I lied about liking Allen Iverson. I really did.

Who didn’t love all those breathtaking dunks, and ridiculous finishes in the paint? All the fight he has inside him. The headband he would wrap around those incredulous hairdos. Oh yeah, and his rant about practice never seems to grow old.

I lied about liking AI. After what he said yesterday, I can never support him again.

Man, ya'll giving up on me? (Credit: picapp.com)

Iverson took the lowly road of Monday morning quarterback, and divulged information after the fact, while contradicting himself later in the same interview.

From ESPN: Iverson continued: “I’d never been on a team where a coach told me the guys gave up on me. You know what I mean? And I kept this under wraps the whole time … because I didn’t want to bad-mouth any of those guys.

Is it only now, that AI has secured a contract with the Memphis Grizzlies, that he decides to badmouth THOSE guys?

This picture makes a lot more sense now. (Credit: picapp.com)

Could he only keep it under wraps until he signed and secured a $3,099,729 salary?

Knowing he no longer has to be politically correct, why should he care if he keeps his mouth shut?

Some people would call it having tact.

AI could have taken the high road, but instead, he took jabs at a team that traded away Chauncey Billups in order to place him into their postseason plans, which he then managed to alienate himself.

AI has been on teams where players have given up on him.  They probably grew tired of never seeing the ball after it reached AI’s hands. Or may be they grew tired of watching him dribble out every 24 second clock. Maybe that was the situation in Denver, where his selfish play resulted in very little success.

The Nuggets only won 1 first round playoff game during the Iverson era, losing both 4-game first round playoff series in 2007 and 2008.

Sure the Nuggets went to the playoffs, and that can be considered successful.

But look at how far they got simply by dumping Iverson, and installing Billups: a loss in the Western Conference Final to the Lakers after going 10-6 during the postseason.

It is safe to say that his old Nuggets teammates got behind Billups.

I can honestly say that if players who have won an NBA title (See: Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace) will not stand behind you, then the real problem exists with the person they are not standing behind.

This past week we have seen Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva join Detroit.

Ron Artest took a pay cut and is hoping to get his first ring playing for the world champion Lakers.

Hedo Turkoglu reneged on a Portland offer, selecting the Raptors instead.

Rasheed Wallace is now alongside Kevin Garnett in Boston.

Trevor Ariza maxed out his contract value and is Houston-bound.

And Finally, Jason Kidd is staying in Dallas instead of going to New York.

The free agent signings become official today, the first day that players are allowed to ink their verbal agreements. There are more deals to come involving free agents, and it is going to be interesting to see where everyone ends up.

We here at Protect the Paint will list some of the rumors/moves involving the available free agents.

REMAINING FREE AGENTS

Lamar Odom

Odom might be hugging members of the Blazers soon. (Credit: daylife.com)

Lamar Odom doesn’t seem to be thinking repeat. Instead he and his agent want to be shown the money in the neighborhood of $10 million per season. Odom appears to be going the Trevor Ariza route, cashing in elsewhere now that he has the ring. He sacrificed his stats to win and now wants to sign with a team that could offer him a starting position and big bucks. Should have a different address in 2009-10. The Blazers are reportedly interested. Championship experience on an up and coming squad never hurts.

Andre Miller

Looks like Miller is heading to Portland. Gives the Blazers the floor general they lacked last season and gives Miller a chance to win. Good match all the way around.

Brandon Bass

Bass would make a mistake going to Detroit. (Credit: ocregister.com)

Bass could be staying in Dallas, heading to Orlando, or possibly ending up in Detroit. It makes absolutely no sense for him to sign with the Pistons. With rumors circulating of Carlos Boozer being shipped there for Rip Hamilton, and Charlie Villanueva signing a 5-year deal, he would essentially be the third option at power forward. The Magic need help up front. Orlando would be a good fit.

Antonio McDyess

McDyess could get a ring if he heads to San Antonio. (Credit: ugplay.com)

McDyess is leaning towards San Antonio in the most recent rumor involving the veteran which would provide more depth in the Spurs front court. He’s a solid shooter and depenable on the glass averaging 9.6 ppg and 9.8 rpg last year for the Pistons. The Spurs would have a solid 1-2 post punch with McDyess and Tim Duncan giving them the size to contend with the Lakers huge frontline.

Marcin Gortat

Marcin Gortat is going to get paid big bucks this summer. (Credit: mlive.com)

Most likely headed to Dallas. We’ll see how he responds to more minutes and more responsibility. This is a huge loss for Orlando who now have lost the majority of their front line not named Dwight Howard–Tony Battie via the Vince Carter deal, Hedo Turkoglu to free agency, and Gortat. The Magic better hope Ryan Anderson is as good as Pat Williams thinks he will be.

Grant Hill

Hill should go to a contender rather than a pretender. (Credit: offsideswithfletcher.com)

There are rumors of Hill heading to the the Knicks. Finally healthy, his game resurfaced playing with Phoenix. He appeared in all 82 games for the Suns last season. It’s unfortunate that he would want to make the move to New York, especially when he could most likely ink himself onto another team with better chances of winning a title. Seems like he and fellow 1994 co-ROY Jason Kidd have more in common then we thought: Take the money, not the chance for a championship ring.

Channing Frye

Frye could play minutes that matter for the Cavs. (Credit: nike.com)

Frye is very interested in signing with Cleveland. The guy has been marred with the “wrong place, wrong time” syndrome during his career. He was buried behind David Lee in New York and then behind LaMarcus Aldridge in Portland. If Cleveland loses Anderson Varajao, Frye will have an immediate chance for big minutes at power forward for the Cavs. This is a good opportunity for both sides. Frye has showed he has a lot of game and could be a late bloomer if given the chance.

Kobe Bryant will no longer need to worry about fighting with Ron Artest during the playoffs. They can now plan to fight each other every day during practice. Artest agreed in principle to sign a three-year deal worth $18 million, proving he wants to win. He seemingly could have made a lot more cash elsewhere.

Kobe Bryant's worst nightmare became a dream come true. (Credit: giant.blackplanet.com)

Artest has a long, troubled past, earning season-long suspensions, consequently disrupting team chemistry and unraveling chances for success.  Last season with Houston, Artest managed to make an about face both on and off the court. Artest then reverted to losing his composure multiple times, earning technical fouls and an ejection in the playofs against the Lakers.

Protect the Paint will assess the pros and cons of the Lakers mind-blowing acquisition.

PROS

Ron Artest will flex his defensive muscle for the Lakers this season. (Credit: suntimes.com)

Artest adds another tough defender to the lineup, compensating for the eventual loss of Trevor Ariza. He is a great ball handler for his size, incredibly strong, and unusually quick for his build. He emerged as a leader in Houston, and should be a great compliment to long-time friend/rival Kobe Bryant.

Artest’s career 42% shooting from the field ought to rise when easier shots become more plentiful within the Lakers offense. Artest’s rebounding and passing skills should prove beneficial in the multifaceted Lakers’ triangle offense. In addition, Artest has converted close to 40% of his three-point attempts over the past four years. This a vastly underrated offensive player.

Bottom line: Artest will have more weapons surrounding him, and be paired with the best overall player in the world (okay, LeBron James fans might want to debate that), rather than having to defend Kobe in the playoffs. His competitive temperament should be subdued as he accustoms himself to winning more often, and could inevitably lead to his first ever NBA Championship.

CONS

Artest’s reputation and spotty past will always be an issue, no matter how long his dormancy from acting out/up persists. Most recently he erupted (not in a good way) in the playoffs against the Lakers. This serial inability to maintain his composure has to always be a concern.

The main question that will linger this off-season and beyond is if Artest will be a distraction in the locker room. He is known for walking to the beat of his own drum, and with “Zen-Master” Phil Jackson possibly only coaching 41 games (he plans to only be on the bench during home games in 2009-10), that leaves 41 other games in which Artest will do “god knows what.”

The Los Angeles lifestyle and the negative influence it could hold is something to consider. He is no novice to the club life.  Here is an example supporting what could contribute to Artest being a detriment to the Lakers:

Should Artest immerse himself into the Los Angeles lifestyle too deeply, it could lead to his implosion and be a major detriment to the Lakers.

In the past, Artest has felt he needs the ball in his hands to be effective. This will be a major conundrum for the Lakers famed triangle offense. Growing pains could ensue as Artest regularly hangs on to the ball too long, often deciding to pull the trigger himself when other guys are open.

SYNOPSIS

Artest and the Lakers should see themselves staring down the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. These are now the best two teams (on paper) in the conference. Adding a moderately selfish player like Artest to the lineup could do more damage than good. Kobe is the king of L.A. (and no one is the boss of Artest), so it is not hard to envision the two of them finding it difficult to share the ball on offense.

San Antonio is by no means finished making deals, and if Rasheed Wallace and/or Antonio McDyess end up playing in the Alamodome, the NBA will have some amazing games for us to watch this forthcoming season. Now Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Richard Jefferson will have the same worries when facing Arest that Kobe once had.

With that said, we’ll take the Spurs in six for the Western Conference title.

Click here to vote for the best free agent move of the summer!

This summer marks the continuation of major spending reform (and not for the better) in the NBA. The Vince Carter, Shaquille O’Neal, and Richard Jefferson deals exemplify that liquidating huge contracts for scrap (or crap) heaps, and aiming to win it all now, is THE popular trend–the rich getting richer. Ben Gordon, Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Kidd, and many other free agents will land large deals, but who can afford to pay them?

Teams are preparing for next summer by dangling expiring contracts via trade to desperate teams.  Assessing the chances to land a marquee name–LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Amare Stoudemire, Chris Bosh, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Paul Pierce, Manu Ginobili–in 2010 is becoming commonplace, and as a result unthinkable trades are being made.

But let’s not forget, there is top-notch talent available this summer, and Protect the Paint will now evaluate who we think the most relevant free agent is for the teams with the most spending power. Lets face it, money talks, or else the free agent walks.

The teams with the most cap space are:

1. Memphis ($18 mil)
2. Detroit ($16.6 mil)
3. Atlanta ($14.8 mil)
4. Oklahoma City ($14.7 mil)

Other teams with significant room are:

1. Utah ($9.2 mil)
2. Portland ($8.1 mil)
3. Miami ($6.7 mil).

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

Memphis is going to need every penny they have if they hope to lure a major free agent to play for the Grizzlies. We’re talking about a small market team and a perennial losing franchise. It is doubtful any free agent of substance would be willing go there. What’s the draw? Don’t say Mark Gasol. Beale Street is pretty nice though.

Whoever Memphis signs, they will likely pay more than that player’s true market value. Additional revenue is the only thing luring a player to the Grizzlies. The only destination less attractive may be Milwaukee where Brandon Jennings hardly looks (or sounds) like a savior.

BIGGEST NEED: New Location. If the Grizzlies were located in a larger market, we’ve got to believe more players would consider playing there. Until then, have your checkbook ready Griz. They do have the money to offer Hedo Turkoglu a salary he could not refuse. The combo of Turkoglu, OJ Mayo, and Rudy Gay is solid yet entirely unrealistic.

DETROIT PISTONS

Wednesday’s breaking news of head coach Michael Curry being fired implies Joe Dumars wants to insure free agents will want to come to Detroit. It is well documented that Curry ruffled more than just one player’s feathers. Apparently, Dumars plans to let Allen Iverson and Rasheed Wallace walk.

Iverson and Wallace are in the twilight of their careers, and locking either one of them into a long-term deal makes absolutely zero sense when the Pistons are building around Rodney Stuckey and Tayshaun Prince. Acquiring a third scoring option who is entering/closer to his prime is what Detroit needs.

Gordon's offensive skills would help Detroit (Credit: chi-ball.com)

GREATEST NEED: Ben Gordon or Hedo Turkoglu. Ben Gordon is ideal for Detroit. He is a young, capable scorer who would give the Pistons a solid trio of offensive weapons to build a bright future around. Turkoglu might not make sense with Rip Hamilton and Stuckey already there, but he is a major factor why Orlando went to the finals and the Pistons can afford him.

ATLANTA HAWKS

After recently acquiring Jamal Crawford from Golden State, it raises questions if Atlanta will re-sign Mike Bibby. Crawford gives Atlanta another 4th quarter scoring threat, easing the defensive pressure on Joe Johnson.

Atlanta can let 30-year-old Bibby walk, and re-sign key reserves Zaza Pachulia and Flip Murray. Retaining Pachulia gives Atlanta depth in the post, which is a necessity for playoff basketball.

Will Childress play another year in Greece? (Credit: lowposts.com)

GREATEST NEED: Keeping what they already have (re-signing Pachulia and Murray). These two players are too valuable and affordable not to re-sign and the Hawks need to save their coin for Johnson who can opt out next summer. Josh Childress returning from Greece would give them back-court flexibility.

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

OKC cannot afford to spend too much on a major free agent. The Thunder need to spend frugally in order to retain the core of Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, and Russell Westbrook. It is an unconditional must. This being said, signing a mid-level free agent would be the wise move for OKC and there are several available. One in particular would fit nicely with the Thunder’s nucleus.

Millsap would thrive playing with the Thunder (Credit: deseretnews.com)

BIGGEST NEED: Paul Millsap would immediately add a tough rebounding presence and the blue-collar attitude that the young Thunder need. Adding Millsap makes the playoffs a possibility, especially considering Yao Ming’s injury in Houston puts the Rockets 2010 playoff hopes in major jeopardy opening up a spot for another Western Conference team. Millsap gives any team he’s on many second (and often third) chance opportunities on the offensive end. If Boozer opts out of Utah, then expect the Jazz to match any offer made on Millsap.

UTAH JAZZ

The Jazz faced potential free agency disaster, but both Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur have decided against opting out and will stay. Luckily for Utah, Boozer’s injury-plagued 2008-09 season and lingering questions of his ability to stay healthy is most likely all that prevented him from bailing and receiving a large offer elsewhere. Does he care about money more than winning? He did bail on LeBron. That should answer that question.

Okur–a big man who can shoot–must believe his best chance for another title (he won a ring in Detroit) lies in Salt Lake City.

Mehmet Okur won't abandon the Jazz. (Credit: nba.com)

BIGGEST NEED: Staying healthy. A healthy Jazz are as good as any team in the NBA. Re-signing Milsap as insurance for the fragile Boozer would be huge, but chances are good a team with more cap room will nab him.

PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS

Portland is a young team on the rise. They made the playoffs, and in doing so, exposed their greatest weakness.  Depending on which players they decide to retain the rights to, they could go as far as $15-30 million under the cap. They will not advance past the 1st round with Steve Blake as the starting PG. The Blazers have a solid leader in two time All-Star Brandon Roy, but they need a savvy veteran who can bring the ball up court.

Andre Miller is a massive ugrade to Steve Blake (Credit: ESPN)

BIGGEST NEED: Andre Miller or Jason Kidd. Miller would instantly bring leadership and make Portland a title contender as the Blazers mature. Miller has a lot of game left in the tank, and with $8 million to spend in cap space, they could afford to sign him.

With Jason Kidd coordinating the offense, there is no telling where the Blazers could go. Odds are Kidd remains in Dallas or signs with the New York Knicks. Kidd is already in New York and ready to begin negotiations.

MIAMI HEAT

Miami obviously has no interest in spending any money this summer. Their top priority is re-signing Dwyane Wade. The irony might end up being that in not making moves to secure talent around Wade they may lose him. Wade has made it abundantly clear in the media that he wants players provided for him now, not later. What Miami really needs is a low post presence. A solid center would immediately seal up a lot of loose ends for the Heat.

Marcin Gortat can start and make a difference in MIami (Credit: pablonasportowo)

BIGGEST NEED: Marcin Gortat or Anderson Varejao. With Orlando recently acquiring Vince Carter, Orlando will have trouble matching offers for Gortat. With Cleveland making the O’Neal trade they have no chance of paying Varajao the money he wants. Gortat has proven to be a solid performer when filling in for foul-prone Dwight Howard, and could be an affordable solution to fill the void in the middle in Miami. Varejao’s athleticism and defensive prowess might be the better move for Miami. He can give them what last year Jermaine O’Neal couldn’t.