I just saw this article, and I almost threw up....
It may take Celtics restricted free agent forward Leon Powe months to return to the court after suffering a torn left ACL and damaging his meniscus in the playoffs, if he can come back at all. But several contending teams are interested in him, and the interest is mutual. In fact, Powe would like to join LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal in Cleveland next year in pursuit of another championship.
The Cavaliers are Powe's first choice for a new team, according to a source, with the Orlando Magic second. Dallas and the L.A. Lakers have also made inquiries about Powe, who suffered a third serious knee injury in Game 2 of Boston's first-round series against Chicago. Powe underwent microfracture surgery on his left knee a week later. The most optimistic scenario is a recovery time of six to eight months, with a February return the hoped-for date.
But it's not a certainty that Powe will sign with any of those teams.
There are concerns that Powe might not be able to come back from this latest injury, the third time he's severely injured his left knee since high school. He originally tore the ACL in that knee after his junior season at Oakland Tech High School and had reconstructive surgery in 2002, returning for his senior season. But after his freshman season at the University of California, Powe had a second reconstructive procedure--one that was actually done in separate operations in April and September of 2004.
In addition, a league source says that Powe is looking for a second year at his option, which would allow him to become an unrestricted free agent next summer without the team that signs him having either Larry Bird or early Bird re-signing rights. That would put any team that signed him now in the position of helping him rehabilitate his knee over the next few months, having him come back and play a couple of months, then be able to leave that team for a better offer next summer--a position the league source called "completely unreasonable" on Powe's camp's part.
Each of the four teams currently looking at Powe only has its bi-annual cap exception of $1.99 million to offer. The Cavs split their mid-level exception of $5.85 million to sign free agent guards Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon. Orlando used most of its mid-level on forward Brandon Bass. The Lakers signed Ron Artest with theirs, and the Mavericks just dipped into their mid-level last weekend to sign forward Drew Gooden.
Powe averaged 7.7 points and 4.9 rebounds last season for Boston, and when Kevin Garnett went down with a season-ending knee injury of his own, the Celtics were counting on Powe to pick up some of the scoring slack in the playoffs. But he lasted less than five quarters before suffering yet another knee injury, this one different from the right knee sprain he suffered during the regular season, or the previously torn ACLs.
There is no chance that the Celtics would re-sign Powe, or match any offer, said another source. The team has made it clear that it is moving on, despite Powe's helping the Celtics immensely during their Finals series victory over the Lakers and Coach Doc Rivers's lobbying on his behalf. Rivers said during the playoffs that he hoped the team could find some way to keep Powe, a restricted free agent. But to do so, the already tax-paying Celtics would have to shell out an additional $5 or $6 million in salary and luxury taxes for a player they also aren't sure will be able to play.
YOU WERE DA MAN LEON!!!!
WE YELLED FOR YOU AT OPEN PRACTICE IN 2007!!!!
"WE GOT A GOLD BALL" - Mr. Leon Powe
Topic: Cavaliers Are Powe's First Choice - David Aldridge NBA.com (Read 5924 times)