Bucks Rumors: Redick, Udoh, Jennings, Dalembert
The Bucks are reportedly one of the teams most determined to make a deal before Thursday's trade deadline, and today has has brought more rumblings from out of Milwaukee, so let's dive right in and check out the latest….
- Although the Bucks like J.J. Redick, the Magic aren't enamored with anything Milwaukee has offered so far, according to Sam Amick of Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
- Yesterday's report on trade talks between the two teams suggested that Orlando had extended an offer of Redick for Luc Mbah a Moute and a first-round pick, but Amick and Zillgitt seem to suggest that offer may have come from the Bucks' side. The Magic don't like Mbah a Moute's contract, according to the USA Today report.
- Ekpe Udoh is also drawing interest around the NBA, according to the USA Today duo.
Earlier updates:
- Brandon Jennings appears to have moved alongside Larry Sanders and John Henson as the players the Bucks consider "untouchable," according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
- The Mavericks had been the team most interested in Jennings, but they'd been pessimistic all along about their chances, knowing that the fourth-year guard is the closest thing Milwaukee has to a face of the franchise since the team traded Andrew Bogut a year ago, says Stein.
- Although Samuel Dalembert was once considered one of the players most likely to be moved this season, the Bucks appear more inclined to keep him (and his expiring contract) after his solid recent play filling in for Sanders, according to Stein.
- Stein also covers the latest on the Bucks' talks with the Hawks regarding Josh Smith, which we've recapped in our post dedicated to today's Smith rumors.
Celtics Assure Rajon Rondo He Won’t Be Moved
11:30am: League executives continue to call the Celtics about Rondo's availability, according to Sam Amick of Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. However, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com tweets that the C's are unlikely to move Rondo for anything short of Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, or a big package of assets like the one Denver received for Carmelo Anthony. With Rondo out for the year, that's not happening.
11:07am: Agent Bill Duffy tells Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link) that Ainge assured Rondo today that he won't be traded.
10:40am: After undergoing ACL surgery earlier this month, Rajon Rondo won't return to the court until the 2013/14 season. However, ESPN.com's Chris Broussard tweeted this morning that rival general managers insist Rondo is available via trade. Within the same tweet, Broussard mentions Josh Smith as a potential Celtics' target, though it's not clear if the ESPN.com scribe is suggesting the C's would consider moving Rondo for Smith.
For his part, Celtics president Danny Ainge insists that the team is unlikely to make any big moves, and certainly won't be giving up Rondo at a discounted rate, according to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
"I’m not looking to give up any of our players," Ainge said. "We have a limited roster, and it’s a matter of is it a better fit? Is there a better position need? I don’t really think that there are. So it’s just if we can improve our team. At the same time, I’m not giving Jared Sullinger away just because he’s hurt. It’s a challenge. I’m not trading Rajon Rondo away for discounted dollars because he’s hurt. As an organization we’ve decided not to do that."
While Ainge has downplayed the likelihood of a Celtics trade, rival teams would be surprised if Boston doesn't make a move, according to Bulpett.
"They’re too active," one rival exec told Bulpett. "They’ve been putting a lot of different things out there, and you’d have to think at least one of them is going to come through."
Celtics Shopping Fab Melo In Trade Talks
As they survey the trade market in search of backcourt help, the Celtics have made Fab Melo available, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. According to Wojnarowski, the Celtics view Melo as a trade chip that would return something of value while allowing the team to hang on to its current rotation players and future draft picks (Twitter links).
Melo, the 22nd overall pick in last June's draft, has seen most of his playing time this season for the D-League's Maine Red Claws, having appeared briefly in just three games for the Celtics. Of the Celtics' 10 remaining healthy bodies (11 once Terrence Williams finalizes his 10-day contract), Melo is the only one that doesn't see at least semi-regular minutes as part of the club's rotation.
In the first year of his rookie contract, Melo is only earning about $1.25MM, so he'd have to be packaged with another player if the Celtics wanted to acquire anyone making much more than the minimum.
Wolves Rumors: Kirilenko, Mayo, Mozgov, Redick
Here's the latest on the Timberwolves from Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities….
- General manager David Kahn isn't convinced he'll be able to make a deal by tomorrow's deadline, but it won't be from lack of trying, says Wolfson. The T-Wolves have made Luke Ridnour, J.J. Barea, Derrick Williams, and Brandon Roy available as they explore trade options.
- The Wolves have received more calls about Andrei Kirilenko than anyone else, but the club won't move the Russian forward, barring a "too-good-to-be-true offer."
- Minnesota's top priority is a wing player with size. The team reached out to the Mavericks about O.J. Mayo, but was rebuffed, according to Wolfson.
- The Wolves like Timofey Mozgov and view him as a good value in free agency this summer, but are unlikely to reach a compromise on a trade with the Nuggets.
- To acquire J.J. Redick or Avery Bradley, the Wolves would have to give up Williams and a first-round pick, according to Wolfson. That's not happening for Bradley and is very unlikely for Redick.
- Rick Adelman and the Wolves like Courtney Lee and are keeping an eye on him, but they didn't want to offer four years in free agency last summer, so the contract could bother them.
- Adelman told season ticket holders that the Wolves' goal is to re-sign Nikola Pekovic this summer. However, some team sources aren't sure Pekovic is worth $11MM annually, and question his ability to stay healthy, says Wolfson.
Grizzlies Pursuing J.J. Redick
With one day remaining until the 2013 trade deadline, the Grizzlies are making a push to land J.J. Redick, according to Chris Vernon of ESPN Radio in Memphis (via Twitter). With the $7.49MM trade exception they acquired when they dealt Rudy Gay, the Grizzlies would be able to absorb Redick's contract without sending out any salary in return.
The Magic have reportedly been seeking young talent and picks for Redick, and the Grizzlies would be hard-pressed to provide either of the two. The team has already committed future first-round picks to the Timberwolves and Cavaliers, so a package of second-round picks, or a first-rounder far down the line, would be all that Memphis could offer. The Magic would also gain a trade exception and some cap relief from a hypothetical deal, but I'd imagine they'll receive better offers for Redick from other suitors.
The Grizzlies are expected to add a player to their roster today or tomorrow using one of their seven trade exceptions to facilitate a deal, as we heard yesterday. The club is currently carrying just 12 players, and will need to add a 13th man soon to adhere to the league's roster requirements. Having moved well below the tax line with their two trades last month, the Grizzlies wouldn't be in danger of going back into the tax this season even if they added a player like Redick, who is earning $6.19MM.
Spurs Expressed Interest In Omri Casspi
Earlier this season, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported that Omri Casspi had requested a trade. A subsequent report suggested that wasn't the case, but Casspi himself didn't address the subject. Whether or not he asked for a deal, Casspi is a candidate to be moved because of his expiring contract and his limited role in Cleveland.
According to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld, sources believe that San Antonio would be a good fit for Casspi, and the Spurs have expressed some level of interest in the Israeli swingman. The Spurs aren't willing to offer a whole lot for Casspi, but would be open to including DeJuan Blair, according to Kyler. A Blair/Casspi swap wouldn't work financially though, so San Antonio would need to include more salary to make it a realistic possibility.
Kyler adds that the Cavaliers are also exploring moving Marreese Speights, and could package the two players together if the right opportunity arises. Cleveland remains well under the cap, so the club could take back more salary than it send out in any trade.
Knicks Inquired On Timofey Mozgov
As tomorrow's trade deadline approaches, the Knicks are debating whether they'll try to add another big man or roll the dice with Rasheed Wallace and Marcus Camby and their nagging health concerns. According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, one potential target the Knicks inquired on is Nuggets big man Timofey Mozgov.
Mozgov, 26, is a former Knick, having been part of the deadline deal two years ago that sent Carmelo Anthony to New York. The big man, who has fallen out of the Nuggets' regular rotation in the last year of his contract, is drawing interest from a number of teams besides the Knicks.
While the Nuggets are receiving calls on Mozgov, multiple reports have indicated that they're unlikely to move him unless they're blown away by an offer. According to a report last night, Denver has already turned down a proposal from the Timberwolves that included Brandon Roy and a first-round pick.
Given the Nuggets' asking price, I'd be surprised if the Knicks could put together an acceptable package for Mozgov. Whether or not they land him now though, the Knicks plan to target Mozgov in free agency this summer, according to Berman.
Rudy Gay Talks Grizzlies’ Exit, Raptors’ Future
Before the Grizzlies traded Rudy Gay to the Raptors last month, one avenue they explored was a deal with the Nuggets, according to Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida. Tomasson tweets that Denver turned down an offer that would have involved sending Danilo Gallinari to Memphis in a deal for Gay. All parties involved seem happy with the way things eventually turned out, and Sam Amick of USA Today spoke to Gay about the forward's exit from Memphis and the deal that sent him to Toronto. Here are the highlights from the conversation:
On telling a Toronto radio station that he missed "nothing" about Memphis:
"Obviously that was just out of a little bit of anger. There were a lot of people in Memphis and a lot of relationships I left in Memphis that I'll always have. I'm so thankful for the city doing what they've done for me up until now."
On whether he saw the trade coming:
"It was a total shock to me. I never went to any of (the new management) and told them that I wanted to be traded. I've never done that. The summer before, I did. I said this team has a chance to be a competitor in the West, and we're going to be good, but if you plan on doing anything – this is the summer before – I said I want to express to you that I may be wanting to move on."
On why he expressed an openness to a trade last summer:
"It was a post-dominated team, and I didn't get a chance to have a guy who you could say was a stone-cold guy who you went to all the time. A couple games it'd be Marc [Gasol], then it'd be me, and then it'd be Zach [Randolph], you know what I mean? So at that point, I was like, 'I want to see what I can do with an open floor.' And I got that (in Toronto), but as long as we were winning, I'd like to see myself as a great teammate. And as long as we're winning, I'll do whatever, just be on the perimeter and open the floor for the big fellas, then that's what I'll do."
On staying in Toronto long-term:
"I've played six games. I don't know about (re-signing), but I love the organization. I possibly could be here for the rest of my career, but who knows."
On the Raptors' outlook:
"I'm excited about this team — excited about the possibilities of how good we can be. It was kind of a mixture of feelings when it first happened, getting traded and not knowing anything and one day thinking you're competing for a championship and the next day you're getting shipped off somewhere. It was a mixture of feelings… and now I've just got to embrace where I'm at. I'm happy I'm a Raptor right now…. I want to see this team be a good team, to be a playoff team again."
No Evan Turner Deal In Works For Sixers
A handful of ESPN.com scribes, including Marc Stein, Chad Ford, and Chris Broussard, have reported this month that the 76ers are shopping Evan Turner. However, according to Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News, the Sixers don't currently have anything in the works involving Turner.
As Cooney writes, the Sixers are expected to listen to any and all calls leading up to tomorrow's trade deadline, but the team is uninterested in giving up controllable talent for what could be a short-term rental. Reports linking Philadelphia to Josh Smith and J.J. Redick have both noted the Sixers' aversion to giving up picks or young players for those free-agents-to-be.
Although the Sixers' offseason trade of Andre Iguodala opened up a larger role for Turner, whose minutes per game have increased from 26.4 to 36.2, the former second overall pick hasn't become any more productive in his third year. Turner's .427 FG% is below his career rate (.433), while his 12.7 PER is nearly identical to the mark he posted last season (12.6). With one more year remaining on his rookie contract, Turner doesn't appear to be as integral to the Sixers' long-term plans as Jrue Holiday or Thaddeus Young.
Rockets Open To Moving Terrence Jones
The Rockets are exhibiting a willingness to move Terrence Jones in a deal that nets them a first-round pick, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). According to Wojnarowski, Houston's depth at the forward spot contributes to the team's stance on Jones.
Jones, 20, has excelled during his D-League stints this year, averaging 18.4 PPG and 9.3 RPG for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, but hasn't been able to crack the Rockets' rotation. He has appeared in only 11 games for Houston this season, averaging just over eight minutes per contest. The Rockets will also eventually have one more frontcourt player competing for playing time if Royce White has no further off-court setbacks.
Because Jones was the 18th overall pick in a 2012 draft that was considered fairly strong, I'd be surprised if the Rockets settled for a late-first-round pick in a weaker 2013 draft. Houston also still has enough assets that the club could explore packaging Jones as part of a larger deal, though GM Daryl Morey has indicated he isn't expecting to make any big moves this week.