Pacers Still Covet Kaman
The Indianapolis Star's Mike Wells reports (via Twitter) that Chris Kaman is still the Pacers' top target for the trade deadline. However, due to Pacers' strong salary-cap flexibility (they are about $14.5MM under the cap), they don't consider it worth giving up a first-round pick for Kaman's expiring deal, which is by all indications what the Hornets are asking for.
Kaman has been on the trading block since the start of the season after being shipped from the Clippers to the Hornets as part of the Chris Paul trade. The Pacers have long been thought to be the most interested suitor, and with the trade dealine a week away, a decision one way or the other appears to be forthcoming.
Jamal Crawford Rumors: Thursday
The Timberwolves and Trail Blazers may be discussing a deal involving Jamal Crawford and Luke Ridnour, while the Pacers also have some interest in Crawford, as we learned yesterday. This morning, we also heard that the T-Wolves appear to be the frontrunner for the Blazers shooting guard. We'll continue to track the latest updates on the Crawford sweepstakes here throughout the day, with the newest additions up top:
- Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge reports that the Pacers and Blazers have discussed Crawford, with Portland asking for A.J. Price and a first-round pick. A source tells Golliver that "the first team to give Portland a first round pick for Crawford will have him" (Twitter links).
- The Blazers' asking price for Crawford includes a first-round pick in addition to either Ridnour for the Wolves or Eric Bledsoe for the Clippers, says Ken Berger of CBS Sports. That could pose a problem for the Clips, who have already traded both first-rounders they owned for 2012.
- Timberwolves GM David Kahn is downplaying the team's interest in making a deadline deal, says Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Kahn says the Wolves are "not looking to address anything this season" and that he doesn't mind having three point guards in Ricky Rubio, J.J. Barea, and Ridnour. The GM did leave the door open slightly though, noting that there's still an "eternity" until next Thursday's deadline.
- Asked if he was feeling affected by the trade rumors, Crawford told Haynes: "I wouldn't say me so much me, but the people around me for sure. Because decisions like that just don't affect you, they affect everybody."
Jamal Crawford Rumors: Wednesday
The Trail Blazers have slipped to tenth place in the Western Conference standings, and Jamal Crawford reportedly intends to opt out of his contract at season's end, so it's no surprise that the 31-year-old's name has popped up in recent trade rumors. The Clippers and Timberwolves are among the most interested teams, and the Bucks, Kings, and Raptors are also said to have kicked the tires. Here's the latest on Crawford:
- In his latest ESPN.com chat, Chad Ford reports that he believes the Blazers and Timberwolves are talking about a swap involving Crawford and Luke Ridnour.
- Ford also adds the Pacers to the list of teams interested in Crawford. Unlike the Clippers and T-Wolves, Indiana has the cap space necessary to acquire Crawford without having to send Portland any salary in return.
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.
Central Notes: Dumars, Cavs, Pacers
While the Bulls may claim ownership of the best record in the NBA and the Pacers have gained steam after winning their last six games, the rest of the Central Division remains mired in a lottery-bound wasteland. The Bulls take their 30-8 record to Philadelphia tonight for a matchup against the 76ers. Let's take a look around the rest of the division to see what else is going on.
- Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press suggests Pistons general manager Joe Dumars will keep his roster intact as the trade deadline approaches. Ellis views Greg Monroe and Brandon Knight as the only two players that may garner interest from other teams. One executive mentioned Rodney Stuckey as a potential piece for a team looking for depth, but Stuckey cannot be traded until the off-season due to new rules created after the lockout.
- The Cavaliers may have been among the teams that nearly landed Lamar Odom in the off-season from the Lakers, writes Bob Finnan of The News-Herald. The non-trade has been a blessing for Cleveland given Odom's off-court issues and underwhelming on-court performance this season in Dallas.
- The schedule is set to get a bit more difficult for the surging Pacers, says Mike Wells of The Indianapolis Star. With their first six-game winning streak since 2005 and currently holding the three seed in the Eastern Conference, the Pacers are in a comfortable position in considering what to do with the trade deadline looming.
Kyler’s Latest: Gasol, Mayo, Delfino, Williams
Earlier this week, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld began exploring trade options for all 30 NBA teams, sharing the latest rumors and rumblings along the way. Kyler discussed ten teams on Tuesday, and looks at ten more today. Here are some highlights from the piece:
- The Pacers aren't looking to trade anyone, but would take advantage of their cap space to absorb salary if it meant acquiring a draft pick as well.
- Lakers sources insist the team still views Pau Gasol as an All-Star and would only trade him if it meant getting another All-Star back. L.A. isn't currently pursuing Dwight Howard, and any move the team makes will probably involve its $8.9MM trade exception.
- If the Grizzlies do anything before the trade deadline, it will likely involve O.J. Mayo, who has drawn interest.
- Carlos Delfino is an attractive target for a few teams, but Beno Udrih is the more likely trade candidate to be dealt by the Bucks.
- Trade talk surrounding Deron Williams could pick up before March 15th, if the Nets become concerned about their chances of acquiring Dwight Howard and signing Williams long-term.
- Trevor Ariza and Jarrett Jack could be had, but the price for most Hornets is an unprotected first-round pick, which seems like a long shot.
- The Knicks may consider moving Toney Douglas for a draft pick, in part to clear a roster spot for a player waived after the trade deadline.
Warriors Notes: Lopez, Ellis, Howard, Granger
The Warriors' second half got off to a rough start in Indiana last night, as Golden State fell behind by 31 points through three quarters en route to a 102-78 loss. As the Warriors look to regroup tonight in Atlanta, here are a few morning updates on the club:
- According to both Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle and Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter link), Warriors sources don't put much stock in the Monta Ellis/Brook Lopez rumor that surfaced this week. Thompson says the Warriors would want more than Lopez for Ellis.
- That Lopez/Ellis rumor originally came up as part of a three-way deal that also involved Orlando and Dwight Howard. However, the Warriors are still more interested in pursuing Howard themselves than accomodating a trade that sends him to the Nets. Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News runs through all the stars that would need to align for the Warriors to realistically make a play for Howard.
- The Warriors must have a lot of confidence that they can convince Howard to re-sign with the team if they acquire him, tweets SI.com's Chris Mannix.
- While the Warriors are still interested in Danny Granger, the Pacers won't deal him, says Thompson (via Twitter).
Central Notes: Sessions, Jamison, Pacers, Pistons
Representatives of the Central Division didn't see much action in Sunday's All-Star Game, as Bulls forward Luol Deng and Pacers center Roy Hibbert received the fewest minutes of any Eastern Conference player. The division's only starter, Derrick Rose, played just over 18 minutes, significantly less than the 30+ minutes the East's other four starters logged. So to make up for the Central's lack of face time Sunday, let's round up a few Monday morning notes from the division…
- Bob Finnan of the News-Herald breaks down the Cavaliers' first half and looks ahead to the rest of the season. He says Ramon Sessions is expected to be traded, but Antawn Jamison isn't quite as likely to go, since he's one of the team's leaders.
- Roy Hibbert trusts the Pacers to make good decisions at the trade deadline, as he tells Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld (Twitter link).
- In a Pistons.com mailbag, Keith Langlois answers questions about whether the Pistons could try to acquire Emeka Okafor or eventually take a flier on Greg Oden.
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.
Pacers Exploring Trade Market
As the trade deadline approaches and teams look to make moves that fit within their financial restraints, the Pacers have an asset no other club has — over $14MM in cap space. Indiana president Larry Bird plans to take advantage of that flexibility, telling Conrad Brunner of NBA.com that he's exploring moves to improve the team.
"I'm not afraid to make another move now to strengthen our bench or maybe even (add) one or two guys," Bird said. "We're still out there looking and whatever we can do to make this team better, we're going to do…. It could be a trade, but it's probably going to be picking up somebody off another team just so they can get some money off (the salary cap). We've got a lot of calls in, talked to a lot of people and we're going to try to continue to strengthen this team."
As I outlined Wednesday when I discussed some of the trade rules under the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement, most trade restrictions apply to over-the-cap teams, so the Pacers are in an enviable position. They have about $14.27MM in cap room, meaning they could absorb one or more players' salaries without sending any players back in return. For instance, the Pacers are a logical destination for Chris Kaman and his $14.03MM cap figure, since no other team could acquire the Hornets' center without sending back salary.
Bird's comments indicate the team doesn't intend to compromise its long-term plan or make changes to its core. I'd expect any deal the Pacers pull off before March 15th would see them giving up no more than a future second-round pick or perhaps a protected first-rounder.