NBA Player News

Monday, June 29

• 06/29/09 - 2:09PM ETRamon Sessions : Bucks Make Qualifying Offer

  The Bucks made a qualifying offer to Sessions on Monday, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports.

  The move will allow the Bucks to match any offers made to Sessions. His agent has noted that interest in the young point guard is high, but the Bucks' options may be slightly limited due to payroll constraints.

• 06/29/09 - 11:01AM ETJarvis Hayes : Option Picked Up

  The Nets picked up Hayes' $2 million option for the 2009-2010 season on Monday, according to the Associated Press.

  Hayes saw an average of 25 minutes a night for the Nets last year. He registered nearly nine points and four boards a game while shooting 45 percent from the field. Hayes is expected to be part of the rotation next season, though the Nets will likely work first-round draft pick Terrence Williams into the mix at small forward.

• 06/29/09 - 10:56AM ETYao Ming : Season in Jeopardy?

  The Rockets fear that Yao (broken foot) may miss the entire 2009-2010 season, according to Yahoo! Sports.

  The initial prognosis was that Yao would need two or three months to return to basketball activities, but it now seems that his rehab time could extend far beyond that initial timetable. The Rockets have not publicly commented on Yao's condition, but reports from around the league have them quite concerned with the health of their franchise player.

• 06/29/09 - 8:20AM ETMehmet Okur : Leaning Toward Opting Out of Contract

  Okur is leaning toward opting out of the final year of his contract and becoming an unrestricted free agent, according to his agent, the Salt Lake Tribune reports.

  "I think he's looking to do what will make sense going forward for him," agent Marc Fleisher said of Okur, "and whether that's with the Jazz or not, it's undecided at this point. We're going to look at all the options before he makes his decision." Okur, who has one season left at $9 million, must decide before the end of business Tuesday.

Sunday, June 28

• 06/28/09 - 11:09AM ETRicky Rubio : Trying to Avoid Minnesota?

  A representative for Rubio's agency in Spain said the point guard has received offers from a club in Turkey and Real Madrid in Spain, the New York Post reports.

  Rubio's desire to play for the Timberwolves, who drafted him with the fifth overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, has come under question, so a lucrative offer from a European team could keep him overseas. Both the Turkish club and Real Madrid are in negotiations with Rubio's current European team, DKV Joventut, on a buyout of his deal, according to Tim Shea, a consultant with the agency Winners Factory. Shea added that if the Timberwolves traded Rubio to the Knicks, it could sway Rubio into playing in the NBA instead of accepting a deal in Europe.

• 06/28/09 - 8:18AM ETPaul Millsap : Jazz Perparing Competitive Offer

  The Deseret News reports the Jazz intend to offer Millsap a contract good enough to keep him from testing the market.

  Past reports indicated Millsap might cost $8-$9 million per year, but that figure is up to $10 million now. If General Manager Kevin O'Connor means what he says, Utah better be ready to pay up. Given Carlos Boozer's hesitance to opt out of his large contract, it remains to be seen whether Utah has the cap flexibility to follow through.

Friday, June 26

• 06/26/09 - 8:20AM ETRicky Rubio : Buyout May Keep Him in Europe

  Rubio may not play for the Timberwolves next season due to the large $6.6 million buyout he has in his contract with his Spanish League team. "I don't know if it's going this year or next year," he told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "We're going to see because my buyout is big. We are talking about that with my agent, and he's working hard."

  The T-Wolves are only allowed to pay $500,000 toward the buyout per NBA rules - the rest Rubio would have to pay out of his own pocket. While there's likely a lot of posturing going on for Rubio's NBA contract, there is a risk he stays in Europe next season.