Here’s a look at the latest NBA rumors surrounding a few former Jayhawks who might be on the move this offseason.
The hottest name out there continues to be Kirk Hinrich, the Chicago Bulls guard who has been linked to at least three or four teams in the past two weeks alone.
For a while, it looked as if the Hinrich-to-Portland rumor might have some serious merit. In that deal, Portland got Hinrich, the Bulls snagged Utah forward Carlos Boozer and the Jazz landed Chicago forward Tyrus Thomas. Things have quieted substantially since that rumor first surfaced and it now
appears as if Miami — home of KU title game hero Mario Chalmers — might have the best chance to snag Boozer.
The ripple-effects of the Heat getting Boozer not only would eliminate the idea of Hinrich to the Blazers (for now), but also would go a long way toward making Heat superstar Dwyane Wade want to stay in South Beach, which would, in turn, mean that the Bulls most likely would be out of the D-Wade sweepstakes after next season.
As the rumors of Boozer to Miami heated up, Hinrich’s name began to surface elsewhere.
The most recent team linked to the former KU standout was Philadelphia, which may lose its starting point guard, Andre Miller.
Not-so-surprisingly, the two players were linked, as it was rumored that Hinrich would go to Philadelphia to replace Miller, who was headed to Portland.
Tuesday, we learned there was no truth to such a rumor.
The way things are going, the most likely scenario has Hinrich in Chicago when the season opens. Of course, most of the time, if there’s smoke, there’s fire. And if Hinrich’s name keeps popping up in trade talks, he could very well have a new home before the 2009-10 season begins.
Two former Jayhawks who most certainly will have new homes next season are power forward Drew Gooden and point guard Jacque Vaughn.
Both spent last season in San Antnoio and, ironically, Detroit has popped up as a possible destination for both players.
It has been written that the Pistons like Rasho Nesterovic and Chris Wilcox ahead of Gooden. Why, I have no idea, but Gooden at least has been on Detroit’s radar screen. With former Piston Antonio McDyess headed to San Antonio, Wilcox likely moving to New York and the Pistons unable to pry Glen “Big Baby” Davis away from Boston, it appears that Detroit could be a good spot for Gooden to end up.
Similarly, the Pistons have not uttered Vaughn’s name specifically but team officials have been open about their search for a third point guard and Vaughn, with his experience, low salary and steady defense, could be the right fit to play behind Rodney Stuckey and Will Bynum.
Stay tuned to KUSports.com’s ‘Hawks in the NBA Blog for reaction to any developments that may involve former KU players. For all we know, Hinrich could wind up in Milwaukee, Gooden could run and gun with the Suns and Vaughn could be back with the Spurs. How quickly things can change in the wild and wacky NBA offseason.
