Probably a lot. And rumor is that Oden is their top FA right now. And they're not necessarily before us...they're both his top choices.
Seeing pics with Oden and Eric Spoelstra at a restaraunt doesn't help me believe that Oden is picking Spurs over cHeat. Maybe I'm thinking a little too much over those pics but it looks like to me he will pick the cHeat this week. I hope I'm wrong. Wish there was pics of Pop, Timmy and Oden circling around the rumorville. I wonder if Timmy contacted Oden to recruit him over? lets see what happens.
Don't know if this has been posted or not. I wonder how good a relationship Duffy has with the Spurs FO, would you know, Bruno?
http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2013/0...n-due-in-days/
HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS — His workouts complete, his guests leaving in some mixture of intrigued and wary, sidelined center Greg Oden could choose the NBA team with which he’ll attempt his latest comeback as soon as Monday, one of his agents said Friday.
Six teams are believed to have scouted the 7-footer — the No. 1 pick in the 2007 Draft who has played a total of 82 games in six years due to multiple knee injuries — in workouts in Oden’s native Indianapolis, including Miami, New Orleans, Sacramento, San Antonio, Atlanta and Dallas.
Agent Bill Duffy declined to reveal details, but said contract talks have ranged from general conversation to more specific terms, as the teams consider both the rewards and the risks of signing a premier talent whose body, thus far, has been unable to withstand the rigors of NBA play.
“Physically, he’s awesome,” Duffy said Friday afternoon. “We’re very happy with where he is. [His health and impact are] going to depend on monitoring him and his minutes.”
Oden, 25, has not played in an NBA game since Dec. 5, 2009. Four days earlier, in his final full performance for Portland against Miami, he had 13 points, 20 rebounds and four blocked shots in 30 minutes.
In 61 games in 2008-09 and 21 the next season, Oden averaged 9.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 22.1 minutes while shooting 57.7 percent. He has had three microfracture knee surgeries, which might dissuade teams from offering more than a veteran’s minimum salary, perhaps with appearance-driven incentives.
Another of Oden’s agents is Mike Conley, Sr., whose son is a point guard for the Memphis Grizzlies and a friend from their days together in high school and college. Mike Conley Jr. told Sean Deveney the Sporting News this week that he thinks Oden, in spurts, might be able to help a team.
“I expect him to come back and be someone who in short periods of time can dominate a game,” Conley said. “Just let him build up and get back to himself. I think it would be a little unfair to put him out there and give him 40 minutes.”
The NBA has a checkered history of players who have managed to return from career-threatening injuries. Miami president Pat Riley recently talked about players such as Kurt Thomas and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, both of whom were hampered for several seasons by foot problems, yet revived their careers through rehab. Guard Shaun Livingston, now with Brooklyn, is another whose NBA days seemed in 2007 after a leg injury captured in a gruesome YouTube video.
But Oden’s teammate in Portland, Brandon Roy, was unsuccessful in a comeback attempt last fall with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Houston’s 7-foot-6 Yao Ming ultimately was forced into retirement at age 30 in 2011 by chronic foot fractures.
The best spot for Oden to land? That likely depends on a team’s balance sheet, its risk tolerance and its commitment to patience and modest results. The teams showing interest in Oden run the gamut, from the NBA’s two-time defending champions in Miami and perennial contenders in San Antonio, to lottery teams last season in New Orleans, Sacramento and Dallas. Atlanta, too, is in the midst of an overhaul and shopping.
Portland, the team that drafted Oden over No. 2 Kevin Durant six years ago and paid him more than $23 million for the equivalent of one season’s production, apparently is not interested. Curiously, a team missing from the list of six is Phoenix, which has one of the most respected training staffs in the league that’s been a draw for ailing players such as Grant Hill and Jermaine O’Neal.
Should Oden reach a deal with Miami, the spotlight on him will be hotter than with any of the other five. He’ll risk being seen as something of a front-runner, as he would to a lesser extent with the Spurs. Then again, Miami took a similar flyer on Eddy Curry without much clamor and facilitated Chris [Birdman] Andersen‘s return as a valuable contributor who never rocked the Big Three boat of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
Any of the teams lower in the pecking order — the Pelicans, Kings, Hornets or Hawks — could offer more modest expectations. And if Oden were to stay healthy and help one of them, he might find himself with more supporters nationally and globally than he would by jumping aboard the Miami or San Antonio bandwagons.
“We’ve looked at all the scenarios,” Duffy said Friday. “There might be less pressure if he tries this with a team that’s rebuilding. Then again, the quality of the medical staff will matter. Maybe a winning team has chemistry that’s good or his role would be clearly defined.”
Oden’s choice, assuming he picks from among multiple offers, will affect not only his NBA future but the number of people rooting for him to have one.
Great. So we have to wait all week for him to choose the Heat.
Hopefully not all week, hopefully Monday sometime. I'm tired of waiting.Great. So we have to wait all week for him to choose the Heat.
Okay whatever we can end speculation now and move on lol. He will chose either team IMO, Pelicans if he needs the dough or the Heat if he wants a shot at a le.
Damn, this just isn't the Spurs year, it would be nice to come out on top in something.
Can we finally stop thw oden talk now.
CIA Pop. Make them think he's signing with MIA or NO and them BANG signs with Spurs on the last second.
And it's time time move on to the next free agent rumor.
I'm sure they're close or at the top of teams who have been rumored to be interested in so and so. That has to count for something.
The only good things about being "close" are in horse shoes, hand grenades, and limited thermal nuclear weapons!
Sorry, it just does not suffice.
I'm not just pissed at Oden, I'm pissed at all the players that always pass up the Spurs. Could the Spurs FO recruiting negotiations or lack thereof have anything to do with this matter? Maybe Pop & Duncan have given up as personal recruiters? These are all questions that unfortunately we will never have answers too.God damn it... that SOB is just like everyone else. They prefer pu$$y and $$$ over playing for a humble and winning organization such as the Spurs. If that er chooses the cHeat over us, I hope he breaks his ACL's and retires for good. I wish I can take these tweets with a grain of salt but I'm just not that type of person.
Funny, it seems that our team has done pretty darn well without nabbing big name FA's.
Read a lot of the Miami Blogs...They've been stonewalled also in regards to Oden's intentions......Its just like reading this board...Nobody knows anything for certain...Jus sayin! LOL!
Maybe so, but the latest reports have him most intrigued with Miami and N.O.
This is his last payday.......HE IS GOING FOR THE $$$$$$$$$$$$
To be perfectly honest with you, as well as realistic, I can't say that I blame him, I would probably do the same if I were in his shoes. Money like that is hard to turn down. You would think that since he's already made a bundle, he would make the smart choice, but after all is said and done, he is only 25. How many of us made smart competent choices when we were 25, rather than the flashy choices?
Oden to the Heat would just be hilarious..
He has not ever seen the court in his pro career and he will head to the Heat to chase down a ring..
Not sure why anyone would be pissed at Oden for choosing either Miami or NO. Spurs are a great option for him but so are those teams. Miami offers most everything San Antonio does, and NO offers more money. It's not like he'd be taking less money to play for the Thunder or Lakers.
I, for one, would not be pissed, rather I'd be disappointed, however I would not be surprised. At this point what actually would surprise me due to his age and maturity level is if he chooses the Spurs. I would not bet on it at this point.
Id be disappointed as well because he would be a nice wild card to have on the team. However it seems some believe SA is far and away the best option and he'd be greedy going anywhere else. I don't see it that way.
I agree, I don't see it as being greedy either, but just not the smart choice considering everything. However money of that amount would be hard for anyone to turn down. That isn't necessarily being greedy, but rather being judicious.
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