Washington Wizards Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Celtics, Mavericks Eyeing Jordan Crawford

February 21st, 2013 at 12:45pm CST by Luke Adams

12:45pm: Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com is hearing that the Mavs aren't heavily involved in the hunt for Crawford (Twitter link). It looks to me as if a deal between the Celtics and Wizards that swaps Melo and Crawford could be the most likely outcome.

12:21pm: The Mavs and Celtics continue to lead the way for Crawford, according to Sam Amick of USA Today (via Twitter). However, talks may go down to the wire, as the Wizards are "waiting this one out," tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.

11:20am: We can add another team to the mix for Crawford. According to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (via Twitter), the Mavericks have also discussed a Crawford deal with the Wizards.

9:37am: The Celtics are looking to add perimeter scoring and are considering Jordan Crawford as a target, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Broussard reports that the Celtics are dangling Fab Melo in trade talks, as we heard yesterday.

For his part, Crawford appears to be unhappy with his role in Washington and would likely welcome a trade. In discussing both Melo and Crawford as trade candidates, I noted that their small salaries may make it difficult for the C's and Wizards, respectively, to find a match. However, since Crawford's $1.2MM salary is a near match for Melo's $1.25MM, it wouldn't be hard to build a deal around the pair.

Odds & Ends: Dwight, Cavs, Blair, Wizards, Gordon

February 21st, 2013 at 1:41am CST by Chuck Myron

As the hours tick down to tomorrow's 2:00pm Central trade deadline, Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News is already starting to look ahead to free agency, and he writes that the Cavaliers believe they could make a longshot bid to sign Dwight Howard. That one seems hard to believe, and even Lawrence intimates that it's a little far-fetched. Still, the Cavs were reportedly in the mix for Andrew Bynum last year, and they'll have plenty of cap space this summer, so I suppose it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility.

In the meantime, there's more on potential deadline deals, and here's the latest:

We've already heard that Danny Granger is staying put, and TNT's David Aldridge hears that's likely the case for Spurs big man DeJuan Blair, too (Twitter link).
An Eastern Conference executive tells Michael Lee of The Washington Post he believes there's "very little" the Wizards can get for Jordan Crawford.
The Wizards reportedly gave up on acquiring Josh Smith because they aren't willing to give up any of the players the Hawks would want in return, and HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy identifies John Wall, Bradley Beal and Nene as the three players the team wants to keep in any deal.
With a deadline trade to the Warriors unlikely and his knee still not 100%, it looks like Eric Gordon will stay put with the Warriors past the deadline, writes Jimmy Smith of The Times Picayune, who hears from a source who said "nobody wants" Gordon.
The Suns agreed to a deal to acquire Marcus Morris for a second-round pick tonight, but considered trading a first-round pick for Morris when the Rockets took him on draft night. Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic has the details.
The Magic have been trying to unload Al Harrington's contract, but the power forward figures he's not going anywhere, since other teams are likely wary of his health, as John Denton of Magic.com tweets.
Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times identifies Devin Harris as a trade candidate and tweets that the Wisconsin product would mind playing for the Bucks, though I think if he ends up in Milwaukee, it's more likely via free agency this summer than in a deadline deal.

Josh Smith Rumors: Wednesday

February 20th, 2013 at 10:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Josh Smith appears to be the big-name player most likely to be moved before tomorrow's trade deadline, and Tuesday brought plenty of updates and rumors on his potential destination. We rounded up those updates right here, and we'll track today's news here, with any new items added to the top of the page throughout the day:

"Source after source" informs HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy that Smith will be dealt by the deadline (Twitter link).
With the Suns apparently standing pat despite a report classifying them as the frontrunner for Smith, it looks like the Bucks are in the lead for Atlanta's athletic power forward, as Sean Deveney of The Sporting News writes. The Bucks are willing to risk losing Smith in free agency, but chances are strong that he'll re-up in Milwaukee for the right price, according to Deveney. Still, Milwaukee won't include John Henson or Larry Sanders in any deal for Smith.
Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio believes the Nets are the frontrunners, with Milwaukee a darkhorse (Twitter link).

Earlier updates:

Smith is open to playing with the Bucks even if Monta Ellis is not around, reports Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (Twitter link).
Despite a report previously stating that the Nets are “solely focused” on Smith, a league source says that is definitely not the case, according to Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld.
The Suns, Bucks, and Nets are currently viewed as the three most likely destinations for Smith, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
A source tells Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today that it's not inconceivable the Hawks hang on to Smith through the deadline. With a huge amount of cap space available this summer, Atlanta could still re-sign the forward to a reasonable contract if another club doesn't make him the max offer he's seeking.

Jordan Crawford Seeking Trade?

February 20th, 2013 at 1:49pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this week, we heard that the Wizards were shopping Jordan Crawford, and it sounds as if a trade may be the preferred outcome for both the team and the player. According to Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today, Crawford isn't pleased with his reduced role in Washington, while Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio says flatly (via Twitter) that Crawford wants to be traded.

Crawford, 24, was seeing major minutes earlier in the season, averaging 19.1 PPG and 6.1 APG in 13 contests in December. However, he has seen his playing time reduced since John Wall returned to the lineup in January and since rookie Bradley Beal has emerged. Recently, Crawford has been removed entirely from the Wizards' rotation.

Last night, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reported that the Wizards aren't interested in taking back long-term salary for Crawford. Still, even if Washington were to take on a multiyear contract in a trade, the cost wouldn't be exorbitant — Crawford is only earning about $1.2MM this season, so he'd be unable to bring back more than about $1.8MM on his own.

Berger On Smith, Bucks, Dwight, Hickson

February 19th, 2013 at 11:27pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Ken Berger of CBS Sports described the difficulty for the Hawks to find the type of assets they want in exchange for Josh Smith, and GM Danny Ferry has been firm in telling other teams that he's not willing to take back future salary. Atlanta has prioritized draft picks and young players in exchange for their star forward, though other teams have been insistent on including some long-term deals as part of their offers.

The Nets are one interested team that would be hard-pressed to complete a trade before Thursday, as the current CBA would prohibit a luxury taxpayer to complete a sign-and-trade in the offseason. With Brooklyn set to be around $4MM above the tax line this summer, the only way they could acquire Smith after this season would be to significantly shed salary first. Here's more out of Berger's column tonight:

Ferry realizes that the number of potential trading partners will decrease this summer, and while Phoenix had originally been seen as an ideal destination for Smith, the Suns appear to have their reservations about whether or not the assets they'd be sending out would be worth it.
The Bucks have been "definitely active" in Smith talks considering the uncertain future of Brandon Jennings, who is said to have been intrigued by bigger markets and had recently switched agents (from Bill Duffy to Jeff Schwartz, known for being a strong advocate for the opportunities that a bigger market can provide).
Luc Mbah a Moute could be a key component of a Smith-to-Milwaukee deal, factoring in his production and manageable contract.
It is widely believed that the Hawks will try to make a strong push to acquire Dwight Howard before the trade deadline.
The Trail Blazers continue to shop J.J. Hickson in exchange for a first-round pick.
Wizards guard Jordan Crawford has drawn interest from some teams, but the team isn't willing to take back any long-term contracts.
76ers guard Nick Young has been part of many discussions, but there isn't a deal to be made as of now.
The Nets know that a Kris Humphries-for-Ben Gordon trade with the Bobcats is still on the table, but are waiting to see what happens with Josh Smith before returning to that avenue.

Josh Smith Rumors: Tuesday

February 19th, 2013 at 11:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Last night, ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported that many teams around the NBA are convinced that the Hawks will move Josh Smith by Thursday's trade deadline. Stein cited the Celtics as one team with interest, but wrote that he couldn't see them giving up Paul Pierce in a deal for Smith. We'll likely hear a few more rumors and rumblings on Smith today, so we'll round all those up in one place, with the latest updates added to the top of the page throughout the day:

The Nets' latest offer includes Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks, and either a first-round pick or the draft rights to Bojan Bogdanovic, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy says the strangest rumor he's heard involves Josh Smith and filler (possibly Zaza Pachulia) going to the Knicks for Amare Stoudemire and Iman Shumpert.

Earlier updates:

ESPN's Chris Broussard tweets that although the Suns have been in touch with the Hawks regarding Smith, a deal is very unlikely.
The Hawks called the Clippers and asked about acquiring Eric Bledsoe in a Smith trade, but the conversation was short, according to Broussard, who says the Clips aren't really interested in Smith (Twitter link).
Broussard adds in a second tweet that Smith heading to the Suns in a package headlined by Marcin Gortat is "unlikely."
Most of the offers the Hawks have received so far for Smith have been underwhelming, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
Several members of the Warriors organization tell Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group (Sulia link) that they think Smith would be an ideal fit in Golden State. However, the club wouldn't want to give up Klay Thompson or Harrison Barnes for a free-agent-to-be, so a trade is "improbable at best."

Broussard On Gordon, Ellis, Rondo, Crawford

February 19th, 2013 at 9:55pm CST by Ryan Raroque

The Bucks are ready to trade Monta Ellis after he turned down a two-year extension, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN, also mentioning that Ellis wanted to play out this season first. Earlier, we heard from HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy about the expectation by some around the league for Monta to opt out of his contract this summer and sign with a contender, so it will be interesting to see how Milwaukee handles this situation over the next two days. Broussard had a wave of Twitter updates to share in the past hour, all of which you can find below:

The Hornets have made Eric Gordon available for a trade, but Broussard anticipates a lack of interest considering doubts about his health moving forward. The notion that New Orleans is willing to listen to offers for Gordon shouldn't come as a surprise, as we heard a similar report earlier this month.
The Celtics are willing to move Rajon Rondo in the right deal. The Wizards have been actively shopping Jordan Crawford.
A list of players who are currently on the trade market: Nets forward Kris Humphries, 76ers guard Evan Turner, Bobcats guards Ben Gordon and Gerald Henderson, Spurs' DeJuan Blair, Raptors big man Andrea Bargnani, Jazz big men Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap, Magic guard J.J. Redick, and Timberwolves forward Derrick Williams (All Twitter links).

Latest On Josh Smith

February 17th, 2013 at 10:07am CST by Chuck Myron

10:07am: The Suns aren't among the teams making a play for Smith, as Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News writes at the end of his league-wide roundup. They, like other teams, are wary of giving Smith a max deal in the summer, according to Lawrence.

9:00am: The Bucks, Nets, Celtics, 76ers and Wizards are among the many involved in talks for Hawks forward Josh Smith, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Other teams are engaged as well, and there's a strong belief that Smith will be on the move before Thursday's trade deadline, according to Wojnarowski. Smith will be an unrestricted free agent at season's end, and he believes he's deserving of a maximum-salary contract. It appears as though the Hawks are unwilling to meet that demand, and that has apparently sparked interest in a deal.

The Nets were reportedly making a strong push for Smith as recently as a week ago, but it's clear they have competition. The Hawks seem to be in a position of strength, with multiple teams going after a player who's likely the best player on the trading block as the deadline approaches. Atlanta, with less than $18.5MM in firm commitments for next season, looks like it's set up to have the cap room to add a pair of maximum-salary players this summer. Dwight Howard is an Atlanta native, so the Hawks could be a viable option if he elects not to re-sign with the Lakers. When I examined Smith's trade candidacy a couple of weeks ago, I predicted Hawks GM Danny Ferry would hold on to Smith in hopes that he might want to recruit Howard, the best man in his wedding, back to Georgia. Even if that doesn't happen, and Smith signs elsewhere, the Hawks would at least have a ton of cap room to play with.

Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported a week ago that the Hawks are looking for "a quality young center" in return for Smith. That's an asset the Celtics don't possess, and I'm not sure either the Nets or Hawks would have interest in including Brook Lopez in a Smith deal. Larry Sanders of the Bucks, Kevin Seraphin of the Wizards and Spencer Hawes of the Sixers are young centers who've shown promise, but perhaps not enough to entice Ferry and the Hawks.

Smith is making $13.2MM in the final season of his deal, which includes a 15% trade kicker. Since he signed his contract under the old CBA, the team that acquires him in a trade must pay the extra money. If Smith is traded at Thursday's deadline, the kicker would amount to approximately $1.3MM, or 15% of the prorated amount remaining on his salary this season.

Wizards Shopping Jordan Crawford

February 16th, 2013 at 8:20am CST by Sean Highkin

Ric Bucher of CSNBayArea.com reports (via Sulia) that the Washington Wizards have made guard Jordan Crawford "eminently available," and points to him as an option for teams in need of an affordable scorer. Bucher writes that rookie guard Bradley Beal's emergence as a legitimate starter has made it easier for the Wizards to consider moving Crawford.

Crawford is averaging 13.2 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 3.7 APG this season. He is in the third year of his rookie contract and is owed about $1.9MM this season, and will make $2.2MM next season before becoming a restricted free agent in the summer of 2014.

Odds & Ends: Mavericks, Gordon, Heat, Rose

February 14th, 2013 at 8:32pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Despite Mark Cuban's belief that adding an overpaid player with a massive contract would be a huge mistake considering the framework of the current CBA, Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas wonders if the Mavericks would explore trading for Hornets guard Eric Gordon as a possible fallback option if the team falls short in its effort to land Dwight Howard this summer. On another note, Moke Hamilton of Sheridan Hoops explains why it would be wise for Dallas to deal Vince Carter and Shawn Marion for expiring contracts and draft picks now if they want to give themselves a legitimate chance at going after Howard, Chris Paul, or Andrew Bynum in upcoming free agency.

Here are more of this evening's odds and ends:

A report from ESPN (via the Associated Press) states that NBA Commissioner David Stern expects a concrete plan from Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson within the next two weeks regarding the Kings' future. Although the NBA Board of Governors does not meet until April 17-18, Stern believes that the official proposal could be made by March 1st "if (Mayor Johnson) follows through on what he's told us." He also put the kibosh on the idea of expansion and doesn't foresee a scenario where both Seattle and Sacramento wind up with teams.
With 15 guaranteed contracts and the team on a roll as of late, Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida figures that the Heat will be very quiet at the trade deadline next week (Twitter link).
Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago gets the sense that Bulls superstar Derrick Rose won't be returning this season.
Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside provides a rundown of the top available point guards in the D-League and organizes them in groups by what they specifically have to offer.
After suffering a torn ACL on Tuesday night, Kentucky big man Nerlens Noel figures to be on a six-to-eight month recovery. Once touted by some to be the number one overall pick in this June's draft, Noel has slid to number three in Chad Ford's ESPN rankings of the top 30 prospects (Insiders only). On a side note, Darren Rovell (also of ESPN) tweets that Noel has a $10MM insurance policy in the event that he suffers a career ending injury.
In a statement issued to Michael Lee of the Washington Post, David Falk (the former agent of Michael Jordan) apologized for his disparaging comments about John Wall and the Wizards recently.
There have been a flurry of reports today about Lakers owner Jerry Buss' bout with terminal cancer, which was first reported by Amber Goodhand of Radar Online this morning. In a statement issued by the team today, it was made clear that there is no intention of selling the team to an outside group and that the Buss family plans to keep ownership of the Lakers for many generations to come (Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News).