After coming up short in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers brought in Shaquille O’Neal to complement LeBron James.
Numbers Game examines the Big Aristotle’s arrival in Cleveland.
The Cavaliers Get: C Shaquille O’Neal.
O’Neal, 37, is coming off his best year since 2005-2006, averaging 17.8 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, while shooting a stellar 60.9% from the field and his 59.5% from the free throw line was the second-best percentage of his career (behind 62.2 in 2002-2003).
At this stage of his career, O’Neal doesn’t need to dominate the ball and, with LeBron running the show in Cleveland, O’Neal shouldn’t have any trouble deferring to the reigning MVP.
Shaq’s not a dominant defender, and can be exploited by centres that can move away from the basket, but he’s still an upgrade on Zydrunas Ilgauskas, the veteran Lithuanian centre who was abused by the Magic’s Dwight Howard in the Conference Finals.
Ilgauskas has a player option for next season and the prospect of being Shaq’s backup would figure to be enough reason for the 34-year-old to seek out a better opportunity elsewhere.
While his mobility isn’t what it once was, O’Neal was much better in Phoenix than he’d been in his later days with the Miami Heat, so there is every reason to think he’ll be a productive player next season, the final year of a contract which pays him $20-million in 2009-2010.
With LeBron and Shaq going into the final years of their contracts, 2009-2010 shapes up as the Cavaliers’ best chance to contend for a title.
The Suns Get: PF Ben Wallace, SF Sasha Pavlovic and a second-round pick.
34-year-old Ben Wallace is a long way from the energetic, dominant defender that he was in his championship days with the Detroit Pistons. He’s never been an offensive player and last year’s 3.0 points per game was his lowest total since his rookie season.
Even with all that taken into consideration, Wallace is still a capable defender who can block shots and crash the boards, only he does it in more limited minutes.
Due $14-million next season, in the final year of his contract, Wallace’s future is uncertain. He could get flipped to another team or it’s possible that he’ll take on a role with the Suns next season.
Pavlovic, 25, hasn’t been able to rise above reserve swingman in five years with the Cavaliers, though some of the reason for that may be attributed to injuries — Pavlovic hasn’t played in more than 67 games in a season since playing 79 in his rookie season with Utah in 2003-2004.
While he’s not going to be any better than a reserve in Phoenix, Pavlovic does shoot well enough — 41.0% on three-pointers last season — to fit into the Suns’ rotation at either of the wing spots.
The second-round pick, 46th overall, actually has some value. Since 2001, 12 players taken in the 46-50 range have become NBA rotation players — a success rate of 30% — with the best of the bunch being Cavs PG Mo Williams and Jazz PF Paul Millsap. No, it’s not likely to yield a star, but a serviceable rotation player is possible.
All indications are that the Suns aren’t done, either; that an Amar’e Stoudemire trade is on the way, so it’s hard to gauge just what the Suns are going to look like until the dust settles and they actually have someone available to play in the paint.
From NationalPost:
Stephon Marbury cleared waivers Friday morning and is expected to sign with the Boston Celtics, according to multiple media reports.
The Boston Globe is reporting that the former New York Knicks guard will join the Celtics during a closed practice Friday afternoon at TD Banknorth Garden and may be available for Friday’s home game against the Indiana Pacers.
The Knicks agreed to a contract buyout with Marbury on Tuesday, mercifully ending their strained relationship with the former All-Star. By gaining his release before March 1, Marbury became eligible to be acquired by another NBA team.
Teams, however, could not negotiate with Marbury until he passed through waivers, a process that takes 48 hours unless he is claimed.
It is believed that Marbury will sign with the Celtics for a prorated veteran minimum of $1.3 million for the rest of the season.
Marbury has not played a game this season and was banished by the Knicks on December 1 after the 32-year-old and team president Donnie Walsh failed to resolve their ongoing feud, which began after coach Mike D’Antoni benched the mercurial guard for the first three weeks of the season.
As the power struggle developed, it became evident that Marbury wanted out and the Knicks had no interest in paying his salary. The impasse finally ended with Tuesday’s buyout.
Widely considered a selfish player, Marbury has failed to mesh with numerous star teammates throughout his career, including Kevin Garnett - a current Celtic - Shawn Marion, Keith Van Horn, Allan Houston and Steve Francis.
The 6-2 Marbury is expected to serve as a backup to point guard Rajon Rondo with the defending champion Celtics (46-13), who are second in he Eastern Conference standings.
Marbury has averaged 19.7 points and 7.8 assists over 12 NBA seasons, including time with Minnesota, New Jersey and Phoenix.
From TSN.ca:
Who are the buyers? Who are the sellers?
With one of the most important dates on the NHL calendar just four weeks away, talks have started to heat up across the league.
On Wednesday evening, the NHL on TSN took an in-depth look at the six Canadian teams and gave expert insight and analysis on which teams and general managers will be the busiest leading up to and during NHL Trade Deadline Day.
If the Montreal Canadiens’ desire for an impact forward was a simmering pot, it could become a full boil if the team is to maintain its hold on home ice advantage for the start of the playoffs.
For now, head coach Guy Carbonneau was sighting Montreal’s resilience in its 8-2 record while captain Saku Koivu was out with an ankle injury. But that was before they lost their top goal-scoring forward Robert Lang, who is also the team’s most productive centre.
To replace his experience up the middle, the price might have taken a big leap because general manager Bob Gainey is not just bargaining from a position of weakness but perhaps a position of desperation if the team is unable to weather the storm over the next four weeks.
“Montreal are buyers,” TSN’s Bob McKenzie says “and the priority can be described as one-dimensional, they’re looking for a defeceman who can quaretrback the power play to replace Sheldon Souray or Mark Streit. Guys they haven’t been able to replace.”
In Toronto, it should come as no surprise that the Leafs will once again be sellers this winter. The club is currently $9 million under the salary cap and president and general manager Brian Burke is looking to create even more space by landing draft picks and prospects.
“The Maple Leafs have a lot of cap room and they’ve got a lot of money to spend,” says McKenzie. “What they’re telling other teams in the NHL is; if you have a player under contract and you want him off your books give him to us but, give us a draft pick along with that.”
Some of that potential trade bait on the Leafs’ current roster are Jason Blake, Pavel Kubina, Tomas Kaberle and Nik Antropov. Both Kaberle and Kubina have no-trade clauses, and Kaberle is currently sidelined for the next four weeks with a broken right hand but is expected to be back in time for deadline day.
‘Kaberle is a player who wants to play for the Maple Leafs, he has a no-trade clause and Brian Burke does not want to trade him,” said McKenzie “but some of the best offers that will come across Burke’s desk will be for a puck-moving defenceman who can quarterback a power play. Kaberle fits the bill. He’s likely to yield the biggest return and as a result, the Leafs will have to listen and see what the possibilities are.”
As the Ottawa Senators are likely to miss the playoffs for the first time in 12 seasons, Bryan Murray will be more of a seller at the deadline, while at the same time trying to improve his club for next season.
“The Senators are going to be a selling team,” TSN’s Darren Dreger said “but how hard are they going to sell and what are they looking for? Murray said he’s still looking for that skilled offensive defecneman and he’s also looking for a goaltender. ”
The general manager has been trying to acquire a top-six forward and puck-moving defeceman since last summer and he will continue to try and fill those voids. Ottawa does have San Jose’s first round pick which it can dangle to sweeten a deal.
“Murray says that aside from Daniel Alfredsson, basically everyone is available,” Dreger said. “But he may have to do most of the shopping when the free agency signing period begins on July 1st.”
Some player’s expecting to draw big attention are unrestricted free agents Filip Kuba and Chris Neil.
“Neil is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, but he’s in negotiations to stay in Ottawa,” Dreger said. “The rumours of Jason Spezza are possible but Murray says its highly unlikely.”
In the west, the Calgary Flames are buyers heading into this year’s trade deadline and considering their needs, general manager Darryl Sutter will have to be creative. A strong puck-moving defenceman and/or a first or second line centreman are acquisitions that could turn the Flames into bona fide Stanley Cup contenders.
“The Flames have some money and a little bit of cap space but they like their depth, so they’re looking for perhaps a little bit more experience on the blueline,” Dreger said. “But that isn’t a necessity.”
Sutter may also consider solidifying his backup goaltender position as he did last season with the acquisition of Curtis Joseph.
If Sutter does do something to try and improve his team, it will likely happen sooner rather than later as he likes to avoid the hoopla and heightened pressure of trade deadline day.
In Edmonton, the Oilers’ brain trust will have to do everything in its power to get the team over the hump and back to the playoffs. Before Lubomir Visnovsky dislocated his shoulder, the Oilers had four offensive defenceman but despite that injury, they could still move one of those four blueliners to try and bring in a little more grit and size on the back end.
“The Oilers are very much a buyer, with an asterisk,” said Dreger. “If things go south for the Oilers, they may quickly become a selling team and perhaps that’s when an Erik Cole comes into play.”
Also on the Oilers’ wish list is a top-six forward who could play alongside Ales Hemsky, but they’ll have to get in line with 29 other teams.
“The Oilers are looking for a top-line winger to help Hemsky out,” Dreger said, “but that’s not realistic at this time of year so they may have to settle for a face-off man who will help on the penalty kill.”
Despite their struggles in 2009, the Vancouver Canucks still have to consider themselves to be a buyer and they’ll have well over $4 million of their salary cap space to get that done.
The Canucks’ most pressing need is a puck-moving defeceman, somebody who can anchor the power play. The Canucks may also be in need for a top-six forward but much of that will depend on the performance of Mats Sundin and Pavel Demitra between now and the trade deadline.
Some players that may be on the move from Vancouver are defencemen Shane O’Brien, in light of his recent comments about management wanting him to fight more, and Mattias Ohlund. Ohlund is the club’s longest serving player but he’s an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and it doesn’t look like he’ll re-sign with Vancouver.
“The Canucks are buyers right now, although buyer with an asterisk,” McKenzie said. “If they happened to fall out of the playoff race, then they would be selling people like defeceman Mattias Ohlund.”
Sometimes, you wonder what are they thinking? smoking?
“Hopefully, he’s not fighting anymore and going after a guy in the stands,” Yao said, according to the Chronicle, about Ron Artest, who joined Yao’s team.
When asked about those comments, Artest said Yao had bought into “all the propaganda” about him, according to The Sacramento Bee.
“I understand what Yao said, but I’m still ghetto,” Artest said, according to the report. “That’s not going to change. I’m never going to change my culture. Yao has played with a lot of black players, but I don’t think he’s ever played with a black player that really represents his culture as much as I represent my culture. Once Yao Ming gets to know me, he’ll understand what I’m about.
“If you go back to the brawl, that’s a culture issue right there,” Artest added, according to the report. “Somebody was disrespecting me, so he’s got to understand where I’m coming from. People that know me know that Ron Artest never changed.”
The agreed-to deal sending Artest to Houston cannot become official until Aug. 14. And Artest, who has one year remaining on his contract, also said he was looking for a long-term deal from the Rockets, according to the report.
“We’ve still got to make sure there’s still a commitment [from the Rockets],” Artest said, according to the Bee. “That’s the main thing, is to make sure there’s still a commitment. When I speak to the powers-that-be of the Houston Rockets’ organization, we’re going to find out how much they really want me there. We’ll find out. I’m still waiting to find out if this is just a trade or if this is like a long-term commitment-type thing. I haven’t spoken to anybody yet. I’m still waiting.”
Where he’s not an idiot is on the following:
“I guess once Yao Ming approves [the deal], I’ll be a Houston Rocket,” Artest said, according to the report. “[Yao] probably should’ve called me first. But at the same time, it’s Yao Ming’s team.
“Whatever Yao Ming wants me to do, I’ll be there. Whatever Tracy McGrady tells me to do, that’s how it’s going to go down. Ultimately, whatever [Rockets] coach Rick Adelman tells me to do is exactly what I’m going to do.
read it all. And see the infamous brawl in question, here:
NBA Brawl Pacers Pistons Detroit Indiana Ron Artest Rapper Hip H
Agree or disagree, this is a fantastic article outlining the pros and cons for Manchester United of losing Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
1. Ryan Leaf, Chargers (1998)
2. Lawrence Phillips, Rams (1996)
3. Art Schlichter, Colts (1982)
4. Heath Shuler, Redskins (1994)
5. Charles Rogers, Lions (2003)
6. Keith McCants, Buccaneers (1990)
7. Johnny “Lam” Jones, Jets (1980)
8. Mike Junkin, Browns (1987)
9. Bo Matthews, Chargers (1974)
10. Jerry Tagge, Packers (1972)
11. Jim Drukenmiller, 49ers (1997)
12. Andre Ware, Lions (1990)
13. Reggie Rogers, Lions (1987)
14. Joe Profit, Falcons (1971)
15. Huey Richardson, Steelers (1991)
16. Peter Warrick, Bengals (2000)
17. David Klingler, Bengals (1992)
18. Derek Brown, Giants (1992)
19. Tim Couch, Browns (1999)
20. Curtis Enis, Bears (1998)
21. Steve Niehaus, Seahawks (1976)
22. Blair Thomas, Jets (1990)
23. Kelly Stouffer, Cardinals (1987)
24. Tony Sacca, Cardinals (1992)
25. Tim Worley, Steelers (1989)
26. Jack Thompson, Bengals (1979)
27. Walt Patulski, Bills (1972)
28. Tony Mandarich, Packers (1989)
29. Todd Blackledge, Chiefs (1983)
30. Aaron Gibson, Lions (1999)
31. Todd Marinovich, Raiders (1991)
32. Andre Johnson, Redskins (1996)
33. Leeland McElroy, Cardinals (1996)
34. Craig Powell, Browns (1995)
35. Mike Elkins, Chiefs (1999)
36. Russell Erxleben, Saints (1979)
37. Patrick Bates, Raiders (1993)
38. Dan McGwire, Seahawks (1991)
39. Trezelle Jenkins, Chiefs (1995)
40. Cade McNown, Bears (1999)
41. Reggie Rembert, Jets (1990)
42. Akili Smith, Bengals (1999)
43. Mike Mamula, Eagles (1995)
44. Jonathan Sullivan, Saints (2003)
45. John Clay, Raiders (1987)
46. Alex Van Dyke, Jets (1996)
47. Maurice Clarett, Broncos (2005)
48. David LaFleur, Cowboys (1997)
49. Jon Harris, Eagles (1997)
50. Michael Westbrook, Redskins (1995)
read it all on ESPN. Here’s a clip on Ryan Leaf:
It could have been worst.
The Pittsburgh Penguins gave up a lot in terms of prospects to make a run at the Stanley Cup this when they acquired Marian Hossa from the Atlanta Thrashers.
Too bad Hossa got hurt in his first game with his new team.
Thankfully, it’s not as bad as it could have been. He will be out a week.
Read more.
After first hesitating, Garnett finally goes to Boston.
The Boston Celtics moved on Tuesday to return the franchise to its glory years by acquiring 10-times All-Star Kevin Garnett from the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Garnett is an athletic power forward still searching for his first NBA title after spending his first 12 years in the league with the Timberwolves.
“Kevin Garnett is a great player in our league, with a fierce and competitive spirit, who brings offensive scoring prowess and a defensive presence to our team,” Celtics Executive Director of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge said in a statement.
The Celtics will ship to the Timberwolves forwards Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, center Theo Ratliff, guard Sebastian Telfair and two first-round draft picks.
Read more, and check out how KG fared against LeBron James in WatchMojo.com’s one-on-one analysis last year here.
Busy time as always, MSNBC.com has a great rundown.
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