Jamal Crawford Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Petrie, Rubio, Crawford

March 23rd, 2012 at 7:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Northwest Division is home to five playoff contenders, but it could boast only one playoff team in the end. The last-place Blazers are within three and a half games of the final postseason berth, but if the playoffs began today, only the first-place Thunder and the Nuggets, who would be the No. 7 seed, would qualify. Here's the buzz from around the Northwest:

While a report came out earlier today suggesting Kings GM Geoff Petrie was about to sign a new deal with the team, co-owner Gavin Maloof said that's not the case, according to Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. In a separate story, Jones passes along that Petrie says his job status for next season is the "last thing on my mind."
The discovery of a torn LCL will not affect the timetable of Ricky Rubio's return, according to an Associated Press story published on ESPN.com. The six to nine month timetable, however, suggests Rubio may not be ready for the start of next season. However, Wolves GM David Kahn is optimistic he'll recover in time for 2012/13.
In a Q&A with Brendan Bowers of Slam magazine (hat tip to Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge), Jamal Crawford says he was surprised he wasn't among the exodus at the trade deadline in Portland. Crawford also asserts he had nothing to do with any uprising against former coach Nate McMillan, citing a connection that dates back to when Crawford was 16 years old.

Latest On Lakers’ Failed Trade For Beasley

March 16th, 2012 at 1:36pm CST by Luke Adams

1:36pm: Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld reports a slightly different story on how the Beasley talks broke down, saying the Lakers were trying to send Luke Walton and other "salary dump type pieces" to Minnesota. Ingram suggests the reports on Fisher's inclusion causing Minnesota to back out are Lakers' spin.

10:42am: We heard yesterday that the Timberwolves had backed out of a potential three-team trade that would've sent Michael Beasley to the Lakers, Derek Fisher and Jamal Crawford to Minnesota, and a first-round pick to the Trail Blazers. The Lakers ultimately moved Fisher and that first-rounder to Houston for Jordan Hill, but a few details have surfaced on that failed deal have surfaced today.

According to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com, Anthony Tolliver would have also been involved in the deal, heading from Minnesota to Portland. McMenamin says the T-Wolves pulled out of the deal with just seven minutes left before the trade deadline, leaving Lakers officials "puzzled and disappointed."

Mike Breshanan of the Los Angeles Times hears from a source that the trade was "whisker-close" to being completed, but that Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor blocked the deal. Presumably, if ownership vetoed the deal, it was for financial reasons rather than basketball reasons, though that's just my speculation.

Timberwolves Backed Out Of Beasley Deal

March 15th, 2012 at 4:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers and Blazers had agreed to a three-team trade that would've sent Michael Beasley to the Lakers, with Jamal Crawford and Derek Fisher heading to the Timberwolves, according to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. However, the T-Wolves pulled out of the deal, says Cooper (Twitter link).

Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune echoes Howard-Cooper's report, saying that Minnesota decided upgrading from Beasley to Crawford wasn't enough to justify the additional salary heading to the T-Wolves (Twitter link). The Wolves also had no guarantee that Crawford would exercise his player option and remain in Minnesota next season, says Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (via Twitter).

Zgoda adds that Luke Ridnour and Steve Blake don't seem to have been involved in the discussed deal, as the Blazers would have received Dallas' first-round pick from the Lakers (Twitter links).

Failed Deals: Beasley, Crawford, Allen, Pierce

March 15th, 2012 at 3:31pm CST by Luke Adams

You've read about the trades that were completed prior to the deadline, but there were also plenty of moves that didn't quite work out. Here are a few that have been reported so far:

The Lakers had been in talks to acquire Michael Beasley in a deal that would've sent Jamal Crawford and Derek Fisher to the Timberwolves, with Dallas' first-round pick going to the Blazers, says Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com (on Twitter).
Crawford also could've gone to the Lakers, but the Blazers didn't want to take on Derek Fisher, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
Before they acquired Nick Young, the Clippers talked extensively with the Rockets about trading for Courtney Lee, tweets Sam Amick of SI.com.
The Clippers were also "this close" from acquiring Ray Allen, according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Twitter link).
The Celtics had serious talks with several teams about both Allen and Paul Pierce, but nothing came together, says Wojnarowski (via Twitter).
Another interesting tidbit from Amick: He says the Nuggets tried to engage the Kings on Nene/DeMarcus Cousins swap about a month ago, but the Kings weren't interested (Twitter links).
The Bucks made a "strong late push" for the Hornets' Carl Landry, but couldn't work anything out, tweets ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
GM Otis Smith told John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com that the Magic explored many deals to bring in help around Dwight Howard, but that the risk/reward factor didn't make sense (Twitter link).

Trade Rumors: Hinrich, Pierce, Pistons, Crawford

March 15th, 2012 at 2:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA's 2:00pm trade deadline is upon us, but teams who are close to deals could still be given a little leeway to finalize things. Here are a few of the latest rumors:

Kirk Hinrich will remain a Hawk through the deadline, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
The Hawks and Bobcats will stand pat, says Steve Kyler of Hoops World (Twitter link).
Interest in Paul Pierce picked up today, but a deal isn't likely because the Celtics' asking price is too high, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com.
The Pistons received and made phone calls, but likely won't make a deadline deal, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
Joe Freeman of The Oregonian tweets that the Blazers are still working on a Jamal Crawford trade, but a deal doesn't look likely, says Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter).

Crawford Hoping For Trade; Lakers Interested

March 15th, 2012 at 11:42am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers and the Nets are the latest teams to enter the Jamal Crawford sweepstakes, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com hears that Crawford is hoping for a trade, and that his preferred destination is Orlando (Twitter link).

The Lakers had already been engaged in talks involving Crawford, but the proposed three-team deal would have sent Crawford to Minnesota rather than Los Angeles. The Nets, meanwhile, are reportedly close to a deal for Gerald Wallace, so it's unknown whether they would maintain their interest in Crawford if they acquire Wallace.

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.

Kyler On Rockets, Gasol, Pacers, Blazers, Smith

March 15th, 2012 at 8:26am CST by Luke Adams

In his NBA AM piece for HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler reported that Dwight Howard is highly unlikely to change his mind again, but that the Magic seem to have a deal they'd do with the Nets if Howard waffles once more. You can follow all of today's Howard updates here, and check out the rest of Kyler's morning notes below:

The Rockets are discussing more than half their roster in trades, having offered around Terrence Williams, Jonny Flynn, Jordan Hill, Chase Budinger, Patrick Patterson, Luis Scola, Hasheem Thabeet and Courtney Lee. According to Kyler, Houston would trade any combination of those players to acquire Chris Kaman.
The Bulls want Lee, but aren't likely to meet the Rockets' asking price, which would mean parting with Taj Gibson or Omer Asik. The Pacers and Timberwolves are also eyeing Lee.
Houston has a standing offer out to the Lakers for Pau Gasol, but it doesn't include Kyle Lowry, so nothing is expected to happen there.
If the Blazers' three-team deal with the Timberwolves and Lakers involving Jamal Crawford falls through, Portland may have a backup trade in place with the Pacers.
The Magic won't be able to make a move for Josh Smith, which isn't a surprise. One league source tells Kyler the Hawks want an All-Star frontcourt player in exchange for Smith, so a deal is very unlikely.

T-Wolves, Blazers, Lakers Close To Deal

March 14th, 2012 at 5:06pm CST by Luke Adams

5:06pm: It appears the Lakers will send a first-round pick to the Blazers in the deal, reports Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. The Lakers would like to target a point guard in another, but giving up the pick makes that difficult.

4:46pm: Everything has been agreed upon except for what the Blazers would receive from the Lakers, tweets Chris Haynes. According to Haynes (on Twitter), the Blazers wants a draft pick, with Blake being the fallback option. I don't see how the deal gets done if Blake is the only asset heading to Portland.

4:36pm: The Blazers would receive a first-round pick in addition to Blake, tweets Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. Freeman isn't sure where the pick would be coming from, though I have to assume it'd be one of the Lakers' first-rounders. Meanwhile, Crawford's agent tells Jason Quick of The Oregonian that the deal is close to being done (Twitter link).

4:28pm: This deal is getting closer to becoming a reality, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Haynes says (via Twitter) there will be other pieces involved if the teams reach an agreement, but that Crawford, Beasley, and Blake are the primary parts. Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune agrees that this trade is the most likely move for the Timberwolves (Twitter link).

2:54pm: Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (Twitter link) confirms that the three teams are talking about a deal, adding that Steve Blake would be going to the Blazers in the proposed trade. I don't think that changes the fact that Portland would want a draft pick.

1:55pm: Talks between the Timberwolves and Trail Blazers for Jamal Crawford are gathering momentum, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The discussions also involve the Lakers, who would receive Michael Beasley from the Timberwolves in the proposed deal, tweets Wojnarowski. I'm guessing the Blazers are seeking a first-round pick from L.A.

Though the Timberwolves and Blazers looked like a promising match last week, Ricky Rubio's ACL injury seemed to put a damper on discussions, since the T-Wolves needed Luke Ridnour at the point. However, Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com said on Monday that Minnesota's pursuit of Crawford hadn't faltered, and that perhaps the Wolves could bring in a third team.

Ken Berger of CBS Sports reported yesterday that the Blazers seemed to be cooling on the idea of trading Crawford, since they couldn't find a first-round pick for him. Portland hopes to gain cap space this summer and Crawford figures to opt out of the final year of his deal, so the Blazers have some motivation to keep him. But if they can gain a pick and avoid bringing on any future salary, the Blazers would obviously be inclined to make a move.

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.