Trade Candidate: Anthony Morrow
Yesterday, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld wrote that the Nets wouldn't mind clearing some future cap room by moving Anthony Morrow or Jordan Farmar before the trade deadline. Both guards should draw interest from clubs, but the sharp-shooting Morrow would bring in the greater haul of the two.
While Morrow's defense is less-than-stellar, the 26-year-old has shown the ability to ignite an offense with his perimeter play. Morrow has cracked the top ten in three-point field goal percentage in each of his three NBA seasons.
Roughly one-third of the way through this year's 66-game season, the Nets already appear to be looking beyond 2012. New Jersey has just over $34MM committed in 2012/13 salaries but would like to give themselves as much flexibility as possible as they look ahead. Morrow will earn $4MM next season to close out the three-year pact he inked with the Nets in the summer of 2010.
General Manager Billy King & Co. talked with the Grizzlies earlier this month about trading Morrow and a draft pick in exchange for O.J. Mayo, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports tweeted. Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal later reported that the Nets also offered a package of Farmar, a draft pick, and cash considerations for Mayo. For the Nets, the motivation for either deal would be to unload 2012/13 salary by taking on Mayo's expiring $5.6MM contract.
If they do not receive a two-guard in return, moving Morrow would leave the Nets remarkably thin at the position as rookie MarShon Brooks is sidelined indefinitely with a fractured pinky toe. However, if the Nets are truly looking beyond this campaign, it's a sacrifice that they might be willing to make. Contenders and non-contenders alike can be expected to inquire on Morrow in the coming weeks and he can be had at a great value for a club willing to part with an expiring contract.
Jackson Frustrated, Hasn’t Demanded Trade
10:41pm: Bucks GM John Hammond declined comment today on whether Jackson has asked to be traded, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel.
9:19pm: Stephen Jackson is frustrated with his situation in Milwaukee but has yet to demand a trade, sources tell Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter). With the deadline approaching, Kennedy tweets that Jackson is someone to keep an eye as the Bucks won't pay him $9.26MM to sit on the bench.
The Bucks have won their last two games and the veteran has been out of the lineup for both contests. Jackson, 33, was suspended for Saturday's game against the Lakers for verbal abuse of an official the previous night against the Bulls. On Monday, coach Scott Skiles benched the veteran as the Bucks topped the Pistons 103-82.
Jackson has been openly campaigning for a contract extension ever since arriving in Milwaukee in June of last year. Earlier this month, Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times wrote that Jackson was still upset about not being approached about a new deal and planned on broaching the topic with the front office.
Yesterday, we heard that Jackson and Dwight Howard have spoken with each other and like the idea of joining Deron Williams in New Jersey. However, it should be noted that S-Jax and Howard are both represented by agent Dan Fegan.
Lakers Inquired On Gilbert Arenas
Lakers coach Mike Brown says the team has inquired about free agent guard Gilbert Arenas, writes Brian Kamenetzky of ESPNLosAngeles.com. While the club has yet to make plans to bring Arenas in for a workout, Brown admits that the club has checked in on the veteran.
Brown also cautioned that the club has talked about "a ton of players out there" and has yet to watch film on Arenas. The 30-year-old has averaged 21.7 PPG but struggled last year with the Wizards before a mid-season trade to the Magic. Thanks to injuries and league discipline, Agent Zero has played in just 117 games since the start of the 2007/08 season.
Arenas could provide the Lakers with a solid backup for Derek Fisher as Steve Blake is set to be sidelined for the next few weeks with a rib injury. Recently, the Lakers have been using rookie Andrew Goudelock in support of the 37-year-old.
Williams Will Consider Exercising One-Year Option
Nets point guard Deron Williams won't rule out picking up his one-year, $17.8MM option at season's end, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Williams has been expected to seek a long-term contract on the open market this summer but the 27-year-old said that he's open to putting off his free agency until the 2013 offseason.
“Yeah [picking up the option is something I’m considering]. I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Williams told the Daily News on Monday. “At the end of the season, I’m going to figure out what’s going on, I’m going to sit down with my agent and look at every option possible.”
As a player with seven years in the league, Williams can sign a new deal worth up to 30% of a team's salary cap. That contract could be a five-year pact if he opts to stay in New Jersey or a four-year deal if he goes elsewhere.
If the point guard signs with a different team this summer and renounces his Bird rights, he'll earn about $700K less next season. A new long-term, max deal with the Nets would pay Williams roughly $200,000 less in 2013 than the one-year option.
Bondy points out that Dwight Howard has a similar one-year option available, though it's unclear if the former first-overall pick would want to deal with another year of speculation and uncertainty.
Kennedy On West, Sessions, Chandler
While it's early in this lockout-shortened season, things seem to be clicking for the Pacers thus far, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Indiana holds impressive road wins against the likes of the Bulls, Lakers, and Celtics and have yet to drop back-to-back games. What's been the key to their success? If you ask Darren Collison, the answer is David West. Here's more from Kennedy on the forward and other news from around the league..
- When asked if he can see himself finishing his career with the Pacers, West didn't hesitate to answer in the affirmative. “This was the best opportunity for me. It gave me the chance to have a good time playing this game again and not have to deal with some of the outside issues that we were dealing with in New Orleans," the 31-year-old said. West signed a two-year pact worth $20MM with the club over the offseason.
- The Cavaliers have been fielding plenty of calls for Ramon Sessions in recent weeks, sources close to the situation tell Kennedy. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reported yesterday that the Lakers have inquired about Sessions’ availability. Sessions’ agent, Jared Karnes, is set to speak with Cleveland GM Chris Grant this week to discuss his client’s future. The Cavs won’t trade Sessions unless the right offer comes along and multiple sources insist that no deal is imminent.
- As we learned yesterday, the Raptors plan on making a run at Wilson Chandler when he returns to the NBA from China. The Nuggets, who have the rights to the 24-year-old as a restricted free agent, will also have to jostle with several contenders who hope to sign him to a one-year deal, according to Kennedy. However, not many teams have money to spend in March, which is why Chandler's best bet might be waiting until July to sign a long-term deal.