Rockets Back Off Bogut, Pursuing Other Deal
Shortly after he reported that the Rockets were one of three teams discussing an Andrew Bogut deal with the Bucks, Ken Berger of CBS Sports says the Rockets have backed off their pursuit of the Milwaukee center. According to Berger, Houston has turned its attention to discussing a separate trade.
The trade the Rockets are pursuing now doesn't involve Pau Gasol, says Berger. Given the health of Kyle Lowry, who the Lakers covet in any Gasol deal, that's not a huge surprise. There are a number of other trade possibilities for the Rockets, who possess a handful of expiring contracts, along with players like Kevin Martin and Luis Scola, who could be had in the right deal — such as December's failed blockbuster for Gasol.
Berger’s Latest: Felton, Blake, Okafor, Gasol
Here are a few trade updates from Ken Berger of CBSSports.com:
- Rival executives believe the Blazers are interested in trading Raymond Felton to the Lakers for Steve Blake. Since Portland would be giving up the better player and some salary flexibility, the Blazers would need to be compensated with another piece in such a deal.
- The Hornets aren't interested in packaging Emeka Okafor with the first-round pick they acquired from the Timberwolves, even if it means saving the $28MM+ left on his deal.
- The Hawks appear likely to make only a small move or two at the deadline.
- Pau Gasol could be traded in the right deal, but the Lakers will need to ensure it's a basketball upgrade rather than a cost-saver. "If they're going to send a message to Kobe Bryant that they're not about winning, they're about money," one league source told Berger. "That's going to set off a whole new deal."
- Berger also has an update on the Jamal Crawford trade talks, as we covered earlier.
Lakers Notes: Trade Options, Gasol, Brown
With this Thursday's trade deadline looming, the Kamenetzky brothers at ESPN Los Angeles see three possible directions for the Lakers. The team could go for broke this season, using its trade exception and extra first-rounder to bring in extra talent; it could hold out for a blockbuster trade that would bring in a superstar like Dwight Howard or Deron Williams; or it could blow up the roster and start from scratch. I'm guessing option A is the most likely path for the Lakers, but they still have three days to make a decision. Here are the rest of this morning's Lakers notes:
- GM Mitch Kupchak has been telling people within the last few days that he doesn't expect to trade Pau Gasol, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (video link). The Rockets, Hawks, and Warriors have "their eye" on Gasol, says Broussard, but a trade isn't likely.
- Elliott Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News writes that coach Mike Brown can't wait until the trade deadline passes and he's no longer asked about it by everyone, including his son.
Lakers, Celtics Talked Rajon Rondo
Rajon Rondo's 24-point, 10-assist performance wasn't quite enough to beat the Lakers yesterday, but only a few days earlier, the Celtics' rivals had been talking about acquiring the point guard. According to Mike Breshanan of the Los Angeles Times, the Lakers and Celtics discussed a potential Rondo trade last week, though talks didn't go far.
"Unless [the Lakers] give up [Pau] Gasol, they're not going to get a top-level point guard," a person familiar with the situation told Breshanan. Assuming Los Angeles is unwilling to move Andrew Bynum, I'd think this goes without saying. A package of Steve Blake and Metta World Peace isn't about to solve the team's point guard issues.
While a blockbuster deal is still possible, it doesn't appear likely at this point. Breshanan says a trade for the Timberwolves' Michael Beasley is more probable than any major move involving Gasol or a top point guard. With three days left until the deadline, Kobe Bryant and his Lakers teammates are looking forward to regaining some sense of certainty for the rest of the season.
"I think it will have a great effect," Bryant said. "Guys can just go out and play instead of waking up and checking their phones all the time to make sure they didn't miss a call from their agent."
Odds & Ends: Timberwolves, CBA, Lakers
- Stephen Litel of HoopsWorld examines the impact the Ricky Rubio injury will have on the rest of the Timberwolves' personnel, and speculates, as we did earlier, that this may precipitate a Michael Beasley trade.
- The TrueHoop Network on ESPN.com discussed the how Rubio's injury affects Minnesota's involvement in the trade market, and the consensus appears to be that the Timberwolves will be able to make do with Ridnour and Barea in the meantime.
- NBA.com's John Schuhmann looks at the effect the new collective bargaining agreement is having on trade talks. The more punitive tax that is set to kick in during the 2013/14 season, restrictions on cap exceptions, and limits on sign-and-trades and max contracts are forcing GMs to adjust how they value players in trades.
- Tom Reed of The Plain Dealer believes that the value of the expiring contract has depreciated because of the new CBA.
- During a road trip that included disappointing losses to the Pistons and Wizards, the Lakers cancelled practice on Thursday and held a meeting between the coaches and players instead. The main message from the assistant coaches to the players appeared to be a request to "curtail external chatter," according to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
- HoopsWorld's Derek Page chatted with fans this afternoon and discussed a variety of ideas, including the suggestion that Chris Kaman would be a nice consolation prize for the Mavericks should they fail to land Dwight Howard.
- The Spurs have rarely engaged in deadline deals over the last 16 years, but Mike Monroe of Spurs Nation thinks that the team could be willing to shop their first round pick this time around if the right deal comes along.
- Although the Pistons are just four games out of the eighth seed, Lawrence Frank does not want to pay attention to the standings and would rather focus on taking things day by day, according to David Mayo of MLive.com.
- Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel quotes Erik Spoelstra by saying that the Heat do not have any personnel moves pending after deciding not to renew the contract of Mickell Gladness. (Twitter link)
Odds & Ends: Celtics, Raptors, McGee, Heat, Gasol
A look at some items from around the Association..
- The increased value of draft picks makes it unlikely that the Celtics will get what they're looking for in exchange for one of their Big Four, says Sean Grande of CSNNE.com. It's possible that a deal will get done before the deadline, but unlikely.
- Kevin Garnett has seen 16 trade deadlines come-and-go during his time in the league and isn't fixated on trade talks, writes CSNNE.com's Jessica Camerato.
- The Raptors aren't planning on making a major move at the deadline, writes Eric Koreen of the National Post. Earlier this week we learned that the Blazers have interest in Jose Calderon but finding the right deal for the point guard could be difficult.
- With the Wizards open to trading JaVale McGee, a reader asks Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel if the Heat should make a move for him. Winderman doesn't think that Miami should risk tinkering with their chemistry by adding someone like McGee and is also wary of the club taking on Andray Blatche.
- Lakers big man Pau Gasol heard his name in trade rumors on Friday but did his best to tune them out, writes Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register.
- Ryan Ripley of Ridiculous Upside looks at five standout players in the D-League who are getting less than 28 minutes of burn per game.
Lakers Notes: Lowry, Bynum, Price
The Lakers are about to tip off their game with the Timberwolves tonight, and they catch a break, as Kevin Love is out with back spasms. Still, on the heels of ugly losses to the Pistons and Wizards in their last two outings, the Lakers must know they can't take any team for granted. There's been talk of a deal between the Lakers and Rockets for Pau Gasol today, but for now nothing appears imminent. In the meantime, here's the rest of what's going on in L.A.:
- Kyle Lowry is not a part of any talks between the Lakers and Rockets about Pau Gasol, tweets Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.
- James Jahnke of the Detroit Free Press passes along a rumor that the Lakers are looking at Will Bynum of the Pistons and A.J. Price of the Pacers as secondary options if they don't get a juicier name at point guard.
- John Hollinger of ESPN weighs in with eight trades he thinks teams would be smart to make before the deadline, including a deal involving Pau Gasol and the Rockets that would net the Lakers a grand haul of Luis Scola, Goran Dragic, Hasheem Thabeet, Marcus Morris, Chase Budinger and a 2012 first-round pick. (Insider only)
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.
Berger On Gasol, Rondo, Jamison, Jackson, Okafor
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com has a few late-Friday afternoon updates on the trade market for us. Here are the highlights:
- Berger echoes a number of other reporters who say that, while the Lakers and Rockets are discussing Pau Gasol, no agreement has been reached yet.
- The Celtics had been fielding offers for Rajon Rondo in recent weeks, but have disengaged from those talks.
- The Trail Blazers have "made it clear" they're accepting offers for Gerald Wallace.
- Antawn Jamison's camp is intrigued by the possibility of Jamison going to the Lakers, but Los Angeles hasn't expressed any sort of serious interest in the veteran, says Berger. Even if they were interested, I can't see a way the two teams could match up, given Jamison's $15MM+ cap figure. Nonetheless, the Cavaliers are aggressively seeking future assets for Jamison.
- One executive predicts that "no one's touching" Stephen Jackson unless he's bought out by the Bucks.
- In addition to pursuing offers for Chris Kaman, the Hornets are also shopping Emeka Okafor.
- The Timberwolves are gauging interest in Wayne Ellington and Anthony Tolliver.
Rockets Aggressively Pursuing Pau Gasol
The Rockets have continued to "aggressively probe" the Lakers in pursuit of a Pau Gasol trade, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. No deal is imminent, however, according to Wojnarowski and Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (Twitter link).
Houston's interest in Gasol has been well-documented — the Rockets nearly acquired the 31-year-old in December's Chris Paul-to-the-Lakers blockbuster, before the deal was nixed by David Stern. The Lakers may have recently floated the idea that a package of Kyle Lowry and Luis Scola could pry Gasol away, but Houston still appears unwilling to include Lowry in any deal, as Sean Deveney of The Sporting News reports.
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports wrote earlier today that if the Rockets won't part with Lowry, they may have to involve a third team in any trade for Gasol in order to get the Lakers the point guard upgrade they desire.