Pau Gasol Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Berger’s Latest: Felton, Blake, Okafor, Gasol

March 12th, 2012 at 3:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are a few trade updates from Ken Berger of CBSSports.com:

Rival executives believe the Blazers are interested in trading Raymond Felton to the Lakers for Steve Blake. Since Portland would be giving up the better player and some salary flexibility, the Blazers would need to be compensated with another piece in such a deal.
The Hornets aren't interested in packaging Emeka Okafor with the first-round pick they acquired from the Timberwolves, even if it means saving the $28MM+ left on his deal.
The Hawks appear likely to make only a small move or two at the deadline.
Pau Gasol could be traded in the right deal, but the Lakers will need to ensure it's a basketball upgrade rather than a cost-saver. "If they're going to send a message to Kobe Bryant that they're not about winning, they're about money," one league source told Berger. "That's going to set off a whole new deal."
Berger also has an update on the Jamal Crawford trade talks, as we covered earlier.

Lakers Notes: Trade Options, Gasol, Brown

March 12th, 2012 at 10:23am CST by Luke Adams

With this Thursday's trade deadline looming, the Kamenetzky brothers at ESPN Los Angeles see three possible directions for the Lakers. The team could go for broke this season, using its trade exception and extra first-rounder to bring in extra talent; it could hold out for a blockbuster trade that would bring in a superstar like Dwight Howard or Deron Williams; or it could blow up the roster and start from scratch. I'm guessing option A is the most likely path for the Lakers, but they still have three days to make a decision. Here are the rest of this morning's Lakers notes:

GM Mitch Kupchak has been telling people within the last few days that he doesn't expect to trade Pau Gasol, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (video link). The Rockets, Hawks, and Warriors have "their eye" on Gasol, says Broussard, but a trade isn't likely.
Elliott Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News writes that coach Mike Brown can't wait until the trade deadline passes and he's no longer asked about it by everyone, including his son.

Lakers, Celtics Talked Rajon Rondo

March 12th, 2012 at 7:53am CST by Luke Adams

Rajon Rondo's 24-point, 10-assist performance wasn't quite enough to beat the Lakers yesterday, but only a few days earlier, the Celtics' rivals had been talking about acquiring the point guard. According to Mike Breshanan of the Los Angeles Times, the Lakers and Celtics discussed a potential Rondo trade last week, though talks didn't go far.

"Unless [the Lakers] give up [Pau] Gasol, they're not going to get a top-level point guard," a person familiar with the situation told Breshanan. Assuming Los Angeles is unwilling to move Andrew Bynum, I'd think this goes without saying. A package of Steve Blake and Metta World Peace isn't about to solve the team's point guard issues.

While a blockbuster deal is still possible, it doesn't appear likely at this point. Breshanan says a trade for the Timberwolves' Michael Beasley is more probable than any major move involving Gasol or a top point guard. With three days left until the deadline, Kobe Bryant and his Lakers teammates are looking forward to regaining some sense of certainty for the rest of the season.

"I think it will have a great effect," Bryant said. "Guys can just go out and play instead of waking up and checking their phones all the time to make sure they didn't miss a call from their agent."

Odds & Ends: Celtics, Raptors, McGee, Heat, Gasol

March 10th, 2012 at 12:22pm CST by Zachary Links

A look at some items from around the Association..

The increased value of draft picks makes it unlikely that the Celtics will get what they're looking for in exchange for one of their Big Four, says Sean Grande of CSNNE.com. It's possible that a deal will get done before the deadline, but unlikely.
Kevin Garnett has seen 16 trade deadlines come-and-go during his time in the league and isn't fixated on trade talks, writes CSNNE.com's Jessica Camerato.
The Raptors aren't planning on making a major move at the deadline, writes Eric Koreen of the National Post. Earlier this week we learned that the Blazers have interest in Jose Calderon but finding the right deal for the point guard could be difficult.
With the Wizards open to trading JaVale McGee, a reader asks Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel if the Heat should make a move for him. Winderman doesn't think that Miami should risk tinkering with their chemistry by adding someone like McGee and is also wary of the club taking on Andray Blatche.
Lakers big man Pau Gasol heard his name in trade rumors on Friday but did his best to tune them out, writes Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register.
Ryan Ripley of Ridiculous Upside looks at five standout players in the D-League who are getting less than 28 minutes of burn per game.

Odds & Ends: Bogut, Rondo, Blatche

March 9th, 2012 at 11:55pm CST by Chuck Myron

The talk of a 10-game night across the association has been about the health of two point guards whose absence could alter the plans of a pair of teams rumored to be among the most active nearing Thursday's trade deadline. Ricky Rubio of the Wolves tweeted that he'll receive an MRI on his left knee, which he hurt in his team's loss to the Lakers tonight. The team fears he has a torn ACL, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Meanwhile, Kyle Lowry of the Rockets was hospitalized with a fever and abdominal distress, HoopsWorld reports. Here's what's happening elsewhere:

Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel examines the trade candidacy of Bucks center Andrew Bogut. Bogut's agent David Bauman said there are several teams interested in talking to Bucks GM John Hammond about his client.
Rajon Rondo appears to be conflicted about how trades might affect the chemistry of the Celtics. Rajon Rondo, who saw best friend Kendrick Perkins dealt away at the deadline last year, told Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston he doesn't care about what a trade would do to the team's chemistry this year. Yet, to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com, Rondo said, "You can't get chemistry if you bring in new guys."
Jason Kidd came close to joining a team that had just won the title when he thought about joining the Spurs in 2003, so he sympathizes with Lamar Odom, who arrived via trade to join this year's defending champs, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. For the record, Mavs coach Rick Carlisle told the Galloway & Company radio show today that the uproar concerning Odom has come and gone.
Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld looks at the Grizzlies' early-season acquisition of Marreese Speights from the Sixers and wonders if that will wind up being the most effective deal of the year.
Both John Reid of the New Orleans Times Picayune and Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com tweeted to note the progress of Lance Thomas, who signed with New Orleans for the rest of the season last month after the team gave him two 10-day contracts.
The Wizards are willing to move anyone on the roster not named John Wall if another team will take Andray Blatche off their hands, tweets Michael Lee of The Washington Post.
Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group notes the Warriors' lease in Oakland is up in 2017, and checks in with the progress of potential sites for a new home in Oakland and San Francisco. Venturing a guess, Kawakami has the San Francisco site as the most likely destination at this point.
Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld proposes the Celtics as a potential destination for JaVale McGee, for whom the Wizards are reportly listening to offers.
The Knicks starting lineup is in flux, and Newsday's Anthony Rieber takes a look at the quick changes engineered by coach Mike D'Antoni.
Jeremy Evans' minimum salary contract expires at season's end, so time is running out for him to prove he can do more than win a dunk contest. Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune notes how his theatrics during All-Star weekend haven't earned him any extra minutes with the Jazz.
Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press passed along Pau Gasol's kind words about Kevin Love, two players who could be Wolves teammates if a rumored Gasol/Michael Beasley swap takes place, Richardson notes. "He's got a will and determination to go after every ball," Gasol said of Love. "Even though he's a little undersized and lost some weight, he's still a powerful player and playing at a high level. I'm definitely impressed with him."
With Richard Hamilton and Luol Deng ailing, it's been hard for Bulls GM Gar Forman to get a true handle on how effective his team really is, writes Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times. Forman must balance the team's current needs with its capability for long-term success, Hayes says.
Bill Simmons of Grantland.com came out with his annual trade value column today in two parts, ranking the top 50 player assets across the league. The Heat's LeBron James is No. 1, meaning he'd be the player who would command the most in any trade, though James isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
GM Sam Presti and the Thunder provide the small-market blueprint for Cavs GM Chris Grant, writes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Lakers Notes: Lowry, Bynum, Price

March 9th, 2012 at 7:14pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Lakers are about to tip off their game with the Timberwolves tonight, and they catch a break, as Kevin Love is out with back spasms. Still, on the heels of ugly losses to the Pistons and Wizards in their last two outings, the Lakers must know they can't take any team for granted. There's been talk of a deal between the Lakers and Rockets for Pau Gasol today, but for now nothing appears imminent. In the meantime, here's the rest of what's going on in L.A.:

Kyle Lowry is not a part of any talks between the Lakers and Rockets about Pau Gasol, tweets Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.
James Jahnke of the Detroit Free Press passes along a rumor that the Lakers are looking at Will Bynum of the Pistons and A.J. Price of the Pacers as secondary options if they don't get a juicier name at point guard.
John Hollinger of ESPN weighs in with eight trades he thinks teams would be smart to make before the deadline, including a deal involving Pau Gasol and the Rockets that would net the Lakers a grand haul of Luis Scola, Goran Dragic, Hasheem Thabeet, Marcus Morris, Chase Budinger and a 2012 first-round pick. (Insider only)

Berger On Gasol, Rondo, Jamison, Jackson, Okafor

March 9th, 2012 at 4:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Ken Berger of CBSSports.com has a few late-Friday afternoon updates on the trade market for us. Here are the highlights:

Berger echoes a number of other reporters who say that, while the Lakers and Rockets are discussing Pau Gasol, no agreement has been reached yet.
The Celtics had been fielding offers for Rajon Rondo in recent weeks, but have disengaged from those talks.
The Trail Blazers have "made it clear" they're accepting offers for Gerald Wallace.
Antawn Jamison's camp is intrigued by the possibility of Jamison going to the Lakers, but Los Angeles hasn't expressed any sort of serious interest in the veteran, says Berger. Even if they were interested, I can't see a way the two teams could match up, given Jamison's $15MM+ cap figure. Nonetheless, the Cavaliers are aggressively seeking future assets for Jamison.
One executive predicts that "no one's touching" Stephen Jackson unless he's bought out by the Bucks.
In addition to pursuing offers for Chris Kaman, the Hornets are also shopping Emeka Okafor.
The Timberwolves are gauging interest in Wayne Ellington and Anthony Tolliver.

Rockets Aggressively Pursuing Pau Gasol

March 9th, 2012 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets have continued to "aggressively probe" the Lakers in pursuit of a Pau Gasol trade, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. No deal is imminent, however, according to Wojnarowski and Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (Twitter link).

Houston's interest in Gasol has been well-documented — the Rockets nearly acquired the 31-year-old in December's Chris Paul-to-the-Lakers blockbuster, before the deal was nixed by David Stern. The Lakers may have recently floated the idea that a package of Kyle Lowry and Luis Scola could pry Gasol away, but Houston still appears unwilling to include Lowry in any deal, as Sean Deveney of The Sporting News reports.

Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports wrote earlier today that if the Rockets won't part with Lowry, they may have to involve a third team in any trade for Gasol in order to get the Lakers the point guard upgrade they desire.

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.