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Hollinger On Deadline Deals

March 15th, 2012 at 8:35pm CST by Sean Highkin

ESPN.com's John Hollinger has posted grades for every trade that took place today. The post is only available to ESPN Insider subscribers, but here are the highlights:

  • The Nuggets were smart to shed Nene's contract, even if trading for JaVale McGee is a risk.
  • However, Hollinger views the Wizards' acquisition of Nene is an overreaction to McGee's contract demands.
  • For the Clippers, Hollinger doesn't believe Nick Young is a perfect solution, but that he's worth the risk since they didn't have to give up any significant assets.
  • Hollinger praises the Blazers' rebuilding effort in the Gerald Wallace trade, although he has reservations about the players they got back from Houston for Marcus Camby.
  • He doesn't think the Nets made a smart move giving up a lottery pick for short-term help when they risk losing Deron Williams at the end of the season.
  • Hollinger likes the Rockets' acquisition of Camby as a short-term pick-up to help them make a playoff run.
  • The Warriors' acquisition of Richard Jefferson is counterproductive to their efforts to tank for a draft pick, Hollinger writes. However, he praises the Spurs for shedding Jefferson's contract for Stephen Jackson's shorter one.
  • Hollinger questions the Cavaliers for taking on Luke Walton's expensive contract while giving up Ramon Sessions, but loves the deal for the Lakers, as Sessions is a massive upgrade at point guard over Derek Fisher and Steve Blake.
  • Hollinger likes the Sam Young acquisition for the 76ers, and while he doesn't believe losing him will shift the Grizzlies' playoff hopes one way or another, he questions whether it was necessary to shed him simply for cap reasons.
  • He sees the Leandro Barbosa trade as a low-risk deal for both the Raptors and Pacers, giving Indiana immediate help at shooting guard while freeing up room for other players to get more minutes in Toronto.
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Recap Of Trade Deadline Deals

March 15th, 2012 at 5:33pm CST by Sean Highkin

Here's the complete list of trades that took place this week leading up to the trade deadline earlier today:

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Nuggets, Wizards, Clips Agree To Three-Way Deal

March 15th, 2012 at 4:55pm CST by Luke Adams

4:55pm: Lee clarifies (via Twitter) that the Hornets' pick heading to the Wizards is a 2015 selection. Lee also reports that Young was initially supposed to go to the Nuggets in the deal, but declined to surrender his Bird rights to go to Denver (Twitter link).

4:42pm: The draft pick the Clippers are sending to Washington is the second-round pick they acquired from the Hornets, so it should be an early second-rounder, tweets Michael Lee.

2:38pm: The Clippers have acquired Nick Young from the Wizards as part of a three-team trade, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). According to Wojnarowski, JaVale McGee is heading to Denver and Nene will go to Washington (Twitter link). Ronny Turiaf will also head to the Nuggets, with Brian Cook going to the Wizards, tweets Michael Lee of the Washington Post. The Wizards will receive a future second-round pick from the Clippers, says Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).

For the Nuggets, the deal seems intended to create future cap flexibility. Ken Berger of CBS Sports hears Denver had been experiencing some "buyer's remorse" about Nene's long-term deal (Twitter link). The future cap space created could make the Nuggets more inclined to increase their offer to restricted free agent Wilson Chandler before his self-imposed Friday deadline.

The Wizards acquire what appears to be their center of the future in Nene. Presumably, amidst reports that McGee would seek $14MM annually in free agency this summer, Washington decided to acquire a big man they felt was worth that sort of commitment. Nene has four years and $52MM remaining on his contract after this season.

The Clippers, meanwhile, use the $3.8MM trade exception they received by trading Eric Gordon to absorb Young's salary. For the low cost of Cook and a second-rounder, they've added a two guard to help in a potential postseason run. Young has the ability to veto any trade he's involved in, but multiple reports have suggested he appears willing to approve this deal.

TNT's David Aldridge first tweeted that the Wizards and Nuggets were "in serious talks" about a deal involving Young, McGee, and Hilario.

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Failed Deals: Beasley, Crawford, Allen, Pierce

March 15th, 2012 at 3:31pm CST by Luke Adams

You've read about the trades that were completed prior to the deadline, but there were also plenty of moves that didn't quite work out. Here are a few that have been reported so far:

  • The Lakers had been in talks to acquire Michael Beasley in a deal that would've sent Jamal Crawford and Derek Fisher to the Timberwolves, with Dallas' first-round pick going to the Blazers, says Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com (on Twitter).
  • Crawford also could've gone to the Lakers, but the Blazers didn't want to take on Derek Fisher, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
  • Before they acquired Nick Young, the Clippers talked extensively with the Rockets about trading for Courtney Lee, tweets Sam Amick of SI.com.
  • The Clippers were also "this close" from acquiring Ray Allen, according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Twitter link).
  • The Celtics had serious talks with several teams about both Allen and Paul Pierce, but nothing came together, says Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
  • Another interesting tidbit from Amick: He says the Nuggets tried to engage the Kings on Nene/DeMarcus Cousins swap about a month ago, but the Kings weren't interested (Twitter links).
  • The Bucks made a "strong late push" for the Hornets' Carl Landry, but couldn't work anything out, tweets ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
  • GM Otis Smith told John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com that the Magic explored many deals to bring in help around Dwight Howard, but that the risk/reward factor didn't make sense (Twitter link).
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Clippers Expected To Keep Eric Bledsoe

March 15th, 2012 at 11:20am CST by Luke Adams

It's looking more and more like the Clippers will stand pat at today's deadline, barring a late change, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. The Clips expect Eric Bledsoe to have more trade value closer to a June draft that lacks top point guards, adds Howard-Cooper. Ken Berger of CBS Sports confirms Los Angeles' position, saying a Bledsoe deal is becoming less likely (Twitter link).

Bledsoe, who hasn't received a ton of playing time in L.A. this season behind Chris Paul and Mo Williams, represents one of the team's most attractive trade chips. The Clippers had reportedly been exploring trades involving Bledsoe that would net the club a two guard.

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Los Angeles Rumors: Beasley, Gasol, Bledsoe

March 15th, 2012 at 7:23am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers appear to be closing in on a three-way deal that would land them Michael Beasley, but different variations of the deal are being discussed. Most reports have Steve Blake and a first-rounder heading from L.A. to Portland, but Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com reported last night that it may be Luke Ridnour, rather than Blake, who goes to the Blazers. In that hypothetical trade, the Lakers would still give up a first-round pick, but wouldn't necessarily need to make a follow-up to replace Blake at the point.

While we wait to see how those negotiations shake out, here are a few Lakers- and Clippers-related rumors out of Los Angeles:

  • A Pau Gasol trade is "highly unlikely," tweets ESPN.com's Chris Palmer. Palmer says interest dropped way off after the Lakers reportedly backed out of talks involving Gasol and Rajon Rondo.
  • The Clippers continue to explore trades that would see them move Eric Bledsoe for a "big guard," says Palmer in a separate tweet.
  • Pedro Viola of ESPNLosAngeles.com thinks the Clippers will ultimately decide they can maximize Bledsoe's value by keeping him rather than trading him.
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Josh Howard, C.J. Miles Drawing Interest

March 14th, 2012 at 4:34pm CST by Luke Adams

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.

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Broussard On Pierce, Brooks, Curry, McGee, Daye

March 14th, 2012 at 12:31pm CST by Luke Adams

ESPN.com's Chris Broussard has a ton of trade rumors in today's Insider-only piece. You can read his major update on Dwight Howard here, but let's dive into the rest of his rumors….

  • The Celtics offered Paul Pierce to the Blazers, though Broussard isn't sure who else would've been involved in the deal. Portland wasn't interested in Boston's proposal.
  • The Clippers are reluctant to trade Eric Bledsoe for Jamal Crawford because they believe Crawford will opt out of his contract at season's end, and Bledsoe will have more value at draft time, since there won't be many point guards available.
  • Ramon Sessions is unlikely to be moved unless the Cavaliers can get a first-round pick. Cleveland would try to trade for Jonny Flynn if they moved Sessions, though the Spurs have also expressed interest in Flynn.
  • The Cavs are also in talks with the Hornets about swapping Antawn Jamison for Emeka Okafor and a first-round pick.
  • Aaron Brooks is drawing interest from the Blazers and Kings, though the Suns hope to re-sign him. When Brooks returns from China, he can only sign with Phoenix. If he doesn't sign anywhere this season, he becomes a restricted free agent again this summer.
  • A second-round pick is likely all it would take for the Hornets to move Chris Kaman.
  • The Warriors preferred to deal Stephen Curry rather than Monta Ellis, but Curry's ongoing ankle issues hurt his trade value.
  • Broussard hears JaVale McGee will be seeking a contract worth $14MM annually this summer. Good luck with that, JaVale.
  • Wilson Chandler is seeking a deal starting at $7MM, which the Nuggets feel is too high, since that amount won't be prorated this season — Denver would prefer to start around $5MM.
  • The Pistons are shopping Austin Daye "all day every day" but not many teams are biting.
  • The Grizzlies would like to move Sam Young to get below the luxury tax line.
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Clippers, Jazz Discussing Raja Bell Trade?

March 14th, 2012 at 7:47am CST by Ryan Raroque

WEDNESDAY, 7:47am: While some sources insist the Clippers and Jazz are discussing Bell, sources close to the Clippers deny that the team has interest, reports Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld.

TUESDAY, 11:33pm: Alex Kennedy reports that the Clippers and Jazz have discussed a deal involving shooting guard Raja Bell. (Twitter link) 

In 31 starts, the 11-year veteran has averaged 6.7 PPG in 23.9 MPG and is on par with his career three-point shooting average at 40.7%. After recently clearing the air with Jazz brass following a clash with coach Tyrone Corbin, Bell looked ready to move forward and continue contributing to the team. Meanwhile, the Clippers have a record of 8 and 10 since losing Chauncey Billups to injury and are looking to replace his veteran experience at the 2-guard spot. 

Bell is scheduled to make $3.4MM on the final year of his contract next season. 

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Odds & Ends: Mavericks, Hornets, Smith, Harris

March 13th, 2012 at 10:48pm CST by Ryan Raroque
After playing an instrumental role in defeating the Heat tonight, Dwight Howard publicly stated that he'd like to stay put with the Magic for the remainder of the season. With that in mind, here are some other reports of teams that aren't trying to make any splashes by Thursday, as well as other miscellaneous links from tonight:  
  • Mark Cuban doesn't see a reason why the Mavericks would be involved in the trade market right now, according to Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. 
  • Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated reports that the Hornets are not looking to add any payroll in a deal involving Chris Kaman, which makes a deal tough. (Twitter link) 
  • Despite numerous reports that Josh Smith wants out of Atlanta, Hawks co-owner Bruce Levenson believes that the chances of the team receiving equal value for their star forward is very unlikely, according to an Associated Press article by the Star Tribune. 
  • Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune tweeted that the Jazz are not trying to move Devin Harris. 
  • Clippers GM Neil Olshey tells Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times that the team is not looking to trade any of their remaining assets unless it makes an "impact acquisition."
  • A panel of experts from ESPNChicago.com discussed the current state of the Bulls, and all agreed that the Bulls should remain intact past the deadline. 
  • Jeff McDonald of Spurs Nation gives a rundown of the team's thought process as the trade deadline looms. While they may not have the trade assets to get anything major done, they could look to the waiver wire after the deadline. 
  • Stephen Litel of HoopsWorld offered his opinion on trade scenarios in a chat with fans. 
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