Thread Tools

Display Modes

**Pioneer10** · 08-11-2007, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Cavs interested in retired guard Allan Houston Out of NBA with injury for two years, ex-Knick plans comeback at 36
By Brian Windhorst Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Sunday, Aug 12, 2007
Despite their rise to the ranks of the NBA elite, the Cavaliers have yet to cash in on the market for aging stars looking for a shot at a championship.
That might not change anytime soon, but they are in the game. Team sources said the Cavs have interest in former New York Knicks star Allan Houston, who is planning a comeback two years after being forced to retire because of knee problems. Houston, 36, was one of the best shooting guards in the game in his prime. He told ESPN.com last week that his knee is feeling better and he hopes to play this season.
Various media outlets have reported that the Dallas Mavericks also have shown interest in Houston. The Mavericks, though, already have 17 players under contract and just signed veteran shooting guard Eddie Jones to a deal last week.
Also in the past week, another former star forced into retirement with knee issues, Penny Hardaway, started a comeback by signing a one-year, nonguaranteed deal with the Miami Heat.
Houston, who made $40 million despite not playing for the past two years, probably would be looking for a deal that guarantees him the veteran's minimum of $1.2 million.
''I'm looking to play a supporting role to some of these great young stars,'' Houston told the Web site. ''More of a leadership role, someone who can add experience and stability late in games. I don't expect my scoring and my minutes to be what they used to, but at the same time, I'm not looking to just be a decoy out there. I'd like to have some kind of role.''
The Cavs have talked to retired stars in the past. An NBA source said the Cavs tried to talk Reggie Miller into coming out of retirement after the All-Star break last season. Miller, who is very close to Cavs coach Mike Brown, recently has been courted by the Boston Celtics.
Coach to be hired
The Cavs are expected to fill the hole on their coaching staff this week. League sources said the club will name veteran assistant John Kuester to Brown's staff. He will replace Kenny Natt, who left the team to take a job with the Sacramento Kings.
Kuester has 17 years of NBA coaching experience.
Training camp invites
The Cavs have issued four training camp invites to non-roster players as they look to find shooters and an additional big man. Dwayne Jones, who played with the Cavs sparingly last season, has been invited. Forward Darius Rice, a strong shooter who averaged 10.6 points on the summer league team, is expected to be invited, as are David Noel, an undersized but strong forward, and undrafted forward Anthony Tolliver. noweb

Brian Windhorst can be reached at bwindhor@thebeaconjournal.com. Check out his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/cavs/. Despite their rise to the ranks of the NBA elite, the Cavaliers have yet to cash in on the market for aging stars looking for a shot at a championship.
That might not change anytime soon, but they are in the game. Team sources said the Cavs have interest in former New York Knicks star Allan Houston, who is planning a comeback two years after being forced to retire because of knee problems. Houston, 36, was one of the best shooting guards in the game in his prime. He told ESPN.com last week that his knee is feeling better and he hopes to play this season.
Various media outlets have reported that the Dallas Mavericks also have shown interest in Houston. The Mavericks, though, already have 17 players under contract and just signed veteran shooting guard Eddie Jones to a deal last week.
Also in the past week, another former star forced into retirement with knee issues, Penny Hardaway, started a comeback by signing a one-year, nonguaranteed deal with the Miami Heat.
Houston, who made $40 million despite not playing for the past two years, probably would be looking for a deal that guarantees him the veteran's minimum of $1.2 million.
''I'm looking to play a supporting role to some of these great young stars,'' Houston told the Web site. ''More of a leadership role, someone who can add experience and stability late in games. I don't expect my scoring and my minutes to be what they used to, but at the same time, I'm not looking to just be a decoy out there. I'd like to have some kind of role.''
The Cavs have talked to retired stars in the past. An NBA source said the Cavs tried to talk Reggie Miller into coming out of retirement after the All-Star break last season. Miller, who is very close to Cavs coach Mike Brown, recently has been courted by the Boston Celtics.
Coach to be hired
The Cavs are expected to fill the hole on their coaching staff this week. League sources said the club will name veteran assistant John Kuester to Brown's staff. He will replace Kenny Natt, who left the team to take a job with the Sacramento Kings.
Kuester has 17 years of NBA coaching experience.
Training camp invites
The Cavs have issued four training camp invites to non-roster players as they look to find shooters and an additional big man. Dwayne Jones, who played with the Cavs sparingly last season, has been invited. Forward Darius Rice, a strong shooter who averaged 10.6 points on the summer league team, is expected to be invited, as are David Noel, an undersized but strong forward, and undrafted forward Anthony Tolliver. noweb

http://www.ohio.com/sports/cavs/9106016.html

bluecro · 08-13-2007, 02:16 PM

http://www.nba.com/news/443857.html

The Cavs are thinking about going after Houston. Im a Nets fan but for the direction that the Cavaliers are going it would be the biggest waste of money to go after Alan. At most he would only be able to play 15 minutes per game.

**Ruff Draft** · 08-13-2007, 03:15 PM

You can never get enough shooters on Cleveland.

**Benedict_Boozer** · 08-13-2007, 04:51 PM

He's better than David Wesley...

As a Cavs fan I hope Ferry does more than these type of moves in the offseason

**Ruff Draft** · 08-13-2007, 05:25 PM

I'd like to see Houston in Cleveland. He's a definite upgrade over some of the guys they have. Mainly D Jones & Wesley. I still believe a quiet storm is brewing with Varejao/Pavs. Sign & trades, trades, etc.

**Pioneer10** · 08-13-2007, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Allan Houston thoughts & more

Been away for a little bit, here’s some points on recent Cavs goings on. Most of it is from this story than ran Sunday, which had the most Cavs news I’ve been able to report in awhile.
–There has been no official announcement on John Kuester being named an assistant coach yet, but my sources on the matter are rock solid. From the people I have talked to, the decision to hire him is a solid one. I don’t know John, but he has been described to me as a pro’s pro who is very experienced. He’s been a head coach on the college level and been with numerous NBA teams. Experienced with a championship ring, he is exactly the type of candidate the Cavs said they wanted when they started the process. He is known as a guy who is a strong all around coach. I know this is not the type of candidate many fans wanted, but as I’ve been writing for a year now Danny Ferry and Mike Brown do not believe they need a so-called “offensive coordinator/guru.” I have talked to both men about it and they have presented their reasoning to me and I don’t see it changing any time soon. One theory is that you can’t call offensive sets like defensive sets, which are usually changed in timeouts. Second, Mike Brown believes he’s learning and getting better at coaching offense. That doesn’t mean there won’t be changes, I’m just trying to explain their thinking on the offensive coordinator issue.
How did Kuester get the job? He got a strong recommendation from Gregg Popovich among other things. He is a part of the extensive Larry Brown coaching tree, first playing at North Carolina and then coaching with him in Philadelphia and Detroit. It was Popovich who gave Mike Malone, in my mind one of the brightest young assistants in the NBA, a recommendation when Mike Brown was looking to assemble his staff two summers ago.
–On to Allan Houston, who has been planning this comeback and has been on the Cavs radar for some time now. The reason he made it public now is the recent signing of Penny Hardaway and the Celtics’ pursuit of Reggie Miller. Houston let it be known to ESPN, who he works for, that he’s on the market, too. At 36, he might have something left in the tank if his knee is truly OK. I know the Cavs are thinking about it and they’ll probably work him out or watch him work out if they haven’t already. If he wants to play in Cleveland and he can help there is no reason for the Cavs not to pursue this option because he was and probably still is a great shooter. Houston is also known for his high character, which the Cavs put an emphasis on. He’s six years young than Miller, but then again Miller didn’t have to retire years early because of chronic knee problems.
If the Cavs are somehow convinced he can contribute, a deal may come down to two factors. Just what his role would be, considering the Cavs want to continue to develop Daniel Gibson. Houston told ESPN that he wants to be a role player, but it sounded like he wanted a defined role. And perhaps whether the Cavs or anyone else is willing to guarantee him a contract. The Heat signed Hardaway to a nonguaranteed deal, but Houston surely will want his guaranteed.
–Assuming Anderson Varejao and Sasha Pavlovic re-sign, the Cavs are looking at having three open roster spots. Scot Pollard is now in Boston and that is a loss because he was a quality fifth big man. They Cavs just never needed him, which didn’t make him happy to be sure. So that spot is open. The Cavs have been trying to trade for a versatile backup big man. With the news of Adonal Foyle being bought out by the Warriors, I wouldn’t be surprised if they put in a call to him. Foyle is a good shot blocker and is an excellent character guy to have in the locker room. We’ll see what his market is.

More at:
http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/cavs/200...thoughts-more/

**remy23** · 08-14-2007, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Magic eye veteran big man Foyle

Tim Povtak | Sentinel Staff Writer
August 14, 2007

The Orlando Magic may have set their sights on veteran center Adonal Foyle, who became a free agent Monday when he accepted a contractual buyout from the Golden State Warriors.

Foyle, 32, is an experienced center/forward who could fill the void -- at least defensively -- that was created when Darko Milicic left as a free agent for the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Magic have been talking to the agents of several potential front-court players, but they had been waiting to see what other veterans became available.

Because they have only the veteran's minimum to offer under salary cap rules, their choices have been limited mostly to journeymen past their primes or underachieving younger players.

Foyle, who played his entire 10-year career with the Warriors, was due to make $8.9 million this season and $9.7 million next season. He accepted slightly less from Golden State to become a free agent. He now can sign with any other team in the league, knowing he already will be well paid.

The Magic will be able to pay him $1.2 million as a 10-year veteran, adding to his salary from the Warriors.

Although still an effective defensive center, he didn't fit into the uptempo helter-skelter style that was so effective for the Warriors during the playoffs under Coach Don Nelson. In his career, his offensive skills never really developed.

The Magic could use him as a third big man either behind center Dwight Howard, or even alongside him, allowing Howard to concentrate more on the offensive end. In his career, Foyle has averaged 1.78 blocks while playing limited minutes many years.

The Magic attempted to sign Foyle as a free agent three years ago, but he received a considerably larger contract from the Warriors to stay with Golden State.

He originally was the No. 8 pick of the 1997 draft from Colgate.

Magic General Manager Otis Smith declined to comment on the Foyle's availability, but one NBA executive with another team confirmed the Magic's interest. Also expected to show considerable interest are the Boston Celtics, who also lack depth in their front court.

Foyle played in only 48 games last season, averaging 10 minutes, 2.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.04 blocks, never figuring in the system used by Nelson.

He is the Warriors' all-time leader in blocked shots (1,140), ranking fifth in offensive rebounds (1,221), sixth in defensive rebounds (1,221) and seventh in games played (641).

Smith was an executive earlier in his career with the Warriors, and the two have stayed connected. Foyle also has been close to Clifford Ray, who works as an assistant with the Celtics.

The Magic also had been in contact with more highly-touted free agents like Chris Webber and P.J. Brown, but both are expected to command a higher salary than what Orlando can pay under the salary cap restraints.

Also still available among free agents are power forward Brian Skinner (Milwaukee), center Marc Jackson (New Orleans), center/forward Vitaly Potapenko (Sacramento) and center Jake Tsakalidis (Houston).

Thread Tools Display Modes

Thread Tools

Display Modes