Roster Improvement: Free Agents Now and Later?

Doc Brown wrote:Operation steal Jermaine O'Neal from Phoenix......

Weezy wrote:

Doc Brown wrote:Operation steal Jermaine O'Neal from Phoenix......

Meh, as soon as we got him he'd go down with a career ending, knee shattering injury. He's working with the fountain of youth doctors in Phoenix, he comes here and his knee would literally explode into dust the first time he came down from a shot.

Pig Miller wrote:i'm going to propose this: trade jordan hill

first off, i love his game and he's cheap at $3M a year. however, perhaps there's someone willing to trade for him who's out of it this year. in addition, with pau coming back in 8 weeks and the emergence of earl clark, there's really not many minutes left, so why not get something for him now while we still have a shot at the playoffs.

also, if we want to trade mwp, packaging him with a young cheap contract is the only way anyone even gives us a second look.

thoughts?

Pig Miller wrote:i'm going to propose this: trade jordan hill

first off, i love his game and he's cheap at $3M a year. however, perhaps there's someone willing to trade for him who's out of it this year. in addition, with pau coming back in 8 weeks and the emergence of earl clark, there's really not many minutes left, so why not get something for him now while we still have a shot at the playoffs.

also, if we want to trade mwp, packaging him with a young cheap contract is the only way anyone even gives us a second look.

thoughts?

khmrP wrote:

Pig Miller wrote:i'm going to propose this: trade jordan hill

first off, i love his game and he's cheap at $3M a year. however, perhaps there's someone willing to trade for him who's out of it this year. in addition, with pau coming back in 8 weeks and the emergence of earl clark, there's really not many minutes left, so why not get something for him now while we still have a shot at the playoffs.

also, if we want to trade mwp, packaging him with a young cheap contract is the only way anyone even gives us a second look.

thoughts?

can you trade him though because we have an injury exception for him?

lakerfan2 wrote:

Weezy wrote:I wouldn't trade Hill, you don't just go out and find someone who gives you as much hustle and production as he does easily, especially in the limited minutes he plays and for that price. Jordan Hill is one of the last players I trade, he's a great piece for the future and you'll never get equal value so why do it?

gasol+hill for love.

Source: Brandon Jennings Has 'Irreconcilable Differences' With Bucks And Wants To Play For A Bigger Market



Brandon Jennings has "irreconcilable differences" with the Milwaukee Bucks, according to one source.

Jennings is frustrated that he was unable to come to terms with the Bucks on a long-term extension, according to sources.

Jennings is also interested in playing in a bigger market.

The Bucks would be able to match any offer sheet Jennings signs this offseason should they not trade him.

Jennings recently changed agents and either wants to be traded before the deadline, or to sign an offer sheet with a rival team in the summer that is difficult for the Bucks to match.

The Dallas Mavericks, Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks are viewed as the three most likely destinations for Jennings.

Jennings refuted the report in comments to ESPN's Chris Broussard.

"That is not true," said Jennings. "That stuff never came out of my mouth."

Mavericks Interested In Brandon Jennings

Marc Stein ‏@ESPNSteinLine

Mavs, I'm told, do have interest in Brandon Jennings and will be in mix for him if Bucks opt to make RFA-to-be available b4 Feb. 21 deadline

76ers Not Interested In Josh Smith Deal



John N. Mitchell, Inquirer Staff Writer
Posted: Thursday, February 14, 2013, 2:24 AM

MILWAUKEE - Websites have speculated about a possible trade that would send Evan Turner and Spencer Hawes to Atlanta for soon-to-be unrestricted free agent Josh Smith, but such a deal would not interest the 76ers, according to two league sources with knowledge of the situation.

"Why would the Sixers be interested in making a deal for a player who can walk at the end of the season and leave them holding nothing but the bag?" one source said. "I don't see where that makes sense for them."

Although the Sixers would acquire Smith's Larry Bird rights - meaning they could sign him to a more lucrative deal than any other team - they would have no guarantee that Smith would re-sign with them.

The 6-foot-9 small forward is in his ninth season with the Hawks and in the final year of a five-year, $58 million contract. The word coming out of Atlanta is that Smith almost certainly will not re-sign with the Hawks.

GM's Convinced Hawks Have Ruled Out Keeping Josh Smith Long-Term



Danny Ferry and the Atlanta Hawks have ruled out signing Josh Smith to a new deal in the offseason, according to three rival general managers.

The GMs are convinced that Ferry will be aggressive in moving Smith before the deadline.

The best offer the Hawks are believed to have received for Smith has been Kris Humphries and MarShon Brooks from the Brooklyn Nets. But that offer is unlikely to make the Hawks budge.

"Danny's a Spur,'' one rival executive said, referring to Ferry's past work in San Antonio's front office. "So he won't give him away, but if someone comes with a good offer, Josh Smith is gone. I don't think Danny takes the Nets' deal. I think someone has to do better than that.''

Bobcats Increasingly Motivated To Trade Ben Gordon



By Adrian Wojnarowski

After a bout of disruptive behavior from Ben Gordon targeted at Charlotte Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap, the franchise's desire to trade the guard has deepened, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

As Dunlap led the Bobcats in a morning shootaround on Monday before a victory over the Celtics, Gordon refused Dunlap's request to stop bouncing a ball as the coach spoke, sources said. Before long, Gordon began baiting Dunlap, telling him that he needed to "humble himself," sources said.

Gordan refused to give the ball to Dunlap, and eventually tossed it toward a ball rack, sources said.

Bobcats general manager Rod Higgins was in the practice session and ultimately intervened, sources said.

"Beyond disrespectful," was how one league source described the scene.

The front office didn't suspend Gordon, a decision sources said was based in part on the belief the incident would diminish his trade value so close to the league's deadline next Thursday. The Brooklyn Nets are still mulling an offer to trade forward Kris Humphries for Gordon, but have thus far been unmoved over the possibility Gordon can make an impact for them, sources said.

For now, the Nets are searching elsewhere, believing they can always go back and accept the Gordon deal at the deadline. Gordon's performance has steadily fallen this season, including an unproductive 14 minutes against the Celtics that included missing five of six shots.

Gordon makes $12.4 million this season and $13.2 million in 2013-14. The Detroit Pistons traded Gordon to the Bobcats in June.

Mavericks, Warriors and Rockets Interested In Eric Gordon



By Chris Broussard | ESPN Insider

With the trade deadline just a week away, there's plenty of talking going on around the league. Most of the discussions will lead to nothing, and much of what you hear as a reporter is not worthy of a full-fledged story. But scuttlebutt is interesting nonetheless and can give you an idea of what teams are thinking and what they might seek to do in the future.

So here's what I'm hearing. I'm emptying the notebook this week to share what's blowing in the trade winds right now.

We all know Eric Gordon wanted to sign with Phoenix last summer and many around the league believe he would still rather not be in New Orleans. That's prompted several clubs to call the Hornets about Gordon's availability. Those calls, in turn, led New Orleans to start calling around to gauge Gordon's trade value.

So would New Orleans trade him?

Greg Oden Leaning Toward Signing With Cavaliers



By Sam Amico

It has been more than two years since Greg Oden last played in the NBA, but he never retired.

And when the former No. 1 pick makes himself available, people stand up and take notice -- scrambled eggs for knees or not.

Especially when that player is Oden, a 7-footer who once dominated the college game in his lone season at Ohio State.

Oden showed some serious flashes in the NBA, too. Portland selected him with the top draft pick in 2007, and in the rare moments of good health, he made an instant impact defensively. Also, in his final game with the Trail Blazers (Dec. 1, 2009), Oden snared 20 rebounds.

But, as you probably know, Oden has undergone three microfracture knee surgeries. He played in just a total of 82 games with Portland -- or the equivalent of one season.

He’s now back at Ohio State, taking classes and vowing to return to the NBA. His agent, Mike Conley Sr., has promised that Oden is now 100 percent. Conley has even predicted Oden will become an All-Star.

That would be quite a comeback, and while some teams may feel differently after having worked out Oden, several are ready to take at least take a flyer on him, as reported by FOX Sports Ohio in early January.

Both Cleveland and Charlotte are said to be prepared to make Oden an offer following the Feb. 21 trading deadline. Boston also remains interested, although it’s believed Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge won’t get into any sort of bidding war.

The Cavaliers, however, are under the cap and can afford to take a low-risk-high-reward chance on a player like Oden. Their proposal reportedly will be for two years (the rest of this season and next), with a team option for a third.

No word on what the Bobcats might be thinking.

Defending-champion Miami was another team that supposedly had a passing interest in Oden, but that’s all it was. The Heat just signed center Chris Andersen for the rest of the season, effectively removing themselves from the Oden conversation.

Oden’s camp is looking to sign this year, but for rehab purposes only. If all goes according to plan, he’ll be ready for training camp to open the 2013-14 season.

Teams such as the Cavs and Bobcats would only make an offer after the trading deadline because adding a player prior to it might hinder their opportunities to make other potential moves.

Sources said over the weekend Oden has been leaning toward the Cavs all along. If true, it would make good sense. They’re the only NBA team located in the state where he played his college ball, and he has a large and supportive following in Cleveland because of it.

Oden also likes the notion of playing on the same team as Kyrie Irving -- and considers the Cavs’ reigning Rookie of the Year the type of dynamic young point guard that could help jumpstart Oden’s rebirth, sources said.

On top of all that, the Cavs are located in the same city as the Cleveland Clinic, famed for its rehabilitation of injuries and ongoing treatment. Oden, clearly, still needs plenty of both.

Sources indicated Oden is likely to try to find the best situation in a variety of areas. That includes not just money, but opportunity.

Twitter: @SamAmicoFSO

L4L wrote:Personally, I'd like to see Pau traded to Minnesota for the pieces necessary to acquire Josh Smith. Obviously, there are important financial considerations, and we'd need a backup center absent J-Hill, but, despite concerns about fitting the MD's "system", I think Smith would actually be able to produce alongside a guy like Howard. Defense will continue to be a problem for this team. Nash and Kobe aren't getting any faster. Having another athletic big who can help erase mistakes will only help on that side of the floor. Unlike Pau, if Smith isn't given a prominent offense role, a role where he touches the ball a lot, he still produces; he is still effective. Smith plays hard, he gets back in transition, and it will, presumably, keep Howard happy. I just think he is a better basketball fit. I think the move could potentially help with chemistry. At this point, I think it is time to officially "can" the twin towers approach.

I honestly think this is a versatile, talented rotation:
Nash / Blake
Bryant / Meeks
Clark / Artest
Smith / Jamison / Clark
Howard / Smith? FA Signing (K-Mart)?