Chris Kaman Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Wojnarowski On Augustin, Kaman, Blazers

March 15th, 2012 at 11:08am CST by Luke Adams

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports is sending out plenty of tweets today on a variety of trade topics. Here are a few of his latest updates (all links go to Twitter):

D.J. Augustin is drawing significant interest, with the Bobcats listening to inquiries.
The Hornets are getting more realistic about their asking price for Chris Kaman, realizing that they won't get a first-round pick for him. According to Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida, New Orleans is working hard to move Kaman, ideally to an East team (Twitter link).
One GM on the Trail Blazers: "One thing is for sure today: Portland is open for business right now."

Hornets Rumors: Kaman, Ariza, Okafor, Jamison

March 15th, 2012 at 12:30am CST by Luke Adams

Chris Kaman is still the most likely trade candidate for the Hornets, but John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune says any of New Orleans' veteran players are available for the right combination of draft picks and expiring contracts. Here are a few more of Reid's Hornets rumors:

New Orleans is listening to offers on Trevor Ariza, though Ariza's agent David Lee said Wednesday he hasn't heard about any trade scenarios involving his client.
The Hornets backed out of trade talks with the Cavaliers involving Emeka Okafor and Antawn Jamison, since Cleveland insisted on acquiring one of New Orleans' two 2012 first-round picks. The Hornets continue to try to trade Okafor though.
There remains speculation that Mike Dunleavy, who is part of the group trying to buy the Hornets, may want to keep Chris Kaman around past this season. I can't see that having a major impact on the team's Kaman decision though, since the Hornets are still owned by the league for now.

Trade Rumors: Kaman, Celtics, Blatche, Bynum

March 14th, 2012 at 4:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Here's the latest on a few trade candidates:

The Celtics are seeking a big man, and while taking on a player with Chris Kaman's salary ($14MM+) probably isn't likely, Kaman would be interested in going to Boston, says A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com.
"You look at what they need and what he brings to the game," a league source said of Kaman-to-the-Celtics. "It would be a great fit, it really would. But a lot of things have to happen, and not happen, before that can come about."
The Wizards are still seeking deadline deals, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
Lee hears conflicting reports on the likelihood of an Andray Blatche trade. One source said Blatche "won’t be moved due to a lack of interest," even if JaVale McGee is included. However, another source told Lee that the Wizards aren't ready to give up on finding a taker for Blatche just yet.
Andrew Bynum isn't expecting the Lakers to trade him, as he tells Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.

Odds & Ends: Batum, Kaman, Ewing, Elson, Heat

March 14th, 2012 at 2:40pm CST by Luke Adams

A few odds and ends from around the league, with less than 24 hours until the 2012 trade deadline:

The Kings inquired on Nicolas Batum, tweets Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. However, multiple reports have suggested the Blazers have no intentions of trading Batum.
If a second-round pick is all it takes to acquire Chris Kaman, expect the Pacers to make another run, says Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star (via Twitter). I had the same thought when I saw Chris Broussard's update on Kaman today — Indiana is the only team in the league that could take Kaman's salary without sending players back, and parting with a second-rounder wouldn't affect the team's long-term plan.
Patrick Ewing may have some interest in the Knicks' full-time coaching job, tweets Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.
Francisco Elson has been in touch with the Heat, but Miami isn't interested in working him out yet, tweets Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida. The Heat could make a move for Elson after the trade and buyout deadlines.
The Heat likely won't make a move at the deadline, but players will still be relieved when it passes, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Wizards players talked to both Michael Lee of the Washington Post and Derek Page of HoopsWorld about the distraction of the impending deadline.

Broussard On Pierce, Brooks, Curry, McGee, Daye

March 14th, 2012 at 12:31pm CST by Luke Adams

ESPN.com's Chris Broussard has a ton of trade rumors in today's Insider-only piece. You can read his major update on Dwight Howard here, but let's dive into the rest of his rumors….

The Celtics offered Paul Pierce to the Blazers, though Broussard isn't sure who else would've been involved in the deal. Portland wasn't interested in Boston's proposal.
The Clippers are reluctant to trade Eric Bledsoe for Jamal Crawford because they believe Crawford will opt out of his contract at season's end, and Bledsoe will have more value at draft time, since there won't be many point guards available.
Ramon Sessions is unlikely to be moved unless the Cavaliers can get a first-round pick. Cleveland would try to trade for Jonny Flynn if they moved Sessions, though the Spurs have also expressed interest in Flynn.
The Cavs are also in talks with the Hornets about swapping Antawn Jamison for Emeka Okafor and a first-round pick.
Aaron Brooks is drawing interest from the Blazers and Kings, though the Suns hope to re-sign him. When Brooks returns from China, he can only sign with Phoenix. If he doesn't sign anywhere this season, he becomes a restricted free agent again this summer.
A second-round pick is likely all it would take for the Hornets to move Chris Kaman.
The Warriors preferred to deal Stephen Curry rather than Monta Ellis, but Curry's ongoing ankle issues hurt his trade value.
Broussard hears JaVale McGee will be seeking a contract worth $14MM annually this summer. Good luck with that, JaVale.
Wilson Chandler is seeking a deal starting at $7MM, which the Nuggets feel is too high, since that amount won't be prorated this season — Denver would prefer to start around $5MM.
The Pistons are shopping Austin Daye "all day every day" but not many teams are biting.
The Grizzlies would like to move Sam Young to get below the luxury tax line.

Odds & Ends: Mavericks, Hornets, Smith, Harris

March 13th, 2012 at 10:48pm CST by Ryan Raroque

After playing an instrumental role in defeating the Heat tonight, Dwight Howard publicly stated that he'd like to stay put with the Magic for the remainder of the season. With that in mind, here are some other reports of teams that aren't trying to make any splashes by Thursday, as well as other miscellaneous links from tonight:

Mark Cuban doesn't see a reason why the Mavericks would be involved in the trade market right now, according to Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News.
Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated reports that the Hornets are not looking to add any payroll in a deal involving Chris Kaman, which makes a deal tough. (Twitter link)
Despite numerous reports that Josh Smith wants out of Atlanta, Hawks co-owner Bruce Levenson believes that the chances of the team receiving equal value for their star forward is very unlikely, according to an Associated Press article by the Star Tribune.
Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune tweeted that the Jazz are not trying to move Devin Harris.
Clippers GM Neil Olshey tells Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times that the team is not looking to trade any of their remaining assets unless it makes an "impact acquisition."
A panel of experts from ESPNChicago.com discussed the current state of the Bulls, and all agreed that the Bulls should remain intact past the deadline.
Jeff McDonald of Spurs Nation gives a rundown of the team's thought process as the trade deadline looms. While they may not have the trade assets to get anything major done, they could look to the waiver wire after the deadline.
Stephen Litel of HoopsWorld offered his opinion on trade scenarios in a chat with fans.

Odds & Ends: Spurs, Diaw, Kaman, Morris

March 13th, 2012 at 6:38pm CST by Ryan Raroque

On the speculation that Dwight Howard could be the determining factor with regard to his job security, coach Stan Van Gundy was forthright: "If they want to fire me to please somebody, fire me," later adding, "our job, my job is to focus on the basketball." Regardless of what happens before the deadline, the Magic coach will be able to put the trade speculation aside by the time Friday hits. Here are some other notes worth looking at from around the league:

The Spurs may be looking into the trade market for a point guard, according to Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld.
Tony Parker spoke about his desire for Boris Diaw to join him in San Antonio should he be granted a buyout from the Bobcats. Interestingly enough, Parker referred to the Knicks as another team that is interested in Diaw.
Center Chris Kaman says he feels comfortable with his role in New Orleans and would hope to stay with the Hornets, writes Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune.
Lakers rookie Darius Morris suffered a bruised wrist during a game in the D-League and will be day-to-day, says Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times. (Twitter link)
Greg Oden appears to be preparing to move on from the Trail Blazers. According to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, a source close to the situation has said that Oden is in the process of selling his home in Portland and has no intention of returning to the team next season.

Pacific Rumors: Gasol, Kaman, Evans, Kings

March 13th, 2012 at 11:49am CST by Luke Adams

Let's head west and check in on the latest rumors out of the Pacific Division….

A league source tells Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld that the biggest obstacle for a Pau Gasol trade is that not many owners would take on that sort of salary for one player. Owing about $20MM annually to a single player is scary for any team not in a major market, adds Kyler (Twitter links).
According to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News, if they were to trade Chris Kaman to the Warriors, the Hornets would want to acquire Ekpe Udoh as part of the deal. A recent report suggested the Hornets may be interested in extending Kaman, but Deveney considers that a smoke screen.
In a column yesterday for SI.com, Sam Amick hinted that Tyreke Evans may not be in the Kings' long-term plans, and that the team could eventually field trade offers for him. If Sacramento reaches that point, don't expect the Cavs to be interested, says Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter).
Speaking of Sacramento, if you have a few million dollars burning a hole in your pocket, perhaps you'd be interested in owning a portion of the Kings. Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee reports that a 7% minority share of the team will be auctioned off due to Bob Cook's personal bankruptcy.

Magic, Warriors, Hornets Discussing Ellis Deal

March 12th, 2012 at 6:13pm CST by Luke Adams

6:13pm: According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, Golden State has moved away from talks of a three-team deal that would send Monta Ellis to Orlando. In a tweet, Stein says the Warriors are far more interested in assembling a package to offer Milwaukee for Andrew Bogut. Stein went on to say that the Warriors would be unwilling to part with Ellis, even if it meant getting rid of Andris Biedrins' contract, one of the worst in the league. According to an ESPN report by both Stein and Chris Broussard, the Magic will continue to spend the next 48 hours seeking various options on how they can add an enticing player to keep Dwight Howard happy. If they can't make a splash, they'll then spend the last 24 hours before the deadline looking at all their trade options.

1:57pm: The Magic, Hornets, and Warriors are discussing a three-way trade that would send Monta Ellis to Orlando, multiple league sources tell Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com. According to Rudolph, Warriors players being discussed include Ellis, Andris Biedrins, and Dorell Wright, while Magic players mentioned include Ryan Anderson, J.J. Redick, Hedo Turkoglu, Quentin Richardson, and Daniel Orton. Taking into account the Warriors' reported interest in Chris Kaman, the Hornets' involvement likely means Kaman would be going to Golden State if a deal was reached.

Although nothing is imminent, talks are ongoing, says Rudolph. I'd be surprised to see the three clubs work out an agreement, given all the moving parts involved, not to mention the presence of the league-owned Hornets — with David Stern still acting as the team's de facto owner, he'll have the opportunity to turn down any trade he doesn't feel benefits the team.

Reports in recent weeks have also indicated that the Warriors aren't looking to move Ellis unless they can acquire Dwight Howard. So it would be unexpected to see them move the Western Conference player of the week to Orlando for non-Howard assets. As Sam Amick of SI.com tweets, Joe Lacob seems unlikely to help the Magic keep Howard, since the Warriors owner covets the star center himself.

Aldridge On Howard, Kaman, Crawford, Nash

March 12th, 2012 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams

In the latest installment of his weekly NBA.com column, David Aldridge runs through the notable names on the trade market, including the big fish, Dwight Howard. While Aldridge doesn't have any new updates for today's round of Howard rumors, the NBA.com scribe thinks the Magic will end up dealing D12 by Thursday's deadline. Aldridge predicts an offer of Brook Lopez, MarShon Brooks, and multiple first-round picks from the Nets will be the best deal Orlando sees this week.

Here are a few more items of interest from Aldridge's piece:

The Hornets are "determined" to move Chris Kaman by the deadline. There's no clear frontrunner, but Aldridge says not to rule out the Hawks or Mavericks.
Alridge hears from a source that the Bobcats and Trail Blazers could be discussing idea involving Jamal Crawford and D.J. Augustin.
Asked about his situation with the Suns, Steve Nash said that perhaps the team will have a change of heart on its stance this week, but "I don't feel like it's my place right now to kind of ask to be traded."