Kirk Hinrich Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Trade Candidate: Kirk Hinrich

March 9th, 2012 at 10:42pm CST by Chuck Myron

Lost in the noise surrounding Josh Smith in Atlanta lately is another intriguing trade chip the Hawks possess. They were without 31-year-old combo guard Kirk Hinrich for a month to start the season as he recovered from surgery on his left shoulder, and found suitable replacements on their bench. Jannero Pargo continues to see minutes as the backup point guard, while Willie Green has served as the backup shooting guard. Hinrich has started in the absense of Joe Johnson lately, but with the emergence of others, Hinrich's minutes are at a career-low 20.2 per game. He's shooting only 35.6% from the floor, also a career low, perhaps because of a lack of rhythm from playing time, but aside from the effect that's having on his point production, his most of his numbers per 36 minutes are consistent with what they have been the past several seasons. The Hawks don't appear to need him, but teams with holes at either guard position may.

Yesterday, we passed along a report from Ken Berger of CBS Sports who said rival executives believe Hinrich will be traded before the deadline. Recently, we've heard rumors linking him to the Clippers, who could use a shooting guard, and the Lakers, who are looking for a point guard. His contract, which pays him $8.1MM this year, is expiring, making him even more enticing for teams wanting to clear cap space. The Lakers reportedly want the Hawks to take on salary in a Hinrich deal, and that has a chilling effect for Atlanta, which teeters on the brink of being a tax-paying team.

So, a trade with the Clippers could be easier. A swap of Hinrich for Eric Bledsoe and Ryan Gomes would work under the cap, according to ESPN's Trade Machine. The Hawks could develop Bledsoe along with incumbent starter Jeff Teague and see which young point guard emerges as the best option going forward. Gomes may seem unappetizing this year, but he does provide depth at the wing positions for next season, when Green and Tracy McGrady come off the books. The trick would be convincing the Clippers that Hinrich is still a starting-caliber guard. He started 51 games combined for the Wizards and Hawks last year and 53 for the Bulls in 2009/10, but hasn't been a full-time starter since 2007/08. Hawks GM Rick Sund could point to last season's stint with the Wizards, when Hinrich shot 45.2% in 48 games for Washington, which would have been a career high had it been a full season total.

While the Clippers could bite, I think it's more likely Hinrich winds up with a team that hasn't been mentioned as a backup if he is to leave Atlanta. It's hard to see either the Clippers or the Lakers, two teams with aspirations of deep playoff runs, taking a gamble that Hinrich can return to his form of several seasons ago. He's only been past the first round of the playoffs once, too, so that hurts his case as well. Still, his versatility is likely to prompt several teams to make offers before the deadline is here.

Amico On Lakers, Clippers, Celtics, Magic

March 8th, 2012 at 7:52pm CST by Sean Highkin

Fox Sports Ohio's Sam Amico has posted a rundown of the trade-deadline needs of four teams: the Lakers, Clippers, Celtics, and Magic. Here are the highlights:

Amico believes the Lakers should surrender first-round draft picks for Ramon Sessions to address their point-guard issues, arguing that they will not likely find an equally-skilled player in the draft.
Kirk Hinrich would be the safest bet for the Clippers, with Ray Allen likely costing too much. Amico also mentions Jamal Crawford as a possibility.
Amico points to J.J. Hickson as a potential low-cost trade target who could benefit from being around Kevin Garnett.
Amico says the Magic should do everything in their power to convince Dwight Howard to stay, and trade him only if it becomes clear that is impossible.

Berger On Howard, Pierce, Jackson, Beasley, Nash

March 8th, 2012 at 12:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The latest Postups column from Ken Berger of CBS Sports is packed with interesting deadline notes, so let's dive right in…

While Berger doesn't necessarily predict a quiet deadline, he points to other factors that could contribute to reducing trade activity this season: For potential contenders, the need to roll the dice on a veteran is offset by a strong draft class this summer. Additionally, the amnesty clause gives teams an alternative to trying to offload bad contracts in trades.
The Rockets and Warriors maintain interest in trading for Dwight Howard without assurances that he'd sign long-term. Houston also continues to be "in hot pursuit" of Pau Gasol.
The Celtics are "prepared to entertain offers" on Paul Pierce, but he may be the hardest of Boston's Big Four to move, since he doesn't have an expiring contract like Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, or the youth of Rajon Rondo.
One executive says the Trail Blazers, who have been among the most active teams, need to make major changes.
Rival execs think that the Hawks may deal Kirk Hinrich in the next week.
The Cavaliers are open to absorbing salary in exchange for the right assets.
Stephen Jackson has drawn an "amazing" number of inquiries, though most interested teams would want the Bucks to take on future salary to complete a deal.
The Magic and Nets could look into trading for Michael Beasley, with both teams ultimately sharing the same goal — enticing Dwight Howard by upgrading their rosters at other positions.
Steve Nash is content to remain with the Suns this season, in part because it's not in his nature to ask out and become the bad guy. "He'd like to go and win," a person connected to Nash said. "But he's not prepared to play the Carmelo [Anthony] card." To me, that suggests he'd be a long shot to re-sign in Phoenix at season's end.
Berger also shared an update on Jamal Crawford, which we covered in today's Crawford rumor round-up.

Odds & Ends: Stern, Hawks, Clippers

March 3rd, 2012 at 4:34pm CST by Chuck Myron

Leave it to LeBron James to wind up in the spotlight again amidst Linsanity and the impending trade deadline. He passed up a potential game-winning shot against Utah to give the ball to Udonis Haslem instead, and Haslem missed to give the Jazz a 99-98 win. Still, as Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida points out, it was the first time James has ever gone back-to-back games without committing a turnover. James will surely be with the Heat for a while, but here are a few notes on more fluid situations:

Changes are afoot for slumping Cleveland, where Cavs coach Byron Scott is giving thought to juggling his rotation and starting lineup after his team lost its fourth straight tonight, writes Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. With the trade deadline approaching, the team must soon decide what to do with Ramon Sessions and Antawn Jamison, Amico says.
Bucks backup point guard Beno Udrih would be on board with a trade if one happens, notes Lang Greene of HoopsWorld.
ESPN's John Hollinger, writing from the Sloan Sports Analytics Conferences, says the numbers don't add up in the Kings arena deal. He believes the league provided financial support to the cash-strapped Maloof brothers so they could make their $73MM contribution to the deal. (Insider link)
John Schuhmann of NBA.com rounded up Celtics coach Doc Rivers' irritated pregame remarks about the trade rumors swirling around his team. In particular, he took aim at the belief the Celtics are shopping Rajon Rondo and the "ridiculous" idea that Pau Gasol may be headed to Boston. For Rondo, whose name has come up in trade talks many times before, it feels like "deja vu," notes Andrew Perna of RealGM.
A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com looks at Celtics free agent signee Mickael Pietrus, who's finally displaying his all-around game now that he's healthy, Blakely says.
Marc Gasol, used to fielding rumors involving his brother Pau, is surprised that Raptors point guard Jose Calderon, another Spanish Olympic teammate, is coming up in trade talk as well, reports Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun.
Frank Isola of the New York Daily News believes the Knicks have assembled their most talented roster in 12 years.
Jeremy Lin isn't the only waiver pickup exceeding expectations for the Knicks, as Steve Novak has been a major beneficiary of his more famous teammate's play, as Ben Bolch examines in the Chicago Tribune.
Former Clippers and current Suns coach Alvin Gentry admires the team the Clips have put together this year, writes Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic points out that Suns guard Shannon Brown, who'll hit the free agent market this summer, has a deceptive career high of 8.9 PPG this year. This has also been one of his worst shooting seasons.
Maturity is the difference between the Gerald Green who flamed out with the Celtics a few years ago and the player who just returned to the league with the Nets, observes Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald.

Stein On Lakers, Raptors, Marion, Hickson, Kaman

March 2nd, 2012 at 1:18pm CST by Luke Adams

It's Friday afternoon, which means another installment of Marc Stein's Weekend Dime at ESPN.com. In addition to writing about the 50th anniversary of Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game, Stein shares a few trade rumors. Let's check them out….

If the Lakers were to acquire Kirk Hinrich or Leandro Barbosa, they would want the Hawks or Raptors, respectively, to take on salary. However, neither Atlanta or Toronto is interested in doing so. The Lakers would have to use their $8.9MM trade exception and accept the luxury-tax consequences if they were to deal for either player.
The Raptors are also unwilling to take on salary in a deal for Jose Calderon.
The Mavericks aren't currently shopping Shawn Marion, and don't intend to start clearing out the necessary cap space to make a run at top free agents until after the season. One source told Stein there's "no chance" the Mavs trade Marion this month, even though there may be potential suitors.
J.J. Hickson is being aggressively shopped by the Kings.
The Hornets have been telling teams that Chris Kaman won't be bought out after March 15th if the club can't find a trade partner. Since New Orleans is still owned by the league, that may not be an idle threat. A number of teams, including the Heat, are hoping Kaman is bought out, since they don't have the trade assets necessary to acquire the big center.

Pacific Notes: Nash, Hinrich, Arenas

February 29th, 2012 at 7:40pm CST by Chuck Myron

The tightest divisional race in the NBA is in the Pacific, where the Clippers lead the Lakers by a single game. As packed together as the Western Conference is, that single game would represent the difference between the third seed and the sixth seed if the playoffs began today. Here's what's happening in the far west:

Steve Nash and Lamar Odom could be trading places, tweets Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The move would get the slumping Odom closer to his beloved L.A. beaches and reunite Nash with his old friend Dirk Nowitzki. The rumor comes as the Suns and Nash continue to dance around the issue of a trade, as both player and team are not interested in a deal unless the other asks first. The Mavs would have to throw a little extra into the deal to make the salaries match up under cap rules.
The Lakers have inquired about Hawks guard Kirk Hinrich, according to a tweet from Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Hinrich is averaging career lows across the board, including his 19.9 MPG, after missing the first month of the season with a left shoulder injury. At 31, though, he's still probably closer to his prime than either Steve Blake, 32, or Derek Fisher, 37, the Lakers' pair of veteran point guards.
Rumors of Gilbert Arenas joining the Lakers have slowed down of late, and that's because he wants to make sure he's in top condition first, tweets Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. Arenas doesn't want to ruin what could be his last chance in the NBA, Kyler says.
The city of Sacramento will contribute $255.53MM to the new arena, the total cost of which has been bumped up to $391MM, according to details of the deal reached Monday, write Tony Bizjak, Ryan Lillis and Dale Kasler of The Sacramento Bee. The city council will vote to approve the terms of the plan agreed to by city officials, the Kings, the NBA and several private companies.
Brian Kamenetzky of ESPN Los Angeles says the report that the Lakers turned down an offer of Michael Beasley because of tax concerns demonstrates how the team will be limited like never before under the new collective bargaining agreement.