Emeka Okafor

Amico On Mbah a Moute, Sessions, Jamison, Ellis

Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio chatted with fans about trade topics this afternoon. Here are a few of the highlights:

  • Plenty of teams "love" Luc Mbah a Moute and are calling the Bucks about him.
  • The Cavaliers continue to be aggressive in their pursuit of draft picks, and Amico expects them to land a first-rounder, possibly for Ramon Sessions.
  • Antawn Jamison isn't drawing a ton of interest, and still appears likely to remain in Cleveland.
  • Addressing the rumored three-team deal involving the Cavs, Lakers, and Rockets, Amico says he heard one of the three teams told the other two, "Let me get back to you on that" and talks haven't progressed since then.
  • Amico thinks it would make more sense for the Hornets to amnesty Emeka Okafor than to trade him to the Cavs with a first-round pick, as was rumored. I can see the league-owned Hornets preferring to avoid the amnesty clause as long as the ownership situation is in flux though.
  • The Lakers, Hornets, Hawks, and perhaps the Bobcats are among the teams with whom the Cavs have had "long discussions."
  • The Bucks have "absolutely zero interest" in flipping Monta Ellis to another team.

Broussard On Pierce, Brooks, Curry, McGee, Daye

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.

Berger’s Latest: Felton, Blake, Okafor, Gasol

Here are a few trade updates from Ken Berger of CBSSports.com:

  • Rival executives believe the Blazers are interested in trading Raymond Felton to the Lakers for Steve Blake. Since Portland would be giving up the better player and some salary flexibility, the Blazers would need to be compensated with another piece in such a deal.
  • The Hornets aren't interested in packaging Emeka Okafor with the first-round pick they acquired from the Timberwolves, even if it means saving the $28MM+ left on his deal.
  • The Hawks appear likely to make only a small move or two at the deadline.
  • Pau Gasol could be traded in the right deal, but the Lakers will need to ensure it's a basketball upgrade rather than a cost-saver. "If they're going to send a message to Kobe Bryant that they're not about winning, they're about money," one league source told Berger. "That's going to set off a whole new deal."
  • Berger also has an update on the Jamal Crawford trade talks, as we covered earlier.

Berger On Gasol, Rondo, Jamison, Jackson, Okafor

Ken Berger of CBSSports.com has a few late-Friday afternoon updates on the trade market for us. Here are the highlights:

  • Berger echoes a number of other reporters who say that, while the Lakers and Rockets are discussing Pau Gasol, no agreement has been reached yet.
  • The Celtics had been fielding offers for Rajon Rondo in recent weeks, but have disengaged from those talks.
  • The Trail Blazers have "made it clear" they're accepting offers for Gerald Wallace.
  • Antawn Jamison's camp is intrigued by the possibility of Jamison going to the Lakers, but Los Angeles hasn't expressed any sort of serious interest in the veteran, says Berger. Even if they were interested, I can't see a way the two teams could match up, given Jamison's $15MM+ cap figure. Nonetheless, the Cavaliers are aggressively seeking future assets for Jamison.
  • One executive predicts that "no one's touching" Stephen Jackson unless he's bought out by the Bucks.
  • In addition to pursuing offers for Chris Kaman, the Hornets are also shopping Emeka Okafor.
  • The Timberwolves are gauging interest in Wayne Ellington and Anthony Tolliver.