Quit fixing my stuff!
Perhaps - but he should have plenty of good will towards SA - they got him to Philly. As Woj on Yahoo reminded us:
The Spurs had Bell in training camp in 2001, and always regretted cutting him before the season. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich helped persuade Larry Brown to sign Bell later that season with the Philadelphia 76ers and Bell helped guard Kobe Bryant in the NBA Finals.
I said that last night. Woj needed a refresher.
If Kobe is recruiting him with the opportunity to play with defending world champs & getting a ring, Raj will more than likely end up with the Lakers since Heat can't afford him.
So Spurs have to go to plan b,c,d..........
That didn't work for the Spurs in 2007 with Grant Hill. Some players have too much pride to jump on a champion bandwagon, let alone a repeat bandwagon that has an expiration date of next summer when Phildo is retiring. They'd rather take on the champ. Raja has always seemed like he had a bit of a chip on his shoulder, as opposed to being the buddy/sidekick.
I think Lebron swallowing his manhood and deserting a sinking ship to bolt to someone else's team is going to open the floodgates. Basically anyone that runs to a contender other than the Heat is just stepping up to challenge them. Welcome to the mercenary NBA.
Your callback is noted and appreciated.
Bell left VI as a little child and grew up in Miami. so i don't think there is much relationship based on this. however, a recruitment call from Tim should help in any case.
Bell declared he wants to play for Miami some weeks ago. he likely assumed it won't be for the minimum though. he turns 34 soon, so the lengths of a contract might be the crucial criteria. for sure he will be looking for a 2nd year, if not even a 3rd. Spurs can offer this, Heat can't.
My guess is, if Spurs offer a deal like 2.4 + 2.6 + 2.8 (50% guaranteed) he will bite. can't see him leave about 6 million in guaranteed money on the table.
Today,Monroe seemed to indicate that Bell was leaning our way. As part of second unit with Hill, Blair, Tiago and Anderson, that would be formidible IMO
The only other source I can find this morning linking Bell and the Spurs is Yahoo's Woj: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slu...gentbuzz071310
That said most of the article's about Kobe meeting with Bell today.[...]
After agreeing with 2007 first-round pick Tiago Splitter(notes) on a three-year, $10.9 million contract, the Spurs have nearly $2.4 million left in the midlevel exception to offer Bell.
The Spurs had Bell in training camp in 2001, and always regretted cutting him before the season. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich helped persuade Larry Brown to sign Bell later that season with the Philadelphia 76ers and Bell helped guard Kobe Bryant in the NBA Finals.
[...]
Where is bell getting minutes on the lakers? Behind kobe? Thanks for 10mpg...
Behind artest? Odom plays the sf minutes.
I don't see where he gets minutes unless kobe starts playing pg.
wow....another day of rumors and speculations...spurs just sign bell and james jones and start practicing for next season
How many more minutes do the Spurs have available? 5? 10? Are those extra 5-10 minutes worth more to Bell than the chance to play for a defending champion?
For our sake, I hope not.
He can play 20 minutes average in Spurs, backing up Jefferson (15 minutes) and playing in SG position sometimes (5 minutes).
We don't know what Bell shoose? Spurs can offer more money and playing time to Bell, Lakers offers a better chance to win a ring. It's up to him, he can choose whatever he wants.
A signing of Bell means that Hill will be used primarily as a PG. Hill is a PG mainly because Pop says so. If Hill excels it could mean TP could still be shipped out for quality by the mid season trade deadline.
http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chic...raja-bell.html
The Los Angeles Times reports that the Bulls have interest in Raja Bell, a free agent shooting guardwho was waived by Golden State at the end of last season.
I always thought that Hill was playing point because he needed to. Despite playing the 2 all his life, he will not make it far in the NBA as a 2 because of his height. Against the Lakers, he did play Kobe pretty good, but there were a number of times when Kobe just shoots over him. It's one thing to shoot over guys like Bowen and Battier who are both tall ang long reach, and another thing against long reach but shorter defenders. This is not college ball anymore. Just my $0.2.
come on bell come back and finish your career where it started
how about bostjan nachbar?
Where Shannon Brown was last year.
Nachbar is only worth considering if the Spurs strike out on the Bell/Butler/Jones trio.
Nachbar was in Turkey las year. He won't come to cheap and his defense is not good enoguh.
Unless Chicago, the Clips, or NJ swoop in with crazy offers (and not sure if Chicago can anymore) Bell can make the most money in SA if the Spurs are actually offering the remainder of the MLE to him.
Combine that with the fact that it would be playing for a team that will be competing for a ring - and that he would be a key rotation player - Bell would immediately become the best perimeter defender here, and with his 3pt shooting he's as close as we're going to get to Bruce Bowen without a time machine. To me I like the Spurs chances.
(Funny, Pop calls Larry Brown recommending him, giving LB a key part of a finals team. LB calls Pop raving about... Jackie Butler?! Seriously, this is example # 186 why Larry Brown needs to STFU about GM stuff and just coach.)
Kobe lending hand to land Raja Bell
By Mark J. Miller
Kobe Bryant(notes) and Raja Bell(notes) have had their disagreements in the past but the five-time NBA champ Bryant is putting all that aside to meet with Bell today and try to convince him to come play for the Lakers for the $1.77 million left in its midlevel exception, according to the Los Angeles Times.
As Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reported yesterday, the Lakers and San Antonio Spurs are the frontrunners to land the 33-year-old Bell, who only played six games last year for the Charlotte Bobcats and Golden State Warriors. The Spurs have a little more money that it can give Bell, and according to Wojnarowski, are still regretting cutting him at the end of training camp in 2001.
Wojnarowski has it that the Miami Heat are also interested in Bell, while the Times reports that the Chicago Bulls, Portland Trail Blazers, and Utah Jazz all have interest in his services as well.
Bell won't make a decision till next week.
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