According to Yahoo's Adrian's Wojnarowski, Anthony Randolph is being shopped:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AmHaGlpJGPPAQT7gkZuQvyO8vLYF?slug=aw-maloofkings121409&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

"Warriors’ Randolph on block again

For two seasons, the Warriors have had an odd time with Anthony Randolph(notes). Sometimes, they’re in love with his sheer athletic ability in that 7-foot frame and considered him untouchable. As a rookie, they dangled him in deals, too. Well, it’s happening again. Several NBA teams say Golden State officials have offered Randolph in trade discussions, but as one Eastern Conference executive said: “I think all of their roster could be had.”

Says one Western official: “The Warriors are willing to do anything and everything.”

Randolph is 20 years old and blessed with terrific talent, but his staying power and maturity have frustrated Golden State officials. It appears they’re willing to cash his potential for more mature assets. After destroying the summer league in Vegas, Randolph has averaged 11.1 points in 21.8 minutes per night for the Warriors.

Even with his patriarch, Keith Smart, substituting for an ill Don Nelson, Randolph’s productivity hasn’t improved. Still, he’s so young, so gifted, it’s a move that would come with a great deal of long-term risk."

I personally hope Kerr has been on the phone today, trying to pry Randolph away from the Warriors now that he's no longer untouchable. Despite Kerr's earlier quote that he doesn't see any trades occurring before the deadline, I think this would be a nice move for the long-term future of the team. Perhaps Randolph/Ellis/another piece for Stoudemire?

Just a non-Amare-related observation.

Anyone listening to KTAR today, when Gambo & Ash were talking about a supposed trade floating around that would send Amare Stoudemire and perhaps Leandro Barbosa to the Celtics, and they would send back Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen? I've never heard a trade that made less sense. The Celtics give up possibly their MVP, certainly one of the best young point guards in the league, if not the best outside of Chris Paul, so that they can have two starting power forwards (albeit two of the best power forwards in the league), with only Stephon Marbury or Gabe Pruitt to give them the ball? Very, very odd if that's an actual trade being discussed, but it just sounds like they pulled it out of their asses.

Here's to hoping the Suns can trade up or Blair falls down to number 14. He's a perfect fit for the team. And here's also hoping the Clippers trade away the #1 pick, so that Griffin doesn't have to waste his career with that shithole team.

Now that the Suns are starting to face perhaps a very harsh financial reality -- given that Kerr seems to have decided to keep Stoudemire around -- management must find alternative ways to get under the luxury tax threshold. As much as Kerr would love to keep his talent in tact, I think most fans fear that Robert Sarver's (somewhat understandble) desire to avoid taking a tax hit on an underperforming team will trump any basketball sense. It has been suggested on this site that Leandro Barbosa may be shipped away for draft picks, for quick savings this season and next. However, there may be another option on the table, and it's starting to gain traction around the rumor mill.

Steve Nash's contract includes a team option for the 2009-2010 season. Is it perhaps feasible that, in cahoots with Nash, the team declines his option then persues re-signing him at a salary low enough to sneak under the tax threshold? Phoenix Stan did a little research and found that this is indeed allowed under the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Does this seem like a feasible option? While Steve Nash has expressed his uncertainty about his future with the franchise, it seems the team may again be heading the right direction. If Alvin Gentry helps this team regain some of its swagger and confidence, would Nash be willing to pull a Larry Fitzgerald and take a hit for the team?

I think so. Nash has never struck me as being concerned about money. I'm sure he would love to secure a long-term contract that brings in more than the veteran's minimum (which most teams would likely try to offer him once his contract with the Suns is up), that will allow him to retire as a Phoenix Sun. Of course, this would probably require some assurances from Steve Kerr that ownership and management has the best interests of the franchise in mind.

Sarver has never struck me as a being "cheap," despite his reputation. This move will keep some hefty talent around, but allow for the Suns to avoid any costs more than their payroll, which I'm sure Sarver would be fine with. This also keeps the Suns competing through the near-future, and then can begin the full rebuild when Shaq's massive contract comes off the books in the summer of 2010.

Something strikes me as funny about all this Stoudemire trade talk: his knees. Many fans of and journalists covering Amare's potential suitors make a big deal about his knee surgeries and how that should be a huge defining factor in whether or not you trade for him. I honestly don't see what the hubbub is about. Yes, he had microfracture knee surgery, and additional arthroscopic knee surgery a little while ago in the pre-season. However, discounting the year he HAD to miss just recovering from the microfracture surgery, Amare's been on the court more consistently than probably any other Suns player, and more than many players in the league. Most sports analysts cite Stoudemire as the most promising example of a player completely overcoming microfracture surgery, given the proper rehabilitation. He played all 82 games the year back from surgery, then 79 games last year, and all 51 so far. He's an extremely durable player. I'm kind of surprised people point to him as being injury prone. Just an observation.

Does anyone else notice that Arizona's Suns beat writers for the Arizona Republic and the East Valley Tribune (among other papers) rarely seem to have the scoop on the team? Almost every article is reactionary, and rarely insightful. I guess it could be a microcosmic indicator of the growth of blog popularity and credibility: they're mostly written by a bunch of young and inquisitive reporters who aren't on the team's payroll who have more of a vested interest in honest coverage. You tend to find the vast majority of breaking news on blogs these days. About the only exception I can think of is ESPN, who seem to be the first major source reporting breaking sports news a lot of the time.