Memphis Grizzlies Sale To Robert Pera In Trouble Of Falling Through?

It seems as though the sale of the Memphis Grizzlies to California-based billionaire Robert Pera Jr. may be in danger of falling through after Pera's net worth took a massive tumble in recent weeks, according to the New York Daily News.

Pera, who agreed last week to purchase the Grizzlies for an estimated $350 million, owns Ubiquiti Networks, a controversial communications technology company, and their stock has plummeted over the past two weeks.

The drop in the companies stock value has also caused his overall worth to drop from over $1 billion all the way down to $200 million, according to league sources.

Unless Pera has a group of investors lined up to help him with the purchase, there's a very good chance that the deal will fall through (previous reports stated that Pera had no such group in place and was planning to make the purchase on his own).

If Pera is unable to buy the team, current owner Michael Heisley will resume control over the franchise.

This wouldn't be the first time that Heisley has seen a deal fall through that would have transferred his 70% stake in the franchise to a new owner.

In 2007, Heisley had a deal in place with an ownership group headed by Brian Davis and former NBA player Christian Laettner before it eventually fell apart.

Heisley, who is based in Chicago and is 75 years old, has been trying to sell the franchise for quite some time as he is ready to enjoy retirement, however, he has been unable to find a new owner that is willing to keep the franchise in Memphis.

Larry Ellison, another California-based billionaire, had serious interest in purchasing the Grizzlies, however, Heisley refused to even entertain his offers, as he wants the franchise to stay in Memphis and knew Ellison had intentions of relocating the team.

Unless Pera can form an investment group on the fly, his chances of becoming the youngest owner in the NBA are not looking too well as of right now.

Boston Celtics Free Agency & NBA Draft News

According to an unnamed Western Conference GM that spoke with Sam Amico of FoxSports, the Boston Celtics are considering making one more run with the core group of players that helped the franchise come within one victory of playing in their third NBA Finals in five years.

While the anonymous GM said he believes Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers will try to keep most of the core group together, it seems as though one member of Boston's "Big Four" might be finding a new home during the offseason.

“I think they’ll re-sign Garnett, but let Allen walk,” said one Western Conference executive. “Then they’ll spend some money in free agency. They’re a respected franchise. They’ll draw some interest from the available bigger names, but the key will be to keep Garnett first.”

If the Celtics do indeed decide to allow Ray Allen to walk in free agency, they would be free to target one of the marquee names on this summer's free agent market such as Deron Williams, Steve Nash, or Eric Gordon.

Since the Celtics only have Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley, and JaJuan Johnson locked in under contract for next season (Brandon Bass has a player option for $4 million that he will likely exercise), they only have $34.5 million on their books in salary.

As long as they can convince Garnett to return at a moderate discount to chase one more ring and retire a Celtic, the team should have enough money to pursue someone that will be commanding something close to a maximum deal or several mid-level talents to restock around the core group.

Amico quoted the anonymous GM as saying he thought the Celtics might have interest in the following unrestricted free agents: Jason Terry (Dallas Mavericks), Andre Miller (Denver Nuggets), Carlos Delfino (Milwaukee Bucks), Shannon Brown (Phoenix Suns) and Nick Young (Los Angeles Clippers).

The GM also mentioned restricted free agents O.J. Mayo (Memphis Grizzlies) and Eric Gordon (New Orleans Hornets) as potential targets for Boston.

Brook Lopez is another player to keep an eye on, in my opinion, as I can't imagine him resigning with the Brooklyn Nets after they have spent two solid seasons trying to move him in exchange for Dwight Howard.

Lopez would give Boston a solid scoring threat in their front court to go along with Bass and Garnett (assuming both players return to the Celtics) and is now the best center on the market after Howard signed his one-year extension with the Orlando Magic.

Also, according to Amico, the Celtics are considering packaging the #21 and #22 picks they own in an attempt to move up "five or six spots" in this month's NBA Draft.

The Philadelphia 76ers (#15) and Houston Rockets (#16) are reportedly interested in trading their selections in return for a proven veteran, however, they might be enticed to make a deal with Boston if they feel they have a better chance of acquiring someone with two picks as opposed to one.

Definitely keep an eye out for a Boston-Houston trade, as the Rockets own the 14th pick as well as the 16th and I'd be very surprised if Houston doesn't trade at least one of the selections.

Although it's highly unlikely, if Boston does manage to trade up in the draft, they may find themselves in the awkward position of having Austin Rivers, son of head coach Doc Rivers, still available on the board when they pick.

Since both Austin and Doc have said in interviews that they would rather not end up with the same franchise, it's extremely unlikely to happen even if he is on the board when their pick comes up, however, there's always a chance things could change if the Celtics find themselves with a realistic chance of landing the young guard who played last season with Duke.

The only thing that is certain for the Boston Celtics this summer is that Danny Ainge will have his hands full as he tries to decide what direction the franchise wants to move into as they depart from the "Big Three" era and into a new, much more uncertain one.

Which free agents do you think would be the best fit for the Celtics? Should they try to trade up in the draft or grab two players in what many to consider to be a deep draft? Share what you think Ainge should do this summer below in the comments section.

Yesteday's Late News & Notes Round-Up From Around The League

This post is a round-up of random news and notes from Monday that I found interesting enough to write about, however, most of them didn't warrant their own posts so I've decided to put them all in one convenient place:

-- Cleveland Cavaliers offer their #4, #24, #33, and #34 picks to the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for the #1 pick:

According to Chad Ford of ESPN, the Cavaliers made a decent offer to the Hornets in an attempt to land likely number one overall pick Anthony Davis.

However, New Orleans rejected the offer making it seem even more certain that they will select Davis despite refusing to publicly commit to the big man who won a NCAA National Championship in April at the Superdome in New Orleans.

"It's not set in stone," the former Kentucky star has said when referring to being the first overall selection in the 2012 NBA Draft on June 28th.

While the Hornets and Davis may be saying that to the media, I'm not sure they're going to convince anyone that it's the truth.

-- Toronto Raptors reportedly have interest in trading for Rudy Gay, Andre Iguodala, or Tyreke Evans:

The Raptors have been attached to almost every player that is reportedly on the trading block that can play the small forward position since the regular season came to and end.

They have been rumored to be offering packages including Ed Davis, Andrea Bargnani and/or Jose Calderon, and their lottery pick in exchange for one of those players.

The problem for Toronto is that the Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings already have talented centers on their rosters meaning they likely wouldn't be interested in taking back Bargnani, although they may have some interest in Davis due to his young age and high ceiling on his potential.

Prying Iguodala away from Philly might be there best bet, however, I think the Sixers could probably receive a better offer by moving him elsewhere if they decide to trade him (maybe Los Angeles to the Lakers in a package for Pau Gasol for instance).

-- Rudy Gay reportedly unhappy with Memphis Grizzlies and would welcome trade to another team:

According to the same report from HoopsWorld as the Raptors note, Rudy Gay is reportedly unhappy with the Grizzlies since they have been offering him on the trade market since last season's successful postseason run while he was out with a shoulder injury.

Apparently Rudy is so unhappy with the franchise that he would now welcome a move to a new team and a chance to receive a fresh start in a new city.

However, with yesterday's announcement that team owner Michael Heisley will be selling the team to billionaire Robert Pera, it's now completely unknown what Gay's status with the franchise will be under the new ownership.

While Gay was reportedly being shopped to save money, it's likely Pera won't worry about trying to save cash during his first season with the team, especially while they already have a successful core in place coming off two consecutive playoff runs.

If Gay ends up being traded this summer, expect it to be a result of him asking for a change of scenery, as I can't picture a new owner coming in and splitting up a successful group coming off their best season in franchise history for any other reason.

-- Referee Greg Willard diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, will miss the NBA Finals:


Longtime NBA official Greg Willard was diagnosed with with pancreatic cancer after a blood test revealed a potentially serious illness, according to ESPN.com.

Willard has been an NBA referee for 24 seasons and began serving as an NBA referee for the NBA Finals during the 2009-10 season.

Referees working this year's NBA Finals will all wear Willard's #57 jersey in his honor, which is a gesture worth mentioning.

-- Bradley Beal will only work out with the New Orleans Hornets, Charlotte Bobcats, Washington Wizards, and Cleveland Cavaliers:

Bradley Beal, who is widely considered the best shooting guard in this season's deep draft class, will reportedly only work out for the teams with the top four selections in this month's draft according to his agent Mark Bartelstein.

While Beal is an extremely talented player who spent his college career at Florida playing under Billy Donovan, this decision could come back to haunt him.

With so many talented players in this years draft class, there's no guarantee that those four teams will need help at shooting guard, and even if they do, they may feel another player still on the board at their pick is a must-have type of player.

Although Beal is widely considered to be a high lottery pick by many scouts and online mock drafts, others believe he could fall somewhere closer to the middle to late lottery and this decision makes that all the more likely as teams picking beyond fourth won't know much firsthand knowledge about him.

Charlotte Bobcats Narrow Their Coaching Search To Three Candidates

It appears the Charlotte Bobcats are finally entering the final stages of selecting their next head coach, as Chris Broussard of ESPN reports they have narrowed their search to three candidates: Brian Shaw, Jerry Sloan, and Quin Snyder.

Each of the three will meet with team owner Michael Jordan within the next week or so according to the report, and then a decision will likely be made soon thereafter.

Recent Hall of Fame inductee Jerry Sloan is the only candidate with prior head coaching experience, resigning midseason during his 23rd season leading the Utah Jazz.

Sloan took the Jazz to the NBA Finals twice during his tenure as their coach, however, he was denied of a championship both times by the Chicago Bulls and his potential future boss, Michael Jordan.

Although Shaw doesn't have any previous head coaching experience, he was a protege of the legendary Phil Jackson and has been an assistant head coach with the Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers.

He has been an assistant coach since 2004-05 and was considered for the Lakers and Orlando Magic's head coaching vacancies over the past two seasons.

Quin Snyder was an assistant with the Los Angeles Lakers this past season (he still likely will be if he doesn't land the Bobcats job) and coached in the NBDL for three seasons prior to that with the Austin Toros.

Snyder was also interviewed for the Minnesota Timberwolves job last summer, before they had even fired Kurt Rambis.

The narrowing of candidates comes after the team originally had ten people interview with team executives Rod Higgins and Rich Cho for the position.

Including the three finalists, the others that were interviewed were Orlando assistant Patrick Ewing, former Portland coach Nate McMillan, Golden State assistant Michael Malone, Cleveland assistant Nate Tibbetts, Charlotte assistant Stephen Silas, Memphis assistant Dave Joerger and St. John's University assistant Mike Dunlap.

In my opinion, Sloan would probably be the best choice for the job if the Bobcats were closer to being a championship contender, but considering the fact that he is 70-years old will probably mean he won't be coaching long enough to see the transformation through.

With that being said, I think the Bobcats will likely pick Shaw when all three of the meetings with Jordan are complete, as he is widely considered to be the best assistant coach in the league right now.

Shaw spent plenty of time learning coaching tactics from Jackson and has first-hand experience with the Triangle Offense, which with the right players, can be one of the most successful offenses in basketball.

I think Shaw is ready at this point in his coaching career to take a head coaching position, and a spot with the Charlotte Bobcats would be the perfect place to begin his career in the lead role on the bench.

Regardless of who lands the vacant job, they will have a massive task on their hands of turning around a franchise that finished with the worst winning percentage in NBA history last season (.106).

Which coach do you think would be the best fit with the Charlotte Bobcats? Do you think they left someone out of their final three that would've made a better coach? Share what you think about their coaching vacancy down below in the comments section.

Memphis Grizzlies Owner Michael Heisley Announces Sale Of Franchise

Pending approval from the NBA Board of Governors, antitrust clearance, and other conditions, Michael Heisley plans to sell the Memphis Grizzlies franchise to 34 year-old billionaire Robert J. Pera according to multiple sources.

ESPN.com was the first to report the pending change of ownership, which according to ESPN's report, will cost Pera around $350 million, which he will apparently cover on his own as he doesn't have an ownership group in place.

This is what Heisley, who purchased the franchise in 2000 when the team was still known as the Vancouver Grizzlies, had to say on the pending sale and his thoughts on leaving behind the team he brought to Memphis:

"I have enjoyed my ownership of the Grizzlies and the support for professional basketball in Memphis,” said Heisley.  “I am confident that the franchise will continue its development toward being a perennial championship contender and an important member of the Memphis community.  I am particularly gratified that we have put together a team which is poised to continue its improvement.  We have an outstanding team of players, coaching staff, and basketball and business management.  In Robert, we have a new owner who has expressed a total commitment to build on our success in Memphis.”

Pera, who is on Forbes' list of the ten youngest billionaires in the world, will become the youngest owner in the league as long as nothing derails the sales process, which began Monday afternoon when Heisley received an eight-figure deposit from Pera.

“I am excited about the opportunity to build on the work that has made the Memphis Grizzlies a highly competitive NBA team,” Pera said about purchasing the team. “I look forward to getting to know the Memphis community and to continuing the team’s success in Memphis.”

While Pera was born and raised in California near Silicon Valley, it appears unlikely he will attempt to relocate the team to another city, although Heisley admitted that relocation was never brought up during his discussions with the young billionaire.

“This has nothing to do with either staying or it’s moving,’’ Heisley said in an interview with FoxSports. “We still have … nine years left on a contract with the city to stay in the city. I have not yet figured how people … think somebody is going to buy the team and leave. It’s going to be here for a while.’’

Heisley has had previous offers in the past, however he turned most of them down because the potential new owners were interested in moving the franchise to another city and leaving Memphis, the city that Heisley has grown very fond of since bringing the Grizzlies here in 2001.

“It’s very bittersweet,’’ Heisley said of selling the team. “I love Memphis …. I’ve spent a huge amount of money to make the team successful there …. I did it because I love basketball and I love the city of Memphis and the people there, and they’ve treated me fantastic. I have nothing but wonderful feelings …. I’m 75. My son (Michael Heisley Jr.) is not interested in going to Memphis and running the team. So, obviously, at some point it was going to have to be done. And, quite honestly, I thought it was my job to get it done rather than leave it to my heirs."

Under Heisley's ownership, the Grizzlies have made it to the postseason five times and are coming off the two most successful seasons in franchise history, the latest ending in heart-breaking fashion with a Game 7 loss at home to the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs.

However, the team weathered a storm of injuries that included losing Darrell Arthur for the season and missing Zach Randolph for 37 games as to finish 41-25, which was good for a franchise record .621 winning percentage.

“We got to Game 7 and we just came out flat,’’ Heisley said. “I think we should have beaten them but we didn’t …. Everybody wants to dwell on that. I dwell on the fact we had the highest winning percentage in the history of the franchise (41-25 for .621).’’

If the sale is approved, Pera should be able to help take the Grizzlies to an even higher level as he will have plenty of money to spend to keep the roster at a contending and competitive level, something that was a problem for Heisley during parts of his tenure.

What are your thoughts on the potential change of ownership? Will it benefit or hurt the Grizzlies in the foreseeable future? Share your thoughts on the sale below in the comments section.

List Of Teams Attempting To Trade Draft Picks Prior To 2012 NBA Draft

By: Stephen Patterson

There are two things that are pretty well known facts regarding the 2012 NBA Draft that is coming up in just under three weeks on June 28th:

First, it's almost a guarantee that the New Orleans Hornets will select former Kentucky forward Anthony Davis with the first overall pick. Second, beyond Davis likely going with the #1 pick, it's a complete toss up as to how the rest of the draft will turn out, beginning with the second pick.

While the Charlotte Bobcats currently own the second overall pick, they are open to moving the selection if it brings an All-Star caliber talent or a package of picks and players back in return.

According to Alex Kennedy on his Twitter account, the Bobcats were still shopping the pick as of Friday, however, most teams thought they were asking for too much in return.

Charlotte is reportedly interested in making a trade for Rudy Gay of the Memphis Grizzlies, who are supposedly shopping Gay in an effort to cut down on salary, despite owner Michael Heisley saying those reports were false. The Bobcats are rumored to be offering the number two pick in trade talks for him.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have supposedly offered the #4 and #24 picks to Charlotte in an attempt to move up to the second spot, as sources have said they are extremely interested in Davis' former Kentucky teammate Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

However, the Grizzlies or Cavs would also likely have to take on the contract of either Tyrus Thomas or DeSagana Diop as Charlotte is attempting to unload their salaries in any move involving the second pick.

Cleveland is also rumored to be interested in making a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers in which they would send the same two picks to the Blazers in exchange for their #6 and #11 picks according to Kennedy, who writes for HoopsWorld.

The Sacramento Kings reportedly have a lot of interest in North Carolina sophomore Harrison Barnes, although he is likely to be off the board by the time they are on the clock with the fifth overall pick.

Don't be surprised if they make a move to improve their pick unless they feel comfortable enough taking another player that they pass on dealing to take Barnes.

The Golden State Warriors own four picks in the draft (#7, #30, #35, #52) and are considering packaging two or more of those picks together in an attempt to move up in the draft.

Their goal is to move up far enough to land Kidd-Gilchrist, however, they would also package picks in exchange for a proven veteran at small forward or future assets according to HoopsWorld.

The Hornets, who own the #10 pick as well as the first, are reportedly interested in moving that pick if the team acquiring it would also be willing to take on a bad contract belonging to either Emeka Okafor or Trevor Ariza according to NBA.com columnist Shaun Powell.

Meanwhile, the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, neither of whom currently own a first round pick, are looking to trade into the latter part of the first round according to a report by Sam Amico of FoxSports.

Which team(s) do you think will make the biggest splash on or before draft day when it comes to making a trade? Do you think there will be any blockbuster deals involving current players as well as draft picks? Share your thoughts below.

Ray Allen's Future Uncertain As Free Agency Looms

By: Stephen Patterson

After the Boston Celtics fell to the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the immediate question for Celtics' fans became "What's next?", as the future of the team they have fallen in love with over the past five seasons might be in store for a major shake-up this summer.

With Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett both set to hit the open market in free agency, it's extremely likely we have witnessed the end up of the "Big Three" era (really it's been the "Big Four" era, especially this season) in Boston.

While Celtics' GM Danny Ainge has said he isn't opposed to bringing back Allen and Garnett, it's hard to imagine the team being able to find the money to keep both of them while still bringing younger and more talented players in to build for the future.

"I really value having those guys around young players,'' a league source quoted Ainge as saying, according to an article on SI.com.

Garnett's status for next season is nearly impossible to predict right now, as there have been reports circulating for months that he was going to retire at the end of this season, while there have been just as many reports stating the opposite.

Head coach Doc Rivers has stated several times in recent weeks that he believes KG will play at least one more season, although there is also a decent chance he will choose to walk away on a high note, following a postseason in which he played a massive role in helping Boston make it as far as they did while Allen and Paul Pierce battled leg injuries for most of the playoffs. (For more on KG, check out this post from earlier in the week.)

Allen, who will turn 37 next month, is planning to undergo surgery as soon as possible to remove bone spurs from the ankle that bothered him throughout the postseason, causing him to miss Boston's first two playoff games against the Atlanta Hawks in the opening round.

"If I could do it tomorrow, I would do it tomorrow," he said. "That's probably my main concern right now, is taking care of that. My body feels good. That's my only issue."

Assuming everything goes well with the surgery and no other issues are discovered, Allen should return to full strength in plenty of time for the start of training camp. The only question is which teams' training camp will Allen be attending?

Contenders such as the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, and Memphis Grizzlies are rumored to be interested in pursuing Allen this summer according to Sports Illustrated.

According to Chris Mannox of SI, the Knicks and Miami Heat are reportedly the top two teams on Allen's wishlist of potential destinations if he leaves Boston.

The Memphis Grizzlies almost landed Allen at the trade deadline, having a deal in place with the Celtics that would have sent O.J. Mayo and a lottery pick to Boston in exchange for Allen before the Grizzlies backed out at the last second.

If Allen were to receive similar offers from Boston and a team such as the Bulls, who are on the cusp of being very serious title contenders once Derrick Rose returns from his torn ACL, it would be difficult for Allen to pass up a chance at a second title to return to the Celtics, although he does have serious respect for the organization and the players who played there prior to him.

“It’s always been somewhat intimidating,” Allen said when talking about playing in Boston. “You walk into a building every day and you see the banners and the retired jerseys in the building. It just always makes you work a little bit harder.  When [John] Havlicek is in the building, when [Bob] Cousy is around. Tommy [Heinsohn] is watching us every day. Bill Russell is at the games. Those are like our big brothers.  We knew that we had some big shoes to fill and a lot that we needed to do to try to compare to what they’ve done. We have definitely fallen short, but we’ve gone out trying to play as hard as we can every night.”

So don't completely rule out a possible return to Boston, especially if Garnett decides to retire or ends up signing with another team, which would leave a lot more salary cap flexibility for the Celtics to retain Allen while still bringing in some solid role players and young talents.

Then the Celtics could possibly make one final run at a title before fully transitioning into a new era with Rajon Rondo leading the charge and Pierce and Allen still having large roles while mentoring the younger guys in the locker room.

My personal guess is that Allen will probably end up in a new uniform after this summer, as I think he might have felt a little betrayed by the fact that Ainge almost dealt him to Memphis without even giving him a real heads up on the matter during the season.

Where he will end up signing what will likely be his final contract, I have no idea, although I'm almost positive Allen will sign with a team that has a very real chance at winning a championship next season.

Considering the fact that he pretty much carried the Celtics early in the season, along with Rondo, while Pierce and Garnett were adjusting to the condensed schedule and shot 45% from downtown during the regular season, there definitely won't be a lack of interest in the all-time leader in made three point attempts.

Which team do you think will end up signing Ray Allen this offseason? Will he return to Boston to finish out his career or will he go to a team that has a better chance of giving him another ring? Share your thoughts below.

Michael Heisley Says Memphis Grizzlies Aren't Shopping Rudy Gay Despite Various Reports

By: Stephen Patterson

Since the Memphis Grizzlies season ended in the opening round of the postseason with a devastating Game 7 loss on their home court to the Los Angeles Clippers, Rudy Gay has been mixed up in trade rumors involving at least five interested teams.

However, despite the various reports saying the Grizzlies are looking to move their starting small forward in a deal to lower the teams' 2012-13 salary cap figure, franchise majority owner Michael Heisley says that couldn't be further from the truth.

"We're not looking to trade Rudy Gay. We're not shopping him around. Period. Do we sit around and say, 'What if we traded Rudy, who could we get?' No. Right now, Rudy is part of the future of this team," Heisley told the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

"Our plan was always to protect the core. I've got the core for four years. If we ever decide to do something, it won't be because of salary. We're going to build a team around this core group. We understand Rudy's salary. We understood it when we gave it to him. We're not looking to cut salary. We're looking to try and win a championship."

With Gay due to earn $16.4 million next season and almost $54 million over the next three seasons, it's easy for people to wonder if the team might be willing to move him for the right package of players and draft picks.

However, it's extremely unlikely the Grizzlies would be able to receive fair value for Gay, who averaged 19.0 points per game for Memphis this season in 65 games.

The Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic, Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets, and the Charlotte Bobcats are reportedly all interested in acquiring Gay should Memphis decide to move him.

According Marc Stein of ESPN.com, the Raptors are reportedly interested in acquiring Gay or Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala for a package centering around the eighth overall pick in this month's NBA Draft, Ed Davis, and either Jose Calderon or Andrea Bargnani.

Sam Amico recently reported that the Charlotte Bobcats might be willing to deal the second overall pick in a trade centered around Gay.

It's currently unknown what the Warriors, Magic, and Nets would be willing to offer in a trade involving Gay.

This is the second consecutive offseason in which Gay has found himself engulfed in a swirl of trade rumors, as there were many reports last summer that the team was willing to part with him for the right package after the Grizzlies reached the second round of the playoffs for the first time ever.

They came within a game of reaching the Western Conference Finals without Gay, who injured his shoulder in February and was forced to miss the remainder of the season.

Gay bounced back from the injury this season, however, as he led Memphis to a 41-25 record (good for a franchise-record winning percentage of .621) and helped them clinch the fourth seed in the Western Conference, the first time the Grizzlies had ever held home-court advantage for a playoff series.

Considering the fact that the Grizzlies are coming off of two consecutive postseason appearances in which they won a total of 10 games after the franchise was 0-12 in postseason games prior to last season, I think Memphis would be better served to keep Gay and instead try to find the right mixture of role players to help this team reach the next level.

Why Won't the Atlanta Hawks Commit to Josh Smith?

By: Stephen Patterson

I was browsing through the days' NBA stories and rumors on HoopsHype.com earlier and came across an article from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about Josh Smith's contract with the Atlanta Hawks that, in the words of former NFL-player Tiki Barber, left me absolutely flabbergasted.

Josh Smith was recently approached by a reporter and asked about his contract and a potential extension and had this to say on the matter: “I can’t get extended,” Smith said. “They didn’t give me the money; I had to go get it. That’s something I have to play it out and see how it goes from there.”

When Michael Cunningham, the author of the article on the AJC website, did research on the matter, he found out that not only is Smith eligible for an extension with the Atlanta Hawks, but the team has had since August 2011 to begin talks with their star power forward and apparently haven't even mentioned it to him.

For some reason that baffles many basketball fans, myself included, the Hawks front office has never shown as much love for Smith as he probably deserves.

In 2008, as a restricted free agent, he couldn't get a contract offer from Atlanta and most other teams wouldn't offer him a contract either because they knew the Hawks would almost certainly match it. Finally, the Memphis Grizzlies made him an offer, however, as many teams had predicted, Atlanta matched the moderately low offer.

If the Grizzlies had more cap space at the time, or had they had more serious interest in snatching Smith away from the Hawks, they very possibly could have made something happen and offered him a front-loaded deal that Atlanta probably wouldn't have matched.

However, the Hawks didn't refuse to give Smith a mega-deal because they were worried about money issues, as they signed Joe Johnson to an egregiously horrible contract worth $124 million over six years in 2010.

Later in 2010, the team followed that up by also locking up Al Horford with a five-year contract extension worth $60 million dollars.

Yet, the Hawks wouldn't even offer Smith a deal back in 2008, only retaining him after the Grizzlies' moderately low contract offer of $58 million over five seasons (compared to potentially $12-15+ per season).

Since then, Smith has requested a trade on multiple occasions after it became clear that the Hawks' management was content with first round playoff eliminations and not competing for championships. However, the team has refused to accommodate his requests, leaving him stuck in Atlanta.

The franchise promised last summer that they would be more competitive this season, however, they followed that statement up by signing a bunch of players to minimum or near-minimum contracts and to the surprise of no one, were once again eliminated in the opening round of the postseason.

The only player of real value that the Hawks have that doesn't have a grossly untradeable contract (Johnson) or gets paid too little to receive fair value back in a trade (Jeff Teague), remains to be Josh Smith.

With teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers likely to make some trades this summer, now is the time Atlanta should seriously consider fulfilling Smith's wish of getting dealt elsewhere.

Considering there is almost no chance Josh Smith will sign a contract extension with the Hawks after the way he has been treated over the past few seasons, this summer might be the teams' last best chance to move the disgruntled forward and receive anything of value in return.

They could potentially pry Pau Gasol from the Lakers or Andre Iguodala from the Sixers. Who knows, maybe they can even unload Marvin Williams with Smith in a potential move and land a Metta World Peace or someone else? There's nothing the Hawks have to lose at this point by making calls.

Top 10 Dunks of the NBA 2011-2012 Season

By: Stephen Patterson

These are the Top 10 dunks from the 2011-12 season according to NBA.com.

While all of these dunks are pretty sick, I can't help but feel like someone got left out of the final list. Especially when you see how many times Blake Griffin is featured (I'm sorry but I think that dunk he had on Kendrick Perkins was overrated, like a majority of his big plays. However, I do love how he absolutely destroys Pau Gasol twice in the same game earlier in the clip).

Do you think someone else deserved a spot among the Top 10? Are you happy with the order that NBA.com put them in? Share your thoughts in the comments section after you check out the video: