Amico On Mbah a Moute, Sessions, Jamison, Ellis
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
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
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
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
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.
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.
Aldridge On Howard, Kaman, Crawford, Nash
In the latest installment of his weekly NBA.com column, David Aldridge runs through the notable names on the trade market, including the big fish, Dwight Howard. While Aldridge doesn't have any new updates for today's round of Howard rumors, the NBA.com scribe thinks the Magic will end up dealing D12 by Thursday's deadline. Aldridge predicts an offer of Brook Lopez, MarShon Brooks, and multiple first-round picks from the Nets will be the best deal Orlando sees this week.
Here are a few more items of interest from Aldridge's piece:
- The Hornets are "determined" to move Chris Kaman by the deadline. There's no clear frontrunner, but Aldridge says not to rule out the Hawks or Mavericks.
- Alridge hears from a source that the Bobcats and Trail Blazers could be discussing idea involving Jamal Crawford and D.J. Augustin.
- Asked about his situation with the Suns, Steve Nash said that perhaps the team will have a change of heart on its stance this week, but "I don't feel like it's my place right now to kind of ask to be traded."
Rubio Out For The Year With Torn ACL
Wolves point guard Ricky Rubio is out for the year after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in last night's loss to the Lakers. The injury shakes up one of the teams most prominent in trade rumors, with Thursday's trade deadline just five days away.
Rubio, a rookie, became the starting point guard for the Wolves this year, helping lift the team that finished last season with the league's worst record to a 21-20 mark, good for ninth in the Western Conference. He was averaging 10.6 PPG and 8.2 APG, and was third in the NBA with 2.2 steals a game. He was the fifth pick in the 2009 draft, but spent two years playing overseas before signing a four-year rookie scale contract with Minnesota this past offseason that guarantees him $7.22MM this season and next.
The Wolves had been in the market for a shooting guard, and could be even more motivated to find one if they move Luke Ridnour, who had been starting at two guard, back to his natural position at the point. Michael Beasley, a forward and former No. 2 overall pick who hasn't seen much playing time, could be the most useful asset in a trade, and was drawing interest prior to Rubio's injury.
NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper notes via Twitter that the Hornets own the Wolves' first-round pick this year, so if Minnesota falters without Rubio, New Orleans stands to gain. The injury's six-to-nine month recovery time will also keep him from playing for Spain in this year's summer Olympics, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated broke the story via Twitter, while Zgoda followed with detail in a full story.
Odds & Ends: Bogut, Rondo, Blatche
The talk of a 10-game night across the association has been about the health of two point guards whose absence could alter the plans of a pair of teams rumored to be among the most active nearing Thursday's trade deadline. Ricky Rubio of the Wolves tweeted that he'll receive an MRI on his left knee, which he hurt in his team's loss to the Lakers tonight. The team fears he has a torn ACL, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Meanwhile, Kyle Lowry of the Rockets was hospitalized with a fever and abdominal distress, HoopsWorld reports. Here's what's happening elsewhere:
- Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel examines the trade candidacy of Bucks center Andrew Bogut. Bogut's agent David Bauman said there are several teams interested in talking to Bucks GM John Hammond about his client.
- Rajon Rondo appears to be conflicted about how trades might affect the chemistry of the Celtics. Rajon Rondo, who saw best friend Kendrick Perkins dealt away at the deadline last year, told Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston he doesn't care about what a trade would do to the team's chemistry this year. Yet, to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com, Rondo said, "You can't get chemistry if you bring in new guys."
- Jason Kidd came close to joining a team that had just won the title when he thought about joining the Spurs in 2003, so he sympathizes with Lamar Odom, who arrived via trade to join this year's defending champs, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. For the record, Mavs coach Rick Carlisle told the Galloway & Company radio show today that the uproar concerning Odom has come and gone.
- Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld looks at the Grizzlies' early-season acquisition of Marreese Speights from the Sixers and wonders if that will wind up being the most effective deal of the year.
- Both John Reid of the New Orleans Times Picayune and Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com tweeted to note the progress of Lance Thomas, who signed with New Orleans for the rest of the season last month after the team gave him two 10-day contracts.
- The Wizards are willing to move anyone on the roster not named John Wall if another team will take Andray Blatche off their hands, tweets Michael Lee of The Washington Post.
- Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group notes the Warriors' lease in Oakland is up in 2017, and checks in with the progress of potential sites for a new home in Oakland and San Francisco. Venturing a guess, Kawakami has the San Francisco site as the most likely destination at this point.
- Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld proposes the Celtics as a potential destination for JaVale McGee, for whom the Wizards are reportly listening to offers.
- The Knicks starting lineup is in flux, and Newsday's Anthony Rieber takes a look at the quick changes engineered by coach Mike D'Antoni.
- Jeremy Evans' minimum salary contract expires at season's end, so time is running out for him to prove he can do more than win a dunk contest. Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune notes how his theatrics during All-Star weekend haven't earned him any extra minutes with the Jazz.
- Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press passed along Pau Gasol's kind words about Kevin Love, two players who could be Wolves teammates if a rumored Gasol/Michael Beasley swap takes place, Richardson notes. "He's got a will and determination to go after every ball," Gasol said of Love. "Even though he's a little undersized and lost some weight, he's still a powerful player and playing at a high level. I'm definitely impressed with him."
- With Richard Hamilton and Luol Deng ailing, it's been hard for Bulls GM Gar Forman to get a true handle on how effective his team really is, writes Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times. Forman must balance the team's current needs with its capability for long-term success, Hayes says.
- Bill Simmons of Grantland.com came out with his annual trade value column today in two parts, ranking the top 50 player assets across the league. The Heat's LeBron James is No. 1, meaning he'd be the player who would command the most in any trade, though James isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
- GM Sam Presti and the Thunder provide the small-market blueprint for Cavs GM Chris Grant, writes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
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.