Bobcats Discussing Several Deals For Boris Diaw
Boris Diaw's expiring contract has become one of the more intriguing assets on the trade market this week, and the Bobcats are discussing "several deals" involving Diaw, tweets Ken Berger of CBS Sports.
The Nets, Spurs, and Timberwolves have been linked to Diaw, whose $9MM cap figure will come off the books at season's end. Given how valuable that number could be for teams looking to create cap space, it makes sense for the Bobcats to consider deals that could net the team draft picks.
If Dwight Howard officially waives his early termination option for 2012/13 and remains with the Magic, I'd imagine the Nets' pursuit of Diaw would become much less urgent.
Pistons Have Turned Down Offers For Daye
The Pistons have turned down trade offers for Austin Daye, including a couple from Western Conference teams, according to Vince Goodwill of the Detroit News (on Twitter).
Chris Broussard of ESPN.com reported today that the Pistons have been shopping Daye "all day every day," but that not many teams are biting. If Detroit has turned down offers for the 23-year-old, presumably there's a disparity between the Pistons' asking price and the packages being offered.
Daye, the 15th overall pick in 2009, has fallen out of the Pistons' rotation in recent weeks, playing less than 10 total minutes in three games over the last month.
Dwight Howard Rumors: Wednesday
Even after an impressive overtime win by the Magic against the Heat last night, the post-game focus was on the off-court story: Dwight Howard's future. As we covered in yesterday's round-up of Howard rumors, D12 told reporters he'd like the Magic to keep him for the rest of the season and "roll the dice" this summer. Considering earlier Tuesday reports indicated that Howard's long-term plan involves signing with the Nets as a free agent so New Jersey doesn't have to trade core assets, Dwight's suggestion that Orlando roll the dice seemed particularly brash.
Zach Lowe of SI.com called Howard's post-game speech the low point of the ongoing saga, while Ken Berger of CBS Sports reported that some Magic executives were privately disgusted with the star center's comments. We expect plenty more updates to pour in as the day goes on, so we'll track them all here, with the latest items up top:
- The Knicks are intrigued by the possibility of acquiring Howard, but won't offer Carmelo Anthony, since James Dolan "loves him," tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. I'd say that takes New York out of the running, since the Magic wouldn't be nearly as interested in an Amare Stoudemire/Tyson Chandler package.
- There are no legs to the rumor that the Magic are working on a three-team deal to bring in Josh Smith (linked below), tweets Jarrod Randolph of RealGM.com.
- According to ESPN.com's Chad Ford, the Nets would be open to offering the Magic anything they want for Howard, with the exception of Deron Williams.
- Orlando still seems to be entertaining deals that could bring in help around Howard, as Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld reports that they're eyeing the Hawks' Josh Smith. The Magic would need to get a third team involved, perhaps the Timberwolves and Michael Beasley. Given Orlando's lack of tradeable assets, acquiring Smith seems like an extreme long shot to me.
- The Magic are telling teams they intend to move Howard if they don't receive a commitment beyond this season from Dwight, according to ESPN.com's Chris Broussard. We have the details here.
- Nets sources insist the team would give up assets in the next 24 hours if it meant landing Howard, but Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld explains why New Jersey may not be motivated to make a substantial offer. If Howard and Williams sign in Brooklyn this summer, the pair would want a third significant player to join them, and the Nets may be considering saving its trade chips to acquire that player.
Odds & Ends: Batum, Kaman, Ewing, Elson, Heat
A few odds and ends from around the league, with less than 24 hours until the 2012 trade deadline:
- The Kings inquired on Nicolas Batum, tweets Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. However, multiple reports have suggested the Blazers have no intentions of trading Batum.
- If a second-round pick is all it takes to acquire Chris Kaman, expect the Pacers to make another run, says Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star (via Twitter). I had the same thought when I saw Chris Broussard's update on Kaman today — Indiana is the only team in the league that could take Kaman's salary without sending players back, and parting with a second-rounder wouldn't affect the team's long-term plan.
- Patrick Ewing may have some interest in the Knicks' full-time coaching job, tweets Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.
- Francisco Elson has been in touch with the Heat, but Miami isn't interested in working him out yet, tweets Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida. The Heat could make a move for Elson after the trade and buyout deadlines.
- The Heat likely won't make a move at the deadline, but players will still be relieved when it passes, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
- Wizards players talked to both Michael Lee of the Washington Post and Derek Page of HoopsWorld about the distraction of the impending deadline.
Amico On Mbah a Moute, Sessions, Jamison, Ellis
Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio chatted with fans about trade topics this afternoon. Here are a few of the highlights:
- Plenty of teams "love" Luc Mbah a Moute and are calling the Bucks about him.
- The Cavaliers continue to be aggressive in their pursuit of draft picks, and Amico expects them to land a first-rounder, possibly for Ramon Sessions.
- Antawn Jamison isn't drawing a ton of interest, and still appears likely to remain in Cleveland.
- Addressing the rumored three-team deal involving the Cavs, Lakers, and Rockets, Amico says he heard one of the three teams told the other two, "Let me get back to you on that" and talks haven't progressed since then.
- Amico thinks it would make more sense for the Hornets to amnesty Emeka Okafor than to trade him to the Cavs with a first-round pick, as was rumored. I can see the league-owned Hornets preferring to avoid the amnesty clause as long as the ownership situation is in flux though.
- The Lakers, Hornets, Hawks, and perhaps the Bobcats are among the teams with whom the Cavs have had "long discussions."
- The Bucks have "absolutely zero interest" in flipping Monta Ellis to another team.
Mike D’Antoni No Longer Coaching Knicks
Mike D'Antoni is out as the head coach of the Knicks, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). One source cited "conflicting visions of the club's future" and called the move a mutual decision, adds Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Sam Amick of SI.com confirms that the decision was mutual, rather than D'Antoni resigning or being fired (Twitter link).
The coaching change comes in the midst of a six-game losing streak, and on the heels of multiple reports that suggested D'Antoni, Carmelo Anthony, and the Knicks were at odds. ESPN.com's Chris Broussard reported last night that D'Antoni had lost the Knicks' locker room, while Marc Berman of the New York Post suggested that either Anthony's or D'Antoni's days in New York were numbered.
Assistant coach Mike Woodson will take over as the interim coach, says Wojnarowski (via Twitter). However, the position figures to draw interest from big-name coaching candidates as well. SI.com's Sam Amick reported earlier today that former Jazz coach Jerry Sloan may be interested in returning to the bench for New York.
Whoever ends up coaching the Knicks long-term will have to figure out a way to maximize the talents of Anthony, Jeremy Lin, Amare Stoudemire, and Tyson Chandler, who figure to make up the team's core for the next few years. The coaching change means that the Knicks almost certainly won't make a major trade before the deadline, preferring instead to give Woodson a chance to work things out with the current roster.
Assistant coaches Dan D'Antoni and Phil Weber have also parted ways with the Knicks, tweets Wojnarowski.
Magic Seeking Commitment From Dwight Howard
The Magic are telling teams they will trade Dwight Howard by the deadline if Howard doesn't make a commitment to staying in Orlando past this season, sources tell Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.
"Dwight's dreaming if he thinks Orlando won't trade him without a commitment,'' a source told Broussard. "He needs to make some small commitment to them. They're saying it can't be one way.''
Although the Magic would prefer to lock Howard up long-term, they would settle for D12 opting into the final year of his contract and staying for 2012/13. However, Howard hasn't shown that he's even willing to do that, leading to increased tension between the team and Howard's camp. Sources tell Broussard that the Magic are "incensed" with agent Dan Fegan, who they feel is leading the charge to convince the star center to leave Orlando.
The Magic were also upset over Howard's "roll the dice" comments after last night's game, and according to Broussard, Orlando has essentially invited teams to make their best offers. The ideal situation for the Magic would be creating a bidding war the Nets and Lakers, Broussard writes in a separate piece. Orlando would also be interested in a package of Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler, but there's no indication the Knicks would make such an offer, particularly without assurances about Howard's long-term future.
You can find the rest of today's Howard updates here.
Broussard On Pierce, Brooks, Curry, McGee, Daye
ESPN.com's Chris Broussard has a ton of trade rumors in today's Insider-only piece. You can read his major update on Dwight Howard here, but let's dive into the rest of his rumors….
- The Celtics offered Paul Pierce to the Blazers, though Broussard isn't sure who else would've been involved in the deal. Portland wasn't interested in Boston's proposal.
- The Clippers are reluctant to trade Eric Bledsoe for Jamal Crawford because they believe Crawford will opt out of his contract at season's end, and Bledsoe will have more value at draft time, since there won't be many point guards available.
- Ramon Sessions is unlikely to be moved unless the Cavaliers can get a first-round pick. Cleveland would try to trade for Jonny Flynn if they moved Sessions, though the Spurs have also expressed interest in Flynn.
- The Cavs are also in talks with the Hornets about swapping Antawn Jamison for Emeka Okafor and a first-round pick.
- Aaron Brooks is drawing interest from the Blazers and Kings, though the Suns hope to re-sign him. When Brooks returns from China, he can only sign with Phoenix. If he doesn't sign anywhere this season, he becomes a restricted free agent again this summer.
- A second-round pick is likely all it would take for the Hornets to move Chris Kaman.
- The Warriors preferred to deal Stephen Curry rather than Monta Ellis, but Curry's ongoing ankle issues hurt his trade value.
- Broussard hears JaVale McGee will be seeking a contract worth $14MM annually this summer. Good luck with that, JaVale.
- Wilson Chandler is seeking a deal starting at $7MM, which the Nuggets feel is too high, since that amount won't be prorated this season — Denver would prefer to start around $5MM.
- The Pistons are shopping Austin Daye "all day every day" but not many teams are biting.
- The Grizzlies would like to move Sam Young to get below the luxury tax line.
Bulls Exploring Pau Gasol Trade; Deal Unlikely
WEDNESDAY, 12:09pm: Negotiations between the Lakers and Bulls about Gasol may have fallen apart when Chicago was unable to find a third team to facilitate the deal, reports Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. An East GM said of the talks: "I think that died on the vine."
TUESDAY, 9:56pm: If a deal between the Lakers and Bulls involving Gasol were to materialize past the exploratory talks, it looks as though there are some major financial obstacles to overcome, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
There are major luxury tax implications for both teams, and while there are expiring contracts for the Bulls to offer, it isn't likely that cap relief will help get the deal done. Taking on the remaining three years of Boozer's contract could have a dire effect on the franchise, as they could be subject to more prohibitive penalties as a luxury tax-paying team, writes Johnson.
K.C. also cites the Los Angeles Times, saying that the Lakers have reportedly asked for Joakim Noah, an unknown player, and two first-round picks in exchange for Gasol.
3:34pm: The Bulls are exploring avenues to try to trade for Pau Gasol, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein. Chicago has been linked to Gasol multiple times in recent weeks, though this is the first time we've heard that they're actively pursuing trade scenarios for the Lakers' big man.
According to Stein, the Lakers have limited interest in the players the Bulls could offer for Gasol, including Carlos Boozer. Stein hears that for a deal to have any chance of working, a third team would likely have to get involved, and the Bulls haven't found that third team yet, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. The Lakers, who continue to talk to other clubs about potential Gasol trades, prefer to receive a top point guard if they're going to deal the Spaniard — and Chicago certainly won't be moving its top point guard.
The Rockets have also been aggressive in their pursuit of Gasol, though Houston's unwillingness to include Kyle Lowry in such a deal was a roadblock in those discussions. According to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com, Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak has been telling people recently that he doesn't anticipate a Gasol trade will happen before Thursday's deadline.
Reactions To The Bogut/Ellis Trade
The Warriors and Bucks finalized the first major trade of 2012 last night, with Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh, and Kwame Brown heading to Milwaukee in exchange for Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson. The deal is an interesting one, particularly since Bogut's fractured ankle could sideline him for the rest of this season.
My thoughts: the move is a risky one for both sides. Bogut has suffered multiple major injuries in his career, and hasn't played more than 69 games in any of the last four seasons — his health has to be considered a question mark going forward. For the Bucks, pairing Ellis with Brandon Jennings may not be ideal, since both players are at their best when they're controlling the ball. Considering the Bucks were also able to acquire a youngster with upside in Udoh and swap Jackson's hefty 2012/13 salary for Brown's expiring deal, I prefer Milwaukee's side. But if the Warriors slide down this year's standings (keeping their top-seven-protected draft pick), then get a healthy, productive Bogut back next season, the deal will end up looking pretty good for Golden State.
Here are a few more reactions and opinions on the trade:
- The upside is higher for the Warriors than the Bucks in the deal, though Milwaukee obviously benefits more in the short term, writes Zach Lowe of SI.com.
- Christopher Reina of RealGM doesn't love the trade for either side, giving the Warriors a C grade and the Bucks a C+.
- In a piece for The Basketball Jones, Mark Deeks says the trade doesn't make sense, concluding that two teams that were going nowhere before are still going nowhere.
- The Jazz and Knicks are the big losers of the deal, according to John Hollinger of ESPN.com (Insider link). The Jazz will own the Warriors 2012 first-rounder if it's not a top-seven pick, while the Knicks are currently tied with the Bucks for eighth in the East. Hollinger likes the deal a lot for the Bucks, particularly because of the cap ramifications.
- In a statement, Warriors GM Larry Riley said the team was "extremely excited" to acquire Bogut, as Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle writes.
- Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News explains the Warriors' motivations for the deal, and why it should work (in theory).