The Sports Note

Yesterday I was scrolling through my news aggregator and I stumble upon a post by the guys at DC Sports Report entitled “Kobe to DC?“. Naturally this piqued my interest so I clicked through and the post was centered around a blurb in Sam Smith’s column in the Chicago Tribune.

Here’s what Smith wrote:

Agent Zero going Hollywood?
One general manager on the periphery of the Bryant talks says he believes the “dark horse” to make a deal with the Lakers is the Washington Wizards. The consensus is the Wizards have hit a plateau, but have the star power in Gilbert Arenas to make a deal.

Arenas is talking about opting out of his contract after this season. He’s from Los Angeles and has become a star, one of the league’s highest-scoring players and an engaging personality who would embrace the Hollywood scene. He would meet the Lakers’ demands for an All-Star player if they trade Bryant.

“Watch out for them,” the general manager said, meaning the Wizards.

The Lakers probably would want a power forward, which the Wizards don’t have. The biggest obstacle, though, may be Bryant’s no-trade clause, along with the fact he hasn’t indicated any interest in Washington. Still, with Bryant, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler, the Wizards would have a three-star set that could match up in the East.

Now Sam Smith is fairly well known for tossing out all sorts of trade rumors, thats basically his whole shtick, so I took that with a grain of salt. But then DC Sports Report updated their post to include a Marc Stein quote from an ESPN.com chat he did:

Real enough that I wouldn’t call it a rumor. Washington’s interest, I’m told, is super genuine. What we don’t know yet is whether Kobe would be amenable to Washington. But the Lakers would be hard-pressed to do better than a package that apparently features Gilbert Arenas and Andray Blatche . . . as long as Gil were willing to agree to extension with his hometown Lakers as opposed to opting out at season’s end.

getting involved in the Kobe Sweepstakes and I’ve since heard that there’s legit smoke here. We’ll have to see what Kobe thinks of sharing a city with the president, since he wields more power than anyone in the NBA with the only active no-trade clause.

Hmmm. Could this be real? I guess they are at least talking about talking about it or something like that right? Now I’m getting a little excited, thinking about possibilities, etc. I love Gilbert as much as the next guy and would hate to see him go…but Kobe in DC? Best player in the league, here? Makes you pause, I’ll tell you that.

Then of course I read in today’s paper that Ernie Grunfield denies it all. Here’s Ernie:

“I don’t normally comment on rumors but there is no truth to this rumor,” Grunfeld said when reached by phone last evening. “We’ve never had any conversations with the Lakers or with anyone else about Gilbert.”

Oh. I guess I didn’t really expect Ernie to say anything differently but still, that kind of kills the fun of considering trade offers, doesnt it? Ivan Carter, WaPo Wizards beat writer extraordinaire, had more on his blog:

(cites Grunfield quote mentioned above) I heard the same from other folks with knowledge of the situation so I really don’t know what to make of Sam’s speculation or similar speculation via Marc Stein at www.espn.com. Now, in terms of Sam, I’ll say this: my man Sam had Kevin Garnett traded to the Bulls around 1,500 times over the last few years. I think he had Iverson moved nearly half as often. That’s Sam’s job: talk to folks around the league and throw out possible trade situations when he hears them. As any reporter will tell you, there are 5,000 “source” rumors for every trade that actually goes down. In the NBA, where many voices are whispering sweet nothings in many an ear, rumor is a way of life.

Here’s why I don’t see a Kobe/Wiz deal going down:

1. Kobe has a no-trade clause, a hefty trade kicker and it appears that his heart is set on Chicago. Now, if something floats out in the next few days that Kobe secretly loves the Redskins, has always wanted to visit Mount Vernon and really digs trips the Smithsonian when visiting the DC, you’ll know that there something is to this rumor. Believe this: Kobe is driving all of this and we’ll all know soon enough if he wants out of LA bad enough to step off the windy city and flirt with chocolate city. Until then, it’s all talk. Now, if Kobe shows up to practice tomorrow wearing a Caron Butler jersey……..

2. Would the Lakers really give up Kobe for a guy who is coming off of knee surgery and can opt out of his deal next summer? Where would that put them in a Western Conference that is top heavy with the Spurs, Suns, Mavs, Nuggets, Jazz and Rockets?

3. I would assume that if the Lakers are doing their jobs, they would demand Andray Blatche in any deal involving Kobe and that isn’t going to happen, not based on the things Blatche showed in preseason. You don’t trade 6-11, 260-pound 21-year olds with that skill set and a five-year contract that is only running you $15 million.
Not in a conference that has LeBron, Luol Deng, Rasheed, KG, Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, Rashard Lewis, Zach Randolph, Gerald Wallace, Josh Smith and assorted other matchup nightmares lurking in every corner. If Blatche reaches his potential, he gives you a five-tool almost 7-footer who is just scratching the surface. Hard to trade that, even for Kobe.

Now, as we all know, things can change and that’s why the first three months of this season are going to be so interesting. By February, the Wizards should have a feel for where Gilbert is on that knee and have a feel for how the rotation is coming together. If Gilbert does his thing and the big three stay healthy and Blatche continues to come along, the Wiz should be one of the top two or three teams in the East and there would be no reason to blow it all up by trying to land Kobe. Also, we’ll know just how hungry Kobe is to go somewhere.

My educated guess is that the Lakers will sit back, see how Kobe reacts early in the season and evaluate their options come February. I do have a feeling that it’s going to kill him watching KG play with Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. Thing is, KG was put into prison by Kevin McHale while Kobe pretty much did it to himself.

Carter mentions a big sticking point I had in any proposed Arenas for Kobe deal: I love Andray Blatche and consider him close to untouchable. Blatche is going to breakout this year, is signed for the next 5 years at a very reasonable price, and is going to be a 7 foot stud. You can’t involve him in any deal, you just cant. I guess its all moot anyway, which I think is a good thing. But its fun to think about.

After the jump, for no real reason other then I think its interesting, Michael Wilbon’s answers to some questions on this subject in a WaPo Chat House session yesterday.

(more…)

Ivan Carter has a long update up on the Andray situation which is well worth reading:

As for Andray Blatche: the Wiz and Blatche were on the verge of finalizing a deal on Thursday. From the folks I talked with, the deal (five years worth around $12.5 million) would have been finished no later than the weekend. Now, who knows? I heard that Ernie Grunfeld is feeling a mixture of hurt and anger right now. I was told that Ernie pulled Andray aside recently and told him to be careful about where he went out and who he went out with. I know for a fact that Gilbert, Antawn, DeShawn, Caron and Roger Mason have had the same conversations with Andray.

When I spoke with one vet tonight, he couldn’t believe the news: “Dude was about to sign a contract for millions and he got arrested for that? That’s stupid! Everyone knows you aren’t supposed to be out like that when a contract is getting done.”

It’s no secret in Verizon Center circles that Dre Day enjoys the night life - even after getting lucky two years ago when some crafty females suckered him and Peter John Ramos into getting jacked by two thugs in the early morning hours. Dre lived after getting shot but it’s hard to tell whether he’s really learned anything.

That said, Blatche is a 6-foot-11, 20-year old with no ceiling to his game. From my experience, he’s also a good guy. If he were a true knucklehead, I’d say so. He’s not. But he is extremely naive and he’s displayed a stunning lack of judgement which is not all that amazing considering his age. He’s rolled through money (I heard from a good source that the kid was sleeping at Verizon Center for several nights as rookie because he couldn’t pay rent), he’s out on every single road trip whether there’s a game the next night or not and he obviously doesn’t have a good read on females. There’s a reason why the guy was the MVP of Michael Jordan’s high school/prep school all star showcase but still fell to the second round, trust me.

This is why all beat writers should have blogs people, this is the kind of stuff that doesnt make the paper but, to people who really care, is invaluable inside stuff. I know it kinda dampens my love for Bulletproof. Andray absolutely should have been following Henry Abbott’s advice:

Isn’t the best course of action not to even be there? This would be a great month to spend evenings working on that jumper, or really catching up on your videogames and your Netflix. For a guy who has already endured a shooting, at some point isn’t the urge there just to be a little cautious?

What is it about partying or going out that would compel someone to risk so much (note: I still can’t wrap my mind around an NBA player trying to buy sex)? You were about to sign a contract for millions of dollars Andray, you couldn’t stay in until that was over?

We are all witnesses to the Nick Young era. Hope its a good one. Last night, with the 16th overall pick in the draft, the Wizards selected Nick Young, junior shooting guard out of USC. I was some what surprised Mr. Young was there for the taking as the Hornets were rumored to be keen on him but hey, who am I to complain?

Young’s selection gives the Wizards a certain amount of flexibility. Both DeShawn and Jarvis (all three play the same position) are free agents and, speaking only for me, I hope to the sweet Jesus we let Arvis (get it? no “J”) find another home. DeShawn I’ll be honest, I’d like to have him back but not for a ridiculous amount of money. I’d like Young to come off the bench while Stevenson starts but if some teams comes in with a crazy offer to DeShawn and the Wizards (hopefully) don’t match then it will be nice to have Young there to plug in.

I was some what surprised that in the second round we took this Dominic McGuire kid who I’ve never heard of when Ivan was telling me yesterday we were going to take D.J. Strawberry but oh well. Strawberry actually landed in a nice little situation with the Suns where Raja Bell can tutor him on the fine arts of being a defensive stopper in the NBA.

Here’s what Steinz uncovered over at the Sports Bog:

* He’s dating Carol Rodriguez, Puerto Rico’s 2006 Women’s Athlete of the Year and one of the top collegiate sprinters in the country, who also happens to be a model.

* He’s been known to sport a mohawk now and then, and actually claimed credit tonight for making the mohawk fashionable. He’s also had his initials and the Jordan Brand logo shaved into his head at various times, and he said he might bring back the mohawk next fall “just to fit in with the Wizards,” which is the right way to approach this team.

* He also has been known to wear skateboard gear featuring images of skeletons, and in fact said he used to skateboard when growing up in the San Fernando Valley.

* He has a reputation for being quite the dunker, and told me that he has “immense hops” and “flying ability.” “I should be in the dunk contest, maybe this year,” he said, “doing some Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins.”

* He was the only player in the Green Room with a two-toned outfit; dark slacks and a white coat. “I come from L.A. this is how we do it in L.A.,” he told me. “I’m more of mainstream Hollywood.”

Interesting. Also, I did like this quote quite a lot, from Daniel Forer (the producer of the movie about Nick) via Steinberg:

“Oh, you have no idea,” Forer said. “Washington has no idea what they have now got in Nick Young. No one knows. He is one of the most wonderful, joyous people you will ever meet in your life. And he will make everyone forget about their problems and just enjoy watching him and the Wizards. It is a gift.

“It’s hard to believe,” he admitted as I stared at him. “I was there in Los Angeles when Magic started, the first year he arrived, and Los Angeles had no idea what they were getting. Washington has no idea what they’re getting in Nick Young. He is a blessing, a gift. Now I’m not saying on the court, I don’t know how he’ll perform, but off the court he’s just a special human being.”

Now Mr. Forer in the previous paragraph kind of compared young Nick to Muhammad Ali and Brett Favre, as well as Magic, so I guess lets take Mr. Forer’s thoughts with a grain of salt but even still, nice to hear. I must say I’m quite happy with the pick. I’m looking forward to the Nick Young era indeed.

Other reactions around the tubes:
Michael Wilbon seems to approve

SI.com’s Chris Mannix says we are winners.
DC Sports Report gives an A-

Finally, after days and days of anticipation, the NBA Draft is upon us. It kind of sucks that the Wizards aren’t really involved in any of the exciting rumors; we aren’t in the lottery and we aren’t trading for Kobe or KG or Amare (at least, not that I’ve heard). So really, for the most part, Wizards fans are just looking in from the outside at #16. Having said that, here’s who we are rumored to be considering, at least according to this Washington Post graphic:

PG Javaris Crittenton, G-Tech
SF Thaddeus Young, G-Tech
SG Derrick Byers, Vandy
SG Nick Young, USC
SF Julian Wright, Kansas

If you ask me, both Youngs and Wright will probably be gone by the time we draft but I’d be thrilled if one of them fell to us. I like Derrick Byers alot, the fact that he is regarded as a good defender is a plus, playing in the stacked SEC (and playing well) doesnt hurt either.

Ivan Carter posted some thoughts on the Wizards Insider and apparently Byers is well liked by the Wizards. Also if D.J. Strawberry is there in the second round we’re taking him. I like that idea alot, I think Strawberry, at the very least defensively, has a future in the NBA.

Anyway there you have it. I’d like to see Byers and Strawberry drafted. Who knows, maybe we’ll even trade away Haywood for a pick or something? Either way it should be an exciting night, even if the Wizards aren’t really involved. Sadly I wont be able to watch live as I will be attending a concert but I’m taping everything and hoping to avoid tv/radio/internet until I can watch it tomorrow morning. Thats most likely not going to work out but I’m giving it a shot.

A hot NBA rumor out there (started by Sam Smith here) is that the Wizards and Trail Blazers were talking about trading Zach Randolph for Antwan Jamison. The WaPo Wizards beat man Ivan Carter says it ain’t happening in today’s chat:

McLean, Va.: Any truth to these Randolph for Jamison rumors? And can the personalities of Arenas, Stevenson, and Randolph work on this team? I see them getting bored on a long road trip and setting Etan’s dreads on fire.

Ivan Carter: Before we get to Kobe: I’ve asked around about the so-called Randolph rumor and from what I can gather, there is nothing to it. It came from Sam Smith of the Chi Tribune, who essentially writes a trade rumor column. The Portland people I spoke with yesterday said the Wiz and Blazers have not discussed a Randolph deal and that vibes with what I know about the Wiz. Abe Pollin isn’t going to trade his favorite player since Wes Unseld (Jamison) for a guy who has been arrested repeatedly, plays no defense and has a monster contract. Not going to happen. That said, you’d better believe that Portland is looking to move him. They’d love to.