NBA Trade Rumors: Carmelo Anthony, Nene, Jeff Green and the Latest NBA Buzz
NBA trade rumors are flying fast and furious as we count down to the deadline, so I'm here to bring you up to speed with another day's NBA trade buzz.
We'll be going back to the Carmelo Anthony saga in Denver. There's still plenty to talk about, as this drama unfolds yet again and the Lakers become involved in trade talks.
We'll also be going around the league, talking about players like Ron Artest, who have huge contracts but still want out at the deadline.
Can the Lakers move him to anyone?
There's plenty to talk about as we get closer and closer to the All-Star break in a couple of weeks; we also had a full slate of games last night and there's plenty of news to tackle there.
There's plenty to talk about, so sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.
As always, there's no need to refresh, as the updates will come straight to you. If you have any questions or thoughts, leave them in the comments.
There's a lot to cover, so let's get right to it.
Will Anyone Trade For Ron Artest?
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Ron Artest was a big part of what the Los Angeles Lakers did last season, especially during the playoffs. Soon, though, Artest may be shipped out of town.
The Lakers and Charlotte had talked about a deal that would send Stephen Jackson or Gerald Wallace to Los Angeles for Artest, and when told about those rumors, Artest barely had anything to say.
"Regardless, the NBA is going to be a great association," Artest said to ESPNLosAngeles.com. "There's 400-something players in the NBA, 30 teams and every team, every organization, is great. Everybody is like one big team, one big happy family. Everybody is getting paid."
What in the world does that even mean? It's another crazy quote from Artest, but if anything, it sounds like he's more open to a trade and isn't denying the rumors that he wants out like he has in the past. However, any team would be a fool to take on Artest's awful contract.
There's so much money and it has so many years on it that no one will trade for that contract, especially before a possible lockout. Only Michael Jordan, a guy who made countless bad personnel moves in Washington, would think about trading for Artest.
It's impossible to move Artest and for better or for worse, Los Angeles is stuck with him for the rest of the season. It's time to hope he can get his game back on track somewhat, because if he shoots 40 percent from the field in the playoffs, the Lakers are in big, big trouble.
Could Carmelo Anthony Sign the Extension with Denver?
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Carmelo Anthony just loves toying with people.
That's the only logical explanation after what he said yesterday. Anthony told the Denver Post that if he's not traded by the deadline, he would take a long look at signing the extension with Denver. You may now try and hold back your laughter.
If Anthony wanted to be back with the Nuggets, he'd already be back with them. It's clear he doesn't want to be back in Denver next year, so he might as well stop trying to convince people it's a possibility, because it's not. It's a toxic situation in Denver. His home crowd has already booed him and everyone is under the impression that he wants to play for the New York Knicks.
Is the money really that important to him? We'll see, but I believe he still wants to go to New York and that Anthony is just trying to save face in the media and avoid the kind of backlash that LeBron James went through last summer.
I wish Anthony could be more up front with what he was thinking, but we all know he can't say that he wants to go to the Knicks in public. However, that doesn't mean he should insult our intelligence and say that he might come back to the Nuggets.
We're not stupid, but this saga will continue to unfold and take more twists and turns. You can just feel that this is going to go down to the deadline.
Do the Hawks Have To Make a Move?
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The Atlanta Hawks aren't going anywhere in the postseason.
Let's just get that out of the way now, it's not going to happen. It hasn't happened for years and it won't happen this year, the Hawks just aren't built for that. Atlanta gave Joe Johnson the type of money a franchise player gets and he's simply not a franchise player.
The Hawks are going to be a team that gets to the playoffs but never makes it to the conference finals or the NBA Finals with the team as is, and Atlanta is starting to realize that. Larry Drew talked to the Atlanta Constitution-Journal about how you have to consider shaking the team up, and it's clear that has to happen. The only problem is, there's not much you can switch up.
Atlanta could really use a big man to take some pressure off Al Horford, but the Hawks don't have the pieces to make that a possibility. Get ready for Johnson's massive contract to weigh the Hawks down for years to come.
The Hawks are going to win basketball games, but it won't mean a single thing when it's time for the postseason. It's sad, but true. Sometimes, the Hawks just look terrible and even though the blowout against the Sixers came without Horford in the lineup, it's not a good sign for your team when you can't even hang with Philadelphia in a game that should be a closer matchup.
A move needs to be made, but the Hawks aren't in a great position to make one that could change the fortunes of this team.
Will Phoenix Make A Move At The Deadline?
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We've talked about the Phoenix Suns moving superstar point guard Steve Nash but that's been beaten into the dirt and won't happen according to the Suns.
However, could Phoenix make a move with some of its other chips at the deadline? Vince Carter would be an interesting option and has $4 million on his contract next year if the Suns, or any other team, choose to buy it out, but according to ESPN's Chad Ford, Carter isn't thought of highly in league circles so the Suns won't be able to get much of anything for him in a trade.
The Suns could just let him play out the contract next year, but who knows what Phoenix will look like after that year with Steve Nash hitting the free agent market as well. Phoenix is very much a team in transition and it will be interesting to see what happens over these next two seasons.
They will be very telling as to the future of the franchise. The Suns have pieces that can be moved and contracts that will give Phoenix some money to work with in the free agent market, but Steve Nash won't be around forever and there is a sense of urgency to win now.
I don't envy having to make those decisions. There's a lot of push from the NBA community to move Nash, but there aren't contenders that need a point guard of Nash's caliber in the trade market. Sure, they'd love to have him, but not for the price Phoenix will want the team to pay.
Don't expect the Suns to make any major moves, but this franchise will have to make some big time decisions in the next couple of years.
Could Nene Head To Golden State?
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Yesterday, as everyone focused on Carmelo Anthony and rumors involving the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers, the Golden State Warriors called the Denver Nuggets about Nene, a guy who isn't happy with the Nuggets.
In ESPN.com's Chad Ford's chat with fans, there was a deal discussed that would send Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins to Denver for a package of Nene and J.R. Smith or Nene and Al Harrington. Ford said there's interest on both sides, but I'm sorry, if I'm the Warriors, neither of those deals call out to me.
Ellis is having a monster year and I would be very hesitant to break up the pairing with Stephen Curry in that backcourt. The Warriors reportedly want an elite big man, and you could get one with Ellis, but I'm not sure Nene has that ceiling.
He's a great player, but he's not an elite big man. Plus, it will be impossible to make a deal with Denver as long as this saga with Carmelo Anthony continues. In fact, it's tying up a lot of the trades in this league as teams wait to see what happens.
We're in store for a very slow year at the deadline if that's the case. because this deal has dominated the league for months. Throw in that teams like Phoenix and Orlando already made major deals, and you thin the market a little bit.
Hopefully the trade market heats up soon, it's much more fun that way.
Could Jeff Green Be Dealt at the Deadline?
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The Oklahoma City are a fun, young, exciting team with a lot of great players. However, there's one major weakness when it comes to the Thunder.
Oklahoma City needs a big man in the worst way and it just so happens that a couple of teams are interested in Jeff Green according to ESPN.com's Chad Ford. Green's value has gone down a bit with the emergence of Serge Ibaka.
If the Thunder can somehow get a big man for a Green package, Oklahoma City has to do it. The Thunder are a soft team when it comes to the frontcourt and Kevin Durant can't do it alone. Green is a good player, but he doesn't always show up on a nightly basis.
Oklahoma City is a team that's always looking around for a move, and you know the Thunder have to regret not making a play for Marcus Camby in the past. Camby's on the market again, but it seems like he won't be open to heading to a lot of possible destinations.
The Thunder aren't title contenders as is, so Oklahoma City needs to step up to the plate and do what it takes to get to the next level if the right opportunity comes along.
Will Utah Make A Move With Jerry Sloan Gone?
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The NBA community is in shock today as Jerry Sloan is stepping down as the head coach of the Utah Jazz.
According to reports, Deron Williams and Sloan have had some differences this season and the Jazz believed Williams would only stay with the team if Sloan was no longer with the team. Utah is struggling this year after losing Kyle Korver and Carlos Boozer. However, the Jazz could make a move before the deadline and could use Andrei Kirilenko as a piece to pick up a difference maker.
Keith Langolis of Pistons.com speculated in his mailbag that Utah could use Richard Hamilton, who isn't happy in Detroit and they could snag him by trading Andrei Kirilenko's expiring contract. It would give Detroit a lot of cap relief with Kirilenko and Tayshaun Prince's contracts coming off the books at the end of the season.
Utah really needs to change its fortunes and the Jazz could really use a shooting guard. Hamilton, paired with Williams would be a deadly combination and could make the Jazz a threat in the Western Conference playoffs.
With Utah being in flux right now, I'm not sure how willing they'd be to make a deal, but if the Jazz come to Detroit with that trade, I'm not sure the Pistons would say no. Hamilton needs to go in Detroit and he's the most likely Piston to exit the Motor City at the deadline.
Keep your eyes on the situation in Utah over the next couple of days, we should get a feel for what direction the Jazz are going in by then.
Will Portland Become An Active Participant At The Deadline?
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The Portland Trail Blazers cannot buy a break this season.
Portland has struggled with injuries this year as guys like Greg Oden and Brandon Roy and as we get closer to the deadline, there has been speculation the Blazers will make a move at the deadline. One move that's been talked about has been moving Marcus Camby.
However, ESPN.com's Chad Ford talked about the Blazers in his most recent chat and he speculated that Portland has everyone on the block except LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum. Ford also said there's a lot of interest in Wesley Matthews and that Andre Miller could be valuable to teams because his contract isn't guaranteed next season.
If I'm the Blazers, there's no chance that I move Matthews. Matthews has been great in Portland since Brandon Roy went down. Roy is never going to be the same with how bad his knees are and the Blazers are going to need a player of his talents.
Portland is in an odd place as a franchise. It looks like it's time to rebuild the team around Aldridge and the Blazers have a lot of talent on the team and it should start by moving Miller to a team that has interest at the deadline.
Roy isn't going to carry the team into the future, so it's time to adjust the franchise's approach and start over. Aldridge is going to be a star for years to come, so it shouldn't take long to get back to a level where the team can compete for championships.
What Is Houston's Strategy At The Deadline?
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The Houston Rockets have had a rough season so far and the team could be active at the trade deadline as we get closer and closer to the big day.
Chad Ford of ESPN.com talked about the Rockets in his latest chat and he said that he's hearing that everyone on the roster is fair game and that would certainly put Houston in play for Carmelo Anthony if the Nuggets explore trading him a rental option.
Ford went on to say that Houston is being aggressive, but the only issue is that the rest of the league isn't being as proactive as the Rockets. Aaron Brooks has been floated around in rumors but there's been a lot of conflicting reports about the Rockets' desires when it comes to Brooks.
There were rumors that Houston was in serious talks with New York about Brooks but then other reports came out that the Rockets didn't want to move him at all. The Rockets always seem to be active at the deadline and that shouldn't be a shock this year either.
The Rockets haven't had a great year and things need to change in Houston. Daryl Morey always does a great job and has a lot of assets to make a deal. Houston could be a big-time player at the deadline so make sure you keep an eye on them as we go forward.
How Long Will The Drama Last In Denver?
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Carmelo Anthony has been the subject of rumors all season long but as we get closer and closer to the deadline, we get to the point where this saga has to end.
According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, the Nuggets would like to make a move with Anthony at least a couple days before the trade deadline. The reason being that the Nuggets would like to explore deals for Nene, J.R. Smith and Kenyon Martin before the deadline.
If you're Denver, you have to get a deal done and get it done soon. The Nuggets have a lot of work to do if they're going to move Anthony. Without Anthony, Denver will have to start rebuilding. Nene wants out of town and the Nuggets could get a good amount in return for him.
The longer Denver waits, the harder it's going to be to get a good return for its superstar. Teams will realize the Nuggets are desperate and capitalize on it. It's not a fun time to be running the Nuggets. The team is stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to the trade deadline and it's a no win situation.
Anthony needs to go and Denver needs to start over, it's the best situation for everyone involved. The Nuggets can't hope that a new labor agreement saves them from having to move Anthony, they can't end up like Cleveland and Toronto did this past summer.
Are Chicago and Houston Involved In Trade Talks?
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The Chicago Bulls are in the market for a shooting guard, everyone knows that.
A solid player at the two-guard position would make the Bulls even more dangerous in the postseason and Chicago knows that. With that in mind, the Bulls have contacted the Houston Rockets about Courtney Lee. The two sides have discussed big man Omer Asik in a possible deal for the shooting guard according to the Houston Chronicle
Houston is in the market for a big man and has had discussions with Denver about Nene according to reports. If the Nuggets decide to hang on to Nene, Asik could be a good fall back option and the Bulls could get their shooting guard.
Denver's distracted with the whole Carmelo Anthony saga. Houston is on the fringe of that drama and would love to get Anthony at the deadline as a rental. However, Houston general manager Daryl Morey is always looking to make moves at the deadline and this could be a solid option for the Rockets.
Houston is hesitant to deal Lee, but if all the other options go by the wayside, the Rockets may just have to bite the bullet and deal for Asik. It would be a great deal for Chicago but you have to wonder what the reaction would be in Houston if the Rockets failed to make any sort of splash at the deadline.
It wouldn't be for a lack of trying, that's for certain. It's just a not buyer's market this year.
