HOOPSWORLD | Basketball News & NBA Rumors

As first reported by HOOPSWORLD in early February (click here), the Phoenix Suns are pursuing Josh Smith and seem to be leading the sweepstakes to acquire the Atlanta Hawks forward.

The Suns would be sending Marcin Gortat, Jared Dudley and a first-round pick to the Hawks, as HOOPSWORLD reported.

Here’s what Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times had to say:

Suns, some NBA officials contend, are top cinders for Smith. Gortat, Dudley and 1st rounder being discussed.

February 20, 2013 9:35 pm via txtReplyRetweetFavorite

@GeryWoelfel

Gery Woelfel

However, here’s what Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports had to say:

Suns are not expected to participate in any major deals, sources said.

February 20, 2013 10:05 pm via Twitter for BlackBerry®ReplyRetweetFavorite

@SpearsNBAYahoo

Marc J. Spears

The Houston Rockets have acquired Thomas Robinson, Francisco Garcia and Tyler Honeycutt and have sent Patrick Patterson, Cole Aldrich and Toney Douglas to the Sacramento Kings.

The Rockets have been searching for a low-post presence and they believe that Robinson has excellent upside. Robinson is in his rookie year, having only played 51 games after being selected fifth overall in the 2012 NBA Draft. Rockets general manager Daryl Morey and Rockets head coach Kevin McHale had said that the team wasn’t going to make a trade, but the team couldn’t pass up this opportunity. This is now the sixth year in a row that Morey has made a trade at the deadline.

The Kings bring in Patterson, who is older and more experienced than Robinson, but doesn’t seem to have the same upside. Here is the final deal, according to Sam Amick of USA TODAY Sports.

Kings send T. Robinson, F. Garcia, T. Honeycutt to Houston for Toney Douglas, Cole Aldrich, Patrick Patterson & cash, USAT has learned.

February 20, 2013 9:03 pm via TweetDeckReplyRetweetFavorite

@sam_amick

Sam Amick

In a separate deal, the Rockets sent Marcus Morris to the Phoenix Suns for a future second-round pick. That means twins Marcus and Markieff Morris have been reunited in Phoenix.

Keep it locked on HOOPSWORLD’s Trade Deadline Diary for more trade deadline coverage.

The Washington Wizards have been very active in recent days. The Wizards would love to make a blockbuster trade, but they don’t want to part ways with their three most attractive trade chips – John Wall, Bradley Beal or Nene. The Wizards have expressed interest in Josh Smith and offered the Atlanta Hawks any combination of players outside of Wall, Beal and Nene (in the hope that they could add Smith to the core and he would sign a long-term deal). However, the Hawks weren’t interested.

While the Wizards are working the phones, it’s unlikely that they’ll be able to pull off a big move without parting ways with Wall, Beal or Nene. However, it is possible that the team completes a more realistic trade in which they part ways with Jordan Crawford and a draft pick.

— Alex Kennedy

It sounds like we have our first trade. The Houston Rockets are close to trading Marcus Morris. The 23-year-old is inactive for tonight’s game and when Rockets head coach Kevin McHale was asked why, he responded, “Talk to Daryl [Morey].”

Earlier in the day, McHale had told reporters that the Rockets weren’t going to make a move. Morey had also said that it was unlikely that the Rockets would complete a deal because they wanted some stability. However, it appears Morey couldn’t resist the urge to pull the trigger on a deadline deal for the sixth year in a row.

Houston has a logjam of forwards and this deal may be to solve that problem. Houston may acquire a draft pick, as there were reports earlier in the day that the Rockets might trade Terrence Jones for a pick.

We’ll keep you updated as more information emerges.

UPDATE: Marcus Morris has been traded to the Phoenix Suns for a future second-round pick, according to Yahoo! Sports.

The Houston Rockets have traded Marcus Morris to the Phoenix Suns for a future second-round draft pick, league sources tell Y! Sports.

February 20, 2013 8:55 pm via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@WojYahooNBA

Adrian Wojnarowski

— Alex Kennedy

By now many NBA fans are mulling over Adrian Wojnarowski’s report on Yahoo! Sports that the Boston Celtics are entertaining a deal that would send Paul Pierce to the Brookyn Nets in exchange for Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks and a first-round pick.

The Celtics are reportedly also interested in Mirza Teletovic and another first-round pick, which would be a steep price for the Nets to pay.

However, a person with knowledge of the Nets’ thinking told HOOPSWORLD, “I wouldn’t read much into it.”

That should come as some relief to the throngs of Celtics fans who nearly stormed Danny Ainge’s office upon hearing the report. Most NBA fans don’t hold Humphries or Brooks in high regard, but the trade did make sense on one level:

The Celtics have more money invested in Jeff Green than Paul Pierce at this point, and Green doesn’t get the opportunities on offense because Pierce is still around. For the Celtics to move forward (they’re not winning a title this year) they’ll need to give Green a chance to be a real factor on offense, not just defense.

Furthermore, if the Celtics hope to trade Kevin Garnett, who has a no-trade clause, they’ll need to move Pierce first. Garnett has too much loyalty to Pierce to leave his friend behind.

— Alex Raskin

The Los Angeles Clippers do not expect to make any deals before Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, coach Vinny Del Negro said Wednesday.

“We feel good with our team right now,” Del Negro said. “Nothing’s changed from that aspect. Nothing has been presented to any of us that makes sense to do anything different right now. We’re always available and always looking to make our team as strong as possible, but right now we feel comfortable with our team.”

Del Negro said he has been in constant communication with Clippers vice president of basketball operations Gary Sacks, and the team is not seriously pursuing any trades at the moment.

“We talk every day,” Del Negro said of Sacks. “There hasn’t been anything where either one of us has said that makes sense. We’re just sitting back and we’re happy with our team. We’re always looking to improve, there’s no question about that, but there’s been nothing that Gary has brought me that I feel or he feels comfortable doing at all and there really hasn’t been anything.”

via Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com

The Los Angeles Lakers may not make a blockbuster trade before tomorrow’s deadline, but they are keeping an eye on several role players around the league. One such player is Raja Bell of the Utah Jazz.

Bell is under contract with the Jazz, but he hasn’t been with the team all season. Over the offseason, Bell was highly critical of Jazz head coach Tyrone Corbin, which upset many people within the organization. Prior to training camp, Bell was told to stay away from the team. The two sides tried to negotiate a buyout earlier in the season, but could not reach an agreement.

The Lakers are monitoring the Bell situation because they believe he could be a significant contributor in L.A. Bell would provide perimeter defense, toughness and experience. Last season, the 36-year-old started 33 games and averaged 6.4 points for the Jazz.

Lakers head coach Mike D’Antoni is very familiar with Bell since he coached him for three years on the Phoenix Suns. Bell also has a good relationship with Lakers point guard Steve Nash, since they started alongside each other in Phoenix. Sources close to the situation say that Kobe Bryant has also pushed for the Lakers to acquire Bell. Even though Bryant and Bell have had their differences (and clotheslines) in the past, sources say Bryant respects Bell and sees that he can help the team.

Bell is currently working out in Fort Lauderdale and he has made it clear that he wants to play this season. Sources close to Bell say that he would love for the Lakers to acquire him through trade or after a buyout. Read more in today’s NBA PM (click here).

— Alex Kennedy

This is the time of year when the Dallas Mavericks traditionally look for that one extra piece that could help them make another deep playoff run, but this season they’re really just looking for someone to get them there. Dirk Nowitzki has struggled to regain his form after a knee injury and the rest of the team, though decent at times, just hasn’t been able to get it done on a consistent basis.

The Mavs are as active as ever in attempting to engage in trade talks, but a lack of real assets has stopped them cold on every call. They would love to have Josh Smith, for example, and have offered the Atlanta Hawks anyone not named “Dirk” to get a deal done, but even the likes of Shawn Marion and Vince Carter have not been enough to get a deal done. Dallas desperately needs another significant piece, but right now it looks like they will be hard pressed to find one.

— Bill Ingram

This isn’t the first time that Danny Granger’s name has surfaced in trade rumors. However, according to multiple executives, this is the first time that the Indiana Pacers have actually considered moving the 29-year-old forward. In the past, the Pacers have made it clear that Granger wasn’t going anywhere and rival executives echoed that sentiment after their inquiries about Granger were shot down by Indiana.

Now, the Pacers seem willing to trade Granger if the right offer comes along. One executive made it clear that Granger could be dealt in the next 24 hours because the Pacers no longer view him as untouchable.

The biggest reasons for Indiana’s change of heart are Paul George’s emergence as an All-Star and the Pacers’ success with Granger sidelined due to a knee injury. Read more in today’s NBA PM (click here).

— Alex Kennedy

If the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets want to make a deal, they will have plenty of offers to choose from.

The likelihood of DeJuan Blair being moved is high. Blair was a huge surprise for the Spurs early on in his career, but has recently fallen out of the regular rotation after being benched for most of the last two postseasons.

Should the Spurs look to make a bigger splash, they have the $10 million dollar expiring contract of Stephen Jackson to attract teams in need of cap space; Matt Bonner’s contract is also a non-guaranteed for next season and Tiago Splitter is set to become a restricted free agent. The Spurs have been mentioned in association with big names like Josh Smith of the Atlanta Hawks and Al Jefferson of the Utah Jazz, but they highly value their team’s chemistry and may not want to risk harming that.

The Houston Rockets are loaded with young talent and without a draft pick in this year’s upcoming draft, they may look to exchange Terrence Jones, whose name is in the headlines right now, for a first rounder. Jones has intrigued in the NBA’s Development League, but the Rockets are overloaded at his position.

— Yannis Koutroupis

As the final 24 hours before the NBA trade deadline wind down, there are two names that continue to surface amongst league sources. Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski tweets that Boston’s Paul Pierce and Atlanta’s Josh Smith are the names drawing the most interest, with the Brooklyn Nets rumored to be the latest engaging in talks regarding Pierce and the Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns and Nets emerging as the most likely candidates to land Smith.

— Bill Ingram

Nets fans can expect to hear plenty about three players until Thursday’s 3 p.m. deadline–Josh Smith, Paul Millsap and Ben Gordon.

While ESPN.com’s Marc Stein predicted that the Nets will be the team that ultimately lands Smith, a league source with knowledge of the team’s thinking believes general manager Billy King was being truthful when he put the probabilities of a trade at “10 percent.”

The Nets have already offered MarShon Brooks and Kris Humphries, but are less inclined to part with a first-round pick, rookie Tyshawn Taylor or the draft rights to Bojan Bogdanović, who is having a solid season for Fenerbahçe in Turkey.

Basically any offer the Nets can put together will be based around Humphries’ salary (he is owed $12 million next season, as well), Brooks’ promise and the aforementioned assets.

Humphries and Brooks both told HOOPSWORLD that they want to stay with the Nets, and while the latter seemed nervous about the topic, the former has been through this before.

“Been here for awhile,” said Humphries, who has been dealt three times in his career. “It’s not up to the players.”

Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski wrote that the Nets are “solely focused” on Smith, but the aforementioned source said that is definitely not the case.

In the case of negotiations with the Charlotte Bobcats for Gordon, that seems more like a safety plan for the Nets. They don’t necessarily lack depth in the backcourt (both C.J. Watson and Taylor have played well lately and Keith Bogans has been productive all season) but he would add some perimeter shooting and a nice scoring punch off the bench.

Presumably the Nets would hope to get Gordon for Humphries and not much else.

Acquiring Millsap from the Jazz will be particularly difficult for the Nets because Utah is getting some pretty serious offers. According to Ramona Shelburne and Stein, the Clippers and Jazz have had talks about a trade involving Eric Bledsoe and “either young center DeAndre Jordan or veteran forward Caron Butler.”

The Nets’ package probably wouldn’t rival that offer.

In the end, the Nets may not make any move at all.

—Alex Raskin

The Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets discussed a trade for Paul Pierce at last year’s trade deadline. The Nets decided to acquire Gerald Wallace instead of Pierce, but it sounds like Brooklyn still has some interest in the Celtics star. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the Celtics and Nets have once again discussed a trade for Pierce:

According to Wojnarowski, the Nets’ offer centered on forward Kris Humphries, guard MarShon Brooks and a first-round draft pick, but the Celtics want a more substantial package to consider moving Pierce.

“The Celtics still highly value Pierce and it wouldn’t make sense to trade him for that kind of a package if they’re keeping Kevin Garnett,” one league source told Wojarowski..

Boston seems to want guard Mirza Teletovic and another first-round pick, but the Nets have shown no inclination to pay that steep of a price for Pierce, according to the report.

— Alex Kennedy

One of the more interesting rumors to surface today was the one that had the Oklahoma City Thunder discussing a trade that would have sent Kendrick Perkins to Phoenix and landed Marcin Gortat in OKC, with other pieces involved. Paul Coro of AZ Central.com reports that this was never actually discussed, and was actually nothing more than an unsubstantiated rumor.

- Bill Ingram

In recent weeks, Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey has been saying that this could be a quiet deadline for Houston. The team already made one blockbuster trade this year to acquire James Harden, and now Morey has repeatedly said that he wanted some roster stability rather than more change. While some people were hesitant to believe Morey’s stance since he has made a trade at the last five deadlines, Rockets head coach Kevin McHale is now saying the same thing.

“We’re not doing anything,” McHale told the Houston Chronicle. “I’d be shocked if we do anything.”

That should silence some of the rumors swirling around the Rockets.

— Alex Kennedy

Why are the Milwaukee Bucks gauging interest in Monta Ellis and thinking about moving the 27-year-old shooting guard? After this season, Ellis can exercise his Early Termination Option to become an unrestricted free agent. Most people around the NBA expect Ellis to leave that final $11 million on the table to test free agency, which means Milwaukee may lose Ellis for nothing this summer if they don’t move him now.

Brandon Jennings will also be a free agent after this season, but he’ll be restricted so the Bucks can (and likely will) match any offer that he receives. That makes Ellis the more likely guard to be dealt, and several teams have been calling Milwaukee in recent weeks to express. If the Bucks move Ellis, it’s so they can get something in return for him now rather than letting him walk this summer.

— Alex Kennedy

Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak appeared on ESPN’s Colin Cowherd this morning and made it adamantly clear that Dwight Howard is not available in potential trades despite the fact that he was receiving calls on him even up to his appearance on the show.

Kupchak acknowledged that Howard’s relationship with Kobe Bryant is a “work in progress”, but pointed out that Bryant may retire after next season and that the plan is to then build around Howard.

Kupchak also stated that Mike D’Antoni will be the head coach of the team moving forward. However, he did leave an opening by saying that everyone will be reviewed during the offseason.

-Yannis Koutroupis

The Toronto Raptors are actively seeking to bolster their roster in an effort to make a playoff run this season. Sources close to Raptors forward Linas Kleiza have indicated they wouldn’t be surprised in the least if the veteran is dealt by the team before Thursday’s trade deadline and believe he is no longer part of the Raptors’ future plans.

It appears the move could also be financially motivated. Kleiza is on the books for $4.6 million this season, but also holds a $4.6 million player option for the 2013-14. The Raptors currently have $74 million in salary commitments, including Kleiza’s option, for next season which would put the franchise firmly in luxury tax territory as it stands today.

Kleiza has averaged 7.4 points and 2.6 rebounds in 20 appearances for Toronto this season but hasn’t played since logging five minutes versus the New Orleans Hornets on December 28.

Raptors management has hinted they’re not done making deals as we approach the trade deadline. The common belief around the league is the team is actively shopping former No. 1 overall pick Andrea Bargnani and Kleiza could be included as part of a larger package.

The Toronto Raptors acquired forward Rudy Gay from Memphis on January 30. During the month of February the Raptors have compiled a 6-2 record and currently have an active five game winning streak. In fact, four of the victories have come against playoff squads such as Los Angeles (Clippers), Indiana, Denver and New York.

The Raptors now find themselves just five games behind the Milwaukee Bucks for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

- Lang Greene

USA Today Sports’ Sam Amick is reporting that Bill Duffy the agent for Celtics guard Rajon Rondo was assured that Rondo would not be traded at the trade deadline.

The Celtics trade chatter has calmed down considerably since word of a Kevin Garnett deal broke several weeks ago. Sources close to the process say if the Celtics do something its likely going to involve Brandon Bass and or Courtney Lee with rookie Fab Melo being dangled as a sweetener to get a deal done.

The Celtics are said to be looking for a solid veteran point guard in return.

Agent for Rajon Rondo, Bill Duffy, tells USAT that Boston GM Danny Ainge assured him today the Celtics PG won't be traded. Story to come.

February 20, 2013 1:05 pm via TweetDeckReplyRetweetFavorite

@sam_amick

Sam Amick

The Milwaukee Bucks are at the front of the line regarding Atlanta’s Josh Smith. Word is the Smith is at least open to the idea of playing with Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis, meaning any deal with Atlanta would either require a third team or for Atlanta to take back less desirable assets.

It is believed Atlanta wants Monta Ellis in any deal for Smith and that might be a deal breaker for Milwaukee. There have been reports that Ellis will opt out of his deal and explore free agency in July, so the threat of losing two core pieces in July might change Milwaukee’s stance.

The Bucks have been trying to find a home for Samuel Dalembert and Drew Gooden for most of the season and with Smith on their radar, off-season signee Ersan Ilyasova is said to be available too. None of those pieces work for Atlanta, however if both sides can find a third team willing to take on some of the contract dollars and return better assets to Atlanta a deal could be worked out.

League sources say Atlanta is playing this one to the wire and while they have had substantial talks with Milwaukee; Washington and Brooklyn are still firmly in the discussion.

The Hawks are watching a number of scenarios, namely what the LA Lakers decide to do with Dwight Howard, once it’s clear that Howard is not available the Hawks are expected to move on a Josh Smith deal which means moving Smith may come down to the wire.

– Steve Kyler

The Indiana Pacers would like to add to their roster for a post-season run and it seems Gerald Green and Lance Stephenson may be the odd guys out.

There has been a lot of speculation that Indiana would look to move Danny Granger at the deadline and league sources still contend that a move involving Danny is possible, just not very likely at this stage in the game.

The Pacers have been sniffing around for smaller more cosmetic deals, and Green seems to be the main piece they are trying to sell. Unfortunately the reason Indiana is looking at Green related deals, is the same reason they may not have anything doable at the deadline; he just doesn’t have a lot of value.

Indiana would like to do something, so you can expect them to be linked to several things before the deadline, however moving Danny Granger may not be one of them. If the Pacers struggle in the post-season you can put moving Danny at the front of Draft/Offseason to-do list, it just doesn’t look like something they can do and return anything of value before Thursday.

– Steve Kyler

The NBA trade deadline is just over 24 hours away, and while there is more buzz than there has been in the last two days we are still waiting to hear about moves that would significantly help the teams involved. The Boston Celtics, for example, are said to have joined the hunt for Josh Smith, but the primary piece that would have to head back to Atlanta is rumored to be Paul Pierce. The Celtics don’t want to part with Pierce, but let’s say they did. Which team is better as a result of the move? Neither.

Indeed, Boston has been one of the more active teams in talks, but team president Danny Ainge recently told the Boston Herald that he’s not overly interested in giving up any primary pieces. “I’m not looking to give up any of our players,” Ainge said. “We have a limited roster, and it’s a matter of is it a better fit? Is there a better position need? I don’t really think that there are. So it’s just if we can improve our team. At the same time, I’m not giving Jared Sullinger away just because he’s hurt. It’s a challenge. I’m not trading Rajon Rondo away for discounted dollars because he’s hurt. As an organization we’ve decided not to do that.”

If the Celtics aren’t interested in moving any of their primary pieces it’s difficult to see how they could come out ahead after the deadline, meaning last year’s approach of keeping the older team together and seeing what they can do in postseason play might again be the best approach.

— Bill Ingram

The long-running dysfunction between Cavs forward Omri Casspi and the Cleveland Cavaliers may be coming to an end as the Cavs have been talking deals that involve Casspi in advance of Thursdays 3pm EST Traded Deadline. The problem for Cleveland is that Casspi isn’t exactly viewed as a stud in waiting and there isn’t a ton of interest in him.

Sources close to the process peg the San Antonio Spurs has a good fit and a team that has expressed some interest in Casspi, the problem is they won’t offer much for him. If the Cavs would do a DeJuan Blair based deal, the Cavs could find a taker on Casspi fairly quick.

The Cavs also are entertaining deals involving recently acquired Marreese Speights whom they acquired from Memphis in late January.  Speights is contract is worth some $4.2 million this season and has a $4.51 million Player Option next season.

The Cavs are under the salary cap so they can combine Speights with another player to make a bigger deal and it seems that a Speights/Casspi package is what Cleveland is trying to move. Combined the two players represent $6.47 million in outgoing salary, which could put Cleveland in the game for a fairly decent player in return.

– Steve Kyler

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoos! Sports is reporting that the Houston could be looking to offload seldom used forward Terrence Jones and may not be looking for much in return.

Houston's showing a willingness to move rookie Terrence Jones for a 1st-round pick, sources tell Y! Rockets are deep at forward spot.

February 20, 2013 3:02 am via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@WojYahooNBA

Adrian Wojnarowski

ESPN’s Chris Broussard tweeted Tuesday night that the Hornets have made Gordon available for a trade, but that it’s not likely to happen because teams are concerned about his health going forward.

Hornets officials had no comment regarding trade rumors Tuesday night, but Gordon said for the second consecutive day that he’s not concerned about the trade deadline. However, he acknowledged that anything is possible.

via John Reid of The Times-Picayune

Much of the Suns’ trade talk seems to have simmered down as the Thursday 1 p.m. deadline nears, but there is one more possibility.

ESPN.com reported New York’s interest in Jermaine O’Neal and Toronto’s interest in Sebastian Telfair while another source said there was All-Star break talk of Oklahoma City exploring Marcin Gortat and P.J. Tucker for Kendrick Perkins, Jeremy Lamb and a first-round pick.

Perkins is the type of center to fit the new defensively geared culture, although he is limited offensively for a team wanting to post up its big men.

via Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic

General manager Tony DiLeo (of the Philadelphia 76ers) has said numerous times that he is not willing to mortgage the future of the organization to get a player who will have only a short stay here.

The problem is that besides Jrue Holiday and Thaddeus Young, both signed to long-term contracts, who else is in the future plans? A report by ESPN’s Chris Broussard said that swingman Evan Turner, who is averaging career highs in points (13.8), rebounds (6.6), assists (4.4) and minutes (36.2), is on the trading block, though an NBA source told the Daily News nothing is going on with Turner.

via Bob Cooney of The Philadelphia Daily News

Spurs forward DeJuan Blair has seen his name in nearly every speculative trade story that has hit the Internet since All-Star weekend, but his approach to Thursday’s trade deadline is educated indifference.

“I’m not really worried about any of that,” said the four-year forward from Pittsburgh. “I’m just worried about right now and today. All the rest of that is BS.”

Blair’s name has been linked to numerous trades in the last few weeks, and he understands comments he made last summer about expecting to be traded before training camp are partially to blame.

via Mike Monroe of The San Antonio Express-News

Sources confirm the Hornets would be interested in any trade deal with the Golden State Warriors that would include second-year shooting guard Klay Thompson. But sources indicate the Warriors are reluctant to part ways with Thompson, whom they feel is a young emerging star.

With the Hornets’ matching the Phoenix Suns’ four-year, $58 million offer sheet to retain him as a restricted free agent, Gordon has veto power over any trade deal going into Thursday’s deadline. The Hornets are restricted from trading Gordon to the Suns.

via John Reid of NOLA.com.