Rasheed Wallace Wants to Be a Laker

Marc Spears via Yahoo! Sports

Martin, 34, has visited with as many as five teams over the past two weeks and has another meeting scheduled Wednesday, sources said. He averaged 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds in 48 games with the Nuggets last season. Martin wants to join a winning team that gives him consistent minutes.

Martin has been working out in Los Angeles, where he owns a house, and his hometown of Dallas.

If the Lakers don’t sign Martin, they could have interest in adding Rasheed Wallace, who contacted the team several weeks ago, a league source said. Wallace retired after the 2009-10 season, but has told friends he’s interested in returning to the NBA.

You'll recall Rasheed Wallace's final NBA moment came in Game 7 of the 2010 series when he valiantly filled in for the injured Kendrick Perkins during the first half, but his refusal to get in proper NBA shape during the season doomed him and the Celtics as he couldn't handle the extended minutes and broke down in the 2nd half. Celtics got killed on the boards and... well yeah you know the story. Many people blame the refs for that loss. Others blame the absence of Perk. I think Rasheed deserves a fair share of blame. He was paid to be in shape and he refused.

Rasheed might want to be a Laker, but I expect them to pass on him. And I'd be very surprised if anyone signed him. Rasheed was immensely talented and at the current age of 37 he could have still been an NBA player, but reports are that he started to let himself go the final two season in Detroit. What we got in Boston was a shell of what he used to be. And even though he still had a deadly post up game, just like the old out of shape big man at the Y, he much preferred to settle for 3 point shots. Wallace is cooked. I hope the Lakers sign him.