NBA Insider: With trade dead, what's to become of Rip Hamilton?
Now what?
That's probably what Rip Hamilton was asking himself when New Jersey Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov announced Wednesday that the three-team deal to get the Denver Nuggets' Carmelo Anthony was kaput.
"There comes a time when the price is simply too expensive," Prokhorov told reporters at a news conference before the team's game against Utah. "I have instructed our team to walk away from the deal."
Most people around the NBA are wondering where that leaves Anthony, if the Nuggets will try to trade him to the New York Knicks -- his preferred team -- or another team, or even try to keep him.
Those of us in Detroit are wondering where it leaves Rip Hamilton, who was going to be sent to New Jersey, along with former teammate and current Nuggets point guard Chauncey Billups. The Pistons were to get Troy Murphy and his expiring contract, Johan Petro (we already have a Johan in this town and he plays some excellent hockey for the Red Wings) and a second-round draft pick.
Hamilton has been the dreaded "DNP-CD" (did not play -- coach's decision) for five straight games, and doesn't look to be inserted into the mix anytime soon.
After the Pistons won their third in a row Monday, handily beating the Dallas Mavericks, coach John Kuester said, "Right now I like what I'm seeing out there and I'm very comfortable with the way this group is playing and the guys off the bench are doing a great job."
Hamilton tried to say all the right things Monday.
"It's something they wanted to go with, it's out of my control," Hamilton said. "I'm just here. I show up. And I do what I've been doing for the last nine years, and that's coming out and being professional and trying to help my teammates. I have no control of it. I have no control of it."
So now Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars is between a rock and a hard place. Now that the Nets aren't in the mix, what team would be willing to take on Hamilton's contract, which is set to pay him $12.65 million for each of the next two seasons after this one?
The answer? Not many.
That might be hard to believe for a three-time All-Star who turns 33 on Valentine's Day. But Hamilton is averaging just 13.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists a game, his worst numbers since his rookie season with Washington in 1999-2000.
And there's that salary. With the NBA lockout looming, not too many teams are going to want to get saddled with that, unless there's a contender out there that could use his services.
The NBA trading deadline is Feb. 24 at 3 p.m. Perhaps if a team has an injury before then, Dumars' phone will start ringing. If not, he may have to just give Hamilton away.
In an ideal world, the Pistons would have traded Hamilton at the start of the season, as they did with Billups. Then Hamilton could have had the kind of night Billups had when he came back with the Nuggets, with an ovation from the fans and a video tribute.
Instead, he's left on the bench, waiting for something to happen.
Probably won't sell in Cleveland
Miami's LeBron James is now taking his talents to animation.
Spring Hill Productions announced Tuesday that they were joining forces with James to create a 10-episode digital series that will be shown online sometime early this year.
The Associated Press said the idea for the program is loosely based on recent Nike commercials in which James was several different characters.
In a statement, James said the show "is a great way to show youths of all ages how to be a good person."
Episodes will be coming soon to YouTube.com.
Camby out indefinitely, joins Roy
Portland Trail Blazers center Marcus Camby, in his 15th season, will be out for a while.
Camby, who hurt his knee Monday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves, has a partial meniscus tear in his left knee and will need surgery, which has not been scheduled yet.
This comes right after All-Star guard Brandon Roy underwent arthroscopic surgery on both of his knees Monday. The team has not announced a timetable for his return.
The Trail Blazers are also without center Greg Oden, who is out for the season with microfracture surgery on his left knee, forward Jeff Pendergraph, also out for the season because of knee surgery, and rookie guard Elliot Williams, who had surgery on both of his knees.
Too bad they don't need a shooting guard.
Cavs also hurting
Like the Blazers, the Cleveland Cavaliers are also hurting -- both the players and the team's record, now a dismal 8-32.
The AP reported starting guard Mo Williams will miss several weeks with a lingering hip injury. Williams has already missed seven games because of it and received a cortisone shot Wednesday. Currently, they are not considering surgery.
"Obviously, it's a big loss," coach Byron Scott told the AP. "Mo is one of our leaders and one of our best scorers. He's bend owing a real good job directing the team. Even though it is a big loss, it gives us a chance to develop some of our other players."
The Cavaliers are also missing center Anderson Varejao, out for the season with a torn ankle tendon; guard Anthony Parker, who has a strained back; guard Christian Eyenga, who has a sprained ankle; forward Leon Powe, who had knee surgery; and forward Joey Graham, who has a strained quad.
At least Scott still has his sense of humor.
"I'm not ready to take the official medical exam and become a doctor, but I'm getting close," Scott said. "I've never seen anything like this. I've been in situations where we've had injuries before but not five, six guys out at one time. This is new to me."
Jan. 19, 2011
