http://forums.warriorsworld.net/main/msgs/733144.phtml Includes Kidd open to the possibility of joining Warriors, possible players shipped back are Robinson, Davis and Dunleavy. By Chad Ford NBA Insider An unprecedented number of stars changed teams this summer in what amounted to a perfect storm of trade talk and action. Shaquille O'Neal, Tracy McGrady, Steve Francis, Lamar Odom, Kenyon Martin, Antawn Jamison, Gary Payton, Antoine Walker, Jason Terry and Al Harrington were among the big names traded. Two of them - Shaq and T-Mac - were considered untouchable before things went sour. Spurred on by the uncommon amount of trade activity, a number of other stars - including Vince Carter, Jason Kidd, Peja Stojakovic, Baron Davis, and Shareef Abdur-Rahim - asked for their walking papers, too. Their teams were more patient, though, waiting through the summer and fall to get a better handle on their own teams and the trade market. Now that games have begun, holes have been exposed and phones are ringing again. Who are most likely to be wearing new uniforms by the Feb. 24 trade deadline? Insider made some phone calls, crunched some numbers and gives you the skinny on 15 guys who should keep their bags packed this winter. The vets Vince Carter, Raptors Vince Carter With his Raptors off to a 3-0 start, is Carter still anxious to leave Toronto? What a difference three victories in a row makes. Before the season Carter asked for a trade, claiming, in part, that he was tired of playing on a team that didn't have a real shot at the title. Now that they're 3-0, with impressive wins against the Rockets, Pistons and Blazers, can we safely assume Carter is off the block? With Chris Bosh improving and a real point guard (Rafer Alston) by his side, wouldn't Carter prefer to stick around? Let's wait and see on this. The team is off to a promising start, but no one wants to get carried away yet. The Raptors have no center to speak of, and Carter is another jumper's knee away from watching his trade value slip out the window again. The plan in Toronto all along was to get Vince out on the floor, prove he was healthy and, hopefully, improve his trade value. If the Raptors get the right offer, they'll pull the trigger - but they still haven't seen anything that would convince them to ship Carter out of Toronto. The offers will get better if the Raptors keep winning. But then again, if they're winning, would the Raptors really pull the trigger? Jason Kidd, Nets This is a no-brainer. Once Kidd returns to the court in December and proves he's healthy - he already is telling people privately he feels great - the trade talks will begin in earnest. Kidd wants it to happen, and the Nets know it's also the best option for them. Why doesn't it happen now? His trade value is just too low to gauge where he might end up- hypotheticals rarely work in trade discussions. If he proves healthy, Kidd has his list of teams: The Timberwolves, Nuggets, Lakers, Mavericks and Spurs. Some of them - read the Wolves, Mavs and Nuggets - are more interested than others. Of the three, the Wolves and Mavs are in the best position to make a trade that makes sense for the Nets. The Nets hope to include Alonzo Mourning in any trade scenario and want to get back young players and/or significant cap relief in return. The Blazers, Sonics and Warriors may actually be in the best position to make something like that happen, but will Kidd green light a trade to any of them? Kidd has told his agent the Sonics and Blazers are out. The Warriors are a different story. They might be the one bad team he'd have some interest in joining. Kidd is from Oakland and believes the Warriors, like the Nets before he joined them, might be one good veteran away from turning things around. The Warriors have both the expiring contracts (Dale Davis, Cliff Robinson) and the young players (Mike Dunleavy, Mickael Pietrus and/or Speedy Claxton) to make a deal like that happen. Ray Allen, Sonics Negotiations between the Sonics and Allen have been going on for more than a month with progress reported by both sides. But the gap between them is still pretty wide. Allen becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer if the Sonics don't work out something now. He claims he's gone if they can't cut a deal before the deadline. The Sonics may be better off trading him now, and they know it. The team is going nowhere, and signing Allen to long-term contract kills any cap flexibility. With Allen off the books, the Sonics will have roughly $18 million in cap space going into the summer. If he gets the max deal he's looking for, almost all of it will be gone. The key is getting back a young player and an expiring contract, the way the Bucks did when they swapped Allen for Gary Payton and Desmond Mason. The Blazers and the Raptors have the interest and the players to make a deal with the Sonics. Peja Stojakovic, Kings The Kings are off to a miserable 0-3 start, and rumors of their demise grow louder by the day. Why the Kings turned down a straight-up swap of Ron Artest-for-Stojakovic last summer is beyond us. They need Artest's defense and effort more than they need Stojakovic's sharpshooting at the moment. If things continue to disintegrate in Sacramento (and I'm not sure they will), the Kings seriously will have to consider trading him. They'd prefer to move Chris Webber, but his contract is virtually untradable right now. Mike Bibby and Brad Miller aren't going anywhere. Stojakovic is the only asset they have that can bring back a great player or two who might be able to help them turn things around. The Pacers are still an option, though Artest has played great for them so far. The Bulls, Lakers and Suns also showed interest this summer. Baron Davis, Hornets Baron wants out. If he left, would anyone notice? Not only are the Hornets off to an 0-3 start, but there aren't enough people in the stands to notice if he was gone. That's the double-edge sword the Hornets face. They probably aren't going to be good enough to win the fans back with Davis. So, are they better off financially without him? If things continue to regress in New Orleans, the Hornets might have no choice but to shake things up to survive financially. The Hornets might be better off trying to pawn Jamaal Magloire off for Carter, banking on a Carter-Davis backcourt providing a spike in attendance. However, with the way the Raptors are playing right now, that has a very slim chance of happening. Michael Redd, Bucks The Bucks want to keep Redd. Can they afford to? He's another unrestricted free agent who will play the field this summer. A number of teams, including the Clippers, Cavs and Nuggets, are trying to position themselves to make a run at him. If he ends up getting a max offer, will the Bucks have the resources to match? Even more to the point, would Redd return to the Bucks even if they did? The Bucks have insurance at the two with Desmond Mason and still need lots of help on the front line. A popular rumor last week had Eddy Curry headed to the Bucks for Redd, but that has since been shot down by the Bucks, I've been told. Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Blazers The Blazers gave him the starting nod at small forward over Darius Miles in an effort to get his trade value up. Not only is Rahim capable of averaging 20 ppg, he's also in the last year of his contract. That's an enticing combination for someone. Who? The Timberwolves showed the most interest over the summer. There might not be a better fit for Shareef in the league than playing next to Kevin Garnett. The Sonics and Nets also have shown heavy interest. Wally Szczerbiak, Timberwolves Who would the Wolves give up for Shareef? They were offering a combo of Wally and Ervin Johnson this summer. The Knicks have also inquired, offering a combination of Kurt Thomas and Moochie Norris, which the Wolves wisely turned down. The Cavs, too, have shown interest, though it would probably take Zydrunas Ilgauskas to pry him away. Now that Wally is healthy and putting up decent numbers, his stock should be back on the rise. Latrell Sprewell, Timberwolves Latrell Sprewell Will Sprewell, left, finish the season in another team's colors? Spree is demanding a trade if the Wolves don't work out a contract extension with him. The two sides have been bickering over the amount for the past month, with Spree looking for a very unrealistic $40 million over the next three years. He's threatening to bolt the team next summer if his demands aren't met. The Wolves aren't crazy enough to cave in at those numbers and might want to start looking for a replacement. Spree has value because he's in the last year of his contract. A trade of Spree and Sam Cassell for Kidd and Mourning works under the cap and might be a last resort for New Jersey. The Nets could dump Spree and clear another $14 million in cap room next summer. They could turn around and find a third team for Cassell, hoping a veteran team would give up a young player or two for a premiere point guard. Glenn Robinson, Sixers The Big Dog will either be traded or released by the Sixers. Head coach Jim O'Brien decided Robinson didn't fit the team's plan and gave the starting job to Andre Iguodala. He's since put Robinson on the IL. Is anyone interested? Robinson is in the last year of his contract and might be enticing to a team trying to cut payroll, but few teams are interested in him for his basketball skills. The teams that have been calling are trying to get the Sixers to package him with Samuel Dalembert, something the Sixers, so far (see below), have been reluctant to do. The kids Eddy Curry, Bulls The Bulls just appear to be going in a different direction. GM John Paxson and head coach Scott Skiles are emphasizing effort, grit and mental toughness. Curry lacks all three. While no one is doubting his skills, what choice do the Bulls really have but to trade him? They have to hope the piece they get back adds more to the team chemistry than Curry's individual worth. The Grizzlies made a run at Curry this summer and could offer the backcourt help the Bulls desperately need, with either Mike Miller or James Posey. Other teams, including the Raptors, Bucks, Timberwolves, Suns, Sonics and Wizards, would have to take a serious look. Samuel Dalembert, Sixers The Sixers failed to get an extension done with him and know they now face the prospect Dalembert could earn huge bucks on the free-agent market next summer. To make matters worse, early on, Dalembert hasn't been a favorite of head coach Jim O'Brien, who has been frustrated with Dalembert's inability to fit into his new defensive structure. While the Sixers claim they don't want to trade Dalembert and have rebuffed all offers so far, he's going to be popular around the trade deadline, especially if he continues to be underused by O'Brien. The Mavs, Hawks, Bobcats and Cavs all have serious interest. The last three teams will have enough cap room to sign him outright in the summer. If the Sixers decide they aren't going to be willing to pay him big dollars, it might be time to pick up the phone. Nene Hilario, Nuggets Just about every team in the league made a play or flirted with making a play for Nene this summer once the Nuggets traded for Kenyon Martin. The Nuggets have maintained they like the depth they have with Martin, Marcus Camby and Nene. However, Nene is still lukewarm to coming off the bench. With the team now in desperate need of a shooting guard, is it time to start talking trade? The Nuggets would prefer to move Nikoloz Tskitishvili, but if they could land an All-Star caliber two guard in return, they'd have to consider trading Nene, wouldn't they? The Bucks, Grizzlies and Mavs all have great depth at the position and would have serious interest in bringing Nene into the fold. Vladimir Radmanovic, Sonics He has wanted out for more than a year, and now that the Sonics are stacked at power forward, they may no longer have an excuse. The two sides never came close this fall to working out an extension and, in all likelihood, the Sonics won't match a significant offer for Radmanovic once he hits restricted free agency this summer. Would a combo of Radmanovic and Ronald Murray for the Clippers' Chris Wilcox get it done? Chris Wilcox, Clippers Whenever he's given the chance, Wilcox has shined for the Clippers, so why would they entertain a trade for their third-year forward? Wilcox is stuck behind Elton Brand on the depth chart. He's getting minutes now while Chris Kaman recovers from injury, but he has to play out of position to do it. Once Kaman returns, the minutes will begin to dwindle. With so many teams yearning for athletic big men, the Clippers could name their price for Wilcox. The Sonics, Bucks, Grizzlies and Mavs all have the firepower to get something done. Around the league # Is Knicks president Isiah Thomas already sharpening the axe for Lenny Wilkens? The Knicks disclosed Monday that Wilkens' longtime lead assistant, Dick Helm, was asked to step down. Wilkens recently had refused a request by Thomas that Helm be moved off the bench into a smaller role. His replacement? Isiah confidant and Knicks director of player personnel Brendan Suhr. Thomas was said to be unhappy with the way Helm was helping Wilkens with game management and substitution issues and asked Suhr, who has a more direct line to Thomas, to come in and help Wilkens in those areas. Is it just a matter of time before Thomas drops the façade and jumps into the lead role himself? Thomas is denying it, but if the Knicks don't get things turned around quickly, either Thomas or his surrogate, Suhr, likely will step in. # Want more evidence the new rules supposed to increase scoring are in full effect? The Utah Jazz had six games last season when they scored 100 or more points. They've passed the century mark in all four games this year. That certainly says something about the Jazz, who dominated the Nuggets again more than the final score indicated Monday night. But with teams no longer able to forearm check their opponents, teams like the Jazz, who use a series of precision cuts and movement to score, are going to be among the biggest beneficiaries. On the other end of the spectrum, the Pistons are going to suffer. The tough, physical defense that won them a championship is no longer allowed, and through their first four games, including a double-overtime effort against the Clippers on Monday, they've looked mortal. # Jason Richardson showed a few signs Monday why Chris Mullin was comfortable throwing $70 million his way. Richardson hit an unbelievable 3-pointer with Michael Finley and Josh Howard in his face at the buzzer to put the Mavs-Warriors game into overtime. Richardson is one of the few guys in the league capable of making a shot like that. His 43-inch vertical leap combined with great physical strength allowed him to rise above both defenders to get his bearings before firing away. # Dallas looked like the old Mavs during the first quarter Monday night, giving up 30 points to the Warriors, the worst-scoring team in the league. However in the second half, the Mavs ramped up the defensive intensity and held the Warriors to just 31 points, including a 10-point third quarter. During that stretch, was anyone better for the Mavs than second-year forward Josh Howard? If the Mavs make a big run this year, he's going to be a big part of it. # Wizards head coach Eddie Jordan breaks down the reality of the league's most lethal duo - Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade. "Going into the [first] game, it's like, 'How do you stop Shaq? What are you going to do?' Now, coming out of that game, you're like, 'How do you stop Wade?' "
Man, if that trade of Cassell/Sprewell for Kidd/Mourning ever goes through, that is truely a scary team for the Wolves. There would be questions about both Mourning's & Kidd's health, but that team would be stacked. The article mentions the Nets could then ship Cassell off somewhere else. Maybe the Rockets could get in on that then. If the Sixers ever back down on not including Dalembert in a deal, I would hope the Rockets would make something happen for G. Robinson. His contract comes off the books and we would get a young, athletic defensive forward as well. Nene & Wilcox are two other guys that I wouldn't mind seeing in the red & silver as well.
man I would love all the players on that list especially a healthy JKidd but im too worried about his knee/health. if we could somehow snag a Nene (i doubt Denver would trade him to a Western team) maybe do a threeway.. J
That will be a great 3 way deal, Wolves gets Kidd and Mourning, like you said, they will be a scarey team. Nets let Sprewell walks at the end of the season, and trade Cassell to Houston for our TE, with ton of cap space and 16mil of TE, they can start the rebuilding process right away. With help from Cassell, our team can really go somewhere.
These aren't rumored deals as much as speculation. Don't underestimate Sammy and Spree's value to Wolves, BTW.
realistically what would it take for the rockets to get wilcox? he was pretty amazing last night against the pistons
Samuel Dalembert is the one I would want off of that list. High energy guy that can play either forward spot.
Oh man, I hope the T-wolves can move Spree and SamIam for Kidd and Mourning. I know that makes things tougher on the Rockets, but I really want them to stick to those two for the way they have behaved this offseason.
the sonics are looking to move radmanovic. we would make a good offer....he would be a perfect fit at the 3 for us.
Wilcox or Nene would be great. I prefer Wilcox, he is so athletic, and we need quicker players. EVERYWHERE !! DD
Out of that long list, the only guys that are somewhat attainable are Radman and Wilcox, but both are longshots. A first rounder plus some use of the TE may be able to land Radman if Lewis continues to play through his injury. Not sure if he's worth the trouble though, esp if he's demanding a steep deal. Wilcox, meh, longshot, but never underestimate the ineptness of the Clipps braintrust. Nene? No chance. Big Dog is intriguing, but only if we could get him for utter trash, like spoon + te.
I'd take either Nene or Radmanovic. One's a fantastic shooter, the other is a crazy dunk machine. We could use either one. Honestly, I don't think we can pull off a trade for any of these guys...
