Magic Rumors

J.J. Redick Rumors: Thursday

Based on reports late last night, it sounds like the Magic are still on the fence about whether or not they'll trade J.J. Redick. While the team is clearly fielding offers, Orlando also seems willing to hang on to Redick for the season if no suitable proposals are made. We'll track today's Redick rumors here, with the newest items added throughout the day:

  • The Pacers are out of the running for Redick, tweets ESPN.com's Chris Broussard.
  • The Redick talks are coming "down to the wire" with the Pacers, Sixers, and Bucks still involved, tweets David Aldridge of TNT. The Spurs are out, according to Aldridge.
  • A source involved in the Redick talks now believes there's a strong chance the sharpshooter will remain in Orlando, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.

Earlier updates:

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Knicks Rumors: Deadline, Amundson, Redick

The Knicks' front office typically doesn't talk to the media too often, which leaves coach Mike Woodson to discuss the team's plans as the trade deadline approaches. And Woodson has been insisting this week that a deal isn't likely for the Knicks, who the head coach believes can beat the Heat with the current roster. Here's the latest out of New York from Marc Berman of the New York Post:

  • One source to Berman, on the Knicks' deadline plans: "They’re not even waiting on anything. It’s pretty safe to say they’re not making a deal."
  • The Knicks are more likely to sign a free agent after they wait to see which players receive buyouts. Jermaine O'Neal is one possibility there, and the team also continues to monitor current free agent Kenyon Martin.
  • Contrary to previous reports, Berman says the Knicks have "no interest" in Louis Amundson.
  • A source shot down a previously-reported rumor that the Knicks could explore trading Iman Shumpert and Amare Stoudemire for Josh Smith. No surprise there, since the idea of the Hawks taking on Stoudemire's contract was always pretty outrageous.
  • There's also no traction on talks with the Magic involving J.J. Redick, says Berman. The Knicks would have needed to include a third team, and weren't interested in giving up Shumpert anyway.

Kyler’s Latest: Suns, Redick, Lakers, Novak, Blair

With less than six hours until today's trade deadline, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld explores a few of the latest rumors in his NBA AM piece. Here are the highlights:

  • Besides Jermaine O'Neal, Sebastian Telfair is another candidate to be a roster casualty once the Suns finalize their acquisition of Marcus Morris, says Kyler. If Phoenix trades either player for virtually nothing, the Grizzlies, who have seven trade exceptions and a need to add a 13th man to their roster, could get involved.
  • As they explore J.J. Redick deals, the Magic continue to seek a high-level first-round pick or a package that includes a young player and second-round picks. Several teams have questioned whether it's worth meeting that asking price for what could be a 30-game rental of Redick, according to Kyler.
  • If the Lakers make a trade, it's expected to be one that reduces their luxury-tax bill rather than one that drastically changes the roster.
  • In addition to shopping Ronnie Brewer, the Knicks have also made Steve Novak available. The duo isn't drawing a whole lot of interest though.
  • The Hawks are a potential destination for DeJuan Blair, particularly if Atlanta finalizes a Josh Smith trade.

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

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:

Magic Still Mulling Possible J.J. Redick Deal

11:58pm: Redick prefers either staying in Orlando past the deadline or a trade that sends him to a contender, according to Robbins. He said he and the Magic haven't begun discussions about a new deal, and denied a report that he would seek a four-year, $40MM contract this summer.

11:50pm: Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets that the Spurs also have interest in Redick. The Magic, from the start, have wanted no less than a first-round pick in return, Stein adds.

11:43pm: The Magic remain in discussions about possible deals involving J.J. Redick, but league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports they wouldn't rule out the notion of Redick remaining with Orlando the rest of the season (Twitter link). Though Redick, in his seventh year with the Magic, has become a fixture with the team, the DeVos family, owners of the Magic, won't stand in the way of any deals, as Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel tweets.

Several teams have reportedly sought the sharpshooting Duke product, including the Bucks, Wolves, and Grizzlies, who've all been linked to him just within the last 24 hours. He'll be an unrestricted free agent this summer, so if any team trades for him, it could merely be a rental, though the team would acquire his Bird rights. Still, Redick is frustrated by restrictions in the new CBA he believes are limiting the number of teams willing to take him on, as John Denton of Magic.com notes via Twitter. The Associated Press recently spoke with team officials and agents as they examined the inhibiting effect the CBA is having on trades.

Redick is making $6.19MM in the last season of a three-year deal with the Magic that was originally an offer sheet he signed with the Bulls in 2010. He's scoring 15.2 points per game on 45.4% shooting, both career highs.

Bucks Rumors: Redick, Udoh, Jennings, Dalembert

The Bucks are reportedly one of the teams most determined to make a deal before Thursday's trade deadline, and today has has brought more rumblings from out of Milwaukee, so let's dive right in and check out the latest….

  • Although the Bucks like J.J. Redick, the Magic aren't enamored with anything Milwaukee has offered so far, according to Sam Amick of Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
  • Yesterday's report on trade talks between the two teams suggested that Orlando had extended an offer of Redick for Luc Mbah a Moute and a first-round pick, but Amick and Zillgitt seem to suggest that offer may have come from the Bucks' side. The Magic don't like Mbah a Moute's contract, according to the USA Today report.
  • Ekpe Udoh is also drawing interest around the NBA, according to the USA Today duo.

Earlier updates:

  • Brandon Jennings appears to have moved alongside Larry Sanders and John Henson as the players the Bucks consider "untouchable," according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
  • The Mavericks had been the team most interested in Jennings, but they'd been pessimistic all along about their chances, knowing that the fourth-year guard is the closest thing Milwaukee has to a face of the franchise since the team traded Andrew Bogut a year ago, says Stein.
  • Although Samuel Dalembert was once considered one of the players most likely to be moved this season, the Bucks appear more inclined to keep him (and his expiring contract) after his solid recent play filling in for Sanders, according to Stein.
  • Stein also covers the latest on the Bucks' talks with the Hawks regarding Josh Smith, which we've recapped in our post dedicated to today's Smith rumors.

Wolves Rumors: Kirilenko, Mayo, Mozgov, Redick

Here's the latest on the Timberwolves from Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities….

  • General manager David Kahn isn't convinced he'll be able to make a deal by tomorrow's deadline, but it won't be from lack of trying, says Wolfson. The T-Wolves have made Luke Ridnour, J.J. Barea, Derrick Williams, and Brandon Roy available as they explore trade options.
  • The Wolves have received more calls about Andrei Kirilenko than anyone else, but the club won't move the Russian forward, barring a "too-good-to-be-true offer."
  • Minnesota's top priority is a wing player with size. The team reached out to the Mavericks about O.J. Mayo, but was rebuffed, according to Wolfson.
  • The Wolves like Timofey Mozgov and view him as a good value in free agency this summer, but are unlikely to reach a compromise on a trade with the Nuggets.
  • To acquire J.J. Redick or Avery Bradley, the Wolves would have to give up Williams and a first-round pick, according to Wolfson. That's not happening for Bradley and is very unlikely for Redick.
  • Rick Adelman and the Wolves like Courtney Lee and are keeping an eye on him, but they didn't want to offer four years in free agency last summer, so the contract could bother them.
  • Adelman told season ticket holders that the Wolves' goal is to re-sign Nikola Pekovic this summer. However, some team sources aren't sure Pekovic is worth $11MM annually, and question his ability to stay healthy, says Wolfson.

Grizzlies Pursuing J.J. Redick

With one day remaining until the 2013 trade deadline, the Grizzlies are making a push to land J.J. Redick, according to Chris Vernon of ESPN Radio in Memphis (via Twitter). With the $7.49MM trade exception they acquired when they dealt Rudy Gay, the Grizzlies would be able to absorb Redick's contract without sending out any salary in return.

The Magic have reportedly been seeking young talent and picks for Redick, and the Grizzlies would be hard-pressed to provide either of the two. The team has already committed future first-round picks to the Timberwolves and Cavaliers, so a package of second-round picks, or a first-rounder far down the line, would be all that Memphis could offer. The Magic would also gain a trade exception and some cap relief from a hypothetical deal, but I'd imagine they'll receive better offers for Redick from other suitors.

The Grizzlies are expected to add a player to their roster today or tomorrow using one of their seven trade exceptions to facilitate a deal, as we heard yesterday. The club is currently carrying just 12 players, and will need to add a 13th man soon to adhere to the league's roster requirements. Having moved well below the tax line with their two trades last month, the Grizzlies wouldn't be in danger of going back into the tax this season even if they added a player like Redick, who is earning $6.19MM.

Latest On J.J. Redick, Iman Shumpert

We have a handful of noteworthy links to share on two Eastern Conference shooting guards who have been part of many trade rumors in recent weeks, including one involving a possible swap for each other:

  • Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that J.J. Redick would expect to command a contract offer worth around $40MM over 4 years (according to his agent, Arn Tellem). While Wojnarowski doesn't think Redick will receive that type of deal, he thinks one that pays $7MM annually is realistic. The Pacers, Bucks, Bulls, and Timberwolves have all shown interest in the 6'5 guard, but are unwilling to concede a first-round pick and a young player for what could be a rental. 
  • Wojnarowski feels that the 76ers could be a real possibility as a free agent destination for Redick, taking into account the strong relationship between Redick and Doug Collins' son.
  • Steve Kyler thinks that Redick's time in Orlando could be up soon, as the Magic have been in touch with several teams about the sharpshooting guard's availability as of late. Orlando's asking price for the former Duke star has been relatively steep (an unprotected first round pick), and interested teams have also had to consider that Redick could possibly test the market this summer as an unrestricted free agent. However, Kyler thinks that with the Magic involved in lots of discussions, it's within reason to believe that they could lower their asking price by Thursday. 
  • One player linked to Redick trade rumors has been Knicks guard Iman Shumpert, who Alex Kennedy says has been shopped in order to see if anything else can be had that brings New York closer to title contention. While nothing appears imminent, Kennedy says that the Knicks are clearly weighing their options right now and should be a team to keep an eye out for over the next few days. 

Odds & Ends: Bargnani, Nets, Jennings, Greene

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.