The NBA Trade Deadline: Where The Rockets Win An Active Day

Two Minor Moves Top Off Busy Trade Deadline

In the interest of telling you about every single little trade made in the hours leading up to today’s 3 p.m. NBA Trade Deadline, here are two more trades to note:

First, Larry Brown and the Bobcats took steps towards reuniting the 2001 76ers today, as the Bobcats traded a conditional draft pick to the Spurs for Theo Ratliff. The move is a pure salary dump; as Adrian Wojnarowski tweets, the Spurs will likely never see the pick.

And finally, the Wizards have officially gotten under the luxury tax by sending Dominic McGuire and cash to the Kings for a conditional second-round pick, according to Sam Amick of the Sacramento Bee. Michael Lee of the Washington Post tweets that the pick is a 2010 second-round pick.

Jazz Trade Ronnie Brewer To Grizzlies

The Jazz found another way to cut their payroll this season. While Utah had been linked with Miami over a possible Carlos Boozer trade that would have meant substantial luxury tax savings for the Jazz, they managed to make a smaller deal before the deadline that will nonetheless save them a fair amount of money for the remainder of the season.

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, the Jazz shipped out Ronnie Brewer to the Grizzlies for a protected-2011 first-round draft pick. The deal will save the Jazz the rest of the prorated $2.7 million Brewer is owed for this season, as well as luxury tax costs, while giving the Grizzlies another athletic wing to bring off the bench.

Still, for a Utah team that has 15 of its past 17 games to come within a game of second place in the West, giving up a rotation player for a future asset is a bitter pill to swallow. Such is life in the NBA circa 2010, when over half the teams are losing money.

Bobcats Possibly Trading D.J. Augustin For T.J. Ford, For Some Reason

Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting the Bobcats and Pacers are advancing talks on a deal that would send T.J. Ford to Charlotte for a package including D.J. Augustin.

If so, this is madness. Larry Brown and the Bobcats must be stopped. T.J. Ford has a terrible contract and has a reputation for being a selfish player. D.J. Augustin has struggled, but is still young and is better than Ford already. To complete the trade, Charlotte would likely have to either throw in DeSagana Diop (unlikely because of his contract), or Nazr Mohammad (their starting center). Um, yikes.

For the sake of us all, please don’t let this happen.

UPDATE: Thankfully, this trade did not in fact happen.

Minor Trade Between 76ers, Bucks Completed

While the rest of the NBA world marvels at Rockets GM Daryl Morey, the 76ers and Bucks completed a trade, according to Kate Fagan of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The trade? Philly trades Royal Ivey, Primoz Brezec and a 2010 second-round pick to Milwaukee for Jodie Meeks and Francisco Elson. Is it a major trade? No. Will you thank us for bringing you even the smallest morsels of information during the trade deadline? I hope so.

McGrady Headed To The Knicks In Three-Team Deal

The proposed three-way deal between Houston, New York, and Sacramento appears to be coming to fruition. According to ESPN's Mark Stein, the teams have agreed in principle to a blockbuster deal that sends McGrady to New York along with Sacramento PG Sergio Rodriguez, sends Sacramento shooting guard Kevin Martin to the Rockets, and brings Houston's Carl Landry--along with Joey Dorsey and Larry Hughes' expiring contract (about $14 million)--to Sacramento.

Because we're talking about the Houston Rockets and the best GM in the league, Daryl Morey, Houston also gets New York's 2009 lottery pick, Jordan Hill,  the right to swap first round picks with the Knicks in 2011, as well as taking the Knicks' first round pick outright in 2012. Per usual, building through the draft is not one of New York's top priorities, while Morey seems content to stockpile assets.

For Sacramento, they'll get some much-needed help on the frontline with Landry, one of the better young big men in the league, as well as some valuable cap space when Hughes' deal expires this spring. It comes with an expense, though: giving up Kevin Martin, the lone bright spot for Sacramento the past few years, and still one of the most talented young guards in the league.

For New York, the trade allows them to take a flier on McGrady, and potentially use his star power to lure a superstar this summer. And either way, his massive $23 million salary will come off the books this spring, clearing the way for New York to add not one, but two max contract players. They also gave up Jordan Hill, this year's eighth overall pick. But again, these are the Knicks. Swingin' for the fences, amirite?! Tracy McGrady was totally a superstar like five years ago!

And finally, Houston wins. God Houston wins. They traded Carl Landry, Tracy McGrady (who was inactive for them), and Joey Dorsey. So basically, they lost one player from their rotation (Landry). What did that net them? Two first round picks, a lottery pick from last year's draft (Jordan Hill), Jared Jefferies, and one of the more effective shooting guards in the league, Kevin Martin. And again, from this year's core, they lose only Carl Landry.

That, my friends, is a good day at the office for Darryl Morey.

Heat, Jazz Talking Carlos Boozer Trade

With Amare Stoudemire off the market, the Miami Heat are making an 11th-hour push for Carlos Boozer, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein and Chad Ford.

It’s not yet clear what pieces could be involved.

Kings Want David Lee In Tracy McGrady Deal, Could Also Ask For Pony

The Kings, Knicks and Rockets continue to discuss a three-team deal that would send Tracy McGrady to the Knicks, but apparently the Kings drive a hard bargain.

How hard? They’re reportedly asking for David Lee, who is only the Knicks’ best player, as a price to taking back Jared Jeffries’ contract, according to the Sacramento Bee’s Sam Amick.

Yeah … good luck with that. Not only is Lee the only thing keeping the Knicks relevant this year, but he also has to approve the trade because he’s on a one-year contract. If he accepts, he loses his Bird Rights, meaning the Kings would not be able to go over the salary cap to re-sign him. There’s no way he agrees to that.

Nice try, Kings.

Knicks, Celtics Reach Tentative Agreement On Nate Robinson Deal

ESPN’s Chris Sheridan is reporting the Knicks and Celtics have reached an agreement on the pieces involved in the Nate Robinson trade.

The Celtics will acquire Robinson and an unknown second player for Eddie House, Bill Walker and J.R. Giddens, according to Sheridan.

Bobcats Closing In On Deal For Tyrus Thomas

According to CBS Sportsline’s Ken Berger, the Bobcats are closing in on acquiring Tyrus Thomas from the Bulls. The deal, according to Berger, would send expiring contracts and a future first-round pick to the Bulls for Thomas.

Charlotte’s only expiring contracts are Acie Law for $2.3 million and Flip Murray for $1.9 million, so I imagine both have to be involved. Thomas makes $4.7 million this year.

UPDATE: Adrian Wojnarowski reports the trade is indeed Acie Law, Flip Murray and a future first-round pick for Tyrus Thomas. 

After Tons Of Hand-Wringing, Amare Stoudemire Likely Staying In Phoenix

For the second straight year, Amare Stoudemire was the big fish in the pool at the NBA Trade Deadline. For the second straight year, it looks like he’s not going anywhere.

Fanhouse first reported yesterday that Stoudemire was likely to stay in Phoenix, quoting Stoudemire himself, coach Alvin Gentry and a couple sources. ESPN’s Marc Stein confirmed Fanhouse’s report just now with a quote from owner Robert Sarver indicating he met with Stoudemire last night to tell him he’s likely staying put.

This isn’t exactly a good thing for either party. Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski tweets that Stoudemire’s agent and Suns GM Steve Kerr had “several tense conversations” last night about this. ESPN’s Chad Ford quotes a source saying Stoudemire is going to be upset about this. Fanhouse, who wrote earlier that Stoudemire was considering not opting out of his contract this summer, asked Stoudemire again last night, and Stoudemire said nothing had changed on that front. In other words, it appears we’re headed toward an unsavory divorce.

For more on the Amare situation, check out SB Nation’s Suns blog Bright Side of the Sun, who has been tracking this news all day.

John Salmons Trade Is For Joe Alexander, Hakim Warrick

The Associated Press is reporting that the Chicago Bulls will trade John Salmons to the Milwaukee Bucks for Joe Alexander and Hakim Warrick.

Initially, it appeared the Bucks would send back Kurt Thomas and Francisco Elson, but it looks like the Bulls preferred younger players instead. All four Bucks players are expiring contracts.

Moving Salmons gives the Bulls enough cap room to chase a maximum free agent in the offseason.

UPDATE: NBA.com reports that the Bucks will also receive the Bulls' 2011 and 2012 second-round picks, as well as the option to swap 2010 first-round picks with the Bulls, as long as that pick is not in the top ten of the draft.

Did The Warriors Really Turn Down O.J. Mayo For Monta Ellis?

If there’s one thing you can always count on in the NBA, it’s the Warriors doing something stupid. Maybe that’s a little harsh, but the evidence says so. A couple weeks ago, they cut Speedy Claxton and his insured $5.2 million expiring contract — a major trade chip in this economy — to make space for a NBA D-League guy.

Now, if the San Jose Mercury News’ Tim Kawakami is to be believed, they apparently turned down a trade offer from the Grizzlies that would have sent O.J. Mayo and other contracts for Monta Ellis.

According to multiple NBA sources, the Warriors rejected Memphis’ intriguing offer of OJ Mayo + contract-filler.

This deal was first offered at the start of the season and possibly is still on the table, in Memphis’ view, and still rejected by the Warriors.

Now, unless there are humongous chemistry issues with Mayo, I don’t know how the Warriors could do much better in an Ellis deal.

I’m not the world’s biggest O.J. Mayo fan, but I’ve been very impressed with how he’s become a great complimentary player for the Grizzlies this year. Zach Randolph and Rudy Gay may put up the numbers, but Mayo, along with Marc Gasol, is the soul of that team. If Mayo were to come to Golden State, he would blend in very nicely alongside Stephen Curry. Both are combo guards that are equally capable of making plays with the ball in their hands and off someone else’s creation. Mayo’s also a significantly better defender than Ellis and is cheaper. What’s not to like?

I’m shocked Memphis put this on the table, and I’m even more shocked the Warriors rejected it. Shame on both teams if true.

Kings Fans Lose Their Underground Star

My first thought about the Kevin Martin trade is that I didn’t understand why so many Kings fans hated it. I wish, as they do, that Martin and Tyreke Evans got more time to co-exist, but they were getting cap relief and a very good player in Carl Landry.

However, Tom Ziller at SB Nation’s Sactown Royalty puts it all in perspective for us. As Ziller writes, Martin was theirs. He was underappreciated for so many years, and the mainstream writers only began to take notice recently. Now, after putting so much time into rooting for a guy like Martin, it’s tough for Kings fans to let go.

But goddamn it hurts to lose him. He was ours — our secret, our walking idiosyncrasy, our source of impromptu elation. Chris Webber, high and low, was shared with the world. Peja, too. Even Mitch Richmond was a star who happened to play in Sacramento. But Martin? He was ours. And he’s gone. Partly because he wanted out — he’s been pissed at the franchise’s lack of support — and partly because of the franchise’s itchy finger. Partly because Carl Landry is awesome, and the Kings bigs, on the whole, are not. Partly because Martin and Tyreke Evans just haven’t clicked totally. Partly because the Knicks are going to Crazytown and might want to take us along.

Kevin Martin On His Way To Rockets For Tracy McGrady, Carl Landry

One of the reasons the trade deadline is so interesting is that trades can come out of nowhere. Last night, as most of the East coast was sleeping, we saw one of those out-of-nowhere trades come together in a hurry.

According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Sacramento Kings have decided to trade Kevin Martin, previously seen as a keeper, to the Houston Rockets in a package for Tracy McGrady and his $23 million expiring contract.

The full trade has Martin, Kenny Thomas, Hilton Armstrong and Sergio Rodriguez going to the Rockets for McGrady, Sixth Man Of The Year candidate Carl Landry, Joey Dorsey and cash. There’s also a rumored second part of the deal, in which the Knicks will acquire McGrady from Sacramento and Rodriguez for Houston in exchange for the Jared Jeffries/Jordan Hill/draft picks package discussed earlier in the week.

It’s an interesting trade, that’s for sure. For the Kings, it’s a complete turn from the vibes they were giving teams about Martin’s availability. For the Rockets, it’s a sign that they were willing to give up more than just McGrady’s expiring contract to bring in a big-time player. Landry has had an outstanding season and is a genuine asset for the Kings in the future, even though the Kings already have two young frontcourt building blocks in Jason Thompson and Spencer Hawes.

For more discussion on the proposed trade, visit SB Nation’s Kings blog Sactown Royalty and SB Nation’s Rockets blog The Dream Shake.

Chicago Bulls Trade John Salmons To Milwaukee Bucks

After frantically searching for a trade partner over the past few days, the Chicago Bulls have finally agreed to a deal with the Milwaukee Bucks involving shooting guard John Salmons.

From K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune:

The Bulls have traded swingman John Salmons to the Milwaukee Bucks for Francisco Elson and Kurt Thomas.

…

Both Elson and Thomas have expiring contracts. Salmons held a $5.8 million player option this summer and trading him guarantees that the Bulls will have enough money to offer a maximum contract to a big-time free agent this summer.

Salmons was in the midst of a disappointing season with the Bulls, averaging just 12.7 points per game on 42% shooting.

Cavaliers To Acquire Jamison From Wizards In Three-Team Deal

If trading for Amare Stoudmire was the top priority for the Cleveland Cavaliers, landing Antawn Jamison from Washington is hardly a disappointing Plan B. With help from the Los Angeles Clippers, the Cavs appear to have swung a deal.

Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski has the story.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have reached agreement on a six-player, three-team trade that lands them former All-Star forward Antawn Jamison, league sources with knowledge of the talks told Yahoo! Sports.

The Cavaliers are sending center Zydrunas Ilgauskas and a first-round pick to the Wizards. The Wizards also will receive Brian Skinner and Al Thornton(notes) from the Los Angeles Clippers. The Cavaliers will get point guard Sebastian Telfair from the Clippers. The Wizards will send Drew Gooden to the Clippers.

Wojnarowski has also tweeted a few updates:

The Clippersplan to buyout Drew Gooden's contract and allow him to become a free agent, a league source told Y! Sports. The Wizards also get the rights to former Cavs pick, Emir Preldzic, a source said.

The trade gives Cleveland a solid post presence to pair with LeBron James, allows Washington to go into full rebuilding mode, and dumps $5.5 million off the Clippers’ payroll. Drinks all around.

Update: Ric Bucher is tweeting that Skinner is NOT involved.

And, yes, I know some of you have seen this elsewhere already. But Skinner not involved as some reported.

More to come as it is available.

Kahn Strikes Again: Darko To Timberwolves, Cardinal To Knicks In The Works

Ever since his 2009 NBA Draft antics, Minnesota Timberwolves GM David Kahn has become the subject of whimsical mockery among the media. With that in mind, it only makes sense that Kahn would become the latest to take a stab at developing Darko Milicic.

According to ESPN.com’s Chad Ford, Minnesota has agreed in principle to send Brian Cardinal to the New York Knicks in exchange for Milicic.

The two sides have yet to formally complete the trade and have a trade call scheduled for Thursday morning. Assuming nothing changes overnight, the deal should be officially consummated in the morning.

The trade will save the Knicks $1.8 million and give the Wolves a center to audition for the rest of the season. Milicic has been mired at the end of Mike D’Antoni’s bench for months and has publicly said he’s likely to return to Europe to play basketball when his contract expires this summer.

Apparently, nothing excites Kahn more than a European that wants nothing more than to play basketball in Europe.

Celtics On The Verge Of Acquiring Nate Robinson

It’s looking like the Celtics are about to acquire Nate Robinson from the Knicks, though there’s still some confusion as to when the trade is finalized.

Newsday’s Alan Hahn first reported the news:

Nate Robinson trade with #Celtics done, I’m told. Getting details now….. #Knicks #NBA

Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski said the Knicks and Celtics are still talking about a Robinson for Eddie House deal, but that it might not be done until tomorrow. One source told Wojnarowski that the Celtics love Nate and Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni loves House, so everyone’s “motivated” to get the deal done.

Jeff Goodman of Fox Sports, meanwhile, tweets that the deal is not done. We’ll keep you posted.

Today In Rumors: Cavaliers Finalize Wishlist, Bucks Want Troy Murphy, And More

A sampling of rumors floating around today

Cavaliers finalize wishlist, wait for Amare shoe to drop

The Cavaliers, using a committee that included management, coaches, veteran players, ownership and LeBron James, have created a wishlist of sorts, according to Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. At the top is Amare Stoudemire, but in case that falls through because the Suns elect to trade with Miami, they have fallback options.

Antawn Jamison tops the fallback list. Though the Cavaliers continue to hold out J.J. Hickson in talks with the Wizards regarding Jamison, the two teams continue to talk. Yahoo! Sports reported that the Cavaliers and Wizards have made progress on a trade that would send Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Jamario Moon and a first-round pick in next year's draft for Jamison and Mike James, which would get the Wizards completely out of the luxury tax. However, ESPN's Chris Broussard quotes a source denying that offer ever got presented. 

The Cavaliers have also maintained contact with the Warriors about Corey Maggette in case all that falls through, according to Windhorst.

Bulls, Lakers talking Kirk Hinrich trade, having problems

The Lakers and Bulls are still talking about a deal to send Kirk Hinrich to LA, but the Bulls want salary-cap relief and the Lakers are insisting on including Sasha Vujacic and his $5.5 million salary in 2011, according to the Chicago Tribune. The two teams are trying to recruit a third team to help facilitate the deal, but are having no luck.

Too bad. Hinrich in LA would be fun to see, and the Bulls desperately need the cap space.

Bucks want Troy Murphy?

When was the last time the Milwaukee Bucks were a buyer in the trade market? 2002? 2001? I honestly can't remember.

However, it appears they are buying this year. According to Chris Mannix of SI.com, the Bucks are looking for a power forward to play alongside Andrew Bogut. They've honed in on Indiana's Troy Murphy, who has a bad contract that expires before next season. The Bucks don't mind taking on money next year, because they're already not going to be under the salary cap this summer, but they'd prefer not to take on money in 2011 because they have the contracts of Michael Reed and Dan Gadzuric off the books. In that sense, Murphy is a perfect fit.

Spurs shopping Richard Jefferson, no takers

The Richard Jefferson experience has been a disaster for the Spurs. How do we know for sure? According to Frank Hughes of SI.com, the Spurs are shopping him and finding no takers. Jefferson makes $14.2 million this season and $15.2 million next year, so I doubt anyone takes him, but this is the NBA, so who knows.

Odds and Ends

• Memphis, New York and New Jersey have honed in on Sacramento's Sergio Rodriguez, according to the Sacramento Bee. The Grizzlies are probably the frontrunners because they have enough cap room to absorb Rodriguez's contract. SB Nation's Grizzlies blog Straight Outta Vancouver, however, says the Grizzlies should pass.
• Surprise, surprise: Drew Gooden wants a buyout on the remainder of his $4.5 million contract, according to Michael Lee of the Washington Post. The Wizards, however, are hoping to trade him before the deadline, though he'd have to be traded by himself. If Gooden isn't traded and is bought out, he will have been bought out after being traded to a bottom-feeder at the trade deadline in each of the last two season.
• Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution shoots down a rumor that the Hawks offered Maurice Evans in a package for Milwaukee's Kurt Thomas. Too bad, because I think Thomas helps the Hawks a lot more than Evans.  
• Orlando is always an active team around the deadline, but GM Otis Smith says that won't be the case this year, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Suns, Stoudemire End Contract Extension Talks

In case you needed more evidence that Amar’e Stoudemire is going to have a new address in the next couple days, Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting the Suns have stopped all talks with Stoudemire regarding a possible contract extension.

Wojnarowski is also reporting that Stoudemire has told friends that Wednesday’s game against Dallas will be his last as a Phoenix Sun.

The Miami Heat still are very interested, but Wojnarowski writes that they didn’t offered Michael Beasley. They’re trying to recruit a third team to make the trade easier, but are coming up empty thus far.

Rockets To Choose Between Knicks, Bulls Offers For Tracy McGrady Wednesday

Houston looks like it’s on the verge of moving Tracy McGrady. To where specifically remains a question.

ESPN’s Marc Stein is reporting the Rockets are mulling over offers from the New York Knicks and the Chicago Bulls and will likely choose which one later Wednesday.

As of right now, the Knicks appear to be in the lead. They have already agreed to swap Larry Hughes, rookie Jordan Hill, Jared Jeffries, as well as a 2012 first-round pick and the option to switch picks in 2011. However, the Knicks and Rockets are still haggling about the protection on the draft picks the Knicks will send to Houston, which is holding things up. In addition, according to a source, the Knicks are somewhat reluctant to trade so many draft picks. However, if the Knicks make this move, they will suddenly have enough cap space this summer to sign two maximum free agents.

It’s less clear what the Bulls are offering, but according to Stein, the Rockets are interested in Brad Miller and Tyrus Thomas. The Bulls will undoubtedly try to trade either John Salmons or Kirk Hinrich to clear enough cap room to sign a free agent this summer, but it’s unclear whether the Rockets want them.

There remains a third possibility: the three teams trading with each other. Newsday’s Alan Hahn tweeted that the Knicks could make the move for McGrady, then send Al Harrington to Chicago to acquire Thomas. SB Nation’s Knicks blog Posting and Toasting finds this more exciting than the original deal.

Either way, it’s time this whole “Tracy McGrady expiring contract” saga comes to an end. I’m exhausting just writing about it.

Celtics Trying To Acquire Nate Robinson From The Knicks

For a while, it looked like Boston’s move at the trade deadline would be bigger than this. They have Ray Allen’s expiring contract on the market, with the goal to get a marquee player that can help them this year and in the future.

However, Boston’s first move might be a bit smaller than that. Literally. They’re closing in on a deal to acquire three-time Slam Dunk Champion (!) Nate Robinson from the Knicks, according to A Sherrod Blakely of Comcast SportsNet New England.

CSNNE.com has confirmed that the Boston Celtics have had discussions recently about a trade that would send New York Knicks guard Nate Robinson to Boston.

Although the particulars have yet to be completely agreed upon, Boston will include at least one player with an expiring contract (Eddie House, Tony Allen and Brian Scalabrine are the possibilities) to New York along with either a future draft pick or cash considerations.

If the C’s were to pull the trigger on such a deal, it would likely be done sometime Wednesday.

Robinson is a base-year compensation player, which Blakely explains later in the article, but the Celtics have been rumored to want him for quite some time. If they get him, it would be an interesting test of the Celtics’ culture, but it would also give their bench a nice shot in the arm.

SB Nation’s Celtics Blog has more on the rumor here.

Tyrus Thomas On The Spurs?

According to Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski, the San Antonio Spurs are trying to offload Antonio McDyess in a last-ditch attempt to a) Rid them of his $4.9 million salary next season, and b) Nab Chicago Bulls malcontent Tyrus Thomas. From Yahoo:

The San Antonio Spurs are trying to unload Antonio McDyess and the remaining $7.5 million owed him after this season to possibly clear a way to make a trade for Chicago Bulls forward Tyrus Thomas, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

The Spurs have been searching for expiring deals to move McDyess, who will make $4.9 million next season and is guaranteed about $2.6 million in 2011-12. Trading McDyess would free minutes and give them greater flexibility to re-sign Thomas this summer if they want. Thomas would give the Spurs a younger, more athletic complement to Tim Duncan, and could be part of a future frontline with former first-round pick Tiago Splitter and rookie DeJuan Blair.

In addition to MyDyess and as previous reported here, the Spurs are also looking to move Roger Mason, a guard with a modest salary and surprising value. McDyess is a different story, though. Who wants an aging big man with a lengthy injury history and a big salary?

Yahoo mentions the Denver Nuggets as potential suitors, but even that seems like a stretch. So are the Spurs technically contenders in the Tyrus Thomas sweepstakes? Yes. But moving McDyess would be a pretty big upset, even for a wizards like Spurs' GM RC Buford, and that makes the chances of Thomas landing in San Antonio even less likely.

It's Official: Camby On His Way To Portland

Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that the Marcus Camby to Portland trade is a done deal.

The Clippers will receive Steve Blake, Travis Outlaw and $3 million in cash for Camby. The latter part is being held up as the reason for the Clippers making the deal, which has drawn the “cheap Clippers” meme out again. It certainly looks bad from their end, because Blake and Outlaw are both expiring contracts like Camby.

Today In Trade Rumors: T-Mac To The Knicks, Amare Fires Back At Critics And New Guys On The Block

A sampling of some rumors floating around today...

Tracy McGrady to the Knicks?  

The answer: yes, maybe, looking good, maybe not. If that's confusing, it's because this saga is. 

Yahoo! Sports' dynamic duo of Adrian Wojnarowski and Marc J. Spears reported yesterday afternoon that the Rockets and Knicks had agreed on the framework of a trade that would send Jared Jeffries, Jordan Hill, either Al Harrington or Larry Hughes and a 2012 first-round pick to Houston for McGrady, Brian Cook, Joey Dorsey and the right to exchange first-rounders in 2011. The Knicks would do this to clear away Jeffries' salary, which allows them to have enough money to either sign two maximum free agents this summer and/or re-sign David Lee. I presume Houston would do this because they get a somewhat useful player in Jeffries, as well as a youngster in Hill and an extra first-round pick.

However, according to the New York Daily News, the Knicks are saying the deal is not close. That's not to say they aren't trying to figure things out with the Rockets, but it's not going to happen right away. The holdups, according to Frank Isola, are Jeffries' $2 million trade kicker and Knicks president Donnie Walsh's reluctance to include Hill in the trade. CBS Sportsline's Ken Berger quotes a source says the chances of McGrady going to the Knicks are "50-50." 

Amare Stoudemire to his critics: I can play with Shaq

The Cavaliers continue to pursue Amare Stoudemire with a reported Zydrunas Ilgauskas/J.J. Hickson/first-round pick package, all while keeping their eye on Washington's Antawn Jamison. Such a trade would reunite Amare with Shaquille O'Neal. Many feel the two cannot coexist, but Stoudemire fired back at those people on his Twitter account. 

I play very well w/Shaq. I averaged more pts last year WITH him & played better D. You guys can stop saying we don't play well together.    

Speaking of Stoudemire, the Heat are reportedly raising the stakes on their pursuit of him, according to Marc Stein. The Heat have two first-round picks in this year's draft -- theirs and Toronto's -- and could also make Michael Beasley available.  

Roger Mason wants out?

According to Wojnarowski, Spurs guard Roger Mason's agent has asked the Spurs to trade him, and the Spurs are complying.  

"Roger had a terrific season last year after the Spurs had a bunch of injuries, and now that everyone is back healthy and his minutes are limited, the Spurs are trying to do the right thing and find a good spot for him," Mason's agent, Mark Bartelstein, told Yahoo! Sports on Monday.

Miami and Memphis are expected to be interested. Mason's lost playing time as the Spurs have developed youngster George Hill, but it's surprising to see him want out of a strong culture like San Antonio. 

Bartelstein clarified his comments to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News:

"It's not a trade demand," Bartelstein told the Express-News on Monday night. "It's simply, if there's an answer to the problem of not enough minutes, and everybody can come out good, they should look at that. That's all that's going on."

Bartelstein said Mason was "happy playing for (Gregg Popovich) and San Antonio has been good to him."

"It's just that players like to play," Bartelstein said.

I don't know about you, but that sounds like a trade request to me.

Is Corey Maggette Plan C for the Cavaliers?

Here's a weird one, via ESPN's Chris Broussard. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers' pursuit of Amare Stoudemire continues, but in case they can't land thePhoenix Suns' All-Star forward, they have begun talks with the Golden State Warriors about Corey Maggette.

Despite their league-high 13-game win streak, the Cavaliers are leaving no stone unturned in attempting to improve their team and bring the city it's first major sports league championship in 46 years.

No stone unturned indeed. I couldn't think of a player who fits Cleveland less than Maggette. However, Marcus Thompson of the Contra Coast Times has heard the same thing about the Cavaliers' interest in Maggette. 

Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer says that, if Cleveland talked to Golden State about Maggette, it was only to help facilitate a three-team deal, since Maggette doesn't fit in Cleveland. For now, I'm inclined to believe that. 

Marcus Camby On The Verge Of Heading To Portland, Isn't Happy About It

After missing out on Brendan Haywood, the Portland Trailblazers are reportedly about to acquire Clippers’ big man Marcus Camby, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Marc Spears.

The price is pretty cheap for the Blazers — the expiring contracts of guard Steve Blake and injured forward Travis Outlaw, as well as cash — considering their desperate short-term need for a center after injuries to Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla. It’s a no-brainer for them.

However, there is a snag, and that is Camby himself. He’s reportedly not happy about the trade, even though the Blazers are competing and the Clippers are floundering. He’s so mad that he walked out on a team dinner and never came back when he found out about the trade.

After taking the call from [his agent], Camby immediately walked out of the restaurant. A source close to Camby says that while he recognizes the benefits of playing for a better team, he is upset because his family is comfortably settled in Los Angeles. He had hoped to re-sign with the Clippers this summer.

“He likes the Clippers, he likes the organization, he likes L.A.,” the source said. “His wife is happy in L.A. And he’s not one for change. He’s definitely not happy about this.”

Camby also was similarly upset when the Nuggets traded him to the Clippers before the start of last season.

The Clippers’ players are also, predictably, upset about the trade. Why wouldn’t they be? Camby became a locker room leader, and now he’s being given away for no immediate on-court value. The Clippers probably feel Outlaw’s a better long-term answer at small forward than the enigmatic Al Thornton, but the current players will never grasp that.

It should be noted that the trade isn’t official, because neither owner has signed off on it, but all signs point to it happening, despite Camby’s own misgivings.

Amar'e-To-Cavs Talk Continues To Heat Up

The talk of Amar'e Stoudamire's potential move to the Cleveland Cavaliers has generated plenty of interest, and rightly so. How does he fit into a team that also includes LeBron James? Will the Amar'e-Shaq pairing work out better the second time around? What needs to happen for this trade to go down?

Our Suns blog, Bright Side of the Sun, has broken things down nicely. BSotS has provided a handy flowchart that covers all possible scenarios, and it's definitely worth a look.

Also, they''ve broken down exactly what a move like this would meann for both teams.

Amare's contract is coming to an end which gives him the power to either stay one more year or leave to explore free agency. He can pick up the final year of his contract or he can opt out. I've made the case the it would be silly for him not to opt out and I am standing by that opinion.

For the Suns to prevent this, they have to agree to either an extension that would add up to three years to his deal or they can agree that he will opt out and then re-sign a new deal for up to 6 years.

To get a grip on the situation, be sure to check out the rest of the post.

For a Cleveland perspective on things, check in with our Cavaliers blog, Fear the Sword.

Wiz, Mavs Officially Complete Blockbuster Trade Involving Caron Butler, Josh Howard

The Washington Wizards and Dallas Mavericks agreed to a deal Saturday that will significantly change the appearances of both teams involved. The Wizards will receive Josh Howard, Drew Gooden, James Singleton, and Quinton Ross. The Mavericks, meanwhile, will get Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, and DeShawn Stevenson.

The deal, which has yet to be approved by the NBA, is expected to be finalized on Monday.

Michael Lee of the Washington Post notes how radically this trade will transform the Wizards:

The trade dramatically changes the look of the Wizards (17-33). Butler made two all-star appearances in his five seasons in Washington, Haywood was the longest-tenured Wizard and final link to the Michael Jordan era and Stevenson was a starter on two playoff teams. But a person with knowledge of team's thinking said on Saturday that there could be more changes on the way before the Thursday trade deadline.

"It's time to go in another direction," said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade is still being worked out. "This wasn't working."

Add this to the removal of Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittendon from the roster weeks ago, and you have a Wizards team that looks much different from the squad that tipped off in the 2009-10 season opener.

Mike Prada of our Wizards blog, Bullets Forever, has already tweeted his displeasure. First:

So this trade doesn't get us all the way out of the tax. It only gets us halfway there. And we lose two good players on good deals for it?

And to reiterate:

I'll say it again: the Hornets get out of the tax by trading a bunch of stiffs. The #Wizards? They trade two good contracts for nothing.

This seems to be a good trade for the Mavericks. For thoughts on this trade from a Dallas perspective, you'll want to check back with SB Nation's own Mavs Moneyball.

Cavaliers Interested In Amar'e Stoudamire

Apparently on a quest to rein in as many household names as possible, the Cleveland Cavaliers are now pursuing the services of Phoenix Suns star Amar'e Stoudamire. From Cleveland.com:

According to multiple league sources, the Cavs have put their interest in forwards Troy Murphy and Antawn Jamison on the back burner for the moment and are getting serious about a higher-profile name, Phoenix Suns All-Star Amare Stoudemire.

[...] Sources indicate the Cavs, who first started talking to the Suns about their high-profile big man last month, are advancing talks to bring him to Cleveland.

As an aside...yes, it's officially Amar'e, not Amare.

As this story progresses, be sure to check back with our Cavs blog, Fear the Sword, and our Suns blog, Bright Side of the Sun.

Caron Butler Headed Out Of Washington, Likely To Dallas For Josh Howard

In order to get under the salary cap Washington is reportedly going to send Caron Butler to Dallas in exchange for Josh Howard, although all the details of the trade are yet to be announced.

Houston was another potential landing spot for Butler, who is averaging 16.9 points and 6.7 rebounds for the shorthanded Wizards this year.

Meanwhile, Washington is still talking to Boston about a deal involving Antawn Jamison.

For more on the trade, check out SB Nation’s Bullets Forever and Mavs Moneyball

About Those Ray Allen For Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler Trade Rumors...

No sooner had the rumors of a potential deal between the Celtics and Wizards involving a Ray Allen for Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler swap materialized, than reporters began poking holes in the supposed trade.

According to the Washington Post’s Michael Lee, no such deal has been discussed. Furthermore, Lee’s sources told him that the potential Wizards trade “with the most traction” was the proposed Josh Howard and James Singleton for Caron Butler and DeShawn Stevenson deal that had been rumored earlier in the week.

Danny Ainge also denied any and all reports of an impending trade with Washington, although to be fair, that is de rigueur for GMs in these circumstances.

So what’s going on here? Based on Lee’s reporting, it seems like the Allen for Jamison and Butler rumors are more smoke than fire at this point. In that case, some GM used Yahoo!‘s Adrian Wojnarowski to spread false rumors. And that GM is indubitably Washington’s Ernie Grunfeld. By raising the specter of Jamison AND Butler suiting up for the Celtics, Grunfeld must be hoping to bluff the Cavaliers into strengthen their bid for Jamison, so as not only to fortify their own team, but also to prevent a rival from doing so. Likewise, Grunfeld is likely trying to get the Mavericks to up the ante on their offer for Butler, as it’s thin on the type of assets (prospects or picks) that rebuilding teams usually seek in addition to cap space.

Expect a lot more poker between now and February 18th.

Update: According to Wizards reporter Mike Jones, a league source confirmed the Allen for Jamison and Butler talks. So it seems the rumored deal isn't merely posturing. Jones reports that aside from the three principals, "other being being discussed", which could mean that the Wizards are trying to get back more than just Giddens and Scalabrine's expiring deals. Perhaps Washington is looking for a few first round picks as well?

Celtics, Wizards Consider Mega-Trade: Ray Allen For Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler

If the Big Three isn't working, how about a Big Four? That seems to be the thinking in the Boston front office, with rumors that the Celtics are considering a mega-deal with the Wizards that would center around a Ray Allen for Antawan Jamison and Caron Butler swap, according to Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski.

To make the salaries work, the Celtics would send the Wizards the expiring contracts of Ray Allen, J.R. Giddens and Brian Scalabrine in return for Jamison and Butler. The proposed deal would allow Boston to rebuild on the fly, getting younger, bigger and more athletic, as they try to contend for another one or two years with their present core. A potential lineup of Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison and Kevin Garnett would certainly thrust Boston back into Eastern Conference title contention, assuming 1) they could keep that group healthy and 2) they could figure out a way to find enough shots for everyone.

Boston fans at SB Nation's Celtics Blog certainly approve of the potential move, and a few of them wondering if they might even get Ray Allen back, assuming the Wizards buy him out.

The biggest stumbling block will be whether Boston's ownership will approve taking on the $24 million in additional salary for next season that this deal would entail, as well as the $15 million Jamison is owed two years from now (which Wojnarowski points out might not have to be paid if there is a lockout). But for a team in win-now mode, those cap hits are likely of secondary importance.

As for the Wizards, this deal would clear some $23 million in cap space, and leave them with no players under contract past this season besides Andray Blatche, Nick Young, Javale McGee...and Gilbert Arenas. While it would be disappointing for the team not to get some assets (prospects or picks) back for Jamison or Butler, they'd be positioned to make a run at one of this offseason's marquee free agents, as well as to tank quite nicely for the draft lottery (according to ESPN's trade calculator, this move would make the Wizards five games worse, while the Celtics would improve a more modest two games).

This deal would also meet SB Nation's Mike Prada's criteria of moving Jamison as the team's top priority, since his deal is a year longer than Butler's, and would be more of a cap killer under a hypothetical new CBA with shorter, smaller contracts. And, of course, the elephant in the room with the Wizards continues to be what the team will do with Gilbert Arenas. If they do go ahead and void his contract, despite the likely considerable legal difficulties, they will suddenly emerge as a team with a bright, bright future. They'd more or less be able to copy the Oklahoma City Thunder's playbook, and rebuild with lottery picks and loads of cap space. Of course, they'd have to make the right decisions with those picks and free agents, but there would still be more reason for hope in Washington than there has been in quite a few years.

For more on the Celtics and Wizards, be sure to check out SB Nation's Celtics Blog and Bullets Forever.

Everyone Wants Tyrus Thomas, Except The Chicago Bulls

We’ve talked before about how the Chicago Bulls do a terrible job of getting something out of their high draft picks, back when Tyrus Thomas was rumored to be heading to the Knicks for Al Harrington. Basically, if you’re a high draft pick, you don’t want to be drafted by the Bulls.

One benching and outburst later, Thomas is back on the trading block, and this time, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, there are several suitors.

The Charlotte Bobcats bid Acie Law, Flip Murray and their 2010 first-round pick, a league executive said. The Bobcats have been searching for a long, athletic forward like Thomas, the fourth pick in the 2007 draft, and are expected to be aggressive pursuers. Portland Trail Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard made an offer they’ll have to improve upon to be taken seriously – one of his expiring contracts (Steve Blake or Travis Outlaw) and two future second-round draft picks.

The New York Knicks, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Hornets are among the multiple teams who’ve spoken to Chicago about Thomas. The Bulls are telling people that they have several teams willing to offer first-round picks – in 2010 or beyond.

The Bulls want to get something for Thomas before they need to relinquish his rights in free agency to clear up maximum cap room to sign a big free agent, so it’s understandable why they want to move him. Still, doesn’t it say something that so many teams want Thomas? Charlotte’s offering a pretty good haul for someone like him (though it should be noted that the specific trade Wojnarowski throws out there is impossible because Charlotte already traded their 2010 first-round pick), and there are tons of other teams interested.

It speaks to how much talent Thomas has and how much teams feel his struggles have a lot to do with his environment rather than anything he did. Yahoo! Sports’ Kelly Dwyer touched on this yesterday.

I can’t think of a single player, with the possible exception of New York’s David Lee, that has been jerked around more than Thomas. And I can’t think of a single player, with no exception, that has acted like more of a prat than Tyrus. A nasty combination.

One doesn’t lead to the other, but it doesn’t help. Thomas was drafted as a project by the Bulls in 2006, but he was never treated like a project. Instead, he was treated like some four-year college starter that had been on CBS too many times to mention, and someone who was used to the grind. Thomas wasn’t used to the grind. He was a basketball scrub until his late teens. He only had one year of slapping the backboards at LSU. He was ready, but he wasn’t ready.

Dwyer goes on to right that it’s a “near certainty” Thomas will be a very helpful piece for his next team. I won’t go that far, because I’ve seen firsthand (Kwame Brown) how a player can have his career ruined by the experience he had in his first professional organization, but Thomas is certainly a great buy-low candidate for a lot of teams.

Wizards, Rockets, Knicks Working On Three-Team Deal

We might have our first big trade of the trade deadline season! Rejoice!

According to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, the Wizards, Knicks and Rockets are discussing a deal that would send Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood to Houston, Tracy McGrady to the Knicks and Al Harrington to the Wizards.

Other pieces would need to be thrown in to match the salaries. The Knicks are currently taking in $23 million while sending out only $10 million. The Rockets need to take in an additional $6 million, while the Wizards need to send out another $6 million or so. Here’s one way to get that all done. It should be noted that this is coming straight from my head and is not necessarily being discussed.

WASHINGTON TRADES: Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, DeShawn Stevenson, Javaris Crittenton
WASHINGTON RECEIVES: Al Harrington, Cuttino Mobley, Jordan Hill, Jermaine Taylor, Houston first-round pick in 2010 draft

HOUSTON TRADES: Tracy McGrady, Jermaine Taylor, Joey Dorsey, 2010 first-round pick
HOUSTON RECEIVES: Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, DeShawn Stevenson, Javaris Crittenton

NEW YORK TRADES: Al Harrington, Cuttino Mobley, Jordan Hill
HOUSTON NEW YORK RECEIVES: Tracy McGrady, Joey Dorsey

Houston receives two starters without dealing one of its top prospects. Washington gets financial relief and young talent, as well as a draft pick. New York gets McGrady. Looks good to me.

Kevin Martin Staying In Sacramento?

Since returning to the Sacramento Kings on January 15th, Kevin Martin has been rather uninspiring, averaging 15 points per game on only 32 percent shooting, numbers far below his usual averages. The Kings themselves are slumping as well; they’ve only won once with Martin back in uniform. Couple that with the growing perception that Martin and rookie Tyreke Evans are a lousy fit together, and there, you’ve got the perfect recipe for some trade talk.

Martin has been linked to several teams including Dallas, Minnesota, and Boston. But as Sam Amick of the Sacramento Bee writes, there’s little chance that Martin will be leaving Sacramento any time soon.

Back at home, I’ve been banging the phones on the trade front and have to a couple of iron-clad conclusions regarding the hot topic of Kings shooting guard Kevin Martin and whether he’ll be moved.

The Kings remain quiet, at least as it pertains to Martin. There is no reason to think basketball president Geoff Petrie is motivated in the slightest bit to move him before the Feb. 18 deadline.

This should please Tom Ziller of SB Nation’s Sacramento Kings blog, Sactown Royalty, who recently voiced his concern over rushing to deal Martin before the February 18th deadline.

And so it is with Martin. This team won’t be making the playoffs. It’s still about the future. Let’s be a bit patient. The trade deadline is an artificial deadline for making a decision on Martin. The Kings can, and should, ignore it.

Keep an eye out for a possible deal with Dallas, but otherwise, don’t expect Martin to be moved.

Glen Davis Possibly Headed To Charlotte For D.J. Augustin

The Celtics are apparently shopping players other than the Big Three. Celtics Blog and Rufus On Fire are all over this latest rumor, which has Glen Davis joining the Bobcats in exchange for D.J. Augustin.

On one hand, the trade makes some sense. The Celtics need another point guard, and the word on the street is that Larry Brown and Augustin have not been getting along. Augustin has been playing nearly nine less minutes per game this season, than he did his rookie year. On the other hand, losing "Big Baby" would be a significant blow to the Celtics front court. A front court of aging veterans, such as K.G and 'Sheed, need as much quality depth as possible.

As explained on Celtics Blog, in order to get the deal done, there need to be other pieces thrown in, which there likely is some negotiations between the teams as to what those pieces should be. With all of the other Celtics trade rumors involving Ray Allen, it is going to be tough to judge this latest possible move until after the trade deadline.

No, Really: The Celtics Are Shopping Ray Allen

These are desperate times in Boston. Yesterday’s loss to Orlando, which included an embarrassing third quarter, may have been the final nail in the coffin. Boston now has just two wins against the other elite teams in the league (Lakers, Magic, Hawks, Cavaliers, Nuggets), and one of those was on opening night.

This is all enough to begin writing the eulogies on the Boston Three Party. CBS Sportsline’s Ken Berger, a respected, plugged-in scribe, wrote after yesterday’s loss that we shouldn’t bet on Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen all wearing Celtics green by the end of the season. In talking with a number of league executives, Berger deduces that the Celtics are shopping Allen’s large expiring contract for a young piece that can also help them now.

“[General Manager] Danny [Ainge] has said, ‘I can’t go back to square one where we were prior to the Garnett deal,’” a person familiar with the discussions said. “At the All-Star break, they’re going to look in the mirror and say, ‘Cleveland got better, we can’t beat Orlando, and we can’t even beat the Hawks. We’re not going to win it this year.’”

Berger writes that the Celtics have their eye on Sacramento’s Kevin Martin, who the Kings continue to hold out of trade talks. They’ve also inquired about Chicago’s Kirk Hinrich and Tyrus Thomas, who are both definitely being shopped. Philadelphia’s Andre Iguodala has also come up in trade discussions, though it appears the Phoenix Suns are the ones who really want him.

Jeff Clark of SB Nation’s Celtics Blog had previously been vehemently opposed to trading Allen, but even he believes that the Celtics should pull the trigger if Martin or Iguodala is the prize. That probably tells you all you need to know about the Celtics’ state right now. If Sacramento or Philadelphia would really dump a strong player like Martin or Iguodala merely for the cap relief Allen’s contract provides, the Celtics definitely need to pull the trigger.

Dallas Ponders Its Options, Considers Caron Butler

The Dallas Mavericks are always a team to watch when we’re talking trades. They have a good team and an outspoken owner that’s one of the few willing to add long-term salary to build a winning team.

Sure enough, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Mavericks are active in the trade market. They covet Sacramento’s Kevin Martin, but the Kings are unwilling to deal him at this point. Therefore, they have not ruled out a swap for Washington’s Caron Butler, and have even discussed a specific trade with the Wizards to get him.

The Wiz and Mavs, meanwhile, have discussed a deal that would swap Josh Howard and one other player (such as James Singleton or Quinton Ross) for Butler and DeShawn Stevenson. But Dallas has little interest in taking back Stevenson and is still weighing whether Butler can help pull the All-Star Weekend hosts out of a spiral that has been openly addressed this week (see Box 4) by Mark Cuban.

Butler’s certainly not a better player right now than Martin or Philadelphia’s Andre Igoudala, but with just one more year left on his contract, he is the most affordable. A trade for Iguodala would bring a better player, but would likely cost Dallas more key trade assets and would add more long-term salary to the books.

That’s not to say Butler’s a better option, but the Mavericks are at least considering it.

Amare Stoudemire Says He's Leaning Towards Not Opting Out

One of the assumptions we all made throughout this trade deadline season is that Amare Stoudemire would opt out of his contract and become a free agent in the great 2010 free agent derby.

However, in an interview with Chris Tomasson of Fanhouse, Stoudemire implies that he’s actually leaning the opposite way.

“I can opt out this summer or I can opt in, which means I’ll be back another year (for $17.69 million),” said Stoudemire, speaking after the morning shootaround in preparation for Wednesday night’s game against Denver. “That’s definitely an option. I’m leaning more toward that right now. Maybe opting in. … (That would be to) buy time. See how we do. … I think we got our game back on track. A three-game winning streak.”

This strikes me as classic Amare — throw everyone a curveball and see what happens. Remember, this summer, he did all these radio interviews in other cities (such as Washington and Chicago) saying how much he’d love to play there. Amare’s probably considering opting in because he doesn’t think he can get the deal he wants this summer, but with the NBA heading toward a drastic reduction in salaries in the next Collective Bargaining Agreement, this might be Amare’s last chance to get a large long-term contract. If Amare does not opt out, it could lessen his suitors, because there are number of teams who want him because of his expiring contract.

Basically, while this is interesting, I wouldn’t read too much into it, other than to throw our assumptions aside for a second. It’s just Amare’s way of adding intrigue to all of this. The truth is that Amare hasn’t decided what he is going to do, not that he’s definitely opting in.

LeBron James Wants Help; Hear That, Danny Ferry?

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ interest in Wizards forward Antawn Jamison is hardly a secret. It’s been rumored for months now, even going back to last season.

However, it’s been unclear who within the Cavaliers brass is pushing for acquiring Jamison. Now, via CBS Sportsline’s Ken Berger, we find out that it’s none other than LeBron James.

It’s been well documented that the Cavaliers’ infatuation with Antawn Jamison has been rekindled. What’s been underplayed is the reason behind it: LeBron James is the one driving the team’s pursuit of Jamison, according to a source, and Cavs GM Danny Ferry – as usual – is trying to appease the King.

Well, that makes sense. LeBron basically runs that team anyway, so this shouldn’t be a surprise. If you’re Danny Ferry, you basically have no leverage here. If you don’t do what LeBron wants, he’ll just go to New York, Miami or anywhere else in the offseason. LeBron knows this, so he’s exerting pressure on his GM to make a move that will help now, but might hurt later.

The Wizards want more than just salary relief for Jamison, which makes sense because Jamison is an all-star caliber player, but the Cavaliers are reluctant to trade J.J. Hickson. To that, I say, really? Really, Danny Ferry? You have the league’s best player, who could walk after the season, begging for help, and you’re not going to give it to him because of J.J. Hickson? No disrespect to Hickson, but when a guy like Jamison becomes available, you have to pull that trigger.

The Indiana Pacers: Where Hard Bargains Happen

Troy Murphy is a very nice player, don’t get me wrong. He’s the rare player who is an unbelievable three-point shooter and an excellent rebounder at the same time. At the same time, he’s overpaid, is a terrible defender and can’t create his own shot. Players like that are fairly disposable, or at the very least, don’t command major packages back.

Don’t tell that to the Indiana Pacers, thought. According to the Indy Star’s Mike Wells, the Pacers reportedly asked for a king’s ransom from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Murphy’s services.

The Pacers have already tried to send him to Cleveland, but those talks didn’t last long because they were asking for too much, according to a source. The Pacers wanted the Cavaliers to give up forward J.J. Hickson, center Zydrunas Ilgauskas and multiple draft picks for Murphy, the source said.

In other words, the Pacers want massive cap relief, Cleveland’s top existing prospect and more than one future draft pick for Troy freakin’ Murphy! Maybe Indiana doesn’t know the meaning of franchise players, having not had one since the Brawl, and thinks Murphy is a building-block type of player, but he’s not. Cleveland likely wouldn’t agree to that package for Washington’s Antawn Jamison, a significantly better player than Murphy, so why would they agree to do it for Murphy?

Just how ridiculous are Indiana’s demands? Here’s what SB Nation’s Indy Cornrows writes about the trade possibility.

Hey, I’m all for asking for the moon and I’m sure dealing fomr a position of strength has to be fun for Larry Bird and David Morway, but now that there’s room for negotiation don’t let it die. I’m assuming that’s the case since there’s still over two week before the trade deadline, so if the Cavs settle on Murphy and the Pacers get anything beyond Ziggy’s contract, it will be worth it.

In other words, back the eff off and face the music, Larry Bird. Murphy’s just not that valuable.

Report: The Celtics Are Shopping, Willing To Make A Deal

With yesterday’s loss to the Lakers, the Celtics are now just 6-11 in their last 17 games. Their Big 3 of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett was supposed to be good enough to lead them to multiple titles rather than just one, but it appears like that won’t be the case.

That makes for a pretty desperate team come the trade deadline. Danny Ainge, the Celtics’ GM, has gone on record saying he won’t hesitate to break up the team’s core if it appears they can’t win a championship. In that vein, Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that Ainge has begun to shop Ray Allen and his $19 million expiring contract.

The Celtics have initiated trade proposals on Allen, multiple league sources say, and Boston is searching for a younger, less expensive guard and an expiring contract. This way they can find a replacement for the 34-year-old Allen without losing him and his $20 million expiring contract for nothing in free agency this summer. Only, there isn’t a shooting guard available who’s Allen’s peer. This threatens a perilous choice between transitioning for the future and refusing to compromise a chance to win a title now.

Wojnarowski kind of nails the key issue here. As valuable an asset as Allen’s expiring deal is, the Celtics cannot afford to drastically alter their team’s culture, not when Paul Pierce and, yes, Kevin Garnett are still there. As such, the Celtics likely need someone who is as valuable as Allen and plays the same way, but younger. Those guys aren’t growing on trees.

I’ll submit one three-way trade that might work, but only if Sacramento decides that Kevin Martin absolutely cannot play with Tyreke Evans. Here it is:

-Ray Allen and Sean May to Philadelphia
-Kevin Martin and Andres Nocioni to Boston
-Samuel Dalembert, Jason Kapono and Jrue Holiday to Sacramento

Boston gets a younger Allen in Martin, plus Nocioni, who helps their bench. Philadelphia cuts money, while Sacramento also cuts some long-term salary while getting help inside with Dalembert (which they need) and a nice PG prospect in Holiday. The drawbacks are obvious — Boston’s taking on lots of long-term salary, while Sacramento might do better than this — but that’s all I see making sense out there.

Portland Wants Brendan Haywood, Washington Wants Way Too Much Back

I realize that negotiating, in general, is each side proposing two extreme offers before eventually moving toward common ground. But there’s also a danger that if your extreme offer is too extreme, the other side will just stop dealing with you or at the very least be too insulted to try to work toward an agreement.

ESPN’s Marc Stein is reporting that the Portland Trail Blazers covet Brendan Haywood’s, the Wizards’ underrated center. Their interest is obvious because of injuries to Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla. Haywood’s contract is manageable (six million this year) and expiring, meaning the Blazers won’t need to make a major financial commitment to Haywood once Oden and Przybilla return healthy next year.

However, the Wizards, hoping to receive a king’s ransom for their key players, are reportedly asking for both Nicolas Batum and Rudy Fernandez, Portland’s two marquee young players outside of Oden. For a superstar like Chris Bosh, this makes sense, but for a decent center like Haywood, who most likely is just a half-year rental, it’s outrageous. Haywood’s a nice player, but the Wizards are going to be lucky to get one of Batum or Fernandez, much less both.

Who knows if this is true — it’s trade deadline season, after all. But if the Wizards are serious about rebuilding, they shouldn’t demand such ridiculous packages in return and run the risk of their trading partner saying “Screw it, we’re never going to agree, so why waste our time?”

Want To Know Every Possible Trade The Kings Could Do? Read This

We as fans propose a lot of trades, but most of them tend to be one-sided in favor of our team.

How do we find some impartiality in the process? By checking in with fans of other teams, of course.

That’s exactly what one poster on SB Nation’s Kings blog Sactown Royalty did over the past few weeks. What resulted from his research is an unbelievably comprehensive post discussing the likelihood of the Kings making a trade with each of the 29 other franchises in the NBA.

Check it out here.

Breaking Down A Trade Rumor: Amare Stoudemire To The Nets

SB Nation’s Suns blog Bright Side of the Sun diligently breaks down the possibility of Amare Stoudemire being traded to the Nets, one of the teams originally rumored to express an interest in the impending free agent.

Seth Pollack writes that, despite their 3-40 record, no team fits Stoudemire’s wish list better than New Jersey.

No trade for Amare can start without exploring if it meets Amare’s stated requirements which primarily are a franchise committed winning and a big market. While the Nets are on pace for the worst season ever, they actually have a fairly bright future.

The team has a core based on a young dynamic point guard in Devin Harris and Brook Lopez who is considered already in his second year to be a top three center in the east. As an added bonus, Amare already knows how to understand Brook’s distinctive voice from having played with Robin.

The market size is a no brainer and with a very wealthy new Russian owner coming on board there are strong indications that the Nets will be a team willing to spend money to win – especially if they ever get to their new home in Brooklyn.

Of all the possible trade destinations for Amare, none meet his requirements better than the Nets – despite being a 3-win team this season.

Pollack writes that the Nets have an excellent combination of expiring contracts (such as Bobby Simmons), young talent (Yi Jianlian, Courtney Lee, Chris Douglas-Roberts and Terrence Williams, not to mention Devin Harris and Brook Lopez) and draft picks (four in the next two years — their own, Dallas’ this year and Golden State’s in 2011) that could entice the Suns. Any combination of those assets should appeal to Phoenix because they could face the prospect of losing Stoudemire for nothing in the offseason.

New Jersey, meanwhile, would make this trade if they thought they couldn’t do any better in the 2010 free agent sweepstakes. However, with the prospect of maximum cap room and potentially a number one pick, they can probably afford to wait until the summer, when they don’t need to sacrifice key young players to get their guy.

Amare Stoudemire On The Spurs? Really?

Rumors like this one involving Amare Stoudemire and the Spurs are why I love the NBA Trade Deadline. Teams get desperate and consider every possible way to improve their club, even if the ideas seem completely out of left field.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo reports:

Multiple league sources say the Spurs’ front office has researched and debated pursuing Stoudemire to play alongside Tim Duncan.

There are questions for the Spurs to answer: Would they be willing to part with the personnel – including possibly Manu Ginobili – to make a deal happen?

Do the Spurs want to re-sign Stoudemire to a contract extension and swell their payroll?

Do they believe Stoudemire could be the difference for their fifth championship?

All questions with no clear answers for the Spurs – yet.

Nevertheless, the possibility of an athletic, offensive force like Stoudemire has become too irresistible to easily dismiss. The Spurs (25-18) have lost five of their past six games, and have fallen into sixth place in the Western Conference.

A trade of Manu Ginobili’s expiring contract (worth just under $11 million), Matt Bonner’s expiring deal and George Hill for Stoudemire works cap-wise, but would it be a wise deal for the Spurs? Early poll results on SB Nation’s Spurs blog Pounding the Rock say no.

I’m going to have to say no as well. Yes, the Spurs are struggling, having dropped to sixth place in the Western Conference. Yes, Tim Duncan is carrying too heavy a load, with Ginobili’s game in decline and Tony Parker’s foot problems affecting his play. Yes, another big man would really help Duncan and would allow DeJuan Blair to fall back into his role as an energy guy off the bench.

At the same time, Amare Stoudemire doesn’t fit San Antonio’s culture. To be effective, he needs a real playmaking point guard that can set him up for scores. Someone like Steve Nash. However, the Spurs have consistently asked their point guard, Tony Parker to make plays for himself first because of his ability to be a scorer. They don’t need their point guard to be the only guy making plays, because Duncan and Ginobili are equally adept at creating offense for themselves and others. In addition, Stoudemire is not a good rebounder or defender, so he’s not going to help out much in other areas of the game.

Throw Amare Stoudemire on a point-guard driven team — like the Suns! — and he’ll produce. Put him in a situation like the Spurs, who rely on everyone sharing the ball equally, and it won’t work. You have to love the Spurs’ outside-the-box thinking, but I don’t see this happening.

Don Nelson Laughs Off Monta Ellis/Ray Allen Rumor, Both Team Bloggers Hate It

Well, that Ray Allen/Monta Ellis rumor was fun. Too bad it appears there’s absolutely no truth to it. It’s so silly that Warriors coach Don Nelson “literally laughed off” the rumor when it was mentioned to him.

It was a pretty ridiculous rumor to begin with. How do we know? Put it this way: anytime both fanbases don’t want to make the trade, it’s pretty much not happening.

SB Nation’s Celtics Blog weighs the pros and cons before ultimately deciding against the trade. Here are the cons that eventually tipped the scale.

-Monta is a terrible fit for this team as it is constructed. He needs the ball in his hands a lot.

-Next year means nothing to this team until next year. We cannot do anything to sabotage the chances of winning it all this year (unless management is convinced that this team is fatally flawed already – which I don’t think is the case at all).

-Ray Allen, on the other hand, is a perfect fit for this team. As discussed on this blog at least a few thousand times in the last few years.
In a word, chemistry.

-The numbers don’t really work very well. We’d have to take Vlad Rad’s contract and he’s not going to opt out next season, so we’d be stuck with him for another year.

So basically, Ellis would be a bad fit for this roster and would cost a lot more long-term money, while Ray Allen is a good fit for this roster and doesn’t cost much long-term money. Makes sense.

SB Nation’s Warriors blog Golden State of Mind, however, also doesn’t want to make the trade:

While Monta Ellis is having a superb season considering his Moped Gate comeback, heavy minutes, and lack of help (due to both lack of talent and perpetually injured teammates), it’s hard to call him untouchable. He will never be a legit point guard in this league given his seemingly unsolvable high dribble and addiction to the dangerously sweet things in life… like apple TURNOVERS. His defense is vastly improved, but he’s not exactly a shutdown defender. Monta’s hoops IQ leaves a lot to be desired, especially at the end of quarters and games. His history of tantrums is indeed a huge red flag.

It’s also true that the Monta Ellis- Stephen Curry backcourt probably won’t go all that far. Baron Davis – Jason Richardson aka BoomRich they are not.

BUT trading him for an expiring contract at this point is just foolish. Absolutely foolish. Ray Allen is on the decline and will not re-sign with the Warriors this offseason. That cap space is worthless for a team owned by Chris Cohan.

Don’t get me wrong. I do love Ray Allen. I mean who doesn’t love some Jesus Shuttleworth? But this isn’t about the Warriors brining in Ray Allen, it’s about dumping more money from the books.

Basically, move along, nothing to see here. At least it was fun.

Ray Allen Headed Out Of Beantown?

At SB Nation’s CelticsBlog they are exploring rumors of a trade that would send guard Ray Allen to Golden State in exchange for a package centered around guard Monta Ellis. Ellis is expendable because of the emergence of Stephen Curry for the Warriors. That said, whether Danny Ainge wants to break up the big three remains to be seen.

Devin Brown Traded For Aaron Gray, Hornets Inch Closer To Luxury Tax Line

We have a real trade! And it’s … kind of minor.

Still, there are some interesting implications. What’s the trade, you ask? According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the New Orleans Hornets have traded starting shooting guard Devin Brown to the Chicago Bulls for Aaron Gray.

The trade makes sense for the Bulls, who are struggling to find production in the backcourt and have picked up a so-so piece for absolutely nothing. What’s less clear is why New Orleans elected to do this. The primary motivation is money — the Hornets could stand to make as much as $5 million extra if they wiggled their way under the luxury tax — but this trade only saved them just over $100,000, meaning they still are about $423,000 over the luxury tax. In other words, the Hornets traded their starting shooting guard to cut 20 percent of their luxury tax bill. Brown’s not great, and backup Marcus Thornton might be better, but that’s not going to make Chris Paul happy.

It’d be one thing if the Hornets actually got themselves fully under the luxury tax by trading a key rotation player, but it’s another when you only get 20 percent closer to your goal. Don’t tell me Aaron Gray’s going to help them, because Gray’s done nothing for a pretty shallow Chicago frontcourt. If the Hornets think Gray can help them more than Brown, they’re definitely mistaken.

I’m going to have to give New Orleans a pretty low grade for this one.

Andre Miller Rumors: Why The NBA Trade Deadline Is Both Awesome And Annoying

Truth. It’s a pinnacle of journalism, a value that is more fundamental than any other within the institution. And yet, when it comes to NBA trade rumors, it gets completely tossed out the window as general managers and NBA front offices play their own game with each other, with the press acting as eager pawns.

Take the situation involving Andre Miller, for example. The Portland Trail Blazers haven’t been satisfied with him all season, though Miller’s play has really picked up in the last few weeks. I think it’s pretty clear that the Trail Blazers have an opinion of Miller and his future with the team, and while that may change on a given day, it’s not like they have literally no idea what to do with him.

So what, then, do you make of the following two articles?

First, via Jason Quick of the Oregonian:

In fact, Miller has been so good recently that general manager Kevin Pritchard on Saturday made this declaration:

“We have no interest in trading Andre Miller. Zero. None. Write it.”

Case closed? Not so fast. Here’s what Bob Finnan of the News Herald in Ohio wrote on the very same day.

The Trail Blazers are secretly shopping point guard Andre Miller.

From the perspective of the reader, that’s some pretty clear double-speak. Who are we to believe? The local reporter, who is ostensibly closer to the team and has a better pulse on the situation, or the national guy who has the benefit of being outside the situation and is therefore less prone to merely representing his subjects’ interests?

It’s all a fun game, where everyone is experts because nobody knows the truth. Depending on your perspective, this is either awesome or unbelievably annoying. Me personally? I’ll go with awesome.

(Oh, and I don’t think Andre Miller ends up getting traded).

The NBA Trade Deadline: Where Rumors Are Spelled A-M-A-R-E

If it's Februrary, then the Suns are in talks to trade Amare Stoudemire. This is just how the world works. Seasons change, the world rotates on the same axis, and every year, we hear that Amare Stoudemire is on the move. It's one of a few special pastimes of Trade Deadline season. Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski runs down this year's contestants in the Stoudemire Sweepstakes:

After recent discussions with Amar’e Stoudemire’s agent that didn’t appear to destine a contract extension, the Phoenix Suns have increased their efforts to trade the All-Star forward, league sources told Yahoo! Sports on Sunday night.

League executives say the Suns have become more active initiating talks over the past few days, and believe the franchise will take the best offer for Stoudemire before the Feb. 18 trade deadline. The Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets are among multiple teams that have a strong interest in Stoudemire, sources say. The Arizona Republic reported Sunday night that the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers have also inquired about Stoudemire. [...]

As they did when shopping Stoudemire last season, the Suns want a combination of young talent, salary-cap relief and draft picks for him. Some teams are hesitant to trade for Stoudemire for fear he won’t want to re-sign with them this summer. The Minnesota Timberwolves lead that group of teams, sources say. The Wolves are mostly eyeing small forwards, including the Memphis Grizzlies’ Rudy Gay the Bulls’ Luol Deng and the Washington Wizards’ Caron Butler. No one is untouchable on the Wolves roster, sources say.

But where trade talks in the past have stemmed from the Suns' skepticism over Amare's role in building a contender and fostering winning chemistry in the locker room, the motivations are more tangible. Basically, Amare wants to get paid this summer--he'll be opting out of his current contract, set to pay him $17.7 million--and he wants some long-term security. The Suns probably aren't the team to offer that security, meaning they risk losing him to free agency if they choose not to trade him.

SB Nation's Suns blog, Bright Side of the Sun, has a full breakdown of the situation. An excerpt from their excellent breakdown of the situation:

A few points to remember:

If the Suns were to wait and let Amare opt out and explore the market as a free agent they would only be about $5m to $10m under the salary cap and would not be able replace his $17m with another top notch player

For Amare, the market conditions implore him to opt out now if an extension agreement can't be reached with the Suns. There are about 10 teams who have been setting up their rosters to have significant cap space this summer. They simply can't, not spend that money and Amare is right there in group of high-profile free agents that some struggling team will sign. Next summer there's no telling if there will be as many buyers available

This doesn't even take into account Amare's natural desire to get a long term contract as soon as possible. Why wouldn't he turn down the final season at $17m to sign a longer team deal now. Amare can't risk playing out his final season when he could be injured again of even just see a decline in his performance. And lets not forget the entire NBA salary structure will be renegotiated in 2011 and all signs point to the owners seeking significant concessions from the players.

This is Amare's best chance to get the best possible long term deal. He would be a fool not to opt out this summer and the Suns would be foolish to let him walk which is why I've been fairly certain that he would be traded before this trade deadline.

Taken objectively, it would make sense for both sides to part ways. It's in Amare's best interest to opt out this interest, and it's in the Suns' best interest to trade him while they can still get some valuable assets back, as opposed to letting him leave in free agency. But trade him to whom?

That's where the fun begins. As much as any year in recent memory, there are teams out there trying to swing big trades. Either to offload costly assets, or trying to pluck a superstar away from a team like the Suns—who are offloading a costly asset. The economic conditions in the NBA have set forth a pretty fascinating landscape as the deadline approaches. Roughly 3/4 of the league is losing money, so teams like the Washington Wizards and New Orleans Hornets—basement dwellers with bloated payrolls—might be willing to part with some of their stars in exchange for financial relief.

Then you have the expiring contracts. With a bumper crop of free agents hitting the market this summer (including Amare), plenty of teams view expiring contracts as the ultimate asset. If a contract comes off the books at the end of this year (Tracy McGrady's $23 million salary, anyone?), that frees up tons of cap room for teams this summer. Put it this way: if you're the GM an average NBA team, would you rather try to improve a roster full of long term contracts, or have the flexibility to sign a few players that completely change the face that same roster?

It's not that flexibility guarantees that a GM will choose the right superstar to sign to a max contract (good luck to whoever signs Amare), but that the flexibility itself is what teams are lusting for these days. As the deadline looms, these mystical "expiring contracts" are almost as valuable as an All-Star power forward, like New Orleans' David West, just because it frees up GMs to make more dumb decisions (like giving New Orleans' Peja Stojakovic $65 million).

It's this sort of circuitous logic that makes the trade deadline so much fun. And amidst all the maneuvering over the next few weeks—teams leaking rumors to try and manipul ate the market, transparent salary dumps, and maybe even a few blockbusters—we'll have you covered at SB Nation, with our NBA Trade Deadline Story Stream. Come here for all your trade news, rumors, and Knicks fan rants. All part of the annual trade deadline bonanza!

But jokes aside, make no mistake: What happens between now and February 19th will most certainly have tangible effects on the landscape of the NBA as contenders push toward the playoffs. Will the Lakers, Cavs, and Celtics prey on some of the teams hemmorhaging money? Who'll land Amare? Will Golden State's insane management team offload either Monta Ellis or Anthony Randolph? Will anybody take on Tracy McGrady's massive contract?

All questions that'll be answered over the next few weeks. Especially given the economic climate, this year's trade deadline brings more intrigue than ever. Should be pretty crazy!!!