Knicks Tried To Trade Amare Stoudemire
Amare Stoudemire is set to return to action for the Knicks, but Howard Beck of the New York Times writes that the big man could have easily been shipped elsewhere prior to the start of this season. The player once viewed as one of the team’s cornerstones was offered up to nearly every team in the league and was “available for free”, according to one rival executive.
In February, the Knicks wanted to send Stoudemire to Toronto in a deal for Andrea Bargnani, according to a person briefed on the discussion. However, that proposal was vetoed by Garden chairman James Dolan before it ever reached the Raptors. Unsurprisingly, Toronto officials told Beck that the club wouldn’t have made that deal anyway. Before that, the Knicks tried to package Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler in a trade with the Magic for Dwight Howard.
The Knicks couldn’t find a taker for Stoudemire because of his diminished production, health concerns, and massive contract, which pays him $65MM through 2014/15. The deal is uninsured against a career-ending knee injury, despite the big man’s injury history.
Trade Rumors: Gasol, Hawks, Bucks, Bobcats
The trade deadline is two months and one day away, and we'll be hearing a lot about trade candidates in the coming weeks. HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler provides an update on a few teams and players we're likely to hear more about soon.
- While Kyler believes it's "inevitable" the Lakers will trade Pau Gasol, he doesn't think there's much of a market for him, having heard there are only three or four teams in the mix. No one is offering a "home run" deal, and trading Gasol now would mean selling low. The Lakers would like to swap Gasol for a pair of players on less lucrative deals who would be better fits, but no such deal is out there at the moment. L.A. has a full roster with 15 players, and the team would like to open up a spot. Kyler speculates that the Lakers could move Jordan Hill, Devin Ebanks, Darius Morris or Darius Johnson-Odom for a second-round pick or a backup point guard.
- The Hawks want to trade some of their expiring contracts for a player who can help the team this season, but they won't make a deal unless it's an obvious win. They still want to have enough cap space to fit Dwight Howard or Chris Paul on the team, and with only about $18.5MM in commitments for next season, not including cap holds for free agents like Josh Smith, whom they're optimistic about re-signing and, according to Kyler, not planning to trade. The Hawks could probably add a player who helps now while maintaining enough flexibility this summer.
- We heard yesterday that the Bucks have told Brandon Jennings they'll match any offer he'll get in restricted free agency. That makes Monta Ellis the more likely to be traded among the team's pair of backcourt aces, but Kyler hears that there are teams with interest in both. If Milwaukee elects to hang on to Jennings and Ellis, it isn't worried about losing either in free agency.
- Everyone on the Bobcats is available in a trade, a source tells Kyler. That's not a shock, considering the team has lost 13 in a row, but Kyler cautions that Gerald Henderson probably won't be dealt unless it's as part of a package with others.
- While the Magic are open to sending J.J. Redick away in a deal that offloads other contracts, the team doesn't want to let him go, as GM Rob Hennigan and the revamped front office has become more fond of the veteran two-guard than they were at the beginning of the season.
- Kyler believes the Raptors must trade Jose Calderon to recoup value for him before he becomes a free agent next summer, and while it seems like Andrea Bargnani is headed out of Toronto, too, uncertainty about GM Bryan Colangelo's future is complicating potential deals.
- If the Jazz remain in the playoff picture, a deal is less likely, but if not, Utah will look to unload one of its big men for draft picks and players on rookie contracts.
Magic Rumors: Redick, Davis, Buyouts
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel hears from scouts who say J.J. Redick is the Magic's best trade chip, but Schmitz doesn't think the team can get fair value back for him, and urges the Magic to re-sign him this summer, given his commitment to the club. The Sentinel columnist also passes along a few noteworthy rumors, and we'll round them up here.
- Redick tells David Baumann of Sports Talk Florida that he wouldn't be "blindsided" by a trade, though the team is reportedly in no rush to deal him (hat tip to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld). Redick also points out that since he's on a three-year deal, he's ineligible to sign an extension this season.
Earlier updates:
- Redick said that he and his wife love Orlando and that he remains committed to the team "as long as we're going the way we're going," which Schmitz interprets to mean that Redick is satisfied as long as the team is taking the necessary steps toward contention. Still, Redick said he'd have to "weigh" playing for a team already in the title picture if such a club makes him the right offer in free agency.
- The effect of last night's shoulder injury notwithstanding, scouts have told Schmitz that the improvement of Glen Davis has made Big Baby a more intriguing trade target. Davis is in the second year of a four-year, $25.7MM deal, but the 26-year-old is averaging career highs in nearly every category. A Davis trade would hurt the team now, Schmitz argues, but help the Magic down the road.
- The Magic aren't opposed to buyouts, according to Schmitz. Still, they're already on the hook for more than $4.56MM to three players — Quentin Richardson, Christian Eyenga and Justin Harper — who are no longer on the roster. My guess is that the Magic might be looking more closely at buyouts for Hedo Turkoglu and Al Harrington next summer, when their contracts become partially guaranteed, but that's just my speculation.
Odds & Ends: Kings, Van Gundy, Howard, Louisville
The Kings, currently 7-17, will be a team to watch as the season progresses. Yesterday, there were some contradictory reports as to whether the team would deal Tyreke Evans, who will be a restricted free agent this offseason. Earlier this month, we heard that DeMarcus Cousins, despite his third-year struggles, will not be made available. Asked about the possibility of the Celtics acquiring Evans and/or Cousins today, CSNNE's A. Sherrod Blakely tweeted that while the talented duo isn't yet available, that will likely change.
Here are some other odds and ends from around the League:
- Stan Van Gundy talks about his grievances with commissioner David Stern, his disagreements with the Magic front office, and his continued communication with Dwight Howard, among other topics, with Stefan Fatsis, Josh Levin, and Mike Pesca on Slate's Hang Up and Listen podcast.
- Speaking of Howard, the Lakers center will be a free agent next summer. But HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler gave an emphatic "no" when asked on Twitter whether Howard would entertain a return to the Magic.
- Writing for Forbes, Darren Heitner says that although the idea has initially been met with skepticism, Louisville should be near the top of the list for the next city to get an NBA team. Using the highly profitable University of Louisville basketball program as an example, Heitner says that Louisville is a "basketball city in a basketball state."
Magic Won’t Rush To Trade Redick
It would surprise no one if J.J. Redick were moved before the February trade deadline, but there's no urgency on the part of the Magic, a source tells Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (on Twitter). Many have speculated that the Magic will move the 28-year-old guard as the club isn't likely to contend in the next couple of years.
After a rough 5-10 start, Orlando has gone 6-3 and would like to stay competitive for as long as they can this season. If Redick is moved, it will be for a younger talent and/or a draft pick, acqusitions that won't help in the short-term. Also, the potential suitors for Redick aren't anywhere near making their best offer. The likeliest trade partners include the Bulls, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Bucks, and Jazz.
The Bulls were interested in Redick as a free agent and Memphis is said to have expressed recent interest in him. Bucher hasn't heard directly that Minnesota, Milwaukee, and Utah have talked to Orlando, but he writes that Redick fits their systems and/or fills a need.
Recently, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld opined that he didn't see a Redick deal as likely because the guard fits with the culture that the Magic are trying to establish. Redick is in the final season of a three-year, $20.19MM contract.
Al Harrington Not Considering Retirement
Earlier today it was reported that Magic forward Al Harrington was thinking about calling it a career thanks to complications from knee surgery. However, the veteran took to Twitter tonight to make it known that he has no plans to retire.
“The report that I’m considering Retirement is completely False and has absolutely no Truth to the article that’s being circulated!,” Harrington tweeted (sic).
Harrington has missed the entire season to date thanks to a staph infection that developed in his knee following surgery. Last week, it was reported that the 32-year-old planned on returning to action before the trade deadline in February and hoped to play for five more years. The big man is making $6.687MM this year and has two half-guaranteed seasons remaining on his deal for roughly $14.7MM. For his career, Harrington has averaged 13.8 PPG with 5.7 RPG over 14 years in the league.
Al Harrington Likely Out For The Year, May Retire
Magic power forward Al Harrington has been out all season recovering from a staph infection in his right knee, and Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld hears that he probably won't play this season and is considering retirement because of the knee issue (Twitter link). Harrington underwent routine arthroscopic surgery in May to repair torn meniscus cartilege in the knee, and was expected to return to the court within six weeks, as Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel documented last month. Instead, he began feeling sick two days after the procedure, and has since undergone four more surgeries. He's considering suing the doctors who performed the original surgery, Kyler tweets.
Just last week, Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel reported that Harrington was intent on returning before the February 21st trade deadline, and had expressed a desire to play five more seasons. Kyler notes that the latest news about Harrington hasn't been confirmed by the team or Harrington himself (Twitter link). The Magic acquired the 32-year-old power forward as part of the Dwight Howard trade this summer. Harrington is making $6.687MM this year and has two seasons and more than $14.7MM left on his deal through 2015, though the final two years are only 50% guaranteed.
If Harrington retires, the Magic may be ineligible to apply to have Harrington's salary taken off their books, as teams can do in cases of medical retirement, because the infection first occurred while he was still a member of the Nuggets. The same could be true if the Magic try to pursue a disabled player exception, which would allow them to sign a replacement for Harrington at 50% of his salary this season if he is to miss the entire year. It would be up to the league to determine whether the severity of the issue was known, or should have been known, at the time of the trade.
Southeast Notes: Magic, Redick, Heat, Harkless
All five teams in the Southeast will be in action tonight and among tonight's games is a intradivisional grudge match between the Heat and the Wizards. As you recall, the lowly Wizards topped the Heat 105-101 on December 4th despite 26 points, 11 assists and 13 rebounds from LeBron James. Here's a look at the Southeast as we wait to see if tonight could bring us another upset..
- Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) looks at five good players on struggling teams who deserve chances to prove themselves with winning clubs. J.J. Redick of the Magic and Nene Hilario of the Wizards both made the list. Haberstroh suggests that the Magic should give Redick more playing time in order to audition him and sees the Grizzlies as a strong fit for him.
- While some have worried that the most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement will lead to the breakup of the Heat in 2014, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel doesn't see it that way. Winderman argues that the complexion of the NBA will change over the next couple of years and teams will rely even more heavily on minimum-salaried players. The Heat could theoretically get by with the big three plus an entire supporting cast of vets making the minimum.
- The Magic made it clear that they are committed to the future when they made the decision to keep rookie small forward Maurice Harkless in the starting lineup, writes Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. Hedo Turkoglu, 34, could reclaim the spot when he returns from injury, but Schmitz would rather see Orlando stick with the rookie.
Dwight Howard Discusses Magic, Health, Future
T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times has a new feature story on Lakers center Dwight Howard. In it, Howard opens up about his messy departure from the Magic, his health, the Lakers' current struggles, and his future as a free agent this summer.
On his decision to leave the Magic and the criticism he faced:
"I remember making appearances in Orlando and families asking me to stay and sitting there trying not to cry," he says.
He says he watched LeBron leave Cleveland and knew what was coming. "I saw people burning his jersey and I'm thinking I don't want to hurt these people like that. But at the same time I had everyone telling me what I should do.
"People don't understand," he says. "Yeah, I'm this big guy, but I also have a big heart. All I wanted to do was put Orlando on the map, but then I see all this stuff being written; I had to stop reading Twitter and doing Facebook. It was bad for my soul.
"And here I am shouting for God to help me knowing the teacher sometimes remains quiet. I guess it was a test."
On his current health after April back surgery:
"I get so tired running," he says. "I look like I'm in shape, but I'm not. My friends are used to seeing me run for 40 minutes without a problem."
On his relationship with Kobe Bryant:
"Why can't we coexist?" he asks. "Because we're opposites? I thought opposites attract.
"You know why we can play well together? Kobe knows how hard I work and that I'm all about championships. We're also entertainers, and for the two hours and 20 minutes that people come to a game they want to be entertained."
So could you yell a little more at Kobe to really make it entertaining?
"We've already had our moments," he says.
On his future:
Howard will be a free agent at the end of this season. I ask him if he knows now where he will be playing next year, and he says, "I know."
I suggest that means the Lakers because he could not know of any other opportunity at this time. But I still make a pitch for the Clippers, figuring he might want to play for the best team in town.
He laughs, and when I suggest that some opine if this season falls apart it will convince him to leave, he says that's not the case.
He says the Lakers are all about championships, and "what's not to like about L.A.?"
Magic Rumors: Harrington, Turkoglu, Nicholson
The Magic finished off a five-game West Coast road trip having gone 3-2, with impressive victories against the Lakers and Warriors. Orlando is 8-12, not too shabby for a team that was supposed to go into full-scale rebuilding following the Dwight Howard trade this summer. There are a few items of interest as the Magic prepare to play host to the Hawks tomorrow, most of them courtesy of Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.
- Power forward Al Harrington hasn't played a game yet for the Magic as he recovers from a staph infection in his right knee, but he insists he'll be back before the February 21st trade deadline. Harrington acknowledges his Magic tenure could be a brief one, since he's rumored to be on the trading block, and Schmitz notes that Harrington is holding off on buying a house in Central Florida.
- Harrington, 32, is in his 15th NBA season, but isn't considering hanging it up soon, saying he wants to make it through 20 seasons.
- While Harrington said he has a target date for his return, but wouldn't reveal it, Hedo Turkoglu doesn't know when he'll be back from a broken left hand suffered in the season opener.
- John Denton of Magic.com chronicles the development of rookie power forward Andrew Nicholson, the 19th pick in this year's draft.