Augustin Drawing Interest From Pacers, Others
The Trail Blazers aren't the only team talking to the Bobcats about the possibility of acquiring D.J. Augustin. According to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News (Twitter link), the Pacers are also among the clubs who have inquired on Augustin. Deveney says (via Twitter) the Bobcats would want to package a bad contract with Augustin if they were to trade the point guard.
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld reported in January that the Bobcats weren't shopping Augustin, but were willing to listen if it meant gaining draft picks or financial flexibility. Unloading a contract like Corey Maggette's or DeSagana Diop's would certainly qualify as gaining flexibility.
Augustin, whose cap figure for 2011/12 is just $3.24MM, will be eligible for restricted free agency this summer. So the team he finishes the season with would be able to match any competing offers and keep him, if it so chooses. In 28 games this season, the former ninth overall pick has averaged 12.2 PPG and 6.5 APG in 30.8 MPG.
Amick On Jennings, Bogut, Batum, Rockets
Sam Amick of SI.com has a few updates on this week's trade candidates, so let's dive in….
- Brandon Jennings could be had "for the right price." Long considered a franchise cornerstone, Jennings irked some Bucks officials with his comments last month about exploring free agency.
- Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle hears from Warriors sources that reports of Golden State's interest in Andrew Bogut are "nothing more than hype." However, sources tell Amick that the team's interest is real. The Wizards also inquired on Bogut, but talks went nowhere, says Amick. The Rockets aren't thought to be involved on the Bucks' center.
- Amick goes on to say that the Bucks feel this may not be the best time to get full value for Bogut, considering he's still on the shelf for a few weeks with a fractured ankle.
- The Blazers may be active this week, but they don't intend to move Nicolas Batum, who they are determined to keep long-term.
- Courtney Lee, Chase Budinger, Jonny Flynn, and Terrence Williams are among the Rockets who would "likely welcome a trade," according to Amick. Goran Dragic is also a trade candidate, since he's not expected to be re-signed this summer. Though I'd imagine Houston will be more inclined to keep Dragic with Kyle Lowry's return date up in the air.
Aldridge On Howard, Kaman, Crawford, Nash
In the latest installment of his weekly NBA.com column, David Aldridge runs through the notable names on the trade market, including the big fish, Dwight Howard. While Aldridge doesn't have any new updates for today's round of Howard rumors, the NBA.com scribe thinks the Magic will end up dealing D12 by Thursday's deadline. Aldridge predicts an offer of Brook Lopez, MarShon Brooks, and multiple first-round picks from the Nets will be the best deal Orlando sees this week.
Here are a few more items of interest from Aldridge's piece:
- The Hornets are "determined" to move Chris Kaman by the deadline. There's no clear frontrunner, but Aldridge says not to rule out the Hawks or Mavericks.
- Alridge hears from a source that the Bobcats and Trail Blazers could be discussing idea involving Jamal Crawford and D.J. Augustin.
- Asked about his situation with the Suns, Steve Nash said that perhaps the team will have a change of heart on its stance this week, but "I don't feel like it's my place right now to kind of ask to be traded."
Kennedy On McMillan, Allen, Bogut, Jackson
Here's the latest from Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld..
- Nate McMillan has lost the locker room in Portland, according to sources close to the situation. One source adds that there’s a growing number of players who would like to see McMillan ousted with assistant coach Bernie Bickerstaff taking over as interim head coach. The Blazers have lost 11 of their last 16 games, including losses to the Wizards, Kings, and Warriors.
- The Celtics are seeking a young player and first-round draft pick in exchange for Ray Allen and that's an asking price that's likely too rich for the Clippers' blood. Even if Los Angeles was willing to meet the C's asking price, the bigger issue is that they don't have a first-round pick in this year's draft.
- If the Bucks decide to trade Andrew Bogut, they will package Stephen Jackson in the same trade. Jackson has butted heads with head coach Scott Skiles and yesterday one executive told Ken Berger of CBSSports.com that he predicts no one will touch the veteran unless he is bought out by the Bucks.
Northwest Notes: Crawford, Thunder, Nuggets
Despite a rough night for some of its teams, the Northwest Division is the NBA's best division from top to bottom. The 31-9 Thunder trail only the Bulls for the league's best record despite a loss to the Cavs tonight, and the last-place Blazers, at 19-21, are just two games below .500 even though they've been struggling lately. Here's a look around the division:
- Blazers guard Jamal Crawford says if teams who are thinking of trading for him hesitate because they're worried he'll turn down his $5.225MM player option next year, those teams can simply ask him whether he'd like to stay next year, reports Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Haynes tweets that he interprets this as Crawford saying he's open to a trade.
- The Thunder could be in the mix for a backup point guard, tweets Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. The team likes Reggie Jackson, but they're not sure if they want to continue to go with the rookie in that role.
- Nuggets.com writer Aaron J. Lopez sat down for an interview with team president Josh Kroenke, son of owner Stan Kroenke. The younger Kroenke says the team is "still in active talks" with restricted free agent Wilson Chandler, and that they're "working hard on trying to add him." Unlike last year, the Nuggets don't need to make a move at the deadline, Kroenke says, though GM Masai Ujiri will be ready should a deal arise.
Berger On Gasol, Rondo, Jamison, Jackson, Okafor
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.
Blazers Rumors: Felton, Wallace, Crawford
As the Trail Blazers look to return to .500 tonight in Boston, here are a few Friday rumors out of Portland:
- Like most other teams, the Blazers won't make any trades that compromise their long-term plans, as acting GM Chad Buchanan tells Joe Freeman of The Oregonian.
- Within Freeman's piece, a source says the market for Raymond Felton is "soft" and that shopping Gerald Wallace has been a challenge as well — since Wallace has a pricey player option for next season, teams who just want to rent him are worried he'll exercise the option, while teams who would prefer to keep him next season are concerned he'll opt out.
- Freeman notes that if Wallace and Jamal Crawford decline their player options, and the Blazers hang on to the expiring contracts of Felton and Marcus Camby, the team could have about $23MM in cap space this summer. So Portland's not necessarily feeling pressure to make a deal.
- Freeman doesn't believe the Blazers are interested in Jose Calderon, but thinks Eric Bledsoe would make a good trade target (Twitter links).
- Peter Vecsey of the New York Post says the Timberwolves aren't going to send Luke Ridnour to Portland in order to acquire Crawford. The two sides had reportedly discussed a trade involving those two players.
Blazers Interested In Jose Calderon
With point guard Raymond Felton underperforming, the Trail Blazers are looking to shore up their backcourt ahead of next week's trade deadline. And while their name has been in the mix for names such as Steve Nash, Rajon Rondo, Luke Ridnour, and Steve Blake, Hasan Alanam of Canada.com points to their reported interest in Raptors point guard Jose Calderon and explores several trade scenarios.
Alanam mentions possible trades involving Felton and either Gerald Wallace or Jamal Crawford, with Portland possibly also taking back Linas Klezia. In one scenario, the Timberwolves participate in a three-team deal with Malcolm Lee going to Portland and Anthony Randolph going to Toronto.
Calderon is making approximately $9.8MM this season and has one year left on his contract, which will pay him $10.5MM in 2012/13. He is averaging 10.7 PPG and 8.7 APG this season.
Jamal Crawford Rumors: Thursday
The Timberwolves and Trail Blazers may be discussing a deal involving Jamal Crawford and Luke Ridnour, while the Pacers also have some interest in Crawford, as we learned yesterday. This morning, we also heard that the T-Wolves appear to be the frontrunner for the Blazers shooting guard. We'll continue to track the latest updates on the Crawford sweepstakes here throughout the day, with the newest additions up top:
- Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge reports that the Pacers and Blazers have discussed Crawford, with Portland asking for A.J. Price and a first-round pick. A source tells Golliver that "the first team to give Portland a first round pick for Crawford will have him" (Twitter links).
- The Blazers' asking price for Crawford includes a first-round pick in addition to either Ridnour for the Wolves or Eric Bledsoe for the Clippers, says Ken Berger of CBS Sports. That could pose a problem for the Clips, who have already traded both first-rounders they owned for 2012.
- Timberwolves GM David Kahn is downplaying the team's interest in making a deadline deal, says Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Kahn says the Wolves are "not looking to address anything this season" and that he doesn't mind having three point guards in Ricky Rubio, J.J. Barea, and Ridnour. The GM did leave the door open slightly though, noting that there's still an "eternity" until next Thursday's deadline.
- Asked if he was feeling affected by the trade rumors, Crawford told Haynes: "I wouldn't say me so much me, but the people around me for sure. Because decisions like that just don't affect you, they affect everybody."
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.