Recapping a Crazy Day In The NBA

There was no quiet before the storm, at least in the NBA on Thursday – the day before team’s could officially sign free agents.

But to recap, here is how Thursday’s moves went down:

• Shane Battier woke everybody up by saying he is going to sign with the Miami Heat. Great sign, but when/where do you put him on the floor?
• Despite the Golden State Warriors offering a $58 million for 4 years to Tyson Chandler, he has supposedly decided to sign with the New York Knicks, who currently don’t have the money to pay him.
  So the Knicks reportedly tried/are trying  to trade Chauncey Billups or Ronny Turiaf to free up the money. The Nuggets were one of  the teams that the Knicks were talking to about Turiaf, but it is doubtful the Nuggets would offer a draft pick for Turiaf. The Knicks also may use the amnesty clause on Billups.
  However, adding Chandler has majorly backfired on the Knicks, because due to the money they would pay Chandler would eat up the cap space they’d offer to Chris Paul, who said he’d sign where ever Chandler goes. Now Paul is, maybe or maybe not, be going to the Los Angeles Lakers.
  It also backfired because Billups is upset about the potential of being traded and has returned to Denver instead of reporting to the Knicks camp. New York could have prevented any problems if they didn’t pick up Billups team option. But it is the Knicks.
• Tayshaun Prince will resign with the Detroit Pistons, despite having issues with the team last season. Prince will sign a $27 million for 4 years. Not sure how this helps the Pistons out, who already have four players on the roster who are making more than $5 million. The Pistons also resigned Jonas Jerebko.
• Caron Butler was the second player who has reportedly jumped off the Dallas Mavericks championship team. Butler signed a 3-year deal for $24 million with the Los Angeles Clippers. What a difference a year makes, because last season nobody wanted to sign with the Clippers, now players are lining up to play with Blake Griffin and the Clippers. Butler’s signing with the Clippers means the Chicago Bulls may up their offer for Arron Afflalo.
• Mike Dunleavy signed with the Milwaukee Bucks, but that was a yawner.
• And then the fun begins, a three-way deal was reportedly being discussed between the Lakers, Hornets  and Houston Rockets.
  Then Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted that Paul was getting dealt to the Lakers for Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom.
  Five minutes later, Wojnarowski retweeted that Bynum was replaced with Gasol. Minutes later, it was reported that Gasol was then going to be moved to Houston for Kevin Martin, Luis Scola and a pick.
  As if that wasn’t confusing enough, late Thursday night the League (ahem, David Stern) voided the trade due to ‘basketball relations’ after a nice little email by Dan Gilbert.

And to think teams can’t make a move until Friday at 2 p.m.

Nene update

There are more reports that Nene will sign with the Nuggets, in fact the New Jersey Nets are expecting to pursue Dwight Howard and are expecting Nene to stay in Denver. 

The Rockets still have their sights set on the Brazilian big man, even if they get Gasol. However, no moves are expected until the Paul/Lakers situation is figured out.

Higgins going to Nuggets Training Camp

Former CU star Cory Higgins will be in Denver for the Nuggets training camp. Of course he is most likely going to have to beat out George Karl’s favorite player, Anthony Carter.

Higgins is listed at 6-foot-4, 190 point and was a top scorer for the Buffs. He averaged more than 15 points his final three seasons at CU, he also was big on defense for CU.