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Stein’s Latest: Howard, Turkoglu, Pacers, Kaman

March 9th, 2012 at 2:13pm CST by Luke Adams

This week's installment of Marc Stein's Weekend Dime is up at ESPN.com, so let's dive in and check out Stein's latest rumors….

  • Amidst talk of a quiet trade deadline, Stein says similar pessimism has preceded flurries of deals in the past. However, there's a league-wide expectation that Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, and Rajon Rondo will stay put.
  • The Magic continue to pursue non-Howard deals, bringing up Hedo Turkoglu's name frequently. One front office source tells Stein that a team would have to received at least two future first-round picks to take on Turkoglu's contract.
  • Meanwhile, a Western Conference exec says he doesn't expect Orlando to even consider shopping Howard until deadline day. While that may seem a little too last-minute, the Magic are already aware of most of their trade options, meaning a deal could be worked out quickly, a source tells Stein.
  • Teams around the league seem to be valuing first-round picks more than ever, particularly 2012 selections, since this year's draft class is expected to be a deep one. A club with cap space like the Pacers could acquire players without sending out any salaries, but Indiana is extremely reluctant to part with its future first-rounders in any such deal.
  • It still appears that David Stern and the NBA-owned Hornets have no interest in buying out Chris Kaman's contract if the big man isn't traded. If Kaman was bought out and signed with a team like the Heat, he could impact the NBA Finals and further deplete the Chris Paul haul for the Hornets, neither of which would look great for the league.
  • There has been speculation that the Mavericks could be interested in Kaman in a deal involving Lamar Odom, but Stein says not to expect such a move, noting that Mark Cuban is committed to riding out the season with Odom.
  • As I speculated earlier, the Wizards are considering moving JaVale McGee on the condition that Andray Blatche is included in the deal as well. While both players have a ton of upside, the pair wouldn't exactly improve any team's chemistry.
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Latest On Chris Kaman

March 9th, 2012 at 11:38am CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets continue to explore possible trades for Chris Kaman, according to SI.com's Sam Amick. The Rockets, Pacers, Warriors, Heat, and Celtics are among the teams still interested in the Hornets' center.

According to Amick, the Rockets and Warriors are reluctant to make a move for Kaman until they know more about Dwight Howard's situation — both teams are interested in acquiring Howard, even without assurances that he'd be around long-term.

Even if Houston, Golden State turn their focus to Kaman, they may have trouble finding a deal that works. With new ownership not yet in place, the NBA-owned Hornets are seeking draft picks or young players, and it seems unlikely any team will meet the league's demands at this point. Rival executives have complained about the complications that come with dealing with league officials in trade negotiations, according to Amick.

While Kaman is the Hornets' most likely trade candidate, virtually anyone on the roster is available for the right long-term assets, sources tell Amick.

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Heat Notes: Wallace, Kaman, Diaw, Randolph

March 8th, 2012 at 9:44pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest surrounding the Miami Heat in the leadup to the March 15 trade deadline:

  • Fox Sports Florida's Chris Tomasson wonders whether the Heat would be wise to pursue Rasheed Wallace. Wallace, who last played in 2010, has hinted at coming out of retirement for a while, and was most recently linked to the Lakers.
  • The South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Ira Winderman touches on a handful of potential acquisitions in his mailbag column, most notably Chris Kaman. Winderman doesn't believe the Heat have the assets to pull off a Kaman deal that David Stern would approve, especially in light of the blocked Chris Paul trade to the Lakers in December.
  • Winderman thinks the Heat could do worse than to pick up Boris Diaw for the minimum in the event that the Bobcats buy the veteran big man out.
  • According to Ben Golliver of Blazers Edge (via Twitter), forward Shavlik Randolph recently worked out with the Heat. Randolph last appeared in the NBA with Miami in 2010, and is currently playing in Puerto Rico.
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Pacers Still Covet Kaman

March 8th, 2012 at 6:36pm CST by Sean Highkin

The Indianapolis Star's Mike Wells reports (via Twitter) that Chris Kaman is still the Pacers' top target for the trade deadline. However, due to Pacers' strong salary-cap flexibility (they are about $14.5MM under the cap), they don't consider it worth giving up a first-round pick for Kaman's expiring deal, which is by all indications what the Hornets are asking for.

Kaman has been on the trading block since the start of the season after being shipped from the Clippers to the Hornets as part of the Chris Paul trade. The Pacers have long been thought to be the most interested suitor, and with the trade dealine a week away, a decision one way or the other appears to be forthcoming.

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Ford On Rondo, Smith, Kaman, Wallace, Nash

March 8th, 2012 at 12:20pm CST by Luke Adams

While a number of NBA executives are anticipating a quiet trade deadline, the conversations ESPN.com's Chad Ford has had still lead him to believe that significant deals will be made. In an Insider-only piece, Ford listed ten impact players who could be moved, from the most likely (Rajon Rondo) to the least likely (Steve Nash). Here are the highlights from Ford's column:

  • Even though the Celtics insist they won't trade Rondo, that isn't consistent with what rival GMs are saying after talking to GM Danny Ainge. Ford thinks Ainge would move Rondo if he could get two solid pieces in return.
  • The Hawks have been exploring potential Josh Smith deals "for years" and would be interested in an offer that nets them a legit point guard and a decent forward.
  • Chris Kaman has drawn "a lot of interest" from the Warriors, Rockets, and Heat.
  • The Blazers appear more open to trading Gerald Wallace now than they were at the start of the season. Ford thinks the Magic could make a big push for the 29-year-old forward.
  • If the Magic hang onto Dwight Howard, the Nets will stay the course with Deron Williams, but a Howard trade anywhere besides New Jersey could force the Nets to explore trade options for Williams.
  • Ford says it doesn't make much sense for the Suns and Steve Nash not to consider a trade, since Phoenix could end up losing Nash for nothing at season's end anyway.
  • Monta Ellis, Pau Gasol, and Eric Gordon also cracked Ford's list.
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Kyler’s Latest: Sessions, Crawford, Hornets, Bulls

March 8th, 2012 at 8:15am CST by Luke Adams

In today's NBA AM piece for HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler explores a few potential trade situations, providing the latest updates. Here's what he has for us:

  • The Cavaliers aren't seeking a significant return for Ramon Sessions. The club would prefer a draft pick and an open roster spot rather than a filler player.
  • While no deal is imminent, the Timberwolves' interest in Jamal Crawford is very real, and they appear to be the frontrunner. The Blazers are still talking to several teams about Crawford, however.
  • Mike Dunleavy, who is part of the group that is the favorite to buy the Hornets, feels like he could get Eric Gordon and Chris Kaman, two of his old players, signed to new deals in New Orleans.
  • The Bulls are talking to other teams, but appear to be surveying the landscape rather than actively trying to get any deals done.
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Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Sixers, Chandler, Lopez

March 4th, 2012 at 11:46pm CST by Ryan Raroque

With a few games into the second half of the season, the battle for the Atlantic Division crown and homecourt in the first round of the playoffs should only look to intensify over the next few weeks. The Celtics, riding a four-game winning streak, are only two games behind the Sixers for first place in the division while the Knicks remain just three and a half games out. Today brought more topics of discussion:  

 

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Chris Kaman Discusses Rumors

March 3rd, 2012 at 11:47pm CST by Sean Highkin

The Times-Picayune's John Reid talked to Hornets center Chris Kaman about the many rumors surrounding him as the trading deadline approaches.

"I dont care what they do," Kaman said. "So if they want to trade me, trade me. If they want to keep me, keep me. I don’t care, but not in a disrespectful way. I just know I can’t control that part of it, so it something I don’t care about.

"That’s something for my agent to deal with, and I don’t think coach cares about it. I think he’s trying to focus on winning games, and my teammates are doing the same.’"

Kaman, 29, was sent to New Orleans in the Chris Paul trade in December and has been on the trading block ever since. He is averaging 12.3 PPG and 7.9 RPG for the Hornets in the final year of a contract that is paying him $14MM for 2011/12.

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Stein On Lakers, Raptors, Marion, Hickson, Kaman

March 2nd, 2012 at 1:18pm CST by Luke Adams

It's Friday afternoon, which means another installment of Marc Stein's Weekend Dime at ESPN.com. In addition to writing about the 50th anniversary of Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game, Stein shares a few trade rumors. Let's check them out….

  • If the Lakers were to acquire Kirk Hinrich or Leandro Barbosa, they would want the Hawks or Raptors, respectively, to take on salary. However, neither Atlanta or Toronto is interested in doing so. The Lakers would have to use their $8.9MM trade exception and accept the luxury-tax consequences if they were to deal for either player.
  • The Raptors are also unwilling to take on salary in a deal for Jose Calderon.
  • The Mavericks aren't currently shopping Shawn Marion, and don't intend to start clearing out the necessary cap space to make a run at top free agents until after the season. One source told Stein there's "no chance" the Mavs trade Marion this month, even though there may be potential suitors.
  • J.J. Hickson is being aggressively shopped by the Kings.
  • The Hornets have been telling teams that Chris Kaman won't be bought out after March 15th if the club can't find a trade partner. Since New Orleans is still owned by the league, that may not be an idle threat. A number of teams, including the Heat, are hoping Kaman is bought out, since they don't have the trade assets necessary to acquire the big center.
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Broussard On Gasol, Rondo, Ellis, Beasley, Kaman

February 29th, 2012 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to providing an update on the Dwight Howard sweepstakes, Chris Broussard shares rumors about a handful of big-name trade candidates in his latest Insider-only ESPN.com column. Let's dive in….

  • The Rockets still have interest in Pau Gasol but want to build around Kyle Lowry rather than include him in any Gasol deal. The Timberwolves haven't talked to the Lakers in months about Gasol, while the Bulls have shown some interest in the Spaniard.
  • Sources tell Broussard that the Celtics have determined they're not title contenders this year and would prefer to move Rajon Rondo rather than deal with the "headaches" he brings.
  • Broussard hears that if Monta Ellis were traded, the Warriors guard would like to join the Lakers, Bulls, or Magic (alongside Dwight Howard), but none of those scenarios appear realistic.
  • The Timberwolves offered Michael Beasley to the Lakers in exchange for the higher of L.A.'s two first-round picks, but were turned down. The Lakers are torn on Beasley — because L.A. is over the tax line, the team would be adding more than just Beasley's $6.26MM cap figure. I imagine they'd also prefer to use their trade exception to acquire a point guard.
  • The Hornets' asking price for Chris Kaman has dropped since earlier in the season. They're seeking a draft pick, even just a second-rounder, for the center.
  • LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum are "virtually untouchable" but the Blazers would talk about anyone else on their roster, particularly Raymond Felton and Gerald Wallace.
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