Jamal Crawford Rumors: Tuesday
While the chatter about Raymond Felton has been "very light" in recent days, according to Ben Tolliver of Blazer's Edge, Felton's teammate Jamal Crawford still seems to be drawing significant interest. Yesterday we heard the Trail Blazers had discussed D.J. Augustin with the Bobcats, and had talks with the Clippers involving Eric Bledsoe and Ryan Gomes. Today's Crawford rumblings can be found below, with the newest items added up top throughout the day:
- The Blazers haven't been able to secure a first-round pick in any offers for Crawford, and are thought to be "cooling" on the idea of moving him, tweets Ken Berger of CBS Sports.
- The Clippers' interest in Crawford hinges on the Blazers taking Gomes' contract, which Portland is unlikely to do, tweets Golliver.
- Crawford talked to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian about the trade rumors, saying that if it were up to him, he'd remain in Portland: "At the end of the day, I chose to come here. I want to be here. I don't know how to approach the situation, honestly. I haven't talked to anybody in the organization. I'm just trying to stay ready for whatever. Hopefully we can finish what we started. If not, well, it's a business."
Odds & Ends: Cavs, Chandler, World Peace, Ellis
No trades have been agreed upon yet, but with less than 48 hours remaining until Thursday's trade deadline, it shouldn't be long before we see our first deadline deal of 2012. In the meantime, let's round up a few odds and ends from around the NBA:
- The Cavaliers have expressed interest in former Blazers guard Armon Johnson, tweets Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge. Johnson was waived by Portland to make room for Joel Przybilla.
- Wilson Chandler and agent Chris Luchey are meeting with Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri and team president Josh Kroenke today to discuss a contract for Chandler, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Chandler's self-imposed deadline to work out a deal is Friday.
- Metta World Peace is researching retirement, according to Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld. Pincus clarifies that World Peace would be using the threat of retirement as leverage if the Lakers amnesty him next season, so he wouldn't be claimed by a team he didn't want to join.
- It doesn't look like a deal will happen, but Zach Lowe of SI.com explains why acquiring Monta Ellis could have been a good basketball move for the Magic.
- ESPN.com's John Hollinger (Insider link) and NBA.com's Shaun Powell provide buyer's guides for the trade deadline.
Minimal Interest In Felton; Trade Unlikely
Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge reported earlier today that chatter surrounding Raymond Felton has been "very light" over the last few days (Twitter link). Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com backs up that report, writing that the Blazers have contacted all 29 NBA teams to gauge the interest in Felton, finding minimal interest.
According to Haynes, there's currently an offer for Felton on the table. However, Portland doesn't figure to accept that deal unless the Blazers' next two games before the deadline are a disaster.
Ken Berger of CBS Sports reported yesterday that rival execs felt the Blazers may have some interest in trading Felton to the Lakers for Steve Blake and another piece, but Haynes couldn't confirm whether such a proposal is the one the Blazers are currently weighing (Twitter link).
Nets Remain Offseason Frontrunner For Howard
Whether or not the Magic decide to trade Dwight Howard this week, Howard himself still intends to sign with the Nets this summer, says Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. According to Wojnarowski, Howard's desire to avoid confrontation and to be liked have led Dwight to let the Magic believe they have chance to re-sign him.
"Dwight’s gone, and [Magic CEO] Alex Martins is the only person who doesn’t believe that," a source with knowledge of Howard's intentions told Wojnarowski.
While Howard has privately been telling people he could be convinced to stay if the Magic bring in help around him, Wojnarowski calls that possiblity a long shot. As the Warriors' stance on Monta Ellis exhibits, any team that believes it may have a chance to sign Howard in free agency won't be inclined to agree to a trade that improves the Magic's chances of keeping him.
Wojnarowski also points to a growing belief that Howard doesn't want to push for a trade that would force his new team to give up core assets for him. One official who has talked with the Magic, Nets, and agents involved in the process told Wojnarowski: "Dwight is going to [expletive] them (the Magic), and that will be especially true if he doesn’t even ask for the sign-and-trade on July 1st, because he wants Brooklyn to keep assets."
According to Wojnarowski, the Nets are confident enough about signing Howard this summer that they won't feel pressured to make an aggressive trade offer for D12 this week. New Jersey has reportedly expressed interest in Boris Diaw's $9MM expiring contract as a way of clearing cap space to sign Howard, Deron Williams, and Brook Lopez this offseason.
For the rest of today's updates on Howard, check out our complete round-up.
Knicks Exploring Toney Douglas Trade
The Knicks are exploring trade options involving Toney Douglas, a source tells Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York. ESPN.com's Chris Broussard confirms the report.
Douglas, 25, averaged 10.6 PPG in 81 games for the Knicks last year, and begin this season as the team's starting point guard. However, following the emergence of Jeremy Lin, the return of Baron Davis, and the signing of J.R. Smith, Douglas has disappeared from New York's rotation. He hasn't played since February 15th, his only action in the last month.
Marc Berman of the New York Post suggested last week that the Knicks could listen to offers on Douglas. Berman speculated that New York would be seeking a couple of second-round picks for the former first-rounder.
Pacers Eyeing Shooting Guards
The Pacers "continue to have a great deal of interest" in acquiring a shooting guard, according to Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld. However, Indiana isn't inclined to break up the core of its roster to bring in a two guard.
O.J. Mayo was nearly traded to Indiana at last year's deadline, and the Pacers maintain interest in him, but the Grizzlies don't appear likely to move the USC product this season. If Memphis makes a deal, it will likely be a smaller move designed to get the team below the luxury tax line.
According to Ingram, the Pacers also have some interest in Courtney Lee, whose agent would like to relocate his client to a team where he might sign an extension. The Rockets, who should clear a good deal of cap space this summer, don't appear to have much interest in bringing back most of their players on expiring contracts, including Lee. Still, Houston figures to ask for a young player or a draft pick for Lee, a price Indiana may not want to pay.
The Pacers have a huge amount of cap space they could use to facilitate a deal, but with no obligation to spend to reach a salary floor, Indiana won't make a trade just for the sake of it. For what it's worth, Danny Granger and other Pacers players don't believe the team needs to make a deal, as Granger told Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld.
Warriors Owner Wants Howard In Ellis Deal
12:11pm: The Warriors have turned down the Magic's various trade proposals and talks have ended for now, tweets Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com. Presumably if the Magic put Howard on the table in the next couple days, the Warriors would be interested in reopening discussions.
11:16am: Monta Ellis was at the center of a major trade rumor yesterday, as reports suggested the Warriors were engaged with the Magic and Hornets about a possible three-way deal that would have sent Ellis to Orlando. However, multiple outlets, including ESPN.com and the Bay Area News Group, reiterated what's been an ongoing stance from the Warriors in recent weeks — Golden State isn't interested in trading Ellis unless it gets Dwight Howard in return.
Ken Berger of CBS Sports expands on this stance, noting that Warriors owner Joe Lacob has no desire to send Ellis to Orlando for non-Howard assets (Twitter link). The hope on Orlando's part is that acquiring Ellis would mean Howard commits to at least one more season with the Magic. But Lacob, who would badly like to acquire Howard himself, wants to preserve the Warriors' chances of acquiring D12, however slim those chances may be (Twitter link). Golden State is highly unlikely to participate in any deal that would improve the Magic's odds of retaining its star center.
While I tend to believe Ellis could still be had in the right deal that doesn't involve the Magic and Howard, it appears the Warriors aren't expecting to make a major trade before Thursday's deadline.
Pacific Rumors: Gasol, Kaman, Evans, Kings
Let's head west and check in on the latest rumors out of the Pacific Division….
- A league source tells Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld that the biggest obstacle for a Pau Gasol trade is that not many owners would take on that sort of salary for one player. Owing about $20MM annually to a single player is scary for any team not in a major market, adds Kyler (Twitter links).
- According to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News, if they were to trade Chris Kaman to the Warriors, the Hornets would want to acquire Ekpe Udoh as part of the deal. A recent report suggested the Hornets may be interested in extending Kaman, but Deveney considers that a smoke screen.
- In a column yesterday for SI.com, Sam Amick hinted that Tyreke Evans may not be in the Kings' long-term plans, and that the team could eventually field trade offers for him. If Sacramento reaches that point, don't expect the Cavs to be interested, says Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter).
- Speaking of Sacramento, if you have a few million dollars burning a hole in your pocket, perhaps you'd be interested in owning a portion of the Kings. Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee reports that a 7% minority share of the team will be auctioned off due to Bob Cook's personal bankruptcy.
Nets Express Interest In Boris Diaw
TUESDAY, 9:58am: The Nets would be willing to include the protected first-round pick the Rockets owe them to acquire Diaw's expiring contract, says Bonnell. Bonnell hears a potential Diaw package would also consist of Petro and Jordan Farmar. The pick Houston owes New Jersey is top-14 protected for the next five years.
Personally, I like this trade idea for both teams. The Bobcats may lose some short-term cap flexibility, but they'd gain another first-round pick and could shed Farmar's and Petro's contracts after next season. The Nets, meanwhile, would gain valuable cap space to pursue marquee free agents this summer.
MONDAY, 3:16pm: The Nets have expressed interest in acquiring Boris Diaw and his expiring contract, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Diaw, who hasn't appeared in the team's last four games, recently asked the Bobcats about the possibility of buying out his contract.
The Nets' interest in Diaw makes sense, since the team is looking to make a run at Dwight Howard this summer. If they hope to retain Deron Williams and Brook Lopez and make a competitive offer for D12, the Nets will need to clear all the cap space they can, and Diaw's $9MM contract will expire at season's end.
As Bonnell points out though, the hitch is what players the Bobcats would receive in exchange for Diaw. I'd guess the Nets would want Charlotte to take at least one of Johan Petro and Shawne Williams — Petro's contract is guaranteed for next season for $3.5MM, while Williams has a $3.14MM player option he figures to exercise. Neither player is under contract past 2012/13, so perhaps the Bobcats would be interested in taking on the pair if they came packaged with a future draft pick.
Andrew Bogut Rumors: Tuesday
Ken Berger of CBS Sports reported last night that the Rockets, Warriors, and Wizards were all pursuing an acquisition of Andrew Bogut. The Rockets have since backed off, according to Berger, but the Bucks still seem to be talking Bogut, with a decision on the big man potentially affecting Brandon Jennings' future as well. Let's track today's Bogut updates here, with the newest items up top:
- Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld explains that Jennings' future could be tied to Bogut's because one offer for Bogut has the Bucks getting a "solid" point guard in return. However, Milwaukee is asking a lot for both players, and most teams aren't interested at the Bucks' price (Twitter links).
- The Warriors aren't expecting to make a blockbuster deal this week, reports Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group. While Golden State is considering making a play for Bogut, his ankle injury and the potential inclusion of Stephen Jackson in any deal diminishes the Warriors' interest.
- Berger's Bogut-to-the-Warriors scenario had Monta Ellis heading out of Golden State in any deal, but Thompson and Peter Vecsey of the New York Post both suggest that may not be the case. Thompson says the Warriors still don't want to trade Ellis for anyone besides Dwight Howard, while Vecsey says it's Stephen Curry, not Ellis, who is being discussed in a potential Bogut trade.
- Meanwhile, a source tells Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (Twitter link) that the rumored Warriors/Bucks/Magic talks never even took place.