http:// [h3][/h3]
[h3]Randolph on the trading block?[/h3]
3:53PM ET
[h5]Anthony Randolph |
Warriors[/h5]
Top Email
The intermittently awesome
Anthony Randolph -- whom the Warriors dangled in proposed trade deals last year during his rookie season -- is again on the trading block,
according to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.
"Several NBA teams say Golden State officials have offered Randolph in trade discussions, but as one Eastern Conference executive said: 'I think all of their roster could be had.'" writes Wojnarowski.
So who are some potential suitors? Well the Bulls are in need of some low-post scoring, but they'd likely send
Tyrus Thomas' expiring contract in a deal. Thomas might have to prove he's fit and ready to play in the coming weeks as he returns from injury.
The Knicks are also looking to unload
Al Harrington plus some other contracts, so that's also a potential destination for Randolph.
http:// [h3]LBJ's and Calipari's growing friendship[/h3]
3:33PM ET
[h5]LeBron James |
Cavaliers[/h5]
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If you've kept up with John Calipari's Twitter feed since he took over as head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats, you may have seen some references to him hanging out with
LeBron James here and there.
According to Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, James has also forged a friendship with Kentucky point guard and surefire No. 1 NBA draft pick John Wall.
Today,
Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski makes the leap that Wall is a clear target for James' marketing company, LRMR. But does his relationship with Coach Cal mean he might someday come to the league to coach him? It's not likely right now, but in the future it's a possibility.
One source close to Calipari told Wojnarowski this: "I don't see a scenario anymore where he would leave to join LeBron in Cleveland, but another situation? Different team? In two or three years? That might be a different story."
http:// [h3]Blazers' future less bright?[/h3]
3:13PM ET
[h5]Portland Trail Blazers[/h5]
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Back on Nov. 10, ESPN's Chad Ford and John Hollinger ranked the Trail Blazers as the No. 1 team in their Future Rankings.
A young, talented roster mixed with a good front office had them atop the rankings.
But what a difference a month makes.
The Blazers have now slid to sixth in the latest version of the Future Rankings, thanks to some question marks about their roster.
[h5]NBA Future Power Rankings[/h5]
Blazers: No. 6
"Although the Blazers' roster still appears formidable, virtually every player has underperformed expectations or given us reason to doubt him. Most prominently, the season-ending knee injury to
Greg Oden requires us to treat the Blazers center as a high risk to miss more time in the future," they write. "The struggles of
Brandon Roy hurt, too, as they make last season look like a possible outlier. Add in struggles of young core players
Martell Webster and
Rudy Fernandez as well as
LaMarcus Aldridge's inability to progress beyond his current level, and Portland dropped from first to fifth in the players category -- accounting for the Blazers' decline in the rankings."
http:// [h3]More bad reviews for Vinny[/h3]
2:55PM ET
[h5]Vinny Del Negro |
Bulls[/h5]
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Vinny Del Negro has seen his face in these parts far too often this season, but we felt compelled once more today. That's because the death knell for any young coach is often the classic "in over his head" assessment.
Well, Exhibit A: In their
Future Power Rankings out today, John Hollinger and Chad Ford don't necessarily think the
Chicago Bulls are heading south as a franchise, but Vinny? "First, the coaching. With the Bulls having a miserable season, the spotlight in on coach Vinny Del Negro. In contrast to the coach the Bulls could have had, Mike D'Antoni, and the former Bulls coach now thriving in Milwaukee,
Scott Skiles, Del Negro seems to be in way over his head, and in fact, he probably can't last."
As Carl from Bushwood might say, "It's a little harsh," but Hollinger and Ford aren't the only ones.
[h5]NBA Future Power Rankings[/h5]
Bulls: No. 11
"The Bulls took a pretty big hit in our latest rankings, sliding from No. 7 to No. 11. In particular, the team dropped badly in the management category, from 13th to 25th, for a couple of reasons."
http:// [h3]Utah's big play[/h3]
1:23PM ET
[h5]Carlos Boozer |
Jazz[/h5]
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The Knicks are currently on a win streak, but it's no stretch to think Utah's front office is hoping they come back down to earth. After all, Utah owns the rights to the Knicks' first-round pick in the 2010 draft. The worse the Knicks do, the better chance they'll have at more lottery balls.
But might Utah be looking to use that pick for some serious trade bait?
It's an idea NBA.com's David Aldridge throws out today. With
Carlos Boozer likely walking after this season and Paul Milsap waiting in the wings to take over at power forward, the Jazz might be able to get some serious value by packaging Boozer in a sign-and-trade with the draft pick.
He writes: "Is there any team, outside of Kobe's Lakers and LeBron's Cavaliers, that wouldn't have to seriously consider such an offer? Wouldn't Washington, which is rapidly coming to the conclusion that no one from a 7-14 team is untradeable, have to think about giving Utah it's pick of, say,
Caron Butler,
Andray Blatche,
JaVale McGee and its own first-rounder? (I'm assuming there would be no interest in
Gilbert Arenas on Utah's part.) Wouldn't Chicago have to open up the vault to all non-
Derrick Rose personnel, from
Luol Deng and rookie
Taj Gibson to
Kirk Hinrich and
John Salmons?"
http:// [h3]Holiday to remain starter?[/h3]
12:31PM ET
[h5]Jrue Holiday |
76ers[/h5]
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The Sixers were losers of 13 of 14 and 12 straight, but they finally got in the win column with a victory of the Warriors last night.
Coach Eddie Jordan inserted
Jrue Holiday into the starting lineup last night to pair up with
Allen Iverson in the backcourt and he had 15 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals.
"Allen and Jrue in the backcourt gives us solid, true guard play. Andre [Iguodala] gives us great defensive presence at the guard position, at any position, actually,"
Jordan to the Philadelphia Daily News. "To get real good guard play, it's good to have Jrue and Allen in there to start and have Thad at four. The object and the concept is to get those guys [Young and Iguodala] running the lane after a make or a miss, just sprint the lane and let either of the guards push. I like their decision-making. We have good, solid, playmaking guards."
So is this a lineup that might continue? Perhaps, as Jordan seems to have liked what this combination of players did last evening. But he also mixed it up to toss a small lineup against the Warriors, so it might only be used when matchups dictate it.
http:// [h3]Speights eying Christmas return[/h3]
12:04PM ET
[h5]Marreese Speights |
76ers[/h5]
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When
Marreese Speights went down with a partially torn left MCL on Nov. 14, he was proving rather valuable off the bench, as he scored over 20 or more points in three separate games and 19 in another.
With starters
Elton Brand and
Samuel Dalembert struggling, Speights was instant offense off the bench.
So news via
the Doylestown Intelligencer that Speights is hoping to be back around Christmas is a good sign for the team.
"We're (having him scrimmage in) 4- to 5-minute bursts, then getting him out of there," Sixers coach Eddie Jordan told the paper. "He's not ready to play a game, conditioning-wise, but he's getting there."
Jordan inserted
Jrue Holiday into the lineup last night, and put Brand on the bench. This was the third time Brand didn't start this season. If Speights shows the same kind of offensive spark when he returns -- and can flash some defense, the one part of his game Jordan wants improvement on -- he may push Brand out of the starting lineup permanently at some point down the road, especially if the Sixers continue to struggle.
http:// [h3]New York's road ahead[/h3]
11:35AM ET
[h5]New York Knicks[/h5]
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According to ESPN's John Hollinger's Playoff Odds, the New York Knicks -- they of four-game winning streak fame -- now have better than a 50-50 shot at making the playoffs. It's 56.9 percent, to be exact. Yes, you read that right.
And as the New York Times points out today, their schedule ahead isn't too daunting.
"Starting Tuesday night in Charlotte, the Knicks (9-15) play seven of their next nine games against teams with losing records," writes Howard Beck. "The stretch includes home-and-away series against the Bobcats and the Chicago Bulls, and road games against the Nets and the Detroit Pistons. The only elite team left on the December schedule is San Antonio -- and the Spurs (12-9) are not exactly themselves.
"The Knicks' January schedule is just as soft: 10 of their 15 opponents are currently below .500. In fact, between now and the All-Star break, the Knicks will face just seven winning teams, in 28 games."
But Beck cautions the Knicks have been down this road before in recent years: winning streaks have been met with returns to reality. And remember: this team, even with winning four straight, is only 8-15 right now.
[h5]John Hollinger[/h5]
'Antoni has limited the rotation during win streak
"Mike D'Antoni has done what he does best -- limit the rotation to seven guys and make sure all of them get plenty of minutes and shots. Three players in particular have benefited. The first is
Al Harrington ... Second is guard
Larry Hughes, who has proven far more potent than expected as a playmaker despite his usual wayward shooting (39.4 percent). His 5.7 assists per 40 minutes help offset the disappointing start by
Chris Duhon ... And finally there's center
David Lee. He's added a stronger midrange game to his arsenal and has proved more accurate than ever, shooting 57.3 percent from the floor ... the Knicks are much improved, which has fans in the Apple reinvigorated and those in Utah worried. (The Jazz own New York's first-round pick in 2010.) New York's renewed vigor could have important implications going forward as well. It should be much it easier to persuade a top-level free agent to join their roster next season if the Knicks aren't viewed as such a daunting rebuilding project. That's especially true when you consider the rapid development of 21-year-old
Danilo Gallinari, who's thriving in his first full, healthy season with a 17.3 PER and a league-leading 64 3-pointers made."
http:// [h3]Williams back this month?[/h3]
11:21AM ET
[h5]Lou Williams |
76ers[/h5]
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When
Lou Williams broke his jaw at the end of November, he was charted to miss eight weeks of the season.
But might it only be a month?
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Williams wrote on his Twitter account yesterday that he was "projecting" to be back Dec. 26 against the Jazz.
If that's the case, we may be seeing what the Sixers plan to do with
Allen Iverson and Lou Williams sooner than expected.
But don't count on Williams coming back early, says coach Eddie Jordan.
"The schedule is still the schedule," Jordan told the paper last night. "Whatever it was."
http:// [h3]Season not lost says McMillan[/h3]
11:08AM ET
[h5]Nate McMillan |
Trail Blazers[/h5]
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The Blazers are 2-6 in their last eight games and have been decimated by injuries, but they're not giving up on the season.
"We've had a lot of bad breaks here early this season and we just have to keep working and keep fighting and overcome this," Blazers head coach
Nate McMillan told
The Oregonian. "I think things will turn around eventually. But we can't give in to what has been going on or what is happening to us right now. We have to stick together and continue to work to turn this around.
"We're not giving up on this season and quitting on the season. We do have nine guys. Let's give it what we've got and try to get to the playoffs and (when) we get there, let's see what happens after that."
http:// [h3]Green finally finds a job[/h3]
11:06AM ET
[h5]Boston Celtics[/h5]
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The Celtics are happy that
Gerald Green finally found work. The NBA free agent signed with Lokomotiv Kuban (Russia) last week.
"I'm just glad Gerald's still involved with the game,"
Paul Pierce told the
Boston Herald. "He's got a lot of talent. We'll probably see him again in the NBA some time soon.
"I think he's still a tremendous talent, but, you know, it's tough to try to make that adjustment out of high school, learning the pro game. In high school, you really don't understand what it's all about. I've always said that the easiest thing sometimes is making it into the NBA. The hardest thing is staying."
http:// [h3]Hudson sent down[/h3]
11:06AM ET
[h5]Lester Hudson |
Celtics[/h5]
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Rookie
Lester Hudson will be sent to the D-League today and should play in three games for the Maine Red Claws this week before returning to the Celtics on Sunday.
"He's on a very good team where it's very difficult to get minutes, but that hasn't sidetracked his work," Head coach
Doc Rivers told the
Boston Herald. "We're going to send him down pretty soon to the NBDL for a week or so to get him some games, because I don't like our young guys going these long stretches without playing games. And then we're going to bring him back. I think that will help him."
http:// [h3]Hack-A-Howard getting out of hand?[/h3]
11:05AM ET
[h5]Dwight Howard |
Magic[/h5]
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Jim O'Brien's gameplan coming into their game against Orlando last night was to "foul the hell out of
Dwight Howard." Well, the Pacers head coach succeeded. Howard attempted 22 free throws and made 13 of them.
At one point in the third quarter Pacers forward
Troy Murphy and Howard had a bit of a tussle and both players were assessed a technical.
"It's out of hand what they're letting people do to Dwight," Stan Van Gundy told the
Orlando Sentinel. "And if you're going to let people continue to hit him around the head and grab him around the neck, look, I don't care, those are flagrant fouls, they need to be called. I don't care who you are, you're only going to take that for so long. It's absurd what's going on."
Van Gundy doesn't think Howard will be suspended for retaliating against Murphy.
http:// [h3]Rockets schedule is ridiculous[/h3]
11:04AM ET
[h5]Rick Adelman |
Rockets[/h5]
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Head coach Rick Adelman is not happy about the Rockets schedule in December and he vented Monday.
"We have a horrendous stretch here," Adelman told the
Houston Chronicle. "I don't know if the league really understands that they gave us four back-to-backs. It's awful.
"And it's not just the back-to-backs. We play at home (tonight), then travel to Denver for the next one. Then the next week we play at home, then travel to Orlando for the next one. To me, it's just utterly ridiculous. But that's the schedule we have."
Adelman also is frustrated at the lack of time players and coaches will be at home around Christmas.
"I just think every team should have a chance when they're home a little bit to spend time with their families, and we have no chance," Adelman said. "This is the most ridiculous schedule I've ever seen. I wouldn't even know Christmas was coming unless someone told me, because that's all we're doing is traveling and playing games."
http:// [h3]Trading Amare unlikely[/h3]
10:16AM ET
[h5]Amare Stoudemire |
Suns[/h5]
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http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=phoPhoenix Suns general manager
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=425Steve Kerr told
AOL FanHouse Monday that he doesn't foresee making a deal before the February trade deadline. That would include
Amare Stoudemire, who can become a free agent next summer.
"I don't think we're going to do anything,'" Kerr said. "I'm pretty happy with this group. ... I'd be pretty surprised if we did anything (with Stoudemire). We're playing well. You always want to get better and you never say never (regarding a move). But we're playing well."
Stoudemire says he doesn't know if he'll opt out of his contract or sign an extension.
"I'm right in the middle," he said. "There's no particular way I'm leaning. ... "I think we're going to talk about something soon. I'm not totally sure."
http:// [h3]Bayless rumor not true?[/h3]
10:05AM ET
[h5]Jerryd Bayless |
Trail Blazers[/h5]
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There was a report recently that
Jerryd Bayless asked to be traded, but he says that's not true when asked by
Blazersedge.com.
Blazersedge: Did your agent or anyone else approach
Kevin Pritchard on your behalf?
"Not that I know of," said Bayless.
Blazersedge: How do you think something like that gets started?
"Probably because I wasn't playing. Someone wanted to write it," replied Bayless.
http:// [h3]Brown wants game called equally[/h3]
9:55AM ET
[h5]Larry Brown |
Bobcats[/h5]
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Bobcats coach Larry Brown thinks superstars are treated differently by referees and he says that's not right.
"The reality is, it depends on the person," Brown told
The Charlotte Observer. "Some people can do that and some can't. And that's wrong. You can't ref that way. For players to say they're confused by how things are called, I can see a lot of guys honestly saying that."
http:// [h3]Bender to play tonight?[/h3]
9:46AM ET
[h5]Jonathan Bender |
Knicks[/h5]
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Jonathan Bender practiced for the second straight day yesterday after he signed with the
New York Knicks Sunday. Head coach Mike D'Antoni wouldn't rule out the possibility that Bender will make his debut tonight.
"I don't know ... we'll see," D'Antoni told the
New York Post. "He could, because I wouldn't mind, not knowing how the game is going to go, to get him time as soon as I can, in maybe a non-stressful time."
http:// [h3]Knicks eye Augustin[/h3]
9:00AM ET
[h5]D.J. Augustin |
Bobcats[/h5]
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The Knicks talked with the Bobcats last season about
.J. Augustin and a source tells the New York
Daily News that New York is still interested in the point guard.
"He was part of a bigger deal," the source said. "But I know the Knicks like him very much."
Bobcats head coach Larry Brown is open to trading Augustin but has been overruled by
Michael Jordan.
http:// [h3]Nuggets maybe need help[/h3]
8:44AM ET
[h5]Denver Nuggets[/h5]
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"Do we need to find another player to play in the rotation?" Nuggets head coach George Karl said to
The Denver Post Monday. "Maybe."
The Nuggets would probably sign a big man if a roster move is made. They are one of the smaller teams in the league, with just three players who play regularly that stand 6-9 or higher.
http:// [h3]Nelson to return this week[/h3]
8:31AM ET
[h5]Don Nelson |
Warriors[/h5]
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Warriors head coach Don Nelson has almost completely recovered from a bout with pneumonia and should be back on the bench Wednesday.
"He'll be fine and ready to go when we get home," general manager Larry Riley told
The Oakland Tribune Monday. "He's anxious to get with the team. He'll have some ideas about what he wants to do. There should be no more problems from here on out."
http:// [h3]Jack a better fit than Calderon?[/h3]
7:39AM ET
[h5]Jarrett Jack |
Raptors[/h5]
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Should
Jarrett Jack replace
Jose Calderon permanently as the
Toronto Raptors starting point guard? Ryan Wolstat of the
Toronto Sun thinks Jack is a better fit with the starters.
Wolstat writes: "Jarrett Jack took
T.J. Ford's starting point guard gig last year in Indiana and over the next few games, he might just take advantage of Jose Calderon's injury and do the same thing in Toronto. Jack is not the dead-eye shooter Calderon is, nor is he a pass-first 'true' point guard like the Spaniard, but it is becoming increasingly apparent that his skill-set meshes better with the rest of the starting lineup than Calderon's ... Though he, like Jack, has posted better numbers as a starter, Calderon also has had success as a backup and likely would thrive even more now playing against second units."
http:// [h3]Jordan won't change[/h3]
7:28AM ET
[h5]Eddie Jordan |
76ers[/h5]
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Even though he was fired after a 1-10 start by the Wizards last season and has began his first year 6-18 with the
Philadelphia 76ers, head coach Eddie Jordan says he's not going to change his coaching style.
"You believe in the principles, no matter what," Jordan told the
Philadelphia Daily News. "You have to have more belief. You look for adjustments, but you don't change your style of coaching; you don't change your whole demeanor. I am who I am as a coach, and I have beliefs, and I know in coaching, Jerry Sloan has his beliefs and he's had tough stretches; I know Pat Riley has his beliefs and he's had tough stretches. The same with Larry Brown. That's naming three of the top coaches in the history of basketball; they've all had tough stretches.
"I was thinking the other day, they once hung Dean Smith in effigy [at North Carolina]. It doesn't rattle me to [make me] think I'm not a good coach. We have a veteran staff here; we're not coaching wrong, and we have to make adjustments, emphasize what we need to do to get better. You have to believe in your principles. You keep teaching through your experiences, understanding there will be some ups and downs, for you and your players."
http:// [h3]Arroyo stays, Randolph goes[/h3]
6:24AM ET
[h5]Shavlik Randolph |
Heat[/h5]
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The
Miami Heat made a roster move Monday. They waived forward
Shavlik Randolph and kept guard
Carlos Arroyo.
"We wanted to keep our flexibility and keep our options open and possibly do something down the line," coach Erik Spoelstra told the
South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "We actually like Shav quite a bit. He impressed us. The more and more he was with us, the more we noticed him in practice."
Spoelstra offered a vote of confidence for Arroyo.
"I like what Carlos has done," Spoelstra said. "He's got a great competitive spirit. Even in the game [Sunday] night, where we're getting throttled by 30, he's out there competing, very physical. For an undersized guard, he's got a lot of fight in him. I like that. It fits with what we do."
http:// [h3]T-Mac not an option[/h3]
5:42AM ET
[h5]Tracy McGrady |
Rockets[/h5]
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Just because
Trevor Ariza has been slapped with a one game suspension by the NBA, that doesn't mean
Tracy McGrady will take his spot.
Rockets' head coach Rick Adelman says there has been no change in his approach to McGrady's situation.
"That's something I haven't thought about," he told the
Houston Chronicle. "We've been talking about a lot of things. Tracy's situation is what it has been."
http:// [h3]Should Rose shoot or pass?[/h3]
5:35AM ET
[h5]Derrick Rose |
Bulls[/h5]
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Derrick Rose is one of the few players on the Bulls' roster capable of creating his own shot and finishing in traffic. Why doesn't he take over more often since the Bulls desperately need additional scoring?
"Yeah, but it's hard when everybody's focusing on you on the court," Rose told the
Chicago Sun-Times. "It's very hard being in the position where I'm the point guard and I'm supposed to pass the ball and everything.
"People say they want me to shoot the ball more, but I'm the point guard; I can't do that. I've got to pass the ball to people and get people open. Taking over as a point guard is getting people open and shooting here and there. If I was a 2-guard, it would be something else."
http:// [h3]Asik to miss two months[/h3]
5:30AM ET
[h5]Chicago Bulls[/h5]
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From today's
Chicago Tribune:
"The Bulls' injury bug has somehow crawled overseas. Omer Asik, whom the Bulls selected in the second round in 2008 and project to be a contributor once his Turkish contract expires after this season, broke his collarbone on Saturday and is expected to miss two months following surgery. It's the second significant injury for Asik, 23, who missed most of last season following knee surgery to repair torn ligaments."
http:// [h3]Kuester right man to coach Pistons[/h3]
5:16AM ET
[h5]John Kuester |
Pistons[/h5]
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Richard Hamilton looks at the
Detroit Pistons 11-12 record and five-game winning streak as evidence that first-year coach John Kuester is the right man for the job.
"He really showed he can coach with the guys out on the floor," Hamilton tells the
Detroit Free Press. "That says a whole lot, and you give a whole lot of credit to Q. Seeing the guys he had out there, they still played hard and got some wins."
http:// [h3]Sessions available?[/h3]
4:56AM ET
[h5]Ramon Sessions |
Timberwolves[/h5]
Top Email
Ramon Sessions is now eligible to be traded starting today.
ESPN.com's Marc Stein listed Sessions as one of the top players that will likely be made available by their team.
Timberwolves president of Basketball Operations, David Kahn, told the
Star Tribune Monday that today's date is not significant to him.
"No, not for us it isn't. Tomorrow is Tuesday. We're going home tomorrow. That's the only significance."
"I don't feel at all compelled that we need to make a move right now, but that's not to say, as I've always said, that if something comes our way, in season, that we wouldn't respond," Kahn told the
Pioneer Press. "Through the natural events of drafts and free agency, of course, there will be a lot of chances down the pike."
http:// [h3]Gomes' streak ends[/h3]
4:35AM ET
[h5]Ryan Gomes |
Timberwolves[/h5]
Top Email
Ryan Gomes' streak of consecutive games played ended at 203 Monday due to a left ankle sprain. He will have an MRI Tuesday to determine the severity of the injury.
"I didn't know it was that long, I just knew I played every game last season," Gomes told the
Star Tribune. "I don't think [my ankle] is that serious. I've been walking on it fine. I have a little pain, but they said if it was really bad, I wouldn't be able to walk on it right now."