Reaction To Lamar Odom/Mo Williams Trade
Lamar Odom is finally heading back to Los Angeles after a lost year in Dallas, as the Mavericks, Clippers, Jazz and Rockets finalized a four-team deal that makes Odom a Clipper and Mo Williams a part of a crowded backcourt in Utah. There's plenty of reaction to the trade, including its effect on the Mavs and their pursuit of major free agents. As Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld notes, the Mavs can only use the $8.9MM trade exception they got in the deal if they don't want to renounce the rights to some of their own free agents and go under the salary cap, which they'd have to do to sign Deron Williams or another big-time target from a different team. If the Mavs don't land a major free agent, they can go over the cap to sign their own guys and use the trade exception to swing a deal for another player who can help. Here's the rest of what NBA writers are saying about the trade:
Jazz To Retain DeMarre Carroll, Jamaal Tinsley
8:48pm: The Jazz will pick up its option on Tinsley, Smith confirms (Twitter link).
7:33pm: Smith tweets that the Jazz will pick up Tinsley's option, while Kennedy says via Twitter that the situation is now uncertain despite the team having told Tinsley earlier today that they would decline the option. The two sides will speak tonight, according to Kennedy.
7:29pm: The Jazz will retain forward DeMarre Carroll, tweets Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune, while HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy tweets that the Jazz will turn down its $1.35MM option on point guard Jamaal Tinsley. Smith refers to the Carroll move as the team picking up an option, but Carroll's contract was actually non-guaranteed for next season. In any case, the Jazz will have Carroll at the minimum $885,120 for 2012/13.
Blazers Don’t Give Qualifying Offer To J.J. Hickson
We're rounding up today's news on teams tendering qualifying offers here, but there's also news of a notable player who won't get one. Jason Quick of The Oregonian reports the Blazers will not tender a qualifying offer to J.J. Hickson (Twitter link). The offer would likely have been for $4,385,416. Hickson is now an unrestricted free agent, and GM Neil Olshey says the Blazers are open to negotiating with him come July 1, Quick says.
Odom To Clips, Williams To Jazz In 4-Team Deal
The four-team deal between the Jazz, Mavericks, Clippers and Rockets that sends Lamar Odom to the Clippers and Mo Williams to Utah has been finalized, according to a release by the Mavs.
League, Union Reach Bird Rights Settlement
The league and the National Basketball Players Association have reached a settlement that will extend Bird rights to four players claimed off waivers this season, but will limit the retention of Bird rights for players claimed off waivers in the future, according to Howard Beck of The New York Times (Twitter links). From now on, full Bird rights will only be retained if the player is claimed off amnesty waivers. Otherwise, such players will retain only early Bird rights (Twitter links).
Mavs, Clippers, Jazz Agree To Odom Deal
FRIDAY, 6:17pm: The deal, which could become official later today, will also involve the Rockets, who'll receive Furkan Aldemir, taken 53rd by the Clippers in Thursday's draft, writes Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. The Rockets will send cash to the Mavs, tweets fellow Los Angeles Times writer Brad Turner.
FRIDAY, 5:32pm: The Mavericks and Odom have agreed to extend the deadline to fully guarantee Odom's contract by one day, until tomorrow, so that the trade can be finalized, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com says "only paperwork" is left to be done before the deal is official (Twitter links).
4:43pm: Williams has agreed to join the Jazz, a source tells Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune (via Twitter).
LaMarcus Aldridge Out Of Olympics
LaMarcus Aldridge is a no-go for the Olympics as he recovers from right hip surgery, Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com reports. Aldridge is the third player in the past two days to withdraw from Team USA because of injury, joining Chris Bosh, who pulled out today, and Dwyane Wade, who declined his invitation yesterday.
Southeast Rumors: Smith, Howard, Odom, Wizards
We've heard Josh Smith's name surface numerous times this week in trade discussions, and Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports the Magic are interested in bringing Smith aboard to curry favor with Dwight Howard, who is friends with Smith. New Hawks GM Danny Ferry is reluctant to move Smith, Stein says, despite the fact the athletic forward has said he'd welcome a trade and is entering the final year of his contract. Here's more from around the Southeast Division as the draft draws near:
Suns Interested In Ray Allen
The Suns will pursue unrestricted free agent shooting guard Ray Allen, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. There's mutual interest, and Allen would consider the Suns even if they don't re-sign Steve Nash, Wojnarowski says. Allen is a former client of Lon Babby, who worked as an agent before taking over basketball operations for the Suns.
The Heat have been linked to Allen of late, but they're not the frontrunners, Wojnarowski writes. ESPN.com's Stephen A. Smith said earlier today there's a good chance both Allen and fellow unrestricted free agent Kevin Garnett return to the Celtics.
Amico On Lakers, Mayo, Rockets, Varejao
With the Lakers holding only the 60th pick in the draft, much of the talk surrounding the team has had to do with Pau Gasol. Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio hears much more from L.A. and shares it along with a number of tidbits from around the Association. A source tells Amico the Lakers will look to dump salary this offseason and sign Spencer Hawes, Nick Young, Kirk Hinrich and Kris Humphries. The Lakers may also look into trading for Jordan Crawford if the Wizards draft Bradley Beal tonight. Here's more from Amico: