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Ganter On Howard, Smith, Rondo

March 9th, 2012 at 8:34pm CST by Chuck Myron

Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun conducted an in-house interview of fellow writer Mike Ganter, who held forth on a number of trade-related topics. (Video link) Here's what Ganter is hearing as the deadline draws near:

  • Ganter believes there's no way the Magic can get fair value for Dwight Howard, and predicts they'll hold on to the big man at the deadline.
  • Josh Smith tops the list of stars likely to be dealt. Smith has wanted out of Atlanta for a while, and is irked the Hawks didn't do more to promote his case to make the All-Star team this year.
  • What the Nuggets got in the Carmelo Anthony was a "once in a lifetime" haul, and teams shouldn't expect to approach that as they look to unload superstars.
  • The Celtics may break up their team, but don't expect Rajon Rondo to be going anywhere.

 

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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.
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Stein’s Latest: Howard, Turkoglu, Pacers, Kaman

March 9th, 2012 at 2:13pm CST by Luke Adams

This week's installment of Marc Stein's Weekend Dime is up at ESPN.com, so let's dive in and check out Stein's latest rumors….

  • Amidst talk of a quiet trade deadline, Stein says similar pessimism has preceded flurries of deals in the past. However, there's a league-wide expectation that Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, and Rajon Rondo will stay put.
  • The Magic continue to pursue non-Howard deals, bringing up Hedo Turkoglu's name frequently. One front office source tells Stein that a team would have to received at least two future first-round picks to take on Turkoglu's contract.
  • Meanwhile, a Western Conference exec says he doesn't expect Orlando to even consider shopping Howard until deadline day. While that may seem a little too last-minute, the Magic are already aware of most of their trade options, meaning a deal could be worked out quickly, a source tells Stein.
  • Teams around the league seem to be valuing first-round picks more than ever, particularly 2012 selections, since this year's draft class is expected to be a deep one. A club with cap space like the Pacers could acquire players without sending out any salaries, but Indiana is extremely reluctant to part with its future first-rounders in any such deal.
  • It still appears that David Stern and the NBA-owned Hornets have no interest in buying out Chris Kaman's contract if the big man isn't traded. If Kaman was bought out and signed with a team like the Heat, he could impact the NBA Finals and further deplete the Chris Paul haul for the Hornets, neither of which would look great for the league.
  • There has been speculation that the Mavericks could be interested in Kaman in a deal involving Lamar Odom, but Stein says not to expect such a move, noting that Mark Cuban is committed to riding out the season with Odom.
  • As I speculated earlier, the Wizards are considering moving JaVale McGee on the condition that Andray Blatche is included in the deal as well. While both players have a ton of upside, the pair wouldn't exactly improve any team's chemistry.
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Ford On Rondo, Smith, Kaman, Wallace, Nash

March 8th, 2012 at 12:20pm CST by Luke Adams

While a number of NBA executives are anticipating a quiet trade deadline, the conversations ESPN.com's Chad Ford has had still lead him to believe that significant deals will be made. In an Insider-only piece, Ford listed ten impact players who could be moved, from the most likely (Rajon Rondo) to the least likely (Steve Nash). Here are the highlights from Ford's column:

  • Even though the Celtics insist they won't trade Rondo, that isn't consistent with what rival GMs are saying after talking to GM Danny Ainge. Ford thinks Ainge would move Rondo if he could get two solid pieces in return.
  • The Hawks have been exploring potential Josh Smith deals "for years" and would be interested in an offer that nets them a legit point guard and a decent forward.
  • Chris Kaman has drawn "a lot of interest" from the Warriors, Rockets, and Heat.
  • The Blazers appear more open to trading Gerald Wallace now than they were at the start of the season. Ford thinks the Magic could make a big push for the 29-year-old forward.
  • If the Magic hang onto Dwight Howard, the Nets will stay the course with Deron Williams, but a Howard trade anywhere besides New Jersey could force the Nets to explore trade options for Williams.
  • Ford says it doesn't make much sense for the Suns and Steve Nash not to consider a trade, since Phoenix could end up losing Nash for nothing at season's end anyway.
  • Monta Ellis, Pau Gasol, and Eric Gordon also cracked Ford's list.
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Odds & Ends: Rondo, Lewis, Heat, Varejao

March 7th, 2012 at 4:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics look to catch the 76ers in the Atlantic standings, and the Bobcats aim for their first winning streak of the season in tonight's slate of games. But before the evening action gets underway, let's round up the latest odds and ends from around the NBA:

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Odds & Ends: Rondo, Rockets, Blazers, Mavericks

March 4th, 2012 at 6:15pm CST by Ryan Raroque
After an overtime thriller between New York and Boston and the Heat being held to its second-lowest point total all season against the Lakers, here are some of the topics floating around the league. 
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Cavs Notes: Free Agency, Irving

March 3rd, 2012 at 10:59pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes surrounding the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday:

  • Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain Dealer says in a mailbag that it's too early to begin worrying about Kyrie Irving leaving the Cavaliers, saying that if the team surrounds him with the right pieces, there's a good chance he'll stay.
  • Reed also believes that Ramon Sessions will be traded before the deadline, but that the Celtics' Rajon Rondo will not.
  • Reed does not see the Cavs being in the mix for Wilson Chandler this summer if he hits restricted free agency.
  • In another article, Reed examines the Cavs' upcoming cap flexibility, suggesting that Dan Gilbert may take a more conservative approach to free agency than in 2005, the last time the team had significant cap space.
  • Reed also notes (via Twitter) tha Irving is close to making a decision as to whether or not to play for the Australian national team at the Summer Olympics in London.
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Amick On Dwight, Celtics, Crawford

March 3rd, 2012 at 7:57pm CST by Sean Highkin

SI.com's Sam Amick has a roundup of the latest crop of NBA trade rumors, touching on a variety of topics. Here are the highlights:

  • There is a distinct possibility that the Magic will opt not to trade Dwight Howard, either because they don't like the offers out there or because they believe they can convince the superstar center to stay.
  • Nets GM Billy King believes it will be easier to land Howard through trade than via free agency, because of the difference in money the team will be able to offer.
  • The Warriors are still said to be interested in trading for Howard, even as a rental, and convincing him to stick around.
  • Ray Allen is more likely to be moved by March 15 than Rajon Rondo, but a deal with the Clippers is unlikely. The Celtics are asking for young talent and picks, which is more than most teams are likely to want to give up for the 36-year-old Allen.
  • Amick suggests Jamal Crawford as a trade possibility for the Clippers or any other team looking for help at the shooting guard position. He believes Crawford may be available because of the Blazers' struggles and his dissatisfaction with Nate McMillan playing him at point guard.
  • The Lakers continue to monitor Michael Beasley and Ramon Sessions, and the future of Pau Gasol is still uncertain.
  • It is possible that Wilson Chandler will spend the rest of the season overseas rather than re-sign with the Nuggets, and instead test free agency this summer.
  • The market is still slow for Gilbert Arenas, who is working out in Orlando in hopes that a team will sign him.
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Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Turner, Dolan

March 2nd, 2012 at 5:53pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Sixers continue to control the Atlantic Division, and Jeremy Lin is still amazing Knicks fans, but most of the talk around the division this week has centered around the Celtics and what they'll do with Rajon Rondo their aging "big three." Here's more on them as well as the other playoff contenders on the Eastern seaboard.

  • The Hawks have had exploratory talks with the Celtics about Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The Hawks are reluctant to move Josh Smith for an expiring deal, so that precludes swapping him for Allen or Garnett. The Celtics wouldn't want to flip either of them for the likes of Marvin Williams, and unless they get quality players with favorable contracts in return, they're inclined to hang on to them for the rest of the season. (All Twitter links)
  • Wojnarowski also appeared on the Dennis & Callahan show on WEEI radio today, and told the hosts he doesn't see the Celtics trading Rondo. He said the team has been reaching out to other teams to assess his value on the trade market, but not actively shopping him. The Celtics view his contract, which has approximately $35.86MM spread over three years after this season, as favorable, and would only trade him for a major star.
  • There's no truth to the idea that agent David Falk is pressuring Sixers coach Doug Collins to give client Evan Turner, the second pick in the 2010 draft, more playing time, writes John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Turner has averaged 23.7 MPG in 35 games this year, all of them off the bench.
  • The emergence of Jeremy Lin and hot second-unit play for the Knicks vindicate James Dolan for pushing hard to trade for Carmelo Anthony last year, observes Moke Hamilton on Sheridan Hoops.

 

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Celtics Rumors: Josh Smith, Garnett, Rondo

March 2nd, 2012 at 9:38am CST by Luke Adams

Keyon Dooling tells Jessica Camerato of CSNNE.com that "switching teams is like switching clothes," and that trades can be a good thing, since you get to "live all across our beautiful country." Dooling's words of wisdom could be relevant for some of his teammates within the next couple weeks. Let's dive in to the latest Celtics-related rumors….

  • Celtics GM Danny Ainge is pursuing Josh Smith and "other young studs," according to Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. Lawrence says that Ainge is offering up Kevin Garnett, and that Ray Allen and Paul Pierce could also be had for young talent and draft picks. As intriguing as Garnett's huge expiring contract is, I can't picture the Hawks parting with Smith and another player (for salary purposes) to rent KG for two months.
  • While teams are calling on Rajon Rondo, the Celtics haven't been overly receptive, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com. Given Rondo's talent, age, and contract, Boston would want a franchise player for him, says Mannix (Twitter link).
  • Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe echoes Mannix's sentiment, writing that the Celtics shouldn't and won't trade Rondo for a player like Pau Gasol or Stephen Curry, who wouldn't necessarily advance the rebuilding process.
  • Sources tell Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald that deals for Gasol or Curry weren't discussed, but that the Celtics would trade Rondo if it meant getting a top-five point guard in return, which I assume goes without saying.
  • Another source to Murphy: "They’re desperate to (trade Rondo). He’s the only real asset they have. The other guys, the Big Three, aren’t assets at this point…. All I know right now is that if Ainge is calling me right now, I have him over a barrel." With respect to Murphy's source, I have to disagree on the values of Garnett, Pierce, and Allen, who I think plenty of contenders would love to have.
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