Kyler On Rondo, Diaw, Mavs, Ellis, Scola
Over at HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler kicks off a quick look at trade possibilities for all 30 teams, running alphabetically from Atlanta through Houston. Let's check out a few of Kyler's notes….
- The general belief is that Rajon Rondo will remain a Celtic past March 15th unless Boston is blown away by an offer.
- Bobcats sources say the team has received inquiries on Boris Diaw, who has an expiring contract worth $9MM.
- Sources close to the Mavericks say the team views Rodrigue Beaubois and Dominique Jones as "possible sweeteners" in an offseason sign-and-trade deal for Dwight Howard or Deron Williams.
- If the Warriors decide to move Monta Ellis, any deal may have to include a contract like David Lee's or Andris Biedrins' as well. According to Kyler's sources, the Warriors offered Ellis to the 76ers for Andre Iguodala at the start of the season.
- Concerns about Luis Scola's knees may make it tough for the Rockets to find full value for him on the trade market.
- For more on the ten teams covered in Kyler's piece, check out our Assessing Stocks series, which, coincidentally, has covered the same ten clubs.
Warriors Offer Mickell Gladness 10-Day Contract
The Warriors have offered Mickell Gladness a 10-day contract, tweets Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida. However, Gladness hopes to sign a second 10-day deal with the Heat. He's expected to find out on Tuesday whether the Heat want to bring him back.
The Heat waived Gladness in early February rather than guarantee his contract for the remainder of the season, but brought him back within a week on a 10-day contract. When that deal expired last week, Tomasson said that if the Heat offered a second 10-day deal, it would happen after the All-Star break.
Gladness, who has appeared in eight games this season, prefers to sign with the Heat because they were "the first ones to give me a chance," he tells Tomasson (Twitter link).
Minor Moves: Jeremy Tyler
In a tweet, Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski says that Golden State will send rookie Jeremy Tyler down to the D-league’s Dakota Wizards after the All-Star break.
Tyler, who was taken 39th overall by the Bobcats in last year’s draft before being traded to Golden State for cash, was averaging 1.9 PPG and 1.0 RPG in 14 games with the Warriors this season.
Teams With Cap Space
Earlier this morning, we heard that the Pacers are exploring the trade market in search of a roster addition or two. Indiana is in a unique situation, with an incredible amount of cap space and no obligation to spend to reach the minimum cap requirements. While the Pacers' current cap figure falls well short of the minimum required team salary (85% of the cap), James Posey's amnestied $7.6MM salary counts for floor purposes, so the Pacers can stand pat if they so choose.
Although no other club has nearly the cap room Indiana does this season, there are a handful of under-the-cap teams who could make a move without having to use a mid-level or trade exception. Let's run through them, from the team with the most cap space (Indiana) to the least (Houston).
Indiana Pacers
Approximate cap space: $14.27MM
I don't expect the Pacers to make any moves for players under contract past this season. Indiana has a number of players on rookie scale contracts who will start to get more expensive over the next couple years, so the team won't want to chew up future cap space unless it can land a young, talented player. A rental player on an expiring contract is more likely, and I still think Indiana makes sense as the most likely destination for Chris Kaman.
Sacramento Kings
Approximate cap space: $9.43MM
While the Kings have a relatively affordable squad, they don't have quite the same flexibility the Pacers do. With nearly all its players under contract through next season, Sacramento is poised to increase its cap figure significantly this summer if it hopes to sign its lottery pick and hang onto restricted free agents like Jason Thompson, J.J. Hickson, and Donte Greene. Between the Kings' lack of expiring deals and its spot near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, I don't think we'll see Sacramento taking advantage of its cap space this season. The Kings need to add about $723K to reach the minimum salary requirement, but that amount is minimal enough that they may simply accept the end-of-season surcharge.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Approximate cap space: $7.21MM
Here's an interesting case. While it's widely assumed Cleveland will be looking to trade players like Antawn Jamison and Ramon Sessions this March, I'm not sure that'll be the case. The team has talked repeatedly about wanting to gain playoff experience, and as the current ninth seed in the East, it's not out of the realm of possibility. With Jamison's salary coming off the books this summer, the Cavs could afford to add a player who is under contract past this season and still have a ton of cap space in future seasons. If the Cavs can find a player that helps them this season and isn't too expensive going forward, I wouldn't be surprised if they pulled the trigger.
Toronto Raptors
Approximate cap space: $4.3MM
While the Raptors would probably love to use this cap room to sign Wilson Chandler to an offer sheet, any contract they offered Chandler could easily be matched by the Nuggets. If the Raptors make moves before the deadline, they're more likely to become sellers, gaining even more cap room to take advantage of this summer.
Washington Wizards
Approximate cap space: $2.17MM
Like the Raptors, the out-of-contention Wizards will be looking for deals that create even more cap space. They almost certainly won't use their remaining cap room to acquire anyone.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Approximate cap space: $1.2MM
Golden State Warriors
Approximate cap space: $813K
Houston Rockets
Approximate cap space: $777K
These three teams consider themselves playoff contenders, and should all be active on the trade market, trying to upgrade their rosters. However, their cap space isn't significant enough to play a major role in any trades.
The Asking Price For Monta Ellis
With the Warriors working actively to find a trade they like before the deadline, Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News decided to explore what sort of package Golden State could be seeking for Monta Ellis, one of the team's prime trade chips.
According to Kawakami, the Timberwolves and Warriors discussed a trade last June, with the Timberwolves offering Michael Beasley and Nikola Pekovic for Ellis, while the Warriors wanted to expand the deal to land Minnesota's top draft pick as well. As Kawakami points out, Minnesota wouldn't make such an offer now, with Pekovic having taken a huge step forward this season (17.2 PPG, 10.4 RPG in February), but at the time, each side thought the other was asking for too much.
Ellis' 2011/12 numbers have been as good as ever – his 19.4 PER would be a career high – so there's no reason to think the Warriors have dropped their asking price since June. Golden State is thought to be seeking a young star in return for Ellis, and Kawakami hears the team doesn't want to trade the 26-year-old for just cap relief.
But is there a team out there who would part with a young star for Ellis? As talented as he is, the former second-round pick is an undersized two guard who isn't particularly strong on defense, and is owed $11MM per season through 2013/14. I can't think of many teams who would be willing and able to meet the Warriors' asking price, and I can't see the Warriors lowering their demands much, given Ellis' scoring prowess. Unless something changes over the next few weeks, I think we should expect Ellis to remain in Golden State past March 15th.
Warriors Pursuing Trade Before Deadline
As the All-Star break approaches, the Warriors' current place in the standings represents a worst-case scenario for the 2011/12 season. Golden State is tied for 12th place in the Western Conference, well out of the playoff picture, but its 12-17 record is only the ninth-worst in the NBA. If the season ended today, the Warriors would be watching the postseason at home and sending their top-seven protected draft pick to Utah.
Golden State needs to make a move one way or the other, and its front office is ready to do so, as GM Larry Riley tells Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
"We're working day and night and we're hopeful," Riley said. "But what will not happen is, we won't do something that sets us back just to do a deal. We want to find the right deal, and if we get one of those we'll do it. I don't know what the odds of it are right now."
Riley sounds committed to making a move to improve the team's playoff chances this year, as reports on the Warriors ongoing interest in Dwight Howard would suggest. But the best move for the club's long-term future may be trading a veteran for a draft pick or a young, inexpensive player. The Warriors have a challenging second-half schedule, and falling into the league's bottom seven teams to keep its draft pick could be a huge boon for the team in the long run. Talking to Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group, Riley acknowledged that the Warriors may have to look toward their future soon, but still believes they have time to turn this season around.
Jesse Blanchard of Hoops Rumors examined the Warriors' assets on Sunday, noting that a backcourt which includes Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis, and Klay Thompson is the team's strength. Ellis, who is owed $11MM annually through 2013/14, is probably the likeliest trade candidate of the three, with Curry close to untouchable and Thompson still young and cheap. Whatever the Warriors decide to do, they're making it clear they're open for business as March 15th approaches.
Odds & Ends: Pistons, Kings, Iverson
- According to Marc Stein's Twitter, coach Doc Rivers does not expect any big deals for the Celtics near the trade deadline.
- Keith Langlois of Pistons.com chatted with fans about the current state of the team and entertains the feasibility of their trade proposal ideas. Also, Pistons coach Lawrence Frank seemed annoyed at the notion of draft talk at this point in the season, as reported by Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
- Even with the possibility of the Kings re-locating to Anaheim or Seattle, the team could have the help of another billionaire in the effort to stay in Sacramento, according to Dale Kasler of The Sacramento Bee.
- Allen Iverson has been offered a contract to play soccer for the Rochester Lancers of the Major Indoor Soccer League. The team's official website made the announcement this past Saturday.
- Warriors coach Mark Jackson tells Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com that he's in no rush to give his young players more playing time.
- Though Tyson Chandler believed he would re-sign with the Mavericks, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning news writes about how the situation unfolded over the summer.
Dwight Howard Rumors: Monday
Over the weekend, we heard that the Warriors were still considering making a play for Dwight Howard, while Stephen Jackson was unconvinced that his friend would be leaving Orlando. With the All-Star Game in Orlando just six days away now, the Howard rumors could start to really heat up in a week or so. For now, here's the latest on the Magic star….
- Citing team sources, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld says the Magic will "actively explore the trade landscape" again starting on March 1st.
- The Rockets and Warriors are viewed as two teams who could try to acquire Howard, despite not being on his list of preferred destinations. Kyler says both teams feel like they'd have a chance at convincing Howard to stay if they could land him using non-core assets.
- Regardless of whether or not Howard is traded by March 15th, he intends to explore his options in free agency this summer, with both the Nets and Mavs having been promised a chance to make a sales pitch in July.
Assessing Stocks: Golden State Warriors
Portfolio Review: The ownership and coaching staff has changed, but so much has remained the same for the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors are in the basketball equivalent of hell, which is ninth seed purgatory. They are not quite good enough to be in the playoffs, and not bad enough to get top level talent through the draft.
The backcourt is the team's strength between Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson, but they also represent the best trade assets the team has going forward. Word is the Warriors are interested in Dwight Howard still. While it's doubtful they land him, it shows they are willing to blow things up for the right price. They need to. Even if it means taking a step or two back to start pushing forward again.
Prime Assets: The easy answer is Ellis, though the answer is not as easy as it was at the beginning of the season. Curry's ankle woes are a little concerning, and help obscure the Ellis vs. Curry debate a little.
Ellis is the Warriors' best player. Still, there are legitimate questions to how far a team can go with an undersized, high usage shooting guard not named Allen Iverson. If Ellis is your team's best player, what is the ceiling for your team? Ellis for draft picks or a frontcourt piece could work (the Utah Jazz, for example, have a plethora of big men and lack a dynamic perimeter threat). If the trade picks up an asset and drops the Warriors out of the middle of the first round and into a top ten pick over the next couple of years, it might even prove to benefit the team.
Worthless Stock: Andris Biedrins. Big, mobile big men are always going to have some value. But one on a big contract whose career is currently stalled by a phobia of free throw attempts?
The Rest: Curry should only be available for a near elite talent or top ten pick in this draft. For the former, given that Curry is on his rookie contract, he would probably have to be packaged with David Lee. Thompson could be a solid third guard on a good team eventually and merits holding onto. Dorell Wright might fetch a good first round pick for a potential playoff team, but is young, cheap, and understands his role well enough to be part of the answer going forward.
Dwight Howard Rumors: Saturday
The Dwight Howard rumor mill has quieted down lately with many pundits believing that the Magic will keep the center right up until the trade deadline. This morning, however, we learned that there could be another serious suitor in the Howard sweepstakes. Here's the latest, with the most recent updates up top.
- Stephen Jackson's indication to HoopsWorld last night that he would love to play for the Magic gives Orlando fans a glimmer of hope that their team can convince Howard to stay, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Robbins suspects the Magic's failure to acquire Jackson around draft time last year, when the Bucks picked him up, may have led to Howard's questioning of GM Otis Smith. Still, Robbins believes Jackson, and his $10.5MM payday next season, may not be a worthwhile risk.
- The Warriors are convinced that they're still players in a potential deal for Dwight Howard, writes Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle. Warriors sources believe the Magic could part with Howard without receiving a draft pick in return, if there are enough players involved. Golden State has a 14-man roster to work with and could put together a deal like David Lee, Monta Ellis and either Ekpe Udoh or Klay Thompson for Howard and Glen Davis.