NBA Round Up

+ Wade, Robinson and more

I have breaking news, Dwyane Wade says LeBron didn?t quit. Wow Dwyane, thanks for this earth shattering news. Of course Dwyane Wade is going to back his teammate anytime a news reporter questions the integrity of one. So reporters for the Associated Press, save us the trouble of asking questions in which everybody already knows the answer to. You have a better chance of making Tim Hardaway admit he likes gay people than Dwyane Wade bad mouthing a teammate, especially if it is LeBron James.



In other news, the Boston Celtics have resigned Nate Robinson to a two-year deal that will pay him around $4 million a season. This was a great move for an aging Celtics team that will need Robinson?s energy off of the bench, especially with the departure of fellow reserve Tony Allen who agreed to a three year deal with Memphis. The Celtics backcourt will look mostly the same as last season, with the addition of rookie first round draft pick Avery Bradley replacing the recently departed Tony Allen. Bradley, a 6-3 combo guard out of Texas was considered the top incoming freshmen in college basketball last year according to the ESPN top 100. Although unproven, he should be a long-term upgrade over veteran guard Tony Allen. The Celtics have taken another step in the right direction with this latest move.

The Orlando Magic have decided to match the Chicago Bulls offer for restricted free agent shooting guard J.J. Redick. The deal is worth a reported $19 million over 3 years. This deal pushed the Magic deeper into the luxury tax and gives them one of the NBA?s highest payrolls at about $93 million next season. This was a necessary move as J.J. Redick was the only player on the Magic team who actually decided to show up against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals last season. He is also a reliable backup for the aging and often injured Vince Carter.

The Chicago Bulls have agreed to a deal with unrestricted free-agent shooting guard Ronnie Brewer according to a source familiar with the situation. The deal is worth $12.5 million over 3 years, although the third year is not guaranteed. The bulls needed to add depth to an already thin wing position and have done so with defensive specialist Ronnie Brewer who will join former Jazz teammates Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver. I am not crazy about this move because although Brewer is a very solid young player, he, like every other player on the Bulls with the exception of Kyle Korver, cannot shoot the ball from the perimeter. Brewer must have been plan B for the Bulls after they failed to sign J.J. Redick who would have been a perfect fit for a team in need of a sharp shooter.