Central Notes: Sessions, Bucks, Bulls
A few Monday afternoon items out of the Central Division:
- Asked if he'd like to remain a Cavalier past the trade deadline, Ramon Sessions told Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, "Yeah, I like what we have going on. I like working with the Young Fella [Kyrie Irving]. The guys in here respect me a lot. I definitely like what we have going on."
- Bucks players and coaches are talking as if they don't expect any changes to the roster this week. "The trade deadline, there is always going to be rumors for any team no matter what," Mike Dunleavy tells Stephen Brotherson of HoopsWorld. "So we’ll deal with those over the next few days, and once the deadline passes, I expect everybody to still be here and we will carry on as usual."
- SI.com's Zach Lowe questions whether the Bulls are really the most logical match for the Magic in a potential Dwight Howard trade.
Bulls, Dwight Howard An Unlikely Match
Part of the problem trading Dwight Howard is that the Orlando Magic remain largely underwhelmed with the trade offers presented by the teams on the list of Howard's preferred destinations. The Magic should be seeking a deal not unlike the ones made for Carmelo Anthony or Derron Williams a season ago. Howard is a far more impactful player than both Anthony and Williams so its understandable the Magic have a pretty high ceiling for where the market is set.
It's also understandable that, after watching the Knicks and Nets gut their respective teams, the team receiving Howard would want a long-term commitment. The problem is the teams Howard has said he would be willing to commit to do not have the assets to make the deal.
Ken Berger of CBS Sports reports that the Magic's preferred trade partner remains the Chicago Bulls. The deal listed by Berger would send a combinatino of Omer Asik, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer, and the Charlotte Bobcats lottery-protected-through-2016 first round draft pick for Howard and Hedo Turkoglu.
A Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard pairing could make the Bulls and even more formidable duo than the Miami Heat's LeBron James and Dwyane Wade but there are several reasons preventing the Bulls and Dwight Howard from happening.
The first, as Berger points out, is that the Bulls are doing just fine without Howard and would never risk that without a long-term commitment.
The second: why would the Magic make that deal? Deng, Boozer, and Asik are all above average players. Boozer is a very good post option against certain matchups, Deng can provide a little bit of everything at a better than average level for 35-plus minutes a night, and Asik is one of the most underrated defensive players in the NBA.
But such a deal still leaves the Magic with many of the same problems, most notably lacking a perimeter player that can create shots for himself and others. Furthermore, Boozer and Deng have reached the extent of their talents and Asik is likely not too far from the ceiling of his.
Odds & Ends: Bogut, Rondo, Blatche
The talk of a 10-game night across the association has been about the health of two point guards whose absence could alter the plans of a pair of teams rumored to be among the most active nearing Thursday's trade deadline. Ricky Rubio of the Wolves tweeted that he'll receive an MRI on his left knee, which he hurt in his team's loss to the Lakers tonight. The team fears he has a torn ACL, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Meanwhile, Kyle Lowry of the Rockets was hospitalized with a fever and abdominal distress, HoopsWorld reports. Here's what's happening elsewhere:
- Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel examines the trade candidacy of Bucks center Andrew Bogut. Bogut's agent David Bauman said there are several teams interested in talking to Bucks GM John Hammond about his client.
- Rajon Rondo appears to be conflicted about how trades might affect the chemistry of the Celtics. Rajon Rondo, who saw best friend Kendrick Perkins dealt away at the deadline last year, told Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston he doesn't care about what a trade would do to the team's chemistry this year. Yet, to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com, Rondo said, "You can't get chemistry if you bring in new guys."
- Jason Kidd came close to joining a team that had just won the title when he thought about joining the Spurs in 2003, so he sympathizes with Lamar Odom, who arrived via trade to join this year's defending champs, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. For the record, Mavs coach Rick Carlisle told the Galloway & Company radio show today that the uproar concerning Odom has come and gone.
- Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld looks at the Grizzlies' early-season acquisition of Marreese Speights from the Sixers and wonders if that will wind up being the most effective deal of the year.
- Both John Reid of the New Orleans Times Picayune and Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com tweeted to note the progress of Lance Thomas, who signed with New Orleans for the rest of the season last month after the team gave him two 10-day contracts.
- The Wizards are willing to move anyone on the roster not named John Wall if another team will take Andray Blatche off their hands, tweets Michael Lee of The Washington Post.
- Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group notes the Warriors' lease in Oakland is up in 2017, and checks in with the progress of potential sites for a new home in Oakland and San Francisco. Venturing a guess, Kawakami has the San Francisco site as the most likely destination at this point.
- Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld proposes the Celtics as a potential destination for JaVale McGee, for whom the Wizards are reportly listening to offers.
- The Knicks starting lineup is in flux, and Newsday's Anthony Rieber takes a look at the quick changes engineered by coach Mike D'Antoni.
- Jeremy Evans' minimum salary contract expires at season's end, so time is running out for him to prove he can do more than win a dunk contest. Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune notes how his theatrics during All-Star weekend haven't earned him any extra minutes with the Jazz.
- Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press passed along Pau Gasol's kind words about Kevin Love, two players who could be Wolves teammates if a rumored Gasol/Michael Beasley swap takes place, Richardson notes. "He's got a will and determination to go after every ball," Gasol said of Love. "Even though he's a little undersized and lost some weight, he's still a powerful player and playing at a high level. I'm definitely impressed with him."
- With Richard Hamilton and Luol Deng ailing, it's been hard for Bulls GM Gar Forman to get a true handle on how effective his team really is, writes Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times. Forman must balance the team's current needs with its capability for long-term success, Hayes says.
- Bill Simmons of Grantland.com came out with his annual trade value column today in two parts, ranking the top 50 player assets across the league. The Heat's LeBron James is No. 1, meaning he'd be the player who would command the most in any trade, though James isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
- GM Sam Presti and the Thunder provide the small-market blueprint for Cavs GM Chris Grant, writes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
Dwight Howard Rumors: Friday
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com wrote last night that the Magic would seek a Carmelo Anthony-esque haul if they decided to trade Dwight Howard. The teams on Howard's list of preferred destinations may have difficulty putting together such a package, but plenty of other clubs, such as the Hawks, Warriors, and Rockets, are still in the hunt. We'll follow today's Howard rumblings right here, with the latest updates at the top of the page:
- The Magic leaked the Thunder's interest in Howard just to let other teams know that a price similar to the package of James Harden and Serge Ibaka is what Orlando is looking for, tweets Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel tweets that the Magic executives are not at odds over Brook Lopez, who is in the discussion because the Nets are Howard's favored destination. Question remains, however, about whether team CEO Alex Martins or GM Otis Smith has final say on a deal.
- Robbins also tweets that the only way Howard would agree to a sign-and-trade is if the team he wants to go to does not have enough cap space for him.
- Sam Amick of SI.com shares some Howard updates in his latest column, noting that the Bulls have been "quietly deliberating" a play for D12 all season, but won't pursue him without assurances he'd remain in Chicago. Amick also hears that Magic GM Otis Smith isn't seriously interested in anyone the Warriors could offer for Howard.
- Howard's list of teams is becoming somewhat irrelevant at this point, according to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. If the Magic get a serious offer from a team besides the Mavericks, Lakers, or Nets, they're just as likely to pull the trigger as they would be with one of those clubs.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel can't see any sort of trade with the Hawks working. He doesn't think Howard would re-sign in Atlanta if dealt there, and he doesn't think the Magic could acquire Josh Smith without giving up Howard — even if they could, he's not sure the presence of Smith convinces D12 to stay in Orlando (Twitter links).
- Brian Schmitz of the Sentinel (Twitter link) also doesn't see the Hawks as a fit for Howard, saying the hometown team "offers no allure" for the Atlanta native. He adds that the Magic want Kyle Lowry from the Rockets in any Howard deal.
- The Magic talked to the Thunder about Howard, but Oklahoma City balked at giving up James Harden and Serge Ibaka, reports Schmitz (via Twitter). While that's entirely understandable, the idea of Howard playing with Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, even if it's just for two months, is pretty fun, isn't it?
- It was reported yesterday that Otis Smith has talked to "all 29 teams" about Howard, but Schmitz tweets that only six to eight are serious — the other GMs just want to tell their owners they've called.
Central Notes: Jones, Pacers, Bulls, Cavs
The Bucks may be open to offers on Andrew Bogut, and the Bulls have been "quietly deliberating" whether to make a play for Dwight Howard. Those are a couple of the more intriguing rumors we've heard out of the Central Division today. Now let's take a look at a few more under-the-radar stories:
- The Pacers could look into signing Solomon Jones for help at center, tweets Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star. The Hornets declined to sign Jones for the rest of the season when his second 10-day contract expired, agreeing to a 10-day deal with Jeff Foote instead.
- Sam Smith of Bulls.com fields reader questions in his Friday mailbag, discussing Richard Hamilton, Carlos Boozer, and plenty of Bulls trade possibilities.
- The Cavaliers should look to the Thunder as a model franchise to emulate, writes Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Dwight Howard Rumors: Thursday
In their respective trade-rumor columns for ESPN.com and CBSSports.com, Chad Ford and Ken Berger both talked Dwight Howard today. Ford noted that the Magic still aren't looking to field offers for Howard (though he thinks they should), while Berger reports that the Rockets and Warriors maintain interest in acquiring the star center. Here are the rest of today's Howard links:
- In a new column posted Thursday night, Berger notes that the Magic are still not hot on the idea of trading Howard, but if they do, they will ask for a substantial return similar to the one Denver received last year for Carmelo Anthony, including multiple young players and draft picks.
- Derrick Rose told ESPNChicago.com's Melissa Isaacson that he's grown weary of the Howard-to-the-Bulls speculation, and that he's happy with the team as presently constructed.
- HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy hears (via Twitter) that the Magic may consider trading Howard to a team willing to take him on as a rental, rather than one of his preferred teams. Kennedy lists the Rockets and Warriors as teams willing to gamble on him, while also mentioning the possibility that one of these teams could trade for him with the promise that he'd exercise his player option for next year, a la Chris Paul with the Clippers.
- In a separate Howard-centric column, Berger says rival executives believe the Magic need to seriously consider moving Howard by next Thursday if they don't get a definitive answer on whether he'll remain in Orlando. "I think they've got to trade him," one rival GM said. "It's a hell of a risk if they don't."
- Like everyone else, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News hears the Magic continue to tell teams that Howard isn't on the trade block. However, one source suggests to Deveney that perhaps the stance is a bluff to create some leverage.
- Asked today about the possibility of playing for the Bulls, Howard wasn't quite as talkative as the last time he answered the question: "Nah, it's pretty cold here," Howard jokingly told reporters in Chicago, including Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.
- SI.com's Ian Thomsen thinks choosing to re-sign in Orlando could be a great career move for Howard. Former Magic star Tracy McGrady also thinks Howard should stay, as he told Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida.
Thibodeau Okay With Bulls Standing Pat
C.J. Watson and Richard Hamilton won't be active for Chicago tonight as the Bulls try to follow up a last-second victory in Milwaukee with another win over the Magic. Although both players are listed as day-to-day, neither seemed on the verge of returning — Watson wore a walking boot on his sprained left ankle yesterday, while Hamilton said he was "just trying to lift [his] arm."
Even with the health of a pair of Bulls guards up in the air though, coach Tom Thibodeau doesn't feel like the team needs to add reinforcements before the trade deadline.
"If we don't do anything, we feel very good about the people we have," Thibodeau told K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. "We feel depth is one of our strengths, and we have more than enough to win with."
The Bulls are still exploring possible trades, as Thibodeau acknowledged to Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago, but that's more about due diligence than a pressing desire to get anything done.
"We talk every day," Thibodeau said, referring to the Bulls' brass. "Their job is to study the league, field calls; and often times if you have a good team, you have good players, people want them, they call. That doesn't mean we're going to do anything. We listen. And if we think it could make the team better we'll consider it, if not we're more than happy with the roster that we have. We feel very good about that."
Kyler’s Latest: Sessions, Crawford, Hornets, Bulls
In today's NBA AM piece for HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler explores a few potential trade situations, providing the latest updates. Here's what he has for us:
- The Cavaliers aren't seeking a significant return for Ramon Sessions. The club would prefer a draft pick and an open roster spot rather than a filler player.
- While no deal is imminent, the Timberwolves' interest in Jamal Crawford is very real, and they appear to be the frontrunner. The Blazers are still talking to several teams about Crawford, however.
- Mike Dunleavy, who is part of the group that is the favorite to buy the Hornets, feels like he could get Eric Gordon and Chris Kaman, two of his old players, signed to new deals in New Orleans.
- The Bulls are talking to other teams, but appear to be surveying the landscape rather than actively trying to get any deals done.
Five Eastern Contenders To Watch At The Deadline
We covered five Western Conference contenders to watch at the trade deadline yesterday, so let's head east today. Here are five likely Eastern Conference playoff clubs who have some decisions to make by next Thursday:
- Heat: With virtually all their key players on multiyear contracts, the Heat don't have much flexibility to make moves. That's not necessarily a big deal for Miami though, since they have a championship-caliber roster as is, and don't need to make a huge splash before the deadline. What they would like to do is add one more big man, preferably a true center who can take the pressure off the power forwards like Joel Anthony and Udonis Haslem currently playing out of position for the team. I don't see an obvious target for the Heat, unless they were willing to part with one or two rotation pieces. While I'm Miami will explore myriad trade possibilities, the club may ultimately have to shift its focus to buyout candidates after the deadline.
- Bulls: Chicago has enough trade assets to shoot for the moon and make a run at Dwight Howard or Pau Gasol, but that's probably a long shot. Still, with Richard Hamilton's health in question, I don't know that this team is much better than the squad that fell to the Heat in last season's Eastern Conference Finals. I think it'd be worthwhile to explore a deal for a shooting guard in case Hamilton can't be relied upon in the postseason, but the price may be steep. Ray Allen would be a great fit, but is there any way the Celtics trade him to a team they could face in the first round? Yesterday, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune mentioned Jamal Crawford as a possible target, but he'd be a rental that would likely cost the Bulls a young player and the Bobcats' first-round draft pick. Bringing Mike James back may be a simpler and less costly insurance policy for Hamilton.
- Magic: The most obvious name on this list, the Magic would create a domino effect of activity around the league if they made a definitive decision on Dwight Howard's status. With just a week over until the trade deadline, reports continue to suggest Orlando seeks reinforcements around Howard, rather than offers for the star center. At this point, I'd be surprised if the Magic altered that stance. I think the team feels it's better off taking its chances trying to convince D12 to stay in Orlando, rather than taking 50 cents on the dollar (or worse) to ship him out of town. A trade for Steve Nash or Monta Ellis is an extreme long shot though, so I'll be interested to see if the Magic can turn their few assets of interest into anything that resembles an actual upgrade.
- Pacers: They have a top-four record in the East, but I'm not convinced the Pacers are ready to contend for a title quite yet. They're still at least a piece or two away, and I don't expect they'll find that piece in the next week. But Indiana's tremendous amount of cap space makes the team an obvious candidate to take involve itself in a ton of trade talks. Even if the Pacers don't shop for an immediate upgrade to the current roster, they have the flexibility to take on salary to accommodate another team, perhaps acquiring a draft pick or two for their troubles.
- Celtics: Much has been written about whether the Celtics are shopping or listening to offers for Rajon Rondo and their Big Three (Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen). I wouldn't put it past GM Danny Ainge, who's never shy about pulling the trigger on a major deal, to move one of those four players, but I think it's just as likely that Boston has a relatively quiet deadline. With over $40MM in expiring contracts set to come off the books this summer, the Celtics won't make a move that compromises their future cap flexibility unless they can acquire a core piece in the process. If that deal isn't out there, Boston could make a simpler move, such as trading Brandon Bass in an effort to clear even more cap room for next season.
Odds & Ends: Bulls, Nets, Kings, Hornets, Celtics
After a slow start in the early minutes, the Heat had little trouble dealing with the Nets at home. Chris Bosh was back in action tonight and put up 20 points off of 9-14 shooting en route to Miami's 108-78 blowout win. Here's a look at some items from around the Association on this Tuesday night..
- With Richard Hamilton set to return soon, Sam Smith of Bulls.com doesn't think the Bulls need to make a deal to fill the veteran's shoes.
- Nets general manager Billy King still intends to be active at the March 15 trade deadline even with center Brook Lopez sidelined for the next three weeks, writes Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger. Stephenson points out that Mehmet Okur, DeShawn Stevenson, Kris Humphries, Sundiata Gaines, Shelden Williams and the injured Damion James all own expiring contracts.
- The Sacramento City Council is expected to approve a plan to give the Kings a new arena and subsequently retain the franchise, according to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com (via Twitter). The meeting is still in progress.
- With Emeka Okafor still out indefinitely with a sore left knee, Hornets Coach Monty Williams says there is a good chance center Solomon Jones will be signed for the remainder of the season, writes John Reid of The Times Picayune. In ten games with New Orleans, Jones has averaged 6.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per contest.
- Kevin McHale was literally in the shoes of the Celtics' current Big Three near the end of his Hall of Fame career with the C's, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. The Rockets coach told reporters that he believes 2012's Big Three is playing better than himself, Larry Bird, and Robert Parish towards the end of their time in Boston.
- Gerald Green is elated to receive another ten-day contract from the Nets, tweets Andy Vasquez of The Record.