Afternoon Rumors: Turner, Bargnani, Rockets, Cavs
A few last-minute rumors as the 2:00pm deadline approaches….
- Evan Turner's name is "all over the place" in trade talks, but the Sixers aren't expected to move him today, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
- There doesn't seem to be any progress on an Andrea Bargnani deal, tweets TNT's David Aldridge, adding that the Raptors seemed to recognize a week ago that they wouldn't be able to move Bargnani.
- The Rockets likely won't make another deal today, but count on them being active this summer, tweets Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game.
- As an executive tells Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal, the Cavaliers don't have many options that won't negatively affect their cap flexibility, so they've been relatively quiet (Twitter link).
- The Knicks are still working to move Ronnie Brewer, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.
Lakers Made Push For Daniel Gibson
The Lakers and Cavaliers finalized a trade last year on deadline deal, but it doesn't appear they'll do so again. According to Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld, the Lakers made a push to acquire Daniel Gibson from the Cavs today, but couldn't put together a package to Cleveland's liking. Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio first reported this afternoon (via Twitter) that the Lakers were eyeing Gibson and D.J. Augustin of the Pacers.
Earlier today, we heard that the Lakers were shopping Steve Blake, Chris Duhon, Darius Morris, and Devin Ebanks in an effort to clear roster spots, cut costs, and land second-round picks. I would guess that the Lakers' offer to Cleveland included either Blake or Duhon, perhaps paired with one of the youngsters, but that's just my speculation.
Odds & Ends: Dwight, Cavs, Blair, Wizards, Gordon
As the hours tick down to tomorrow's 2:00pm Central trade deadline, Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News is already starting to look ahead to free agency, and he writes that the Cavaliers believe they could make a longshot bid to sign Dwight Howard. That one seems hard to believe, and even Lawrence intimates that it's a little far-fetched. Still, the Cavs were reportedly in the mix for Andrew Bynum last year, and they'll have plenty of cap space this summer, so I suppose it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility.
In the meantime, there's more on potential deadline deals, and here's the latest:
- We've already heard that Danny Granger is staying put, and TNT's David Aldridge hears that's likely the case for Spurs big man DeJuan Blair, too (Twitter link).
- An Eastern Conference executive tells Michael Lee of The Washington Post he believes there's "very little" the Wizards can get for Jordan Crawford.
- The Wizards reportedly gave up on acquiring Josh Smith because they aren't willing to give up any of the players the Hawks would want in return, and HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy identifies John Wall, Bradley Beal and Nene as the three players the team wants to keep in any deal.
- With a deadline trade to the Warriors unlikely and his knee still not 100%, it looks like Eric Gordon will stay put with the Warriors past the deadline, writes Jimmy Smith of The Times Picayune, who hears from a source who said "nobody wants" Gordon.
- The Suns agreed to a deal to acquire Marcus Morris for a second-round pick tonight, but considered trading a first-round pick for Morris when the Rockets took him on draft night. Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic has the details.
- The Magic have been trying to unload Al Harrington's contract, but the power forward figures he's not going anywhere, since other teams are likely wary of his health, as John Denton of Magic.com tweets.
- Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times identifies Devin Harris as a trade candidate and tweets that the Wisconsin product would mind playing for the Bucks, though I think if he ends up in Milwaukee, it's more likely via free agency this summer than in a deadline deal.
Spurs Expressed Interest In Omri Casspi
Earlier this season, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported that Omri Casspi had requested a trade. A subsequent report suggested that wasn't the case, but Casspi himself didn't address the subject. Whether or not he asked for a deal, Casspi is a candidate to be moved because of his expiring contract and his limited role in Cleveland.
According to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld, sources believe that San Antonio would be a good fit for Casspi, and the Spurs have expressed some level of interest in the Israeli swingman. The Spurs aren't willing to offer a whole lot for Casspi, but would be open to including DeJuan Blair, according to Kyler. A Blair/Casspi swap wouldn't work financially though, so San Antonio would need to include more salary to make it a realistic possibility.
Kyler adds that the Cavaliers are also exploring moving Marreese Speights, and could package the two players together if the right opportunity arises. Cleveland remains well under the cap, so the club could take back more salary than it send out in any trade.
Odds & Ends: Bargnani, Nets, Jennings, Greene
Earlier today, we heard that the Sixers are a good bet to stand pat at this year's deadline, and given how their last trade turned out, perhaps that shouldn't be a surprise. One player acquired by the 76ers in the deal, Jason Richardson, underwent successful surgery on his left knee this morning, according to a team release. Meanwhile, the centerpiece, Andrew Bynum, told reporters today that he still intends to play for Philadelphia this season, though it won't happen until at least March.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NBA:
- According to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via Twitter), while the Raptors would move Andrea Bargnani in the right offer, teams don't sense an urgency on Toronto's part. That falls in line with comments Bryan Colangelo made today.
- I questioned earlier today whether Nets GM Billy King was being honest when he told reporters there's a 10% chance he makes a trade, but Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News says (via Twitter) that's the same line King has been giving privately to rival teams.
- Despite his agent change, Brandon Jennings really doesn't have a ton of leverage, and the Bucks should still be expected to match any offer sheet he receives this summer, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
- Donte Greene, who was set to sign with the Nets last summer before he fractured his ankle, is back to 100% and is drawing interest, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). The Nets, Pacers, Hornets, Spurs, Bulls, Knicks, Magic, Rockets, and Cavaliers have inquired on Greene, says Spears.
Spears On Oden, Kings, Gordon, Ridnour, Bucks
In the last pre-trade-deadline installment of his weekly power rankings, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports shares trade nuggets for a good chunk of the NBA's 30 teams. We've already heard many of them, but here are a few of Spears' notes of interest:
- Agent Mike Conley tells Spears that his client Greg Oden likely won't sign with a team until the offseason. We've heard that the Cavaliers and Bobcats are preparing to make Oden offers after the trade deadline, so if he really waits until the summer to sign, it would strongly suggest to me that he prefers to go to the Heat. Miami can only offer a minimum-salary contract at this point, but would have the mini mid-level exception available again in July.
- The Kings prefer to let a new ownership group inherit the team as is, so they likely won't make any moves at the deadline.
- Eric Gordon figures to remain with the Hornets through the deadline, but the club may explore potential trades involving Gordon this summer.
- A source tells Spears that, contrary to previous reports, the Timberwolves aren't actively shopping Luke Ridnour.
- The Bucks doubt that they'll move either Brandon Jennings or Monta Ellis this week, even though both players could become free agents in the summer.
- Mark Cuban would like to make a trade that makes Dirk Nowitzki the Mavericks' second-best player, according to Spears. I have a hard time believing there's a deal out there like that for Dallas.
- The Pistons are expected to stand pat at the deadline.
Speights Could Net Cavs First-Round Pick
Marreese Speights has been traded twice since the start of the 2011/12 season, and it's possible he could be on the move again before Thursday's deadline. According to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (via Twitter), several teams are willing to part with a first-round pick for Speights. However, most of those picks are in the 20-30 range, and nothing is enticing the Cavaliers at the moment.
If the Cavs can land a first-round pick for Speights, even if it's near the back of the round, it would be a coup — when Cleveland acquired Speights, Wayne Ellington, and Josh Selby last month, it was a salary-dump for the Grizzlies, who included a future first-rounder of their own just to make the deal happen.
What's unclear is what else the Cavs would have to take on, along with a first-round pick, in a deal to move Speights. At least one report has suggested that Speights is a good bet to decline his player option for next season, in which case he'd be on an expiring contract this year, increasing his trade value. Still, not many teams would be able to take on the forward's $4.2MM salary without sending out salary in return, so perhaps Cleveland would need to take on a longer-term contract in order to land that first-rounder.
Eastern Rumors: Jerebko, Stuckey, Ellington
Jonas Jerebko and Rodney Stuckey are the two Pistons players other teams ask about most, and sources tell Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press that while Detroit is likely to wait to make another major move until summer, a smaller deal isn't out of the question. "You have already had the main course. You aren't getting seconds," a source told Ellis, referencing the Jose Calderon/ Tayshaun Prince swap before adding, "You might get dessert."
While we wait to bite into the sweet spot of trade deadline chatter in the days to come, here's more of what we're hearing from the Eastern Conference:
- Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer checks in with Wayne Ellington, who's enjoying his expanded role with the Cavaliers and would like to stay with the team as he eyes restricted free agency this summer.
- Cavs owner Dan Gilbert risks alientating Kyrie Irving if he doesn't get over his frustration from 2010 and make a push for LeBron James in 2014, opines fellow Plain Dealer columnist Bud Shaw.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel gives his thoughts on why James hasn't put an end to talk about whether he'd return to the Cavs, surmising that James would be wise not to box himself in with more than 16 months to go before he can hit free agency.
- Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com looks at a few questions the Sixers will face heading into the second half regarding trades, Doug Collins and Andrew Bynum.
- Nets center Brook Lopez is angling for a spot on Team USA, as Tim Bontemps of the New York Post observes.
Odds & Ends: Knicks, Randolph, Josh Smith
Kyrie Irving is willing to listen to any pitch LeBron James might make about joining forces on the Cavaliers in 2014, a source tells Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, who wonders if All-Stars from around the league will use this weekend to hatch plots to form more superteams. While we wait to hear if any such whispers emanate from Houston, here's the latest from the Association:
- Jared Zwerling, speaking with fellow ESPNNewYork.com scribe Ian Begley, says he's hearing the Knicks will "hold tight" and not make a move before the trade deadline (video link).
- Zach Randolph agrees with owner Robert Pera's view that the Grizzlies are stronger after the Rudy Gay trade, as Kyle Veazey of the Memphis Commercial Appeal details.
- The Grizzlies have reportedly assured Randolph that he won't be traded, and the power forward spoke today about his desire to remain in Memphis. Jeff Zillgitt and Kevin Spain of USA Today have more.
- Trade candidate Josh Smith talked about dealing with speculation about his post-deadline address and his belief that he deserves a max deal with Lang Whitaker of GQ.
- Jeff Teague believes rumors involving Smith and others have been a huge distraction for the Hawks, as HoopsWorld's Bill Ingram tweets.
- Billy Hunter ally and former players union executive vice president Maurice Evans told Jason Whitlock of FoxSports.com he's received a letter warning him to stay away from tomorrow's meeting that will decide whether Hunter remains executive director. Evans, who has not played in the NBA this season, also contends the only reason Derek Fisher signed with the Mavs is so he could remain union president and engineer Hunter's exit.
- HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy checks in with a few points to keep in mind as the trade deadline approaches.
Central Notes: Jennings, LeBron, Pistons, Bulls
No Central Division players will crack the Eastern Conference's starting lineup this Sunday in Houston, but the division is well-represented on the East's bench, with Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, Paul George, and Kyrie Irving all expected to see action in the All-Star Game. Here's the latest out of the Central:
- ESPN.com's Chris Broussard reported earlier this week that Brandon Jennings turned down a four-year, $40MM extension offer from the Bucks last offseason, but Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times tweets that no such offer was ever made by the team.
- LeBron James brushed off questions about returning to the Cavaliers when he's eligible for free agency in 2014, as Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio writes (on Sulia).
- Writing for the Detroit Free Press, Patrick Hayes ranks the Pistons free-agents-to-be from least likely to most likely to return to Detroit next season.
- In a mailbag, David Mayo of MLive.com discusses the future of Rodney Stuckey with the Pistons.
- Another mailbag comes courtesy of Sam Smith of Bulls.com, who fields Bulls-related questions on Derrick Rose's health and trade possibilities.