Jermaine O’Neal, a six-time NBA All-Star, is still considering playing this season, but hasn’t yet made a decision. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, O’Neal will make a decision on his playing future “after the holidays,” so likely early next month. If he elects to play, it sounds like the Mavs, Cavs, Clippers and Warriors would be interested in signing him as a reserve big. More details:
In a conversation Friday with ESPN.com, O’Neal acknowledged that he knows various teams have expressed interest in signing him in recent months and said he has not ruled out coming back for what would be his 19th NBA season.
But O’Neal, who has elected to focus on his family and business interests for now after a successful 2013-14 campaign with the Golden State Warriors, maintains that he will not seriously weigh offers — or decide to step away from basketball for good — until January at the earliest.
“I’m going to make a clear-cut decision after the holidays,” O’Neal told ESPN.com.
NBA front-office sources say that the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas Mavericks and the Warriors are among the teams that covet O’Neal, should he decide to play on.
