Trade Candidate: Ramon Sessions
Following a 2010/11 campaign that saw him set career highs in FG% (.466) and PPG (13.3), among other categories, Ramon Sessions finds himself back in a familiar situation this season. Two years removed from playing behind lottery pick Jonny Flynn in Minnesota, Sessions has been relegated to backup point guard duty behind first overall pick Kyrie Irving in Cleveland.
With Irving clearly the point guard of the future for the Cavaliers, and Sessions playing in what could be the final year of his contract (he holds a $4.55MM player option for next season), it was only a matter of time before the 25-year-old's name surfaced in trade rumors. The Lakers and Knicks have been linked to Sessions so far, with reports suggesting the Cavs are fielding plenty of other calls about the point guard's availability.
The Cavs haven't indicated they want to move Sessions, and there's no guarantee they'll become sellers if they're in contention for the playoffs. But let's assume they're listening to offers. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reported that Cleveland is interested in stockpiling draft picks in any deals, and I assume cap room is a concern as well. If that's the case, the Lakers make more sense as a trade partner than the Knicks. Without sending any salary back to Cleveland, Los Angeles could easily absorb Sessions' $4.26MM salary using part of the $8.9MM trade exception it acquired in the Lamar Odom deal. Other teams that could use a trade exception on Sessions include the Jazz, Nuggets, Magic, and Mavericks, but none of those clubs have as great a need as the Lakers.
The Lakers currently hold two first-round picks in this year's draft, having acquired the Mavericks' first-rounder in the Odom trade. I think it's unlikely they'd want to move either pick for Sessions, given the strength of this year's draft class. Perhaps holding two first-rounders this year would make them more willing to give up a future selection, though that could limit their trade flexibility going forward.
Given the injuries and general lack of production at their point guard spot this year, the Lakers will likely explore a wide range of trade options before March 15th. They could choose to use their trade exception and draft picks on a larger deal, but acquiring Sessions would make a lot of sense. I could see both sides eventually agreeing to a trade that sends Sessions from Cleveland to L.A. in exchange for a protected first-rounder.
Atlantic Notes: Bogans, Pietrus, Raptors, D’Antoni
Let's round up a few Thursday morning items out of the Atlantic division….
- Keith Bogans is at a loss trying to explain why he was out of work so long, says Fred Kerber of the New York Post. The newest Net told Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger that he's been "sitting at home for a month and a half, going crazy." Bogans, who signed with New Jersey yesterday, will received a guaranteed pro-rated portion of the veteran's minimum.
- Mickael Pietrus talked last night about his decision to sign with the Celtics, and Ben Rohrbach has the quotes at WEEI.com: "To be honest with you, the reason I came to the Celtics is because of coach Rivers and KG…. [Kevin Garnett] makes everybody play hard. I was like, that’s going to be a good fit for me to play with the man."
- Raptors GM Brian Colangelo put in some face time with top draft pick Jonas Valanciunas for the first time since last summer, as Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun writes. Following the visit, Colangelo said everyone "is certainly on the same page."
- There are strong indications that Mike D'Antoni will keep his job past Super Bowl Sunday, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. There's some hope that a healthier and rejuvenated Knicks squad can still turn things around.
Odds & Ends: Hughes, Smith, Martin, James
Here are a few miscellaneous tidbits from around the league…
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports (via Twitter) that the Magic have waived guard Larry Hughes. The 33-year-old guard had played in eight games for the Magic this season.
- Marc Berman of the NY Post reports that J.R. Smith and Kenyon Martin are on the Knicks radar. The Knicks will have to wait until Smith and Martin are no longer obligated to their respective teams in China to be able to make an official offer. New York still possesses a 2.5MM mini mid-level exception and will have to waive one player to make room for any free agent addition this season.
- Mike James was waived by the Chicago Bulls after appearing in three games. The 36-year-old point guard has been looking to work his way back into the league and had earned a call-up by the Bulls after three games in the NBA D-League. The Bulls roster now stands at 13.
Knicks May Target Ramon Sessions
With the New York Knicks struggling to find consistent play from the point guard position and the uncertainty of Baron Davis' health, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes that the team could look to explore a trade for Ramon Sessions of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Although he is shooting 35% from the field and 33% from 3 PT range, Sessions has been averaging 9.0 PPG and 4.6 APG in 22 minutes off of the bench. When asked specifically about the team's interest in the Cavs guard, head Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni appeared open to the idea: "I’m sure it would be thoroughly discussed and looked at. Whatever will make our team better we’ll do it."
The fifth-year guard has the ability to opt out of his contract and become a free agent at the end of this season. Sessions, who is currently the backup point guard to rookie Kyrie Irving, had shown previous interest in joining the Knicks as a free agent before landing with the Timberwolves in 2009.
Kenyon Martin Decision Expected This Week
Kenyon Martin is expected to make a decision on where he'll sign by this weekend, reports Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports. Spears mentions that the Lakers, Clippers, Heat, Spurs, Hawks, and Knicks have expressed interest in adding Martin, though it's not clear if Martin's choices are limited to those teams or if others could get involved. For his part, the former first overall pick would like to sign with a winning team that can offer him consistent minutes.
Martin signed with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in China during the lockout, but reached an agreement on a buyout in December. Although the 34-year-old was bought out before the American season got underway, he can't officially sign with an NBA team until the Flying Tigers' season ends, which could happen as soon as February 16th. If the Tigers make the CBA postseason, however, Martin would be in for a longer wait. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com points out (via Twitter) that Xinjiang is currently a half-game out of the playoff race.
While the Clippers, Spurs, Hawks, and Knicks all retain some form of exception they could put toward Martin, none of those teams appear to have the full MLE, a pro-rated portion of $5MM, available. Still, they can offer more than the Lakers or Heat, who have already used their mini MLEs, as I outlined yesterday. The Lakers acquired an $8.9MM trade exception when they dealt Lamar Odom to Dallas, but it can't be used on a free agent signing. If Martin were to sign with the Lakers or Heat, it would have to be for the veteran's minimum.
If Martin decides to sign elsewhere, the Lakers may have some interest in Rasheed Wallace, according to Spears. Wallace, who officially retired in 2010, is said to be considering a comeback.
Thorn: 76ers Didn’t Inquire On Amare Stoudemire
TUESDAY, 8:17am: Sixers team president Rod Thorn told Tom Moore of Phillyburbs.com that there's no truth whatsoever to the report that Philadelphia inquired on Stoudemire. "Neither team made an inquiry," said Thorn. John N. Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer also hears from a source that there have been no talks, "preliminary or otherwise," between the two sides for Stoudemire.
MONDAY, 3:47pm: The 76ers have inquired on Amare Stoudemire's availability, John Finger of CSNPhilly.com reported yesterday. Finger cautions that it was likely just due diligence on the Sixers' part, as there's no indication talks advanced past the early stages.
Stoudemire doesn't appear to be a particularly desirable trade target at the moment. The 29-year-old, who has a history of knee problems, was slowed by an ankle injury earlier this season, and has struggled to find his usual scoring touch. His 17.7 PPG and .428 FG% are down from his career averages of 21.8 and .533. On top of that, he's owed approximately $80MM through 2015.
I'd guess the Sixers placed a call to the Knicks to see if a buy-low opportunity might present itself in the coming weeks. With over two-thirds of the season still to play, I don't expect to see the Knicks considering any blockbuster deals involving Stoudemire just yet.
For the rest of today's Knicks notes, click here.
Anthony Says Team Backs D’Antoni
The 7-13 start by the Knicks, who've lost nine of 10, has coach Mike D'Antoni on the hot seat. Carmelo Anthony says none of that pressure is coming from the locker room.
Anthony says he and his teammates haven't tuned D'Antoni out, according to Ian Begley of ESPN New York.
"Anytime teams are losing, that's the first thing that comes to mind, the coach. But we don't talk about that," Anthony said. "We support Mike 100%. He's here with us, we're here with him, and we're going to roll with that."
Effective up-tempo offense has long been D'Antoni's calling card, but the team ranked 24th in offensive efficiency entering Monday.
Stephen A. Smith of ESPN.com painted a grim picture of D'Antoni's future in a story earlier on Monday.
Knicks Notes: D’Antoni, Davis, Martin
A brief glance at the Knicks' and Nuggets' spots in the standings suggests the acquisition of Carmelo Anthony is looking worse than ever for New York. However, there's still some hope for Knicks fans, writes Jan Hubbard of SheridanHoops, who notes that historically blockbuster trades have worked out for the team getting the star in the deal. As New York tries to turn its season around, here are a few Knicks-related links to start the week:
- Heads figure to roll in New York sooner rather than later, writes Stephen A. Smith of ESPN. Smith expects Mike D'Antoni to be replaced as the team's coach "eventually, but inevitably."
- The silence from owner James Dolan regarding D'Antoni is ominous, agrees Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
- The Knicks would like to see what Baron Davis can give them, since it may affect their interest level in Kenyon Martin, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. New York is one of five teams "in consideration" for Martin, who could be NBA-eligible within a month or so.
- In a separate New York Post piece, Berman wonders if D'Antoni will at least get a chance to coach a healthy Davis. Berman expects the defensive-minded Mike Woodson to get the call if D'Antoni is fired, and points out that GM Glen Grunwald's future "is as uncertain as D'Antoni's."