NBA Rumors: Veteran SG Michael Finley Wants to Return to NBA

Former two-time NBA All-Star Michael Finley isn’t done with the game of basketball quite yet, according to Jorge Sierra of hoopshype. He says that he’s “not done yet.”

Finley last played in 2009-10 with the Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs. He has averaged 15.7 points per game in his 15-year NBA career.

He tells hoopshype that he feels better than what he did in Boston.

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“When I went to Boston, my ankle wasn’t 100 percent,” Finley said. “So after that season, I got my ankle worked on. I’ve been working hard to get that at 100 percent. I feel a lot better than during my time in Boston.

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There’s no telling exactly what Finley has left in the tank. He hasn’t played in more than 50 games in a season since 2008-09. Finley has only averaged double-figure scoring once in the past five years. And he didn't play any in 2010-11.

The last time he was at his career average or above was in 2004-05. That’s a long time since anything close to his normal output.

Finley used to be a guy capable of averaging 20 points, which he did five times in his career. He has always been known as a scorer so with a year off he should have some of his legs back especially with the shortened season.

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“With the lockout and the shortened season, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more injuries than usual since there’s been not much of a training camp. I’m just working hard to be in shape and prepared in case an NBA team calls me."

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He could be a decent role player who could help potential playoff or championship teams. He’s not going to command a lot of money and he won’t mind playing a limited role to win a title.

Finley wouldn’t be a bad risk to take for teams because the reward would be so much bigger. If it doesn’t work out, then a team could just cut him. It’s that simple. 

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