Prospect: Oden ‘looks unbelievable’
Photo Credit: USAToday.com/AP The story of Greg Oden may turn out to be one of the most disappointing in NBA history if he cannot successfully make a comeback. Oden, who was selected first overall by the Portland Trailblazers, has seen his career derailed by injuries, and is only known for stupid decisions otherwise. What definitely has not helped his case is the success of the guy taken after him, some dude named Kevin Durant, who is, well, pretty good. However, there appears to be some promising signs for Oden, as a draft prospect, Deshaun Thomas, who also attended Ohio State, has said Oden ‘looks unbelievable’ in their workouts together. Here are some more details via Yahoo! Sports and the News-Herald: Former Ohio State top scorer Deshaun Thomas, a potential second round pick despite his refusal to give up his cell phone number like some gallivantin’ hussy, has been working out in Indy with Greg Oden. And according to Bob Finnan at the News-Herald, Oden’s workouts have been something else; acc
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Greg Oden Reportedly Eying NBA Return with Cleveland Cavaliers
Greg Oden has made it clear he wants to return to the NBA by next season, and he has apparently become a hot commodity for a number of franchises around the league.
Fortunately for the Cleveland Cavaliers, a recent report makes it seem that they are the front-runners to sign the injury-plagued big man.
According to Fox Sports Ohio’s Sam Amico, the organization is prepared to extend Oden a two-year contract with a team option for a possible third season.
Oden would ideally like to sign a contract after the Feb. 21 trading deadline and continue his rehab and conditioning while on an NBA roster, but he isn’t expected to actually contribute until the 2013-14 campaign tips off.
Amico’s sources indicate that the former Ohio State product is leaning toward the Cavs, as they will likely have the cap room after the deadline to offer more than the veteran’s minimum and a supportive local fanbase.
A number of other teams are reportedly interested in Oden’s services as well, including the Atlanta Hawks, Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and more.
Regardless of all the intrigue, it seems that the competition to sign Oden is truly between two favorites: the Cavs and Miami Heat.
Amico notes that while Oden would have a chance to nab a ring in South Beach, there is a lot of pressure that comes with signing on to play with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and the rest of the stars on that roster.
Cleveland would offer more minutes, tempered expectations and a chance for Oden to develop naturally into the dominant center that the Portland Trail Blazers thought he would become when they selected him No. 1 overall in the 2007 draft.
Unfortunately, constant knee troubles followed him during his five years in the league, and the seven-footer only appeared in 82 games during that span.
If Oden is truly “100 percent” rehabilitated from his three knee surgeries—as his agent Mike Conley Sr. is claiming—then it’ll certainly be interesting to see how Oden pans out upon his return to the NBA with the Cavs, or whichever organization he chooses to take his talents to.
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Greg Oden: Miami Heat Wise to Bow out of Contention for Free-Agent Center
The Miami Heat would be very smart to avoid signing Greg Oden this season.
While Miami was one of the teams in contention for the free-agent center’s signature, the Heat have reportedly taken themselves out of the running. Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio tweeted:
Bringing in the seldom-seen big man might have been a smart move for Miami after this season was over, or should it have been able to lock him up to a one-year deal. That doesn’t look possible considering the situation.
Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal reported that the Cleveland Cavaliers might offer Oden a deal after the Feb. 21 trade deadline. Lloyd wrote:
The Cavs are expected to offer free agent center Greg Oden a two-year contract with a team option for a third year after the Feb. 21 trade deadline passes, a league source said.
The Cavs have about $4 million in cap space, which they are preserving now for potential trades. Teams around the league don’t want to sign Oden until after the trade deadline.
It’s clear the Heat need some help inside. They’re dead last in the league in rebounding. Chris Bosh has done very well considering he’s not built like a center, nor does he have the game that qualifies him as one.
The team has tried to bring in some help, but Jarvis Varnado and Chris Andersen aren’t exactly the kind of players who can help to turn around Miami’s issues in the paint. They are solid contributors. Oden, though, was the kind of wild card who could have been a real difference-maker.
He’s a pure center, and at Ohio State was a dominating defensive player. It was that skill that made him the No. 1 overall pick in 2007.
Even if his knees are an issue and Oden can’t elevate off the floor at all, he’ll still be able to use his massive height and long arms to disrupt shooters in the paint and bring down some key boards. Oden would have been a perfect fit for the Heat.
If the Cavs are going to offer him a two-year deal, though, that throws the option out the window. He only played 82 games in his two-year career up to this point and last stepped on an NBA court in 2009-10. Now, Cleveland wants to sign him to a multi-year deal.
Sure the money probably won’t be all that much, but for the Heat, a contract like that would be too much.
Miami already has the fourth-highest payroll in the league, and it rises by a couple million dollars next year. The organization can’t afford to pay millions to Oden when there’s no guarantee how long he’ll be on the court.
At the very least, you know what you’re getting with Andersen and Varnado. Their contracts are also financially friendly for the Heat. Together, they are paid less money than Oden alone.
There is that chance that Oden could stay healthy and follow through on the potential he’s shown. That’s an awfully optimistic viewpoint, and one that doesn’t make sense if you’re going to sign him to a multi-year deal.
While others might be willing to bet that Oden’s knees will finally hold up, it’s a gamble the Heat can’t afford to take.
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Cavs to offer Greg Oden contract
The Cleveland Cavaliers appear ready to ink Greg Oden to a two-year deal after the February 21 trade deadline expires. Cavs beat writer Jason Lloyd reported that the deal would included a team option for a third year. Oden’s agent, Mike Conley Sr., told Lloyd: “Greg has been up there [to Cleveland] before and he’ll probably be up there again in an official capacity,” Conley said. This report comes a day after Conley pushed the idea of Oden possibly signing with the San Antonio Spurs or Charlotte Bobcats. And a week or so after Oden’s meeting with the Boston Celtics. And even a few more weeks after the Cavs and Miami Heat were called the finalists for the former No. 1 pick’s services. All of this is to say — take the report with a grain of salt. Conley is probably doing what good agents do — building up a market for his client. Photo: Keith Allison.
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Greg Oden Reportedly Expected to Receive Contract Offer from Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers have had Greg Oden on their radar for a while now, and it seems the organization is on the verge of offering the former No. 1 overall pick a multiyear contract.
According to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal, Cleveland will extend the injury-plagued center a two-year deal with a team option for a third season after the Feb. 21 trading deadline passes.
Because the Cavs have about $4 million in cap room available, they aren’t going to rush into anything in the event that they need the space for a potential trade over the next two weeks.
If the franchise does not wind up making any transactions or incurring any extra salary, it can offer the top pick in the 2007 draft more money than some of Oden’s other rumored suitors. This is an enticing proposition, considering teams like the Miami Heat—one allegedly interested party—are only able to dole out the veteran’s minimum.
This potential signing would be risky move by the Cavaliers, but GM Chris Grant is wisely willing to roll the dice in order to bring in a player that is immensely talented—if he can stay on the floor.
After losing veteran center Anderson Varejao for the remainder of the 2012-13 campaign upon the discovery of a blood clot, Cleveland has had a great opportunity to evaluate its young bigs. Unfortunately, outside of Tristan Thompson, there doesn’t look to be any elite talent there (the jury is still out on rookie Tyler Zeller.)
With Kyrie Irving developing into a superstar point guard, there is a severe need to bring in a high-upside and relatively proven frontcourt player like Oden.
Over his five-year career, the former Ohio State standout averaged 9.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks, but only appeared in 82 of a possible 410 contests. He effectively lost four seasons due to various injuries and surgeries.
At 25-years-old, there’s still plenty left in Oden’s tank, he just needs to avoid the rash of ailments that derailed his career as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers.
If the Cavs strike an agreement with Oden, they shouldn’t expect to see him on the court until the 2013-14 tips off, but will have ample time to evaluate him and assist in his rehabilitation.
The seven-footer would certainly be a gamble, but one that could pay dividends for the club if he is truly healthy and ready to make a comeback to the NBA.
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Heat Rumors: Miami’s Continued Pursuit of Greg Oden Is Pointless
The Miami Heat signed Chris Andersen to another 10-day contract recently, and that could mean they are set to eventually sign him for the rest of the season. So with Andersen and Jarvis Varnado on the roster, the team’s interest in Greg Oden is futile.
Andersen has been a solid fit with Miami thus far and gives the Heat some much-needed size off the bench immediately.
“Birdman” is averaging 3.7 points and four rebounds per game in his six appearances this season. As he continues to round into better shape, Andersen will only improve from here.
Adding to their depth in the big man department, the Heat also guaranteed the contract of forward Jarvis Varnado, although it’s likely his impact will be felt down the road instead of right away.
Despite the signings of Birdman and Varnado, the Heat are keeping their options open, and it appears the pursuit for Oden rages on, per Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports:
Conley, who continues to talk with Heat team president Pat Riley, said Miami remains in the picture for Oden and that he still anticipates his client will visit with the Heat. Conley said it likely won’t be before the Feb. 15-17 All-Star break, but he’s trying get Oden to Miami in the latter part of the month to meet with team officials.
The history of Oden’s time in the NBA has been well documented.
There was some serious hype around the center when he was drafted No. 1 overall back in 2007, but injuries have sidelined his career. Oden has only played in 82 games—all for the Portland Trail Blazers—and has averaged 9.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per contest.
A lack of talent has never been the issue for Oden. Countless knee problems have halted any momentum of Oden developing his skills, and it remains to be seen if his fragile body can withstand a full season of banging with big bodies in the paint.
Clearly the Heat are hoping they can catch lightning in a bottle and that Oden can finally realize his true potential if he can only stay healthy. If that were to happen, the Heat would no doubt have a gold mine on their hands when combined with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
While it’s an intriguing scenario that the Heat would love to come true, it likely won’t happen.
Knee problems are one of the last issues a big man wants to have, let alone a younger one. It’s doubtful Oden can ever return to his once-dominant college form, and the Heat are just spinning their wheels in regards to the Ohio State product.
A more realistic scenario for Miami would be to hold onto Andersen for the remainder of this season and potentially next, while continuing to develop Varnado behind the scenes in what will be a project that has a better chance of succeeding than Oden.
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AP Source: Cavaliers interested in Oden (Yahoo! Sports)
CLEVELAND (AP) — Greg Oden’s next comeback could be with the Cavaliers.
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AP Source: Cavaliers interested in Oden (Yahoo! Sports)
CLEVELAND (AP) — Greg Oden’s next comeback could be with the Cavaliers.
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Miami Heat Rumors: Greg Oden Would Be Great Low-Risk Addition to Team
The Miami Heat have been busy looking for ways to improve their frontcourt over the past few weeks. Despite the recent flurry of moves, yet another name has emerged: Greg Oden.
Although the former No. 1 pick has not played a game since 2009, he is planning a comeback and has received a lot of interest from teams around the NBA.
According to Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports, the center has narrowed down his choices to the Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers:
The 7-foot Oden…is hoping to take a visit down to Miami to meet with Pat Riley and the Heat in the next week, a source told CBSSports.com.
Miami would likely offer a deal for minimum salary while the Cavs could pay up to nearly $4 million. The Boston Celtics are another team that has expressed interest, but the source said that Oden is leaning towards making a comeback with either Cleveland or Miami.
If he were to sign with the Heat, he would be the latest on a list of frontcourt players brought in to solve the team’s biggest problem: rebounding.
Miami is currently dead last in the NBA in rebounds per game at 39.5. While the team is slightly better in rebounding percentage, it is still among the worst in the league.
This is not something that has hurt the team too much over the course of the season, but it will certainly come up against the tougher opponents in the postseason.
As a response, the Heat have signed both Jarvis Varnado and Chris Anderson to 10-day contracts. So far, the two have combined to play only three games and 16 total minutes.
Coach Erik Spoelstra has not given these players much of a chance to succeed in the frontcourt, but Oden could be a reasonable option if he feels these two cannot get it done.
In his two shortened seasons in the NBA, the forward showed the potential that caused the Portland Trail Blazers to draft him with the first overall pick. He averaged seven rebounds per game in his rookie season and improved that number to 8.5 in his second year.
His 17.1 rebounds per 48 minutes in his sophomore season would have ranked fourth in the NBA that season if he had qualified.
It is likely that the coaching staff would like to bring Oden along slowly after missing so much time, but he has the chance to truly help this team if he is healthy.
For Oden, this gives him a chance to redeem himself on a team that can contend for an NBA championship. Even with less money on the table, it would certainly be a more enjoyable experience than playing for the 13-32 Cavaliers.
The Heat have to make a change in order to be successful this season. Whether that means changing up the rotation to go bigger or adding players from other places, something must be done.
Oden represents an opportunity to get better without costing more than just a roster spot and a league-minimum salary. This makes him an option that the organization should pursue aggressively.
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Greg Oden Reportedly Drawing Serious Interest from Heat and Cavaliers
Greg Oden is interested in returning to the NBA this season, and two suitors have emerged as the favorites to sign the much-maligned big man.
According to CBS Sports’ Jeff Goodman, the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers have both expressed interest in bringing in the former No. 1-overall pick.
Oden and his representatives are apparently hoping to meet with Heat team president Pat Riley at an unspecified date within the next week, and the franchise is likely exploring a deal worth the veteran’s minimum salary.
However, there’s a chance Oden could score a bigger payday with the Cavs. Goodman’s source noted that the Cleveland brass is willing to dole out up to $4 million for the center’s services.
Regardless of where he winds up, it would be a surprise just to see Oden back in uniform and actually playing on the hardwood. Due to a multitude of knee injuries and surgeries, the Ohio State product hasn’t appeared in a game since December of 2009.
The Portland Trail Blazers infamously selected Oden over Kevin Durant in the 2007 draft, a terrible decision considering the top pick only contributed in 82 games over the course of his five seasons with the team.
At 25 years old, Oden’s knees have suffered more ailments and surgeries than most people experience in a lifetime. However, he’s a tantalizing talent when healthy, having averaged 11.1 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in just 23.9 minutes during an extended stretch in the 2009 campaign.
With the Heat starved for cap space and having had no luck so far in developing high-risk, high-reward centers like Eddy Curry, they might be willing to roll the dice on someone with Oden’s upside.
Cleveland could use a young center as a cornerstone for its youth movement, as Anderson Varejao is on the north side of 30 and recovering from a blood clot.
Unfortunately, Goodman noted in his report that Oden will likely not be ready to contribute for the tail end of the 2012-13 campaign, but should be ready in time for next season’s tip.
As long as Oden shows he can stay on the court and looks promising enough in workouts, there is going to be a market for the 7’0″, 285-pound big.
Don’t be surprised to see him sign a contract in the near future if he is truly almost ready to return to the NBA.
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