Trade rumblings from espn.com (no Wolves mentioned)

[MN Die Hard]

About a month ago, we told you how NBA executives believed Pau Gasol would be the next big name traded. They were as right on that as they were wrong on Shaquille O'Neal, whom many felt was among the NBA's most untradable players.

Well, many of those same folks are now saying that Ron Artest will be the next to go, with Jason Kidd coming in a distant second.

Why a distant second?

Because as they've shopped the disgruntled Kidd, the New Jersey Nets have been presented with offers that, if accepted, would leave the Popovich Commission in an uproar. (For those of you who missed it, San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich reacted to the Gasol trade by saying there should be a committee with the power to veto NBA trades that make no sense. Mark Cuban later seconded the motion.)

Further, Kidd's representatives are trying to steer him to one of his three preferred destinations: Dallas, Cleveland or the Los Angeles Lakers, and that is scaring off other teams with the goods to get him.

Artest, meanwhile, is being publicly melancholic over his potential departure from the Kings, who are trying to include Kenny Thomas in any Artest deal.

Sources told ESPN.com that talks between the Kings and Nuggets, first reported by the Sacramento Bee, involved a larger deal than has been reported. In addition to wanting to include Thomas in their outgoing package, the Kings were believed to be seeking Linas Kleiza and Nene.

There remains a chance the talks could be restarted, sources said, if Sacramento were to drop its asking price, but the most the Nuggets are currently willing to surrender is a package of Eduardo Najera and a first-round draft pick.

"If Artest opts out like everyone expects, you're basically talking about a rent-a-player deal," said one Western Conference executive familiar with the Nuggets-Kings talks.

Another source told ESPN.com that the New York Knicks made overtures recently indicating they were willing to trade centers Eddy Curry and Jerome James for Artest and Thomas, but the Kings were balking at taking on the remaining two years and $12.8 million owed to James.

"The whole point of trying to package Artest with Thomas (due $7.9 million next season and $8.6 million in 2009-10) is to clear cap space. The Kings don't want another guy (James) clogging their cap for two more years," the source said.

The Nuggets' willingness to give up this June's first-round draft pick will keep them a player in the Artest stakes, but it also could make the difference in their pursuit of Memphis point guard Kyle Lowry, who is being shopped by the Memphis Grizzlies.

Memphis also is fielding offers for Mike Miller but is trying to include little-used, heavily compensated forward Brian Cardinal (two years remaining at $6.3M and $6.75M) in any deal.

The Nuggets, Bulls, 76ers, Heat, Warriors and Nets are among the teams seeking to acquire Lowry, the 24th overall pick in 2006 who became expandable when the Grizzlies acquired Javaris Crittenton from the Lakers in the Gasol trade.

"The Grizzlies want to have at least three first-round picks this summer," the source said.

A few other situations that are impacting the trade market:

[shrink]

Artest, meanwhile, is being publicly melancholic over his potential departure from the Kings, who are trying to include Kenny Thomas in any Artest deal.
.....
"The whole point of trying to package Artest with Thomas (due $7.9 million next season and $8.6 million in 2009-10) is to clear cap space. The Kings don't want another guy (James) clogging their cap for two more years," the source said.

Occasionally I try switch hitting, and put this together on the SAC boards.

Looking over your contract situation, I think its highly improtant to try to move, or reduce Kenny Thomas' salary, particularly with Kevin Martin's salary to navigate. I think a package of Artest + KT that would be best would be "some" expiring + "some" two year, + a late 1st.

I know there have been hundreds of SAC trades, and I've read hardly any, but if I was going to give it a try, I'd start with something like this:

SAC TRADES: Artest, Kenny Thomas
SAC GETS: Garrity (exp), Arroyo (exp), Eric Snow, Cedric Simmons, ORL 1st

SAC uses Artest value to save $8 mil in each of 2008-09, and 2009-10 to get some room to sign Kevin Martin. Kenny Thomas for Eric Snow saves a year of salary. This deal is mostly about financial rebuilding, but ORL's late pick and Cedric Simmons are tools for the future.

CLE TRADES: Drew Gooden, Eric Snow, Cedric Simmons,
CLE GETS: Ron Artest, Kenny Thomas

CLE needs something -- maybe its Artest? They upgrade from Gooden to Artest at a cost of another year of salary on the tail end (after they are out of the lux), and give up Cedric Simmons, who might be guaranteed salary they don't want Varejao. Marshall's healthy again, and maybe Kenny Thomas can help next to giant Zyd Ilgauskis. Artest agrees to a contract extension that starts in 16 months, but again, its past CLE's lux deadline.

ORL TRADES: Garrity (exp), Arroyo (exp), 2008 1st
ORL GETS: Drew Gooden

Orlando adds a legitimate big man to help under the boards, and is willing to make a three year commitment because he's young, and ORL will be tapped out for free agents for a while. This helps them play Turkoglu and Lewis more at their legitimate SF positions, and reduces injury risks to their expensive players.

[Krapinsky]

hmm....What could we give up to get Lowry? I'd be more than satisfied with a PG situation of Lowry and Telfair for the next five years.

Would they take Green + rights to Boston's first?

Would anyone be willing to give up the Miami pick? I would. I'm starting to think that one won't be as nice as we first thought, potentially in the twenties. Next year Miami will have a healthy Wade, plus Marion (most likely), plus a top 5 pick, plus a decent free agent signee (with all their expiring contracts). I think that will be good enough for top four or five in the east next year.

[shrink]

Memphis also is fielding offers for Mike Miller but is trying to include little-used, heavily compensated forward Brian Cardinal (two years remaining at $6.3M and $6.75M) in any deal.

MEM GIVES: Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal, Lowry
MEM GETS: Ratliff, JJ Redick, Gortat, ORL 1st

Why? Mike Miller may be worth $9.5 mil/yr, for three years, but Cardinal isn't close to his $6 mil for three years. Its doubtful that Miller can make up the production gap Cardinal causes, so getting Ratliff's giant expiring and a prospect is a sure win. They move their third young PG in Lowry and get a 1st and two prospects.

NO GIVES: Julian Wright, Hilton Armstrong, Bobby Jackson, Rasual Butler
NO GETS: Mike Miller, Jaric, Gerald Green

Bobby Jackson and Butler are bad contracts for NO, and they use their teen's picks to get nice current production. A few NO posters have asked about Jaric because of his perimeter defense and fit with the smaller Chris Paul and Pargo, and flexibility to help in a lot of places on a weak bench. Gerald Green is an expiring that may help on a shallow bench. However, the trade is about acquiring Mike Miller, who would be a huge upgrade at SG, allowing MoPete to be his more natural sixth man role.

Paul, Pargo
Miller, Jaric
Peja, Green
West
Chandler

Change in Team Outlook: +13.8 ppg, +3.0 rpg, and +5.9 apg.

MIN GIVES: Ratliff, Jaric, Gerald Green, Chris Richard, Craig Smith
MIN GETS: Wright, Armstrong, Bobby Jackson, Garrity, Arroyo

MIN uses a lot of expirings to facilitate other people's deals, and Craig Smith and Chris Richard and gets two decent prospects. Jaric's productive, but his deal is a little too long -- they'd prefer bringing the non-productive Bobby Jackson back home on a shorter deal. Next year they are tight on the lux, but they don't pay Richard or Smith so they might end up about the same.

ORL GIVES: Garrity, Arroyo, Reddick, Gortat, 1st
ORL GETS: Craig Smith, Cardinal, Butler, Chris Richard , Lowry

Craig Smith would operate well next to Dwight Howard, and even Cardinal might have a little use. Chris Richard goes back to his fans in Florida, and Doleac is a more useful expiring big man than Garrity. Rasual Butler needs a change of scenery, and he can play the big SG spot. ORL picks up a little salary, but secures its biggest holes for a play-off run, without giving up anything that they rely on on the court. The bigs guarantee Rashard and Turkoglu aren't forced to bang any more with PF's. Lowry comes in to help at PG

ORL Change in Team Outlook: +16.0 ppg, +10.2 rpg, and +1.2 apg.

[shrink]

Anyway, I agree with the rumors here that MEM and SAC's top priority should be to move these bad, three-year deals. I tried to find spots where they'd have a little value. The problem I see in posts here (and perhaps from the ticket-buying fanbase of each team), is that they want to see these guys gone, but getting a little talent is always more appealing than moving a lot of salary.

[shrink]

hmm....What could we give up to get Lowry? I'd be more than satisfied with a PG situation of Lowry and Telfair for the next five years.

Would they take Green + rights to Boston's first?

Would anyone be willing to give up the Miami pick? I would. I'm starting to think that one won't be as nice as we first thought, potentially in the twenties. Next year Miami will have a healthy Wade, plus Marion (most likely), plus a top 5 pick, plus a decent free agent signee (with all their expiring contracts). I think that will be good enough for top four or five in the east next year.

Good post. although we might start to get clogged at PG, I'd offer Green and the BOS pick for Lowry. I'm reluctant to give up the BOS pick too, since with the three older gentlemen over there, I think an injury could make the pick have some value in 2009.

I understand your reasoning on the MIA pick, and there's a good chance you may turn out to be correct. I would point out though that 5th place in the East would probably still be behind all 8 teams in the West, and still be the 18th pick. However, with its chance to be higher, I probably wouldn't trade him for Lowry.

[MN Die Hard]

I also agree about the Miami pick - I think Dr. K is exactly right. They have a good core (Wade, Marion, a top lottery pick) plus a couple decent role players (Haslem, Wright, Cook), and some expirings that might be turned into talent this month. And overall, I dont see the Heat satisfied to sit back and rebuild; I think they will be active and I agree 100% with Dr. K's assessment that they could be a top team in the East next year.

Now, that's what I think about the Miami pick, but I must admit I dont know much about Lowry. Not sure what the value is there, but it does appear that a good handful of teams are after him.

[theGreatRC]

Knowing the Wolves and Mchale, he does not go publicly with his trade ideas and who he is talking to.

Most of the time the trade is "close" to happening and it actually happens, so i'm not surprised.

[horaceworthy]

hmm....What could we give up to get Lowry? I'd be more than satisfied with a PG situation of Lowry and Telfair for the next five years.

Would they take Green + rights to Boston's first?

Would anyone be willing to give up the Miami pick? I would. I'm starting to think that one won't be as nice as we first thought, potentially in the twenties. Next year Miami will have a healthy Wade, plus Marion (most likely), plus a top 5 pick, plus a decent free agent signee (with all their expiring contracts). I think that will be good enough for top four or five in the east next year.

If Miami brings Marion back, they won't have much cap room (unless Marion takes a pay cut). Maybe a million or two more than the MLE. I do think they'll bounce back fairly quickly, but from where they are right now, that puts them more at a bubble playoff team next year.

[GopherIt!]

I'm reluctant to give up the BOS pick too, since with the three older gentlemen over there, I think an injury could make the pick have some value in 2009.

That's my thinking as well. Pierce isn't exactly known for having A.C. Green-like fortitude and Allen will be 33 next year. If one of those guys happens to miss any significant amount of time next season we could have ourselves a decent pick.

Miami landing Marion most likely hurt the value of the MIA pick but it did improve our chances of landing it sooner. As long as they don't land K-Beast or a similar big those could both be decent picks next year.

[twolves4]

chicago getting rasual butler as the main piece in a ben gordon deal? hell, throw mccants to them, and give us gordon!