Celtics, Lakers among teams in talks with Powe

When the Boston Celtics shape their roster for upcoming seasons, former members of the team often emerge as possibilities. Leon Powe has been one of them since leaving the C’s two years ago.

Powe told CSNNE.com in a telephone interview on Thursday night there have been discussions with the Celtics as well as other teams around the league (one that may jump out to Boston fans) regarding this season.

“We have been talking to the Celtics, the (Los Angeles) Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, and the (Sacramento) Kings,” said the unrestricted free agent. “That’s all we have been talking to right now. I’ve been working out, staying in shape, just getting ready for whatever team I’m going to go to. They’re all pretty good teams and we’re just trying to see where to go from here. We’re waiting to hear back from all of them and hopefully I’ll get something going in the next few days because training camp starts tomorrow.”

Powe, a California native, has been working out in Los Angeles but still has interest in returning to Boston.

“I’d love to be back there,” he said. “I already told my agent (Aaron Goodwin), if everything’s right, yeah I would love to be back again. It’s where I called home for three years. Everybody out there has been very nice to me, very kind and I’ve got much love for them. It’s just a matter of situation, everything shaping up the right way, yeah I would love to come back.”

Powe will hit the gym on Friday as others begin training camp. Hampered by knee injuries at points in his career, he has made his health a priority while he prepares for his sixth NBA season.

“Feeling good, feeling good,” he said. “[My health] was the number one thing I was working on. I’m 100 percent and ready to go. I’ve just been putting in a lot of work on my body and on my game too in the summer this offseason, so it’s been great all around.”

The 6-8 forward has also worked on expanding his offense away from the basket. He has focused on developing a consistent 15-foot jumpshot -- “You have to mix it up,” he said -- and looks forward to contributing his new skills to whichever teams he plays for.

“I hope once I get to a team I want to show all I’ve been working on, how much my game improved, and how much I got better,” he said. “I can help the team as a sixth man, you can put me in there 25, 30 minutes, and I’m going to produce. [I’m] just trying to make sure once I get that opportunity, I’m ready to go.”

While it remains to be seen where Powe will sign this season, one thing is clear.

“I’m 100 percent healthy,” he said. “Feeling good, ready to play some ball, and ready to go.”

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I we can swing it, I'm all for it!

Just say NO to POWE?

http://www.nba.com/2011/news/03/03/grizzlies-powe/index.html?rss=true

Free agent forward Leon Powe has decided to sign with the Memphis Grizzlies, a league source said Thursday. Powe had reached a contract buyout agreement with the Cavaliers earlier this week and had looked at several teams, including the Magic, Celtics and Knicks.

But Boston opted to sign forward Troy Murphy Wednesday, and Powe quickly looked hard at Memphis.

Go Troy!!!

gyso wrote:Just say NO to POWE?

http://www.nba.com/2011/news/03/03/grizzlies-powe/index.html?rss=true

Free agent forward Leon Powe has decided to sign with the Memphis Grizzlies, a league source said Thursday. Powe had reached a contract buyout agreement with the Cavaliers earlier this week and had looked at several teams, including the Magic, Celtics and Knicks.

But Boston opted to sign forward Troy Murphy Wednesday, and Powe quickly looked hard at Memphis.

Go Troy!!!

Well he does have better knees!

beat

I'm not sure, but I think these stories are from last season. That's when Troy Murphy was signed by the Celts and Powe went to Memphis.

Today's reports, from Powe's agent, is that the Celtics are NOT interested in Leon.

There is (was?) interest from LA, but now that the CP3 deal is dead and LA still has Odom and Gasol, they might not feel like they need Powe as much as they would if those two were gone.

bob

.

So-Bob- what is your thinking on this crazy deal that Stern squashed? I am
a bit confused as to whether Stern would have done the same thing if Boston had made the deal instead of LA. We may have one foot on a banana peel and the other one out the door, but, they still have three formidable stars .

Just wondering......

RosalieTCeltics wrote:So-Bob- what is your thinking on this crazy deal that Stern squashed? I am
a bit confused as to whether Stern would have done the same thing if Boston had made the deal instead of LA. We may have one foot on a banana peel and the other one out the door, but, they still have three formidable stars .

Just wondering......

Rosalie,

Stern approves Kwame Brown and Marc Gasol for Pau but kills Pau and Odom for CP3? Hmmm.

The circumstances are different here, though. Neither Memphis nor the Lakers were owned by the league at the time. New Orleans is, and so the other owners who were outraged with the first trade, now have some juice. As long as the the numbers worked from a CBA perspective, Memphis and LA could be as secretive as they wanted to be. As long as Chris Wallace wasn't taking baksheesh from Buss, and the Grizzlies ownership approves the deal, there's nothing the rest of the owners could do except gripe.

I opined on another thread that giving up Gasol AND Odom for Paul provides a significant upgrade to the worst point guard pair in the league, but it eviscerates the Laker frontcourt. If this deal went through they'd have the oft-injured Bynum in the front court and who...? Metta World Peace and Caracter? They'd go from the longest (albeit thin, depth-wise) frontcourt in the league to one of the shortest and thinnest.

What I take away from this, though, is that LA is trying to steal a march on the Celtics in rebuilding. Get a Chris Paul this year, have a few more years left on Kobe and you have a good chance of landing Howard (whom the reports are saying he's about to ask Orlando to trade him to NJ) or some other top-tier player or two next year and you're right back up on top with 3+ stars. Even when Kobe retires, you'll still have Paul and the next pickup and you're just looking for a 3rd. As we saw with KG, when you have two stars (PP and RA), convincing a 3rd to come on board is a lot easier.

Danny is going for broke. He's betting he can do it all next year, in a free agent season that is one of the best and deepest ever (LBJ was a big free agent fish, but after him you had Bosh and not many high quality players after that). It has been said he has his sights set for D12, and has been structuring his contracts for a couple of years now so he can offer big money. But if Orlando decides they can't/won't resign Howard, they'll trade him before the end of this year. That's the lesson GMs learned from the LBJ debacle. Something, anything, is better than nothing and that leaves Danny standing there with his hat in his hand. Granted, the hat will be filled with dollars, but we won't the big star power free-agent draw that would come with a Howard.

I'm not sure why he felt that CP3 is just so much better than Rondo as a building block, but the intensity and focus the Celtic front office brought to the pursuit of CP3 sure says he (and, presumably, Doc) sees something.

bob

.

bobheckler wrote:I'm not sure, but I think these stories are from last season. That's when Troy Murphy was signed by the Celts and Powe went to Memphis.

Today's reports, from Powe's agent, is that the Celtics are NOT interested in Leon.

There is (was?) interest from LA, but now that the CP3 deal is dead and LA still has Odom and Gasol, they might not feel like they need Powe as much as they would if those two were gone.

bob

.

bobh,

I think you are right about the date of the article that I linked. I read the part where the Celtics were not interested in Leon in another blog. I searched for Leon stories and found that one. I didn't think to look at the date, my bad.

I still would like to sign Troy Murphy.

gyso

Not a word about Murphy out there at all. I just wonder why? Was his experience here in Boston that bad that no one wants to give him a shot?
He just never got off the bench, and when he did it was for short minutes and
his understanding of the system was just lacking. How can you learn if you
don't play? This is the one thing I have a problem with Doc about. I love the
way he coaches, but subs and rookies have a hard time breaking in here. No
wonder no one really wants to come here.

Rosalie,

I wouldn't be that down on the Celtics' prospects. Just because Chris Paul said he didn't want to be here long term doesn't mean they aren't still a preferred destination for players. Yes, the big 3 are near the end of their run, but they still have a year or two left as serious title contenders. And after that, they have re-established themselves as an elite franchise, and they have the resources and positive reputation to attract top-flight talent, plus a GM and owner willing to make bold moves. The kind of guys you want are the kind of guys who would LOVE to play for Doc.

I would be shocked if this all fell apart after the big 3 and they returned to years wandering the wilderness. Trying times, perhaps, but you'll be fine.