NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz Going Around Training Camp

Despite on-court opportunities being the focus of most teams during the early weeks of the 2012-13 NBA season, the opening of camp lends itself to infinite amounts of rumors and speculation.

Whether it's a player slowly emerging as a breakout candidate, speculation about early locker room rifts or simply what the future holds for remaining free agents, the rumors are varied and captivating.

Nonetheless, with all that information flooding in, it's often overwhelming for fans to keep up. For that reason, here's a look at the latest must-know rumors dribbling around (sorry) the Association.

Jimmer Fredette a Breakout Candidate?

After a poor showing last season as a rookie with the Sacramento Kings, guard Jimmer Fredette was the subject of trade rumors throughout the summer.

With the Kings backcourt loaded with talented players similar to Fredette, it's not hard to see why. Nevertheless, the team may wind up thanking its lucky stars that it did not move the 23-year-old if word coming out of training camp is true.

According to NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper, several Kings players have gone out of their way to point out Fredette's brilliance in training camp. 

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Several teammates say Jimmer Fredette the best player in Kings camp. More confident. We now return you to your regularly scheduled mania.

— Scott Howard-Cooper (@SHowardCooper) October 11, 2012"

Though a preseason improvement is certainly a great sign for the Kings, let's wait until the regular season before breaking back out our Jimmer-Mania t-shirts. 

Sacramento's backcourt is still among the league's most crowded, meaning minutes won't exactly be abundant. Let's also not forget that Fredette's biggest calling card (shooting) abandoned him as a rookie, as he shot just 38.6 percent from the field. 

It could be a fun story, but we've been fooled before by training camp buzz.

Marcin Gortat Has Immaturity Issues?

After trading Steve Nash, easily the best player in franchise history, the Phoenix Suns are a team in full rebuild mode in 2012-13.

While nose-diving to the bottom of the standings is a perfectly acceptable move for the franchise's long-term health, it could mean some frustrating times upcoming.

One of those could be the seeming arrested development of center Marcin Gortat. In an otherwise glowing piece about the state of the franchise, the Arizona Republic's Dan Bickley took the 28-year-old big man to task:

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They also have a center in Marcin Gortat who is cocky, uncensored and prone to saying silly things.

He said he wants to wear No. 13 in the future, unaware of where that number should hang. He said he’ll actually thrive without Steve Nash. And on media day, he said something that made observers truly roll their eyes.

“Obviously, the main leader in the locker room is Jermaine O’Neal, who is already in charge of everything,” Gortat said.

"

Considering Gortat was supposed to be one of the shining bright spots on the Suns, that characterization has to be disconcerting. 

We all know that this team has no shot at the postseason, but if one of its leaders isn't even remotely dialed in, this could be even a longer season than expected in Phoenix.

Kobe Bryant Confident Derek Fisher Will Find a Team

Despite seemingly getting no nibbles on the free-agent market this offseason, veteran point guard Derek Fisher is still out there hoping for a chance.

One player who thinks he'll get scooped up? Former teammate Kobe Bryant.

Via ESPN Los Angeles' Ramona Shelburne:

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Kobe Bryant on Derek Fisher, who hasn't signed with a team yet: "I'm pretty confident he'll find a team. Every team needs a guard like him."

— ramonashelburne (@ramonashelburne) October 11, 2012"

While Fisher's veteran leadership and postseason experience are certainly a plus for contenders, his on-court presence is understandably keeping teams away. Splitting his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Lakers, Fisher shot just 37.1 percent from the field in 2011-12 and had a paltry player efficiency rating of 8.02. 

With numbers like that, it may just be time for Fisher to walk away even if the phone does start ringing.

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