Finnan On Sessions, Jamison, Williams
The Cavaliers are officially in the mix for the playoff push as the squad sits two games behind the Knicks for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. They'll look to make it three in a row when they host the Rockets later this evening. Let's take a look at the latest from The News-Herald's Bob Finnan to see what the Cavaliers plan on doing between now and the trade deadline:
- The prospect of the Cavaliers receiving a lottery pick for Ramon Sessions has diminished into likely netting the team a lesser first-round pick or even a second-round selection. While the Cavs must ensure they receive proper compensation for trading the talented point guard, the time is now to pull the trigger, says Finnan. If Sessions isn't traded, Finnan predicts the former Nevada star will opt out of his contract to test free agency.
- Finnan believes Antawn Jamison will remain a Cavalier for the rest of the season rather than be traded or have his contract bought out by the team. The former Tar Heel is widely viewed as a strong lockerroom presence and would prefer to remain with the team if given the choice. Jamison, 35, is currently averaging 18.3 PPG and 6.7 RPG on the season.
- One move that may make sense for the Cavaliers would involve the Hawks as a trade partner. Finnan notes that the Cavs have been in contact with the club to potentially bring Marvin Williams to Cleveland. Another scenario would add Josh Smith to the mix in return for Sessions and Jamison.
Recent First-Rounders Traded At The Deadline
Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio tweets today that the Cavs are working on a deal that would allow them to acquire a lottery pick. It's the latest example of a team seeking long-term gain at the trade deadline, when GMs must decide whether they're seeking assets for an immediate playoff run or trying to build for future success. No move is quite as focused on the future as acquiring a draft pick. Players who have never played in the league are unknown quantities, no matter how precise scouting has become, and so these deals are high-risk, high-reward for executives on both sides of the transactions. No first-round picks changed hands at the quiet 2007 deadline, but in the four years since, several key contributors to NBA teams today have been dealt, as first-round draft picks, within a week of the deadline.
The Cavs were involved in perhaps the most prominent recent example when they acquired a pick at last year's deadline. That draft choice wound up No. 1 overall, and the Cavs used it on Kyrie Irving. The Cavs figure in a longstanding rule concerning first-round draft pick trades as well. The so-called Ted Stepien rule, named after the former owner of the Cavs, was instituted in the 1980s and holds that no team may trade its first-round picks in consecutive years. Stepien was fond of doing so, and left his team without a mechanism to rebuild when those deals didn't pan out.
The list below shows the team that gave up the pick at the deadline as well as the team that acquired it, and the player upon whom the pick was eventually used. In many cases, the team that acquired the pick eventually traded it again in another transaction, so some the players listed didn't play with either of the teams by their names. Still, this gives you an idea of just what teams are giving up, and just what other teams are getting, when a first-round pick is included in a trade.
2011 deadline
- Tobias Harris, as 2011 pick: Bobcats to Trail Blazers
- Kyrie Irving, as 2011 pick: Clippers to Cavaliers
- Nikola Mirotic, as 2011 pick: Suns to Rockets, Rockets to Timberwolves (traded in two separate deals)
- Enes Kanter, as 2011 pick: Nets to Jazz
- Norris Cole, as 2011 pick: Raptors to Bulls
2010 deadline
- Donatas Montiejunas, as 2011 pick: Jazz to Grizzlies
- Lazar Hayward, as 2010 pick: Cavaliers to Wizards
- Taj Gibson, as 2009 pick: Thunder to Bulls
2009 deadline
- DeMarre Carroll, as 2009 pick: Magic to Grizzlies
2008 deadline
- Rodrigue Beaubois, as 2009 pick: Spurs to SuperSonics
- Ryan Anderson, as 2008 pick: Mavs to Nets
- Jordan Crawford, as 2010 pick: Mavs to Nets
Odds & Ends: Bogut, Rondo, Blatche
The talk of a 10-game night across the association has been about the health of two point guards whose absence could alter the plans of a pair of teams rumored to be among the most active nearing Thursday's trade deadline. Ricky Rubio of the Wolves tweeted that he'll receive an MRI on his left knee, which he hurt in his team's loss to the Lakers tonight. The team fears he has a torn ACL, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Meanwhile, Kyle Lowry of the Rockets was hospitalized with a fever and abdominal distress, HoopsWorld reports. Here's what's happening elsewhere:
- Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel examines the trade candidacy of Bucks center Andrew Bogut. Bogut's agent David Bauman said there are several teams interested in talking to Bucks GM John Hammond about his client.
- Rajon Rondo appears to be conflicted about how trades might affect the chemistry of the Celtics. Rajon Rondo, who saw best friend Kendrick Perkins dealt away at the deadline last year, told Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston he doesn't care about what a trade would do to the team's chemistry this year. Yet, to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com, Rondo said, "You can't get chemistry if you bring in new guys."
- Jason Kidd came close to joining a team that had just won the title when he thought about joining the Spurs in 2003, so he sympathizes with Lamar Odom, who arrived via trade to join this year's defending champs, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. For the record, Mavs coach Rick Carlisle told the Galloway & Company radio show today that the uproar concerning Odom has come and gone.
- Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld looks at the Grizzlies' early-season acquisition of Marreese Speights from the Sixers and wonders if that will wind up being the most effective deal of the year.
- Both John Reid of the New Orleans Times Picayune and Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com tweeted to note the progress of Lance Thomas, who signed with New Orleans for the rest of the season last month after the team gave him two 10-day contracts.
- The Wizards are willing to move anyone on the roster not named John Wall if another team will take Andray Blatche off their hands, tweets Michael Lee of The Washington Post.
- Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group notes the Warriors' lease in Oakland is up in 2017, and checks in with the progress of potential sites for a new home in Oakland and San Francisco. Venturing a guess, Kawakami has the San Francisco site as the most likely destination at this point.
- Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld proposes the Celtics as a potential destination for JaVale McGee, for whom the Wizards are reportly listening to offers.
- The Knicks starting lineup is in flux, and Newsday's Anthony Rieber takes a look at the quick changes engineered by coach Mike D'Antoni.
- Jeremy Evans' minimum salary contract expires at season's end, so time is running out for him to prove he can do more than win a dunk contest. Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune notes how his theatrics during All-Star weekend haven't earned him any extra minutes with the Jazz.
- Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press passed along Pau Gasol's kind words about Kevin Love, two players who could be Wolves teammates if a rumored Gasol/Michael Beasley swap takes place, Richardson notes. "He's got a will and determination to go after every ball," Gasol said of Love. "Even though he's a little undersized and lost some weight, he's still a powerful player and playing at a high level. I'm definitely impressed with him."
- With Richard Hamilton and Luol Deng ailing, it's been hard for Bulls GM Gar Forman to get a true handle on how effective his team really is, writes Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times. Forman must balance the team's current needs with its capability for long-term success, Hayes says.
- Bill Simmons of Grantland.com came out with his annual trade value column today in two parts, ranking the top 50 player assets across the league. The Heat's LeBron James is No. 1, meaning he'd be the player who would command the most in any trade, though James isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
- GM Sam Presti and the Thunder provide the small-market blueprint for Cavs GM Chris Grant, writes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
Berger On Gasol, Rondo, Jamison, Jackson, Okafor
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com has a few late-Friday afternoon updates on the trade market for us. Here are the highlights:
- Berger echoes a number of other reporters who say that, while the Lakers and Rockets are discussing Pau Gasol, no agreement has been reached yet.
- The Celtics had been fielding offers for Rajon Rondo in recent weeks, but have disengaged from those talks.
- The Trail Blazers have "made it clear" they're accepting offers for Gerald Wallace.
- Antawn Jamison's camp is intrigued by the possibility of Jamison going to the Lakers, but Los Angeles hasn't expressed any sort of serious interest in the veteran, says Berger. Even if they were interested, I can't see a way the two teams could match up, given Jamison's $15MM+ cap figure. Nonetheless, the Cavaliers are aggressively seeking future assets for Jamison.
- One executive predicts that "no one's touching" Stephen Jackson unless he's bought out by the Bucks.
- In addition to pursuing offers for Chris Kaman, the Hornets are also shopping Emeka Okafor.
- The Timberwolves are gauging interest in Wayne Ellington and Anthony Tolliver.
Central Notes: Jones, Pacers, Bulls, Cavs
The Bucks may be open to offers on Andrew Bogut, and the Bulls have been "quietly deliberating" whether to make a play for Dwight Howard. Those are a couple of the more intriguing rumors we've heard out of the Central Division today. Now let's take a look at a few more under-the-radar stories:
- The Pacers could look into signing Solomon Jones for help at center, tweets Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star. The Hornets declined to sign Jones for the rest of the season when his second 10-day contract expired, agreeing to a 10-day deal with Jeff Foote instead.
- Sam Smith of Bulls.com fields reader questions in his Friday mailbag, discussing Richard Hamilton, Carlos Boozer, and plenty of Bulls trade possibilities.
- The Cavaliers should look to the Thunder as a model franchise to emulate, writes Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Berger On Howard, Pierce, Jackson, Beasley, Nash
The latest Postups column from Ken Berger of CBS Sports is packed with interesting deadline notes, so let's dive right in…
- While Berger doesn't necessarily predict a quiet deadline, he points to other factors that could contribute to reducing trade activity this season: For potential contenders, the need to roll the dice on a veteran is offset by a strong draft class this summer. Additionally, the amnesty clause gives teams an alternative to trying to offload bad contracts in trades.
- The Rockets and Warriors maintain interest in trading for Dwight Howard without assurances that he'd sign long-term. Houston also continues to be "in hot pursuit" of Pau Gasol.
- The Celtics are "prepared to entertain offers" on Paul Pierce, but he may be the hardest of Boston's Big Four to move, since he doesn't have an expiring contract like Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, or the youth of Rajon Rondo.
- One executive says the Trail Blazers, who have been among the most active teams, need to make major changes.
- Rival execs think that the Hawks may deal Kirk Hinrich in the next week.
- The Cavaliers are open to absorbing salary in exchange for the right assets.
- Stephen Jackson has drawn an "amazing" number of inquiries, though most interested teams would want the Bucks to take on future salary to complete a deal.
- The Magic and Nets could look into trading for Michael Beasley, with both teams ultimately sharing the same goal — enticing Dwight Howard by upgrading their rosters at other positions.
- Steve Nash is content to remain with the Suns this season, in part because it's not in his nature to ask out and become the bad guy. "He'd like to go and win," a person connected to Nash said. "But he's not prepared to play the Carmelo [Anthony] card." To me, that suggests he'd be a long shot to re-sign in Phoenix at season's end.
- Berger also shared an update on Jamal Crawford, which we covered in today's Crawford rumor round-up.
Kyler’s Latest: Sessions, Crawford, Hornets, Bulls
In today's NBA AM piece for HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler explores a few potential trade situations, providing the latest updates. Here's what he has for us:
- The Cavaliers aren't seeking a significant return for Ramon Sessions. The club would prefer a draft pick and an open roster spot rather than a filler player.
- While no deal is imminent, the Timberwolves' interest in Jamal Crawford is very real, and they appear to be the frontrunner. The Blazers are still talking to several teams about Crawford, however.
- Mike Dunleavy, who is part of the group that is the favorite to buy the Hornets, feels like he could get Eric Gordon and Chris Kaman, two of his old players, signed to new deals in New Orleans.
- The Bulls are talking to other teams, but appear to be surveying the landscape rather than actively trying to get any deals done.
Odds & Ends: Rondo, Lewis, Heat, Varejao
The Celtics look to catch the 76ers in the Atlantic standings, and the Bobcats aim for their first winning streak of the season in tonight's slate of games. But before the evening action gets underway, let's round up the latest odds and ends from around the NBA:
- One general manager tells Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that there's no way Celtics GM Danny Ainge will get equal value in a trade for Rajon Rondo: "There’s a perception that if Doc Rivers, who’s such a player’s coach, has had a hard time with him, my coach is going to have a worse time with him."
- Because he reached certain incentives, Wizards forward Rashard Lewis is now owed a guaranteed $13.7MM (of $22.7MM) next season, tweets Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel discusses Anthony Carter, Chris Andersen, and other potential targets for the Heat in today's mailbag.
- In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, John Hollinger presents some under-the-radar trade candidates that he'd target, including Robin Lopez, Austin Daye, and Jordan Farmar.
- The lack of production the Cavaliers have received in Anderson Varejao's place while he's been injured shows why the team has been unwilling to trade him, writes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
- In addition to sharing some Jamal Crawford rumors, Chad Ford of ESPN.com addressed a number of other trade topics in his latest chat.
- The Nets have no interest in a reunion with John Calipari, as had been suggested, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com.
- Jerome Jordan will rejoin the Knicks after last week's D-League assignment, tweets Duane Rankin of the Erie Times-News.
Amico On Jamison, Favors, Blatche, Sessions
Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio talked Cavaliers and trade rumors in a chat today, sharing some noteworthy items along the way. Here are a few of the highlights:
- Teams are beginning to show more interest in Antawn Jamison, but it doesn't sound as if any talks have gotten serious yet. When I examined Jamison as a trade candidate three weeks ago, I wrote that I wasn't expecting the Cavaliers to move him. Amico agrees, saying Jamison probably only gets dealt if Cleveland finds a desperate trade partner.
- Derrick Favors, the third overall pick in 2010, is on the trade block, according to Amico. The Jazz would like to acquire a point guard or small forward.
- Pistons GM Joe Dumars is "really working the phone," which Dumars himself confirmed this week. Amico thinks Detroit could be a candidate for Andray Blatche. I'd assume if the Pistons were to discuss Blatche with the Wizards, Detroit would want to include Charlie Villanueva in any deal.
- Amico hears there's not much to the Cavs' reported interest in Marvin Williams, though he adds that Williams does want out of Atlanta.
- It's not a sure thing that Ramon Sessions will opt out and sign elsewhere at season's end. He's open to remaining in Cleveland, though he knows his minutes may be limited behind Kyrie Irving.
Minor Moves: Gadzuric, Cavs, Ford, Tyler, Cousin
We'll keep tabs on all of Tuesday's notable international and D-League-related moves right here:
- Less than a week after signing with the D-League, Dan Gadzuric has already been traded, and will join the Texas Legends, tweets Scott Schroeder of Ridiculous Upside.
- The Cavaliers have assigned Christian Eyenga and Luke Harangody to the Canton Charge, the team's D-League affiliate, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter link). It's the second D-League assignment this season for both players.
- Having finished his one-day stint with the Austin Toros, T.J. Ford has been recalled by the Spurs, the team announced today. Ford is returning from a torn left hamstring that has sidelined him for all but ten games this season.
- The Warriors have recalled Jeremy Tyler from their D-League affiliate, the team announced in a press release. Tyler played five games for the Dakota Wizards during his assignment, averaging 15.6 points and 7.8 rebounds in 28.8 minutes per game.
- Marcus Cousin, not to be confused with DeMarcus Cousins, has signed with Venezuela's Guaiqueries de Margarita, according to Sportando. The 6'11" Cousin appeared in four games with the Jazz last season.