NBA Rumors: Debunking the Latest Bogus-Sounding Rumors

The NBA rumors have taken on some new pressure now that players are allowed to talk to teams, though they aren't allowed to actually make any deals. 

The more these talks will go on, the more the rumor mill will be buzzing, particularly in the condensed free agent season we have starting on Friday. Players will be popping up all over the place, and for every place they do, five more will be mentioned. 

For every valid rumor, there is a bogus one, and here are five bogus rumors that are going around. 

The Heat Will Land Samuel Dalembert

Until recently, I would have been all on board with the rumor. In fact, I was.

But now, Sacramento has re-entered the hunt for Samuel Dalembert's services, and they have enough cash to make this a bidding war that the Heat can't possibly keep up with. 

Will Dalembert take less to win a championship? Certainly. We know this because he said so. But how much much less? A couple of million is one thing, but what if you're talking about turning down a $10 million contract to take a $5 million contract? At what point does the money become enough of an allure?

The reason this is a question worth asking is that the Kings have stated they would like to re-sign him, and the Kings have not five, not six, not seven, not eight, but $27 million not just available to spend, but that they are required to spend. 

Deron Williams Is Determined to Leave New Jersey

It has long been assumed that Deron Williams was going to opt out of his contract and pursue free agency at the end of the season in search of greener pastures. However, in an interview today, he threw a wrench in that particular line of thinking. 

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“My plan is to stay. Hopefully we can get some good talent to where I can stay.”

D-Will says he talks to Dwight often & says that’s the one guy he’d love to play with, but doesn’t know what Dwight’s going to do.

Williams is asked what’s the % chance he stays with the Nets: “I’d probably say like 90 percent.”

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Well now, that's cause for pause. With the Nets moving to Brooklyn, there's a good chance of getting all the endorsement deals and what not that a player could possibly want. He must look like what Mikhail Prokhorov is doing and his aggressiveness in pursuing players to put around him. 

If he succeeds, look for Williams to re-up with the Nets. 

Bulls Will Have to Spend Money

There has been a lot talk, mostly from Bulls writers, that the Chicago Bulls will have to "settle" in terms of getting a shooting guard. There's a tendency to downplay what the Bulls can get in free agency, and many writers put the likes of Jason Richardson or Caron Butler off the table. 

They argue that owner Jerry Reinsdorf has never spent into the luxury tax and therefore won't, that Rose's contract extension is going to push them into that if they spend their full mid-level exception and that as a result of that, they won't be able to spend enough to attract a premiere free agent. 

This is in spite of a few facts. Reinsdorf, though he has never spent into the luxury tax before, has said that he would be willing to go into the luxury tax if it meant they could win. Second, the likes of Richardson and Butler have said that they would be willing to take less to play for the Bulls. 

Even if it weren't specifically mentioned that they would take less, when they list the Bulls as their top target knowing full well that the best the Bulls can offer them no better than the MLE, then you have to assume that they are aware that they would make less to play there. 

The Bulls are on top or near the top of virtually every wing in the market. Who wouldn't want to start in the back court with the league's MVP and have a chance to win a title as a starter? Who else gives them a chance to do that?

On top of that, being on top of everyone's list makes it a buyers market, which will drive the price down. The Bulls will land a premier wing through free agency or trade. It's just a matter of who. In fact, it's realistic that they might even be able to add two players, one MLE player and the likes of Vince Carter, whom they could add through the veteran's minimum. 

Chris Paul to Knicks Is Just a Matter of Time

Chris Paul to the Knicks has gone from speculation to "fact" in the rumor mill. This is based on the wedding toast he allegedly made (yet no one there has publicly confirmed with their name on it). Since then, he has not said anything publicly to indicate that he wants to go to New York.

It might be his preferred destination, it might not. I'm just saying that there's very little (i.e. nothing) on the public record to treat it as a foregone conclusion, particularly to the tune of forgoing $40-50 million while his "friends," Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, sit on max contracts. 

Just sayin' there's room to doubt. 

And add to that the absolute dearth of trade assets the Knicks have to offer in return. Landry Fields was a nice surprise and all, but he's hardly worth Chris Paul. Chauncy Billups makes the trade happen with the money, but his contract ends this year, so essentially, it means giving Paul away. 

The rub is that the Hornets are owned by the league, i.e. the other owners. Sam Smith writes:

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-- I’ve been talking with league executives, insiders and owners and many are furious about all this Chris Paul talk regarding the Knicks. The point is that the league owns the Hornets, which means all the teams own the Hornets. Once you trade Paul you severely diminish the value of the franchise. Many are asking how the NBA can allow Paul to be traded and threaten the value of the team and then enhance another competitor. Said one: “There’s no way the league can allow this until the franchise is sold.”

Given how much the Knicks gave away to acquire Carmelo Anthony last season, there is believed to be little chance they can get involved in a Paul deal. Executives generally believe the Knicks are out of the running as estimates for a Paul free agency contract given the Knicks’ limited cap room are from an $11.5 million to $13 million starting salary, a deal that could cost Paul perhaps $50 million. No one believes he’d do that.

Obviously, there is a large market for Paul, which would include Orlando if they can come up with some multi-team magic (doubtful), the Lakers and Clippers. If I’m the Hornets and have to make a deal, the one I like best is the rumored one I’ve heard of Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka. It would seem the Thunder need a more traditional point guard to play with Durant. Westbrook could be a star as the lead player. And Paul did play in Oklahoma City during the hurricane. Would he want to sign long term there?

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He's got a point. The rest of the league isn't going to sit around and just allow the Hornets to be decimated in a fraud-trade that only serves to build up another big three. There's just no way that Paul goes to the Knicks via trade. 

If he goes there, it's going to have to be through free agency, and he's going to have to leave even more money on the table doing it that way. 

Dwight Howard to Lakers Is Inevitable

Sometimes people take a single thing a player says, and they cling to it like it's a life raft and they are floating next to the sinking Titanic. Yes, Dwight Howard answered a "fantasy question" and said that if he could have anyone "on his team," it would be Kobe Bryant. 

That's a big leap from not being happy unless he plays with Bryant or wanting to sign his next contract in Los Angeles, where Bryant has maybe two, at most three, good years left to his career. 

It's funny how people react to things; that's all I'm saying. The fact is that Andrew Bynum is not an attractive enough trade piece of the Magic (which is why they told the Lakers no).

My read is that the Magic are getting better offers than what the Lakers have to offer and that there are other players who would love to play with Howard and are pitching him, including Deron Williams and Chris Paul. There's always a chance he could go to New Jersey or Paul could come to Orlando. 

Put it this way: If you're Howard, would you rather have six years with Paul or Williams, or two or three with Kobe?