Trade Candidate

Trade Candidate: Beno Udrih

February 11th, 2012 at 10:56pm CST by Ryan Raroque

On a March evening at the Staples Center in 2008, the Sacramento Kings could breathe easy knowing that they had just survived a last-second game winning attempt by Kobe Bryant and the powerhouse Los Angeles Lakers. The struggling Kings escaped with a 114-113 win after two game winning free throws by Beno Udrih, the game's unsung hero who capped off his 44 minute night with 25 points, 10 assists, and a solid 6-for-6 performance from the free throw line. That win would be one of Sacramento's best of the season, and one of many excellent performances that would convince the Kings to give the Yugoslavian point guard a five-year, $32.3MM extension during that upcoming summer.

Today, Udrih finds himself as a backup in Milwaukee behind Brandon Jennings following a trade on draft night last year. After four consecutive seasons of averaging above 30 minutes per game (including a career high 34.1 minutes per game with the Kings last year), Beno has been relegated to Scott Skiles' bench and has averaged only 16.6 minutes per game this season. In his latest appearance, he tallied five points and three assists in only nine minutes.

It is no secret that his unhappiness is brewing, and Udrih recently vented his concerns a few days ago to Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times: "It's been frustrating; I'm not going to lie. Everybody that knows basketball a little bit knows it's tough coming from 34 minutes to 15 minutes."

The 6'3" guard makes $7.2MM this year and will be able to opt out of his contract this summer to enter free agency, but would be walking away from a guaranteed $7.8MM next year to do so. With very little playing time and sparse opportunities to prove his worth right now, it is not likely that other teams will offer a better annual salary next year.

In years past, Beno has shown that he can be productive with significant minutes. Just one season ago, he averaged nearly 14 PPG, 5 APG, and shot an excellent 50% from the field with 10 attempts per game. In the penultimate game of last season against the Thunder, the former Sacramento King delivered 21 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 steals in his matchup with Russell Westbrook. With a few solid performances this season in limited action (6 points and 7 assists in 15 minutes against the Rockets, 4 points and 7 assists in 16 minutes against the Lakers), there is reason to believe that he can return to old form on a team willing to give him consistent and significant playing time.

Should the Lakers fail in their apparent pursuit of Cavaliers point guard Ramon Sessions and/or unsuccesfully attempt to use their $8.9MM trade exception in another deal, focusing their attention toward acquiring Beno Udrih might certainly be a chance worth taking. Nearly four years after one of his best performances as an NBA player, the 29-year-old point guard may find a home with the team that he earned his stripes against that night. On the same token, with an aging Derek Fisher and Steve Blake struggling to find his shot, the Lakers could welcome a change at point guard with open arms.

Trade Candidate: Chris Kaman

February 11th, 2012 at 11:54am CST by Zachary Links

It has been a strange year for Hornets center Chris Kaman. The club seemed set on moving the big man in late January and excused him from team activities as General Manager Dell Demps combed the league for a trade. To his surprise, finding a quality haul for the one-time All-Star proved to be difficult. After a little more than a week, the Hornets brought Kaman back from hiatus and reportedly shut down trade talks.

However, as we've heard all week, New Orleans still hopes to find a suitor for Kaman and will showcase him in order to drum up interest. The Pacers and Rockets have been linked to the 29-year-old and appear to have the most interest.

Houston seems like a solid fit for Kaman as they would like to add more size to their lineup. Trouble is, the young pieces that they would be willing to part with aren't terribly exciting. Former top eight picks in the 2009 draft Hasheem Thabeet and Jordan Hill would give the Hornets flexibility with expiring contracts but are still extremely raw. Guard Jonny Flynn could also be in play but the Syracuse product hasn't looked like the same player since undergoing hip surgery prior to last season.

Demps & Co. are said to be looking for one solid young player or a quality draft pick for Kaman but his $14MM salary (though expiring) makes finding such a deal difficult. The Hornets also want to avoid taking back cumbersome deals that extend beyond 2011/12.

Will the Hornets find the deal that they're in search of? That's likely up to Kaman himself. The center saw action in two games since returning to the team before sitting out last night's loss to the Blazers with a tweaked ankle. For the Hornets to land a first-round pick or a talent with upside, Kaman has to show that he's ready to regain some of his 2009/10 form.

One team to keep an eye on is the Cavs, who have three extra future first-round picks and a lack of depth at the center position behind Anderson Varejao, who suffered a wrist injury on Friday. Antawn Jamison's expiring $15MM contract would make the numbers work, but the 35-year-old has looked especially sharp as of late.

If he can produce and stay healthy, the Hornets might be able to finagle an expiring contract and first-round pick from a center-starved team. If he can't, New Orleans just might opt to hang on to Kaman and put that extra cap room to use over the summer.

Trade Candidate: Stephen Jackson

February 10th, 2012 at 5:48pm CST by Chuck Myron

It's been a rough few weeks for the Bucks, who've lost Andrew Bogut for most of the season with a broken ankle and now must deal with doubt surrounding Brandon Jennings' future plans. Plus, there's been debate about whether Stephen Jackson has or hasn't demanded a trade. For the record, Bucks GM John Hammond is declining comment on the issue. Suffice it to say, with Jackson's playing time in flux, there's plenty to suggest Captain Jack will soon be shipping out of Wisconsin.

Jackson, for the moment, seems to have found his way back into the Bucks rotation after Scott Skiles elected not to play him in four out of five games. That doesn't include the one-game suspension he received after missing the team bus. He admitted frustration with his lack of playing time, which isn't uncharacteristic. His tenure in Milwaukee seemed destined for trouble from the start, when the Bucks acquired Jackson from the Bobcats at the draft last year. Jackson said the trade took him by surprise, and insisted the Bucks extend his contract before tamping down his rhetoric.

Jackson is not the most attractive asset for the Bucks to dangle at this point in his career. He turns 34 in April, and his 12.4 PPG is his lowest since 2002/03, when he was a part-time starter for a title-winning Spurs team. That's due in part to his decreased playing time, but his rate of points per 36 minutes (14.5) is way down, too. His contract, which pays him $9,256,500 this year and $10,059,750 next season, makes him that much more difficult for the Bucks to unload. It's that long-ago experience with the Spurs, in addition to leadership roles on surprising playoff teams in Golden State and Charlotte, that may convince GMs he's worth still worth taking on.

Dwight Howard has apparently indicated he'd like to have Jackson as a teammate, so that could point to interest from the Magic, who sought Jackson on draft night before the Bucks got him. That means the Nets, Mavericks, Lakers and any other team that's in on the D12 sweepstakes could be after Jackson as well. The Nets, who say they don't want to sign anyone else this year, haven't closed the door on trading for another player, and with recent signee Keith Bogans done for the year, there's an opening for a swingman that Jackson could fill.

The Bulls, who haven't been mentioned in Jackson rumors but are one of the teams linked to Howard, present an intriguing scenario. Jackson could provide insurance if Luol Deng's wrist doesn't hold up and/or Richard Hamilton fails to round into shape. Jackson's contract would mean the Bulls would have to part with some of their depth and young assets, but if they're concerned about having a second scoring option after Derrick Rose and want to woo Howard, they may bite.

Trade Candidate: Ramon Sessions

February 2nd, 2012 at 2:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Following a 2010/11 campaign that saw him set career highs in FG% (.466) and PPG (13.3), among other categories, Ramon Sessions finds himself back in a familiar situation this season. Two years removed from playing behind lottery pick Jonny Flynn in Minnesota, Sessions has been relegated to backup point guard duty behind first overall pick Kyrie Irving in Cleveland.

With Irving clearly the point guard of the future for the Cavaliers, and Sessions playing in what could be the final year of his contract (he holds a $4.55MM player option for next season), it was only a matter of time before the 25-year-old's name surfaced in trade rumors. The Lakers and Knicks have been linked to Sessions so far, with reports suggesting the Cavs are fielding plenty of other calls about the point guard's availability.

The Cavs haven't indicated they want to move Sessions, and there's no guarantee they'll become sellers if they're in contention for the playoffs. But let's assume they're listening to offers. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reported that Cleveland is interested in stockpiling draft picks in any deals, and I assume cap room is a concern as well. If that's the case, the Lakers make more sense as a trade partner than the Knicks. Without sending any salary back to Cleveland, Los Angeles could easily absorb Sessions' $4.26MM salary using part of the $8.9MM trade exception it acquired in the Lamar Odom deal. Other teams that could use a trade exception on Sessions include the Jazz, Nuggets, Magic, and Mavericks, but none of those clubs have as great a need as the Lakers.

The Lakers currently hold two first-round picks in this year's draft, having acquired the Mavericks' first-rounder in the Odom trade. I think it's unlikely they'd want to move either pick for Sessions, given the strength of this year's draft class. Perhaps holding two first-rounders this year would make them more willing to give up a future selection, though that could limit their trade flexibility going forward.

Given the injuries and general lack of production at their point guard spot this year, the Lakers will likely explore a wide range of trade options before March 15th. They could choose to use their trade exception and draft picks on a larger deal, but acquiring Sessions would make a lot of sense. I could see both sides eventually agreeing to a trade that sends Sessions from Cleveland to L.A. in exchange for a protected first-rounder.

Trade Candidate: Anthony Morrow

January 31st, 2012 at 11:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Yesterday, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld wrote that the Nets wouldn't mind clearing some future cap room by moving Anthony Morrow or Jordan Farmar before the trade deadline. Both guards should draw interest from clubs, but the sharp-shooting Morrow would bring in the greater haul of the two.

While Morrow's defense is less-than-stellar, the 26-year-old has shown the ability to ignite an offense with his perimeter play. Morrow has cracked the top ten in three-point field goal percentage in each of his three NBA seasons.

Roughly one-third of the way through this year's 66-game season, the Nets already appear to be looking beyond 2012. New Jersey has just over $34MM committed in 2012/13 salaries but would like to give themselves as much flexibility as possible as they look ahead. Morrow will earn $4MM next season to close out the three-year pact he inked with the Nets in the summer of 2010.

General Manager Billy King & Co. talked with the Grizzlies earlier this month about trading Morrow and a draft pick in exchange for O.J. Mayo, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports tweeted. Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal later reported that the Nets also offered a package of Farmar, a draft pick, and cash considerations for Mayo. For the Nets, the motivation for either deal would be to unload 2012/13 salary by taking on Mayo's expiring $5.6MM contract.

If they do not receive a two-guard in return, moving Morrow would leave the Nets remarkably thin at the position as rookie MarShon Brooks is sidelined indefinitely with a fractured pinky toe. However, if the Nets are truly looking beyond this campaign, it's a sacrifice that they might be willing to make. Contenders and non-contenders alike can be expected to inquire on Morrow in the coming weeks and he can be had at a great value for a club willing to part with an expiring contract.