Official NBA Truth & Rumors Thread

blazer rumors are they are trying to move up or out of the draft...and they are lookin at movin up to #3....and everyone (except roy, aldridge, oden and fernandez) could be traded.

 

Ford wouldnt be so bad if he wasnt so injury prone but Id rather have his teammate Jose Calderon.

Tinsley I wouldnt touch with a 40 foot pole. Last thing we need is a gun toting criminal for Zach to go clubbin with.

Mo Williams is an interesting scenario...id take him if the Bucks want to move up or if I can do a multiplayer swap and get rid of Curry or Randolph some way and/or get back Villanueva who I happen to like.

 

I know I am in the minority here but I think Calderon is already a top 7 Pg in the entire league. I happen to believe he is in the exact spot Nash was when Nash was developing in Dallas. Whether he will be as good I dont know because those are ridiculous expectations.

Mo Williams seems like Marbury with less attitude and not quite as good. He also has a problem staying healthy and seems to hit the inactive list for at least a handful of games every year.

 

Well, if you're in the minority, so am I. And so's John Hollinger. Calderon had the 5th highest PER among point guards in the NBA this year. And he was SECOND in the playoffs (of course, the Raps didn't play too long there, so that ranking doesn't mean a whole lot).

Ford had a fine season as well, but that back problem just scares me to death. I think he's a good fit for what the Knicks want to do, but they'd better have a good Plan B in place. They can probably get him from the Raps for a reasonable price. The Raps know that Ford's back problem makes him hard to deal for full value.

 

Well, I have to think the Bucks would be open to an offer of Jamal Crawford and the #6 for Williams and Villanueva. Maybe the Knicks would have to throw in someone like Wilson Chandler or Renaldo Balkman.

I don't see them unloading Curry or Randolph in such a deal, though. I know the Pistons have some interest in Randolph, but I can't imagine what they'd give up. Randolph's contract is lousy, and while Rasheed Wallace for Randolph would work cap-wise, and even make sense basketball-wise, the Pistons would never do that deal. I don't know what the Knicks could give back to make that work. The #6 pick is too much, and everything else is too little.

Another possibility (and I know you're going to hate this, but I think it makes sense) is this: McDyess, Amir Johnson, Cheik Samb, sign-and-trade cap filler (something like Walter Herrmann signed 1 year at $1.5M or something) and the #29 for Randolph and the #6.

The Knicks top priority right now should be clearing cap room for summer 2010. Moving Randolph helps a lot, and all these guys come off in the summer of 2010. They also get a big who can actually play defense (which they haven't had since they let Kurt Thomas go), a very talented, up and coming four in Johnson, and a lottery ticket in Samb. It hurts to trade down from 6 to 29, but I think the cap room and the talent they get in Johnson (who would be worth at least a late lottery/mid-first rounder) makes it worthwhile.

In the end, my guess is the Knicks would probably end up trading Randolph or Curry for a couple players with slightly less odious contracts and a first round pick.

 

Man both of those trades are just lousy. Anything involving the #6 they should reject unless they get a proven STUD back.

Crawford fits D'antoni's system better then Williams ever could since he excels in the open floor and can finish. Throwing in the 6 in that deal would make me upchuck since Villanueva is due an extension at the end of the year meaning essentially the Knicks may not have much to show for that pick.

The Detroit trade would be deplorable. Including the 6 in that is the part I cant stand. I like Amir Johnson and would take him straight up for Randolph because we do need a good interior big or at least 1 with upside but including the 6th in that is just too much.

I can deal with that type of scenario for Curry or Randolph. I truthfully dont care what we get as long as theyre gone and we get picks back. Thats what this organization should be focusing on.

 

Calderons detractors always complain hes never done it for a full season. I like to point out that he was competing witha top 6 pick who is also good for minutes....,

As far as acquiring Ford...If D'antoni thinks hes a good fit Im fine with it as long as he can get him to play even better on D, the #6 isnt involved, and his back/spine check out.

 

I'm reasonably sure that Joe Dumars would giggle and hang up if the Knicks wanted to do a Randolph for Johnson deal straight up. As I noted, Detroit really doesn't have any bad contracts to use as cap ballast. So, it would probably have to be McDyess going back, unless they did something ridiculous like sign Walter Hermann to a one year, $10M deal (which I suppose you can't totally rule out).

The bottom line here is that while I certainly understand you wouldn't want to give up the 6 pick, the problem is that if the Knicks want any kind of value for Randolph, they might have to do it. That's how bad his contract is, and that's how poorly a lot of otherwise-interested teams match up with the Knicks in such a deal.

 

Oh I know that if the knicks want any kind of value for Zach they'd have to attach the 6th pick. What I am saying is Id rather give him and Curry away cheap then attach that 6th pick.

As far as taking back McDyess, there are worse players. At least he will work hard and give a good effort even though his skills are severely eroded. I would take Johnson and McDyess or Johnson and Herrmann no problem. Just get younger and get rid of the sludge like Randolph and Curry.

 

OK, well then, fair enough.

If that's the case, they might consider contacting the Sixers. The Sixers have lots of cap room, and not much to spend it on, apart from giving Andre Iguodala an extension. They could offer Randolph for Willie Green and Reggie Evans, which would save a whole bunch of salary, and give them two slightly crappy contracts for one really awful one.

A Dalembert/Randolph/Thaddeus Young frontcourt wouldn't be a bad thing at all for Philly, and they can afford to swallow one bad contract.

 

Except that:
1. You dont help teams in the division
2. Im not even sure Philly would want randolph around their prized kids like Young, Williams and Igo etc.

The move to make might be to SA for leadership types with short contracts and picks. the reason i would bring them up is because with the Lakers having gotten Gasol for cheap and Bynum on the way back they probably need another good big to match up. Cleveland could also use a post scorer so these are the teams Id be looking at.

 

1. The whole intra-division thing is just comically overrated. If you can help yourself, have the confidence to pull the trigger and not worry about the other side of it. If you're doing your job well enough, you'll have to get past the other guys at some point anyway, whether it's in the division, the conference finals or the NBA finals.

2. They may not want Randolph around those kids. That's a very real concern. Personally, I think if you can get a top-notch low post scorer with soft hands and a decent shot for a pittance, you do it. Especially when you've got a shot-blocking monster like Sam Dalembert to erase many of his mistakes.

San Antonio is in much the same boat as Detroit for a trade; they'd have an awfully hard time putting together the salaries to make it work without giving up value. In fact, as it stands, if they were to acquire Randolph without giving up Duncan, Ginobili or Parker (and obviously, they're not giving those guys up for Zach Randolph), they'd have to trade their entire roster to make it work cap-wise. Again, some sort of bizarre sign-and-trade, like a one year Kurt Thomas deal for $9M or something, plus Bruce Bowen, could make it work, but I think the Spurs value their cap flexibility too much for that. It's also a team that's really made it a point to shun even the hint of a bad attitude. Remember how they traded Luis Scola for nothing, just because they thought he might potentially be a bad influence?

Again, basketball-wise, Randolph makes a ton of sense for them, but the cap thing kills it.

 

I would help Mo Williams pack if the Knicks wanted to swap Crawford, PTBN, and #6 pick for Mo and Charlie V. Like Boik said Charlie will be looking for a contract next year and Mo Williams in on the hook for 4/44 while Crawford is making 3/28 and the last 2 years are player options so you never know.

 

if channing frye, and steve francis are the best the blazers could get out of randolph...then he is worth like a 2nd round pick now..someone should get him for low value

 

With Iverson not opting out, that would figure to slightly increase the chance that they'll trade Carmelo Anthony. Not tremendously, but a little.

 

Why so down on Frye? He's a good, young big man who can score and rebound and doesn't commit a bunch of turnovers. He's not great, but he's a decent starter and he's outstanding as a 4/5 off the bench.

Anyway, as discussed above, it's not about Randolph's value as a player; it's his contract that makes him hard to trade. He'll get $48M over the next three years. Not many teams are going to want to pay that for a guy who can't/won't play defense and is such a risk for off-court problems that his high school coach once said "I read the paper every morning to make sure Zach hasn't been killed." If Randolph were making half of what he is, there would be teams beating down the Knicks' door to get him, whatever flaws he has.

I know Detroit has some interest, but I just don't see a deal getting done. I still think Philly makes sense; division opponent or not.

Maybe Washington would be interested, with Antawn Jamison as a free agent? They could offer Etan Thomas and Antonio Daniels, neither of whom are doing much to help them.

Maybe they could send Randolph and Malik Rose to Indy for Jermaine O'Neal, in the "bad contract special".

To Memphis for Darko Milicic and Brian Cardinal, perhaps? Hell, if the Grizzlies are considering trading Kyle Lowry for a mediocre power forward in Udonis Haslem, they might as well get someone who's actually good.

One team that makes a lot of sense is the Bulls. Chicago could offer Larry Hughes straight up, which would make sense for the Knicks since his salary comes off the books in the summer of 2010. The Bulls have problems scoring in the low post, and Randolph would be a good complement to their frontcourt, especially since Joakim Noah could cover for him on D.

That's pretty much the potential market for Randolph right there. I don't see anything else that makes sense. Everyone else would have no incentive to make a deal either because of cap reasons or basketball reasons.

 

i wasn't bashing frye, i like the guy....i wouldn't call him outstanding off the bench, he didn't play very good this year till the end of the year when he moved to the 5..he even slipped out of the rotation and raef was getting minutes...frye is fundamentally sound but nothing more than a good bench player IMO...

sorry but no way randolph and malik rose get traded for jermaine...when he is healthy he is still one of the best PF in the league..or at least in the eastern conference...the rest i could i see happening

 

Look at his numbers: http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/o/onealje01.html

O'Neal is more name than game at this point. He hasn't been healthy in years. Check out O'Neal's games played over the last four years: 44, 51, 69, 42. The dude makes Dwyane Wade look positively durable by comparison. He'll be 30 in October, and that's an absolutely ancient 30; he seems to be aging in dog years. His PER is in absolute free-fall right now: 22.9. 20.4, 18.8, 14.4.

The more I look at the numbers, the more I think it's the Knicks, not the Pacers, who might back away from such a deal.

 

Iverson not opting out tells me that he's more interested in getting paid than winning, at least for the 08-09 season. A shame, considering he has the talent to win but only a couple of years left to go in his career. In the west's current configuration, Denver will never be more than a 6 seed. That team just isn't good enough.

 

Eww the 9th and Morrison. Give us Okafor and gthe 9th.

 

Well, those two offers represent the two extremes of ridiculousness. The 9th plus Morrison is only slightly better than the 9th plus a cup of coffee. And obviously, Okafor is WAY too much to move up 6 spots.

 

Not necessarily. By not opting out now, Iverson risks not getting one last big payday. He would still command a big, long term contract from someone by opting out now. And if you think one year doesn't make a difference, we're talking about a guy whose shelf life is limited, to say the least. By all rights, Iverson has hung around WAY past his "sell by" date. With his combination of size (or lack thereof) and reckless abandon, and the people he hangs around with, he could have easily been done in by injury, gunshot, or God knows what else by now.

 

rumor has it the nba office has approved a trade involving the blazers.....hopefully moving up to pick up westbrook, and maybe a small forward if they traded outlaw, and maybe webster

 

Unfortunately no link as I heard this on the radio (WFAN at around 1030ish AM): Knicks and Grizzlies have been in talks with David Lee going to Memphis and the 5th pick and Cardinal going to NYK. This would clearly be a cap situation as Lee is in the final year of his contract and Memphis would have the chance to determine if they want him to be part of their rebuilding project or just get the cap space since their financial situation is cloudy to say the least. Still Im wetting myself at the thought of getting a PG (Bayless), or a SG (Gordon), or a SF (Alexander), or a PF (Love)....or moving both picks to move up and get Rose

From ESPN (chad Ford notes): Toronto and Indy in talks with a TJ Ford/Jermaine O Neal swap with cap equalizers obviously.

I love this time of year for the NBA....

 

And so it begins....

The Blazers have agreed to a deal with the Hornets to acquire the 27th pick in the draft for cash considerations, a Blazers source told ESPN.com.

The deal was agreed to verbally between the two teams on Tuesday night, according to the source, with the trade to become official on Wednesday. The Blazers could use the pick to take Croatian big man Ante Tomic, who they have reportedly coveted for years.
Source: ESPN.com


And heres a link for the Oneal/Ford possible trade I mentioned:
The Pacers and Raptors have discussed a possible deal that would send Jermaine O'Neal to the Raptors for point guard T.J. Ford and center Rasho Nesterovic, according to two people with knowledge of the situation.

The deal could also include Toronto's first-round pick (No. 17) and the Raps would have to throw in at least one other player to make the deal work financially. There are concerns about O'Neal's knees, but Ford's not the healthiest guy around, either. The Pacers covet a point guard and the Raptors are likely salivating over a potential front line of O'Neal, Chris Bosh and Jamario Moon, with Andrea Bargnani also in the mix. The biggest fantasy winner from this trade would be Jose Calderon, who would start at point guard for Toronto. Jun. 23 - 10:35 am et
Source: Indianapolis Star

 

Thats the idea. Im salivating at having a GM with a brain though with my luck he'll select crap like the two Lopez brothers instead of like Galinari and someone else good

 

Couldnt be worse than that Curry-Randolph duo could it? Both Bosh and O neal are good passers with decent range and perimeter games so as long as theyre willing to share the ball good things should happen with that.

Tomic is an interesting prospect, kinda reminds me a bit of a lesser Sabonis...which still makes him an excellent player.

 

Heat may be shopping the #2 pick:
After the Heat were informed that Shawn Marion would not opt out of his contract, sources said Riley began calling teams looking for serious offers for the second pick.

The Heat then brought in Mayo and Bayless. Both workouts lasted about 90 minutes. It's the second time the Heat have worked out Bayless and Mayo, and according to sources, Riley believes both are special talents.

Bayless had an "amazing" workout, according to the source. He "shot the lights" out and performed even better than he had in his first workout for the Heat. They believe he can be a full-time point guard in the pros, similar to Chauncey Billups.

The source said Mayo was also "great," and in addition to shooting the ball well, he performed well in some of the ballhandling drills. The Heat believe Mayo could be a Gilbert Arenas-type point guard.

The same source said Riley is enamored of Mayo's and Bayless' shooting ability and believes Mayo, like Bayless, can be a point guard in the NBA.


http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2008/news/story?id=3459696