Rockets Aggressively Pursuing Pau Gasol
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
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
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.
Southwest Notes: Rockets, Gasol, Jones, Odom
Only one Southwest team is in action tonight, as Dirk Nowitizki and the Mavericks take on Steve Nash and the Suns in Phoenix. To make up for the lack of games, let's take a look at a few Thursday links out of the Southwest:
- Based on calls he's received and reports he's read, Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle concludes the Lakers are "floating the idea" that a package of Kyle Lowry and Luis Scola could get Pau Gasol to Houston. Solomon says there's no way the Rockets would do such a deal though.
- Solomon Jones' second 10-day contract has expired, and the Hornets have decided not to sign him for the rest of the season, reports John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Jones played in 11 games for New Orleans, averaging 5.6 points and 3.7 rebounds in 17.8 minutes per contest.
- Lamar Odom and Mavericks owner accused New York media of blowing their alleged spat out of proportion, writes Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Berger On Howard, Pierce, Jackson, Beasley, Nash
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.
Gasol, Kupchak Spoke About Trade Rumors
Kobe Bryant's plea to the Lakers to provide the team's players with some clarity on the trade rumors swirling around the club didn't go unanswered. While the Lakers didn't definitively decide to trade or retain Pau Gasol, as Kobe suggested they should, GM Mitch Kupchak called Gasol to discuss the situation, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles.
"I have an understanding of where things are," Gasol said. "Where they stand and where he stands and where I stand. He [Kupchak] told me to just keep doing what you do, keep playing hard and playing on and from that point on, we'll see…. It was kind of calming to have that feedback. Since before training camp, it was the first time I was approached by them."
Although Kupchak didn't make any guarantees to Gasol about where he'd be playing after the trade deadline, Gasol understands why such a guarantee wouldn't be in the team's best interest. The Spaniard asked the Lakers GM to let him know when "something real" was on the table, and recognized why Kupchak wouldn't necessarily keep him updated more frequently.
"It's hard because when an organization is going to pull the trigger, I guess the less involvement and the less contact, the easier it is," Gasol said. "That was the point if you watched that movie 'Moneyball' where Brad Pitt doesn't want to be involved with players. I don't know if that's the case or not, but you could see that kind of factor."
The Rockets, Timberwolves, Celtics, and Bulls are among the clubs that have been linked to Gasol in the last few weeks. For his part, Gasol told Shelburne he doesn't have a sense of whether he'll be traded, and is looking forward to putting the March 15th deadline behind him so he'll have an answer one way or another.
Broussard On Rockets, Knicks, Celtics
During halftime of today's Knicks–Celtics game, ESPN's Chris Broussard relayed several of the latest rumors regarding the league's most talked about trade pieces. Here they are:
- Houston has shown an interest in acquiring Pau Gasol, and Broussard believes if they still have a package consisting of Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, Goran Dragic, and the Knicks first round draft pick on the table, that the Lakers should take it. In a tweet, Larry Coon says Martin to the Lakers doesn't make any sense.
- People around the league are saying that if New York wants Howard, packaging Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler could do the trick. In order for a deal like this to be possible, the Knicks would also have to take on Hedo Turkoglu's undesired contract, and they won't formally inquire about Orlando's big man until he expresses desire to play for the Knicks long term.
- Boston likes Eric Bledsoe should they choose to move Ray Allen (the Clippers would need to throw in someone like Mo Williams to make the contracts match), but Los Angeles will likely hold onto their point guard until the offseason when his value is at an all-time high.
Amick On Dwight, Celtics, Crawford
SI.com's Sam Amick has a roundup of the latest crop of NBA trade rumors, touching on a variety of topics. Here are the highlights:
- There is a distinct possibility that the Magic will opt not to trade Dwight Howard, either because they don't like the offers out there or because they believe they can convince the superstar center to stay.
- Nets GM Billy King believes it will be easier to land Howard through trade than via free agency, because of the difference in money the team will be able to offer.
- The Warriors are still said to be interested in trading for Howard, even as a rental, and convincing him to stick around.
- Ray Allen is more likely to be moved by March 15 than Rajon Rondo, but a deal with the Clippers is unlikely. The Celtics are asking for young talent and picks, which is more than most teams are likely to want to give up for the 36-year-old Allen.
- Amick suggests Jamal Crawford as a trade possibility for the Clippers or any other team looking for help at the shooting guard position. He believes Crawford may be available because of the Blazers' struggles and his dissatisfaction with Nate McMillan playing him at point guard.
- The Lakers continue to monitor Michael Beasley and Ramon Sessions, and the future of Pau Gasol is still uncertain.
- It is possible that Wilson Chandler will spend the rest of the season overseas rather than re-sign with the Nuggets, and instead test free agency this summer.
- The market is still slow for Gilbert Arenas, who is working out in Orlando in hopes that a team will sign him.
Kyler’s Latest: Gasol, Mayo, Delfino, Williams
Earlier this week, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld began exploring trade options for all 30 NBA teams, sharing the latest rumors and rumblings along the way. Kyler discussed ten teams on Tuesday, and looks at ten more today. Here are some highlights from the piece:
- The Pacers aren't looking to trade anyone, but would take advantage of their cap space to absorb salary if it meant acquiring a draft pick as well.
- Lakers sources insist the team still views Pau Gasol as an All-Star and would only trade him if it meant getting another All-Star back. L.A. isn't currently pursuing Dwight Howard, and any move the team makes will probably involve its $8.9MM trade exception.
- If the Grizzlies do anything before the trade deadline, it will likely involve O.J. Mayo, who has drawn interest.
- Carlos Delfino is an attractive target for a few teams, but Beno Udrih is the more likely trade candidate to be dealt by the Bucks.
- Trade talk surrounding Deron Williams could pick up before March 15th, if the Nets become concerned about their chances of acquiring Dwight Howard and signing Williams long-term.
- Trevor Ariza and Jarrett Jack could be had, but the price for most Hornets is an unprotected first-round pick, which seems like a long shot.
- The Knicks may consider moving Toney Douglas for a draft pick, in part to clear a roster spot for a player waived after the trade deadline.
Broussard On Gasol, Rondo, Ellis, Beasley, Kaman
In addition to providing an update on the Dwight Howard sweepstakes, Chris Broussard shares rumors about a handful of big-name trade candidates in his latest Insider-only ESPN.com column. Let's dive in….
- The Rockets still have interest in Pau Gasol but want to build around Kyle Lowry rather than include him in any Gasol deal. The Timberwolves haven't talked to the Lakers in months about Gasol, while the Bulls have shown some interest in the Spaniard.
- Sources tell Broussard that the Celtics have determined they're not title contenders this year and would prefer to move Rajon Rondo rather than deal with the "headaches" he brings.
- Broussard hears that if Monta Ellis were traded, the Warriors guard would like to join the Lakers, Bulls, or Magic (alongside Dwight Howard), but none of those scenarios appear realistic.
- The Timberwolves offered Michael Beasley to the Lakers in exchange for the higher of L.A.'s two first-round picks, but were turned down. The Lakers are torn on Beasley — because L.A. is over the tax line, the team would be adding more than just Beasley's $6.26MM cap figure. I imagine they'd also prefer to use their trade exception to acquire a point guard.
- The Hornets' asking price for Chris Kaman has dropped since earlier in the season. They're seeking a draft pick, even just a second-rounder, for the center.
- LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum are "virtually untouchable" but the Blazers would talk about anyone else on their roster, particularly Raymond Felton and Gerald Wallace.