Odds & Ends: Stern, Barbosa, Wallace
In an exciting night of basketball that saw the Raptors notch their third straight victory and the Heat come away with a hard-fought win over the Thunder at home, we tip our proverbial hats to the Spurs, winners of nine in a row. The Hornets were the big surprise of the evening as the squad featured six scorers in double figures in a stunning two-point upset of the Nuggets as they welcomed Eric Gordon back in the lineup. Let's take a look around the league to see what else is happening as the Lakers and Clippers battle for bragging rights (and playoff positioning) at the Staples Center.
- NBA commissioner David Stern spoke with the media on Wednesday and gave praise to the Spurs, Thunder and Jazz for being three model small-market franchises, writes Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake City Tribune. When asked about the Sacramento arena situation, Stern replied that he was more "hopeful than confident" that an agreement would be reached regarding the financial responsibilities surrounding pre-development funding. Smith also reports that Stern would like to see deputy commissioner Adam Silver succeed him upon his retirement.
- The Pacers have gone 8-3 with Leandro Barbosa on the court since acquiring him from the Raptors at the trade deadline. Barbosa has been especially effective in his last three games, all of which have featured double-digit scoring while making at least half of his shots from the field. While the Brazilian has lost fantasy value due to decreased minutes as compared to his time with the Raptors, he's played a significant role in providing depth for the surging Pacers off the bench.
- Mike Tokito of The Oregonian caught up with Gerald Wallace during his return to Portland and discussed the recent trade that saw the former Alabama forward land with the Nets. Wallace didn't see the trade coming but wasn't as affected by the move since he had been dealt last season by the Bobcats, the club he had been a member of for the majority of his career.
Odds & Ends: 76ers, Pistons, Hornets, Barbosa
With recently-acquired players beginning to make their respective debuts with new teams, let's take a look around the league to see what's going on before the first of eight Sunday games gets underway.
- John N. Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer says the Sixers had little reason to make a deal prior to the trade deadline. With a young nucleus, the team had little to gain and much to lose in tinkering with the roster. The Sixers are currently in first place in the Atlantic Division.
- None of the Pistons' unhappy players were traded at the deadline, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
- John Reid of The Times-Picayune says the Hornets should benefit in free agency now that they have a long-term plan in place to keep the team in New Orleans. Reid makes mention of the fact that David West expressed concern over the club's future in New Orleans and perhaps didn't remain with the team as a result.
- Leandro Barbosa is excited to join the Pacers and help the team solidify its playoff standing, writes Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star.
Colangelo On Raptors’ Moves
Raptors President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo spoke with HoopsWorld's Stephen Brotherston about the reasoning behind today's trade that sent Leandro Barbosa to the Pacers for cash and a second-round pick.
“I viewed this as a great opportunity for Leandro to go to a playoff team, a young upstart team that really does need some scoring punch off the bench right now. It is an Eastern Conference team and that would normally not be something that I’d like to do, take care of a team like that, but this is really a positive situation, not only for Leandro but positive for us.”
Colangelo touted the draft pick the Raptors received and the cap room Barbosa freed up as incentives for making the deal. Barbosa will make $7.6MM this season and become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Hollinger On Deadline Deals
ESPN.com's John Hollinger has posted grades for every trade that took place today. The post is only available to ESPN Insider subscribers, but here are the highlights:
- The Nuggets were smart to shed Nene's contract, even if trading for JaVale McGee is a risk.
- However, Hollinger views the Wizards' acquisition of Nene is an overreaction to McGee's contract demands.
- For the Clippers, Hollinger doesn't believe Nick Young is a perfect solution, but that he's worth the risk since they didn't have to give up any significant assets.
- Hollinger praises the Blazers' rebuilding effort in the Gerald Wallace trade, although he has reservations about the players they got back from Houston for Marcus Camby.
- He doesn't think the Nets made a smart move giving up a lottery pick for short-term help when they risk losing Deron Williams at the end of the season.
- Hollinger likes the Rockets' acquisition of Camby as a short-term pick-up to help them make a playoff run.
- The Warriors' acquisition of Richard Jefferson is counterproductive to their efforts to tank for a draft pick, Hollinger writes. However, he praises the Spurs for shedding Jefferson's contract for Stephen Jackson's shorter one.
- Hollinger questions the Cavaliers for taking on Luke Walton's expensive contract while giving up Ramon Sessions, but loves the deal for the Lakers, as Sessions is a massive upgrade at point guard over Derek Fisher and Steve Blake.
- Hollinger likes the Sam Young acquisition for the 76ers, and while he doesn't believe losing him will shift the Grizzlies' playoff hopes one way or another, he questions whether it was necessary to shed him simply for cap reasons.
- He sees the Leandro Barbosa trade as a low-risk deal for both the Raptors and Pacers, giving Indiana immediate help at shooting guard while freeing up room for other players to get more minutes in Toronto.
Recap Of Trade Deadline Deals
Here's the complete list of trades that took place this week leading up to the trade deadline earlier today:
- On Tuesday, the Warriors sent Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh, and Kwame Brown to the Bucks for Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson.
- The Warriors then flipped Jackson to the Spurs for Richard Jefferson, T.J. Ford, and a first-round pick on Thursday.
- The Grizzlies traded Sam Young to the 76ers for the rights to former second-round pick Ricky Sanchez.
- The Pacers acquired Leandro Barbosa from the Raptors in exchange for a second-round draft pick and cash considerations.
- The Blazers entered rebuild mode by trading Gerald Wallace to the Nets for Mehmet Okur, Shawne Williams, and a 2012 first-round draft pick with top-3 protection.
- Portland also sent Marcus Camby to the Rockets for Jonny Flynn, Hasheem Thabeet, and a second-round pick.
- The Rockets acquired Derek Fisher from the Lakers as well as the Mavericks' 2012 first-round pick (from the Lamar Odom trade) for Jordan Hill.
- The Lakers also traded for Ramon Sessions, sending Luke Walton, Jason Kapono, and a 2012 first-round pick to the Cavaliers and also receiving Christian Eyenga. The Cavs will also have the ability to swap the Heat's 2013 pick (which they own from the LeBron James sign-and-trade) with the Lakers' pick that year.
- The Nuggets, Wizards, and Clippers agreed to a three-team deal that will send Nene, Brian Cook, and a future second-round draft pick to Washington; Nick Young to the Clippers; and JaVale McGee and Ronny Turiaf to Denver.
Pacers Acquire Leandro Barbosa
The Pacers and Raptors have completed a trade that will send Leandro Barbosa to Indiana in exchange for a second-round draft pick and cash considerations, both teams announced today.
While recent reports suggested the Raptors likely wouldn't make any major moves at the deadline, GM Bryan Colangelo said last month that Barbosa was drawing interest. When I examined the shooting guard as a trade candidate, I suggested that the Pacers could acquire him without compromising the team's long-term plans. Indiana has the cap space to absorb Barbosa's 2011/12 $7.6MM cap figure, and can simply let his contract expire at season's end.
Acquiring Barbosa will leave the Pacers about $6.7MM under the cap this season, taking them out of the running for players like Chris Kaman. The Raptors, meanwhile, should receive a traded player exception worth $7.6MM, which they'll have a year to use.
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter) first reported the deal, with TNT's David Aldridge (via Twitter), ESPN.com's Chris Broussard (via Twitter), and Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star adding details along the way.
Stein On Lakers, Raptors, Marion, Hickson, Kaman
It's Friday afternoon, which means another installment of Marc Stein's Weekend Dime at ESPN.com. In addition to writing about the 50th anniversary of Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game, Stein shares a few trade rumors. Let's check them out….
- If the Lakers were to acquire Kirk Hinrich or Leandro Barbosa, they would want the Hawks or Raptors, respectively, to take on salary. However, neither Atlanta or Toronto is interested in doing so. The Lakers would have to use their $8.9MM trade exception and accept the luxury-tax consequences if they were to deal for either player.
- The Raptors are also unwilling to take on salary in a deal for Jose Calderon.
- The Mavericks aren't currently shopping Shawn Marion, and don't intend to start clearing out the necessary cap space to make a run at top free agents until after the season. One source told Stein there's "no chance" the Mavs trade Marion this month, even though there may be potential suitors.
- J.J. Hickson is being aggressively shopped by the Kings.
- The Hornets have been telling teams that Chris Kaman won't be bought out after March 15th if the club can't find a trade partner. Since New Orleans is still owned by the league, that may not be an idle threat. A number of teams, including the Heat, are hoping Kaman is bought out, since they don't have the trade assets necessary to acquire the big center.
Odds & Ends: Barbosa, Heat, Mavericks, Maloofs
Odds and ends for Wednesday afternoon….
- Leandro Barbosa has switched agents and is now represented by Dan Fegan, according to HoopsHype (via Twitter). The Raptors guard, who is eligible for free agency at season's end, told Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun the change was "just business" (Twitter link).
- In a Heat mailbag, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel fields questions on the Nuggets' Chris Andersen and potential buyout candidates.
- Chad Ford of ESPN.com answered questions on trade scenarios and draft prospects in an afternoon chat.
- In two pieces for ESPNDallas.com, Tim MacMahon talks to Mavericks players about not getting caught up in the business side of the NBA, and asks why Dallas wouldn't consider buying out Lamar Odom.
- The Maloof brothers have become heroes in Sacramento again for the first time in years, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
Raptors Looking To Move Barbosa?
The Raptors are looking to trade Leandro Barbosa so they can make a "big offer" to restricted free agent Wilson Chandler, according to Sam Smith of Bulls.com.
There's still no word on whether Chandler, recently returned from China, has received FIBA clearance from the CBA. A report this weekend suggested that the process may be delayed, since the forward had been cleared to return to America by his team, but not by the league, which has control over his clearance. However, with Chandler's Chinese team now eliminated from the CBA playoffs, there shouldn't be a holdup.
When he's cleared, Chandler will be free to sign an offer sheet with any team, which the Nuggets would then have the option to match. However, teams aren't permitted to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets after March 1st, so if the Raptors hope to make a play for the 24-year-old, they'll have to move quickly.
The Raptors currently have about $4.3MM in cap space, which likely won't be enough to pose a serious threat to the Nuggets. Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld wrote last week that Toronto could try clearing salary to make a bigger offer to Chandler, but suggested Jose Calderon was a more realistic trade chip than Barbosa. I'm inclined to agree that it'll be tough to move Barbosa and his $7.6MM salary — trading him on March 15th would be doable, but if teams know that Toronto's hand is forced, they won't offer much this week.
I looked at Barbosa's trade candidacy earlier this month.
Trade Candidate: Leandro Barbosa
While he's not putting up the same overall numbers he did during his years under Mike D'Antoni in Phoenix, Leandro Barbosa has produced solidly and consistently during the last two seasons with the Raptors. In 86 total games in Toronto, Barbosa has provided the Raps with a scoring spark off the bench, recording 12.8 points and 14.9 PER in 23.3 minutes per game.
With Barbosa playing for a non-contending Raptors team in the final year of his contract, it stands to reason that a playoff team in need of bench scoring could have interest in acquiring him. Toronto GM Bryan Colangelo confirmed as much during a team broadcast earlier this month, admitting he's "had a few calls" inquiring on the 29-year-old.
Colangelo stressed that for the club to consider a deal involving Barbosa, it would need to maintain its cap flexibility going forward. So, like most rebuilding teams, the Raptors will likely be seeking some combination of draft picks, expiring contracts, and young, inexpensive talent.
A few of the teams who miss out on signing J.R. Smith when he returns from China may decide to turn their attentions to Barbosa as the trade deadline approaches. Barbosa lacks Smith's size, but both players are capable of scoring baskets in bunches, and stretching the floor with their outside shooting.
The Lakers have a pair of first-round picks and a trade exception that could be used to absorb Barbosa's contract, though there are likely a handful of cheaper players they're considering, including Gilbert Arenas. The Pacers are well below the cap and could acquire Barbosa without compromising their long-term plans. Barbosa could also be a fit with the Timberwolves, Knicks, Clippers, Spurs, or Bulls, among others.
Colangelo will continue to receive calls on Barbosa over the next month, but shouldn't feel pressured to move the 6'3" guard. With Barbosa's $7.6MM salary set to be wiped off the books this summer, the Raptors can afford to hang on to him and clear some cap space if they don't receive a trade offer they like.