Could Bosh Be L.A.-Bound?
It's become very clear in recent weeks which NBA players are going to be front and center on the list of players to be talked about non-stop in trade rumors between now and the February 18th trade deadline, and Chris Bosh is right at the tippy-top of that list.
We've heard for a while now that Bosh could be traded (despite the fact that Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo continues to insist that it's his intention to keep his All-Star in Canada long term), but seldom have we heard actual, specific deals being thrown out there for us to consider. Leave it up to the New York Post's Peter Vescey to remedy that.
According to one of Vescey's sources, the L.A. Lakers could offer Andrew Bynum for Bosh. The idea behind such a trade (or any trade they may make for Bosh) is that Toronto doesn't get left with nothing should their franchise player bolt in free agency. Trade him now and get some value, which admittedly Bynum would be. He's a talented, young center with the potential to dominate, and he's under contract for three more years. The Raps could move Andrea Bargnani over to the four and have a pretty solid frontcourt, at least for a few more years.
But somehow Bynum doesn't feel like enough for Bosh. The Lakers' center is talented, but he's also spent a lot of the last couple years injured, and with Toronto likely getting offers from 29 NBA teams for Bosh, it's hard to believe that Drew Bynum and another player thrown in to match contracts would be the best offer out there. Lakers fans have to love the idea of a Pau Gasol/Chris Bosh frontcourt, but right now it seems like a little bit of a fairy tale.
Colangelo continues to go on record as saying they really aren't exploring trading Bosh right now, and considering Toronto has won eight of their last nine (including some wins over pretty good teams) and are now back over .500, the emergency to move the big guy isn't as omnipresent as it was before this run. The idea of moving Bosh while they can get something for him isn't going to go away, which is why Bosh's name is going to move from trade rumors the next several weeks, but expect specific offers like this one to start surfacing as we approach the deadline. Teams want Bosh, and there's the possibility that he could be available, meaning this is going to be news for a while.
And What About Antawn Jamison?
Even before the whole Gilbert Arenas gun fiasco, the Wizards were rumored to be exploring a trade involving their better players. Perhaps the best, most reliable, and most desirable of those players is Antawn Jamison, who has long been rumored to be coveted by the Cleveland Cavaliers. With an apparent Washington desire to shed salary and cleanse their roster for a fresh start, they're going to be looking for cap space and young talent, which the Cavaliers appear able to offer.
But, as the Plain-Dealer's Brian Windhorst explains, while Cleveland might be willing to offer up the expiring deal of Zydrunas Ilgauskas straight up for Jamison, it's likely that the Wizards demand something more than just potential cap space. J.J. Hickson, for example, would be something they'd be interested in, but Cleveland probably wouldn't have much desire to move their promising young power forward.
Still, a move that switches out Big Z for Jamison is one that drastically improves the Cavaliers while clearing the Wizards of almost $30 million in salary commitments. Both sides win. Despite that fact, Cavs head coach Mike Brown is saying he feels he can win a championship with the team he's currently got, and this is an organization that's been very reticent to deal Ilgauskas because of his relationship with ownership and his long list of years of service to the organization. Trading their backup center is sort of a last resort, but if the deal on the table is too sweet to pass up it's possible that business and basketball overtake personal feelings and something gets done. Other than Chris Bosh, Jamison and Wizards teammate Caron Butler are probably the biggest names on the trading block this month, except both those guys seem to have a much better shot at actually being moved.
Darko Buyout Not Imminent, and For Good Reason
Steve Adamek at NorthJersey.com points out that Darko Milicic's expiring deal is worth $7.5 million, something that potentially could be valuable in a pre-deadline trade. Despite reports that Milicic wanted to be bought out so he could return to Europe, Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni both deny Darko's having asked for his release.
With New York's continued interest in Tracy McGrady, it would be silly to just let a potential trading chip walk when he could be used in a deal. If after the deadline Milicic is still a Knick and still unhappy, they can re-explore the idea, but for now it doesn't appear as though he's going anywhere any time soon, unless it's to another NBA team in trade.
