HOOPSWORLD | Basketball News & NBA Rumors

A month ago, HOOPSWORLD reported that the Los Angeles Clippers would consider trading their Minnesota Timberwolves 2012 unprotected pick while keeping center Chris Kaman (Clippers Want to Deal Before July).

While the target of Andre Iguodala for Kaman has been mentioned for months in this space, it’s just making the rounds now nationally.

The Clippers have been talking on and off with the Philadelphia 76ers about Iguodala since last February.

It still remains an option for the Sixers and while they’d like more than just Kaman, the Clippers to date aren’t interested in giving Philadelphia more than the financial savings Chris’ contract would provide in lieu of Iguodala’s.

The complication on the Sixers side, in an addition to fit with Kaman is that Chris has an expiring contract after next season.  Philly, so far, doesn’t want to give up their key trade piece on a one-year rental.

They’re not sold enough on Kaman (at this point) to do an extend and trade or just take him as an expiring.

So they Sixers will explore other options and the Clippers, who have a number of trade assets and time on their side, will wait as well.

If it came down to it, would the Clippers include young forward Al-Farouq Aminu?

Right now no, but teams change their positions continuously as deadlines near.  It’s anyone’s guess if LA is willing to move off of their stance.

It’s important to note that while the Clippers like Iguodala, they don’t like him enough to move that Minnesota pick.

The Wolves won just 17 games last season and if they continue to flounder (as many executives league-wide expect), the pick would be at least in the top six with a decent crack at the #1 spot.

Prospects like Harrison Barnes, Anthony Davis, Jared Sullinger, James McAdoo, Austin Rivers and a host of others are expected to trump this year’s crop like Kyrie Irving and Derrick Williams.

For the Clippers to give up on adding a young stud in 2012 to the core of Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon, they’ll want a superstar in return.

That’s the list that starts with players like Chris Paul, Deron Williams and even Dwight Howard.

None of those situations are expected to be resolved before the end of June.  Until the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is written and agreed to, it’s difficult to project past this month.

Barring a change, Kaman remains the more likely asset the Clippers move to bring in a high-level small forward although as much as LA would like to solidify their roster before the expected lockout, they won’t make the wrong deal just to get something done.

Iguodala is on that list because he’s readily more available than Danny Granger (said to be sticking in Indiana) and Rudy Gay (off limits until Marc Gasol is re-signed and possibly beyond).

Lower profile players like Nicolas Batum and Danilo Gallinari, while interesting – won’t be acquired if the price remains too high.

The Clippers are looking to add a cornerstone piece that will push the franchise not just into the playoffs, but make them a factor.

Looking at how quickly it came together for the Memphis Grizzlies and on the heels of Griffin’s incredible rookie season, the Clippers are optimistic about their own chances next season.

While it’s easy to be skeptical based on historical performance, have the Clippers ever had a player of Griffin’s caliber?

As far as this draft, LA will be opportunistic.  Moving into the late first round is a possibility if they could nab a nice young player still on the board (perhaps Kyle Singler?) but that’s rarely easy and may not be a priority.

Otherwise they’ll take best player available at 37 and 47.

If a younger player cannot be acquired for Kaman, the Clippers will consider a polished veteran who has championship pedigree like Manu Ginobili (if he became available) and perhaps as late fallback in free agency – Tayshaun Prince.

Lakers in Rumors, Too
Courtesy of ESPN’s Chad Ford and his Mock Draft, Version 4.0, the Minnesota Timberwolves are “hoping that a team comes along and offers them an impact veteran — someone such as Pau Gasol, Monta Ellis or even JaVale McGee — for the pick (#2 overall).”

The difficulty right off the bat (never mind that to date the Los Angeles Lakers have emphasized that they intend to keep their core together), is that Gasol is at $17.8 million this season.

To make a deal before the CBA expires, the Wolves (who are about $3.9 million under the cap) would need to send out about $13.8 million in salary to be able to absorb Gasol’s contract.

It’s certainly a reachable in many ways with players like Jonny Flynn, Michael Beasley, Martell Webster, Nikola Pekovic, Darko Milicic, Luke Ridnour, Anthony Randolph Anthony Tolliver, Wayne Ellington and/or Lazar Hayward – but it could mean roughly four players out to make things work.

Of course to give up Gasol, the Lakers might be thinking more along the lines of Kevin Love plus the pick.

Flynn is readily available but is he the level of player the Lakers need at the point?  The Wolves are looking to keep Ridnour to help mentor Ricky Rubio.

Gasol seems like an odd fit for a rebuilding team but the Spanish connection to Rubio makes that more understandable.

It’s difficult to even imagine Minnesota giving up Love.  Would the Lakers be willing to give up their All-Star big who helped them get to the NBA Finals three years in a row (including two titles) for the #2 pick, some of Minnesota’s flotsam and jetsam but no Love?

Teams rarely reveal their true intentions but that seems like a true stretch for LA without Love and Kevin seems like too far a stretch for the Wolves, especially with the #2 pick out as well.

On possibly a separate note (or not), a source indicates LA has expressed some interest in at least checking out Kentucky’s Brandon Knight in a workout but nothing appears to have been scheduled as of yet.

In past years, the Lakers have looked at players well out of their range (the most notable was Brandon Roy) but haven’t triggered a deal to move up in the first since General Manager Mitch Kupchak swapped draft picks with the Toronto Raptors for Kareem Rush in 2002 to move up seven spots.

Lakers in Rumors, Too, Two
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com wrote Thursday,” The Trail Blazers, Lakers and Hawks, are among the teams that made exploratory calls after word leaked that the Warriors and 76ers were discussing an Ellis-for-Andre Iguodala swap.”

Monta Ellis, with the Golden State Warriors, is a young, under-sized two guard with some point skills . . . but he’s more of a me-first scorer than true play-maker.

He also isn’t much of a defender.{AUTHOR_BOX}

Given the repeated mention of “core” by the Lakers, while Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant appear to be firmly a part of that thinking . . . is Lamar Odom in that group?

Odom is coming off of a career year and, if Berger is indeed correct, LO seems like the obvious piece the Lakers would have to offer.

Of course it’s not clear if the Warriors were thinking Bynum or Gasol (more likely).  Would Odom be enough for Golden State for their star guard?

Lamar provides the Lakers with a third big with great lengthy, versatility and generally solid defense.

With incoming Coach Mike Brown stressing the defensive side of the ball, wouldn’t giving up Lamar for a straight-up scorer like Ellis be counter-intuitive?

Maybe so, but you still do that deal if you’re the Lakers.

Ellis is a dynamic, athletic scorer.  LA’s back court is older and slower.  Other than the over-30 Bryant, the Lakers have the well-over-30 Derek Fisher along with the also over-30 Steve Blake.

Shannon Brown may opt out of his contract, which leaves the Lakers in a difficult long-term place when it comes to the backcourt.

If Gasol and Bynum stay healthy, they’ll be on the floor for about 35 minutes a game each.

The bottom line, despite all that Odom has done for the team through the years, it’s a lot easier to find a capable backup (or two) behind Gasol/Bynum than it is to add a rare talent like Ellis.

LA’s best shot at improving their defense may be another true perimeter threat - given that teams have learned how to slow the Laker offense in a playoff series with major attention on Bryant and Gasol.  Sometimes the rest of the squad can make opponents pay but not nearly as consistently as in past, championship years.

Against the Dallas Mavericks, not at all.

It’s difficult to set up the defense when the offense is stagnant.  In a sense Ellis would upgrade the defense by upgrading the offense.

A roster with Ellis, Bryant, Gasol and Bynum can always have one dominant scoring perimeter player along with a skilled big.  When it comes to playing together, that’d be a puzzle each would have to strive to solve along with the guidance of Coach Brown.

At times it might even be a mess on both sides of the ball but a worthy challenge for a team that needs to proactively get better before they get worse.

The vibe from El Segundo is that the team expects to make just minor tweaks.

The Warriors are in flux and a David Lee/Odom starting front court sounds a little shaky.  It’s hard to know exactly what extent they rework the roster this offseason and Lee may be available as well.

It’s probably a stretch to say Odom is a priority for the Warriors but he is a talented player coming off of his best season with a very workable contract for two more seasons (not fully guaranteed in the final year).

Taking on the contract of Andris Biedrins may be the asking price for Ellis as well and the Lakers have rarely taken on other team’s financial missteps to make a deal.

Monta may try to push for a specific destination but there’s not telling if LA would be it – or if Golden State will comply.

Regardless, the NBA Finals is nearly complete – the draft is a couple of weeks away – it’s time for what may be mindless speculation but that’s exactly what the offseason is for.