@Chris_Broussard: Brandon Jennings told me today he’ll strongly consider leaving Bucks for big market team

It’s a great article that actually shows the problem with today’s NBA. Pretty much it goes like this, Brandon enjoys playing in Milwaukee but he’s not going to think twice about a larger market. Can anyone blame him after seeing what’s happened with LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony and possibly Dwight Howard? No you can’t.

The players have to do what they have to do for their financial future. They’ll be set on base salary thanks to the max contract he can get from the Bucks but being in Milwaukee will he ever see big endorsement deals? Hell no. So you can’t blame him for wanting to go after those dollars.

Here’s some quotes from the ESPN article.

“It has nothing to do with the city of Milwaukee or anything like that because that’s where I started my career,” Jennings said. “They’ve been nothing but good to me. (Coach) Scott Skiles and (general manager) John Hammond have been good to me. It’s just that I’m understanding the business of basketball now.” (ESPN.com)

“I am going to keep my options open, knowing that the time is coming up,” Jennings said in an email interview. “I’m doing my homework on big market teams.”(ESPN.com)

“I’m not saying I won’t (sign an extension with the Bucks) and I’m not saying I will,” he said. “I’m just keeping my options open.”(ESPN.com)

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. If Milwaukee ever gets to the point where they have to trade them they should get an insane haul for the 22-year old. Hopefully it doesn’t come to that would love to see him stay in Milwaukee.

The one things that fans should be thankful for he’s going to play hard as long as he’s a Milwaukee Buck. This is one kid I believe what he says.

“I’m going to keep playing hard every night for the Bucks as long as I’m there,” Jennings said. “I’m not promising that’s where my future will be. I will make sure me and (agent Bill Duffy) look at all the best options.”(ESPN.com)

I’m getting greedy though and thinking damn how good would he look in a New York Knicks uniform?

@SpearsNBAYahoo: Restricted free agent forward Wilson Chandler plans to re-sign with Nuggets once he returns from China, his agent Chris Luchey told Y!Sports

@SpearsNBAYahoo: Luchey tells Y! there is “significant interest” from other teams, but Chandler will re-sign either to rest of season or long-term with DEN.

After reading these tweets tonight there was one thing surprised me. Some might think it’s the fact that there is “significant interest” from other teams but it’s not that. In my opinion that was expected, Chandler has been a solid performer over his five seasons, averaging 13.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.

What surprised me is that the deal could be long-term. I wasn’t expecting any team to offer a long-term deal to any free agent at this point in the season. Typically you would see teams sign pro-rated contracts and wait till the off season to work something out.

Guess things are different when it’s a talent like Chandler, especially with the maturity he’s shown this year. He signed a deal in China knowing full and well there was no opt-out clauses should the NBA Lockout end. While other players bitched and moaned when the lockout did end Chandler just went about his business. In fact he’s been nothing short of dominant over there averaging 26 points and 11.3 rebounds per game.

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The only problem with Chandler joining the Nuggets is that knows when this will happen. The league he’s currently playing in has 17 teams and 8 of them make the playoffs. His team is currently in ninth place.

If his team were to miss the playoffs then his season would end on February 15th and he could be a NBA uniform within days.

If his team made the playoffs he could be playing till sometime in April depending on how far they go. That’s right April. So there’s a chance he won’t even play in 2012 which would make this only post worthless.

First video of Kobe at Larry’s Steaks in Wynnefield.

And here’s the note from Philly.com about Kobe hanging out at Delilah’s after the game.

Kobe Bryant drowned his sorrows over his hometown loss to the Sixers Monday night at Delilah’s (100 Spring Garden). The newly-single Lower Merion raised Lakers superstar dropped by the gentleman’s club around 1 a.m. Tuesday with a few friends and was joined a little later by teammate Andrew Bynum who had just dined at Del Frisco’s (15th & Chestnut). (Philly.com)

Mike D’Antoni is not planning on having point guard Baron Davis before the All-Star break. The veteran point guard suffered a setback in his rehab from a herniated disc, the Knicks coach confirmed Monday morning.

“I think we had a little bit of a setback, safe to say, but I don’t know how bad,” D‘Antoni said. “”They (want him to rest) for three or four days to let it calm back down and if it calms down, we’ll pick up where he left off and go through the process of practicing.

“We’re still a week to ten days out when the process start, hopefully that’s tomorrow, but I don’t know.” (Knicks Knation – NY Daily News)

I’m kind of indifferent on this. Would I like to see Baron Davis on the court helping the Knicks get better? Of course. Do I think he’ll make enough of a difference to make this team a contender? Not a chance in hell.

So basically if he’s on the court that’s cool, if not whatever it’s no big deal.

The Portland Trail Blazers have made it known that center Greg Oden will undergo an arthroscopic procedure later today in Vail, Colo. to remove debris from his right knee.

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“It’s accurate that they found a blood clot in Greg’s left ankle,” Chad Buchanan said. “Out of respect for Greg, I don’t want to release further details but up we have the utmost confidence in the doctors in Vail that they will do what’s right for Greg.” (Comcast SportsNet Northwest)

What amazes is that with the amount of issues he’s had with his legs people still expected to see him on the court. Before this surgery the Blazers were hoping to get him back by the end of the season. They hoped so much that he was paid $8.9 million for the 2011-12 season.

Once the summer hits Oden will become an unrestricted free agent, my thinking is he’ll get no offers. I don’t see how any team would be willing to spend any money on him even at the league minimum.

There’s no way any team will be able to get insurance on him and I don’t see how anyone would risk having to pay all those medical bills. Especially when you consider that he’ll most likely never play at the level of a #1 overall draft pick.

So sad to see so much talent go to the waste as it has, especially when it’s health related.

The Clippers and free-agent forward Kenyon Martin have agreed on a mini-midlevel deal that will be finalized as soon as Martin passes a physical, according to an NBA individual familiar with the negotiations.

Martin, who played for the Xinjiang Tigers in China and had been required to wait until their season was over before rejoining the NBA, was cleared to return to the NBA by FIBA, the international basketball federation, Thursday. (Los Angeles Times)

I’m thinking this is another good move by the Clippers this year. Martin will one provide another veteran process on a team that is still fairly young. In addition to that he should give some very valuable depth to the front court.

The 34-year old might not be able to put up the near double-doubles he did earlier in his career but he did put up 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds over 25+ minutes per game in 2010-11 with the Denver Nuggets. I’d expect something close to that once he’s cleared to play.

There had been some “reports” that the Sixers had inquired about New York Knick star Amare Stoudemire’s availability. When contacted yesterday, Sixers president of basketball operations Rod Thorn said: “Nothing going on at this time. I don’t know where that stuff came from.” (Bob Cooney – Philly.com)

So it was all just pure selection but I tell you what. I’m pretty sure the contacted the Knicks to see what they’ve got going on. Thorn would only be doing his job to call each team and see what players could be available.

The contract would be for four years, around $40 million total, the source told The Denver Post, locking in the player they call Gallo as he ascends for the powder blue — coach George Karl has previously said he thinks the Italian small forward can be an all-star someday. (Denver Post)

If the two sides come to agreement before today’s deadline then I have to say again how much of a bargain this is for the Nuggets. So far in the 2011-12 season Gallinari is averaging a career high 17.4 points and 5.2 rebounds (just .2 off his career high) with 2.8 assists and 1.7 steals per game.

Which means he’s scoring and playing some good DEFENSE. Damn where was this is in New York???