New Orleans Pelicans Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Chris Kaman Likely Staying Put

March 15th, 2012 at 1:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Chris Kaman will likely remain a Hornet past the trade deadline, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

The Celtics, Heat, and Spurs will aggressively pursue Kaman if the Hornets end up buying out his contract, but that's not a given with the league running the team, Wojnarowski adds (Twitter links).

Wojnarowski On Augustin, Kaman, Blazers

March 15th, 2012 at 11:08am CST by Luke Adams

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports is sending out plenty of tweets today on a variety of trade topics. Here are a few of his latest updates (all links go to Twitter):

D.J. Augustin is drawing significant interest, with the Bobcats listening to inquiries.
The Hornets are getting more realistic about their asking price for Chris Kaman, realizing that they won't get a first-round pick for him. According to Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida, New Orleans is working hard to move Kaman, ideally to an East team (Twitter link).
One GM on the Trail Blazers: "One thing is for sure today: Portland is open for business right now."

Hornets Rumors: Kaman, Ariza, Okafor, Jamison

March 15th, 2012 at 12:30am CST by Luke Adams

Chris Kaman is still the most likely trade candidate for the Hornets, but John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune says any of New Orleans' veteran players are available for the right combination of draft picks and expiring contracts. Here are a few more of Reid's Hornets rumors:

New Orleans is listening to offers on Trevor Ariza, though Ariza's agent David Lee said Wednesday he hasn't heard about any trade scenarios involving his client.
The Hornets backed out of trade talks with the Cavaliers involving Emeka Okafor and Antawn Jamison, since Cleveland insisted on acquiring one of New Orleans' two 2012 first-round picks. The Hornets continue to try to trade Okafor though.
There remains speculation that Mike Dunleavy, who is part of the group trying to buy the Hornets, may want to keep Chris Kaman around past this season. I can't see that having a major impact on the team's Kaman decision though, since the Hornets are still owned by the league for now.

Trade Rumors: Kaman, Celtics, Blatche, Bynum

March 14th, 2012 at 4:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Here's the latest on a few trade candidates:

The Celtics are seeking a big man, and while taking on a player with Chris Kaman's salary ($14MM+) probably isn't likely, Kaman would be interested in going to Boston, says A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com.
"You look at what they need and what he brings to the game," a league source said of Kaman-to-the-Celtics. "It would be a great fit, it really would. But a lot of things have to happen, and not happen, before that can come about."
The Wizards are still seeking deadline deals, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
Lee hears conflicting reports on the likelihood of an Andray Blatche trade. One source said Blatche "won’t be moved due to a lack of interest," even if JaVale McGee is included. However, another source told Lee that the Wizards aren't ready to give up on finding a taker for Blatche just yet.
Andrew Bynum isn't expecting the Lakers to trade him, as he tells Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.

Odds & Ends: Batum, Kaman, Ewing, Elson, Heat

March 14th, 2012 at 2:40pm CST by Luke Adams

A few odds and ends from around the league, with less than 24 hours until the 2012 trade deadline:

The Kings inquired on Nicolas Batum, tweets Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. However, multiple reports have suggested the Blazers have no intentions of trading Batum.
If a second-round pick is all it takes to acquire Chris Kaman, expect the Pacers to make another run, says Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star (via Twitter). I had the same thought when I saw Chris Broussard's update on Kaman today — Indiana is the only team in the league that could take Kaman's salary without sending players back, and parting with a second-rounder wouldn't affect the team's long-term plan.
Patrick Ewing may have some interest in the Knicks' full-time coaching job, tweets Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.
Francisco Elson has been in touch with the Heat, but Miami isn't interested in working him out yet, tweets Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida. The Heat could make a move for Elson after the trade and buyout deadlines.
The Heat likely won't make a move at the deadline, but players will still be relieved when it passes, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Wizards players talked to both Michael Lee of the Washington Post and Derek Page of HoopsWorld about the distraction of the impending deadline.

Amico On Mbah a Moute, Sessions, Jamison, Ellis

March 14th, 2012 at 2:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio chatted with fans about trade topics this afternoon. Here are a few of the highlights:

Plenty of teams "love" Luc Mbah a Moute and are calling the Bucks about him.
The Cavaliers continue to be aggressive in their pursuit of draft picks, and Amico expects them to land a first-rounder, possibly for Ramon Sessions.
Antawn Jamison isn't drawing a ton of interest, and still appears likely to remain in Cleveland.
Addressing the rumored three-team deal involving the Cavs, Lakers, and Rockets, Amico says he heard one of the three teams told the other two, "Let me get back to you on that" and talks haven't progressed since then.
Amico thinks it would make more sense for the Hornets to amnesty Emeka Okafor than to trade him to the Cavs with a first-round pick, as was rumored. I can see the league-owned Hornets preferring to avoid the amnesty clause as long as the ownership situation is in flux though.
The Lakers, Hornets, Hawks, and perhaps the Bobcats are among the teams with whom the Cavs have had "long discussions."
The Bucks have "absolutely zero interest" in flipping Monta Ellis to another team.

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.

Amick’s Latest: Jennings, Evans, Knicks, Jackson

March 14th, 2012 at 9:31am CST by Luke Adams

Sam Amick of SI.com explores a few trade deadline topics in his latest column. Here are the highlights:

The Bucks have taken Brandon Jennings off the trade block, as we heard yesterday, telling Jennings' camp that he remains part of the team's future plans. Before Milwaukee made Jennings unavailable, the Hornets were interested in acquiring the young point guard to pair him with Eric Gordon.
Before they dealt Monta Ellis to Milwaukee, the Warriors made multiple inquiries on Tyreke Evans. Golden State was prepared to discuss a deal that would've sent Ellis to the Kings, says Amick.
Following up on reports of turmoil in New York, Amick hears divided opinions from sources close to the situation — some feel a coaching change is necessary for the Knicks, while others feel the onus is on Carmelo Anthony to adjust to Mike D'Antoni's system. Sources close to Jerry Sloan tell Amick that the former Jazz coach may be interested in coaching the Knicks if the position opens up.
Traded players have 48 hours to report to their new teams and pass physicals, which means the Warriors may not have much of a window if they hope to flip Stephen Jackson to another team before the deadline.
Amick also had a Dwight Howard update, which we covered here.

Pacific Rumors: Gasol, Kaman, Evans, Kings

March 13th, 2012 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

Let's head west and check in on the latest rumors out of the Pacific Division….

A league source tells Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld that the biggest obstacle for a Pau Gasol trade is that not many owners would take on that sort of salary for one player. Owing about $20MM annually to a single player is scary for any team not in a major market, adds Kyler (Twitter links).
According to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News, if they were to trade Chris Kaman to the Warriors, the Hornets would want to acquire Ekpe Udoh as part of the deal. A recent report suggested the Hornets may be interested in extending Kaman, but Deveney considers that a smoke screen.
In a column yesterday for SI.com, Sam Amick hinted that Tyreke Evans may not be in the Kings' long-term plans, and that the team could eventually field trade offers for him. If Sacramento reaches that point, don't expect the Cavs to be interested, says Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter).
Speaking of Sacramento, if you have a few million dollars burning a hole in your pocket, perhaps you'd be interested in owning a portion of the Kings. Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee reports that a 7% minority share of the team will be auctioned off due to Bob Cook's personal bankruptcy.

Magic, Warriors, Hornets Discussing Ellis Deal

March 12th, 2012 at 6:13pm CST by Luke Adams

6:13pm: According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, Golden State has moved away from talks of a three-team deal that would send Monta Ellis to Orlando. In a tweet, Stein says the Warriors are far more interested in assembling a package to offer Milwaukee for Andrew Bogut. Stein went on to say that the Warriors would be unwilling to part with Ellis, even if it meant getting rid of Andris Biedrins' contract, one of the worst in the league. According to an ESPN report by both Stein and Chris Broussard, the Magic will continue to spend the next 48 hours seeking various options on how they can add an enticing player to keep Dwight Howard happy. If they can't make a splash, they'll then spend the last 24 hours before the deadline looking at all their trade options.

1:57pm: The Magic, Hornets, and Warriors are discussing a three-way trade that would send Monta Ellis to Orlando, multiple league sources tell Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com. According to Rudolph, Warriors players being discussed include Ellis, Andris Biedrins, and Dorell Wright, while Magic players mentioned include Ryan Anderson, J.J. Redick, Hedo Turkoglu, Quentin Richardson, and Daniel Orton. Taking into account the Warriors' reported interest in Chris Kaman, the Hornets' involvement likely means Kaman would be going to Golden State if a deal was reached.

Although nothing is imminent, talks are ongoing, says Rudolph. I'd be surprised to see the three clubs work out an agreement, given all the moving parts involved, not to mention the presence of the league-owned Hornets — with David Stern still acting as the team's de facto owner, he'll have the opportunity to turn down any trade he doesn't feel benefits the team.

Reports in recent weeks have also indicated that the Warriors aren't looking to move Ellis unless they can acquire Dwight Howard. So it would be unexpected to see them move the Western Conference player of the week to Orlando for non-Howard assets. As Sam Amick of SI.com tweets, Joe Lacob seems unlikely to help the Magic keep Howard, since the Warriors owner covets the star center himself.