Kevin Garnett Rumors: Monday
A report from the Sporting News yesterday indicated that the Clippers and Celtics had engaged in talks about a possible Kevin Garnett trade. Even with Rajon Rondo and Jared Sullinger out for the year, a Garnett trade appears unlikely, considering he negotiated a no-trade clause into his most recent contract in hopes of retiring as a Celtic. Still, a couple more updates relating to the Clippers/C's rumor surfaced since yesterday, so we'll round those up right here:
- Garnett will not waive his no trade clause unless Paul Pierce is also dealt, a source tells Shaun Powell of Sports On Earth (on Twitter). Even then, he would only give his consent to a deal that puts him in Los Angeles since he lives in Malibu. That would mean a deal to the Clippers and not the Lakers since there's no match for a deal there.
- According to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times, the Clippers aren't pursuing Garnett and haven't even had any conversations with the Celtics' front office about a potential deal that would include Eric Bledsoe and Caron Butler.
Earlier updates:
- There's nothing happening between the Clippers and Celtics at the moment, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. In a second tweet, Shelburne clarifies that she's not ruling out the possibility entirely, but there's no current progress.
- The Clippers' stance on trades, involving Garnett or anyone else, dictates that a deal would have to make sense for both now and the future, says Shelburne (via Twitter).
- According to Paul Flannery of SBNation.com, the Garnett trade rumor was floated from the Clippers' side, rather than the Celtics'. It would take more than Bledsoe and Butler to pique Boston's interest, and even then there's no guarantee KG would waive his no-trade clause, writes Flannery.
Atlantic Notes: Blatche, Sullinger, Collins, Raps
Rajon Rondo's season-ending ACL injury was expected to leave an opening for the ninth-seeded 76ers to make a move in the Eastern Conference. The Sixers have held up their end of the bargain so far, winning three of their last four games, but the Celtics have been playing well without their All-Star point guard, winning four in a row. With Boston off tonight, the Sixers will look to gain a half-game in the standings by handing the Magic their 10th straight loss. Here are a few other updates out of the Atlantic:
- A pair of sources tell NetsDaily (Twitter link) that there's no truth to an earlier report about the Nets making Andray Blatche available.
- Agent David Falk says the Celtics recognized that his client, Jared Sullinger, would eventually require surgery on his back, but that the team and player were hoping it could be delayed until the summer. Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe has the details.
- ESPN.com's 5-on-5 panelists, including Sean Highkin of Hoops Rumors, put forth a number of hypothetical deals for trade candidates. Among their proposals are suggestions for how the Celtics could maximize their return on Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.
- The efforts of Jason Collins, who signed with the Celtics last summer on a one-year, minimum-salary deal, aren't going unnoticed, according to Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com.
- Doug Smith of the Toronto Star believes it makes sense for the Raptors to explore trading Alan Anderson for a backup point guard.
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Garnett, Pierce, Oden, Gay
We've heard speculation about the Celtics potentially breaking up their core for a long time now, but it's starting to sound more and more like a real possibility. Earlier today, we learned that the Clippers have reached out to the Celtics about trading for Kevin Garnett, and they could certainly put together an attractive offer for Danny Ainge & Co. KG, however, is one of four players in the Association with a no-trade clause in his contract, so he'd have to give the green light to any deal that would give him a non-green uniform. More on the C's and the rest of the Atlantic..
- Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld asks if it's time for the Celtics to trade Paul Pierce. While there are good arguments for selling on Pierce before the deadline, Brotherston argues that it would be easier to find trading partners able to work deals around Jeff Green ($8.4MM), Brandon Bass ($6MM), Courtney Lee ($5MM), or Jason Terry ($5MM).
- The Celtics met with Greg Oden yesterday, but coach Doc Rivers says that he isn't dwelling on whether they will sign the big man, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. "I said hi to him," Rivers said. "We reminisced about high school days when I watched him in AAU. But other than that, I thought far more about the guys we're playing (today) than next year."
- Now that he's a member of the Raptors, forward Rudy Gay has been reunited with former teammate Kyle Lowry, writes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. Gay put up 29 points against the Heat earlier today but it wasn't enough as Toronto lost 100-85 at home.
Clippers, Celtics Engaged In Kevin Garnett Talks
The Clippers have reached out to the Celtics about trading for Kevin Garnett, and any offer would include Eric Bledsoe and Caron Butler, sources tell Sean Deveney of The Sporting News (Twitter link). Deveney cautions, via Twitter, that the Celtics haven't decided yet whether to break up their core, but it appears they'll have at least one option if they decide to do so. Ric Bucher reported earlier this week that some GMs would be reluctant to trade for Garnett, fearing he may retire before his contract is up in 2015, even if Garnett might not be quite ready to hang it up at the end of this season.
Garnett is one of four players who negotiated no-trade clauses into their contracts, so he'd have to approve any deal. A swap of Garnett for Bledsoe and Butler would work for salary-matching purposes, but I'm not sure the Celtics, with Rajon Rondo in the middle of a team-friendly deal, would have interest in a package headlined by an up-and-coming point guard. Bledsoe would fill the void left while Rondo recovers from his ACL injury, but the Celtics would have a decision to make either this summer, when Bledsoe is up for an extension on his rookie deal, or next, when he's set to become a restricted free agent. Rondo, like Garnett, is signed through 2015. Butler makes $8MM this season and next, so his presence wouldn't do much to help the Celtics clear cap space.
The Clippers' proposal makes much more sense from their end. Garnett would provide veteran leadership for a team looking to make unprecedented strides in the playoffs. He'd strengthen a front line that includes Blake Griffin, and he would probably see fewer minutes than he's getting in Boston with DeAndre Jordan and Lamar Odom around in Los Angeles. A reduced role may fit the bill for the 36-year-old Garnett, whose aging legs prompted the concern from league executives that Bucher passed along.
Celtics Meet With Greg Oden
We heard a couple of weeks ago that the Celtics were keeping an eye on former No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden, and today the oft-injured center met with team officials, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. The meeting took place in Waltham, Mass., the site of the C's practice facility. Though the Celtics could use some healthy bodies with Rajon Rondo and Jared Sullinger out for the season, Oden isn't looking to return until 2013/14. Celtics basketball president Danny Ainge told Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald that nothing is imminent.
"We're just finding out as much as we can and letting Greg know what we have here," Ainge said. "He's not ready to play now, but he's someone who's very interesting."
Ainge said he wanted to ask Oden about his physical condition, and refuted a report that the 7-footer wasn't interest in the Celtics, pointing to the meeting as proof. The Heat and Cavs have been the frontrunners for Oden's services, but he's been linked to several other teams, including the Pacers, Hornets, Bobcats, Spurs and Mavericks. The Wolves are the only team that appears to be definitely out on Oden.
The Celtics have the minimum 13 players on their roster, but Ainge has said he'll fill the two available spots before the trade deadline. Boston could use a prorated portion of its $1.957MM biannual exception to exceed the minimum salary on a two-year deal. Signing Oden wouldn't help them lock down the final playoff spot this year, but it could give them a boost once Rondo and Sullinger return for next season. Still, it remains to be seen just how much Oden can give any team at this point, and even when healthy, he hasn't been particularly productive. He's averaged 9.4 points and 7.3 rebounds in 22.1 minutes per game in 82 NBA contests, the last of which came on December 5th, 2009.
Kyler On Gay, Magic, Smith
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.com took questions from his followers on his Twitter account on Saturday morning, covering the Raptors' acquisition of Rudy Gay along with other topics.
- Until they see how Rudy Gay and DeMar DeRozan play together, the Raptors plan to keep both on the roster.
- Bryan Colangelo's next move should be to get out of Andrea Bargnani's contract, Kyler writes.
- The Grizzlies offered Gay to the Magic for J.J. Redick, and were rejected.
- The Magic would be willing to trade any player on their roster for the right price, Kyler writes, although they value players like Maurice Harkless very highly.
- The Hawks would prefer to keep Josh Smith, but they are exploring their options before the trade deadline.
- Kyler thinks everybody on the Mavericks is available at the trade deadline, with the exception of Dirk Nowitzki.
- The Celtics are very active in trade talks, but don't have many assets to offer.
- Given the Kings' ownership situation, Kyler doubts they move Tyreke Evans or any other player before the deadline.
- Kyler doesn't think the Jazz will trade Paul Millsap or Al Jefferson unless they can preserve flexibility.
Amick And Zillgitt On Smith, Gasol, Gay Trade
Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today have posted a new column in which they take turns speculating on which marquee player will be the next to be traded, and also react to the Rudy Gay trade:
- Amick writes that it's well-known around the league that Josh Smith is unhappy in Atlanta and that the team is open to trading him. He wants a max deal, and new Hawks GM Danny Ferry wants to take a more financially responsible approach to building his roster.
- Zillgitt thinks that, despite reports to the contrary, the Lakers could move Pau Gasol before the deadline. He points to the Celtics as a possible destination, writing that they need size following Jared Sullinger's injury.
- Both Amick and Zillgitt think positively of the Raptors' acquisition of Gay. Zillgitt adds that the move was a financially smart move for the Grizzlies, and likes the fit of Tayshaun Prince on their roster. He also praises the acquisition of Jose Calderon for the Pistons.
Celtics Notes: Pierce, Hunter, Melo, Green
The Boston Celtics have suffered two major setbacks in the past week, as Rajon Rondo's torn ACL and Jared Sullinger's back surgery will keep them both out the remainder of the 2012/13 season. Here are the latest rumors and notes surrounding the team on Saturday morning:
- Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe writes that Paul Pierce wants new leadership for the NBPA. After Derek Fisher placed executive director Billy Hunter on indefinite leave on Friday, Pierce told Washburn that the recent NBPA drama indicates that the current administration is not working.
- The Celtics have activated Fab Melo, and he should see some playing time in the wake of Sullinger's injury, Washburn writes. Melo has only appeared in one game for the Celtics this season.
- GM Danny Ainge told Washburn that the team will fill the two roster spots that formerly belonged to Jarvis Varnado and Kris Joseph before the trade deadline.
- A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com writes that Jeff Green has stepped up for Boston following their recent injury woes and become a consistent contributor.
Stein’s Latest: Gasol, Celtics, Smith, Jazz
ESPN.com's Marc Stein has posted his latest Weekend Dime column, featuring updates on several prominent players whose names have been featured in trade rumors ahead of the February 21 deadline. Here are the highlights of Stein's report:
- Stein doesn't believe the Lakers will trade Pau Gasol before the deadline, although the Raptors are making a push to acquire him with a package built around Andrea Bargnani.
- Although the Clippers have shown no indication of wanting to trade Eric Bledsoe, a swap of the third-year guard to the Celtics for Paul Pierce could make the most sense for both sides, Stein writes.
- Celtics GM Danny Ainge recognizes that Pierce and Kevin Garnett don't have the value that would likely make it worth trading then, so he may instead look to move Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, or Jeff Green to get the team under the luxury tax threshold.
- The Hawks have been gauging trade interest in Josh Smith, Stein reports. Although they are very open to moving the forward, there is hesitance because other teams don't want to risk him walking in free agency and Atlanta doesn't want to take on long-term salary.
- Executives around the league don't expect the Jazz to trade Al Jefferson, saying they will either move Paul Millsap instead or stand pat.
- Given their ownership situation, the Kings will likely not make any moves before the deadline. There has been interest in Tyreke Evans, although DeMarcus Cousins remains untouchable.
- The Trail Blazers are not looking to make any moves that will help them in the short term, preferring to preserve their flexibility.
- Teams expect the Magic to trade J.J. Redick, but executives tell Stein that GM Rob Hennigan is asking for young talent or draft picks for the veteran sharpshooter.
Teams Inquiring On Jason Terry
Rajon Rondo and Jared Sullinger have both been ruled out for the season within the last few days, inspiring rival executives to inquire on whether the Celtics are willing to deal. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reports (via Twitter) that clubs have been calling Danny Ainge to see if the C's are interested in trading Jason Terry to get under the luxury tax line.
If the Celtics decide to build for the future at the expense of the short-term, trading Terry could make sense. However, it's unclear how much the C's could get for the veteran guard if they decided to make him available. Terry's 10.0 PPG and .429 FG% are well below his career averages, and his 11.9 PER is a career-worst mark.
If Boston had to attach a future first-rounder to Terry to move him and get out of the tax, like the Grizzlies did with Marreese Speights last week, I'm skeptical that Ainge would be interested. According to Berger (via Twitter), the Celtics haven't indicated a strong desire to make a move, as they remain in wait-and-see mode with the deadline less than three weeks away. Ainge said today that he expects the club to add a couple more players before the deadline, but he's in no rush to do it right away (Twitter link via Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald).
Terry's three-year contract pays him $5MM this year, $5.225MM in 2013/14, and $5.45MM in 2014/15.