Warriors Shop Jordan Crawford
The Warriors are dangling Jordan Crawford in trade talks, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Golden State acquired Steve Blake on Wednesday, lessening the need for the converted point guard the Warriors received via trade from Boston earlier this season.
Crawford, of course, was already traded in this calendar year when he went from the Celtics to the Warriors along with MarShon Brooks. With Brooks shipped to the Lakers yesterday, the W’s could be on the verge of shipping out their entire return from that swap just weeks after pulling the trigger.
Crawford, 25, pretty much saw his minutes cut in half when he moved from Boston to Oakland. In 14 games with the Warriors this season, Crawford has averaged 6.6 PPG and 2.2 APG in 16.5 minutes per contest. That’s less playing time than he’s seen in any of his NBA seasons to date.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Cavs Exploring Options For Luol Deng Trade
1:15pm: Cleveland’s still looking for a first-rounder for Deng, but no one will bite without assurance from Deng that he’ll re-sign this summer, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
12:54pm: The Cavs still have multiple “irons in the fire” and talks are likely to go right up to the deadline, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
11:32am: The Wizards and Cavs have discussed Trevor Ariza as part of a potential Deng deal, tweets Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal, though it’s unclear if those talks are ongoing (Twitter link). The Cavs have shifted away from seeking a first-round pick for Deng and are now seeking a veteran, per Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).
10:14am: There’s “no traction” with either the Wizards or Pistons on Deng, Berger tweets, but the Cavs continue to survey the market. The Cavs sought a first-round pick from the Suns for Deng, but Phoenix isn’t biting, Berger adds in a second tweet.
THURSDAY, 9:24am: The Wizards are among the teams talking to the Cavs about Deng, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com, who notes that Washington tried to acquire Deng from the Bulls this past summer.
WEDNESDAY, 4:24pm: Deng would be hesitant to commit to an extension with any club, and that makes a trade unlikely, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Of course, anxiety surrounding his free agency was the very reason noted earlier for why the Cavs might trade him. Wojnarowski adds the Pistons and Pacers to the list of teams that have had conversations with the Cavs about Deng, but there’s no traction toward a deal as clubs are reluctant to surrender assets for a player who can walk away this summer. Deng has expressed a willingness to at least consider re-signing with the Cavaliers, according to Wojnarowski, who adds there’s increasing doubt around the league that the Lakers will make a run at him in the offseason.
2:21pm: The Mavs have contacted the Cavs about trading for Deng, but they lack the assets to get a deal done, as Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reports in a pair of tweets.
10:35am: Windhorst, in his full story, clarifies that the Cavs aren’t determined to trade Deng, but are gauging the market to see what they could get for him. The ESPN.com scribe identifies the Lakers and Mavs as among the teams expected to chase him in free agency this summer.
10:28am: The Cavs have made Deng available to several teams, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Still, the team is not looking to trade him, a source tells The Plain Dealer (Twitter link).
10:04am: Cleveland has spoken to the Kings and Warriors about Deng, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio (Twitter link). There’s been no shortage of inquiries from clubs around the league, and the Cavs are “clearly” open to hearing pitches, Amico also tweets.
9:46am: The Cavs are worried that Luol Deng won’t re-sign with them this summer, and have begun to investigate the willingness of other teams to trade for the small forward they acquired just last month, tweets Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. Rival executives have expressed a belief that Cleveland should try to trade him for a top-level first-round pick in this year’s draft.
Sources told Marc Stein of ESPN.com earlier this month that there was little or no chance Deng would re-sign. That story came out shortly after the Cavs replaced former GM Chris Grant with David Griffin, but before the club began its ongoing five-game winning streak.
The Bulls extracted salary relief, a pair of second-round picks, a protected first-rounder and the right to swap first-round picks with the Cavs in 2015 when they traded Deng in January, and it’s doubtful his value has changed much. Chicago sent Deng out alone in that deal, and Cleveland would have to do the same. Teams aren’t allowed to package any players with someone they acquired via trade within the last two months, though the Cavs could attach draft compensation or cash to Deng if they like.
Cavs Shop Tyler Zeller, Eye Reggie Bullock
12:24pm: Discussion stalled when the Clippers tried to make it a three-for-one swap, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, who notes Cleveland remains on the lookout for an “athletic/shooting” small forward.
11:58am: Talks have hit a snag, and a source tells Ken Berger of CBSSports that a deal is “not happening” (Twitter link).
11:03am: Doc Rivers is high on Zeller, having wanted to draft him for the Celtics in 2012, notes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal (on Twitter).
10:50am: The Cavs have had discussions with the Clippers about swapping Zeller for Reggie Bullock, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
9:00am: The Cavaliers have been aggressively shopping Tyler Zeller the past few days, tweets Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. Zeller’s role is in line to be reduced, since the Cavs have agreed to trade for Spencer Hawes.
Zeller, the 17th overall pick in 2012, has already seen his playing time reduced this season after he started 55 games as a rookie. He’s averaging 4.9 points and 3.8 rebounds in 13.7 minutes per game. Zeller makes $1.633MM on his rookie-scale contract, and he’s due a little more than $1.7MM next season.
There’s been little chatter about Zeller this season, but he was reportedly involved in an early version of a proposal to the Bulls for Luol Deng this past summer. That was while former GM Chris Grant was at the controls in Cleveland, and it appears new GM David Griffin isn’t quite as willing to wait for the already 24-year-old center develop into a more productive player.
Cavs Receive Offer Of First-Rounder For Waiters
THURSDAY, 12:21pm: The Cavs continue to receive offers for Waiters, but they’re still making it clear they won’t trade him, tweets Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio.
WEDNESDAY, 10:08am: At least one team has offered the Cavaliers a first-round pick for Dion Waiters, but a deal is nonetheless unlikely, tweets Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. It’s unclear whether it’s a likely lottery pick or one destined to fall in the 20s, or what sort of protections would be attached, but it’s still perhaps the strongest indication to date that the Cavs are unwilling to part with the second-year shooting guard.
A December report indicated Cavs owner Dan Gilbert was high on Waiters and wanted to keep him amid rumors that stemmed from a team meeting around that time. Some executives around the league have continued to believe Waiters would be available before the deadline, but it appears that if he is, the 2012 fourth overall pick will come with quite a high price tag.
Kyrie Irving recently referred to Waiters as a friend, helping dispel the notion that the Cavs guards were at odds. Waiters’ production has plateaued in his second year in the league, but he is shooting the deep ball better, making 36.3% of his three-point attempts compared this season compared to 31% last year.
Knicks, Nuggets Close To Udrih, Hamilton Deal
12:13pm: Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports puts the brakes on talks of a deal, reporting that the Nuggets are still considering several trades for Hamilton (Twitter link).
11:49am: The Nuggets have agreed to send Jordan Hamilton to the Knicks for Beno Udrih, having reached agreement on a deal that sends Andre Miller to Washington, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The Wizards were also targeting Udrih, but they landed Miller instead, opening the door for Udrih to go to Denver.
The deal came together from talks the Knicks and Nuggets had about an Iman Shumpert-for-Kenneth Faried swap. Denver resisted that deal, but was apparently more receptive to the swap of the smaller names.
Hamilton makes about $1.17MM this year, the third season of his rookie scale contract. The Nuggets declined his fourth-year option before the season, so he’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Udrih is on a one-year deal for the minimum-salary.
Nuggets, Wizards In Serious Andre Miller Talks
11:35am: The Wizards and Nuggets are close to a deal involving Miller, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).
11:15am: The Nuggets and Wizards are engaged in “serious talks” about a deal that would send Andre Miller to Washington for Eric Maynor and Jan Vesely, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The Wolves have fallen off the pace in the Miller sweepstakes, as Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities notes that they want to trade J.J. Barea to another team before taking on Miller (Twitter link).
There would probably need to be a third team involved, since the Nuggets don’t want to take Maynor, according to Marc J. Spears and Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links).
The veteran guard left the club earlier this year and apparently has no interest in returning to them this season. The 37-year-old isn’t the player he once was, but he has proven to be one of the most durable players in the league. The guard is probably a bit overpaid at a $5MM salary and makes $4.625MM next year in the final year of his deal, but that’s only partially guaranteed for $2MM as long as he’s waived before July.
Latest On Harrison Barnes
THURSDAY, 11:26am: The Cavs have also asked the Warriors about Barnes, but Golden State doesn’t intend to trade him, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio (Twitter link).
WEDNESDAY, 8:08am: The Grizzlies are going after Harrison Barnes as they seek to upgrade their small forward spot, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. The Warriors are looking for a quality backup big man, but Memphis will clearly have to give up more than Kosta Koufos to acquire Barnes, Amick notes (Twitter link). The Warriors have received a deluge of calls about their second-year small forward, but they’ve been unwilling to trade him unless they can get a marquee player in return, as Amick reported last week.
Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob said a week ago that the team is unlikely to trade Barnes, Klay Thompson or Stephen Curry, and the Warriors have reportedly told Barnes that he won’t be dealt, barring a blockbuster. The seventh overall pick in 2012 is averaging just 10.4 points in 29.2 minutes per game, but he’s shooting 40.9% from three-point range.
Memphis appears ready to shake up its rotation, if not its core, having begun discussions with the Wolves about shipping Tony Allen and Tayshaun Prince to Minnesota for Chase Budinger and J.J. Barea. It would be tough for the Grizzlies, or any team, to construct a trade for Barnes without taking back at least one other high-salaried player, since Barnes is making only a little more than $2.9MM on his rookie scale contract. Most players making that much or less wouldn’t constitute the sort of return the Warriors are looking for. While Golden State has a trade exception worth more than $9.8MM available, absorbing that much salary without sending nearly as much out would put the team into the luxury tax.
Rockets Begin Asik Talks Again, Sixers In Mix
THURSDAY, 11:05am: The Rockets were strongly leaning toward keeping Asik as of last night, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com, who notes that Morey is nonetheless usually itchy to make a deal on deadline day (Twitter links).
WEDNESDAY, 7:40am: Sam Amick of USA Today on Tuesday night raised the notion of the Bucks as a dark horse in the race for Asik, but this morning he hears there have been no recent talks between Houston and Milwaukee (Twitter link).
TUESDAY, 4:38pm: The Sixers have been Asik’s most likely destination for months, according to Bill Ingram of Basketball Insiders, who notes Philadelphia GM Sam Hinkie’s connection to the big man. Hinkie was with the Rockets when they signed Asik last year (Twitter links).
1:34pm: Hours after a report indicated all was quiet surrounding Omer Asik, the Rockets have picked up trade talks for the center once more, with the Sixers emerging as a possible partner, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Philadelphia was one of the teams in heavy pursuit of Asik in December, when the Rockets were aggressively trying to pull off a trade.
The Raptors and Nets have no interest in Asik, given his nearly $15MM balloon payment for next season. The Hawks are interested, but not at the price point the Rockets have set. Houston is looking for a first-round pick in return, Berger writes.
The Rockets are interested in Spencer Hawes, but Philadelphia is looking to acquire first-rounders, not unload them, as Berger notes. The Sixers were also hesitant to take on Asik’s payment for next season when the teams spoke in December, and that reluctance could be exacerbated now, as Berger explains. The actual payout to Asik is smaller than his cap hit this season, so the more paychecks a team can issue to him this year, the less that team will feel the impact of his bloated paychecks for 2014/15. I examined the issue in depth earlier this season.
Pacific Rumors: Warriors, Suns, Kings, Blake
The Warriors remain in the market for additional trades following Wednesday’s acquisition of Steve Blake, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Suns aren’t close to any deals, and it’s more likely they stand pat than make a move today, according to Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link). That counters a report from Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, who says the Suns and Kings are “trying to hit a home run before the deadline” (via Twitter).
- Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee identifies Jason Thompson, Jimmer Fredette and Travis Outlaw as trade candidates as the Kings remain on the lookout for yet another swap. A second-round pick could be what it takes for other teams to land Fredette as the Kings continue to shop him, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The Kings would “love” to get a second-rounder in some sort of deal before the deadline, Jones notes (Twitter link).
- Blake won’t rule out return to Lakers in free agency this summer, as Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times observes.
- Jordan Hill dismisses the notion that he doesn’t like Mike D’Antoni, and says he’d at least like to finish the season with the Lakers, observes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
- A source tells Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders that the Lakers are unlikely to trade Nick Young, and that the club envisions him as part of its long-term plan. Young has on multiple occasions expressed a desire to stay in purple-and-gold for the foreseeable future, Greene notes.
- The Lakers appear pretty confident they can move Jordan Hill, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com, noting that the team is holding out for a second-rounder. Usually teams seeking to get out of tax territory, as the Lakers are, have to give up picks, rather than acquire them, Stein points out (Twitter link).
- Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro envisions the newly acquired Jason Terry playing a role on the Kings, but no one is dismissing the notion of a buyout, Howard-Cooper reports via Twitter.
- Tucked inside an earlier trade story, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports noted that Isaiah Thomas, a free agent this summer, has expressed a strong desire to stay with the Kings.
Pierre Jackson To Play In Turkey
10:07am: Jackson’s deal runs through June if he doesn’t sign with an NBA team by Friday, Sporando tweets.
9:48am: Jackson’s deal has an NBA escape clause that will allow him to sign a deal stateside until Friday, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
9:41am: Pierre Jackson has signed to play with Fenerbahce Ulker in Turkey, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando confirms (Twitter link). Turkish site Hurriyet.com.tr was the first to report the news. The Pelicans own the NBA rights of the diminutive guard who’s been tearing up the D-League this season, but the two sides have been unable to come to a deal.
The Pelicans gave Jackson and his representatives permission to seek a trade, and New Orleans was reportedly attempting to package his rights with Austin Rivers. The Wizards, Cavaliers and Nuggets were among the teams in play. A report on Tuesday indicated the Pelicans were still open to reaching a deal with the undrafted former Baylor standout.