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Poll: Do You Believe Brandon Jennings?

February 13th, 2013 at 7:19pm CST by Alex Lee

So within the same day, we have a report from ESPN's Chad Ford that Brandon Jennings wants out of Milwaukee and, six hours later, a report from ESPN's Chris Broussard citing texts from the Bucks point guard that deny he hopes to be traded. Which is it? Charles Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel caught up with Jennings at his locker before tonight's game against Philadelphia.

"As long as I'm in a Bucks uniform, I'm going to play every night for the Bucks. I'm trying to get out of this shooting slump that I'm in. Every player goes through it," Jennings said, adding the following:

"Just because I got a new agent, that doesn't mean I'm trying to leave Milwaukee or I'm unhappy. That has nothing to do with it. It was just a time for a change and it was a decision me and my family made. So all these stories coming out about me not wanting to be here and this and that, I never said that. That never came out of my mouth. If anything, I've always said I love Milwaukee."

There are clearly several possibilities here. Jennings could be genuinely upset about the Ford report because he loves Milwaukee and wants to stay. On the other side, the Ford report could be right on and Jennings is refuting it in order to save face with the Bucks fans that have supported him for more than three years now. Or, in what is probably the most likely scenario, the truth is somewhere in between and Jennings has enjoyed his time in Milwaukee and will consider staying, but is definitely also eyeing greener (and bigger) pastures.

What do you think? Feel free to accompany your vote with your opinion in the comments section.

Poll: What Will Nets Do At Trade Deadline?

February 13th, 2013 at 11:43am CST by Luke Adams

As I noted yesterday when I rounded up the latest rumors out of Brooklyn, last summer's most active team in free agency appears to be one of the league's more active teams in trade talks as next week's deadline approaches. The Nets have been linked to Ben Gordon, Josh Smith, and Paul Millsap, among other potential trade targets.

While the Nets likely wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger on a trade that brought in reinforcements, it's unclear if they have the assets to make a move for a player of Smith's or Millsap's caliber. Kris Humphries and his $12MM salary would likely have to be included in any deal to match salaries, and other than MarShon Brooks and perhaps a handful of future draft picks, the Nets don't have a ton of attractive, tradeable assets.

A target like Gordon may be more attainable since, like Humphries, he's overpaid and still has another year remaining on his contract. But according to a New York Daily News report yesterday, the Nets have "cooled" on Gordon due to concerns about his defense.

GM Billy King has said the Nets won't make a trade for the sake of making a move, but the team showed last summer, and at last season's trade deadline for that matter, that it's not afraid to take a risk. So what do you think? Will the Nets find a way to make a big splash at this year's deadline, or are they more likely to stand pat?

Poll: Will Lakers Make A Trade Before Deadline?

February 7th, 2013 at 7:50pm CST by Daniel Seco

The Lakers face a difficult situation heading into the All-Star Break with the trade deadline less than two weeks away. With the news of Pau Gasol's lack of availability for the next 6-8 weeks and Dwight Howard's inability to stay 100 percent healthy, Los Angeles must determine if being active in the trade market may make sense for the team.

Some pundits have argued that the Lakers's system under head coach Mike D'Antoni would be a bad fit for incoming players at this point in the season. Additionally, the Lakers' best trade piece, Gasol, no longer has any value so long as he is recovering from his foot injury. Internally, Earl Clark has emerged as a key contributor for the Lakers after merely being a throw-in in the Howard trade last year, but Los Angeles may need more if it hopes to reach the playoffs.

As mentioned earlier today, D'Antoni plans to speak with Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak regarding the team roster while in Miami on Sunday. The Lakers will be able to make a trade thanks to the disabled player exception which gives them the opportunity to acquire a player making up to $1.88MM this season. While Los Angeles may not have a wealth of financial flexibility to make a trade before the deadline, the question still remains whether they will make it.

Poll: Who’s Most Likely To Get Traded?

February 2nd, 2013 at 10:02pm CST by Michael Pina

Going from the several bits of news from ESPN.com reporter Marc Stein's Weekend Dime report, which marquee player do you think is most likely to get traded before the deadline?

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Hoops Rumors Polls

Poll: Will Allen Iverson Play In The NBA Again?

January 30th, 2013 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

It's been nearly three years since Allen Iverson last appeared in an NBA game, and even longer since he played a full season. Nonetheless, the 2001 MVP still holds out hope of making a comeback, and a D-League team recently offered him the opportunity to get that comeback underway.

However, it doesn't appear that a stint with the Texas Legends is in the cards for Iverson. AI tweeted yesterday that while he views the D-League as a "great opportunity," it's not the route for him. While Iverson played briefly in Turkey in 2010/11, his pride and his salary demands have seemingly prevented him from showcasing his skills for a European or D-League squad since then.

Iverson's manager, Gary Moore, told the Associated Press yesterday that Iverson would like to pursue a role with the 76ers once his playing career is officially over, but cautioned that the 37-year-old wasn't ready to officially retire quite yet. Moore told USA Today that his client is still working out and may explore the possibility of playing in the NBA later this season.

"Hopefully, one day, he'll get an opportunity to possibly join a team and help a team — come off the bench and maybe give a team some very valuable minutes in this playoff stretch," Moore said. "I'm not a guessing man, but if I had to bet, I would surely feel like Allen is going to try and get himself in shape to return sometime this year."

At age 37 and nearly three years removed from NBA action, it seems highly improbable that Iverson could earn a spot on an NBA roster without proving that he can still be healthy and effective in the D-League or in international play. But we did see Rasheed Wallace make a comeback at age 38 this season, and 'Sheed, like Iverson, hadn't played NBA ball since the 2009/10 season.

So what do you think? Will we ever see Iverson play in another NBA game, or is it about time he officially announced his retirement?

Poll: What Should The Celtics Do Now?

January 27th, 2013 at 5:32pm CST by Alex Lee

With Rajon Rondo's torn ACL likely to derail at least this season for the Celtics, speculation has already begun as to where the team should go from here. Rondo is soon to be 27 and it is difficult to predict what Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett will have left in the tank once he is back to full strength. While the Celts have plenty of financial commitments beyond their two aging stars, Pierce and Garnett are likely their most tradeable commodities.

So should the Celtics blow up their roster? Rondo is the team's best player and has been for a few years now. They couldn't get through the Heat with him and may be hard pressed to even make the playoffs without him. If they were to get a decent haul for Pierce and/or Garnett, it could yield critical pieces to help Rondo begin the next era of Celtics basketball. What should they do? Feel free to provide details beyond the poll in the comments section.

Was Drafting Royce White Worth The Risk?

January 27th, 2013 at 10:34am CST by Chuck Myron

Royce White and the Rockets reached an agreement last night that will bring the rookie back on the court after a nearly three-month absence. The 6'8" forward will report February 11th to the D-League's Rio Grande Valley Vipers and ostensibly make his NBA debut shortly thereafter. Presumably, the 16th pick in this past year's draft is finally back on track after grappling with the team over how to handle his psychological ailments.

Still, there's not much reason to believe this is the last bump in the road for White, who has threatened retirement and misled the team about his fear of flying in the leadup to the draft, according to GM Daryl Morey. The GM admitted to Sports Illustrated's Chris Ballard that drafting White was a calculated risk, and that the club believed he had the talent of a top-five pick. He also knew White might not work out, though I'm not sure he anticipated quite the saga that's played out this season.

The Rockets had three first-round picks last year, and one of them, No. 12 selection Jeremy Lamb, was sent away as part of the trade that netted James Harden. The wealth of picks may have justified the team's willingness to go out on a limb with White, but as the Rockets collect assets in search of another star to accompany Harden, a draft bust wouldn't help matters.

Regardless of White's troubles thus far, Houston may have one of the most talented rookies in the league on its team soon. Does that justify the risks involved? Let us know.

Poll: Should The Lakers Trade Pau Gasol?

January 21st, 2013 at 9:56pm CST by Michael Pina

Earlier today it was reported that Lakers head coach Mike D'Antoni would permanently bench Pau Gasol in favor of Earl Clark in an attempt to get faster and smaller. The move has obvious implications on Gasol's long term future with the team, but Yahoo! NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski has tweeted that the Lakers refuse to take back long-term money in Gasol's place, complicating things.

With the luxury tax, they don't want to tie up a chunk of their salary cap in Bryant, Howard, and another player two years from now. So, should the Lakers move Gasol before the deadline, even if they aren't able to get back anything close to equal talent? With another year on his contract, Gasol would be making $19.2MM as a bench player next year.

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Poll: Will The Hawks Trade Josh Smith?

January 21st, 2013 at 3:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Josh Smith has been the subject of off-and-on trade rumors for years, but even as the Hawks' roster changes around him, Smith has remained a fixture in Atlanta. His contract is finally set to expire this summer though, and with a month remaining until the trade deadline, it's not entirely clear what the veteran forward's future holds.

For most of this season, Smith expressed satisfaction with new general manager Danny Ferry and the Hawks' direction. However, a recent slide by the team has frustrated the 27-year-old, something agent Wallace Prather conveyed to Ferry last week. Neither Smith nor his agent requested a trade, and a weekend report suggested that the team was still committed to the longtime Hawk, but Smith's frustration and a one-game suspension doled out by the club seemed to bring some of those old issues back to the surface.

Zach Lowe tackles the possibility of the Hawks trading Smith in his latest piece for Grantland, noting that there are a number of factors in play. Potential suitors could be reluctant to give up much of value for a player on an expiring contract, and the Hawks may not want to part with Smith if they intend to pursue Dwight Howard this summer, since the two are good friends. Nonetheless, Lowe sees a few teams as real candidates to be trade partners if Atlanta explores deals over the next few weeks. The Rockets, Mavericks, Suns, and Nuggets top Lowe's list.

So what do you think? Is this the year we finally see Smith on the move, or will the Hawks hang on to him, hoping to re-sign him to a long-term contract this summer?

Poll: Will LeBron James Return To Cavs In 2014?

January 13th, 2013 at 7:52pm CST by Zachary Links

Anyone who has either visited Miami or has the good fortune of living there knows that it's the kind of place that you don't want to leave. Fantastic weather, Cuban sandwiches, pretty girls, the ability to wear an abundance of white without getting made fun of – Miami has it all. LeBron James has gotten to toss the Labor Day rule to the wayside while enjoying all of the roast pork he could ever want for two years and change while being at the center of one of the league's most dominant teams. It's inconceivable to some that James would leave Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh by opting out after the 2013/14 season, yet some league executives and agents are absolutely convinced that he will use the opportunity to make a face turn and reverse the infamous "Decision" by returning to Cleveland in that summer.

On the surface, it seems incredibly unlikely that James would walk away from one of the strongest teams in the NBA in order to join forces with a team that still may be under construction in 18 months, even with a blossoming superstar in Kyrie Irving. And while some superteams have reportedly dealt with locker room drama (we're looking at you, Dwight and Kobe), the Heat have by and large stayed as a cohesive unit and found enough shots for everyone.

On the other hand, we already know that LeBron doesn't have any reservations about following his heart and changing zip codes if he feels that it's the best move to make. When LeBron is faced with the first of his two-opt out years with Miami, he'll be closing in on his 30th birthday and hearing the chatter about his legacy and place amongst the all-time greats more than ever. Winning a title with a Cavs team that likely won't have the same top-heavy roster as the Heat would be a massive plus for his resume. Nuggets coach George Karl is a believer. Are you?