Jonny Flynn

Kyler On Rockets, Gasol, Pacers, Blazers, Smith

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.

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.

Lakers Continue To Express Interest In Sessions

4:11pm: According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles, the Lakers and Cavs tried to bring the Rockets into the mix to facilitate a Sessions deal. In the proposed trade, the Lakers would have received Sessions from Cleveland and future considerations from Houston; the Rockets would have received a first-round pick from the Lakers; and the Cavs would have received Jonny Flynn from the Rockets. Those talks are dormant for now, says McMenamin.

12:29pm: The Lakers are stepping up their pursuit of Sessions, reports Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. While L.A. initially balked at Cleveland's asking price of a first-round pick, a source tells Amico now that the Lakers have explored the trade market, they're "finding a deal for Sessions may be the best fit."

8:56am: With two days until the trade deadline, the Lakers continue to express interest in Ramon Sessions, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter). The Lakers have been linked to Sessions for weeks.

It seems to me that the Lakers are exploring all their trade options in hopes of making a bigger splash, viewing Sessions as a fallback option. Cleveland's asking price for its backup point guard reportedly isn't outlandish, and I think a late first-round pick would get a deal done. The Lakers figure to have two at their disposal, having acquired the Mavericks' first-rounder for Lamar Odom.

Sessions also fits nicely into the $8.9MM trade exception the Lakers received in exchange for Odom. Although acquiring any player would have tax ramifications for Los Angeles, Sessions' $4.26MM cap figure is more reasonable than the salaries of other players the Lakers have been linked to, such as Michael Beasley ($6.26MM), Raymond Felton ($7.56MM), and Kirk Hinrich ($8.1MM).

Amick On Jennings, Bogut, Batum, Rockets

Sam Amick of SI.com has a few updates on this week's trade candidates, so let's dive in….

  • Brandon Jennings could be had "for the right price." Long considered a franchise cornerstone, Jennings irked some Bucks officials with his comments last month about exploring free agency.
  • Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle hears from Warriors sources that reports of Golden State's interest in Andrew Bogut are "nothing more than hype." However, sources tell Amick that the team's interest is real. The Wizards also inquired on Bogut, but talks went nowhere, says Amick. The Rockets aren't thought to be involved on the Bucks' center.
  • Amick goes on to say that the Bucks feel this may not be the best time to get full value for Bogut, considering he's still on the shelf for a few weeks with a fractured ankle.
  • The Blazers may be active this week, but they don't intend to move Nicolas Batum, who they are determined to keep long-term.
  • Courtney Lee, Chase Budinger, Jonny Flynn, and Terrence Williams are among the Rockets who would "likely welcome a trade," according to Amick. Goran Dragic is also a trade candidate, since he's not expected to be re-signed this summer. Though I'd imagine Houston will be more inclined to keep Dragic with Kyle Lowry's return date up in the air.

Assessing Stocks: Houston Rockets

Portfolio Review: The Houston Rockets have perhaps the best point guard in the NBA that isn't quite a franchise point guard in Kyle Lowry. He is entering the prime of his career just as their second best player, Luis Scola, is exiting his. Scola, coincidentally, is just about as good as you can get at power forward without being an All-Star.

And that, in a nutshell, is the Houston Rockets. A group whose individual talents promise falls just short of stardom, and whose collective talents falls somewhere between the 7th seed and just out of the playoffs in the Western Conference. 

The Rockets are a team perfectly built around a superstar that no longer exists on their roster. Over the summer they were able to replace that superstar with Pau Gasol, only to have David Stern veto the trade. 

Prime Assets: Kyle Lowry has been deemed untouchable in most trade scenarios, though I would strongly take a look at a Lowry for Rajon Rondo-type deal should it present itself. Lowry is the better all-around player, but like the rest of the Rockets roster, lacks a single elite skill. Rondo has a deficient jump shot that skews his team's spacing, something the Rockets would have no trouble accommodating. 

With Lowry off the table, the combination of Luis Scola and Kevin Martin were once worth Pau Gasol with a third team. Perhaps they can be again. 

Worthless Stock: The only redeeming value for Hasheem Thabeet right now is a team's ability to write they acquired a former no. 2 overall pick in the press releases. He and Jonny Flynn are not toxic assets, but they're certainly not helpful either. 

The Rest: The Rockets do not really do bad contracts or bad players. They just don't have very many really good ones. The question is do the Rockets consolidate some of their depth to improve slightly in talent? 

Knicks, Lakers Inquire On Jonny Flynn

The Knicks and Lakers have contacted the Rockets to ask about Jonny Flynn, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Broussard adds that the Knicks mentioned Renaldo Balkman and Mike Bibby as trade chips, but that the Rockets weren't interested, and no moves are imminent.

The Lakers and Knicks are known to be seeking point guard help. Steve Blake is still recovering from a broken rib, meaning the Lakers are relying heavily on Derek Fisher and rookie Andrew Goudelock. For the Knicks, Baron Davis has been sidelined all season with a back injury and suffered another setback today, leaving Jeremy Lin to start at the point tonight. Both clubs are thought to have interest in Cavs point guard Ramon Sessions.

Flynn, a former Timberwolves lottery pick, has seen less action than ever in Houston this year, having played just 81 minutes in seven games. The Syracuse product has struggled with turnovers throughout his NBA career, recording an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.57 in his three seasons. Flynn is in the last year of his contract, earning $3.41MM this season.