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The Washington Wizards have acquired Minnesota Timberwolves guards Randy Foye(notes) and Mike Miller(notes) for Etan Thomas(notes), Oleksiy Pecherov(notes) and Darius Songaila and the fifth pick in Thursday’s NBA draft, a league executive with knowledge of the deal told Yahoo! Sports.

Mavs trade No. 22 for three picks

The Portland TrailBlazers agreed to trade the 24th, 56th and worst of their second round picks in 2010 to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday for the 22nd pick in Thursday's NBA draft, according to a league source.

The trade has been agreed to in principle by the two teams. It should be finalized by the league office later today.

Shaq to Cavs deal

The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns have come to an agreement on a blockbuster trade that sends Shaquille O'Neal to Cleveland to team with LeBron James, according to sources.

The deal has been agreed to in principle and is expected to be finalized Thursday, according to sources. Cleveland will send Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic to Phoenix for the future Hall of Famer. Sources said the Suns will also receive the 46th pick in Thursday's NBA draft and $500,000.

Knicks buy Lakers’ pick
By Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports Jun 24, 1:15 pm EDT

New York Knicks officials are telling peers they have purchased the Lakers’ No. 29 pick. The Knicks are planning to draft a point guard with their choice at No. 8, and sources say they’re targeting a big man at 29.

Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak said on Wednesday the team hoped to sell its pick and use to money to help re-sign free agents Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza

5DOM wrote:I have a feeling the Clipper will take Blake Griffin.

The Portland TrailBlazers agreed to trade the 24th, 56th and worst of their second round picks in 2010 to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday for the 22nd pick in Thursday's NBA draft, according to a league source.

The trade has been agreed to in principle by the two teams. It should be finalized by the league office later today.

Hinrich to Portland?

From Yahoo!

Chicago Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich(notes) is telling friends that he thinks he’ll be dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers, who have interest in pairing him with Brandon Roy(notes) in the backcourt. …

Speaking of point guards….Jason Kidd, Andre Miller and even Steve Nash have been linked to the Blazers of late. And while any of those three would be a solid fit for Portland, word is management is torn about Chicago’s Kirk Hinrich. It’s not Hinrich’s talent that is in question. It’s his character.

Team in Top 10 Targeting Outlaw?

We already know Travis Outlaw has plenty of suitors, but one Eastern Conference team – one in the top ten in this year’s draft actually – is heavily interested in Outlaw according to one source. The team is said to love that Travis can get out and go on offense. But will he go on draft night?

The Blazers have been making inquiries all over the first round. Their main target has been Pittsburgh's DeJuan Blair, a burly power forward who plays with a toughness the Blazers lack and coach Nate McMillan would appreciate.

But trading for the No. 5 pick is far from a done deal, as the price would be high for the Blazers. The Wizards want any team interested in the No. 5 pick to take Etan Thomas off their hands -- a move that could eat into the Blazers' cap space this summer. The deal almost certainly would cost the Blazers some young talent, like Bayless, Travis Outlaw or Batum.

If the Bulls re-sign Ben Gordon to a big contract this summer, they are going to have to part ways with Hinrich to be able to afford it. The Bulls are dangerously close to the luxury tax as it is, and gving Gordon a big deal would put them over the top. Enter the Blazers, who will have the cap space to absorb Hinrich's deal and put the Bulls back under the tax threshold.

SPEARS: Latest draft rumors, including new Rondo whispers

In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, here is what I've accumulated thus far with the NBA Draft arriving Thursday:

* While Memphis is expected to draft UConn center Hasheem Thabeet at No. 2, there are rumors that Minnesota could be interested in trading its newly acquired fifth and sixth picks for the No. 2 pick to get Spanish guard Ricky Rubio.

* While there has been talk around the NBA from several scouts that the Celtics have been shopping guard Rajon Rondo, he isn't expected to be dealt. While unlikely, one Eastern Conference executive said the latest trade rumor included Rondo and forward Brian Scalabrine going to Memphis for guard Mike Conley and swingman Rudy Gay. On the flip side, one NBA GM said that he asked Celtics president Danny Ainge about Rondo and Ainge said he didn't want to trade him.

* Portland and Phoenix are interested in trading for one of Minnesota's two picks in the top 10 (No. 5 or No. 6).

* If Davidson guard Stephen Curry is gone before New York selects at No. 8, the Knicks would likely lean toward drafting Duke guard Gerald Henderson, with USC forward DeMar DeRozan also getting strong consideration. While the Knicks have some interest in Italian Roma Lottomatica guard Brandon Jennings, there is talk he could drop to the mid-teens.

* One NBA scout said he wouldn't be surprised if Kentucky guard Jodie Meeks doesn't get drafted until the mid-to-late second round since he is a one-dimensional scorer.

* North Carolina forward Tyler Hansbrough's stock is rising. While Atlanta, Utah, and New Orleans have interest, he will likely get picked before they got a chance to snatch him.

* Detroit is interested in Gonzaga forward Austin Daye and Ohio State center B.J. Mullens with the 15th pick. Chicago also has interest in Mullens and Israel forward Omri Casspi.

* Sacramento, which has the fourth pick, has had three visits with Holiday.

* While Memphis combo-guard Tyreke Evans may have point guard skills and is extremely gifted offensively, several scouts said he thinks shoot first, second, and third.

* Don't be surprised if new Milwaukee forward Bruce Bowen gets bought out of his $4 million contract next season and becomes an unrestricted free agent.

* Here's a shot in the dark at who the Celtics will pick at 58th: Southern Illinois defensive-minded guard Bryan Mullins.

* Key guys to keep an eye on as possible trade bait Thursday include Cleveland forward-center Ben Wallace, New Jersey swingman Vince Carter, Orlando guard Rafer Alston, a Los Angeles Clipper big man named either Marcus Camby (most likely him), Chris Kaman or Zach Randolph and New York forward-center David Lee.

Knicks buy Lakers’ pick
By Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports Jun 24, 1:15 pm EDT

New York Knicks officials are telling peers they have purchased the Lakers’ No. 29 pick.

The Knicks are planning to draft a point guard with their choice at No. 8, and sources say they’re targeting a big man at 29.

Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak said on Wednesday the team hoped to sell its pick and use to money to help re-sign free agents Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza

Knicks Reportedly Buy the 28th pick From Minny

According to NY Newsday's Alan Hahn via Twitter:

Knicks bought Minnesota's 28th pick. DW has 2 first rounders now...the plot thickens....

Knicks Trying To Get 3rd Overall Pick?

The New York Knicks, who currently have the eighth overall pick, are trying to acquire the No. 3 pick from Oklahoma City. The Knicks are targeting Curry, whose dad, Dell, played for the Bucks during the 1998-99 season.

Knicks Trying To Buy 28th Pick

ESPN Insider Andrew Marchand: A league executive tell me, the Knicks may reignite talks to buy the Timberwolves pick at No. 28

The best opportunity may come with the Wizards' pick at No. 5, though it would come at a very steep price. Multiple sources confirmed that the Knicks have discussed a potential blockbuster trade between the teams that would land the fifth overall pick and allow the Knicks to keep their spot at No. 8. The deal likely would have to include one of the team's most valuable assets, swingman Wilson Chandler, which would be a difficult decision.

This scenario also might include Larry Hughes going back to Washington in exchange for guard Mike James, a Long Island product, and a big man such as Etan Thomas or Brendan Haywood. All of the players involved have expiring contracts.

The bold move by the Knicks, however, would not be to target Thabeet or even Spanish guard Ricky Rubio. It appears more likely that Davidson's Stephen Curry or Memphis' Tyreke Evans are the more coveted prospects.

The Knicks then could use their own pick at No. 8 to land Arizona power forward Jordan Hill, if he still is on the board. If not, there is Duke's Gerald Henderson or USC's DeMar DeRozan to consider as potential replacements for Chandler.

Second, the Knicks have had talks with the Wizards about acquiring the No. 5 pick. If the Knicks draft a point guard there, they'd likely go in another direction with their second first-round pick. Their offer was Larry Hughes for Etan Thomas and Mike James and the fifth pick. The Wizards were once high on Hughes and are in the market for a veteran player who can propel the team to a championship right now. They'd save some money in the deal, get a player who could help them … but is that enough for the No. 5 pick?

Bulls targeting Henderson, Nets rejected deal for #11
Doug Thonus on 06.23.09

Sources close to have informed me that the Bulls were targeting Gerald Henderson in their potential trade up to pick #11. The Nets, at least for now, have rejected their offer, so the Bulls will stand pat at #16. Of course, this could always change on draft day depending on how the draft goes.

To me, this isn't all that surprising. Henderson fits much of the Bulls M.O. He's has the high character background, major college program, and defensive mentality. He's also athletic and has some upside offensively.

Personally, Henderson didn't do tons to impress me as a high ceiling player, but I'd be quite happy if he was wearing a Bulls hat at the end of draft day. He'll fit in as a solid contributor to the team whether he's replacing Gordon or working with with him next year.

There's still a chance Henderson will fall to the Bulls at #16 on draft day.

The Bulls have held trade talks with several teams about packaging picks Nos. 16 and 26 into one higher selection, with two league sources insisting the target is Duke shooting guard Gerald Henderson.

"We may take a point guard if we feel that's the best player available," general manager Gar Forman said at a Berto Center news conference.

"We've also had talks with teams about moving back," Forman said. "And we've had talks with teams where either with one or both of our picks, we move out."

Forman said should they stay at No. 16, the Bulls still are strongly considering "five or six players."

Forman said trade talk involving potential 2010 free agents such as Suns forward Amare Stoudemire and Raptors big man Chris Bosh has been minimal. ESPN.com resurrected an old rumor in which Portland could target guard Kirk Hinrich in a draft-day deal.

But Forman said the Bulls' backcourt situation, which includes Ben Gordon's unrestricted free agency as of July 1, isn't driving draft-day decisions.

"We're analyzing this draft by itself," he said.

Forman said it's possible if the Bulls keep No. 26 that they would draft a player under contract overseas, which they did in the second round last year with Turkish center Omer Asik.

"At the same time, we're still looking at players that maybe we feel don't get to 16 but are worthwhile for us to move up (to draft)," Forman said. "We probably have more options than some teams because we have the two first-round picks.

Here are some of the latest things I am hearing

* The Jazz have big interest in James Johnson but he will not be on the board at 20 so they would have to move up. Could they move CJ to get up in the draft. Would you do that?

* The two guys slipping right now are DeMar DeRozen and Jrue Holliday.

* For those of you that are Tyler Hansborough fans I just got off the phone with a Director of Personal and we did a mock that had Hansborough available at 20.

* DuJuan Blair was also on the board, the guy I talked to said his knees are a real issue.

* If Brandon Jennings doesn't get taken by 13 he might just get all the way to 20. He also might not be that good

* Talked to a coach in the NBA who had just been watching film of Eric Maynor and said he doesn't like him at all. He doesn't see anything that makes him believe he is an NBA Player.

LINK

Grizzlies Still Shopping #2 Pick

The Grizzlies also are still shopping their pick and one potential trade may persuade them to part with it. A source in Memphis says the Rockets have offered Shane Battier and Aaron Brooks for No. 2. The Grizzlies could send them the dreaded Marko Jaric contract back and save some face in the draft if they did it. Who are the Rockets after? That is the question ...

Kings/Grizzlies Rumor here:
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/20 ... es-to-die/

Kings deal:
Thompson/Garcia

Grizz receive:
#2

Minnesota planning on obtaining the #2 pick from Memphis for 5 OR 6 and 18.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4282636

The Washington Wizards have acquired Minnesota Timberwolves guards Randy Foye(notes) and Mike Miller(notes) for Etan Thomas(notes), Oleksiy Pecherov(notes) and Darius Songaila and the fifth pick in Thursday’s NBA draft, a league executive with knowledge of the deal told Yahoo! Sports.

Hasheem Thabeet to the Memphis Grizzlies?

Memphis looks like they have finally made a decision with the No. 2 pick, and the dominos are starting to fall as a result. The Grizzlies will stay put and select UConn defensive stopper Hasheem Thabeet. That leaves Ricky Rubio's destination up in the air.

Ricky Rubio to the OKC Thunder?

According to Yahoo Sports:

The Oklahoma City Thunder have hired a prestigious Barcelona law firm to assist them should they draft Spanish guard Ricky Rubio.

Rubio has a large buyout with Spanish team DKV Joventut Badalona, and Thunder officials are using the firm to brief them on the country’s contract law and procedures. Thunder GM Sam Presti met with Rubio and his agent this past weekend.

Rubio reportedly has made progress on lowering his buyout to $4 million, still a hefty cost, but he also reportedly could be allowed to make payments over several years.[/b]

Speaking of Rubio, do we have a second player openly telling the Grizzlies that they aren’t interested in playing in Memphis? From what we can gather, it doesn’t seem like Thabeet’s camp is all that enamored with the direction Memphis is heading in

At this point, Kahn is holding firm on not putting Kevin Love on the table for the right to move up in the draft, and is instead trying to acquire another pick to entice Memphis to swap with them. As other media outlets have reported, they are targeting Washington’s #5 pick, but are only offering some combination of Randy Foye, Mike Miller and the #18 pick, which probably won’t get it done

As messy as the rest of the top five sounds, Sacramento’s situation might be the most confusing. It’s looking more and more clear that the Kings are not nearly as enamored with Ricky Rubio as they once were, for a number of reasons. The official party line is that Sacramento is concerned that Rubio will struggle to assert his leadership ability on the group of players they currently have in place, due to the fact that he’s only 18 years old and not a native English speaker.

One trade that has reportedly been offered by the Charlotte Bobcats that may help on that front would involve packaging Kelenna Azubuike and Marco Belinelli in exchange for Raja Bell. The Warriors are pondering the offer, but would have to get Azubuike’s consent to make the trade unless they decided to wait until July 24th.

According to an NBA source, super active Minnesota Timberwolves GM David Kahn has offered Mike Miller to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Chris Kaman. The Clippers shot down that trade, but countered with Marcus Camby.

In response, Blair’s camp retrieved an MRI from November of 2008 done at Pittsburgh for doctors to compare with the MRI of his knees from the pre-draft camp earlier this month. The specialists found that there had been “no deterioration in the situation of his knees whatsoever over the course of the season,” which has been conveyed to the doctors of various NBA teams that are most interested in Blair at the moment.

League executives say Philadelphia 76ers forward Elton Brand(notes) and the four years and $65 million left on his contract are available. But as one Western Conference GM said: “Who’s going to take that with him missing 130 games in the past two years?”

Eric Smith just said on the fan590 that a top 5 player in the draft agent has approached Colangelo telling him his player wants to play in Toronto.

Raptors' Draft Shortlist

Jrue Holiday, G, UCLA
Raps have great interest in the 6-foot-3 guard who played out of position; they envision him playing alongside Jose Calderon in a backcourt sometimes.

Jonny Flynn, G, Syracuse
He's smallish at 6 feet but tenacious at both ends of the court.

Tyreke Evans, G, Memphis
It would take some shifts in what's expected to happen above them for the Raptors to have a shot at this explosive two-guard.

Demar DeRozan, G-F, USC
He's only 18, but that's a plus because it will give him time to work on a suspect jumper. On pure athleticism, there are few better in the draft.

James Johnson, G, Wake Forest
He has to lose some weight and get into better shape but he'd be a big small forward at 6-7 to throw out there with Bosh and Bargnani.

Jordan Hill, F, Arizona
A 6-10 power forward may not be exactly what the Raptors need but he's at least good insurance against a Bosh departure – if Hill falls to No. 9, that is

Colangelo Hints At Who Raptors Might Take
Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo hinted at who the team might draft in a recent radio interview.

Toronto has the ninth overall pick in next Thursday's NBA Draft.

"We're looking really at the guard and wing position ... A couple of point guards, a couple of wings, and maybe one small forward that we'd be looking at," Colangelo told The Fan 590 in Toronto. "The two wings would be DeMar DeRozan and Gerald Henderson, the two point guards would be Jrue Holiday, and Jonny Flynn, and you're probably looking at James Johnson as a possibility who was a great player at Wake Forest this past year, came out early and he's another talented player we would consider there."

The Pacers seem to be leaning toward going with either a point guard (Jennings, Maynor, Lawson or, if one of them falls, Jrue Holiday or Jonny Flynn) or one of two big guys, Blair and Hansbrough.

Behind the scenes, there has been a lot of talk and maneuevering, as these teams try to figure out who will be available. The Pacers, Suns and Bulls have all talked with teams about moving up and down in the draft. The Bulls seem to be trying to leapfrog the others by acquiring the Nets' No. 11 pick, and are dangling No. 16 and No. 26. The Suns have tried to get up higher in the lottery, as have the Pacers

Sources: Nets, Magic agree to trade
By Chad Ford
ESPN.com

The New Jersey Nets have agreed to a trade in principle with the Magic that will send Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson to Orlando for Rafer Alston, Tony Battie and Courtney Lee, two league sources told ESPN.com.

The talks have reached a point that a deal could be done by the end of the day Thursday, according to sources.

The trade would give the Magic even more star power on their quest to win an NBA championship. The addition of Carter to a lineup that already consists of All-Star players Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson would make Orlando the favorite to win the Eastern Conference title next year if the franchise also finds a way to bring back Hedo Turkoglu, who will opt out of his contract this summer.

As for the Nets, the move is a cost-cutting measure. Both Alston and Battie are in the last year of their contracts, and trading for them would shave $16.5 million off New Jersey's roster in the summer of 2010 and put the Nets well below the salary cap.

Over the life of the contracts, the Nets would save $40 million by making the deal.

The deal, if completed, would also give the Nets a young, promising shooting guard in Lee.

With the 11th selection in the 2009 NBA draft, the Nets are likely to select Louisville's Terrance Williams, sources tell ESPN.com.

The Chicago Bulls are trying to convince the New Jersey Nets to take their 16th and 26th picks to move to No. 11, and one Eastern Conference executive says Chicago’s target is Wake Forest forward James Johnson.

Some say Johnson has been slipping and could be available at No. 16, but no one seems sure about anything in this draft.

The Nets are considering the proposal. They’ve been intrigued by Louisville shooting guard Terrence Williams at No. 11, but could be willing to drop down with the belief that North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough could be available at 16.

the Nets have had no conversation with the Cavaliers since mid-February regarding Vince Carter for anybody, much less Sasha Pavlovic and Ben Wallace, who talked about retiring but is not about to forfeit $14M.

From Chad Ford's draft buzz:

Did Louisville's Terrence Williams get a promise from the Charlotte Bobcats? Williams went back for a second workout with the Bobcats on Monday against Gerald Henderson. Sources said after the workout that Williams met with the Bobcats and might have walked away with a promise that the Bobcats would take him at No. 12.

Sure enough, the word out of New Jersey on Tuesday morning is that Williams pulled out of his workout against Henderson with the Nets today, citing an ankle injury.

Chicago has talked to the Nets, Bobcats and Pacers about swapping No. 16 and No. 26 to get into the lottery. It sounds like the Bulls are down to one potential trade partner in the lottery.

The Nets are leaning strongly toward keeping their pick at No. 11. And if the Bobcats made a promise to Williams at No. 12, they're out, too. That leaves the Pacers at No. 13.

Kupchak says first-round trade likely

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers will likely unload at least one of their three draft picks.

They have the 29th pick in the first round and the 42nd and 59th picks in the second round of Thursday's draft.

General manager Mitch Kupchak said Wednesday that there was a "better than even likelihood" the team would get rid of its first-round pick.

"There's a lot of interest, absolutely," he said. "Certain teams, they may want to preserve cap space for the next year or two and they may need to add players. A good way to add talent at a fixed price is to have a lot of draft choices and then you can still maintain cap space a year from now."

Source: Rockets Turn Down Offer From Lakers

The Lakers contacted the Rockets about dealing for Jordan Farmar or purchasing their first-round pick.

Houston turned Los Angeles down, according to a pair of NBA sources.

The Lakers would be expected to get anywhere from $500,000 to $1 million for the 29th overall pick.

"Absolutely," general manager Mitch Kupchak said when asked if the club would considering dealing the selection. "Sure."

The76thDegree wrote:a trade rumor from out insider has dalembert going to bobcats for nazr, vlad radd and either a second rounder or swapping our 17 for their 12th pick - I believe most on our board dislike this while I do like it - noone wants dally and want him even less since he has a trade kicker so I would unload him for whatever esp if we dont have to give up a pick to do it

The76thDegree wrote:a trade rumor from out insider has dalembert going to bobcats for nazr, vlad radd and either a second rounder or swapping our 17 for their 12th pick - I believe most on our board dislike this while I do like it - noone wants dally and want him even less since he has a trade kicker so I would unload him for whatever esp if we dont have to give up a pick to do it

Shaq to Cavs deal
By Chris Broussard

The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns have come to an agreement on a blockbuster trade that sends Shaquille O'Neal to Cleveland to team with LeBron James, according to sources.

The deal has been agreed to in principle and is expected to be finalized Thursday, according to sources. Cleveland will send Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic to Phoenix for the future Hall of Famer. Sources said the Suns will also receive the 46th pick in Thursday's NBA draft and $500,000.

Cleveland Cavaliers' draft affected by NBA trades Tuesday
by Brian Windhorst/Plain Dealer Reporter
Wednesday June 24, 2009, 12:14 AM

Over the past six months, the Cavaliers' front office has been in the business of creating and then evaluating options to alter the team's roster. At the trade deadline in February they decided to hold off; now the team might be getting ready to pounce.

The NBA summer transaction season swung into gear Tuesday, two days before the league's draft, with a flurry of trades. Some of them directly affected the Cavs and it may push them closer to beginning their expected tweaks to the team heading into the pivotal 2009-10 season.

Multiple league sources indicated Tuesday that the Cavs are now mulling some offers to move up significantly from the 30th pick in the draft. Most involve largely economic deals that would require the Cavs to take on salary.

The Cavs' array of options could have changed somewhat Tuesday as the Milwaukee Bucks and Washington Wizards agreed to major trades expected to be completed today. The Cavs were believed to have been in talks with both.

The San Antonio Spurs acquired small forward Richard Jefferson from the Bucks for veterans Kurt Thomas, Fabricio Oberto and Bruce Bowen. It is a salary-dump deal for Milwaukee, not unlike the trade it made with the Cavs last season for Mo Williams. The Bucks then flipped Oberto to the Detroit Pistons for young forward Amir Johnson.

The Cavs had some discussions with the Bucks involving Jefferson in February but were not believed to be seriously looking at him this time around. However, the Bucks' moves could change some of the Cavs' strategy.

All three players the Bucks picked up in the trades have expiring contracts and it saves the team the $15 million Jefferson was owed for next season. Bowen's contract is partially guaranteed so the moves could save the Bucks around $5 million this season if they cut Bowen.

The trades, it seems, were aimed to free up money to re-sign restricted free agents Ramon Sessions and Charlie Villanueva. The Cavs are said to be targeting Villanueva, a young and talented power forward, as an option to get younger on their front line depth. It was believed that the Bucks might be willing to let Villaneuva go because of their deep salary commitments. Now those have been eased.

The Wizards, meanwhile, traded the No. 5 pick in the draft and forwards Etan Thomas, Darius Songalia and Oleksiy Pecherov to Minnesota for guards Randy Foye and Mike Miller.

The Wizards were listening to numerous pitches for the No. 5 pick and now the Timberwolves have both the No. 5 and No. 6 picks and will likely look to further deal.

Analysis: NBA Draft's first round is just the start for a night of league-wide questions
by Brian Windhorst/Plain Dealer Reporter

The chatter in the league is that the Cavs are very interested in moving up in the draft. They have been talking to teams just outside of the lottery (starting with the 15th pick) down into the low 20s.

Typically, the Cavs would have a good idea of who is willing to move where and then act on draft night.

As they look to move up, the Cavs might be targeting three players who most certainly will not be there at 30.

One is Ty Lawson, the dynamic and speedy point guard from North Carolina. Though he's small and that doesn't exactly fit what the Cavs need with undersized guards Mo Williams and Delonte West, Lawson has proven to be a winner and an excellent decision maker for the national champs. He's been overlooked by some teams and the Cavs love to find undervalued players in the draft. They feel Daniel Gibson and Darnell Jackson fit that same mold.

Another is Sam Young, an experienced wingman who proved to be a strong defender at Pittsburgh while playing in a power conference (Big East). Ferry is very close to the Pitt program and has been keeping an eye on Young for the past several years. Young fits the Cavs' need for size on the perimeter.

The last is Earl Clark, a tall power forward from Louisville who can play a little inside and out. The Cavs spent an extended period interviewing him at the Chicago Draft Combine. At 6-10 from a power program, he also fits a need.

A potential Suns trade that would send center Shaquille O'Neal to Cleveland to help LeBron James' title quest is heating up again after the idea was put on a back burner following February talks.

The parts of the possible deal remain the same. Phoenix would send O'Neal to Cleveland for veteran power forward Ben Wallace, who is considering retirement, and reserve guard Sasha Pavlovic, whose final contract year is not fully guaranteed.

With O'Neal's $20 million salary (but a $21 million salary-cap number due to a trade kicker), the trade could save the Suns $9.9 million or even more if Wallace wants a buyout. The trade would save the Suns $3.1 million in payroll and projected luxury tax. Cutting Pavlovic, who has $1.5 million guaranteed in his final contract year's $4.95 million salary, could save another $6.8 million in payroll and tax.

Wallace, 34, also is entering the final year of his deal, which would pay him $14 million. He is coming off an injury-marred season that was his most unproductive in 14 seasons. Wallace would consider a buyout, but Cleveland could use him as a trade chip, particularly to get O'Neal to counter Dwight Howard, whose Orlando Magic ousted the 66-16 Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals.

If the Suns acquired and bought out Wallace, they would save more than the $9.9 million that a deal and Pavlovic waiver would save.

(more at link)

McGrady to the Suns?

According to the same source that disclosed Terry Porter was about to be fired as Suns coach, the Rockets are leaning toward swapping Tracy McGrady's expiring $22M contract, Carl Landry and Aaron Brooks for Leandro Barbosa and Stoudemire, who owns an escape clause after next season and is demanding an extension this summer to waive it.

Shaq to Cavs deal
By Chris Broussard

The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns have come to an agreement on a blockbuster trade that sends Shaquille O'Neal to Cleveland to team with LeBron James, according to sources.

The deal has been agreed to in principle and is expected to be finalized Thursday, according to sources. Cleveland will send Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic to Phoenix for the future Hall of Famer. Sources said the Suns will also receive the 46th pick in Thursday's NBA draft and $500,000.

According to sources, Earl Clark has received a promise from the Phoenix Suns at No. 14 that they will take him if he's available.

Clark was already one of the favorites to be selected by the Phoenix Suns at No. 14, but now it's a virtual lock if he's still available. Clark pulled out of his scheduled Sunday workout with the Bulls, who hold the No. 16 pick, after working out for the Suns on Saturday. He said it was because he was injured, which may or may not be the case, but it's more likely not the case. There was no report of him injuring himself during the workout and he didn't talk about that to reporters after the workout.

Steve Kerr had nothing but positive things to say about Clark after the workout, discussing how verstaile he is and how well he moves for a 6-foot-10 player. The Suns clearly need a small forward, and they brought in Clark along with fellow small forwards Austin Daye and James Johnson on Saturday. Clark has been abusing Daye with his strength in most of the workotus the two have faced each other in. Johnson did not look good in his first workout in Phoenix, but was much better this time around. He is a possibility if Clark is off the board at No. 14, but Clark is the Suns' man right now.

Clark is likely done with his draft workouts. The top of his draft range wasn't much higher than No. 14, so getting a promise there is good enough for Clark.

The Wizards and Suns have discussed a trade that would send Amare Stoudemire and the 14th overall pick to Washington for Nick Young or Javaris Crittenton, salary fodder and the 5th overall pick. Two people familiar with the talks confirmed the report.

Phoenix also requested Caron Butler, which forced the Wizards to walk away.

LINK

Grizzlies Still Shopping #2 Pick

The Grizzlies also are still shopping their pick and one potential trade may persuade them to part with it. A source in Memphis says the Rockets have offered Shane Battier and Aaron Brooks for No. 2. The Grizzlies could send them the dreaded Marko Jaric contract back and save some face in the draft if they did it. Who are the Rockets after? That is the question ...

Chad Ford: Watch out for the Houston Rockets. Sources say they have been really active the past 24 hours, having contacted the Grizzlies, Thunder, Kings and Timberwolves about trying to get into the lottery.

It sound like virtually everyone on Houston's roster is available. Teams report that the Rockets are trying to parlay Tracy McGrady's expiring contract and Aaron Brooks' newfound celebrity status into a big upgrade in Houston. Carl Landry and Shane Battier were also mentioned as possible trade pieces.

The Rockets are also among several teams that will be making a run at Amare Stoudemire. With Shaq gone, expect the Stoudemire rumors to start heating up again.

Mullens said he'll be working out for the Bucks on Friday.

* Contrary to an internet report, the Bucks' aren't prepared to use their top pick on Wake forest point guard Jeff Teague.

* Former Bucks GM Ernie Grunfeld isn't afraid to pull the trade trigger, and that's why rumors about him dealing the Washington Wizards' No. 5 pick are gaining more credence.

I'm hearing a deal, which would revolve around Phoenix's Amar'e Stoudemire and the wizards' top pick, has a decent chance of going down.

* At least one well-informed NBA informant insists that Lakers coach Phil Jackson will hang up the clipboard this summer and his successor could be Duke's Mike Krzyzewski -- especially if his highly-influential agent (Kobe Bryant) puts the heat on Lakers management.

* I know Bucks officials like UCLA guard Jrue Holiday, but does owner Herb Kohl and his cronies really want to deal with his agent, Dan Fegan -- especially after the latter pulled all those shenanigans on them before the draft two years ago while representing Yi Jianlian?

Fegan, by the way, also represents Louisville forward Earl Clark, who has also drawn interest from the Bucks.

* The Raptors' pick could have a major impact the Bucks' pick.

I've been told the Raptors want to secure a wing player via the draft and their primary candidates are Southern Cal shooting guard-small forward DeMar DeRozan, shooting guard Gerald Henderson of Duke, small forward James Johnson of Wake Forest and Clark.

If the Raptors pass on DeRozan, the Bucks brass could have one interesting decision on their hands.

* Bodog.com gives the Bucks a 100/1 chance of winning the 2010 NBA championship. Eight other teams are given the same long-shot odds. Only Minnesota (125/1) and Memphis (150/1) have worse odds than the Bucks.

The Lakers are 9/4 favorites to repeat as champions, with Cleveland next at 3/1.

* The Bucks will play their first NBA Summer League game in Las Vegas against the Dallas Mavericks on July 10, starting at 7 p.m.

The Bucks will also play Cleveland, Sacramento, Chicago and Toronto in games that will be held once again at Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavillion.

League executives say the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors have discussed a possible trade that is centered around sending Amare Stoudemire to the Warriors for a package that would include Andris Biedrins and the No. 7 pick in the draft.

Sources: Hawks to deal two to Warriors
By Marc Stein

The Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors are closing in on a trade that would find a new home for Jamal Crawford.

NBA front-office sources say that the Warriors and Hawks will soon complete a deal sending Crawford to Atlanta for Acie Law and Speedy Claxton.

Warriors coach Don Nelson made no secret of the fact that Crawford wasn't in his future plans. By shedding Crawford's longer contract and by virtue of insurance payments that will cover some of the costs of Claxton, Golden State would secure a decent measure of payroll relief with the trade.

Less clear is what impact the move will have on Atlanta's forthcoming negotiations with free agent-to-be Mike Bibby. Although Crawford is not a pure point guard, he's a prolific scorer whose arrival could affect the sort of contract offer Bibby expected to command from the Hawks.