Apparently Joakim Noah has tried to recruit Carmelo Anthony. Over All-Star Weekend, the Chicago Bulls center and the New York Knicks forward reportedly had words about Anthony's future, according to ESPN's Chris Broussard:
NBA news roundup: Joakim Noah reportedly recruited Carmelo, Royce White signs in Sacramento
The Melodrama is starting again, plus Royce White is headed to the D-League via Sacramento and Danny Ainge talked about RondoBirthdayGate.
Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
I’m told that Joakim said to Melo, “Look, you can go to Los Angeles. But if you want to win a ring, if you want your legacy to be about winning, come to Chicago.”
Melo, I’m told, said, “Look, I’ve been watching you guys. I admire how hard you play. I admire how hungry you are. Oh, and by the way, my son’s favorite player: Derrick Rose.”
As the Knicks lose game after game, rumors like this will only pick up steam. Chicago does make sense as a possible destination, given how well the Bulls are playing and the fact they’ll have Derrick Rose coming back next year. Much like the Dwight Howard-to-the-Rockets scenario, Chicago doesn’t need Anthony in order to be a competitive team. With him, though, the Bulls would definitely be contenders.
It’s far too early to know the likelihood of Anthony ending up there, however. Anthony surely won’t say anything, and neither will the Bulls. As Broussard said, you can expect swift denials shortly. July will be interesting.
White signs 10-day contract with Sacramento
Royce White has signed a 10-day contract with the Sacramento Kings, the team announced on Thursday. They immediately assigned him to their D-League affiliate, the Reno Bighorns.
White, the No. 16 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, has yet to play in an NBA regular season game. He was waived by the Philadelphia 76ers at the end of October after being traded from the Houston Rockets to Philadelphia in the offseason.
The Kings signed White after creating a roster spot by buying out the contract of guard Jimmer Fredette, who went on to join the Bulls. It seems like a low-risk maneuver -- if it works out in Reno, they can give him another 10-day contract and bring him to Sacramento. If it doesn't, all it cost them was a 10-day contract.
Augustin receives flop warning
Chicago point guard D.J. Augustin received a warning for flopping on Thursday, the league announced. The flop took place in the fourth quarter of the Bulls' 105-94 win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday. On a fast break, Augustin flailed wildly on a desperate shot attempt and fell to the ground without any contact from an opposing player. The referees gave him the call.
If Augustin gets caught flopping again, he will be fined a cool $5,000.
Washington “likely” to sign Gooden to a second 10-day contract
The Washington Wizards will probably keep Drew Gooden around at least a little longer, according to Michael Lee of the Washington Post:
A source with knowledge of the team’s thinking said the Wizards’ “likely” will sign Gooden to a second 10-day contract on Saturday after his first one expires.
Gooden, who scored 12 points on 6-for-7 shooting on Wednesday against the Utah Jazz, was pleased to see a nameplate above his locker on Tuesday. On Saturday, he and the Wizards will face the Milwaukee Bucks, the team that amnestied him last summer.
Ainge comments on Rondo’s birthday party
At long last, Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge has publicly spoken about Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo's decision to skip the team's flight to Sacramento a couple of weeks ago in order to celebrate his birthday. In a radio interview with CBS Boston's Toucher and Rich, Ainge said that the team asked Rondo not to do what he did, he did it anyway and it's not a huge deal.
“What happened was he stayed in [Los Angeles],” said Ainge. “He let [head coach] Brad [Stevens] know and he let me know that he was going to stay in L.A. an extra day, and we didn’t think that he should. But it was his choice and (we told him) there may be consequences if you stay. It was that simple.”
“In the end, him and I had a long talk about it. He planned it before and he had reason to believe it would be OK,” explained Ainge. “I understand his reason because of what he’s grown up with and what he’s witnessed. You won’t see it happen again, and we’ve just moved on from it.”
Rondo still hasn’t addressed his decision with the media in any detail, which is most of the reason why it became such a big deal in Boston in the first place. Now that Ainge has made these comments, everyone should be able to let the silly matter go.
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