- Michael Finley. The Nuggets are out, leaving the Suns, Spurs, Twolves, and Heat as the final three contenders for Big Mike's services. Many people thought that with the Nuggets being the only team who could offer Finley a guaranteed starting position that they'd have the upper-hand, but they were ultimately the farthest team away from a championship and that's what cost them. This isn't a big shock, as they weren't invited to Chicago to pitch to Finley and his agent (as the other four were). Phoenix is rumored to be the front-runner, which has got to have Mark Cuban wincing ... I imagine he's hoping that Mike lands in Miami. it will be very tough for Dallas fans to watch Finley playing for another western conference contender next year. Either way, he's expected to announce his decision today or tomorrow.
- Latrell Sprewell. With the Nuggets missing out on Finley, they promptly moved over and signed Latrell Sprewell. Terms of te deal haven't been announced yet, but I imagine is a two-year MLE deal. I'm not convinced that this was a smart move by Denver; it smells a little bit of desperation. Sprewell is not a good guy, and an average-at-best player these days. Is it really worth tying up your MLE with a risky signing? One of few moves that Denver's made in the past two years that haven't made sense to me. We'll dive into this more once we find out the terms of the deal.
- Derek Anderson. The NBA's first amnesty-victim, he's found a home in Houston. Fortunately for Rocket fans, the deal is only a two-year deal worth $1.67 million. To quote my man Bill Simmons, "there's comedy, there's high-comedy, and then there's this" ... Houston GM Carroll Dawson when talking about the signing:
"We think we've added another top-line piece of the puzzle and a great talent. To get a guy like this I feel very blessed. There are many ways that this guy can help our team."
Now that's quality. Do you think that Dawson refers to him as "guy" twice in a row is because he's afraid he'll throw up in his own mouth if he has to say his name out loud? Yes, there are many ways Derek Anderson can help your team. Let's count a few of them: 1. When he's on the bench, it doesn't drag down your offense. 2. When he's on the bench, he's not a liability on defense. 3. When he's playing, all of those missed jumpers create chances for your frontcourt players to pad their stats with offensive rebounds. 4. He'll give your trainer and team doctor something to do nearly every night with petty injuries such as aching toe and throbbing tooth. - Jalen Rose. Rumors have the Raptors and TWolves talking trade, with Jalen Rose reportedly headed to Minnesota. That's an interesting thought. It's well known that Michael Olowokandi is available. Then, the Raptors could have three crappy, overpaid centers on their roster, with Olowokandi, Rafael Araujo, and Charlie Villanueva. (alright, that's a bit early to label Villanueva, but does anyone really think he'll be an allstar?)
That's about it for today. Be on the lookout tomorrow for a possible guest-columnist ... and in the meatime, email blazersblog@yahoo.com with your thoughts. It's a slow time in the NBA and this is a great time to post your thinking.
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