Lakers, Trail Blazers Discussing Deal For Felton
According to CSNNW.com's Chris Haynes, the Lakers and Trail Blazers are in "exploratory talks" regarding Raymond Felton. This rumor sprouted last week via a string of tweets from Larry Coon, but this is the first official word we've heard of Steve Blake being a possible piece in the deal. The offer has yet to "get off the ground," but both teams are interested.
Felton has struggled mightily this season, putting up the worst shooting numbers of his career from both the field and three-point line. He's been benched and has had several verbal spats with Portland coach Nate McMillan in the season's first few months. But Los Angeles is desperate for youth at the point guard position, they have a trade exception Felton's contract would fit inside, and a change of scenery may do good for both teams.
In 23 games this year, Blake is shooting 34% on three-pointers, which would be the second worst mark of his nine-year career if it holds up throughout the season.
Our Chuck Myron covered Felton as a potential trade candidate last week.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 2/26/12 – 3/3/12
A look back at all original content we produced in the past week:
- Zach Links introduces our new Hoops Links feature.
- Luke Adams investigates Michael Beasley's worth as a potential trade candidate.
- I posted a poll asking who would make out better if Brook Lopez and Monta Ellis were pieces in a deal. As of this moment, 37% of you believe New Jersey would benefit the most.
- An in-depth look at what March 1st meant regarding player movement and Sacramento's arena deadline.
- Chuck Myron looks at Raymond Felton as a possible trade candidate.
- Luke Adams gives an update on all things surrounding the 10-day contract.
- A three-way deal between Boston, Golden State, and Minnesota is proposed.
- A list of players who still couldn't be traded after March 1st.
- A poll asking which team is most likely to land a star.
- A comprehensive list of deadline deals from the past, and how they impacted the playoffs.
- Chuck Myron asks which star is most likely to be traded.
- A look at Jose Calderon as a trade candidate.
Cuban On CBA, Free Agency, Chandler
Yesterday, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban had a few interesting things to say during a live taping of Bill Simmons’ B.S. Report at the 6th annual Sloan Sports Analytics Conference.
Here were a few of the main points:
- When asked about his team’s financial strategy of clearing cap space to make a speculative run at Dwight Howard and/or Deron Williams, Cuban said that since there’s a lot of other teams who have cap space, “the market gets inflated, which means it’s a bad time to buy.” Cuban went on to say he’d be happy heading into next season with the exact same team if that were possible, and that signing multiple super stars who will clog the cap might not be the best team building strategy moving forward.
- The issue of whether or not Dallas should have re-signed Tyson Chandler after winning the championship was broached, with Cuban explaining that because of the new CBA and its noticeable luxury tax hike, the monetary value for most players will probably go down in the next few years. Instead of overpaying, in their minds, for Chandler, Dallas instead chose to improve their perimeter defense. Cuban cites the signings of guys like Delonte West, and the great play of Shawn Marion as key reasons why Chandler’s presence hasn’t been missed on the defensive end.
- Cuban said that before the new CBA, whenever Dallas had a problem he would just spend more money. Now, with the increased luxury tax, it won’t be that easy, and the distribution of dollars will need to be done in a smarter way.
Broussard On Rockets, Knicks, Celtics
During halftime of today's Knicks–Celtics game, ESPN's Chris Broussard relayed several of the latest rumors regarding the league's most talked about trade pieces. Here they are:
- Houston has shown an interest in acquiring Pau Gasol, and Broussard believes if they still have a package consisting of Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, Goran Dragic, and the Knicks first round draft pick on the table, that the Lakers should take it. In a tweet, Larry Coon says Martin to the Lakers doesn't make any sense.
- People around the league are saying that if New York wants Howard, packaging Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler could do the trick. In order for a deal like this to be possible, the Knicks would also have to take on Hedo Turkoglu's undesired contract, and they won't formally inquire about Orlando's big man until he expresses desire to play for the Knicks long term.
- Boston likes Eric Bledsoe should they choose to move Ray Allen (the Clippers would need to throw in someone like Mo Williams to make the contracts match), but Los Angeles will likely hold onto their point guard until the offseason when his value is at an all-time high.
Odds & Ends: Heat, Sixers, Odom, Warriors
The Heat take on the Lakers in Los Angeles Sunday afternoon in what should be an epic battle between LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. While the Masked Mamba had his nose broken by Dwyane Wade during the All-Star game, Andrew Bynum has stated that he will not retaliate against the former Marquette star. With the rumor mill heating up, here's the latest news from around the league.
- The Heat have lived up to lofty expectations thus far in this abbreviated season, but concerns remain surrounding depth at the center position, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Joel Anthony has done a solid job in his role as the starting center, but Winderman does not believe Dexter Pittman and Eddy Curry offer much when Anthony needs rest. Unfortunately for the Heat, not many options are available in the wake of Joel Przybilla's signing with the Trail Blazers.
- Beyond making a change to their roster, the 76ers need to get to the basket and to the line more often in order to be successful during the playoffs this season, contends John N. Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- Lamar Odom addressed his teammates on Saturday night before opening tip and asked for their support as he deals with off-court issues, says Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com.
- Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle offers up myriad trade possibilities for the Warriors with the trade deadline mere days away. From acquiring Joe Johnson from the Hawks to talking with the Hornets about Chris Kaman, Simmons considers every possibility for the team to improve their roster.
Knicks Notes: Davis, Novak, Lin
While overloaded earlier in the season with a relentless schedule, the Knicks have benefited from a cushy start to the post All-Star break season having played only one game in the last 10 days. They'll head to Boston today to take on the Celtics in nationally-televised game as the two teams battle for playoff positioning. Let's take a quick look at what's going on with the Knicks before Carmelo Anthony and the rest of the squad get underway in the first of eight Sunday games.
- Baron Davis talks about signing with the Knicks over the Lakers and the Heat in an extensive interview with the New York Post's Steve Serby. For the former UCLA star, playing at the Garden amongst talented players was more than enough of a reason to lure him to New York. While Davis clearly came to the Big Apple with intentions of starting for the Knicks, he offers high praise for Jeremy Lin and is content with becoming the greatest backup point guard in league history.
- Al Iannazzone of Newsday says minimum deals made by the Knicks have been as important to the team's success as the signing of Tyson Chandler, who has been an excellent addition to the roster. Iannazzone points to the shooting of Steve Novak as a critical reason why the Knicks didn't flounder when injury and personal tragedy kept Anthony and Amare Stoudemire off the court. Novak, 28, has hit 34-66 from three-point range in the Knicks' last nine victories.
- The last time the Knicks played the Celtics, Jeremy Lin looked like a player who could be cut at any time, writes Howard Beck of The New York Times. With his points scored (two) equal to the amount of fouls he committed, Lin's effort against the Celtics could only be described as forgettable. Merely one night later, the phenomenon known as Linsanity took shape with a tour de force performance of 25 points and seven assists in a victory over the Nets.
Central Notes: Dumars, Cavs, Pacers
While the Bulls may claim ownership of the best record in the NBA and the Pacers have gained steam after winning their last six games, the rest of the Central Division remains mired in a lottery-bound wasteland. The Bulls take their 30-8 record to Philadelphia tonight for a matchup against the 76ers. Let's take a look around the rest of the division to see what else is going on.
- Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press suggests Pistons general manager Joe Dumars will keep his roster intact as the trade deadline approaches. Ellis views Greg Monroe and Brandon Knight as the only two players that may garner interest from other teams. One executive mentioned Rodney Stuckey as a potential piece for a team looking for depth, but Stuckey cannot be traded until the off-season due to new rules created after the lockout.
- The Cavaliers may have been among the teams that nearly landed Lamar Odom in the off-season from the Lakers, writes Bob Finnan of The News-Herald. The non-trade has been a blessing for Cleveland given Odom's off-court issues and underwhelming on-court performance this season in Dallas.
- The schedule is set to get a bit more difficult for the surging Pacers, says Mike Wells of The Indianapolis Star. With their first six-game winning streak since 2005 and currently holding the three seed in the Eastern Conference, the Pacers are in a comfortable position in considering what to do with the trade deadline looming.
Blazers Notes: McMillan, Felton, Miller
After getting off to a strong start to the abbreviated season by winning seven of their first nine games, the Trail Blazers are on the outside of the playoff picture with 29 games remaining on the season. The team out of the Rose City has lost their first three games since returning from the All-Star break and will finish up a three-game homestand on Monday against the Hornets before hitting the road for a seven-game stretch. Let's take a look at what's happening inside the locker-room of this star-crossed squad.
- John Canzano of The Oregonian fears Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan's time in Portland is up after a recent string of losses and a general lack of enthusiasm amongst his players. For some members of the Trail Blazers roster, making it through the remainder of the season and getting some vacation time is their only concern. Canzano writes that it's not for a lack of trying to motivate his players on McMillan's end, but they don't seem to be responding to his myriad efforts.
- It may be time to start over given that the Trail Blazers have a losing record for the first time since 2008 and would miss the playoffs if the season ended today, writes Jason Quick of The Oregonian. Quick points to a possible Raymond Felton for Steve Blake trade given the Lakers need for a point guard and Blake's familiarity with McMillan's system. Such a move would also allow for Jamal Crawford to assume the shooting guard position rather than running the point where he is less comfortable.
- Trail Blazers president Larry Miller spoke with Quick after the team's loss Saturday night to the Timberwolves and stated that he would look into making moves over the next 11 days prior to the trade deadline.
Chris Kaman Discusses Rumors
The Times-Picayune's John Reid talked to Hornets center Chris Kaman about the many rumors surrounding him as the trading deadline approaches.
"I dont care what they do," Kaman said. "So if they want to trade me, trade me. If they want to keep me, keep me. I don’t care, but not in a disrespectful way. I just know I can’t control that part of it, so it something I don’t care about.
"That’s something for my agent to deal with, and I don’t think coach cares about it. I think he’s trying to focus on winning games, and my teammates are doing the same.’"
Kaman, 29, was sent to New Orleans in the Chris Paul trade in December and has been on the trading block ever since. He is averaging 12.3 PPG and 7.9 RPG for the Hornets in the final year of a contract that is paying him $14MM for 2011/12.
Cavs Notes: Free Agency, Irving
The latest news and notes surrounding the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday:
- Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain Dealer says in a mailbag that it's too early to begin worrying about Kyrie Irving leaving the Cavaliers, saying that if the team surrounds him with the right pieces, there's a good chance he'll stay.
- Reed also believes that Ramon Sessions will be traded before the deadline, but that the Celtics' Rajon Rondo will not.
- Reed does not see the Cavs being in the mix for Wilson Chandler this summer if he hits restricted free agency.
- In another article, Reed examines the Cavs' upcoming cap flexibility, suggesting that Dan Gilbert may take a more conservative approach to free agency than in 2005, the last time the team had significant cap space.
- Reed also notes (via Twitter) tha Irving is close to making a decision as to whether or not to play for the Australian national team at the Summer Olympics in London.