Josh Howard, C.J. Miles Drawing Interest
4:34pm: Howard is likely to remain with the Jazz through the deadline, tweets Brian T. Smith.
11:38am: As of this morning, the chances of Miles being dealt to the Timberwolves appeared very slim, according to Brian T. Smith (via Twitter). Miles heading to New Jersey for Petro and a first-rounder is a possibility, tweets Stefan Bondy.
7:53am: Josh Howard and C.J. Miles, whose contracts expire at season's end, have both expressed interest in re-signing with the Jazz this summer. However, it looks as if there's a chance neither player will even finish the season in Utah.
On the heels of last night's report that the Jazz are discussing a three-team trade with the Spurs and Timberwolves that would ship both Howard and Miles out of town, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld tweets that the Jazz are shopping Miles. The T-Wolves and Nets are among the teams that have shown interest, according to Kennedy. New Jersey has interest in Miles' expiring contract as a way of clearing summer cap space to make a run at top free agents, and Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld says the Nets have discussed Anthony Morrow and Johan Petro with the Jazz. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News hears such a deal could involve a Nets first-round pick (Twitter link).
Pincus says the Clippers may have some interest in Miles, who could fit into one of the team's traded player exceptions, but L.A. probably won't part with Eric Bledsoe or a first-round pick. Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune, who reported last month that Miles could be had, says the former second-rounder, who turns 25 this weekend, may be easier to move in a package deal (Twitter link).
Meanwhile, besides the Spurs, the Lakers, Knicks, and Celtics have also expressed interest in acquiring Howard, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Of those four interested clubs, only the Knicks are below the luxury tax line, so Howard and his $2.15MM salary would be an affordable addition. The Jazz don't necessarily want to make a deal though, according to Spears.
D’Antoni Advocated Trading Carmelo For Williams
When Mike D'Antoni and the Knicks agreed to part ways today, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports heard the two sides had "conflicting visions of the club's future." TNT's David Aldridge expands on that point on NBA.com's Hang Time Blog, saying that D'Antoni wanted the Knicks to explore trading Carmelo Anthony for Deron Williams.
According to Aldridge, D'Antoni believed such a deal would've been beneficial for both franchises, and that adding Williams to the Knicks would've eased the pressure placed on Jeremy Lin. James Dolan, however, had no interest in dealing Carmelo, and he and D'Antoni agreed to terminate D'Antoni's position after meeting today.
While the idea isn't one that had been rumored at all, it's probably one the Nets would've liked to explore, if Dwight Howard remains with the Magic for next season, as is now expected. If Howard isn't ticketed for Brooklyn this summer, the chances of Williams remaining a Net may take a huge hit.
Bobcats Discussing Several Deals For Boris Diaw
Boris Diaw's expiring contract has become one of the more intriguing assets on the trade market this week, and the Bobcats are discussing "several deals" involving Diaw, tweets Ken Berger of CBS Sports.
The Nets, Spurs, and Timberwolves have been linked to Diaw, whose $9MM cap figure will come off the books at season's end. Given how valuable that number could be for teams looking to create cap space, it makes sense for the Bobcats to consider deals that could net the team draft picks.
If Dwight Howard officially waives his early termination option for 2012/13 and remains with the Magic, I'd imagine the Nets' pursuit of Diaw would become much less urgent.
Dwight Howard Rumors: Wednesday
Even after an impressive overtime win by the Magic against the Heat last night, the post-game focus was on the off-court story: Dwight Howard's future. As we covered in yesterday's round-up of Howard rumors, D12 told reporters he'd like the Magic to keep him for the rest of the season and "roll the dice" this summer. Considering earlier Tuesday reports indicated that Howard's long-term plan involves signing with the Nets as a free agent so New Jersey doesn't have to trade core assets, Dwight's suggestion that Orlando roll the dice seemed particularly brash.
Zach Lowe of SI.com called Howard's post-game speech the low point of the ongoing saga, while Ken Berger of CBS Sports reported that some Magic executives were privately disgusted with the star center's comments. We expect plenty more updates to pour in as the day goes on, so we'll track them all here, with the latest items up top:
- The Knicks are intrigued by the possibility of acquiring Howard, but won't offer Carmelo Anthony, since James Dolan "loves him," tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. I'd say that takes New York out of the running, since the Magic wouldn't be nearly as interested in an Amare Stoudemire/Tyson Chandler package.
- There are no legs to the rumor that the Magic are working on a three-team deal to bring in Josh Smith (linked below), tweets Jarrod Randolph of RealGM.com.
- According to ESPN.com's Chad Ford, the Nets would be open to offering the Magic anything they want for Howard, with the exception of Deron Williams.
- Orlando still seems to be entertaining deals that could bring in help around Howard, as Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld reports that they're eyeing the Hawks' Josh Smith. The Magic would need to get a third team involved, perhaps the Timberwolves and Michael Beasley. Given Orlando's lack of tradeable assets, acquiring Smith seems like an extreme long shot to me.
- The Magic are telling teams they intend to move Howard if they don't receive a commitment beyond this season from Dwight, according to ESPN.com's Chris Broussard. We have the details here.
- Nets sources insist the team would give up assets in the next 24 hours if it meant landing Howard, but Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld explains why New Jersey may not be motivated to make a substantial offer. If Howard and Williams sign in Brooklyn this summer, the pair would want a third significant player to join them, and the Nets may be considering saving its trade chips to acquire that player.
Magic Seeking Commitment From Dwight Howard
The Magic are telling teams they will trade Dwight Howard by the deadline if Howard doesn't make a commitment to staying in Orlando past this season, sources tell Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.
"Dwight's dreaming if he thinks Orlando won't trade him without a commitment,'' a source told Broussard. "He needs to make some small commitment to them. They're saying it can't be one way.''
Although the Magic would prefer to lock Howard up long-term, they would settle for D12 opting into the final year of his contract and staying for 2012/13. However, Howard hasn't shown that he's even willing to do that, leading to increased tension between the team and Howard's camp. Sources tell Broussard that the Magic are "incensed" with agent Dan Fegan, who they feel is leading the charge to convince the star center to leave Orlando.
The Magic were also upset over Howard's "roll the dice" comments after last night's game, and according to Broussard, Orlando has essentially invited teams to make their best offers. The ideal situation for the Magic would be creating a bidding war the Nets and Lakers, Broussard writes in a separate piece. Orlando would also be interested in a package of Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler, but there's no indication the Knicks would make such an offer, particularly without assurances about Howard's long-term future.
You can find the rest of today's Howard updates here.
Celtics Rumors: Allen, Bradley, Rondo, Pierce
Following a blockbuster deal by the Eastern Conference's current eighth seed, is it the seventh seed's turn to strike? The Celtics have been at the center of countless trade rumors over the last few weeks, but according to GM Danny Ainge, no moves are imminent for Boston.
"It's not because of a lack of trying or having conversations with other teams," Ainge told A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. "We just haven't come across a deal that we feel good about, that will make us a better team."
The Celtics have less than 30 hours to find that deal. While we wait to see if Ainge pulls anything off, here are the latest links out of Boston:
- According to Blakely, Ray Allen is the Celtic most likely to be moved.
- Avery Bradley is drawing "significant" interest as well, but an official from a rival team doesn't expect a trade: "Danny loves that kid, and now that he's playing and playing well… he's worth more to them to keep than to flip."
- The only way the Celtics could change their stance on not trading Rajon Rondo is if a player like Deron Williams becomes available, but a Nets source assures Blakely that's not happening.
- Ainge is reluctant to give up 2012 draft picks in any deal, telling Blakely that, while a short-term improvement would be nice, the team doesn't want to compromise its long-term goals.
- Asked about the possibility of a trade, Paul Pierce indicated to J.A. Adande of ESPN.com that the decision will likely be out of his hands: "There's only so much I can control…. I've heard it put out there that if Danny Ainge gets the opportunity, [a trade] can happen. So I'm not in a situation like Steve Nash where it's only if he requests it. That wasn't said to me. That's what it is."
Dwight Howard Rumors: Tuesday
Reports from both ESPN.com and CBS Sports yesterday indicated that the Magic continue to try to surround Dwight Howard with talent in an effort to get him to stay in Orlando. If Howard remains noncommittal, the Magic are expected to re-evaluate their options tomorrow, with about 24 hours remaining before the trade deadline. So for today at least, the Magic seem more likely to discuss deals that don't involve their star center. Still, the Howard rumors continue to trickle in, and we'll keep tabs on Tuesday's items here, with the latest added to the top throughout the day:
- Michael Wallace of ESPN reports that Howard has informed the Magic that he intends to stay for the rest of the season, and that the Magic must now "roll the dice." (Twitter link)
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel wrote that GM Otis Smith said during the Magic-Heat game that nothing is imminent, but implied that he won't rule anything out.
- Magic CEO Alex Martins says that there are several teams willing to take on Howard as a rental without assurances that he'll stay, tweets Brian K. Schmitz.
- Jason Lloyd of the Akron-Beacon Journal spoke with a few people around the league who have a feeling that the Magic will likely move Dwight within the next 24 hours. (Twitter link)
- The Magic appear to be a team that currently has no deals to make other than one that involves Howard on his way out of Orlando, says Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. Owner Rich DeVos told reporters that he does not believe anything major was going to happen.
- Brian K. Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel tweets that Howard has not informed Magic CEO Alex Martins of whether or not he plans to stay or go during the offseason. John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com quoted Martins (via Twitter): "If you're asking whether we’ve decided to hang onto him or trade him, we haven’t made that decision yet."
Nets Remain Offseason Frontrunner For Howard
Whether or not the Magic decide to trade Dwight Howard this week, Howard himself still intends to sign with the Nets this summer, says Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. According to Wojnarowski, Howard's desire to avoid confrontation and to be liked have led Dwight to let the Magic believe they have chance to re-sign him.
"Dwight’s gone, and [Magic CEO] Alex Martins is the only person who doesn’t believe that," a source with knowledge of Howard's intentions told Wojnarowski.
While Howard has privately been telling people he could be convinced to stay if the Magic bring in help around him, Wojnarowski calls that possiblity a long shot. As the Warriors' stance on Monta Ellis exhibits, any team that believes it may have a chance to sign Howard in free agency won't be inclined to agree to a trade that improves the Magic's chances of keeping him.
Wojnarowski also points to a growing belief that Howard doesn't want to push for a trade that would force his new team to give up core assets for him. One official who has talked with the Magic, Nets, and agents involved in the process told Wojnarowski: "Dwight is going to [expletive] them (the Magic), and that will be especially true if he doesn’t even ask for the sign-and-trade on July 1st, because he wants Brooklyn to keep assets."
According to Wojnarowski, the Nets are confident enough about signing Howard this summer that they won't feel pressured to make an aggressive trade offer for D12 this week. New Jersey has reportedly expressed interest in Boris Diaw's $9MM expiring contract as a way of clearing cap space to sign Howard, Deron Williams, and Brook Lopez this offseason.
For the rest of today's updates on Howard, check out our complete round-up.
Nets Express Interest In Boris Diaw
TUESDAY, 9:58am: The Nets would be willing to include the protected first-round pick the Rockets owe them to acquire Diaw's expiring contract, says Bonnell. Bonnell hears a potential Diaw package would also consist of Petro and Jordan Farmar. The pick Houston owes New Jersey is top-14 protected for the next five years.
Personally, I like this trade idea for both teams. The Bobcats may lose some short-term cap flexibility, but they'd gain another first-round pick and could shed Farmar's and Petro's contracts after next season. The Nets, meanwhile, would gain valuable cap space to pursue marquee free agents this summer.
MONDAY, 3:16pm: The Nets have expressed interest in acquiring Boris Diaw and his expiring contract, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Diaw, who hasn't appeared in the team's last four games, recently asked the Bobcats about the possibility of buying out his contract.
The Nets' interest in Diaw makes sense, since the team is looking to make a run at Dwight Howard this summer. If they hope to retain Deron Williams and Brook Lopez and make a competitive offer for D12, the Nets will need to clear all the cap space they can, and Diaw's $9MM contract will expire at season's end.
As Bonnell points out though, the hitch is what players the Bobcats would receive in exchange for Diaw. I'd guess the Nets would want Charlotte to take at least one of Johan Petro and Shawne Williams — Petro's contract is guaranteed for next season for $3.5MM, while Williams has a $3.14MM player option he figures to exercise. Neither player is under contract past 2012/13, so perhaps the Bobcats would be interested in taking on the pair if they came packaged with a future draft pick.
Dwight Howard Rumors: Monday
It may seem like we're only a few days away from getting closure on the Dwight Howard saga, but as Magic coach Stan Van Gundy points out, only one scenario results in real closure for the Magic.
"There's closure, I guess, if he goes," Van Gundy said (via Tim Bontemps of the New York Post). "If he stays [past Thursday], it just starts all over again. You just start the clock again. Then we're right back to where we were when the playoffs ended last year. Everybody will be talking about, 'OK, what's going to happen in the summer? And what's going to happen next year?'"
Still, Thursday should provide at least some hint of what Howard's future holds, and Van Gundy doesn't expect resolution before deadline day. Here are today's updates on Howard, with the latest up top:
- The Nets aren't content to sit back and wait for Howard to come to them via free agency — New Jersey would give up assets at the deadline to ensure they land the big man, tweets Kyler. Kyler hears from Nets sources that the team's offer is better than Magic sources are claiming (Twitter link).
- If he's going to change teams, Howard prefers free agency because he doesn't want a club to gut its roster to acquire him. And if he's a free agent, Howard's three-team list "goes out the window," according to SI.com's Chris Mannix (Twitter links). Mannix identifies the Clippers and Heat as two teams that would interest Howard in free agency, though there'd be cap obstacles in each case (Twitter link).
- Mannix has been told "unequivocally" that Howard isn't interested in signing with the Bulls (Twitter link).
- Magic fans may prefer a trade now rather than losing Howard for nothing this summer, but Orlando is receiving mostly lowball offers, reports Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. Teams on Howard's list know he'll test free agency this summer anyway, while teams not on his list aren't inclined to give up a lot for a potential rental.
- As Ken Berger of CBS Sports wrote last night, the Bulls are a preferred trade partner for the Magic. However, Chicago won't pursue Howard without assurances he'd re-sign, and Howard seems reluctant to add the Bulls to his list of desired destinations. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld says Howard would be Derrick Rose's sidekick, rather than the face of the franchise, in Chicago, an idea that doesn't appeal to D12 (Twitter links).
- Magic sources still say they're not expecting a Howard trade, Kennedy adds in a separate tweet.
- In their frequent meetings with Howard, the Magic aren't necessarily trying to convince him to sign in Orlando long-term, says ESPN.com's Chris Broussard (video link). The Magic would be happy if Dwight agreed not to opt out of the final year of his contract — that would give Orlando more time and assets to try to bring in help around Howard next season.
- Broussard adds that he still believes the Nets are the most likely destination if Howard is traded this week.