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Amick On Dwight, Celtics, Crawford

March 3rd, 2012 at 7:57pm CST by Sean Highkin

SI.com's Sam Amick has a roundup of the latest crop of NBA trade rumors, touching on a variety of topics. Here are the highlights:

  • There is a distinct possibility that the Magic will opt not to trade Dwight Howard, either because they don't like the offers out there or because they believe they can convince the superstar center to stay.
  • Nets GM Billy King believes it will be easier to land Howard through trade than via free agency, because of the difference in money the team will be able to offer.
  • The Warriors are still said to be interested in trading for Howard, even as a rental, and convincing him to stick around.
  • Ray Allen is more likely to be moved by March 15 than Rajon Rondo, but a deal with the Clippers is unlikely. The Celtics are asking for young talent and picks, which is more than most teams are likely to want to give up for the 36-year-old Allen.
  • Amick suggests Jamal Crawford as a trade possibility for the Clippers or any other team looking for help at the shooting guard position. He believes Crawford may be available because of the Blazers' struggles and his dissatisfaction with Nate McMillan playing him at point guard.
  • The Lakers continue to monitor Michael Beasley and Ramon Sessions, and the future of Pau Gasol is still uncertain.
  • It is possible that Wilson Chandler will spend the rest of the season overseas rather than re-sign with the Nuggets, and instead test free agency this summer.
  • The market is still slow for Gilbert Arenas, who is working out in Orlando in hopes that a team will sign him.
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Lawrence: Knicks Not Planning Major Moves

March 3rd, 2012 at 6:57pm CST by Sean Highkin

In a new column about the chemistry the Jeremy Lin-era Knicks have developed, Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News says that the team's owner, James Dolan, wants to see how the current group grows and is not planning any major shake-ups at the trading deadline.

Lawrence, citing an Eastern Conference GM who had a recent conversation with the Knicks, believes that Dolan likes the chemistry between Lin and Carmelo Anthony and doesn't think another move is necessary. He also points out that, between the huge contracts of Amar'e Stoudemire and Tyson Chander, the Knicks wouldn't have many assets to trade if they were inclined to make changes. However, Lawrence doesn't rule out the long-shot possibility of Dolan making a run at Deron Williams or Dwight Howard if the opportunity were to present itself.

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Dwight Howard Rumors: Saturday

March 3rd, 2012 at 2:23pm CST by Zachary Links

After putting up 33 points and nine boards in a losing effort against the Thunder on Thursday night, Dwight Howard took questions from the press as he gets ready to take on the Bucks tonight.  Here's the latest on Howard..

  • RealGM columnist Jarrod Rudolph believes teams don't like what the Magic have to offer other than Howard, and that's slowing trade talk right now. If the Knicks make a play for Howard, though, Rudolph thinks they offer Orlando the best deal in return. (Twitter links)
  • After hearing Howard's trade requests for months, the Magic are crazy to think they have a shot at keeping him, salary cap expert Larry Coon tweets.
  • While talking with reporters, Howard seemed to leave open the door about possibly remaining with the Magic for the long term, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.  At the same time, the big man was vague and wouldn't answer a question asking whether he has made a choice about his future.
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Dwight Howard Rumors: Friday

March 2nd, 2012 at 12:13pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic appear to be more interested in acquiring players to surround Dwight Howard than trading Howard himself, as we learned in yesterday's round-up of Howard rumors. With less than two weeks remaining until the trade deadline, we'll see if the team maintains that stance or starts exploring D12 deals in earnest. For now, here are Friday's updates on Howard, with the latest on top:

  • Magic CEO Alex Martins tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link), "We’ve had good conversations with [Howard], and with his people. That gives me hope." Martins reiterated that the team is still trying to convince Howard to re-sign (Twitter link).
  • Josh Ireland of ESPN Radio (audio link) hears that Howard's agent, Dan Fegan, has told the Lakers his client wouldn't sign an extension if he's traded to Los Angeles. I don't think this is particularly revelatory, since I don't expect Howard to sign an extension anywhere before he hits free agency, due to restrictions on in-season extensions. Whichever team has Howard at season's end would certainly have a leg up in the summer though, being able to offer D12 an extra year and larger raises on a long-term deal.
  • Martins doesn't intend to try to trade Howard until he's exhausted every last effort to convince the star center to stay in Orlando, writes Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel. "We’ve continued to to have a daily dialogue with Dwight since December," Martins said. "He feels that he is being heard as far as what his goals are. And,  by the way, the goals are the same: We both want to win."
  • More Martins on Howard: "We'll continue those dialogues over the next couple of weeks and hopefully we’ll get to a point  where we both believe that the best place to win a championship is Orlando and we’ll work out the details to make sure Dwight is a part of that for years to come."
  • Howard said he spoke to Martins yesterday about where things stand, but "we didn't talk like we need to talk." Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel has the details.
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Kyler’s Latest: Gasol, Mayo, Delfino, Williams

March 2nd, 2012 at 10:15am CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this week, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld began exploring trade options for all 30 NBA teams, sharing the latest rumors and rumblings along the way. Kyler discussed ten teams on Tuesday, and looks at ten more today. Here are some highlights from the piece:

  • The Pacers aren't looking to trade anyone, but would take advantage of their cap space to absorb salary if it meant acquiring a draft pick as well.
  • Lakers sources insist the team still views Pau Gasol as an All-Star and would only trade him if it meant getting another All-Star back. L.A. isn't currently pursuing Dwight Howard, and any move the team makes will probably involve its $8.9MM trade exception.
  • If the Grizzlies do anything before the trade deadline, it will likely involve O.J. Mayo, who has drawn interest.
  • Carlos Delfino is an attractive target for a few teams, but Beno Udrih is the more likely trade candidate to be dealt by the Bucks.
  • Trade talk surrounding Deron Williams could pick up before March 15th, if the Nets become concerned about their chances of acquiring Dwight Howard and signing Williams long-term.
  • Trevor Ariza and Jarrett Jack could be had, but the price for most Hornets is an unprotected first-round pick, which seems like a long shot.
  • The Knicks may consider moving Toney Douglas for a draft pick, in part to clear a roster spot for a player waived after the trade deadline.
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Dwight Howard Rumors: Thursday

March 1st, 2012 at 8:56pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors and Hawks may be interested in making a play for Dwight Howard in the next two weeks, even without a guarantee that he'd sign long-term. For his part, Howard would like the Magic to try to acquire Steve Nash, and could perhaps be convinced to stay in Orlando a little longer if such a trade happens. Those were a few of the Howard rumors we heard yesterday. We'll track Thursday's updates here throughout the day, with the latest up top:

  • The Orlando Sentinel's Josh Robbins reports that Magic CEO Alex Martins has continued to engage Howard in discussions about the future, athough Martins was hesitant to divulge what exactly has been discussed in these meetings.
  • Robbins also wonders if Howard has expressed a willingness to stay in Orlando if the Magic acquire certain players, or if reports of Orlando's interest in Steve Nash and Monta Ellis simply suggest the Magic are making a Hail Mary play to convince Dwight to stay.
  • The Magic could do worse than Brook Lopez in a Howard trade, writes Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.
  • The Magic are making trade inquiries, but they're trying to acquire talent around Howard, rather than shopping their star center, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. If Orlando isn't able to bolster its roster around Howard, that stance could change, but for now, a D12 deal appears unlikely, Kennedy adds (via Twitter).
  • One player the Magic are pursuing is Monta Ellis, though Marcus Thompson II reported yesterday that the Warriors aren't interested in trading Ellis to Orlando without acquiring Howard. I'm also in agreement with Kennedy when he notes (on Twitter) that the Magic probably don't have the assets, besides Howard, to get an Ellis deal done. Still, the fact that Orlando is involving Howard in the decision-making process is a step in the right direction for the Magic, tweets Kennedy.
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Dwight Howard Rumors: Wednesday

February 29th, 2012 at 6:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Orlando's roster could have an entirely new look a month from now, and Magic players are all aware of that fact. Nonetheless, as they tell Joshua Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, their goal for the second half will be to avoid being weighed down by off-court distractions and focus on playing good basketball. Here's the latest on Dwight Howard, who figures to dominate Orlando's on- and off-court headlines in the coming weeks:

  • Add the Hawks to the list of potential Howard suitors. Marcus Thompson, while looking for Warriors rumors for the Bay Area News Group, tweets that Atlanta is offering Joe Johnson and Al Horford to the Magic for D12. Howard grew up in Atlanta and went to high school at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy. Thompson notes that Howard and Hawks forward Josh Smith are friends.
  • Howard wants the Magic to pursue Steve Nash, and would consider staying at least another year in Orlando if the team can acquire Nash and re-sign him, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Of course, given the Suns' current stance on their point guard, such an acquisition would be a challenge.
  • An Eastern Conference executive tells Chris Broussard of ESPN.com that he thinks if Howard is dealt by March 15th, it will be to the Nets, but the longer the saga drags on, the better the Mavericks' odds become. While the Knicks and Clippers aren't on Howard's list of preferred destinations, Broussard says D12 would consider both teams, though neither has engaged the Magic in trade talks.
  • The Warriors say they're not interested in trading Monta Ellis unless he's part of a package for Howard, sources tells Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News (Twitter link).
  • We covered some Howard-related links in our notes on the Warriors earlier this morning, as Golden State remains in the hunt for the Magic superstar. SI.com's Zach Lowe confirms the Warriors would be willing to acquire Howard without assurances he'd sign long-term or even opt into the final year of his contract next season. This seems a little crazy to me, but as Lowe points out, Golden State will likely have to break up its core at some point to become a legit title contender anyway. I suppose if the Warriors were able to deal David Lee along with Ellis and others, even just renting Dwight would create a ton of cap flexibility for future seasons. Still, I don't think it's a likely scenario.
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Warriors Notes: Lopez, Ellis, Howard, Granger

February 29th, 2012 at 9:06am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors' second half got off to a rough start in Indiana last night, as Golden State fell behind by 31 points through three quarters en route to a 102-78 loss. As the Warriors look to regroup tonight in Atlanta, here are a few morning updates on the club:

  • According to both Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle and Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group (Twitter link), Warriors sources don't put much stock in the Monta Ellis/Brook Lopez rumor that surfaced this week. Thompson says the Warriors would want more than Lopez for Ellis.
  • That Lopez/Ellis rumor originally came up as part of a three-way deal that also involved Orlando and Dwight Howard. However, the Warriors are still more interested in pursuing Howard themselves than accomodating a trade that sends him to the Nets. Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News runs through all the stars that would need to align for the Warriors to realistically make a play for Howard.
  • The Warriors must have a lot of confidence that they can convince Howard to re-sign with the team if they acquire him, tweets SI.com's Chris Mannix.
  • While the Warriors are still interested in Danny Granger, the Pacers won't deal him, says Thompson (via Twitter).
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Odds & Ends: Howard, Wallace, Lopez, Ellis

February 28th, 2012 at 5:55pm CST by Michael Pina

While everyone is busy discussing possible deals that would ship Dwight Howard out of Orlando, Magic GM Otis Smith is probably thinking of trades that will bring in talent to convince his franchise piece that staying is the best option for everybody. With a roster full of bad contracts and young assets not worth enough to bring back immediate value, this could ultimately pose as an impossible task. Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel takes a crack at it anyway, offering a few ideas that could get the team some enticing players, such as Monta Ellis and Amare Stoudemire.

Here's a look across the league at some other rumors that are being batted around:

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Warriors Continue To Pursue Dwight Howard

February 28th, 2012 at 1:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors are continuing their push for a Dwight Howard deal, despite not being on Howard's list of preferred destinations, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. While they'd have no assurances that Howard would remain in Golden State past this season, the Warriors aren't backing down from any potentially risky move, says Howard-Cooper.

Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle reported ten days ago that the Warriors felt they were still in the hunt for Howard. Golden State would presumably offer a package centered around Monta Ellis that also includes some combination of Klay Thompson, David Lee, and Ekpe Udoh. The idea would be to attempt to convince Howard to stay, and build the roster around D12 and Stephen Curry. Still, as Howard-Cooper points out in a second tweet, it would be a disaster for the Warriors to part with a handful of key assets to acquire Howard, only to see him leave via free agency this summer.

I still believe a Howard trade before the deadline is far from a sure thing, and I wouldn't consider the Warriors a frontrunner, but it appears they're staying the hunt for the Magic superstar for now.

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