Berger’s Latest: Felton, Blake, Okafor, Gasol
Here are a few trade updates from Ken Berger of CBSSports.com:
- Rival executives believe the Blazers are interested in trading Raymond Felton to the Lakers for Steve Blake. Since Portland would be giving up the better player and some salary flexibility, the Blazers would need to be compensated with another piece in such a deal.
- The Hornets aren't interested in packaging Emeka Okafor with the first-round pick they acquired from the Timberwolves, even if it means saving the $28MM+ left on his deal.
- The Hawks appear likely to make only a small move or two at the deadline.
- Pau Gasol could be traded in the right deal, but the Lakers will need to ensure it's a basketball upgrade rather than a cost-saver. "If they're going to send a message to Kobe Bryant that they're not about winning, they're about money," one league source told Berger. "That's going to set off a whole new deal."
- Berger also has an update on the Jamal Crawford trade talks, as we covered earlier.
Lakers Notes: Trade Options, Gasol, Brown
With this Thursday's trade deadline looming, the Kamenetzky brothers at ESPN Los Angeles see three possible directions for the Lakers. The team could go for broke this season, using its trade exception and extra first-rounder to bring in extra talent; it could hold out for a blockbuster trade that would bring in a superstar like Dwight Howard or Deron Williams; or it could blow up the roster and start from scratch. I'm guessing option A is the most likely path for the Lakers, but they still have three days to make a decision. Here are the rest of this morning's Lakers notes:
- GM Mitch Kupchak has been telling people within the last few days that he doesn't expect to trade Pau Gasol, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (video link). The Rockets, Hawks, and Warriors have "their eye" on Gasol, says Broussard, but a trade isn't likely.
- Elliott Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News writes that coach Mike Brown can't wait until the trade deadline passes and he's no longer asked about it by everyone, including his son.
Latest On Josh Smith
It appears Josh Smith will remain an Atlanta Hawk for at least the rest of this season, if not the calendar year. Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld reports that Smith's camp was told last week by the team that a trade by March 15th is unlikely, but the situation could be seriously revisited around the draft. Kyler's report supports Friday's story by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, which suggested the Hawks aren't presently looking to trade Smith, despite his desire to be moved.
The Hawks have talked to other teams about Smith, but "nothing seems real or imminent," Kyler adds. For his part, Smith isn't letting the trade rumors affect his play — his 28 points, three steals, and three blocks last night led Atlanta to a victory in Sacramento.
"I'm here. I have one more left on my deal," Smith said when asked about remaining in Atlanta long-term. "We have to see what happens. I just have to keep playing the way I'm capable of playing and keep doing what I'm doing and not worry about any outside distractions."
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.
Trade Candidate: Kirk Hinrich
Lost in the noise surrounding Josh Smith in Atlanta lately is another intriguing trade chip the Hawks possess. They were without 31-year-old combo guard Kirk Hinrich for a month to start the season as he recovered from surgery on his left shoulder, and found suitable replacements on their bench. Jannero Pargo continues to see minutes as the backup point guard, while Willie Green has served as the backup shooting guard. Hinrich has started in the absense of Joe Johnson lately, but with the emergence of others, Hinrich's minutes are at a career-low 20.2 per game. He's shooting only 35.6% from the floor, also a career low, perhaps because of a lack of rhythm from playing time, but aside from the effect that's having on his point production, his most of his numbers per 36 minutes are consistent with what they have been the past several seasons. The Hawks don't appear to need him, but teams with holes at either guard position may.
Yesterday, we passed along a report from Ken Berger of CBS Sports who said rival executives believe Hinrich will be traded before the deadline. Recently, we've heard rumors linking him to the Clippers, who could use a shooting guard, and the Lakers, who are looking for a point guard. His contract, which pays him $8.1MM this year, is expiring, making him even more enticing for teams wanting to clear cap space. The Lakers reportedly want the Hawks to take on salary in a Hinrich deal, and that has a chilling effect for Atlanta, which teeters on the brink of being a tax-paying team.
So, a trade with the Clippers could be easier. A swap of Hinrich for Eric Bledsoe and Ryan Gomes would work under the cap, according to ESPN's Trade Machine. The Hawks could develop Bledsoe along with incumbent starter Jeff Teague and see which young point guard emerges as the best option going forward. Gomes may seem unappetizing this year, but he does provide depth at the wing positions for next season, when Green and Tracy McGrady come off the books. The trick would be convincing the Clippers that Hinrich is still a starting-caliber guard. He started 51 games combined for the Wizards and Hawks last year and 53 for the Bulls in 2009/10, but hasn't been a full-time starter since 2007/08. Hawks GM Rick Sund could point to last season's stint with the Wizards, when Hinrich shot 45.2% in 48 games for Washington, which would have been a career high had it been a full season total.
While the Clippers could bite, I think it's more likely Hinrich winds up with a team that hasn't been mentioned as a backup if he is to leave Atlanta. It's hard to see either the Clippers or the Lakers, two teams with aspirations of deep playoff runs, taking a gamble that Hinrich can return to his form of several seasons ago. He's only been past the first round of the playoffs once, too, so that hurts his case as well. Still, his versatility is likely to prompt several teams to make offers before the deadline is here.
Ganter On Howard, Smith, Rondo
Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun conducted an in-house interview of fellow writer Mike Ganter, who held forth on a number of trade-related topics. (Video link) Here's what Ganter is hearing as the deadline draws near:
- Ganter believes there's no way the Magic can get fair value for Dwight Howard, and predicts they'll hold on to the big man at the deadline.
- Josh Smith tops the list of stars likely to be dealt. Smith has wanted out of Atlanta for a while, and is irked the Hawks didn't do more to promote his case to make the All-Star team this year.
- What the Nuggets got in the Carmelo Anthony was a "once in a lifetime" haul, and teams shouldn't expect to approach that as they look to unload superstars.
- The Celtics may break up their team, but don't expect Rajon Rondo to be going anywhere.
Dwight Howard Rumors: Friday
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com wrote last night that the Magic would seek a Carmelo Anthony-esque haul if they decided to trade Dwight Howard. The teams on Howard's list of preferred destinations may have difficulty putting together such a package, but plenty of other clubs, such as the Hawks, Warriors, and Rockets, are still in the hunt. We'll follow today's Howard rumblings right here, with the latest updates at the top of the page:
- The Magic leaked the Thunder's interest in Howard just to let other teams know that a price similar to the package of James Harden and Serge Ibaka is what Orlando is looking for, tweets Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel tweets that the Magic executives are not at odds over Brook Lopez, who is in the discussion because the Nets are Howard's favored destination. Question remains, however, about whether team CEO Alex Martins or GM Otis Smith has final say on a deal.
- Robbins also tweets that the only way Howard would agree to a sign-and-trade is if the team he wants to go to does not have enough cap space for him.
- Sam Amick of SI.com shares some Howard updates in his latest column, noting that the Bulls have been "quietly deliberating" a play for D12 all season, but won't pursue him without assurances he'd remain in Chicago. Amick also hears that Magic GM Otis Smith isn't seriously interested in anyone the Warriors could offer for Howard.
- Howard's list of teams is becoming somewhat irrelevant at this point, according to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. If the Magic get a serious offer from a team besides the Mavericks, Lakers, or Nets, they're just as likely to pull the trigger as they would be with one of those clubs.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel can't see any sort of trade with the Hawks working. He doesn't think Howard would re-sign in Atlanta if dealt there, and he doesn't think the Magic could acquire Josh Smith without giving up Howard — even if they could, he's not sure the presence of Smith convinces D12 to stay in Orlando (Twitter links).
- Brian Schmitz of the Sentinel (Twitter link) also doesn't see the Hawks as a fit for Howard, saying the hometown team "offers no allure" for the Atlanta native. He adds that the Magic want Kyle Lowry from the Rockets in any Howard deal.
- The Magic talked to the Thunder about Howard, but Oklahoma City balked at giving up James Harden and Serge Ibaka, reports Schmitz (via Twitter). While that's entirely understandable, the idea of Howard playing with Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, even if it's just for two months, is pretty fun, isn't it?
- It was reported yesterday that Otis Smith has talked to "all 29 teams" about Howard, but Schmitz tweets that only six to eight are serious — the other GMs just want to tell their owners they've called.
Hawks Not Looking To Trade Josh Smith
Josh Smith would like to be traded out of Atlanta, but the Hawks don't appear to be on board with the idea. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (via Twitter) that Atlanta ownership is resisting trading Smith, despite the fact that the 6'9" forward has been hoping for a deal for the last year.
Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported yesterday that Smith is seeking a trade to a franchise where he can start fresh. The longtime Hawk feels the team didn't promote his All-Star candidacy, and isn't dedicated enough to winning a championship, according to Cunningham's report.
If the Hawks were to entertain offers for Smith, he'd certainly be an attractive piece for a playoff contender. Even with a 15% trade kicker in his contract, Smith would be reasonably priced for a new team ($14.32MM this year, $15.12MM next year), and isn't locked into an inflexible long-term deal.
Bogut Drawing Interest From Several Teams
11:13am: This is the first time since drafting Bogut that the Bucks aren't immediately turning away trade inquiries, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein. However, Stein says Milwaukee is insisting Jackson is included in any deal, as Woelfel hinted at earlier. The Wizards are one of the teams most interested in Bogut, Stein adds, though a source says "the price is high."
9:00am: Andrew Bogut is still on the shelf with a fractured ankle, but that hasn't stopped teams from showing interest in him. According to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times, a "slew of teams" have discussed the possibility of acquiring the former first overall pick, either internally or with the Bucks.
The Bucks aren't on the verge of making any moves, but have engaged in several trade talks, and appear open to dealing anyone, says Woelfel. He adds that, while Bogut has never publicly expressed a desire to be dealt out of Milwaukee, there are "whispers" that a strained relationship with coach Scott Skiles, along with the team's lack of postseason success, may have the 27-year-old thinking about a change of scenery.
Woelfel names the Magic, Hawks, Celtics, Rockets, Hornets, Wizards, Bobcats, and Warriors as clubs who have some level of interest in Bogut. Some of those teams are more realistic suitors than others, but Woefel points out that Bogut's age and contract make him a potential fit for contenders as well as lottery teams.
The Bucks have a chance to be one of the league's more active teams at the trade deadline — Milwaukee possesses obvious trade candidates such as Beno Udrih and Stephen Jackson, and a less obvious trade candidate in Ersan Ilyasova. Woelfel says that ideally Jackson's contract could be included with Bogut's if the Bucks were to consider dealing their big center, though finding a logical match for their combined $21MM+ salary could be a challenge.
Josh Smith Still Hoping For Trade
Josh Smith, who has been the subject of numerous trade rumors in the past, has let the Hawks know that he wants be traded by next week's deadline, reports Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Cunningham hears from a source that Smith would like a fresh start in a situation "where he can better reach his potential on and off the court."
Smith wanted out of Atlanta at the end of last season, according to Cunningham, and that desire has resurfaced recently for a number of reasons. The 26-year-old believes the Hawks didn't do enough to promote his for All-Star consideration this season, and wants to play for a franchise he feels is more dedicated to winning a championship, says Cunningham.
Earlier today, ESPN.com's Chad Ford ranked Smith as one of the likeliest big-name players to be traded by the deadline, behind only Rajon Rondo. Recent reports have suggested the Celtics and Timberwolves had some interest in Smith, though Atlanta wouldn't be interested in simply acquiring players on expiring contracts. Cunningham adds the Warriors to the teams who have inquired on Smith, but says the Hawks have yet to indicate whether they want to move the former 17th overall pick.
Smith, who has a 15% trade kicker included in his current deal, is eligible for unrestricted after next season, in the summer of 2013.