Vince Carter for Arenas? Biedrins for Kenyon Martin? Pacers and OKC talking Maynor and picks? Favors back in favor w/Nets? Warriors shopping #6 and Ellis? Fernandez to Raptors? Parker unsure he’ll be Spur? Jefferson for Randolph dead? Jefferson for Prince? Miami trades #18 to OKC. Kings want Cousins, Warriors Monroe, Pistons Davis? Wes Johnson/Boozer a packaged deal to Nets? CDR to Bucks for future 2nd. TWolves making many calls? Brackins in demand? Can Pacers get out of neutral?
http://twitter.com/DraftExpress
Hearing some chatter from a trusted NBA source about a potential Gilbert Arenas for Vince Carter trade in the works. Wonder how real it is.
Also heard that GS has a trade offer on the table to move Gadzuric and Biedrins to Denver for Kenyon Martin. Can’t be done till August 22nd.
http://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA
Thunder holding serious talks with Pacers to trade Eric Maynor, 18th and 21st picks for Indy’s 10th pick, sources tell Y!
http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/17022/wednesday-night-draft-chatter
I’ve been working the phones all day and here’s the latest chatter around the league
* It’s time to end all of the Chris Paul speculation that grew like wildfire over the past few days. The Hornets did receive a few calls about Paul, but a very good source in New Orleans tells me they aren’t trading him. Owner George Shinn may want to save cash, but he can’t part with with his franchise cornerstone.
* Georgia Tech big man Derrick Favors is back in favor in New Jersey. A league source told me on Wednesday night that after 24 hours of debate, it looks like Favors has re-emerged as the favorite to go No. 3. After a so-so Favors workout on Monday, the Nets began to move toward Syracuse forward Wes Johnson. But with the draft now less than 24 hours away, Favors has re-emerged as the favorite. The news squashes the prevailing theory around the league that drafting Johnson was a precursor to the Nets signing free agent forward Carlos Boozer this summer. Both Johnson and Boozer are represented by the same agent, Rob Pelinka. The source stressed that the decision wasn’t a final one and that the Nets were also exploring potential trade options with the No. 3 pick. But if the draft were held tonight, Favors would be the pick.
* I’m not sure if Minnesota will greet the news with joy or relief. They focused in on Johnson early but got comfortable with the idea of taking Favors at 4 over the course of the last 24 hours. The Wolves continue to look for an Al Jefferson deal after being rebuffed by Detroit over the weekend (Wolves offered Jefferson for Tayshaun Prince and No. 7) and the Grizzlies (for Zach Randolph) earlier in the day.
* The Kings, as we’ve been reporting all week, are still leaning toward taking DeMarcus Cousins at No. 5 if both Favors and Wes Johnson are off the board. A team source disputes a report that the Kings have made up their mind, but as we told you last night, the consensus remains with Cousins.
* The Warriors are talking to a number of teams about potential trades and it looks like the No. 6 pick in the draft is up for grabs. The cost, however is high. The Warriors want whoever takes the pick to take on the contract of Monta Ellis as part of the deal. If the Warriors keep the pick, they’re deciding between Greg Monroe and Ekpe Udoh. My source continues to say that Udoh has the edge.
* The Pistons have been exploring a number of deals, but at this point they seem pretty set at No. 7. Of course they would to land Demarcus Cousins. But the Pistons seem content to take Greg Monroe or Ed Davis here. While the team is high on both Monroe, Davis and Ekpe Udoh, Detroit is still leaning toward Greg Monroe here if he’s on the board.
* The Raptors have had serious talks today with the Portland TrailBlazers about a deal that would send the 22nd pick and Rudy Fernandez to Toronto for the 13th pick. The Blazers have been very aggressive about getting up into the lottery, but have been reluctant to part with both Fernandez and the 22nd pick to do it.
* The Heat traded the 18th pick and Daequan Cook to Oklahoma City for the 32nd pick. The move for Miami adds around $3 million in room next year to pursue their strategy of landing two big time free agents to add alongside Dwyane Wade The Thunder are still trying to package picks to move up in the draft and can now offer 18, 21 and 26 to get into the Top 10. If they stay at 18, look for them to consider Solomon Alabi, Daniel Orton and Avery Bradley at 18.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AoLoAAbBKvS8wfre6CbhLu.8vLYF?slug=ys-parkerspurs062310
Tony Parker has split the majority of his offseason between Los Angeles and New York. During the short time he spent in San Antonio, he kept hearing the same question:
Are you staying?
His response: I’m the wrong guy to ask.
More than a few rival team executives think the San Antonio Spurs are open to trading their point guard for the right deal. For now, Parker, who will be a free agent at the end of next season, doesn’t have many answers about his future.
“Everybody keeps telling me, ‘Don’t go, don’t leave,’ ” Parker told Yahoo! Sports on Wednesday while preparing to play in Steve Nash’s charity soccer game. “I’m like, ‘It’s not in my hands.’ I don’t decide. I have one more year on my contract, so we’ll see what happens. Obviously because I have one year on my contract I will be in all the rumors. That’s normal.
“Hopefully, I will stay in San Antonio. If not, it’s a business.”
Parker averaged 16 points and 5.7 assists last season while being limited to 56 games because of ankle and hand injuries. Second-year guard George Hill(notes) took over in Parker’s absence and started all but the last two playoff games.
Parker will make $13.5 million in the final year of his contract next season. He said he has not discussed a contract extension with the Spurs, but expects his agent Steve Heumann to talk to team officials in July.
Parker’s preference would be to re-sign with the Spurs and stay in San Antonio, which he considers his “home base.”
“I’m not nervous at all,” Parker said. “I’ve had great years in San Antonio, so we’ll see what happens. Whatever San Antonio does, I’ll understand. It’s a business.
“I wish I can stay in San Antonio, but it’s not in my hands.”
http://twitter.com/chadfordinsider
Jefferson for Randolph talks appear dead. Memphis is unwilling to part with their picks as part of a deal. Minn thinks they can do better
http://twitter.com/DraftExpress
Apparently Minnesota is offering 16+23+Al Jefferson to Detroit for 7+Tayshaun Prince+Chris Wilcox. Not sure Detroit goes for that…
Miami traded Daequan Cook and 18th pick for the #32 pick. Done deal. Miami gets even more cap space. I think Bucher, Woj also reported it.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AtDbkZAPCAr.B.gI8L6Rgni8vLYF?slug=ys-draftbuzz062310
The Sacramento Kings are planning to select Kentucky center DeMarcus Cousins with the fifth pick in the draft, sources with knowledge of the franchise’s plan told Yahoo! Sports.
The Kings have ultimately decided Cousins is just too talented to pass and believe they can provide the support system he’ll need in the NBA. Cousins is 6-foot-11, 285 pounds, and has a refined offensive game. Kings general manager Geoff Petrie and coach Paul Westphal are banking the organization can help Cousins improve his conditioning and maturity.
Cousins had a fantastic workout with the Kings, delivering the best shooting performance of their predraft process. He made 78 percent of his shots, including plenty of attempts from 15 to 17 feet. The Kings had considered Georgetown’s Greg Monroe, but don’t believe a drama-free personality outweighs far more upside at center.
The Kings, who just traded for Philadelphia 76ers center Samuel Dalembert, are counting on a frontline of Cousins and Jason Thompson to carry them through the next era.
The Kings expect Derrick Favors and Wesley Johnson will be gone before them, and so starts the dominos to set up the alignment of the draft lottery. The New Jersey Nets have Minnesota spinning now, unsure whether GM Rod Thorn’s interest with drafting Johnson over Favors is genuine or designed to be a rouse to elicit a draft pick out of the Timberwolves. The Wolves have long wanted Johnson, but if he’s gone, they would take Favors, the power forward out of Georgia Tech.
For New Jersey to let Minnesota have Johnson, league sources say the Nets want Minnesota’s pick at No. 23.
The Golden State Warriors will draft Monroe with the sixth pick, and sources say the Detroit Pistons have settled on North Carolina’s Ed Davis with the seventh choice.
http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/16962/boozerwesley-johnson-package-deal-to-nets
Increasingly loud hints that the New Jersey Nets intend to select Syracuse small forward Wesley Johnson with the third overall pick were initially dismissed as a potential smokescreen New Jersey orchestrated to convince Minnesota — which likes Johnson at No. 4 — to surrender an asset to the Nets for the right to trade up to No. 3.
Not so any longer.
A new theory circulating pegs Johnson as one of the first dominos in the free-agent frenzy that will officially commence July 1.
Multiple teams have passed along their belief to ESPN.com that the Nets have serious interest in Johnson at No. 3 largely because they believe it will help them land Utah’s Carlos Boozer in free agency.
New Jersey’s main position of emphasis once the free-agent market opens July 1 is power forward, with the Nets possessing an estimated $27 million in salary-cap space and with Brook Lopez and Devin Harris entrenched at center and point guard.
The connection between Johnson and Boozer? They’re both represented by the same agent: Rob Pelinka.
The selection of Johnson would be a strong tip-off, sources say, that New Jersey will be chasing Boozer hardest when free agency commences, ahead of potential targets such as Phoenix’s Amare Stoudemire.
ESPN.com’s Chad Ford indeed has New Jersey selecting Johnson with the third overall pick in his latest mock draft.
http://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA
Nets have agreed in principle to send Chris Douglas-Roberts to Bucks for 2012 2nd-round pick, source says. Deal will be completed this week.
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=16541
The Minnesota Timberwolves have to officially be classified as crazy.
The Wolves have offered virtually every team in the league some kind of trade proposal, so at this point there could be as many as 29 trade combinations that drop.
The Wolves have offered almost everyone on their roster at some point this month and they have tried almost every angle imaginable to obtain another top 10 pick in this year’s draft.
Sources close to the Clippers say that Minnesota offered the #16 pick and Corey Brewer to the Clippers in exchange for the #8 pick, they have offered multiple player and pick packages to the Indiana Pacers for the #10, and last night league sources said the Timberwolves had at least agreed to the idea of swapping the #16 and Corey Brewer with the Toronto Raptors for the #13 and Hedo Turkoglu – a deal that couldn’t drop until July 1st because of cap reasons.
Raptors’ sources said last night it wasn’t happening as did Wolves sources, but it should illustrate how insane the process is becoming.
Hedo Turkoglu? Really?
The one thing crystal clear is Minnesota is chumming up the trade waters trying to make things happen and almost anything you hear connected to Minnesota could be just one of many attempts by the team to drum up something splashy.
There are some that believe Philadelphia would trade the #2 overall pick, if they got back two top ten level picks, hence why Minnesota is feverishly trying to make a move.
Word is the #16 and Corey Brewer have been shopped to a half-dozen teams, so just because Minnesota is linked to your team doesn’t mean a deal is anywhere close to happening, it just means your team happened to be one of the teams that took the phone call.
Yesterday when the Portland Trail Blazers ponied up $2 million and the #44 pick to move into the #34 spot in the second round, Blazer fans started talking about it as a move to get Iowa forward Craig Brackins.
The problem with that theory is that Brackins looks to be long gone by the time the #34 rolls around, as there is a belief he could go as high as #20 to the San Antonio Spurs or #21 to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Virtually every team with a pick in the twenties has expressed interest in Brackins, so the odds he doesn’t go first round are now pretty slim.
If the Portland Trail Blazers want Craig Brackins, as many insiders are saying they do, they may have to use their #22 pick on him and hope he slides to them, or try and move up.
Brackins joins an increasing list of proven players getting a lot of love down the stretch as NBA teams are coming to the harsh reality that several of the unproven freshmen in this class are not ready for prime time and teams in the mid-twenties, who were playoffs teams last season, are opting for proven talent rather than projects.
A number of NBA prospects initially projected in the twenties are going to slide into the 30′s as the playoff teams opt for guys they know can help them.
Brackins seems to be one of those guys. So if you want him, you better be ready to move up to grab him.
http://pacers.realgm.com/articles/194/20100622/an_opportunity_to_get_out_of_neutral/
The Indiana Pacers have been stuck in neutral for what seems like forever, but the time for change has finally arrived.
Those changes aren’t guaranteed to come over the next few weeks, but the pieces are in place for some significant movement heading into the 2010-11 season.
There are three things we know for sure heading into one of the busiest weeks on the NBA calendar:
1) The Pacers currently have the 10th pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft
2) They need a point guard
3) They have several players on expiring contracts that can become difference makers for contenders.
Every president and general manager spends a lot of time on the phone this time of year and Larry Bird and David Morway are certainly no different. They know they need to add a point guard and that they have a number of avenues in which to fill that void.
The first option would be to use the 10th pick to draft a point guard, but that might be the least likely of the scenarios. They could package the pick to move down and take someone like Eric Bledsoe or Avery Bradley, who could be had a handful of slots lower.
Another draft-related option would be to trade the 10th pick to a team with an extra point guard (i.e. Flynn, Jonny), although those Minnesota rumors appear to be more smoke than fire.
If the Pacers do keep the pick, they won’t necessarily draft for need. They need talent and will take the best player available rather than reach for a point guard.
The third alternative would be to use what little money the Pacers have available to sign a free agent point guard with their MLE. For the purposes of this piece, we aren’t going to give that much consideration.
Four bulky contracts will come off the books a little over a year from now, which gives the Pacers the option to wait for copious amounts of cap space or move those contracts for help that may not be available on the market next July.
Troy Murphy ($11,970,000), Mike Dunleavy (10,560,000), T.J. Ford ($8,500,000) and Jeff Foster ($6,660,000) represent nearly $38 million in contracts that will vanish in the summer of 2011.
I’ve said this before when analyzing the Pacers over the next few seasons — but I’ll say it again — they’d be smart to use some of those contracts to swing trades now and in February. The free agent class of 2011 isn’t as plentiful as the one this summer, they’ll have competition from other teams with space as well and I’m not sure many players put Indiana as their most favored destination.
Bird and Morway appear open to taking on contracts for the 10-11 season, but they aren’t going to go over the luxury tax. That doesn’t leave much wiggle room though, as they are right at the projected tax line of $65 million for 2010-11.
Murphy is easily the most valuable piece the Pacers can offer. Foster is still coveted on the trade market, but his age and injury woes have damped whatever value he otherwise would have. It will be difficult to sell teams on Dunleavy and Ford on their own, especially given the size of their respective contracts.
Aside from Danny Granger and possibly Roy Hibbert, I don’t think you can consider anyone untouchable in a reasonable trade.
The likelihood of the Pacers landing someone like Mo Williams, Jonny Flynn or Al efferson this week is relatively low, but a host of names are going to be mentioned, considered and discussed in the next 48 hours.
The flexibility to make changes has arrived, but can the Pacers complete them?
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