The Oklahoma City Thunder appear to have fallen out of contention in the West after losing their All-Star pairing of Paul George and Russell Westbrook, while both Los Angeles teams have strengthened considerably as they look to mount a major challenge for the title.
Meanwhile, the East continues to improve, and the Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks are two teams that could reach the Finals after Kawhi Leonard left the Toronto Raptors.
Much of the summer’s business has already been conducted, although further trades could be completed before the end of the year. So, here are all the latest news and rumors you need to know for August 9th.
Team USA declined Carmelo Anthony’s offer to return for FIBA World Cup
While a number of the NBA’s biggest stars continually rule themselves out of selection for Team USA, Carmelo Anthony has been a mainstay with the national team for more than a decade. The veteran has won three Olympic Gold medals and also leads the team in minutes, points and rebounds.
With plenty of USA’s stars once again pulling out of the upcoming World Cup, Anthony had been linked with a return, although USA Basketball Managing Director Jerry Colangelo told SI that the team has snubbed Melo’s request to play:
Anthony has not played since being told to find a new team by the Houston Rockets back in November.
Michael Beasley set to head to China in $5 million deal
Michael Beasley was, earlier this week, hit with the news that he will serve a five-game NBA suspension for violating the league’s anti-drug policy, although Jeff Goodman is reporting that Beasley won’t serve his ban anytime soon as he is on the verge of a move to China:
The deal is similar to the one received by Beasley’s former teammate Lance Stephenson, who also headed to the ever-growing league earlier this week.
While the move will net Beasley a significant salary, the move concludes a difficult 12 months for the Maryland native. Beasley signed for the Los Angeles Lakers last summer after enjoying a solid 17-18 campaign with the New York Knicks, although the small forward was restricted to 26 appearances (2 starts), averaging just over 10 minutes per contest.
Jason Kidd eager to start working with LeBron James
Jason Kidd joined the Los Angeles Lakers as an assistant coach earlier this summer, and many sources have tipped the legendary guard as a future head coach of the organization. However, during an interview with ESPN, Kidd expressed his happiness to return to his home state, and also his desire to start working with LeBron James:
Since retiring back in 2013, Kidd has enjoyed spells as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks. He has been credited for his ability to help with the development of young players, although Kidd now has his sights set on helping an aging LeBron win a championship in Los Angeles.
0 votes
