Posted by MS:

Seriously a lot of nerve, he should be obligated to played for the vet min for his body breaking down and killing the franchise

Damn, he should play for free. He got payed TWENTY FREAKIN MILLION each of 2 years he didn't even play.

The source is someone that wouldn't have gotten fleeced to acquire the kid in the first place, is jamal suddenly going to play under control? is he going to put his teammates first? is he going to stop playing the worst basketball out of any regular in the entire nba for half the season?

NO on all accounts, however he has a crossover, makes some big shots, and is well spoken, so he has gotten a pass for not improving and putting in no effort on defense.

How about they both are awful options at the starting SG position and it's silly to even compare which is more awful?

Overboard. I don't like Jamal's chucking, but he's not exactly the worst player in the league (Jared Jeffries).

trade for artest and bring in reggie miller

Not sure if anyone caught this...

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&id=2967624&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab3pos1


Miller, Houston, Oakley ... who else is planning a comeback?


There is only one Reggie Miller, true, but there are actually several big-name veterans who either are trying to make an NBA comeback ... or are ignoring their constantly ringing telephones.

Why now?

Two commodities that have become increasingly precious in this league -- quality shooting and veteran know-how -- appear to have given unexpected new life to Miller and some of his peers. That's especially so if such proven players are willing to sign at bargain prices, offsetting the skepticism that naturally greets teams whenever they sign anyone in their late 30s. Or older.

With even the NBA's elite teams perpetually desperate for an extra perimeter specialist, one more proven inside presence or just a dose of playoff-tested savvy, Miller almost certainly won't be alone if he decides to end a lengthy layoff by accepting the Boston Celtics' invitation to join the new Big Three of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.

Who besides Reggie is likely to make the rebound to the big time after at least one season in retirement? Who is probably gone for good? Read on.

Allan Houston

AP Photo/David Karp

Houston's shooting touch is still there, but can his knees hold up?
Allan Houston
Age: 36
Last NBA job: New York (2004-05 season)

Rate Houston as a much more likely candidate to return to the hardwood than Miller. He's younger, obviously, and he's not hesitating like Reggie; both have been away from the game for two seasons, but Miller, who last played in 2004-05, is understandably torn about his ability to unretire at 42.

Houston? As ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard reported Thursday, he has already committed to a comeback after a season of TV work at ESPN.

The challenge for both of these decorated marksmen would be the same. They'll have to adjust quickly to the speed and athleticism all around them -- not something easy to relocate after a long layoff -- or they won't find the rhythm to consistently make shots.

Neither, though, is struggling to attract interest.

An executive from one interested team, in Houston's case, said he's been told to operate on the assumption that "everything goes through the Knicks." In other words, Houston is expected to give New York the first crack at re-signing him after an arthritic left knee limited the sharpshooter to 70 games over two seasons before his October 2005 departure.

Yet Houston's camp, according to NBA front-office sources, has already reached out to contenders such as San Antonio and Cleveland and is open to alternative destinations.

Charles Oakley
Age: 44 in December
Last NBA job: Houston (2003-04 season)

Oakley told the Toronto Star's Doug Smith in late July that he wants to play again. Not only that, Oak is apparently serious. He claims there are a handful of teams interested, and names Dallas, Miami, Cleveland and New York as clubs that need him to combat softness issues.

Of course, Oakley also told our Canadian colleague that he's "not coming back cheap." Which might end an Oak comeback before it starts.

It's difficult to imagine any team extending Oakley more than a veteran minimum deal to return after three seasons away from the game. Yet at least one Western Conference executive doesn't doubt that Oakley could still pull off the basketball part.

"Oak has always been a good shooter," he said. "If he can still get up and down the court, I could see him filling a Kurt Thomas-type role for someone."

Shawn Kemp
Age: 38 in November
Last NBA job: Orlando (2002-03 season)

Kemp seemed to be progressing toward an NBA resurrection in the summer of 2006 when, in the midst of a recovery plan that saw him lose more than 50 pounds, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor drug charge in Houston. That prevented the slimmed-down Kemp from receiving any training-camp invites last fall.

This fall? Kemp has reportedly kept the weight off and, according to agent Tony Dutt, has been approached by a couple of unnamed teams that are thinking about bringing him to camp.

The YouTube faithful who never get tired of replaying Kemp's unforgettable array of dunks can only hope.

Tony Massenburg
Age: 40
Last NBA job: San Antonio (2004-05)

Massenburg was last seen on San Antonio's bench as part of a championship team in 2005, but the veteran bruiser apparently has a new sign-off in mind that would be more satisfying. Tied for the league record with Chucky Brown and Jim Jackson for playing with 12 different teams, Massenburg has been putting out some feelers to see if he can get one more job and break the record, according to NBA front-office sources.

Keith Van Horn
Age: 32 in October
Last NBA job: Dallas (2005-06 season) Van Horn could get work if he wanted it faster than anyone on this list. Denver had strong interest last season and Boston is a natural suitor now given that the Celtics are looking for shooters to ease the perimeter burden on Allen ... and given that Van Horn is 10 years younger than Miller.

But Van Horn has gone underground since deciding to spend last season with his family at their Colorado hideaway. Even a few folks close to Van Horn during his most recent stint in Dallas have struggled to reach him.

It's believed that Van Horn hasn't ruled out a comeback in the future, given that he only played nine NBA seasons. Yet one source, reminding that Van Horn shuffled through four cities in the final five of those seasons, puts the odds on his return at "75-25 against."

Antonio Davis
Age: 39 on Halloween
Last NBA job: Toronto (2005-06 season)

Davis could certainly get a job if he wanted one. That was the case throughout last season and again this offseason.

Yet it appears as though he plans to stay retired, although Davis did concede to ESPN.com last December that one more shot at an elusive ring "would be the only thing that would get me to think about it."

Davis' agent Bill Duffy said Thursday: "I think Antonio is very content in parenthood. He's had several opportunities [to come back] in the last couple years with Chicago and Dallas. But I think he's a full-time father now."

Qyntel Woods
Age: 26
Last NBA job: New York (2005-06 season)

Woods is the only Comeback Kid in this discussion, far younger than anyone else here. But he's included for a couple reasons.

1. He's more likely than most to make it back to the league because of his age, even though he recently signed with perennial Greek club power Olympiakos. Woods has apparently shed some weight since a brief stint in the D-League last season and worked out for some NBA and European teams in Las Vegas last month during summer-league play.

2. Woods would come under closer-than-ever scrutiny if he does make it back to the NBA because of the unavoidable tie-in to Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. Woods was released by Portland after pleading guilty to animal-abuse charges stemming from accusations in 2004 that he was pitting pit bulls against each other in dog fights.

Scottie Pippen
Age: 42 in September
Last NBA job: Chicago (2003-04 season)

Pippen lobbied contenders to give him a comeback look during All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas in February, but couldn't tempt anyone. Word is he's now pushing for a coaching or front-office opportunity, having announced on a recent NBA goodwill mission to China that "I am not looking forward" to playing again.

Toni Kukoc
Age: 39 in September
Last NBA job: Milwaukee (2005-06 season)

Kukoc was willing to join only the Bucks or the Bulls last season, which would have enabled him to commute from his home in Northern Illinois. But agent Herb Rudoy shared Thursday that Kukoc is no longer physically able to play because of persistent hip trouble.

"I had calls all throughout the season [from various teams]," Rudoy said. "There's just no way that he's able to play basketball."

Nick Van Exel
Age: 36 in November
Last NBA job: San Antonio (2005-06)

It's widely assumed that knee trouble ended Van Exel's career after one final, unsuccessful ring chase with the Spurs. Van Exel was indeed plagued by various knee problems in the later stages of his career, but the bigger issue at the end was actually an elbow injury that messed with his shot. He apparently decided against playing on because the elbow, more than his knees, wouldn't allow him to live up to his reputation for clutch shot-making. He'd certainly still be getting offers if healthy.

Latrell Sprewell
Age: 37 in September
Last NBA job: Minnesota (2004-05 season)

Sprewell's name hasn't been in the news much since late in the 2005-06 season, when ESPN.com's Chris Sheridan went to Sprewell's house in Wisconsin to ask him directly about his future plans and got thrown off the property. Our first wave of attempts to find anyone who has spoken to Spree more recently proved a lot less dramatic but similarly unsuccessful.

Boston chasing Spree is a natural now that they've traded for his pal Garnett, but at least one of Spree's former teammates doesn't offer the Celtics (or anyone else) much hope. "I don't think he's returning [NBA] calls these days," he said.

Michael Jordan
Age: 44
Last NBA job: Washington (2002-03 season)

Just kidding, MJ.

[Edited by - holfresh on 08-09-2007 6:50 PM]

Why? If a dumb organization paid you that much, wouldn't you take it, whether you were injured or not?