Eric Bledsoe Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Clippers Expected To Keep Eric Bledsoe

March 15th, 2012 at 11:20am CST by Luke Adams

It's looking more and more like the Clippers will stand pat at today's deadline, barring a late change, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. The Clips expect Eric Bledsoe to have more trade value closer to a June draft that lacks top point guards, adds Howard-Cooper. Ken Berger of CBS Sports confirms Los Angeles' position, saying a Bledsoe deal is becoming less likely (Twitter link).

Bledsoe, who hasn't received a ton of playing time in L.A. this season behind Chris Paul and Mo Williams, represents one of the team's most attractive trade chips. The Clippers had reportedly been exploring trades involving Bledsoe that would net the club a two guard.

Los Angeles Rumors: Beasley, Gasol, Bledsoe

March 15th, 2012 at 7:23am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers appear to be closing in on a three-way deal that would land them Michael Beasley, but different variations of the deal are being discussed. Most reports have Steve Blake and a first-rounder heading from L.A. to Portland, but Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com reported last night that it may be Luke Ridnour, rather than Blake, who goes to the Blazers. In that hypothetical trade, the Lakers would still give up a first-round pick, but wouldn't necessarily need to make a follow-up to replace Blake at the point.

While we wait to see how those negotiations shake out, here are a few Lakers- and Clippers-related rumors out of Los Angeles:

A Pau Gasol trade is "highly unlikely," tweets ESPN.com's Chris Palmer. Palmer says interest dropped way off after the Lakers reportedly backed out of talks involving Gasol and Rajon Rondo.
The Clippers continue to explore trades that would see them move Eric Bledsoe for a "big guard," says Palmer in a separate tweet.
Pedro Viola of ESPNLosAngeles.com thinks the Clippers will ultimately decide they can maximize Bledsoe's value by keeping him rather than trading him.

Josh Howard, C.J. Miles Drawing Interest

March 14th, 2012 at 4:34pm CST by Luke Adams

4:34pm: Howard is likely to remain with the Jazz through the deadline, tweets Brian T. Smith.

11:38am: As of this morning, the chances of Miles being dealt to the Timberwolves appeared very slim, according to Brian T. Smith (via Twitter). Miles heading to New Jersey for Petro and a first-rounder is a possibility, tweets Stefan Bondy.

7:53am: Josh Howard and C.J. Miles, whose contracts expire at season's end, have both expressed interest in re-signing with the Jazz this summer. However, it looks as if there's a chance neither player will even finish the season in Utah.

On the heels of last night's report that the Jazz are discussing a three-team trade with the Spurs and Timberwolves that would ship both Howard and Miles out of town, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld tweets that the Jazz are shopping Miles. The T-Wolves and Nets are among the teams that have shown interest, according to Kennedy. New Jersey has interest in Miles' expiring contract as a way of clearing summer cap space to make a run at top free agents, and Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld says the Nets have discussed Anthony Morrow and Johan Petro with the Jazz. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News hears such a deal could involve a Nets first-round pick (Twitter link).

Pincus says the Clippers may have some interest in Miles, who could fit into one of the team's traded player exceptions, but L.A. probably won't part with Eric Bledsoe or a first-round pick. Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune, who reported last month that Miles could be had, says the former second-rounder, who turns 25 this weekend, may be easier to move in a package deal (Twitter link).

Meanwhile, besides the Spurs, the Lakers, Knicks, and Celtics have also expressed interest in acquiring Howard, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Of those four interested clubs, only the Knicks are below the luxury tax line, so Howard and his $2.15MM salary would be an affordable addition. The Jazz don't necessarily want to make a deal though, according to Spears.

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.

Clippers Unlikely To Move Bledsoe For Rental

March 12th, 2012 at 4:52pm CST by Luke Adams

In the weeks leading up to March 15th, Eric Bledsoe's name has surfaced in trade rumors involving the Blazers' Jamal Crawford and the Celtics' Ray Allen, among others. However, the Clippers aren't motivated to trade the young guard unless they're blown away by a proposal, says Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld. According to HoopsWorld's report, the Clippers are hesitant to move Bledsoe for a player who they'd just be renting for the rest of the season.

In Bledsoe, the Clippers have a young, inexpensive player at a position of depth. Chris Paul and Mo Williams are ahead of Bledsoe on the team's depth chart, so it makes sense that L.A. would consider moving its 2010 first-rounder to upgrade at two guard. However, the 22-year-old is the only guard the Clippers have under contract long-term — Paul's and Williams' contracts are set to expire after next season, and their futures are unknown. Bledsoe doesn't figure to be eligible for even restricted free agency until the summer of 2014.

As for the Clippers' potential two-guard targets, Allen will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, while Crawford figures to decline his player option for next season, making him an unrestricted free agent as well.

Jamal Crawford Rumors: Monday

March 12th, 2012 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

No Jamal Crawford trade is imminent, but Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld reports (via Twitter) that one league source believes a deal is coming. With less than 72 hours remaining until the trade deadline, Crawford could be the "first domino" to fall, says Kennedy. Here are the latest rumors on Crawford trade talks:

The Blazers and Clippers are discussing a trade that would send Crawford to Los Angeles for Eric Bledsoe and Ryan Gomes, tweets Ken Berger of CBS Sports.
David Aldridge of NBA.com mentioned earlier today that the Bobcats and Blazers could be talking about a deal involving Crawford and D.J. Augustin. Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com also hears that the two teams have engaged in discussions. Said one league exec: "At this point, they are just talking right now and it's just part of what happens around this time of season."
Haynes adds that the Timberwolves are purusing Crawford more aggressively than ever, which is somewhat surprising — Luke Ridnour had been mentioned in previous rumors as a Blazers' target, but the Wolves presumably need to keep Ridnour following Ricky Rubio's season-ending injury. Haynes thinks perhaps the two teams are trying to involve a third club to get Crawford to Minnesota.

Odds & Ends: Dwight Howard, Clippers, Jeremy Lin

March 11th, 2012 at 6:48pm CST by Jesse Blanchard

With so much of the trade deadline activity hinging on what happens with the Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard, Magic CEO Alex Martins says the team has yet to make a decision on him, reports the Orlando Sentinel's Josh Robbins.

The Magic are taking a huge gamble on a player worth taking such a gamble on. Robbins writes that a strong possibility is Howard opting out of his contract and exploring free agency while keeping the Orlando Magic at the negotiating table with an opportunity to re-sign their franchise player.

One reason why this is dragging on so long is the notion that Howard himself seems unsure of what he wants. And on that note, a quick thought: With lessons learned from the LeBron James fallout, if Howard had made up his mind definitively about where he would like to play next year, chances are he would not string the Magic along, or else he risks alienating himself to fans as James did.

Some other notes around the league:

The Los Angeles Clippers are still exploring trade options to replace the injured Chauncey Billups at shooting guard reports ESPN LA's Ramona Shelburne. So far the Clippers have been reluctant to part with backup point guard Eric Bledsoe, whose trade value might rise in the offseason with a draft lacking quality point guard talent.
The New York Knicks are reeling, but head coach Mike D'Antoni still supports point guard Jeremy Lin, writes ESPN New York's Jared Zwerling. D'Antoni is correct in stating Lin needs to play a very specific way, with plenty of spacing and energy from his teammates.
The Knicks have some offseason decisions to make, one of which may be on the future of D'Antoni himself. But the crux of the matter is whether they want to build their offense around the pick and roll heavy talents of Lin, or the stagnant isolation ball Carmelo Anthony has played his entire career.
Jason Fleming of Hoops World provides five steps for fixing the Portland Trail Blazers.

Jamal Crawford Rumors: Thursday

March 8th, 2012 at 4:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves and Trail Blazers may be discussing a deal involving Jamal Crawford and Luke Ridnour, while the Pacers also have some interest in Crawford, as we learned yesterday. This morning, we also heard that the T-Wolves appear to be the frontrunner for the Blazers shooting guard. We'll continue to track the latest updates on the Crawford sweepstakes here throughout the day, with the newest additions up top:

Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge reports that the Pacers and Blazers have discussed Crawford, with Portland asking for A.J. Price and a first-round pick. A source tells Golliver that "the first team to give Portland a first round pick for Crawford will have him" (Twitter links).
The Blazers' asking price for Crawford includes a first-round pick in addition to either Ridnour for the Wolves or Eric Bledsoe for the Clippers, says Ken Berger of CBS Sports. That could pose a problem for the Clips, who have already traded both first-rounders they owned for 2012.
Timberwolves GM David Kahn is downplaying the team's interest in making a deadline deal, says Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Kahn says the Wolves are "not looking to address anything this season" and that he doesn't mind having three point guards in Ricky Rubio, J.J. Barea, and Ridnour. The GM did leave the door open slightly though, noting that there's still an "eternity" until next Thursday's deadline.
Asked if he was feeling affected by the trade rumors, Crawford told Haynes: "I wouldn't say me so much me, but the people around me for sure. Because decisions like that just don't affect you, they affect everybody."

Broussard On Rockets, Knicks, Celtics

March 4th, 2012 at 1:58pm CST by Michael Pina

During halftime of today's Knicks–Celtics game, ESPN's Chris Broussard relayed several of the latest rumors regarding the league's most talked about trade pieces. Here they are:

Houston has shown an interest in acquiring Pau Gasol, and Broussard believes if they still have a package consisting of Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, Goran Dragic, and the Knicks first round draft pick on the table, that the Lakers should take it. In a tweet, Larry Coon says Martin to the Lakers doesn't make any sense.
People around the league are saying that if New York wants Howard, packaging Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler could do the trick. In order for a deal like this to be possible, the Knicks would also have to take on Hedo Turkoglu's undesired contract, and they won't formally inquire about Orlando's big man until he expresses desire to play for the Knicks long term.
Boston likes Eric Bledsoe should they choose to move Ray Allen (the Clippers would need to throw in someone like Mo Williams to make the contracts match), but Los Angeles will likely hold onto their point guard until the offseason when his value is at an all-time high.