Western Notes: Kings, Garnett, Mavs, Wolves
Most around the league are surprised by the Kings' involvement in a cost-cutting deal that sent away Thomas Robinson, the fifth pick of this past June's draft this evening, Grantland's Zach Lowe hears (Twitter link). It's just the fifth time a team has traded a top five pick in his rookie season, ESPN Stats and Info tweets. The Kings weren't expected to be involved in any deals as their ownership situation is resolved, but ultimately they didn't hesitate to jump in at the last moment. Here's more on that trade and from around the West as the hours tick down until tomorrow's 2:00pm Central time deadline:
- If Kevin Garnett is traded, it will be to the Clippers or not at all, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News writes.
- The Mavs are making Brandan Wright, Rodrigue Beaubois and Dominique Jones available in return for draft picks, but won't compromise future cap space, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (All Twitter links).
- J.J. Barea, Luke Ridnour and Derrick Williams are all available from the Wolves, Berger also tweets.
- Marcus Morris is averaging 18.4 minutes per game this month for the Rockets, and he was seeking more before the trade that sent him to the Suns, tweets Sam Amick of SI.com.
- There's a decent chance the Blazers get involved in serious trade talks, but it would likely be about smaller moves, according to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
- Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune sums up what looks to be a quiet deadline for the Jazz, who aren't interested in trading for anyone on a long-term deal unless they get a core player in return.
Suns Top Contender For Josh Smith?
8:10pm: Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports hears the Suns aren't expected to participate in any major deals (Twitter link), so it appears they may not bite on Smith after all.
7:55pm: Having already participated in a smaller deal this evening, acquiring Marcus Morris from the Rockets, the Suns are discussing a proposal for Josh Smith that would send Marcin Gortat, Jared Dudley and a first-round pick to the Hawks, tweets Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times. Woelfel adds that Phoenix is the primary contender for Smith, thought to be the biggest name with a reasonable chance of heading elsewhere.
Such a trade would eat into the Hawks' cap space that they've prioritized for next summer, since Gortat and Dudley are signed to long-term deals. Still, the move would leave them enough room to add a max player through free agency. They've been looking for a "quality young center" in return for Smith but perhaps would settle for Gortat, who just turned 29 and is on a reasonable deal that pays him $7.26MM this season and $7.73 next year. Dudley would also be an economical pickup, as he's set to make $4.25MM through 2016. The swingman has been a part of several rumors lately, prompting him to express his desire to stay in Phoenix. He can't veto a trade, however, so the Suns can move him out if they find a deal they like.
The Suns, wary of their ability to re-sign Smith when he hits unrestricted free agency this summer, were reportedly out on Smith as of this weekend, but perhaps they've become more willing to take the risk. If they trade for him and can't convince him to stay, they'll have cleared about $12MM in cap space for this summer, if nothing else.
Gordon-Thompson Deal Unlikely Before Deadline
7:19pm: A deal sending Gordon to the Warriors won't happen before the deadline, sources tell Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game, who adds that the trade could resurface in the summer (Sulia link).
12:45pm: Yesterday, John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported that, while the Hornets aren't actively shopping Eric Gordon, they would be interested in a deal with the Warriors that included Klay Thompson. And according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio, those two teams have engaged in discussions that a source classifies as "more than exploratory" (Twitter link).
In Reid's report yesterday, he noted that the Warriors are reluctant to part with Thompson, since the team feels he's a young emerging star. Gordon has also had injury issues over the last couple years, and is in the first year of an expensive long-term contract. If talks between the two sides progress, I'd imagine the Warriors would push the Hornets to take on at least one of Golden State's bad contracts — Richard Jefferson and Andris Biedrins are earning $10.16MM and $9MM this season, respectively, and are certain to exercise their equally pricey player options for next season.
ESPN.com's Chris Broussard reported yesterday that the Hornets had made Gordon available in trade talks, though potential suitors have some concerns about his health. The 24-year-old shooting guard would also have the opportunity to veto any deal, since the Hornets matched his offer sheet in restricted free agency last summer.
Bucks Reject Nets Offer For Ersan Ilyasova
The Nets have been offering a package of Kris Humphries and MarShon Brooks with frequency, as we've heard the pair linked to the Celtics for Paul Pierce and the Hawks for Josh Smith. Brooklyn also offered those players to the Bucks for Ersan Ilyasova this week, but Milwaukee turned them down, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets.
The Nets pursued Ilyasova over the summer before he re-upped with the Bucks, and they reportedly went after him earlier in the season as well. The Bucks, though, appear to want an overwhelming offer in return for their outside-shooting power forward, and it looks like Humphries and Brooks don't fit the bill.
Now that their names have been bandied about in so many rumors, there could be pressure on Brooklyn to take whatever they can get for Humphries and Brooks. HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler wonders about the awkward situation that may follow if they remain on the team past the deadline (Twitter link). Of the two, Brooks would appear the easier to move, since he's on a rookie deal. Humphries makes $12MM this year and next on a two-year contract.
Bobcats Discussed Timofey Mozgov, J.J. Hickson
The Bobcats engaged in talks with the Nuggets for Timofey Mozgov and the Trail Blazers for J.J. Hickson, but neither discussion gained any traction, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Wojnarowski reports that Gerald Henderson would have been an outgoing piece for Charlotte in both scenarios.
This isn't the first time we've heard about the Bobcats attempting to deal from their shooting guard depth in an effort to land a big man — the club reportedly explored a Ben Gordon/Kris Humphries swap with the Nets, though those talks didn't get serious. Gordon and Humphries both have one more expensive season remaining on their contracts, while Henderson, Mozgov, and Hickson are all on expiring deals.
Despite the fact that Mozgov and Hickson are heading for free agency this summer, it appears neither player will come cheap in a trade. The Nuggets reportedly turned down an offer from the Timberwolves for Mozgov that included a first-round pick. Meanwhile, Hickson has the ability to veto any trade, so it's probably unlikely that he'd be willing to give up his Bird Rights to be sent to the NBA's worst team.
Rockets Trading Marcus Morris?
The Rockets are deciding between a pair of deals, and that's why they've made Marcus Morris inactive for tonight's game, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Grantland's Zach Lowe speculates that whatever deal Houston makes will cut $1.5MM-$2MM from next year's cap figure so the team can fit in a max deal for soon-to-be free agent Dwight Howard (Twitter links). Rockets coach Kevin McHale said earlier today he'd be "shocked" if the team made a deadline move, as Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle wrote, but when Feigen asked McHale this evening why Morris was inactive, the coach said, "Talk to Daryl," in reference to GM Daryl Morey (Twitter link).
HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler hears Morris is being traded to make room for Terrence Jones, whom we heard this morning the team is open to moving. A deal that would send Jones out is unlikely unless it brings back a major piece, according to Kyler.
If a deal goes down, it would be the sixth straight year that Morey and the Rockets have made a deadline move. Houston is currently 29-26 and in the last playoff spot in the Western Conference. It would be somewhat surprising to see them open up space for a rookie like Jones as they compete for a postseason berth. Lowe believes that, in addition to cap space, the Rockets are looking for a deal that makes them better in the short term than not.
Pacers GM Says Danny Granger Won’t Be Traded
Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld heard from an executive who said Danny Granger was no longer untouchable, and could be dealt before the deadline. Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard responded with a strong denial, saying that executive has it wrong, as Kennedy notes via Twitter.
Most of the talk surrounding Granger of late seemed to indicate a deadline deal is unlikely, with a greater probability that the Pacers would move him in the offseason. That sentiment was echoed by ESPN.com's Chad Ford as he chatted today and shared that rival executives believed the Pacers would likely stick with Granger through the deadline. Ford speculated that the Pacers could trade Granger by tomorrow if the right deal came along, but it appears Indiana is standing pat.
Granger has yet to make his season debut, but appears close to coming back from an injury that the Pacers have called patellar tendinitis. Kennedy hears that Granger actually had a small hole in the cartilage on his knee, which is why he's been unable to return all season. He's due $14MM next season in the final year of his deal, so any team that thinks about taking him on in a trade this summer will no doubt want to see Granger demonstrate he's 100% before the end of the season.
Clippers, Jazz Unlikely To Make Deals
The Clippers and Jazz have been two of the teams most frequently linked to trade talk, with L.A. reportedly involved in the Kevin Garnett sweepstakes while Utah figures out what to do with all of its expiring contracts. They've even been tied together in a rumored Paul Millsap/Eric Bledsoe deal. Still, Marc Stein of ESPN.com is hearing "mostly standing-pat rumbles" when inquiring about both teams (Twitter link). TNT's David Aldridge echoes that sentiment as far as the Clippers are concerned (Twitter link). On top of that, Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said today that the team doesn't expect to make any deals, notes Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
Tax concerns appear to be complicating talks for both teams, Grantland's Zach Lowe tweets. They're both right under the $70.307MM tax line. Lowe's math has both teams a little bit closer to the line than my figures from this weekend, but either way it makes it difficult for those teams to swing trades, likely necessitating them to take back less salary in any deal — something that would have an especially chilling effect on any moves for the Clippers, since they'd probably be looking to add to their team, and Lowe has them at about $150K beneath the tax line.
Just today, we've heard about the Jazz's talks with the Wolves about Paul Millsap and L.A.'s brief call to the Hawks about Josh Smith. Stein cautions that much can change in the next 20 or so hours before the trade deadline, but as of now, it looks like the Jazz and Clippers will move past the deadline with their teams intact.
Celtics, Nets Have Discussed Paul Pierce
5:31pm: A source with ties to the Nets indicates to Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld the team is unlikely to acquire Pierce.
4:25pm: The Celtics and Nets have discussed a trade for Celtics star Paul Pierce, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. However, the Celtics want a better package than what Brooklyn is currently offering, according to the sources.
The Nets' offer centered on forward Kris Humphries, guard MarShon Brooks and a first-round draft pick. "The Celtics still highly value Pierce and it wouldn't make sense to trade him for that kind of a package if they're keeping Kevin Garnett," one league source said.
Boston has shown interest in forward Mirza Teletovic and securing another possible first-round pick, but the Nets don't seem willing to pay that kind of price for the 35-year-old guard. Boston had interest in guard C.J. Watson in a separate deal, but GM Billy King & Co. don't want to part with him, sources said.
The Nets and Celtics discussed a deal for Pierce at last year's deadline, but the C's decided to keep him for another playoff run. The veteran is averaging 18 PPG for the Celtics this season while shooting just 41% from the floor, his worst percentage in the past eight seasons.
Pistons Rumors: Bynum, Villanueva, Maxiell
The Pistons have already been in one major trade this season, sending away Tayshaun Prince, thelast link to their 2004 championship team, in a package that brought back Jose Calderon. Here's the latest on whether another deal could be on the horizon, and more from Detroit:
- Mark Bartelstein, the agent for Pistons guard Will Bynum, told Shams Charania of RealGM his client won't be leaving Detroit at the deadline. Bynum, 30, is on an expiring deal, and but it appears the Pistons aren't interested in using him as a trade chip.
- There's little doubt that Charlie Villanueva will exercise his $8.58MM player option for next season, and the power forward gave strong indications to Vincent Ellis of the Detroit Free Press that he won't opt out. "You know what I'm going to do. Think I'm going to leave that money?" Villanueva said (Twitter link).
- MLive's David Mayo estimates there's a 35% chance the Pistons make a trade (Twitter link). He tabs Bynum and Jason Maxiell the likeliest to go, though if Bynum's agent is correct that he won't be dealt, the chances of Detroit making a deal are probably even slimmer.