Former Houston coach Rick Adelman has been hired as the new coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported Monday that two league sources have reported that Adelman will replace Kurt Rambis, who was fired after last season. San Antonio Express-News Blog

Jamal Crawford, who could love nothing more than to rejoin the Knicks when a new collective bargaining agreement is finalized, will apparently have new representation when he officially becomes a free agent. According to a person close to the former Knicks shooting guard, Crawford has parted ways with his longtime agency, Goodwin Sports Management, and is seeking a new agent. NY Daily News

NBA fines Jordan $100,000

The NBA fined Michael Jordan $100,000 for public comments he made last month about the lockout and one of the league's players, according to sources with knowledge of the situation. NBA spokesman Tim Frank confirmed that Jordan had been fined, but said the league would not comment on the total. ESPN.com

Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin might play in China

By Benjamin Hochman
The Denver Post

A third free agent who played for the Nuggets last year is in serious talks to play in China.

Kenyon Martin has received significant interest from two professional teams in the Chinese Basketball Association, which would make him the highest-paid player in the history of that league, a source said today.

The CBA will not allow players contract opt-outs should the NBA season begins before the CBA's season ends. The NBA is currently in a labor lockout.

The longtime Nuggets power forward is currently weighing his options. If he signed with a team he would make more than the reported $3 million that Nuggets teammate J.R. Smith would make for a Chinese team, the source said.

Martin, like Smith, is an unrestricted free agent.

Wilson Chandler, who joined the Nuggets last February, is a restricted free agent. He has already signed with a Chinese team, but upon his return to the U.S., the Nuggets would still be able to match any offer for him.

League play in China begins in October and the regular season ends in mid-February. The playoffs go until mid-March, so theoretically, if the locked-out NBA is playing games at that point, Martin and Smith could sign as free agents to play down the stretch for an NBA team.

Martin, who turns 34 in December, is one of the NBA's top defenders and averaged 8.6 points per game and 6.2 rebounds last year for Denver.

11 Sep 2011 23:20:17

11 Sep 2011 23:20:17
Toronto and Suns and Sacramento trade:

Toronto gets Steve Nash + Robin Lopez + Pietrus + cash considerations
Suns get Jose Caleron + DeMar DeRozan + Demarxus Cousins
Sacramento gets Ed Davis + Linas Kleiza + Suns round 1 pick in 2013 or 2014

Expecting a big come back from Robin Lopez to his 2009-2010 self when he played big in the playoffs against Lakers as he overcomes his back injury over the last year. Plus he will be great as Center behind Barganani as PF.

Toronto loses Jose Calederon who has great talent but has not been able to get it done to get Steve Nash, the best game maker and Canada's son to light up Toronto and retire with the Raptors. Yes, we have to give up DeMar DeRozan.

Sacramento has traded for Hickson who is good. They get Ed Davis who is also good to keep building behind Hickson and get a good SF in Linas Kleiza and a round 1 pick to boot. So they get great young and cheap talent for DeMarcus Cousins who is young and immature (and who hopefully finds a lot more structured and mature team in Phoenix).

Suns lose Nash and Lopez they like but get DeRozan and Cousins and Calderon (hopefully he is able to take his game to the next level in Phoenix by winning the season).

Adam Morrison

Former Gonzaga star Adam Morrison, trying to resurrect his pro career after not playing in the NBA last season, is in serious talks to sign with Serbian club power Crvena Zvezda, according to his agent. Mark Bartelstein, Morrison's Chicago-based representative, confirmed Friday that there have been "real conversations" between the parties and acknowledged legitimate interest "on both sides" after overseas reports described the deal as all but done. ESPN.com

Canadian hoopsters bypassed the Olympic qualifier

Several notable Canadian hoopsters bypassed the Olympic qualifier, including 2011 NBA overall No. 4 draft pick Tristan Thompson, but it’s Nash who has borne the brunt of the criticism because of his senior standing. That has led to a few unkind headlines across the country as Nash’s pristine Canuck rep has had some of the shine rubbed off it. Province columnist Tony Gallagher penned a piece: “Did Nash dash Olympic hopes?,” noting that Sidney Crosby “would have been absolutely ripped apart by the media in this country” if he bowed out of Winter Olympics play for Canada in hockey. A Toronto tabloid went even further with the sarcastic headline: “Thanks a lot, Nash!” Times Colonist

Adelman is expected to reach a contract agreement with the Timberwolves next week.

For months now the Minnesota Timberwolves have been looking to fill their vacant head coaching position, and now it looks like they will finally get it done. After waiting until well into the head coach hiring frenzy to part ways with Kurt Rambis, the Timberwolves found themselves in the unenviable position of having to leave no stone unturned in their pursuit of a new coach, a search that included such names as Larry Brown, Sam Mitchell and Don Nelson. It wasn’t until the possibility that Nelson might just be next for Minnesota arose (much to the chagrin of many of team president David Kahn’s advisers) that former Houston Rockets head coach Rick Adelman came into the picture.

Udonis Haslem

Udonis Haslem hopes to be ready -- and able -- to play soon. The Miami Heat forward says he believes the NBA's players and owners will come to terms on a new labor deal in time to save the season. Haslem says players have been told "both sides want to get a deal done." Labor talks are scheduled to resume Tuesday. AP

Read more: http://www.foxsportsflorida.com/09/10/11/Haslem-says-he-expects-season-to-be-save/landing_heat.html?blockID=562736&feedID=3565

11 Sep 2011 01:04:05

Trade:

Raptors- Whiteside, Hickson, 2 2nd rd pk(Kings)

Bucks - Tyreke, Casspi

Kings - Capt.Jack, Barbosa,

Cavs - Mbah a moute, Jerebko, cash(Pistons)

Pistons - Harangody, Harris

3 team trade: Lakers-Pistons- Nuggets Rumor

10 Sep 2011 00:42:13
3 team trade: Lakers-Pistons- Nuggets

Nuggets get: Matt Barnes, 2014 1st round pick from Lakers, Ben Gordon, Terrico White, 1st round pick from Pistons, Jason Maxiell,

Lakers get: Rodney Stuckey, Wilson Chandler

Pistons get: Lamar Odom, Timofey Mosgov

Laker lineup
PG:Stuckey/Blake/Fisher
SG:Kobe/McGrady(FA)/Goudelock
SF:Chandler/Artest/Ebanks
PF:Gasol/Caracter
C:Bynum/Gray(FA)

Nuggets lineup (it's kinda hard to list the Nuggets lineup since they got so many FA but I'll try
Nuggets LINEUP
PG:Lawson/A.Miller
SG:Afflalo/Gordon
SF:Gallinari/Barnes
PF:Martin/Landry(FA)
C:Nene/Birdman
**IDK if Martin and Nene will resign with Denver; but I had to put them in lineup

Piston lineup
PG:Knight/Bynum
SG:S.Brown(FA)/Hamilton
SF:Odom/FA
PF:Monroe/Villenueva
C:Mosgov/Wallace

Los Angeles Lakers - Atlanta Hawks Lineup Rumor

10 Sep 2011 06:10:36
LAL-HAWKS

andrew bynum, ron artest and (s/t) shannon brown

josh smith, jeff teague and
hilton armstrong

LAL linup
teague,blake
kobe/goudlock
barnes/ebanks
smith/character
gasol/armstrong

HAWKS linup
hinrich/crawford
johnson/brown
artest/williams
horford/powell
bynum/pachulia

LAL get the point gaurd they need in teague, they get the athletic forward they need in j-smoove and a throw in centre in armstrong

HAWKS get the dominant centre they need in bynum who if he stays fit could be a 20 and 10 guy, a defensive specialist in artest and an athletic combo gaurd in brown