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Every year at the trade deadline, there is at least one move that comes out of left field – a deal that nobody talked about or saw coming in the weeks leading up to the deadline. This year, it sounds like the New York Knicks are the team that’s attempting to swing for the fences and pull off that deal.

While the Knicks have weighed several minor deals that would bring in a veteran role player – such as Jared Dudley, J.J. Redick or Luke Ridnour – they have also been gauging interest in an Amar’e Stoudemire and Iman Shumpert package, according to sources. The Knicks are shopping this package in an attempt to land a significant player. One player that they’d like to pry loose is Josh Smith of the Atlanta Hawks, according to a league source. While it’s admittedly unlikely, it’s a rumor that has floated around in recent days.

It’s a deal that makes sense for New York. A trade of Stoudemire and Shumpert for Smith and a filler such as Zaza Pachulia, for example, would work under the cap. The Knicks get a big-time player and suddenly, they have the talent to contend for a championship this year (and for years to come if they can re-sign Smith this summer).

The question is why would Atlanta do this? The Hawks would be giving up their cap flexibility by taking on the two years and $45,090,881 remaining on Stoudemire’s contract. The only way Atlanta does this trade is if they’ve given up hope of signing a star free agent this summer and want to bring in a big name that they can sell to their fans. Money aside, Stoudemire has played well this season in New York and he and Al Horford would form a nice frontcourt in Atlanta. Also, the Hawks have made an effort to bring in players from Georgia to engage the fanbase such as Anthony Morrow and Lou Williams. Shumpert starred at Georgia Tech and could be a fan favorite in Atlanta. However, it’s hard to get past the money aspect since the Hawks seem determined to preserve their cap space.

Again, this is out of left field and seems unlikely, but it’s a rumor that’s floating out there so we’re passing it along.

If Atlanta truly gets desperate (and we’ve seen those kind of deals at past deadlines) and feels that they have to trade Smith, New York will be among the teams trying to scoop up the 27-year-old. Landing Smith seems unlikely for New York, but the Knicks are certainly trying to hit a home run and solidify themselves an elite team.

— Alex Kennedy

The New York Knicks want to contend for a championship this season. The Knicks have the oldest team in the league, which is why there is a sense of urgency in New York.

That’s why Iman Shumpert’s name has been surfacing in trade rumors lately. It’s not because the Knicks want to get rid of Shumpert; it’s because they want to see if there’s a deal out there that will get them closer to competing for a title this year. The Knicks have been linked to veterans like J.J. Redick of the Orlando Magic and Jared Dudley of the Phoenix Suns because they are role players who would fit in with New York and have an immediate impact.

Nothing is imminent and it’s possible that Shumpert doesn’t get moved. However, it’s clear that the Knicks are weighing their options.

While Shumpert has played well at times and become a fan favorite in New York, there are some within the organization who believe it would be better to have an experienced veteran in Shumpert’s place. There is also some concern that Shumpert may not be 100 percent in time to help the Knicks make the deep postseason run that they’re anticipating. Waiting for Shumpert to develop and heal requires patience, which isn’t something the Knicks have a lot of right now. Young, rebuilding teams like the Magic and Suns, however, have plenty of time on their hands and would love to have Shumpert.

The Knicks have a tough decision to make. Do they keep Shumpert and develop him over the next few years or do they trade him in for a veteran and go all-in on this season? New York is considering both options right now, which is where the rumors are coming from and which is why they’re a team to watch over the next day and a half.

— Alex Kennedy

The run for J.J. Redick and the Orlando Magic may be coming to a close.

Despite repeated assurances that he may not be traded, that has not stopped Orlando from testing J.J.’s value and the inevitability of a team meeting Orlando’s asking price, an unprotected first-round pick in the top of the draft, seems fairly high although you’d be surprised how many teams view a top-20 draft pick as a steep price to rent Redick for what could be the final 20-plus games of the season.

League sources say that if Redick is traded from Orlando, it’s hard to imagine that he won’t go shopping as an unrestricted free agent, making it even more risky to give up what could be a reasonable future player.

The Magic have spoken to a number of teams about J.J., so seeing a deal materialize or the Magic lowering their price before Thursday’s deadline isn’t out of the question and seems more likely than not.

– Steve Kyler

According to Mike Bresnahan of the LA Times, Laker’s GM Mitch Kupchak says he won’t be making any major trades at the deadline.

Kupchak: "There’s not a way to upgrade the talent on this team. I don’t anticipate anything dramatic talking place in the next 2 days."

February 19, 2013 8:03 pm via TweetDeckReplyRetweetFavorite

@Mike_Bresnahan

Mike Bresnahan

Even though Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak has assured Dwight Howard that he won’t be traded before the Feb. 21 deadline, rival executives believe the 27-year-old may still be moved. The Lakers have fielded calls for Howard and are keeping their options open. Multiple league sources believe that Kupchak is assuring Howard that he won’t traded just in case the team decides not to pull the trigger on a deal. If Howard is still on the roster on Feb. 22, the Lakers don’t want him knowing that they listened to offers for him because that could hurt their chances of re-signing the center this offseason.

While the Lakers have shot down some rumors involving Howard – such as the rumored deal for Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics – nobody around the league would be surprised if a Howard trade gets completed before 3 p.m. ET on Thursday. The Lakers understand that Howard is unhappy in Los Angeles – he has butted heads with Kobe Bryant, grown tired of Mike D’Antoni and felt that the organization hasn’t supported him at times – which is why a Howard deal can’t be ruled out. Sources say that Howard hasn’t asked for a trade and doesn’t plan to do so, but he wouldn’t be opposed to a deal. Read more in today’s NBA PM.

— Alex Kennedy

Don’t count on the Memphis Grizzlies trading Zach Randolph. Sources close to the process labeled Zach as all but untouchable at the deadline and that baring some kind of hail-Mary, last minute; knock your socks offer, Zach is staying in Memphis for the foreseeable future.

The Grizzlies are however looking to cash in one of their seven traded players exception.

The Grizz have a $7.48 million TPE from Rudy Gay, a $2.08 million TPE from Wayne Ellington, a $1.3 million TPE from Hamed Haddadi, a $1.18 million TPE from Sam Young, a $1 million TPE from Jeremy Pargo and a $762,000 TPE from Josh Selby. None of these can be combined together or with other players, but with so many of varied amounts the Grizzlies could take on a variety of different contract sizes and they have 3 open roster spots.

The Grizz look to be players on Thursday and they have lots of TPE chips to cash.

— Steve Kyler

The Los Angeles Clippers have survived injuries to Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Jamal Crawford, Grant Hill, Chauncey Billups and Lamar Odom. Winning four straight, the Clippers are in third place in the Western Conference with a 39-17 record.

The team is ready to go past the deadline without making a deal, which puts them in a position of strength when teams call.

Eric Bledsoe is coveted by many teams.  DeAndre Jordan is a young, athletic center who has two more seasons on his contract at $22.4 million.

If the Clippers can improve their chances to win a title this year, they’d certainly consider moving both Bledsoe and Jordan.  Viable names linked to the Clippers include Kevin Garnett and Paul Millsap.

At some point, the team is likely to trade Bledsoe but that may not be the case until Chris Paul is re-signed long term – after this season.  Bledsoe has another year on his contract.

The Clippers are dependent on what teams like the Boston Celtics and Utah Jazz want to offer.  Garnett’s no-trade clause could certainly complicate matters, even if the Clippers and Celtics make progress on a deal.

Because L.A. has no pressure or desperation to make a deal by Thursday, they can afford to sit back and wait for the best offer – and pass if it doesn’t meet their needs.

— Eric Pincus

Another team linked to Smith is the Bucks, who are “definitely active,” according to a rival exec. Milwaukee has to decide whether it will make prospective restricted free agent Brandon Jennings available, though sources say the Bucks like their chances of being able to match any offer sheet this summer; their books are relatively clean after this season.

If Milwaukee gets involved in discussion of a larger deal involving Smith or one of their own starting guards, Jennings or Monta Ellis, one valuable piece who could be added to the mix is Luc Mbah a Moute.Teams like his defensive versatility, rebounding and a reasonable contract that declines from $4.8 million this season to $4.4 million in 2014-15, which coincides with the NBA’s next big free-agent frenzy. One deal that has been proposed is Mbah a Moute and a first-round pick to Orlando for J.J. Redick, who will be a free agent this summer, multiple league sources say. The belief is that Milwaukee would only do that deal if they moved Ellis first.

via Ken Berger of CBSSports.com

The Brooklyn Nets have been mentioned in several trade rumors, but on Tuesday general manager Billy King put the team’s chances of making a deal before Thursday’s deadline at just “10 percent.”

“I think we’re going to try and fix weaknesses we have in the roster, fix holes,” he said. “If you’re making a major move, then you’re reshuffling the deck.”

The Nets have been mentioned in several rumors, but here is what we know from a league source with knowledge of the team’s thinking:

The team has spoken with several teams about trades involving power forward Kris Humphries, although talks with the Atlanta Hawks (for Josh Smith) and Charlotte Bobcats (for Ben Gordon) are both effectively over.

The Los Angeles Lakers have not reached out to offer them center Dwight Howard, as many people in the media are suggesting.

This information is congruent with what King said at Tuesday’s practice. The Nets aren’t trying to reshuffle the deck. King noted that the league’s best teams have enjoyed some roster continuity and he wants to have that in Brooklyn.

— Alex Raskin

It’s two tales of one city as the NBA trade deadline quickly approaches and the Lakers and Clippers appear to be headed in two different directions in Los Angeles.

The Lakers have a star-studded lineup but are currently out of the playoff picture, which has many wondering if the team will keep Dwight Howard long-term or perhaps look to trade him. Multiple sources report that Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash, in particular, question Howard’s commitment to winning.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Staples Center, there is no question at all about Chris Paul, who like Howard will be a free agent this summer. Paul is not only expected to re-sign with the Clippers, he is also recruiting future free agents to the team.

— Bill Ingram

With 29 regular-season games remaining and the playoffs still in sight, Kobe Bryant is more determined than ever to prove he and the Lakers can become the force they thought they were.

Whether center Dwight Howard is a part of that attempted revival doesn’t matter to Bryant, sources familiar with Bryant’s thinking told FOX Sports Ohio.

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak has strongly nixed the notion that Howard could be moved prior to Thursday’s trading deadline. But if Kupchak changes his mind, he’d have Bryant’s full support, according to sources.

According to sources, a number of Lakers have their doubts about whether Howard takes the game seriously and “wants it” enough for the challenges the team now faces.

Sources insist it’s still possible Howard could re-sign with the Lakers, but that he hasn’t made up his mind and won’t come to such a decision until the season plays out.

via Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio

The Atlanta Hawks have convinced numerous teams that they’re definitely trading Josh Smith this week, largely because they see the unpredictable lefty as a virtual lock to leave them in free agency this summer.

One team close to the situation consulted Monday night predicted that the Nets would ultimately land Smith via a three-way trade after ESPN’s Chris Broussard reported Feb. 11 that Smith is a prime Brooklyn Nets trade target.

NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com on Monday that the Boston Celtics have, indeed, registered their interest on the Smith front, with the caveat that they also remain highly interested in the Clippers’ Eric Bledsoe.

Yet a Boston deal for Smith, sources said, would almost certainly have to be built around Paul Pierce, because Kevin Garnett isn’t waiving his no-trade clause to go to the Atlanta Hawks if he’s not willing to waive it to go to the Clipperland. And the prospect of Celtics front-office chief Danny Ainge exiling Pierce to the Hawks for Smith, after everything Pierce has done to restore the Celtics to glory over the past half-decade, is still hard to imagine.

via Marc Stein of ESPN