NBA Playbook - Overseas Scouting Report: Omer Asik

Timberwolves have agreed to send power forward Al Jefferson to the Utah Jazz for two future first-round draft picks and the salary-cap trade exception.

Chandler sent back to NOH

Aldridge: Bulls to land Salmons, Miller for Nocioni, Gooden

Suns score 81 in first half vs Clips

Chad Ford, plays the Sam Smith game

Isola had the odd report: He said that his sources "inside the Knicks organization" have told him that they believe Amare has already been traded to an Eastern Conference team, but that it won't be announced until after the Allstar game so as not to mess things up with him being voted in as a West starter. His sources with the Knicks told him they believe the trade was with Miami or Chicago.

Sam Smith: He refutes Isola's sources and says that no trade has occurred. He went through a bunch of stuff about why the Bulls should or shouldn't do the trade. Here is his unique addition: He said the Suns have informed the Bulls that they have "a better offer from another Eastern Conference team" than what the Bulls are offering, but Sam doesn't know who the team is or what the offer is. He speculated this could be nothing more than a bargaining ploy.

Other Bulls Stuff: Smith said that regardless of what happens with Amare, the Bulls "will make a trade this month." He than said that he's certain that Hughes is on the move and that it is "very likely" that Nocioni will be traded as well. He was not stating these things as speculation.

At SoxFest on Saturday, Reinsdorf went a step further when pressed by a radio reporter for an assessment of first-time coach Vinny Del Negro.

"How many coaches do we have?" Reinsdorf asked.

When the reporter answered one, Reinsdorf countered by saying, "No, we don't. You know what I'm saying?"

Looking back, isn't the Nocioni extension a giant mistake? You had a chance to be all set up for 2010. Now we're stuck with a non-athlete at an athletic position who, on his best days, is just a three-point shooting threat. I cant see anyone league-wide offering anything for him, and it's a problem. We have to get out from under that contract. Also, thoughts on "In Rainbows"? --Paul, Chicago

I go back and forth on the Nocioni extension. I don't think they grossly overpaid for him. Maybe a little but that's kind of nit-picky. I do agree while you have to love his effort and intensity he does offer some duplication, but I think that was in mind when the deal was done. And contrary to your belief, his contract isn't prohibitive to other teams and there is interest in him. If they make a significant trade this season, he certainly could be in it.

I think the Warriors are almost guaranteed to trade Wright at some point before the late-February trade deadline.

And I think, if they have any shot of moving Maggette, they’d have to include Randolph (maybe Wright AND Randolph just to move Maggette), which is such an abject surrender that I cannot imagine where they’d go from there.

But around the league, the word is out: Don Nelson is desperate to make a deal, just make any deal, he’s more than willing to dump his best young players, and there’s nobody left at Warriors HQ to stop him.