Orlando Magic Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Dwight Howard Rumors: Saturday

March 10th, 2012 at 5:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Just a handful of days remain until Thursday's trade deadline, so we'll know soon where Dwight Howard will be for at least the next few months. Earlier today we heard that the Nets were looking at backup plans if they don't get Howard at the deadline, and its inevitable that most of D12's suitors will come away from their pursuit empty-handed. One team, though, will have him on the roster come Friday. We'll pass along any clues about which team that will be here, with the latest stuff on top:

Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel takes a close look at the assets the Nets have to entice the Magic into a Howard trade. Brook Lopez, MarShon Brooks and the Nets' draft picks all come with uncertainty, Robbins says.

Ganter On Howard, Smith, Rondo

March 9th, 2012 at 8:34pm CST by Chuck Myron

Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun conducted an in-house interview of fellow writer Mike Ganter, who held forth on a number of trade-related topics. (Video link) Here's what Ganter is hearing as the deadline draws near:

Ganter believes there's no way the Magic can get fair value for Dwight Howard, and predicts they'll hold on to the big man at the deadline.
Josh Smith tops the list of stars likely to be dealt. Smith has wanted out of Atlanta for a while, and is irked the Hawks didn't do more to promote his case to make the All-Star team this year.
What the Nuggets got in the Carmelo Anthony was a "once in a lifetime" haul, and teams shouldn't expect to approach that as they look to unload superstars.
The Celtics may break up their team, but don't expect Rajon Rondo to be going anywhere.

Dwight Howard Rumors: Friday

March 9th, 2012 at 6:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Ken Berger of CBSSports.com wrote last night that the Magic would seek a Carmelo Anthony-esque haul if they decided to trade Dwight Howard. The teams on Howard's list of preferred destinations may have difficulty putting together such a package, but plenty of other clubs, such as the Hawks, Warriors, and Rockets, are still in the hunt. We'll follow today's Howard rumblings right here, with the latest updates at the top of the page:

The Magic leaked the Thunder's interest in Howard just to let other teams know that a price similar to the package of James Harden and Serge Ibaka is what Orlando is looking for, tweets Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.
Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel tweets that the Magic executives are not at odds over Brook Lopez, who is in the discussion because the Nets are Howard's favored destination. Question remains, however, about whether team CEO Alex Martins or GM Otis Smith has final say on a deal.
Robbins also tweets that the only way Howard would agree to a sign-and-trade is if the team he wants to go to does not have enough cap space for him.
Sam Amick of SI.com shares some Howard updates in his latest column, noting that the Bulls have been "quietly deliberating" a play for D12 all season, but won't pursue him without assurances he'd remain in Chicago. Amick also hears that Magic GM Otis Smith isn't seriously interested in anyone the Warriors could offer for Howard.
Howard's list of teams is becoming somewhat irrelevant at this point, according to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. If the Magic get a serious offer from a team besides the Mavericks, Lakers, or Nets, they're just as likely to pull the trigger as they would be with one of those clubs.
Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel can't see any sort of trade with the Hawks working. He doesn't think Howard would re-sign in Atlanta if dealt there, and he doesn't think the Magic could acquire Josh Smith without giving up Howard — even if they could, he's not sure the presence of Smith convinces D12 to stay in Orlando (Twitter links).
Brian Schmitz of the Sentinel (Twitter link) also doesn't see the Hawks as a fit for Howard, saying the hometown team "offers no allure" for the Atlanta native. He adds that the Magic want Kyle Lowry from the Rockets in any Howard deal.
The Magic talked to the Thunder about Howard, but Oklahoma City balked at giving up James Harden and Serge Ibaka, reports Schmitz (via Twitter). While that's entirely understandable, the idea of Howard playing with Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, even if it's just for two months, is pretty fun, isn't it?
It was reported yesterday that Otis Smith has talked to "all 29 teams" about Howard, but Schmitz tweets that only six to eight are serious — the other GMs just want to tell their owners they've called.

Stein’s Latest: Howard, Turkoglu, Pacers, Kaman

March 9th, 2012 at 2:13pm CST by Luke Adams

This week's installment of Marc Stein's Weekend Dime is up at ESPN.com, so let's dive in and check out Stein's latest rumors….

Amidst talk of a quiet trade deadline, Stein says similar pessimism has preceded flurries of deals in the past. However, there's a league-wide expectation that Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, and Rajon Rondo will stay put.
The Magic continue to pursue non-Howard deals, bringing up Hedo Turkoglu's name frequently. One front office source tells Stein that a team would have to received at least two future first-round picks to take on Turkoglu's contract.
Meanwhile, a Western Conference exec says he doesn't expect Orlando to even consider shopping Howard until deadline day. While that may seem a little too last-minute, the Magic are already aware of most of their trade options, meaning a deal could be worked out quickly, a source tells Stein.
Teams around the league seem to be valuing first-round picks more than ever, particularly 2012 selections, since this year's draft class is expected to be a deep one. A club with cap space like the Pacers could acquire players without sending out any salaries, but Indiana is extremely reluctant to part with its future first-rounders in any such deal.
It still appears that David Stern and the NBA-owned Hornets have no interest in buying out Chris Kaman's contract if the big man isn't traded. If Kaman was bought out and signed with a team like the Heat, he could impact the NBA Finals and further deplete the Chris Paul haul for the Hornets, neither of which would look great for the league.
There has been speculation that the Mavericks could be interested in Kaman in a deal involving Lamar Odom, but Stein says not to expect such a move, noting that Mark Cuban is committed to riding out the season with Odom.
As I speculated earlier, the Wizards are considering moving JaVale McGee on the condition that Andray Blatche is included in the deal as well. While both players have a ton of upside, the pair wouldn't exactly improve any team's chemistry.

Spears On Howard, Bynum, Lowry, Gasol

March 9th, 2012 at 12:14pm CST by Luke Adams

A number of NBA executives are predicting a relatively uneventful trade deadline, and the ones who have spoken to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports echo that sentiment, calling this the quietest deadline in years.

"I'd be surprised if we see a lot of deals," one Western Conference exec told Spears. "In a short season, you can survive another 30 games and start talking trade to teams during the draft lottery."

While we may not see a blockbuster deal by next Thursday, there are still plenty of major trade possibilities out there, and Spears has updates on a few of the bigger names:

The Dwight Howard sweepstakes continue to hold up other trades around the league, as one GM tells Spears: "Everyone has crazy ideas here and there. But teams are reluctant to make a trade until something happens [with Howard]."
The Lakers aren't interested in trading Andrew Bynum unless it nets them Howard.
With the Rockets still unwilling to include Kyle Lowry in a deal for Pau Gasol, Houston would probably need to recruit a third team to send Los Angeles a point guard if they hope to acquire the Spaniard.
No changes on these fronts: The Celtics won't move Rajon Rondo unless they get a star in return, the Suns will only trade Steve Nash if he asks for it, and the Warriors prefer to deal Monta Ellis only if they can acquire Howard.

Bogut Drawing Interest From Several Teams

March 9th, 2012 at 11:13am CST by Luke Adams

11:13am: This is the first time since drafting Bogut that the Bucks aren't immediately turning away trade inquiries, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein. However, Stein says Milwaukee is insisting Jackson is included in any deal, as Woelfel hinted at earlier. The Wizards are one of the teams most interested in Bogut, Stein adds, though a source says "the price is high."

9:00am: Andrew Bogut is still on the shelf with a fractured ankle, but that hasn't stopped teams from showing interest in him. According to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times, a "slew of teams" have discussed the possibility of acquiring the former first overall pick, either internally or with the Bucks.

The Bucks aren't on the verge of making any moves, but have engaged in several trade talks, and appear open to dealing anyone, says Woelfel. He adds that, while Bogut has never publicly expressed a desire to be dealt out of Milwaukee, there are "whispers" that a strained relationship with coach Scott Skiles, along with the team's lack of postseason success, may have the 27-year-old thinking about a change of scenery.

Woelfel names the Magic, Hawks, Celtics, Rockets, Hornets, Wizards, Bobcats, and Warriors as clubs who have some level of interest in Bogut. Some of those teams are more realistic suitors than others, but Woefel points out that Bogut's age and contract make him a potential fit for contenders as well as lottery teams.

The Bucks have a chance to be one of the league's more active teams at the trade deadline — Milwaukee possesses obvious trade candidates such as Beno Udrih and Stephen Jackson, and a less obvious trade candidate in Ersan Ilyasova. Woelfel says that ideally Jackson's contract could be included with Bogut's if the Bucks were to consider dealing their big center, though finding a logical match for their combined $21MM+ salary could be a challenge.

Dwight Howard Rumors: Thursday

March 8th, 2012 at 11:33pm CST by Luke Adams

In their respective trade-rumor columns for ESPN.com and CBSSports.com, Chad Ford and Ken Berger both talked Dwight Howard today. Ford noted that the Magic still aren't looking to field offers for Howard (though he thinks they should), while Berger reports that the Rockets and Warriors maintain interest in acquiring the star center. Here are the rest of today's Howard links:

In a new column posted Thursday night, Berger notes that the Magic are still not hot on the idea of trading Howard, but if they do, they will ask for a substantial return similar to the one Denver received last year for Carmelo Anthony, including multiple young players and draft picks.
Derrick Rose told ESPNChicago.com's Melissa Isaacson that he's grown weary of the Howard-to-the-Bulls speculation, and that he's happy with the team as presently constructed.
HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy hears (via Twitter) that the Magic may consider trading Howard to a team willing to take him on as a rental, rather than one of his preferred teams. Kennedy lists the Rockets and Warriors as teams willing to gamble on him, while also mentioning the possibility that one of these teams could trade for him with the promise that he'd exercise his player option for next year, a la Chris Paul with the Clippers.
In a separate Howard-centric column, Berger says rival executives believe the Magic need to seriously consider moving Howard by next Thursday if they don't get a definitive answer on whether he'll remain in Orlando. "I think they've got to trade him," one rival GM said. "It's a hell of a risk if they don't."
Like everyone else, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News hears the Magic continue to tell teams that Howard isn't on the trade block. However, one source suggests to Deveney that perhaps the stance is a bluff to create some leverage.
Asked today about the possibility of playing for the Bulls, Howard wasn't quite as talkative as the last time he answered the question: "Nah, it's pretty cold here," Howard jokingly told reporters in Chicago, including Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.
SI.com's Ian Thomsen thinks choosing to re-sign in Orlando could be a great career move for Howard. Former Magic star Tracy McGrady also thinks Howard should stay, as he told Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida.

Amico On Lakers, Clippers, Celtics, Magic

March 8th, 2012 at 7:52pm CST by Sean Highkin

Fox Sports Ohio's Sam Amico has posted a rundown of the trade-deadline needs of four teams: the Lakers, Clippers, Celtics, and Magic. Here are the highlights:

Amico believes the Lakers should surrender first-round draft picks for Ramon Sessions to address their point-guard issues, arguing that they will not likely find an equally-skilled player in the draft.
Kirk Hinrich would be the safest bet for the Clippers, with Ray Allen likely costing too much. Amico also mentions Jamal Crawford as a possibility.
Amico points to J.J. Hickson as a potential low-cost trade target who could benefit from being around Kevin Garnett.
Amico says the Magic should do everything in their power to convince Dwight Howard to stay, and trade him only if it becomes clear that is impossible.

Berger On Howard, Pierce, Jackson, Beasley, Nash

March 8th, 2012 at 12:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The latest Postups column from Ken Berger of CBS Sports is packed with interesting deadline notes, so let's dive right in…

While Berger doesn't necessarily predict a quiet deadline, he points to other factors that could contribute to reducing trade activity this season: For potential contenders, the need to roll the dice on a veteran is offset by a strong draft class this summer. Additionally, the amnesty clause gives teams an alternative to trying to offload bad contracts in trades.
The Rockets and Warriors maintain interest in trading for Dwight Howard without assurances that he'd sign long-term. Houston also continues to be "in hot pursuit" of Pau Gasol.
The Celtics are "prepared to entertain offers" on Paul Pierce, but he may be the hardest of Boston's Big Four to move, since he doesn't have an expiring contract like Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, or the youth of Rajon Rondo.
One executive says the Trail Blazers, who have been among the most active teams, need to make major changes.
Rival execs think that the Hawks may deal Kirk Hinrich in the next week.
The Cavaliers are open to absorbing salary in exchange for the right assets.
Stephen Jackson has drawn an "amazing" number of inquiries, though most interested teams would want the Bucks to take on future salary to complete a deal.
The Magic and Nets could look into trading for Michael Beasley, with both teams ultimately sharing the same goal — enticing Dwight Howard by upgrading their rosters at other positions.
Steve Nash is content to remain with the Suns this season, in part because it's not in his nature to ask out and become the bad guy. "He'd like to go and win," a person connected to Nash said. "But he's not prepared to play the Carmelo [Anthony] card." To me, that suggests he'd be a long shot to re-sign in Phoenix at season's end.
Berger also shared an update on Jamal Crawford, which we covered in today's Crawford rumor round-up.

Ford On Rondo, Smith, Kaman, Wallace, Nash

March 8th, 2012 at 12:20pm CST by Luke Adams

While a number of NBA executives are anticipating a quiet trade deadline, the conversations ESPN.com's Chad Ford has had still lead him to believe that significant deals will be made. In an Insider-only piece, Ford listed ten impact players who could be moved, from the most likely (Rajon Rondo) to the least likely (Steve Nash). Here are the highlights from Ford's column:

Even though the Celtics insist they won't trade Rondo, that isn't consistent with what rival GMs are saying after talking to GM Danny Ainge. Ford thinks Ainge would move Rondo if he could get two solid pieces in return.
The Hawks have been exploring potential Josh Smith deals "for years" and would be interested in an offer that nets them a legit point guard and a decent forward.
Chris Kaman has drawn "a lot of interest" from the Warriors, Rockets, and Heat.
The Blazers appear more open to trading Gerald Wallace now than they were at the start of the season. Ford thinks the Magic could make a big push for the 29-year-old forward.
If the Magic hang onto Dwight Howard, the Nets will stay the course with Deron Williams, but a Howard trade anywhere besides New Jersey could force the Nets to explore trade options for Williams.
Ford says it doesn't make much sense for the Suns and Steve Nash not to consider a trade, since Phoenix could end up losing Nash for nothing at season's end anyway.
Monta Ellis, Pau Gasol, and Eric Gordon also cracked Ford's list.