Berger’s Latest: Felton, Blake, Okafor, Gasol
Here are a few trade updates from Ken Berger of CBSSports.com:
- Rival executives believe the Blazers are interested in trading Raymond Felton to the Lakers for Steve Blake. Since Portland would be giving up the better player and some salary flexibility, the Blazers would need to be compensated with another piece in such a deal.
- The Hornets aren't interested in packaging Emeka Okafor with the first-round pick they acquired from the Timberwolves, even if it means saving the $28MM+ left on his deal.
- The Hawks appear likely to make only a small move or two at the deadline.
- Pau Gasol could be traded in the right deal, but the Lakers will need to ensure it's a basketball upgrade rather than a cost-saver. "If they're going to send a message to Kobe Bryant that they're not about winning, they're about money," one league source told Berger. "That's going to set off a whole new deal."
- Berger also has an update on the Jamal Crawford trade talks, as we covered earlier.
Dwight Howard Rumors: Monday
It may seem like we're only a few days away from getting closure on the Dwight Howard saga, but as Magic coach Stan Van Gundy points out, only one scenario results in real closure for the Magic.
"There's closure, I guess, if he goes," Van Gundy said (via Tim Bontemps of the New York Post). "If he stays [past Thursday], it just starts all over again. You just start the clock again. Then we're right back to where we were when the playoffs ended last year. Everybody will be talking about, 'OK, what's going to happen in the summer? And what's going to happen next year?'"
Still, Thursday should provide at least some hint of what Howard's future holds, and Van Gundy doesn't expect resolution before deadline day. Here are today's updates on Howard, with the latest up top:
- The Nets aren't content to sit back and wait for Howard to come to them via free agency — New Jersey would give up assets at the deadline to ensure they land the big man, tweets Kyler. Kyler hears from Nets sources that the team's offer is better than Magic sources are claiming (Twitter link).
- If he's going to change teams, Howard prefers free agency because he doesn't want a club to gut its roster to acquire him. And if he's a free agent, Howard's three-team list "goes out the window," according to SI.com's Chris Mannix (Twitter links). Mannix identifies the Clippers and Heat as two teams that would interest Howard in free agency, though there'd be cap obstacles in each case (Twitter link).
- Mannix has been told "unequivocally" that Howard isn't interested in signing with the Bulls (Twitter link).
- Magic fans may prefer a trade now rather than losing Howard for nothing this summer, but Orlando is receiving mostly lowball offers, reports Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. Teams on Howard's list know he'll test free agency this summer anyway, while teams not on his list aren't inclined to give up a lot for a potential rental.
- As Ken Berger of CBS Sports wrote last night, the Bulls are a preferred trade partner for the Magic. However, Chicago won't pursue Howard without assurances he'd re-sign, and Howard seems reluctant to add the Bulls to his list of desired destinations. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld says Howard would be Derrick Rose's sidekick, rather than the face of the franchise, in Chicago, an idea that doesn't appeal to D12 (Twitter links).
- Magic sources still say they're not expecting a Howard trade, Kennedy adds in a separate tweet.
- In their frequent meetings with Howard, the Magic aren't necessarily trying to convince him to sign in Orlando long-term, says ESPN.com's Chris Broussard (video link). The Magic would be happy if Dwight agreed not to opt out of the final year of his contract — that would give Orlando more time and assets to try to bring in help around Howard next season.
- Broussard adds that he still believes the Nets are the most likely destination if Howard is traded this week.
Central Notes: Sessions, Bucks, Bulls
A few Monday afternoon items out of the Central Division:
- Asked if he'd like to remain a Cavalier past the trade deadline, Ramon Sessions told Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, "Yeah, I like what we have going on. I like working with the Young Fella [Kyrie Irving]. The guys in here respect me a lot. I definitely like what we have going on."
- Bucks players and coaches are talking as if they don't expect any changes to the roster this week. "The trade deadline, there is always going to be rumors for any team no matter what," Mike Dunleavy tells Stephen Brotherson of HoopsWorld. "So we’ll deal with those over the next few days, and once the deadline passes, I expect everybody to still be here and we will carry on as usual."
- SI.com's Zach Lowe questions whether the Bulls are really the most logical match for the Magic in a potential Dwight Howard trade.
Jamal Crawford Rumors: Monday
No Jamal Crawford trade is imminent, but Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld reports (via Twitter) that one league source believes a deal is coming. With less than 72 hours remaining until the trade deadline, Crawford could be the "first domino" to fall, says Kennedy. Here are the latest rumors on Crawford trade talks:
- The Blazers and Clippers are discussing a trade that would send Crawford to Los Angeles for Eric Bledsoe and Ryan Gomes, tweets Ken Berger of CBS Sports.
- David Aldridge of NBA.com mentioned earlier today that the Bobcats and Blazers could be talking about a deal involving Crawford and D.J. Augustin. Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com also hears that the two teams have engaged in discussions. Said one league exec: "At this point, they are just talking right now and it's just part of what happens around this time of season."
- Haynes adds that the Timberwolves are purusing Crawford more aggressively than ever, which is somewhat surprising — Luke Ridnour had been mentioned in previous rumors as a Blazers' target, but the Wolves presumably need to keep Ridnour following Ricky Rubio's season-ending injury. Haynes thinks perhaps the two teams are trying to involve a third club to get Crawford to Minnesota.
Augustin Drawing Interest From Pacers, Others
The Trail Blazers aren't the only team talking to the Bobcats about the possibility of acquiring D.J. Augustin. According to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News (Twitter link), the Pacers are also among the clubs who have inquired on Augustin. Deveney says (via Twitter) the Bobcats would want to package a bad contract with Augustin if they were to trade the point guard.
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld reported in January that the Bobcats weren't shopping Augustin, but were willing to listen if it meant gaining draft picks or financial flexibility. Unloading a contract like Corey Maggette's or DeSagana Diop's would certainly qualify as gaining flexibility.
Augustin, whose cap figure for 2011/12 is just $3.24MM, will be eligible for restricted free agency this summer. So the team he finishes the season with would be able to match any competing offers and keep him, if it so chooses. In 28 games this season, the former ninth overall pick has averaged 12.2 PPG and 6.5 APG in 30.8 MPG.
Amick On Jennings, Bogut, Batum, Rockets
Sam Amick of SI.com has a few updates on this week's trade candidates, so let's dive in….
- Brandon Jennings could be had "for the right price." Long considered a franchise cornerstone, Jennings irked some Bucks officials with his comments last month about exploring free agency.
- Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle hears from Warriors sources that reports of Golden State's interest in Andrew Bogut are "nothing more than hype." However, sources tell Amick that the team's interest is real. The Wizards also inquired on Bogut, but talks went nowhere, says Amick. The Rockets aren't thought to be involved on the Bucks' center.
- Amick goes on to say that the Bucks feel this may not be the best time to get full value for Bogut, considering he's still on the shelf for a few weeks with a fractured ankle.
- The Blazers may be active this week, but they don't intend to move Nicolas Batum, who they are determined to keep long-term.
- Courtney Lee, Chase Budinger, Jonny Flynn, and Terrence Williams are among the Rockets who would "likely welcome a trade," according to Amick. Goran Dragic is also a trade candidate, since he's not expected to be re-signed this summer. Though I'd imagine Houston will be more inclined to keep Dragic with Kyle Lowry's return date up in the air.
Atlantic Notes: Carmelo, Smith, Celtics, Humphries
Here's the latest out of the Atlantic, where the 76ers' Sunday win extended their division lead to three games:
- Carmelo Anthony wasn't on board with the Knicks' signing of J.R. Smith, a source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post. While Anthony's public comments indicated he was behind the move, Carmelo "was not gung-ho and was 'hurt' Knicks upper management tossed his advice out the window," according to Berman.
- WEEI.com's Paul Flannery examines how the Celtics might fill the void in the middle, following Jermaine O'Neal's wrist injury and Chris Wilcox's heart condition.
- Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes that Kris Humphries was cryptic when asked if he'd waive his no-trade clause for the right deal: "Would you jump off a bridge? It depends how high it is. It depends on if there’s a drowning baby in the water…. Cause if you jump in the summer, the water was warm enough, you know it’s deep underneath." Humphries' point, I believe, is that his decision would vary depending on where the Nets intended to send him.
- The Nets' MarShon Brooks isn't worried about the trade deadline, as he tells Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger.
T.J. Ford Announces Retirement
11:54am: Ford announced his decision via Twitter: "It's official " I Retire from the NBA " as of today."
10:49am: Following a neck injury that forced him out of action last Wednesday, T.J. Ford has decided to take an indefinite leave of absence while he contemplates retirement, according to a statement from the Spurs. According to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News (Twitter links), Ford himself says his career is over.
"After last Wednesday, I felt being on the floor and being in that position one too many times," Ford said. "I feel like that was enough for me…. That was the last basketball game you’ll see me play.
"It’s tough because I know I can still play," Ford added. "If I had to play today, I could play. The tests came back negative. I just felt mentally and physically, my body has taken enough."
Ford, 28, has been limited to 102 games in the last three seasons, including just 14 this year, due to various injuries. Although Ford's most recent injury was diagnosed as just a neck stinger, the incident was particularly scary given the point guard's history of neck and spine issues.
Ford has played for the Bucks, Raptors, Pacers, and Spurs over the course of his nine-year NBA career, with averages of 11.2 points and 5.8 assists in 429 career games. If 2011/12 ends up being his final season, he'll have earned about $43MM in the NBA, according to Basketball-Reference.
Aldridge On Howard, Kaman, Crawford, Nash
In the latest installment of his weekly NBA.com column, David Aldridge runs through the notable names on the trade market, including the big fish, Dwight Howard. While Aldridge doesn't have any new updates for today's round of Howard rumors, the NBA.com scribe thinks the Magic will end up dealing D12 by Thursday's deadline. Aldridge predicts an offer of Brook Lopez, MarShon Brooks, and multiple first-round picks from the Nets will be the best deal Orlando sees this week.
Here are a few more items of interest from Aldridge's piece:
- The Hornets are "determined" to move Chris Kaman by the deadline. There's no clear frontrunner, but Aldridge says not to rule out the Hawks or Mavericks.
- Alridge hears from a source that the Bobcats and Trail Blazers could be discussing idea involving Jamal Crawford and D.J. Augustin.
- Asked about his situation with the Suns, Steve Nash said that perhaps the team will have a change of heart on its stance this week, but "I don't feel like it's my place right now to kind of ask to be traded."
Lakers Notes: Trade Options, Gasol, Brown
With this Thursday's trade deadline looming, the Kamenetzky brothers at ESPN Los Angeles see three possible directions for the Lakers. The team could go for broke this season, using its trade exception and extra first-rounder to bring in extra talent; it could hold out for a blockbuster trade that would bring in a superstar like Dwight Howard or Deron Williams; or it could blow up the roster and start from scratch. I'm guessing option A is the most likely path for the Lakers, but they still have three days to make a decision. Here are the rest of this morning's Lakers notes:
- GM Mitch Kupchak has been telling people within the last few days that he doesn't expect to trade Pau Gasol, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (video link). The Rockets, Hawks, and Warriors have "their eye" on Gasol, says Broussard, but a trade isn't likely.
- Elliott Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News writes that coach Mike Brown can't wait until the trade deadline passes and he's no longer asked about it by everyone, including his son.