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Odds & Ends: Dwight, Cavs, Blair, Wizards, Gordon

February 21st, 2013 at 1:41am CST by Chuck Myron

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.

Gordon-Thompson Deal Unlikely Before Deadline

February 20th, 2013 at 7:19pm CST by Luke Adams

7:19pm: A deal sending Gordon to the Warriors won't happen before the deadline, sources tell Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game, who adds that the trade could resurface in the summer (Sulia link).

12:45pm: Yesterday, John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported that, while the Hornets aren't actively shopping Eric Gordon, they would be interested in a deal with the Warriors that included Klay Thompson. And according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio, those two teams have engaged in discussions that a source classifies as "more than exploratory" (Twitter link).

In Reid's report yesterday, he noted that the Warriors are reluctant to part with Thompson, since the team feels he's a young emerging star. Gordon has also had injury issues over the last couple years, and is in the first year of an expensive long-term contract. If talks between the two sides progress, I'd imagine the Warriors would push the Hornets to take on at least one of Golden State's bad contracts — Richard Jefferson and Andris Biedrins are earning $10.16MM and $9MM this season, respectively, and are certain to exercise their equally pricey player options for next season.

ESPN.com's Chris Broussard reported yesterday that the Hornets had made Gordon available in trade talks, though potential suitors have some concerns about his health. The 24-year-old shooting guard would also have the opportunity to veto any deal, since the Hornets matched his offer sheet in restricted free agency last summer.

Odds & Ends: Repeater Tax, Bobcats, T-Wolves

February 20th, 2013 at 1:08am CST by Ryan Raroque

Yahoo's Marc J. Spears says (via Twitter) that trade talk has been quiet, as teams are waiting to see what happens with Josh Smith first. One major factor which undeniably has affected discussions around this time has been the looming "repeater tax," which Adrian Wojnarowski tweets is the reason why most teams have been reluctant to take back long-term deals at the deadline. We'll round up the rest of tonight's miscellaneous links below:

In addressing the biggest issues for the Lakers moving forward, Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times puts the chances of Dwight Howard re-signing next season at 25%. If Howard stays, Bresnahan thinks the Lakers could possibly amnesty Pau Gasol. If Dwight chooses to leave, Bresnahan opines that L.A. would likely keep Gasol and amnesty Metta World Peace.
Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune directs attention to Luke Ridnour and the Timberwolves' multiple first-round picks as their most attractive pieces in trying to acquire a legitimately-sized shooting guard.
According to Wojnarowski, the Bobcats have been trying to find takers for Gerald Henderson and are looking for a first-round pick in return.
John Reid of NOLA.com hears that the Hornets would be interested in trading Eric Gordon to the Warriors in any package that includes Klay Thompson, although Golden State is said to be reluctant in parting ways with the second-year guard right now. Reid notes Gordon has the power to veto any trade, and while he showed a strong interest in signing with Phoenix over the summer, the Hornets are prohibited from dealing him to the Suns.
With no first-round picks or salary cap space to use, Tim Kawakami of Mercury News believes that the Warriors aren't looking or aren't likely to make a deal soon.
ESPN's Chris Broussard reports that Derrick Rose appeared good enough to return to in-game action judging by the way he looked during 5-on-5 practice, according to eyewitnesses (Twitter link). On the same token, head coach Tom Thibodeau told ESPN Chicago earlier today that Rose might not make his return this season.
Paul Coro of AZCentral.com says that Sebastian Telfair and Jermaine O'Neal could be sent to title contenders in minor deals, and that Telfair would be the most likely candidate to be moved.
While there aren't any concrete trade connections between Oklahoma City and the following list of players, Royce Young of Daily Thunder names five reasonable targets for the Thunder: Luc Mbah a Moute, J.J. Barea, Luke Ridnour, Darren Collison, and Rodney Stuckey.

Broussard On Gordon, Ellis, Rondo, Crawford

February 19th, 2013 at 9:55pm CST by Ryan Raroque

The Bucks are ready to trade Monta Ellis after he turned down a two-year extension, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN, also mentioning that Ellis wanted to play out this season first. Earlier, we heard from HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy about the expectation by some around the league for Monta to opt out of his contract this summer and sign with a contender, so it will be interesting to see how Milwaukee handles this situation over the next two days. Broussard had a wave of Twitter updates to share in the past hour, all of which you can find below:

The Hornets have made Eric Gordon available for a trade, but Broussard anticipates a lack of interest considering doubts about his health moving forward. The notion that New Orleans is willing to listen to offers for Gordon shouldn't come as a surprise, as we heard a similar report earlier this month.
The Celtics are willing to move Rajon Rondo in the right deal. The Wizards have been actively shopping Jordan Crawford.
A list of players who are currently on the trade market: Nets forward Kris Humphries, 76ers guard Evan Turner, Bobcats guards Ben Gordon and Gerald Henderson, Spurs' DeJuan Blair, Raptors big man Andrea Bargnani, Jazz big men Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap, Magic guard J.J. Redick, and Timberwolves forward Derrick Williams (All Twitter links).

Odds & Ends: Bargnani, Nets, Jennings, Greene

February 19th, 2013 at 4:28pm CST by Luke Adams

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.

Western Rumors: T-Wolves, Grizzlies, Warriors

February 19th, 2013 at 1:32pm CST by Luke Adams

Regular-season action resumes tonight, and one of the more intriguing games on the schedule will impact the Western Conference's playoff standings. If the Jazz can defeat the Warriors in Utah, they'll pull into a tie with Golden State for the sixth seed. As we wait to see if the Warriors can snap their five-game losing streak, let's check out a few notes from the West:

Multiple reports have suggested the Timberwolves are shopping draft picks as they try to bolster their roster. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities isn't exactly sure who the Wolves are pursuing, but says Josh Smith and J.J. Hickson aren't among the team's targets and that J.J. Redick is "doubtful" (Twitter link).
According to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld, the Grizzlies are likely to be buyers rather than sellers at the deadline, since they'll need to add a 13th man to their roster soon.
Kyler also echoes a report by Ken Berger, writing that the Warriors are expected to try to move a couple of minimum-salary players to duck below the luxury-tax threshold. The HoopsWorld scribe notes that Draymond Green is also a possibility, and that he'd bring back a better return, but Golden State will probably want to keep him around.
We've heard plenty of times over the last few weeks that the Kings aren't likely to make a deadline deal, and general manager Geoff Petrie agrees with that assessment, as he tells Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.
Eric Gordon is unconcerned with the trade rumors surrounding him and is focused on moving forward with the Hornets, writes Jimmy Smith of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Spears On Oden, Kings, Gordon, Ridnour, Bucks

February 19th, 2013 at 12:01pm CST by Luke Adams

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.

Pacific Links: Clippers, Warriors, Gordon, Kobe

February 16th, 2013 at 3:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Pacific Division will be well-represented in tomorrow's All-Star Game, as five of the 12 Western Conference All-Star spots are occupied by players from the division, and four of the five starters come from the two L.A. teams. There easily could have been six Pacific Division All-Stars if the coaches had selected Stephen Curry as a reserve. Here's more on a few All-Stars who were voted as starters by the fans, including a hint at retirement from one of them.

Chris Paul and Blake Griffin would welcome Kevin Garnett to the Clippers if he's traded to the team, as Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com observes.
ESPN's Chris Broussard wrote a couple of days ago that the Warriors are one of a few clubs believed to have inquired about Eric Gordon, but Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group reports that Golden State is not engaged in talks about the Hornets shooting guard. The W's are turned off by Gordon's injury history, contract, and the Hornets' likely asking price (Sulia link).
In a video on Nike Basketball's YouTube page, Kobe Bryant sat down with former NBA player Damon Jones and addressed how long he plans on playing. "Probably two years max," Bryant said."Two years max. Next year might be it. It's one of those things, I think I'll wake up, and I'll know, and if it's it for me, then that's it, and there's no looking back." Bryant's contract expires at the end of next season (hat tip to HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy).
Carl Landry, who has a $4MM player option on his contract with the Warriors for next season, spoke to Grantland's Zach Lowe about his enjoyment playing for Golden State and coach Mark Jackson (Twitter link).

Broussard On Eric Gordon, Rockets, Pacers, Smith

February 14th, 2013 at 12:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Already today, we've passed along a few trade rumors from Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game and Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. Now, it's Chris Broussard's turn, as the ESPN reporter has published a lengthy Insider-only piece on the latest rumblings from around the league. Here's what Broussard has for us:

The Hornets have made some calls to gauge Eric Gordon's trade value, but Broussard hears that there's less than a 10% chance he's moved within the next week. The Mavericks, Rockets, and the Warriors are among the clubs believed to have inquired on Gordon.
The Rockets still figure to make a run at Dwight Howard this summer, but Andrew Bynum and perhaps a trade for Gordon are the team's Plan Bs. Since Houston is saving its cap space for the summer, the club isn't expected to be too active at the trade deadline.
Indiana will likely keep Danny Granger through the deadline, but is willing to move Tyler Hansbrough, D.J. Augustin, or Gerald Green. The Pacers dangled Hansbrough and Augustin when talking to the Magic about J.J. Redick, but Orlando didn't have interest.
Three different general managers told Broussard on Wednesday that Danny Ferry and the Hawks have decided not to re-sign Josh Smith this summer and are trying hard to trade him this week. Rival executives don't expect Ferry to settle for the Nets' offer of Kris Humphries and MarShon Brooks, however.
The Hawks have also discussed moving Kyle Korver and Anthony Morrow.
Teams have been calling the Suns, one of the league's most active clubs, about Marcin Gortat, Markieff Morris, and Jared Dudley. A deal with the Knicks involving Dudley and Iman Shumpert is "not happening," according to Broussard's sources.
As has been the case for many reporters over the last few weeks, Broussard has received mixed reports on whether the Jazz are more likely to trade Paul Millsap or Al Jefferson. The Trail Blazers are one team that likes Millsap, says Broussard.
A few executives that have spoken to Broussard have mentioned the possibility of the Clippers trying to trade DeAndre Jordan and Caron Butler to create the necessary cap space to make a play for Dwight Howard this summer. That one sounds awfully far-fetched to me though, considering the team would have to make additional moves to clear enough room, and would have to acquire only expiring contracts in return. Even then, there's no guarantee they could land Howard as a free agent.

Amico’s Latest: Garnett, Josh Smith, Millsap

February 12th, 2013 at 11:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio is hearing plenty of chatter from around the league, and shares a lot of information in his latest dispatch. He identifies the player receiving the most attention as the deadline approaches, and dishes on several big names. We'll cover the highlights here:

The Celtics are open to trading Kevin Garnett, but president of basketball ops Danny Ainge is looking for something to get "really, really excited" about, Amico writes. Garnett has a no-trade clause, and reportedly will only waive it if he's dealt to Los Angeles and the Celtics also trade Paul Pierce away.
Josh Smith is the most-talked-about name on the rumor mill at present, and Amico reiterates that the Spurs, Nets and Bobcats are among the teams that have interest in the athletic forward. The Nets are anxious to deal Kris Humphries, and could be looking to get a third team involved in talks with Atlanta to faciliate a Smith-Humphries deal. Cavs GM Chris Grant spent time on the phone with Nets GM Billy King last week, and Amico notes the close ties Grant shares with King, as well as the connection between Hawks GM Danny Ferry and King.
Grant wants more draft picks, and is apparently willing to rent some of the Cavs' ample cap space for a player whose deal expires after next season, as Humphries' does.
If they can't land Smith, plan B for the Nets might be Paul Millsap. We heard about Brooklyn's interest in the Jazz power forward earlier today.
Bulls GM Gar Forman also covets Smith and Millsap. Chicago has talked to the Nets about Carlos Boozer, but there's been no recent movement on that front.
Ersan Ilyasova and Brandon Jennings are available, but only for a team that makes an overwhelming offer to Bucks GM John Hammond.
The Mavs are publicly downplaying the chances of a trade before the deadline, but that's not the case behind the scenes, where basketball president Donnie Nelson is seeing what he can get for Shawn Marion.
Eric Gordon would love to return to his Indiana roots and the Hornets have interest in Danny Granger, but the Pacers and New Orleans have not discussed a Gordon-Granger swap.