NBA Trade Rumors: Zach Randolph, Gerald Wallace and The Latest NBA Buzz
NBA trade rumors are everywhere with the deadline approaching so it's another day's NBA trade buzz.
With the Carmelo Anthony saga behind us, it's time to focus on the rest of the league, as the trade market is starting to heat up after the big deal that sent Anthony to New York. It's clear that the Melo deal was the one that jump-started the market and got us going.
As we go around the league, we'll be talking about players like Zach Randolph, whose name has been floated around in trade rumors.
There's plenty to talk about as we come off of the All-Star break and the deadline gets closer and closer.
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.
Could Zach Randolph Be Traded?
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On TrueHoop, ESPN.com's Chad Ford talked about a possible deal that would send Zach Randolph to Orlando for Brandon Bass and Jason Richardson. The two sides have not talked about a deal but the thinking behind this deal is that it would give the Grizzlies a young power forward to build with, while giving the team the ability to keep winning games for the remainder of the year.
Not only that, but Memphis doesn't believe it will be able to sign Randolph at the end of the season, so it's better to get something for him now, than nothing at all. Randolph is a guy who just looks like he's going to be overpaid on his next contract and end up angering an entire fanbase as he steals paycheck after paycheck.
I'm not saying that he's a bad player—he arguably should have been an All-Star this year—but players tend to play really well in a contract year. I can't see Randolph putting up a season like he has this year once he signs his contract. He will get his money, I just don't see him earning it once it's time to take the court.
In the short term, though, this move would be great for Orlando, which is really looking to add another big man before the deadline. It would certainly take some pressure off of Dwight Howard in the frontcourt and open him up in the post.
Can Miami Move Mike Miller?
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Miami is asking if anyone might be interested in Mike Miller, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com.
The sound you're hearing right now is the laughter of countless league executives. Miller is on a five-year deal and has contributed almost nothing to the Heat after dealing with injuries. Not only that, but who is going to help Miami make a deal after the way the league reacted to what happened this summer?
The Heat could really use a point guard or a center, but no one is going to take on Miller to make it happen. You can't fault Pat Riley for trying, but for better or for worse, this is the team that Miami is stuck with through the playoffs.
What is really scary is how good the Heat are without a top point guard or center. Imagine what could happen if Miami had a guy who had some toughness down low and could grab the big-time rebounds and be a physical presence (sorry Chris Bosh, but that's not you).
For now, Miami will stick with what it has, simply for the fact that the Heat have no pieces to trade and no one is dying to do a deal with them. While that may be bad news for Miami fans (all 25 of them), the good news is that you still have LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Bosh.
Is Denver Done Dealing?
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After Carmelo Anthony was traded to New York, there were a lot of rumors that the Nuggets weren't done dealing and could get more assets before the deadline.
However, according to Chris Tomasson of FanHouse.com, Denver isn't moving Nene, and would like to sign him after the season. On top of that, J.R. Smith is not going to be moved and the Nuggets would also like to keep him after the season.
After last night, you can see how Denver might want to see how this trade pans out. The Nuggets beat the Memphis Grizzlies into the court last night, and that was without the pieces from the Anthony deal.
Denver has plenty of talent on the team. None of it is elite talent like Anthony was for them for so many years, but Denver has pieces that you can use to start building a team.
The Nuggets are in a good position for the future and that's a credit to their management and the job they did in getting this deal done. Denver started the proceedings at a position of weakness, and somehow managed to up the bidding for Anthony and get exactly what it wanted from the Knicks for its superstar.
You can never replace a top-five scorer, but Denver got some great return for what it gave up in Anthony.
Can The Bulls Land a Shooting Guard?
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The one area the Chicago Bulls would love to address at the trade deadline is the shooting guard position.
Some of the pieces started to fall in place yesterday, as Chicago traded James Johnson to Toronto for Miami's first-round pick. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, the Bulls would love to get Courtney Lee from Houston.
However, if the Rockets are going to send Lee to the Bulls, they want a big man in return, and the guy Houston is targeting is Omer Asik. Chicago is apparently determined to get a shooting guard back and if the Bulls can get a guy like Lee, it would make the Bulls an even bigger threat in the Eastern Conference.
Chicago has dealt with injuries to Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah this year and if the Bulls can stay healthy, there's no reason we can't see this team in the Eastern Conference Finals this year. Derrick Rose and company were just two games back of Boston at the All-Star break and this team has a team that can go toe-to-toe with any team in the East.
We'll see if the Bulls decide to make the push for Lee, or go for a lesser shooting guard. Either way, Chicago needs to make a move for a player to fill that role. If it's a need, and you feel like you have a top team, there's no reason not to pull the trigger on a deal that can be done for a fair price.
Is Gerald Wallace Headed To Portland?
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According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, the Portland Trail Blazers are in talks with the Charlotte Bobcats and are getting closer to landing Gerald Wallace. He went on to say that Portland is worried that Wallace could still land in the Eastern Conference but is determined to try and get a deal done.
Who could the Eastern Conference team be? Well, none other than the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. He tweeted that talks have taken place between the two teams, but they haven't gotten that far.
We can be honest, he's a much better fit in Portland, where he would be the second fiddle to LaMarcus Aldridge and could team with what's left of Brandon Roy. Wallace would be a primary option in Cleveland and we've seen how that works out in Charlotte. He isn't a guy you can build a whole team around and the Blazers could use a player like him to score from the outside.
The only concern for Portland in making a move like that, is that you could possibly mess up your chemistry, something the Blazers have always used as a strength. However, the Blazers are looking to make a move and Wallace would be a nice fit, especially after missing out on Devin Harris.
Update: Dwight Jaynes of CSNNW.com tweeted that he heard it's a done deal, but there hasn't been any other confirmation as of now.
Will Houston Make A Move?
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According to Chris Mannix of SI.com, the Houston Rockets are being very aggressive on multiple fronts but there is nothing concrete yet as we get closer to the deadline.
There have been plenty of names floated around that could be leaving Houston, including Courtney Lee and Shane Battier. The talk on Aaron Brooks has died down a bunch since he had the incident where he walked off of the court.
Houston is always looking to make moves at the deadline and this should surprise no one. General Manager Daryl Morey is one of the most aggressive people every year and he's done a great job of gathering assets for the Rockets.
If the Rockets do any deal, I think it's going to be the one that sends Courtney Lee to Chicago. The Bulls will give Houston some size in the form of Omer Asik and Chicago can get the shooting guard it so desperately wants at the deadline. That trade has been floated around for a while now and we'll see if these two sides can come to the table and get it done.
Houston will explore every avenue, but the bigger names are starting to come off of the board, so it remains to be seen what Morey and company can get done. I wouldn't prepare myself for a big move, but it doesn't have to be a blockbuster move to have a big impact on the team's future.
Who Is Available in Atlanta?
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According to Jason Fleming of HoopsWorld.com, the Atlanta Hawks are looking to make a move and the team will listen to all offers.
Fleming writes that the Hawks would love to move Marvin Williams and Mike Bibby is another guy Atlanta is actively shopping. In fact, everyone is pretty much on the table except for Al Horford or Joe Johnson, both guys Atlanta would like to hold on to.
The big guy that would draw a lot of attention is Josh Smith. Fleming says that Atlanta is not actively shopping him, but would certainly listen to offers before just dismissing it. Smith is a guy that doesn't have a bad contract and would make any team better.
The problem is that he's such a big part of what Atlanta does on a nightly basis that it will be hard to part with a player of his talents. The reality is that the Hawks will have to settle for a smaller move and could land a guy like Ramon Sessions from Cleveland, who has been rumored to be on the trading block and there have been multiple whispers of a deal between the Cavs and the Hawks.
Atlanta is a team that's good, but not good enough to be a serious contender in the Eastern Conference. It's true, and it's the price you pay when you give a guy like Joe Johnson franchise player money. Johnson will never, ever earn that contract.
Is Washington Willing to Make a Move?
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The Washington Wizards are a team that's trying to rebuild and with the trade deadline approaching, the Wizards are looking to make a move. However, it won't involve any of it's major talent according to Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
Naturally, John Wall is off the table, but so are Andray Blatche, Nick Young, JaVale McGee, Trevor Booker and Nick Seraphin. Blatche was a guy that used to be involved in trade rumors but now he's been taken off of the block.
The Wizards have a lot of young talent, but Washington needs to get Wall a top scorer to pair him with. If Washington gets that, along with the rest of the young players on the team, the Wizards will start to get back to the point they were at before some of the bad contracts they gave out started to drag the team down into mediocrity.
One guy that has been floated around was Kirk Hinrich and reportedly the Atlanta Hawks are interested in him to get a point guard in there for the playoff run. Atlanta has some talented pieces, but it remains to be seen if Washington will pull the trigger and if it does, what it can get back for the former Chicago Bulls player.
