Odds & Ends: Bulls, Warriors, Kings, Gordon
Just to make sure they don't slip through the cracks, here are a few odds and ends from overnight and this morning, as the trade deadline creeps closer….
- Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com expects the Bulls to stand pat at the deadline, since Carlos Boozer and Richard Hamilton aren't drawing a ton of interest.
- The Warriors are shopping Jeremy Tyler, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, while Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group says (via Twitter) Charles Jenkins is also being shopped. I would guess Golden State has discussed both players with Sacramento, as the Warriors attempt to get below the tax line.
- Spears also tweets that Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins have been given the impression by the Kings that they won't be moved today.
- If they don't move Eric Gordon today, the Hornets will likely revisit trade talks this summer, writes John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
- Teams with the draft rights to players currently overseas could find those guys to be valuable trade chips, and A.J. Mitnick of SheridanHoops.com profiles the top five assets stashed away in Europe.
- The Thomas Robinson trade between the Rockets and Kings came together in about 48 hours, having been initially hatched on Monday, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
Raptors Frontrunners To Land Sebastian Telfair
10:44am: If the Suns and Raptors reach an agreement, it's likely to come in the final hour before the deadline, tweets ESPN.com's Marc Stein, who says that Telfair would likely be swapped for Hamed Haddadi and a second-round pick.
8:34am: NBA fans may not breathlessly be discussing the Sebastian Telfair sweepstakes, but according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter), the Raptors have emerged as the frontrunners to land Telfair.
We heard earlier this week that the Suns were looking to move Telfair in order to create playing time for rookie point guard Kendall Marshall. The club's efforts to trade Telfair likely intensified after Phoenix agreed to acquire Marcus Morris — with 15 players already on the roster, the team will need to trade or release a player to clear room for the newest Sun.
The Suns' need to move or let go of a player should create leverage for the Raptors, who have been eyeing a number of backup point guards on the trade market. However, because Telfair makes more than the minimum salary, the Raps would have to send out a little salary of their own to make a deal work financially. Doug Smith of the Toronto Star suggested today that trading Alan Anderson in a deal for a backup point guard is a possibility for Toronto.
Celtics Making Run At Evans; Deal Unlikely
As the Celtics continuing to target backcourt help, the club is making a deadline-day run at Tyreke Evans, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter). However, a source familiar with the situation tells Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee that Evans won't be moved today (Twitter link).
Jones had reported earlier today (via Twitter) that he was hearing the Kings could revisit trade discussions for Evans, noting that a knee injury earlier this season slowed talks when he could have been moved. It's a little surprising that the Kings are so active, given the team's uncertain ownership situation, but the Seattle group was consulted on yesterday's six-player trade and would presumably also be apprised on any other deals.
It's unclear what sort of package the Celtics could put together for Evans. Players like Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, and Brandon Bass would all be good matches from a salary perspective, but I doubt the Kings would want to take on a long-term contract. Some sort of package of cheaper players on shorter deals, like Fab Melo, Leandro Barbosa, and Jason Collins, may appeal more to Sacramento, if the club is listening to offers.
Bobcats Struggling To Find Henderson Trade
The Bobcats are struggling to find a deal that would net them a first-round pick in exchange for Gerald Henderson, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Henderson could end up remaining with Charlotte through the deadline if the team doesn't receive better offers, says Wojnarowski.
According to a Wojnarowski report yesterday, the Bobcats also explored trading Henderson for a big man such as J.J. Hickson or Timofey Mozgov, so it appears the team is flexible with its targets. The Celtics have also been rumored to be a potential destination for Henderson, though Boston is reportedly more inclined to part with Fab Melo than a future first-round pick.
Heat Expressed Interest In Timofey Mozgov
The Heat have expressed interest in Timofey Mozgov, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). However, Wojnarowski adds that it's "hard to see a path" to a deal between the two teams.
Because Mozgov is earning about $3.14MM this season, the Heat would have to send out $2.5MM+ to make a deal work. They could offer Norris Cole, James Jones, and a draft pick, but the Nuggets probably wouldn't have much use for Cole or Jones' contract, which includes a player option for next season.
Mozgov has also been linked to the Timberwolves, Knicks, and Bobcats this week.
Bulls Reluctant To Pair Hamilton With Draft Pick
Although reports have suggested the Bulls are "pushing hard" to unload Richard Hamilton, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (via Twitter) that the Bulls aren't inclined to pair Hamilton with a draft pick to sweeten the deal.
The Bulls don't have a whole lot of leverage in Hamilton talks, since rival teams recognize Chicago is trying to move below the tax threshold. As such, I don't see how they'll be able to move the veteran shooting guard without including some sort of sweetener. When the Grizzlies dealt Marreese Speights and Wayne Ellington to the Cavs to get below the tax line, it cost Memphis a first-round pick that could end up being a lottery selection.
Pacers Shopping Augustin, Green, Hansbrough
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported this morning that the Pacers are "pushing" D.J. Augustin in trade talks, and according to Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star, Augustin isn't the only player being shopped by the team. The Pacers are also looking to move Gerald Green and Tyler Hansbrough, tweets Wells.
Wells reports (via Twitter) that the Pacers had an offer on the table involving Hansbrough, but the club wasn't thrilled with the return. The Pacers are also a little reluctant to move Augustin in a deal that doesn't net them a point guard, since they're not sure they want Lance Stephenson backing up George Hill at the point, tweets Wells.
As for Green, we heard yesterday that the Pacers wouldn't mind moving him, but with two more years remaining on his contract beyond 2012/13, the swingman doesn't have much trade value at this point.
Suns Release Luke Zeller
The Suns have released Luke Zeller to clear a roster spot for Marcus Morris, according to ESPN.com's Chris Broussard (via Twitter). Zeller's minimum-salary deal was guaranteed for the rest of the season, so he'll still be paid the full amount and the Suns will still absorb the cap hit.
Releasing Zeller allows the Suns to regain some leverage in trade talks involving Jermaine O'Neal and Sebastian Telfair. Had Phoenix been forced to move one of those two players to clear a roster spot, the offers likely would have been very underwhelming.
Zeller, 25, appeared in 16 games for the Suns this season, averaging 1.2 PPG in very limited minutes.
Morning Rumors: Hickson, Pacers, Heat, Bulls
With the deadline less than five hours away and trade rumors picking up steam, here are a few miscellaneous rumblings from around the league:
- The Trail Blazers' chances of landing a first-round pick in exchange for J.J. Hickson don't look good at the moment, a source tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).
- In an effort to move below the tax threshold, the Warriors are still attempting to move bench players, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
- Within the same tweet, Wojnarowski says the Pacers are shopping D.J. Augustin and his expiring contract.
- Wojnarowski's rumor-heavy tweet also includes word that the Heat are offering Dexter Pittman in deals.
- The Bulls are "pushing hard" to unload Richard Hamilton, tweets Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times.
- The Thunder have been seeking a first-rounder for Eric Maynor, but haven't found any takers yet, says Sam Amick of USA Today (via Twitter).
Lakers Shopping Players For Second-Rounders
While the Lakers are unlikely to make a major move today, the team is exploring smaller moves, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Wojnarowski tweets that the Lakers are offering Steve Blake, Chris Duhon, Devin Ebanks, and Darius Morris in search of second-round picks.
Given Blake's undesirable contract, which pays him $4MM this year and next, it's unlikely that the Lakers will be able to move him without giving up a pick of their own. I'd also be surprised if L.A. could land a second-rounder for Duhon. Ebanks and Morris could draw some interest though, as both players are young and on minimum-salary contracts.
If the Lakers were to move one or two players for picks, it would give the team the opportunity for a late-season free agent addition with the free roster spot(s). Alternately, it could simply allow the team to reduce its luxury-tax bill a little.