Gerald Wallace Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: James, Gibson, Draft, Stuckey

March 27th, 2012 at 5:48pm CST by Michael Pina

It's being reported by ESPN.com's Chris Broussard that early on in Miami's 105-90 loss against Indiana last night, LeBron James may have dislocated the ring finger on his left hand. In 41 minutes, James scored 24 points and grabbed nine rebounds in what was Miami's second straight loss.

According to the Associated Press, Georgetown junior Hollis Thompson is planning on hiring an agent, and will enter the NBA draft. This year he shot 43% from behind the three-point line, which led the entire Big East. Thompson finished the season as the Hoyas' second leading scorer, and third leading rebounder.
Cavaliers shooting guard Daniel Gibson has a torn tendon in his right foot and may miss the remainder of the season. Gibson is currently seeking multiple opinions pertaining to the injury's severity, but with only a month left in the season and Cleveland all but out of the playoff picture—not to mention the fact that they recently signed guards Donald Sloan and Manny Harris—it's more than likely he won't see the court again.
In a recent USA Today article, Rodney Stuckey told writer Jeff Zillgitt that he saw a psychologist in order to cope with all the recent losing he's experienced with the Pistons. Stuckey is in the midst of a resurgent season that last saw him hit a game-winning shot against the Wizards last night.
Since being traded to the Nets, Gerald Wallace has experienced loss after loss, but he's keeping a positive attitude, according to the Newark Star-Ledger's Colin Stephenson.
The Bobcats haven't found the most success this season. The Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell writes that if they don't turn things around, they could go down as the worst team in NBA history.

Atlantic Notes: Lin, Carmelo, Nets, Wallace, 76ers

March 16th, 2012 at 9:15am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks' roster didn't undergo any changes at the trade deadline, but the team did make a major change in replacing coach Mike D'Antoni with Mike Woodson. Woodson's offense will de-emphasize the role of Jeremy Lin, focusing more on isolation plays, as Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. For his part, Lin appears ready to embrace the changes, even if it means a major reduction to his minutes, says the Post's Tim Bontemps. Here are a few more Friday morning notes on the Knicks and a couple other Atlantic Division squads:

While at one point it seemed like a lock that the Knicks would use their mid-level exception to re-sign Lin this summer, that isn't such a sure thing now. Howard Beck of the New York Times and Marc Berman, in his piece linked above, both suggest that the chances of Lin remaining a Knick long-term have taken a hit with the departure of D'Antoni.
Carmelo Anthony is ready to take the blame for D'Antoni's offense not working for the Knicks, but not for the coach's departure. "I do everything in my power to try not to get the coach fired," Anthony tells Berman, in a separate column.
The Nets sent a top-three protected draft pick in yesterday's Gerald Wallace trade, and Chad Ford of ESPN.com explains the logic (via Twitter): There are apparently only three players the Nets love in the upcoming draft, in Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Thomas Robinson. I'm not sure about this logic — those guys aren't necessarily the consensus top three picks, for one.
Another detail of the Wallace trade, per Mike Tokito of The Oregonian (via Twitter): the Nets put no precondition on Wallace opting in or out of the final year of his deal. Tokito called New Jersey "desperate," which is rarely an adjective you hear describe a team that just made a good trade.
Marcus Hayes of the Philadelphia Daily News likes what the 76ers did at the deadline, making only a small move to acquire Sam Young.

Hollinger On Deadline Deals

March 15th, 2012 at 8:35pm CST by Sean Highkin

ESPN.com's John Hollinger has posted grades for every trade that took place today. The post is only available to ESPN Insider subscribers, but here are the highlights:

The Nuggets were smart to shed Nene's contract, even if trading for JaVale McGee is a risk.
However, Hollinger views the Wizards' acquisition of Nene is an overreaction to McGee's contract demands.
For the Clippers, Hollinger doesn't believe Nick Young is a perfect solution, but that he's worth the risk since they didn't have to give up any significant assets.
Hollinger praises the Blazers' rebuilding effort in the Gerald Wallace trade, although he has reservations about the players they got back from Houston for Marcus Camby.
He doesn't think the Nets made a smart move giving up a lottery pick for short-term help when they risk losing Deron Williams at the end of the season.
Hollinger likes the Rockets' acquisition of Camby as a short-term pick-up to help them make a playoff run.
The Warriors' acquisition of Richard Jefferson is counterproductive to their efforts to tank for a draft pick, Hollinger writes. However, he praises the Spurs for shedding Jefferson's contract for Stephen Jackson's shorter one.
Hollinger questions the Cavaliers for taking on Luke Walton's expensive contract while giving up Ramon Sessions, but loves the deal for the Lakers, as Sessions is a massive upgrade at point guard over Derek Fisher and Steve Blake.
Hollinger likes the Sam Young acquisition for the 76ers, and while he doesn't believe losing him will shift the Grizzlies' playoff hopes one way or another, he questions whether it was necessary to shed him simply for cap reasons.
He sees the Leandro Barbosa trade as a low-risk deal for both the Raptors and Pacers, giving Indiana immediate help at shooting guard while freeing up room for other players to get more minutes in Toronto.

Recap Of Trade Deadline Deals

March 15th, 2012 at 5:33pm CST by Sean Highkin

Here's the complete list of trades that took place this week leading up to the trade deadline earlier today:

On Tuesday, the Warriors sent Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh, and Kwame Brown to the Bucks for Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson.
The Warriors then flipped Jackson to the Spurs for Richard Jefferson, T.J. Ford, and a first-round pick on Thursday.
The Grizzlies traded Sam Young to the 76ers for the rights to former second-round pick Ricky Sanchez.
The Pacers acquired Leandro Barbosa from the Raptors in exchange for a second-round draft pick and cash considerations.
The Blazers entered rebuild mode by trading Gerald Wallace to the Nets for Mehmet Okur, Shawne Williams, and a 2012 first-round draft pick with top-3 protection.
Portland also sent Marcus Camby to the Rockets for Jonny Flynn, Hasheem Thabeet, and a second-round pick.
The Rockets acquired Derek Fisher from the Lakers as well as the Mavericks' 2012 first-round pick (from the Lamar Odom trade) for Jordan Hill.
The Lakers also traded for Ramon Sessions, sending Luke Walton, Jason Kapono, and a 2012 first-round pick to the Cavaliers and also receiving Christian Eyenga. The Cavs will also have the ability to swap the Heat's 2013 pick (which they own from the LeBron James sign-and-trade) with the Lakers' pick that year.
The Nuggets, Wizards, and Clippers agreed to a three-team deal that will send Nene, Brian Cook, and a future second-round draft pick to Washington; Nick Young to the Clippers; and JaVale McGee and Ronny Turiaf to Denver.

Nets To Acquire Gerald Wallace

March 15th, 2012 at 12:19pm CST by Luke Adams

The Blazers and Nets have reached an agreement on a trade that will send Gerald Wallace to New Jersey, reports TNT's David Aldridge (via Twitter). The Blazers will receive Mehmet Okur, Shawne Williams, and a top-three protected 2012 pick. Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski, who first reported the two sides were close, confirms the agreement (via Twitter).

After finding out Dwight Howard would not be available via free agency this summer, the Nets quickly turned to trades that would add help for Deron Williams. The price for Wallace seems awfully high though — while the Nets were able to move Okur's expiring $10.89MM contract and avoid Williams exercising his $3.1MM option for next season, the first-round pick seems to be the Nets' own selection. While New Jersey will retain the pick if it lands in the top three, it's very possible that the Blazers will receive a top-ten pick in what's expected to be a strong draft. The Nets currently have the sixth-worst record in the league (15-29).

Wallace has a $9.5MM player option for next season, which I assume the Nets will want him to exercise. Perhaps the two sides could even agree to void the player option in favor of working out a longer-team deal with a reduced 2012/13 cap figure. Even with Wallace on the books for next year, the team should have a decent amount of cap space to re-sign Brook Lopez and perhaps sign another free agent to entice Williams to stay.

Nets Close To Deal For Gerald Wallace

March 15th, 2012 at 12:11pm CST by Luke Adams

12:11pm: The pick that would be going to the Blazers in this proposed swap would only be top-three protected, says Wojnarowski (via Twitter).

11:48am: The discussed trade would send Mehmet Okur, Shawne Williams, and a protected first-round pick to the Blazers, tweets Wojnarowski. Such a deal would save the Nets money this year and potentially clear out more cap space for next year, which explains the first-round pick that would be going to Portland.

11:28am: The Trail Blazers and Nets are engaged in "advanced talks" on a deal that would send Gerald Wallace to New Jersey, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). A deal is close, adds Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Newsday's Al Iannazzone tweeted earlier today that the Nets were eyeing Wallace.

Wallace, 29, has a player option worth $9.5MM for next season, so perhaps the Nets would want him to make a decision on that option in the event of a trade. Turning it down would mean increased summer cap space for the Nets.

Nets Interested In Jamal Crawford, Gerald Wallace

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

11:11am: Al Iannazzone of Newsday names Crawford and Gerald Wallace as two targets to watch for the Nets (Twitter link). Both guys have player options for next season, so it's unclear if New Jersey views them as longer-term additions or potential expiring contracts.

10:46am: The Nets are "calling everyone" about potential trades, says Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter). However, Wojnarowski hears that one player emerging as a prime trade target for the team is Jamal Crawford.

Crawford is rumored to be part of three-team talks between the Blazers, Timberwolves, and Lakers, though nothing is imminent on that front. The T-Wolves, Clippers, and Bobcats are among the teams that have expressed interest in Crawford.

Now that it appears Dwight Howard will opt in for 2012/13 with the Magic, the Nets are looking for deals that will improve the team around Deron Williams, and continue to try to clear future cap space. The Nets are turning away trade offers for Williams at the moment.

Berger On Gasol, Rondo, Jamison, Jackson, Okafor

March 9th, 2012 at 4:49pm CST by Luke Adams

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.

Blazers Rumors: Felton, Wallace, Crawford

March 9th, 2012 at 2:39pm CST by Luke Adams

As the Trail Blazers look to return to .500 tonight in Boston, here are a few Friday rumors out of Portland:

Like most other teams, the Blazers won't make any trades that compromise their long-term plans, as acting GM Chad Buchanan tells Joe Freeman of The Oregonian.
Within Freeman's piece, a source says the market for Raymond Felton is "soft" and that shopping Gerald Wallace has been a challenge as well — since Wallace has a pricey player option for next season, teams who just want to rent him are worried he'll exercise the option, while teams who would prefer to keep him next season are concerned he'll opt out.
Freeman notes that if Wallace and Jamal Crawford decline their player options, and the Blazers hang on to the expiring contracts of Felton and Marcus Camby, the team could have about $23MM in cap space this summer. So Portland's not necessarily feeling pressure to make a deal.
Freeman doesn't believe the Blazers are interested in Jose Calderon, but thinks Eric Bledsoe would make a good trade target (Twitter links).
Peter Vecsey of the New York Post says the Timberwolves aren't going to send Luke Ridnour to Portland in order to acquire Crawford. The two sides had reportedly discussed a trade involving those two players.

Feigen On Rockets’ Deadline Possibilities

March 8th, 2012 at 11:23pm CST by Sean Highkin

The Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen assesses the state of the Rockets as the deadline approaches:

Head coach Kevin McHale admits that the trade rumors are getting in the heads of players, but notes that it's like that for every team in the league.
In Feigen's estimation, the Rockets are among the teams aiming to bring in an impact player—if not Dwight Howard, then possibly Gerald Wallace or Omer Asik.
Unlike last year, when they had Shane Battier as a trade piece, the Rockets don't have any notable expiring contracts outside of Courtney Lee and Goran Dragic.