Josh Smith Rumors: Wednesday
Josh Smith appears to be the big-name player most likely to be moved before tomorrow's trade deadline, and Tuesday brought plenty of updates and rumors on his potential destination. We rounded up those updates right here, and we'll track today's news here, with any new items added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- "Source after source" informs HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy that Smith will be dealt by the deadline (Twitter link).
- With the Suns apparently standing pat despite a report classifying them as the frontrunner for Smith, it looks like the Bucks are in the lead for Atlanta's athletic power forward, as Sean Deveney of The Sporting News writes. The Bucks are willing to risk losing Smith in free agency, but chances are strong that he'll re-up in Milwaukee for the right price, according to Deveney. Still, Milwaukee won't include John Henson or Larry Sanders in any deal for Smith.
- Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio believes the Nets are the frontrunners, with Milwaukee a darkhorse (Twitter link).
Earlier updates:
- Smith is open to playing with the Bucks even if Monta Ellis is not around, reports Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (Twitter link).
- Despite a report previously stating that the Nets are “solely focused” on Smith, a league source says that is definitely not the case, according to Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld.
- The Suns, Bucks, and Nets are currently viewed as the three most likely destinations for Smith, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
- A source tells Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today that it's not inconceivable the Hawks hang on to Smith through the deadline. With a huge amount of cap space available this summer, Atlanta could still re-sign the forward to a reasonable contract if another club doesn't make him the max offer he's seeking.
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.
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.
Odds & Ends: Repeater Tax, Bobcats, T-Wolves
Yahoo's Marc J. Spears says (via Twitter) that trade talk has been quiet, as teams are waiting to see what happens with Josh Smith first. One major factor which undeniably has affected discussions around this time has been the looming "repeater tax," which Adrian Wojnarowski tweets is the reason why most teams have been reluctant to take back long-term deals at the deadline. We'll round up the rest of tonight's miscellaneous links below:
- In addressing the biggest issues for the Lakers moving forward, Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times puts the chances of Dwight Howard re-signing next season at 25%. If Howard stays, Bresnahan thinks the Lakers could possibly amnesty Pau Gasol. If Dwight chooses to leave, Bresnahan opines that L.A. would likely keep Gasol and amnesty Metta World Peace.
- Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune directs attention to Luke Ridnour and the Timberwolves' multiple first-round picks as their most attractive pieces in trying to acquire a legitimately-sized shooting guard.
- According to Wojnarowski, the Bobcats have been trying to find takers for Gerald Henderson and are looking for a first-round pick in return.
- John Reid of NOLA.com hears that the Hornets would be interested in trading Eric Gordon to the Warriors in any package that includes Klay Thompson, although Golden State is said to be reluctant in parting ways with the second-year guard right now. Reid notes Gordon has the power to veto any trade, and while he showed a strong interest in signing with Phoenix over the summer, the Hornets are prohibited from dealing him to the Suns.
- With no first-round picks or salary cap space to use, Tim Kawakami of Mercury News believes that the Warriors aren't looking or aren't likely to make a deal soon.
- ESPN's Chris Broussard reports that Derrick Rose appeared good enough to return to in-game action judging by the way he looked during 5-on-5 practice, according to eyewitnesses (Twitter link). On the same token, head coach Tom Thibodeau told ESPN Chicago earlier today that Rose might not make his return this season.
- Paul Coro of AZCentral.com says that Sebastian Telfair and Jermaine O'Neal could be sent to title contenders in minor deals, and that Telfair would be the most likely candidate to be moved.
- While there aren't any concrete trade connections between Oklahoma City and the following list of players, Royce Young of Daily Thunder names five reasonable targets for the Thunder: Luc Mbah a Moute, J.J. Barea, Luke Ridnour, Darren Collison, and Rodney Stuckey.
Berger On Smith, Bucks, Dwight, Hickson
Ken Berger of CBS Sports described the difficulty for the Hawks to find the type of assets they want in exchange for Josh Smith, and GM Danny Ferry has been firm in telling other teams that he's not willing to take back future salary. Atlanta has prioritized draft picks and young players in exchange for their star forward, though other teams have been insistent on including some long-term deals as part of their offers.
The Nets are one interested team that would be hard-pressed to complete a trade before Thursday, as the current CBA would prohibit a luxury taxpayer to complete a sign-and-trade in the offseason. With Brooklyn set to be around $4MM above the tax line this summer, the only way they could acquire Smith after this season would be to significantly shed salary first. Here's more out of Berger's column tonight:
- Ferry realizes that the number of potential trading partners will decrease this summer, and while Phoenix had originally been seen as an ideal destination for Smith, the Suns appear to have their reservations about whether or not the assets they'd be sending out would be worth it.
- The Bucks have been "definitely active" in Smith talks considering the uncertain future of Brandon Jennings, who is said to have been intrigued by bigger markets and had recently switched agents (from Bill Duffy to Jeff Schwartz, known for being a strong advocate for the opportunities that a bigger market can provide).
- Luc Mbah a Moute could be a key component of a Smith-to-Milwaukee deal, factoring in his production and manageable contract.
- It is widely believed that the Hawks will try to make a strong push to acquire Dwight Howard before the trade deadline.
- The Trail Blazers continue to shop J.J. Hickson in exchange for a first-round pick.
- Wizards guard Jordan Crawford has drawn interest from some teams, but the team isn't willing to take back any long-term contracts.
- 76ers guard Nick Young has been part of many discussions, but there isn't a deal to be made as of now.
- The Nets know that a Kris Humphries-for-Ben Gordon trade with the Bobcats is still on the table, but are waiting to see what happens with Josh Smith before returning to that avenue.
Josh Smith Rumors: Tuesday
Last night, ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported that many teams around the NBA are convinced that the Hawks will move Josh Smith by Thursday's trade deadline. Stein cited the Celtics as one team with interest, but wrote that he couldn't see them giving up Paul Pierce in a deal for Smith. We'll likely hear a few more rumors and rumblings on Smith today, so we'll round all those up in one place, with the latest updates added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- The Nets' latest offer includes Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks, and either a first-round pick or the draft rights to Bojan Bogdanovic, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
- HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy says the strangest rumor he's heard involves Josh Smith and filler (possibly Zaza Pachulia) going to the Knicks for Amare Stoudemire and Iman Shumpert.
Earlier updates:
- ESPN's Chris Broussard tweets that although the Suns have been in touch with the Hawks regarding Smith, a deal is very unlikely.
- The Hawks called the Clippers and asked about acquiring Eric Bledsoe in a Smith trade, but the conversation was short, according to Broussard, who says the Clips aren't really interested in Smith (Twitter link).
- Broussard adds in a second tweet that Smith heading to the Suns in a package headlined by Marcin Gortat is "unlikely."
- Most of the offers the Hawks have received so far for Smith have been underwhelming, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
- Several members of the Warriors organization tell Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group (Sulia link) that they think Smith would be an ideal fit in Golden State. However, the club wouldn't want to give up Klay Thompson or Harrison Barnes for a free-agent-to-be, so a trade is "improbable at best."
Spurs Won’t Look To Acquire Smith, Jefferson
Ric Bucher of Comcast Sports says that the Spurs won't be looking to deal for Josh Smith or Al Jefferson before the deadline (Sulia link).
San Antonio's interest in Smith dwindled after the team decided that the Hawks' star wouldn't be a good fit with the team's 'DNA,' whereas the supposed interest in Jefferson wasn't very serious considering their salary-cap situation. The Jazz forward is making $15MM in the final year of his deal, and at age 28 would likely be looking for the most lucrative contract of his career this summer.
HoopsWorld’s Latest: Randolph, D12, 2014, Ellis
Steve Kyler and Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld both have new pieces up, in which they address various trade candidates or possibilities. Let's dive in and cover the highlights….
- Zach Randolph is "all but untouchable" for the Grizzlies this week, according to Kyler. While Memphis is still expected to make a move or two using its trade exceptions, the club would have to be blown away to consider moving Randolph.
- Sources tell Kennedy that there's a non-zero chance the Lakers will move Dwight Howard this week, which is something we've heard from Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio and from Kennedy himself. Howard hasn't asked for a trade and isn't expected to do so, so a deal is very unlikely, but there's no guarantee D12 will remain in Los Angeles through the deadline, according to Kennedy.
- If the Lakers are fielding calls on Howard, the Rockets, Mavericks, and Hawks, three teams frequently linked to the All-Star center, are expected to make inquiries.
- When weighing trade offers this week, teams will be cognizant of their salary commitments for 2014 and beyond, says Kennedy. Like 2010, the 2014 free agent class is expected to be particularly star-studded, so plenty of teams are attempting to preserve cap space for that summer.
- League sources expect Monta Ellis to opt out of his contract this summer and look to sign with a contender, since he's tired of being on losing teams, according to Kennedy. It's worth noting that the 26-25 Bucks aren't technically a "losing team," but I suppose being one game above .500 doesn't exactly qualify Milwaukee as a contender.
Hawks, Bucks, Suns Expected To Be Active
League executives tell Ken Berger of CBSSports.com that the Hawks, Bucks, and Suns are the teams most determined to make a deal by Thursday's trade deadline (Twitter link). All three clubs have been involved in various trade rumors already today, including all being linked in one way or another to Josh Smith.
It's no surprise that any of the three clubs are expected to be active on the trade market this week. We've long heard that no one on the Suns is untouchable, except for Luis Scola, who is ineligible to be dealt. The Bucks, meanwhile, face the possibility of their top two scorers, Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis, hitting free agency this summer, so they could make a deal to avoid losing one or both of those players for nothing.
The Hawks also have a star heading for free agency in Smith, and according to Berger (via Twitter), there's a belief around the NBA that Atlanta will make a serious run at Dwight Howard, despite the Lakers' insistence that D12 won't be moved. Assuming the Hawks don't land Howard by Thursday's deadline, which seems like a fairly safe bet, the team is expected to be one of his primary suitors in free agency in July.
In addition to holding a number of moveable trade chips, the Hawks, Bucks, and Suns figure to have a good amount of cap room this summer, so all three teams have the flexibility to take on some long-term salary without any real luxury-tax concerns.
Wojnarowski On Wolves, Smith, Nets, Bell
Here's the latest news from around the league courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski with all links going to Twitter..
- The Wolves have been aggressive in offering multiple first-round picks for established talent, according to league sources (Twitter link). We've heard some trade buzz around Minnesota in recent weeks, but it has mostly concerned guard Luke Ridnour.
- The Celtics are on several fronts, including discussions on Josh Smith, Wojnarowski tweets. They've got plenty of competition, however, as the Nets are solely focused on making a deal for Smith, despite being linked to a few other big names in recent weeks.
- Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni has remained intrigued with bringing exiled Jazz guard Raja Bell to Lakers, sources tell Wojnarowski. The Jazz would be delighted to put a bow on their saga with the disgruntled guard.
- League GMs believe that the Hawks, Bucks, and Suns will make significant moves before the trade deadline.
- The Trail Blazers are still willing to move J.J. Hickson, but haven't found an appealing offer yet.
- Teams trying to trade for J.J. Redick of the Magic are surveying the cost of re-signing him this summer, Wojnarowski tweets. If Bucks move a starting guard, he'll be a major target for them.