Just two weeks to go before training camps start to commence around the league.
With that comes the expected flurry of late activity as teams both fill their training camp rosters and try to make those last minute deals they have either been haggling over all summer.
Here is Monday’s rundown of the top five news items around the league to start your workweek. Follow the jump for news on some squabbles with Miami big man Michael Beasley and his agent, more talk about Shaun Livingston’s possible return to the court and the growing buzz in Oklahoma...
MESSIN’ WITH MY MONEY
Miami Heat rookie Michael Beasley is going to be a lot of fun. The No. 2 pick in June’s draft has yet to play his first regular season game and yet he’s already got drama that usually only follows veterans. After a few days of rumor about him firing his agent, Joel Bell, the Miami Herald talked to Beasley Sunday and he confirmed the rift –-- but denies the actual dismissal and that he’s reached out to anyone else to do his agent bidding.
It all apparently has to do with endorsement cash, according to Beasley’s live-in personal assistant Bruce Shingler.
Said Shingler: “There have been some differences over terms, and things haven't all worked out like we thought. But that stuff out there is not true. It's a lot of rumors.”
Classic denial. Not trying to start a rumor or anything, but expect Bell to be without The Beas by the start of camp. End of camp at the latest…
OKC BRASS HAPPY WITH BUZZ
OKC General Manager Sam Presti is feeling good these days. The newly christened Oklahoma City Thunder have already sold out this year’s allotment of season tickets, he resigned restricted free agent Robert Swift and he's heard from a soothsayer that the backlash from leaving Seattle hasn’t cursed his family forever.
OK, I made up the last one, but you get the point.
Presti did seem particularly chipper, though, during this Q/A with the Oklahoman.
WILLIAMS BACK FOR 2012 OLYMPICS?
Utah Jazz guard Deron Williams, who provided a needed spark to USA Basketball’s 2008 gold medal “Redeem Team”
squad is apparently going to return for the London Olympics.
Williams was back in Illinois’ Assembly Hall Saturday for a special “Night of Legends”
exhibition reuniting the Illini’s 1989 squad and 2005 NCAA runner-up team.
USA hoops’ godfather Jerry Colangelo was also on hand and told the Daily Illini about Williams’ impending return for more hardware:
Williams and Jerry Colangelo, managing director of USA Basketball, were honored at halftime of the alumni game Saturday night. Sporting his gold medal, Williams received a standing ovation and chants of "U-S-A"
from the 15,417 at the Assembly Hall Saturday night.
"Deron was one of my top picks at point guard because I believed in him,"
Colangelo said. "He did the University proud, the country proud.
And he wants to continue representing this country going forward, so I'm sure you'll be seeing him in 2012 in London."
BLAZERS SHOW INTEREST IN LIVINGSTON
The Portland Trailblazers could be the home of Shaun Livington’s possible comeback from that horrific knee injury that many thought was a career-ender.
The Oregonian had this story about working out the former Clippers’ draftee. Livingston worked out on Friday, but there was no information about how the point guard looked after being off the court more than a year following his February 2007 injury that tore his anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament and lateral meniscus.
The paper also reports that the Blazers will likely want to check out Livingston’s medical records before they would even think about moving forward with him. The Blazers have one roster spot to fill with camp opening on Sept. 30. Livingston would be competing with free agents F Luke Jackson, C Steven Hill and G Jamaal Tatum, who all have been invited to camp.
The fourth overall pick of the 2004 NBA Draft, Livingston also missed 39 games during his rookie season after dislocating his right knee. The Clippers waived Livingston in July after signing Baron Davis and drafting Eric Gordon.
DEEP THOUGHTS WITH MARK CUBAN
This last one is a few days old, but this post on Mavs’ owner Mark Cuban’s blog caught my eye. Not because of what it says per se (honestly, I only read about a paragraph or two), but because I skim it and can’t help but wonder if the Mavs’ money man is more basketball starved than most of us.
Must be nice to have this kind of free time to ponder such random subjects. You just do you, Mark. Power to the people.
