Paying attention, Chris Grant?

This is exactly the type of trade the Cavs should be pursuing:

The New Jersey Nets traded Terrence Williams to the Houston Rockets in a three-way deal that will land them Los Angeles Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic and a pair of first-round draft picks, the Nets announced on Wednesday.

The Lakers will receive Nets veteran power forward Joe Smith, two second-round picks from New Jersey and the draft rights to Sergei Lishchuk from the Rockets.

Trade a talented, but troubled young player, pick up some crap and a couple of picks. Bingo. 

It's my opinion that the Cavs have to be stockpiling draft picks. Trade whoever you want, just as long as you get a first round pick from someone.  The Nets dumped Terrence Williams in a 3 team trade and got firsts from both teams. 

Also, let's welcome Joe Smith to a new team, which I believe is his 12th.  Well done, Joe.  Let's hope the Lakers turn around and deal him at the deadline to team number 13. 

Oh, by the way, the Heat are favored by just 17 over the Cavaliers tonight in Miami. Seems a bit low. 17 sounds right if the Cavs were still, you know, trying. The Heat sent the Cavs into this free fall (and haven't lost since) and I don't see the Cavs snapping out of it tonight. 

Come Home Z

It seems as if Zydrunas Ilgauskas will be bought out soon. David Aldridge:

While everyone expects the Washington Wizards to complete a buyout of center Zydrunas Ilgauskas in the next 48 hours, allowing him to re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers in time to be eligible for their postseason roster, Ilgauskas will likely have to leave more on the table in exchange for his freedom than he had hoped.

A league source indicated Tuesday that the Wizards want savings far in excess of the approximately $590,000 "trade kicker" Ilgauskas is due after being traded last week from Cleveland to Washington as part of a three-team deal that sent Antawn Jamison to the Cavaliers. While no specific dollar amounts have been disclosed, the source indicated Washington was going to be firm in holding out for the most money possible -- likely $1 million or more -- from Ilgauskas.

The Wizards no longer are under the pressure of having to work out a buyout with Ilgauskas in order to get under the $69.9 million luxury tax threshhold. Washington got under by trading forward Dominic McGuire to Sacramento last Thursday for a second-round pick.

By contrast, Ilgauskas is under the gun to get something done by next Monday, March 1. Players that are on a team's roster on March 1 are not eligible to be on any other team's postseason roster, meaning if Ilgauskas is still a Wizard he would not be able to play for Cleveland in the playoffs, although he could re-sign with the Cavs for the rest of the regular season. Once Ilgauskas is a free agent he can sign with any team and be eligible for the playoffs.

I'm not totally shocked that Washington is driving a hard bargain with Zydrunas. He wants out and they don't have to grant him that wish. It think it's kinda poor form that they're quibbling over about five hundred grand (when dealing Jamison saved them a little more than $30 million) but whatever. Z has made a ton of money playing in the NBA, I'm sure this will be worth it.

There's been some talk of the NBA blocking Z's return to Cleveland, but they've investigated and found nothing (they never do):

An official within the league told The Associated Press on Monday the NBA has not threatened to stop a potential reunion between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

[snip]

The Los Angeles Times quoted an unnamed source Sunday saying the NBA had told other teams it wouldn't let Ilgauskas go back to the Cavs. However, the official told the AP the league would only step in if there was proof of an agreement before the trade was completed.

This is certainly good news. After only having one All-Star, no participants in the Three Point Shoot-out and J.J.'s snub from the Rookie/Sophomore Game, if the NBA would've chosen this situation step in, I'd have been extremely pissed. Never mind the fact the Knicks and Nets are practically courting LeBron openly.

I know Phil Jackson and Doc Rivers aren't happy about it, but fuck them. If they're bitching, that means they're worried. Good.

Yahoo's Kelly Dwyer makes an, um, interesting analogy:

I tend to wretch at things that - while completely legal under whatever governing body we're talking about - still come off as tacky and skeevy and skirting societal norms. But for some reason, trading a guy like Zydrunas Ilgauskas to the Washington Wizards, watching him give back money to help further put the team under the salary cap (Washington's dealing of Dominic McGuire already put the team under the threshold last week), and letting him walk back to the Cavaliers a month later just doesn't raise my ire.

I'm trying to figure out who it hurts. It appears as if Z's happy, the Wizards are happy and the Cavaliers are happy. I'm not usually one to get too lascivious in these pages, but if a happily married couple were to involve a third party without strings in a moment of heightened intimacy, and each came away happy and without regret, is this something to be tsk-tsk'd?

It's certainly gross and skeevy and icky, but it's not hurting any of us. Just because the neighbors down the block (let's call them, say, "the Boston Celtics") don't like it, it doesn't mean it's wrong, and it's not illegal. And, let's face it, "the Boston Celtics" would do it if they could.

Finally, someone compared the Zydrunas-Jamison deal to a threesome. I love the internet. Dwyer continues:

If I'm a Cavaliers fan, I want Antawn Jamison. I really want to keep Big Z, but I understand that Antawn Jamison helps, perhaps more than Big Z would. To get Jamison, and eventually get Ilgauskas back? That's heaven.

If I'm a Wizards fan, I want nothing to do with Big Z. Like him, respect him, but want nothing to do with him taking minutes away from the development of Javale McGee or Andray Blatche. That's where I'm at right now. I know what counts for my team's future, and it ain't Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

If I'm a follower of Big Z, I want him heading back to Cleveland. Where he's always been. And the best chance for him to win a championship. I might like the idea that he can make more money as an Atlanta Hawk, but I want to see him with a ring on his finger, playing a role.

All three of these fans get what they want. The players and teams get what they want. So what if the Celtics or Magic piss and moan about Cleveland getting Antawn Jamison for the last pick in the first round. Haven't the Celtics, with Gary Payton, done this before? Don't the Magic take advantage of rebuilding teams (signing away Rashard Lewis for little compensation, acquiring Vince Carter for expiring deals) themselves?

Exactly.

The best part of all of this is the fact that we never had to see Z wearing another uniform. How great is that? It would've killed me seeing him lumbering around in a Washing Wizards uni. It wouldn't have been right.

Can't wait to see Mike Brown deal with these rotations once Z returns. That'll be fun.

Title Push

The deal is done, the Cavs have traded for Antawn Jamison:

The Cavaliers have agreed in principle to a 3-team trade with the Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers that brings forward Antawn Jamison to Cleveland, sources said Wednesday night.

The Cavaliers are sending Zydrunas Ilgauskas to the Wizards and this year's first-round draft pick to the Clippers as part of the trade. The Cavaliers are expected to receive Clippers point guard Sebastian Telfair as part of the package.

Can't argue with that. Z and a 1st rounder for Jamison. Me likely. Hopefully Z and the Wizards can reach a buy out and Z can return home to the Cavs.

Plus, it looks like the Suns might be stuck with Stoudemire. Good. I hope Danny Ferry called Steve Kerr's bluff (of couse, could we interest you in Wally Szcerbiak? Hasn't been used in months...).

Gotta say, well done to Danny Ferry. They got Jamison without giving up J.J. Hickson, well played sir. Ferry has now turned Damon Jones, Joe Smith, Sasha Pavlovic and (assuming Z gets bought out) a first round pick into Mo Williams, Shaq and Antawn Jamison. Well done.

Mo, Parker, LeBron, Jamison, Shaq.

Jeebus.

I'm Still Here

Sorry for not updating the blog, I have two posts up over at LeBrowns Town.

These are my most recent thoughts on the trade deadline (I even did the photoshop myself!).

Then here's my thoughts on Corey Maggette (quick version: meh).

Thursday can't get here soon enough. My brain is fried.

Alright, this is getting stupid

After a full day refreshing Twitter every two seconds (while vainly attempting to load Real Cavs Fans), trying to get all the latest information on Amar'e Stoudemire and watching a sorta boring, sorta fun All-Star Game, I was ready to go to bed (what's that? Today was Valentine's Day? I mean, I did something romantic... with my girlfriend. Ya.). But like an idiot, I check Twitter one last time for the latest Amar'e tidbits and I find this from Chad Ford:

For the Suns, the Stoudemire-Hickson trade would be something of a last resort. The Suns have been hoping to land more than just Hickson and financial relief for Stoudemire.

In particular, the Suns are still holding out hope that Philadelphia will come to the table and agree to a deal sending Andre Iguodala and Samuel Dalembert to Phoenix. The Suns have sweetened their offer to the 76ers by including Leandro Barbosa in a package with Stoudemire. Also possible is a three-way trade that would send Hickson and Barbosa (along with Ilgauskas) to Philly, Stoudemire to Cleveland and Iguodala and Dalembert to Phoenix.

Cool, I guess. I mean, I don't really care if it's a two team, three team or twelve team deal; as long as the Cavs are landing Amar'e and only giving up Hickson and Z, I'm down.

But there's more...

Meanwhile, Cleveland remain interested obtaining either Antawn Jamison of the Washington Wizards or Troy Murphy of the Indiana Pacers. According to an official from one of those two teams, the Cavs said on Sunday that a Stoudemire trade was not a done deal and the team was still evaluating its options.

Makes sense, I expect the Cavs to have their fingers in a lot of pots....

Even if the Cavs get Stoudemire, they might attempt do a secondary trade to obtain Jamison or Murphy to fill the need for a 4 who could stretch the floor with his shooting.

Wait, what?

Even if the Cavs get Stoudemire, they might attempt do a secondary trade to obtain Jamison or Murphy to fill the need for a 4 who could stretch the floor with his shooting.

Okay, they'd probably resign Wally Szczerbiak (I'll know how to spell that name for the rest of my life) to something like $16 million and trade him...

Given that the Cavs have concerns about how well Stoudemire and Shaquille O’Neal would fit together, the team would consider moving Shaq if it acquired Amare. For instance, the Cavs could swap O’Neal and their first-round pick to Washington for Jamison and Mike Miller. They could send the same package to Indiana in a deal for Murphy and Mike Dunleavy.

What. The. Fuck.

I can't possibly imagine the Cavs doing this. They have been playing, as Austin Carr would say, fantacular. Hell, a lot of my friends who are casual Cavs fans (non blogger/message boarders/tweeters, you know normal people) don't want them to make a trade at all. Can't really blame 'em, the Cavaliers have won 13 straight, beat the Lakers and Magic twice apiece and stand alone atop the entire league with a 43-11 record.

I mean, I get upgrading to someone like Jamison or Stoudemire. If you have the chance to land an All-Star talent for J.J. Hickson and some expiring contracts, you do it. Yes you're good, but you can always improve and these guys are no brainers (Murphy is different, but it'd be for cap relief and he fills a need).

But trading Shaq? Why do that? The big fella has been playing great and I'm finally getting used to rooting for O'Neal. Hell, I actually have an opinion about the whole Howard/Shaq Superman 'controversy' (never in a million years could I have seen myself caring about one of Shaq's 'feuds'). Plus (and this is kinda key) Shaq is the main reason they now matchup so well with both Orlando and Los Angeles. The Amar'e/Jamison or Amar'e/Murphy combos aren't stopping Dwight Howard or Gasol and Bynum.

And if they traded Shaq, how would they play defense? I'm serious; I know Coach Mike is a defensive guy and the Cavs have that defensive culture and mindset and blah blah blah, but what would those lineups looks like? Williams-Parker-James-Jamison/Murphy-Amare? That's one and a half good defensive players (Parker is kinda slow). Plus, neither Mike Miller or Mike Dunleavy are exactly known for their defense.

But this is stupid, I shouldn't be using any brain cells to ponder these possibilities (Come playoffs, would Z start at the five (we know he can't guard Dwight)? Leon Powe? Would the front court be James-Murphy-Stoudemire or would Varejao start?). You can't completely revamp the best team in the league on the fly, that's insane.

This won't happen. This will not happen. The Cavs aren't going to spend the first half of (possibly LeBron's last) season slowly working in O'Neal (successfully, 43-11!) only to blow it up at the deadline. Scrap the entire season and start over? Dumb.

Not gonna lie, I'm kinda apprehensive about pairing STAT and Shaq together once more, but I think it's worth the risk. What's not worth the risk is trading Shaq because it didn't work in Phoenix. You don't blow up a 43-11 team, you just don't.

Deep down I know this is just stupid speculation and I can't think about it any more. There's no way Danny Ferry is going to trade for both Jamison and Stoudemire. ESPN is making things up. I have to go to bed.

Good day.

(But wouldn't the Wizards or Pacers buy out Shaq? He'd make a stink, wouldn't he? Where would he go? Lakers? Miami? Would he come back here? The Cavs could start Mo, Parker, LBJ, Amar'e and Shaq while having West, Moon, Miller, Jamison and Varejao come off the bench! But there'd still be Z, Boobie, Jawad....)

More on Amare

Looks like the Cavs are closing in on Amare Stoudemire. I have thoughts on the subject that you can read over at LeBrownsTown.com.

Crazy Game of Poker

The Cavs appear to be in serious talks about acquiring Amare Stoudemire:

The amount of information and disinformation flying around is at a fever pitch as teams jostle for position in escalating trade talks. The Cavaliers, as would be expected, are right in the middle of it.

According to multiple sources, over the past few days the Cavs have had advancing talks with the Phoenix Suns about All-Star forward Amar'e Stoudemire. It is not the only player they have interest in -- there are still long-term-target forwards Antawn Jamison of Washington and Troy Murphy of the Pacers out there -- but it seems the Cavs are focusing on Stoudemire.

[snip]

The Cavs are believed to still have talks open with the Pacers for Murphy and the Wizards for Jamison, plus options for three-team deals. But sources indicated the Stoudemire talks were the most advanced.

It is a bit of a surprising attraction. While there's a chance the Cavs could pick up a former first-teamer in a money-based deal, Stoudemire and O'Neal didn't have great on-court chemistry when they played in Phoenix for parts of the past two seasons. O'Neal and LeBron James have said they are happy with the current makeup of the team, though that, too, could be a smokescreen.

"I've been a part of trade deadlines and guys moving in an out," James said. "I don't get caught up in it much until it actually happens or if it is serious. There's some great players out there."

The Suns are believed to like Cavaliers forward J.J. Hickson, whom they considered drafting in 2008 and is currently having a breakout sophomore season. The Cavs, however, have been reluctant to include Hickson in trade talks.

The Cavs have several other ways to get the deal done, including the expiring contract of Zydrunas Ilgauskas or a sign-and-trade with guard Wally Szczerbiak.

The Arizona Republic reported earlier this week that teams who were talking to the Suns about Stoudemire also were being asked to take on guard Jason Richardson, who is owed $14.4 million next season. It isn't clear whether Richardson is involved in the talks with the Cavs or with a third team the Cavs might be recruiting.

Exciting!

Even with having to take on Jason Richardson (who, like Delonte West and Damon Jones, would join the Cavs after being on the wrong end of LeBron's highlights), I'm still very much in favor of trading for Amare. I understand not wanting to mess with this squad's chemistry, but you don't turn away 20-10 big men in their prime. Trading for Stoudemire is as much about this season as it is the future. Having Amare on the roster, who looks less and less likely to opt out of the final year of his current deal (I don't see anyone giving him $17 million this summer, do you?), should help the Cavs with retaining the services of one LeBron James.

All that being said, part of me wonders if this Amare leak is all part of a high stakes game of chicken being played between the Cavaliers and the Washington Wizards.

The Cavs really don't want to part with J.J. in most deals and the Wizards really don't want to trade with the Cavs. The Cavs are aware of Washington's demands and vice versa. They are stuck.

So then yesterday morning, Yahoo! floats a rumor that Washington was considering trading both Jamison AND Caron Butler to the Boston Celtics for straight cap relief. I wasn't too thrilled with the idea, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a bluff: "Oh yea, you won't part with Hickson? Fine, we'll just trade both of our good players to the Celtics for cap relief. How would you like that?!"

But it looks like the Boston-Washington deal is dead and it appears Bulter will be heading to Dallas, which means Washington doesn't have a deal ready for Jamison (the Celtics, with Kevin Garnett and Sheed, aren't exactly in the market for another aging power forward).

So now it's time for Danny Ferry to turn to up the pressure: "You won't trade us Jamison because we beat you in the first round (and other dumb reasons)? Fine. We'll just go trade for Amare Stoudemire and you can eat the $30 million left on Jamison's deal. Enjoy losing both money and games, dumbasses."

But who knows. According to Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Cavs are debating between Amare and Antawn:

Cavs front office internally debating merits of trading for Amar'e Stoudemire vs Antawn Jamison. Not much on line --only franchise's future.

Yowza. Kinda sounds like the Cavs already have deals in place, but this is from Twitter, so some nuance could be lost within those 140 characters.


Myself, I'm cool with them trading for Jamison or Stoudemire. Both represent a significant upgrade to J.J. Hickson and either could push the Cavs over that Championship hump.

That being said, each guy comes with his own set of (very different) issues.

Jamison seems like he'd be the easier fit. He's a stretch 4 and could slide in next to Shaq and hit all those open jumpers (could you imagine the Magic daring Jamison to shoot, as they did Hickson? I can't.). He'd be less likely to cause any waves and the Cavs wouldn't have change up the offense too much. Jamison could very well be that missing Championship piece.

Jamison's minuses come after this season. He has two more years on his deal (roughly $30 million) and he'll turn 34 this June. Jamison's salary will make it hard for the Cavs to add talent down the road and they don't want three of their four rotational bigs to be past the age of 34 when LeBron hits the free agent market (which is why the Cavs are balking at including Hickson in any Jamison deal).

Stoudemire is nearly the exact opposite. Trading for Amare would drastically change the dynamic of the Cavalier offense; Stoudemire is a legit post presence and the Cavs will have to run at least some plays for him. However, the Cavs currently sit atop the Eastern Conference and have a seven(!!) game lead over the second place Magic, so they have some room to experiment if they need to (I'll be honest, I love the idea having Amare against Orlando. He'd abuse Rashard Lewis and because of Shaq, Howard can't switch).

Plus, adding the 27 year old Stoudemire (especially if he doesn't walk away from $17 mil) to a core of Mo Williams (27), Anderson Varejao (27) and Delonte West (26) gives the Cavs a nice, young roster to show LeBron this summer. You don't mind parting with Hickson in an Amare deal, since Stoudemire is young himself.

I'd be thrilled with the addition of either guy, at this point I'm leaning towards Amare. Yes, I'd miss J.J. and I'm not thrilled with adding Richardson, but when have a chance to add a young big man with 20-10 skills (despite the risks), you take it. I don't think the Cavs can go wrong with Stoudemire or Jamison (and I'm OK with them standing pat too), but like Wojnarowski said, the only thing on the line is the franchise's future.

Good luck, Danny, no pressure.

Cross-posted at LeBrownsTown.com

High Asking Price

Adrian Wojnarowski:

In a dramatic move that would resuscitate their fading championship hopes, the Boston Celtics are discussing a deal with the Washington Wizards for forwards Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler, league sources told Yahoo! Sports on Friday.

The proposed deal would send the expiring contracts of Ray Allen, Brian Scalabrine, and J.R. Giddens, to the Wizards, a move that would signal the start of Washington’s rebuilding process.

The trade isn’t imminent, but talks have progressed and Celtics GM Danny Ainge has positioned his organization to make one of the boldest trade deadline moves in years. For the Celtics, ownership would have to agree to take on an additional $24 million in salary next season between Jamison and Butler. Jamison makes more than $15 million in 2011-12, but most owners are discounting those salaries because of an assumption that there will be a labor lockout and some, if not all, of that money will never be paid to the players.

God damn, I really do hate the Wizards. Seriously, would they do this just to spite the Cavs? I don't get it. I thought they had high asking prices for their starters? Ray Allen, Scalabrine and JR Giddens (who?) for Butler AND Jamison? Wow.

(I'll have an Orlando recap sometime before noon)

Am I gonna have to learn to spell "Iguodala"?

Over the years, I've had to memorize how to spell names like "Ilgauskas" and "Szczerbiak" (still got it!) and now Marc Stein reports that the Sixers are trying to interest the Cavs in Andre Iguodala:

Another recent topic discussed in this cyberspace: Philadelphia's attempts to interest Cleveland in a deal for Andre Iguodala.

Open to any trade that will help them convince LeBron James to stay in Cleveland -- as witnessed by their early season run at Stephen Jackson and their well-chronicled interested in a floor-spacing power forward such as Antawn Jamison or Troy Murphy -- LeBron's Cavs are on the short list of teams that would consider absorbing the four years and $56 million left on Iguodala's contract after this season.

The determined pursuit of Jackson until his November trade from Golden State to Charlotte only makes it more apparent that the Cavs are not solely focused on “stretch fours,” as they’re known in the modern game.

Iguodala, though, is difficult for Philly to move because of all that money he’s still owed. Not as difficult as moving Elton Brand or Samuel Dalembert, but all of the teams that like Iguodala – Houston, Dallas and Cleveland are known to have shown varying degrees of interest – have reservations about taking on a deal that big.

The Cavs have to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. Would they still want Iguodala on their payroll if LeBron leaves and plunges Cleveland into that worst-case position?

Iggy could be the perfect number two for LeBron. He's young (just 26), he's uber-athletic and while he's really talented, he's not quite a number one option. Could he be the fabled "LeBron's Pippen"?

Brian Windhorst confirms that the Cavs are interested:

According to several league sources, the Cavs and Sixers have been in talks about Iguodala. The talks remain open and it is still possible the Cavs could trade for him, contrary to other reports at the end of the last week. At this point, however, the two sides are just in discussion and have not progressed to the serious stage.

The Sixers are probably at that stage with a lot of teams. Over the last several weeks, when the Sixers actually starting making calls offering Iguodala, some teams were taken off guard. They had not done research into Iguodala because recently it didn't seem sensible. After all, it was less than two years ago that the Sixers signed Iguodala to a six-year, $80 million deal and hoped he'd mature into an perennial All-Star.

[snip]

But then there is the prospect of getting a player like Iguodala on the cheap. This is the kind of deal the Cavs like to pull. Willingness to take on salary got them O'Neal for Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic. And Mo Williams for Damon Jones and Joe Smith.

Iguodala is like a younger version of [Stephen] Jackson, who they missed out on. He's just an average shooter but a strong defender, rebounder and distributor for someone at his size (6-6) and position. This year, a terrible season for the 76ers, he's averaging a career high in rebounds (6.8) and assists (5.7). He's also shown good leadership skills.

Those are all desirable traits, but he's the type of player that it may take a while for the Cavs to adjust to. Right now, as they are on a seven-game win streak and display their depth nightly, this acquisition might not make sense.

Iguodala and the Cavs? It is complex, to be sure. But it is also quite possible.

In a throwaway line in my Amare post, I called Iguodala "Larry Hughes with muscles,"(meaning he's slasher but not a great shooter) which isn't quite fair. After some heavy lurking over at Real Cavs Fans and a discussion with my brother, I've warmed considerably to the idea of adding AI2.

Now, comparing anyone to Larry Hughes during his Cleveland tenure is a bit misleading. There's a lot of reasons why Hughes didn't work here (his shot selection, attitude, and injuries to name a few) but he wasn't helped by the fact that the Cavs literally had no point guard. Ferry and Brown did Larry no favors by pairing him in a backcourt with Eric Snow. Those were the days, eh?

With Mo Williams on board, Iguodala would, unlike Hughes, immediately step into a situation which plays to his strengths, rather than exacerbates his weaknesses. A trio of James, Iguodala and Williams is just a tad stronger than LBJ, Hughes and Snow, no? Plus, I'd bet Iggy's shooting numbers would go up when he's getting wide open looks and not trying to be the hero every night (as with Jason Kidd in Dallas).

Yes, Iggy isn't a stretch four, but he sure is a beast of a wing (imagine the crunch time, lock-down D they could play with LeBron and Iguodala *drools*). The issue for Ferry and Co. is whether or not you trust LeBron and Andre to work together. Best case scenario, Iguodala pushes the Cavs over the hump, LeBron re-ups and the Cavs have a long term solution at shooting guard. If LeBron ends up staying, Iguodala's contract length becomes a strength (he's signed through 2013/14) but, as Stein mentions, if LeBron decides to bolt, the Cavs are stuck with paying Iguodala all that money.

At the end of the day, Antawn Jamison still seems like the best fit for the Cavaliers. Jamison gives the Cavs another shooter and he'd plug directly into their starting lineup while replacing their weakest link. If things don't work out, he's only around for another two seasons (compared to Iggy's four). But lord knows if the Wizards will cooperate.

According to Stein (same link), the Wizards are demanding the Blazers give them both Rudy Fernandez and Nicolas Batum for Brendan Haywood. Yikes. If that's what they're demanding for Haywood, I doubt they'll take Z and J.J. for Jamison (as far as I'm concerned, you either get J.J. or a 1st round pick, not both).

I go back and forth on whether or not I think the Cavs have to make a deal. This team is really freaking good as currently constructed; they passed every test you could ask for and not only survived, but thrived. However, I'd sleep easier at night knowing they added another offensive piece.

In the end, it really comes down to Washington's asking price and which crunch time position you feel more comfortable about, power forward or shooting guard. You really can't go wrong with trading for either Jamison or Iguodala; either addition would push the Cavaliers over the top. The Cavs are already the best team in the NBA and, in my opinion, adding either AI2 or Antawn makes them the no-brainer favorites.

Dream Big

I love the pie-in-the-sky trade speculation this time of year. Brian Windhorst has the latest:

The Arizona Republic reported late Sunday night that the Cavaliers are one of three teams to be in talks recently with the Suns about trading for star Amare Stoudemire. The reporter on this story is the Republic's Paul Coro, which why there is a blog going up on this topic now and it is not being regarded as common fodder. Coro has a good reputation for being credible. For example, was the first to report the Cavs and Suns had re-started trade talks for Shaquille O'Neal last June.

[snip]

It would be surprising that the Suns would want to do another salary dump trade with a star but it isn't impossible. This move potentially could save team owner Robert Sarver another $10 million and perhaps more. The natural trade that makes sense here would be Zydrunas Ilgauskas and J.J. Hickson for Stoudemire. The Suns could also ask for draft picks, the Cavs own their full slate of first round picks in the future. The Cavs and Suns talked about Hickson the O'Neal deal but the Cavs wanted to keep him. So the Suns have a history of interest in Hickson.

[snip]

The Suns and Warriors nearly pulled a deal for Stoudemire last June before the draft but it fell apart. There is little doubt that both the Wolves and Warriors could put together more talent-rich offers for Stoudemire. The Cavs cannot and will not offer the same package of young players.

But with Stoudemire having the right to become a free agent this summer, it would be foolish for either team to trade for him without an agreement he'd re-sign with them. He already made it clear he didn't want to go to Golden State last summer, which was one of the sticking points to that failed trade. It is hard to believe he'd want to stay in Minnesota, which is in the middle of a large rebuilding project.

That factor reduces Stoudemire's value on the trade market and why such a deal would make some sense for the Cavs. Stoudemire has said he wants to play for a contender but probably would also be attracted to New York or Miami in the offseason. So the danger is the Cavs may find themselves renting him as well.

Yikes. Amare Stoudemire! For Z and J.J.? Yes, yes and yes.

While I'm (still) not the biggest Amare guy out there, I have to admit that the dude has talent. A lot of talent. All-star level talent. He just happens not use it on the defensive end.

I'm not one who advocates giving up draft picks and young players (I'm completely against giving Washington anything but capspace for Jamison. No #1 picks, no J.J.), but for a player like Amare, you do it. He averages 20 and 8 at the age of 27. Amare is what you hope J.J. becomes, he's Hickson's best case scenario.

But there are concerns. Defensively, if you're the Cavs, you hope Amare's poor defensive attitude is due to the Suns' run-and-gun philosophy and that Mike Brown (and LeBron) can get Stoudemire on the right page. But I'd be very concerned about starting Mo Williams, Amare and Shaq every night, defensive pick-and-rolls could be brutal.

Offensively, he may not be the perfect fit either, John Krolik:

First of all, Amare isn’t the most cerebral offensive player. His assist ratio ranks 61st of the 68 listed power forwards. His turnover ratio is 46th out of 68. He’s not as good of a finisher in traffic as he used to be, either. He only makes 56% of his layups, and doesn’t have a left hand to speak of, but he’s more than willing to try and force a right-handed shot in traffic. If the ball gets tossed to Amare, it’s probably not coming back. And those numbers come in an offense with amazing spacing and a directive to rotate the ball back to Steve Nash at the first sign of trouble. Do you really want a player like that on the floor with LeBron James, especially late in games?

Not only that, but we'd get to watch Mike Brown retool the offense on the fly (something I don't think he'd necessarily have to do with someone like Jamison or Troy Murphy). So that should be fun.

All of that being said, I'm 10000000% behind trading for Stoudemire. Yes, like LeBron, Amare could leave after the season. But if you're the Cavs, you have to think that bringing in Amare would be quite an incentive for LeBron to stay (and vice versa). A core of Mo Williams (27), Stoudemire (27) and LeBron (25) is more than solid.

While I doubt the Cavs end up with Amare, I do think it's within the realm of possibility. The Suns and their owner are nortoriously cheap, it makes no sense to trade him to a bad team (since he'll just walk), Danny Ferry and Steve Kerr have a familiarity both on the court and as GMs (Shaquisition) and the Cavs have just enough salary relief and young talent to make things interesting.

At the end of the day, I just can't see the Suns trading a 27 year old big man for Z, J.J. Hickson and late round draft picks. You gotta think there'd be a better offer out there but a guy can dream, right?

And I gotta say, I like this rumor a lot more than the Andre Iguodala one. Iggy is Larry Hughes with muscles (defensively they'd be ridiculous, offensively... notsomuch).

Antawn Jamison

Of all the names that have been thrown around as potential Cavalier mid-season pickups, Antawn Jamison's name pops up the most. I'm not sure how I feel about this.

On one hand, I like Jamison. He's the one Washington Wizard that I don't mock at every opportunity (he'd be mic'd up for those playoff games and you'd hear him just pleading with the other Wizards to crash the boards, I actually felt bad for the guy). The Cavaliers would be trading for a power forward who currently averages 20 points (47% FG, 35% 3FG) and 8 boards a night. You don't need me to tell you that he'd be a significant upgrade on the offensive end.

However, on the other hand, the Cavs would also be trading for a 33 year old power forward (he turns 34 in June) who is owed $13 million next season and a whopping $15 million the following year. Do you want to be paying a 35 year old power forward $15 million bucks? I sure don't.

As great as Jamison would be short term, he's a somewhat major risk for the long term (unless you think trading for overpaid guys in their midthirties is a good way to build a franchise).

Then there's this from Marc Stein:

The two Wizards who continue to draw the most interest from rival teams are forwards Caron Butler (who will have an array of Western Conference suitors when Washington decides that it's finally ready to break up its core) and Antawn Jamison (who is fiercely loyal but quite frustrated, as I hear it, by the ongoing disarray with the Wiz).

Jamison has been on the Cavaliers' radar for some time, as the ever-reliable Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer reminded us in his column last weekend, but it's believed that Cleveland would only do a Zydrunas Ilgauskas-for-Jamison deal if it knew that the Wizards were prepared to release Ilgauskas after consummating the trade. Big Z could then re-sign with the Cavs after a 30-day wait, as seen last season, when Antonio McDyess was dealt from Detroit to Denver in the Allen Iverson deal and later rejoined the Pistons.

Yet I'm told that the Wizards (A) would insist on at least one more asset because they are not prepared to part with Butler or Jamison merely for cap relief and (B) would do everything they could to avoid sending Jamison to Cleveland because of the tension that has built up in recent years between those teams.

So the Cavs won't trade Z unless it's prearranged that he's being bought out and the Wizards won't part with Jamison unless they get some assets other than cap relief in return. Makes sense.

The big question for me is this: how effective does Danny Ferry think Jamison will be next year? Are they comfortable paying $13 million for a 34 year old power forward (full of nagging injuries) next season? I'm not so concerned in two seasons because, at worst, Jamison will be a $15 million expiring contract (*waves* at New Orleans and 2012 FA Chris Paul).

Other than cap relief (Z, Shaq and even Wally Szczerbiak), the Cavs' biggest (reasonable) trade asset is J.J. Hickson. I'm not opposed to parting with Hickson in a deal but it's gotta be the right one. I'm not sure getting 'just' Jamison is that deal. Now, if they wanna grab Mike Miller or Brendan Haywood (or Caron Butler, but that's much more tricky) along with Jamison, then wave Hickson goodbye.

I can probably be talked into parting with Hickson for Jamison but I'm not comfortable with the idea (food for thought: the one year Jamison was on the Mavericks -aka a good team- he shot 53% from the floor, 40% from three (both career highs) and averaged 14 and 6 coming off the bench. Interesting). Do you part with J.J. for a power forward on the wrong side of 30 who's owed 28 million over the next two seasons? Tough call.

Then there's Troy Murphy (who Windhorst says is also a target). He's three years younger than Jamison, is signed only through next season (at $11 million) and averages a respectable 14 and 9. He's not as dynamic of a scorer as Jamison but he'd fit well next to Shaq (stretch 4) and he could fill Z's pick-and-pop niche in the offense (40% 3FG). Plus, in trading for Murphy, the Cavs wouldn't have to part with Hickson.

As good a fit as Jamison can be, I'm not sure he's so much better than Murphy that he's worth J.J. as well as an another year (that extra $15 mil can really screw with your flexibility). And if Stein's reporting is true (that the Wizards don't want to deal with the Cavs due to 'tension') then so be it. They're currently two games out of the 8th spot, by all means, go down that road yet again.

I'll have whatever he's smoking

Bill Simmons:

Fake Trade 8c: Cleveland deals the Shaq/Ilgauskas ECs with Jamario Moon (expiring 2011), J.J. Hickson (ditto) and Jawad Williams/Darnell Jackson (EC throw-ins) for CP3, Okafor, Peja, Peterson and Songaila. That knocks the Hornets well under this year's tax, gets them out of $26.6 million of Peja-Songaila-Peterson in 2011 AND dumps Okafor's monster deal ($70 million through 2014). Sure, it's the biggest salary dump trade of all time. But shouldn't New Orleans do the Grizzlies routine for a year or two (super-low payroll, rebuild through the draft) over losing $25-30 million a year to be a fringe contender these next three years? And if you're Cleveland, don't you have to take a risk like this to keep LeBron?

Here, look. We built you a super-team: Okafor, Chris Paul, Mo Williams, you and Varejao, with Delonte West, Anthony Parker and February Buyout Big Man X coming off the bench. We can win four straight titles with this team. CP3 makes your life easier. Stay here. Just stay.

As simply a basketball fan, there are two players that I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see LeBron play with: Chris Paul or Dwight Howard. That's my list. Sure, Chris Bosh would be nice and maybe LeBron and D.Wade would be spectacular but neither excites me like the possibility of seeing Chris Paul or Howard with LeBron. 1-3 pick-and-roll with CP3 and LBJ... how do you guard that? Lord knows how many easy baskets LeBron would get per game with Paul running the show (plus, having Paul run the offense means that we'd see a lot less Le-Iso).

As for Simmons's trade... obviously, I'd love it (starting 5 of CP3-AP-LBJ-Varejao-Okafor with Delonte, Mo, Peja, Varejao and Powe off the bench. Imagine going small with Paul-Mo-West-LBJ-Varejao. Yikes!). If you can get Chris Paul without completely fucking over your team, you do it (even if it does fuck up your team, I'd still consider it). Teaming LeBron with a player of Paul's caliber and stature is probably the best move the Cavs could make to entice LeBron to reup (cause unless he signs with Miami or decides to take less money(HA!), odds are LeBron won't be teamming up with another Top 10 player).

For what it's worth, Simmons has another fake Cavalier deal:

VP's Verdict: I'd clean house. What would Cleveland say if Washington offered them Jamison, Butler and Brendan Haywood for Shaq's expiring contract and J.J. Hickson? What would Miami say if Washington offered them the same trade for Jermaine O'Neal and a 2010 No. 1? My favorite of the possibles …

Fake Trade 9 (three-way): Wizards get Carlos Boozer and Shaq; Utah gets Butler and Mike James' EC; Cavs get Jamison, Haywood and Kyle Korver's EC. Utah drops close to the tax line. Cleveland upgrades two positions for nothing. And Washington remains competitive this season and gets to start over financially next summer. Just enough to string fans along in case The Chalk Outline rises from the sidewalk.

Now, I'd do that first trade in a heartbeat. I love me some J.J. Hickson but Jamison, Butler and Haywood would more or less fill all of the Cavaliers' current holes. Butler starts at the 2 (perfect), Jamison plays the stretch 4 (not quite perfect, but really good) and your big man rotation is Z, Varejao, Haywood and Powe come playoff time. Not bad at all.

These fake deals are all predicated on the idea that the Cavs are ready and willing to part with Shaq and/or Ilgauskas. I don't believe that's very likely, at least at this moment of the season.

However, give Simmons some credit; in both of his deals he has the Cavs receiving some big men in return (Okafor/Songaila or Jamison/Haywood). If the Cavs were to trade Shaquille or Zydrunas they'd have to get some bigs in return (they backed out of a Stephen Jackson deal because they couldn't get Ronny Turiaf). The Cavs picked up Shaq solely for the purpose of guarding Dwight Howard, there's no point in upgrading the shooting guard position if they means still can't matchup with Howard (and Gasol/Bynum).

Asides from the February 19th trade deadline, the three most important dates for the Cavaliers are Christmas (Cavs @ Lakers), January 21st (Lakers @ Cavs) and February 11th (Magic @ Cavs). If Shaq and the Cavs can hold their own against the bigs from Los Angeles and Orlando, then they'll be more likely to either stand pat or go for a periphery, plug-the-holes type deal (Troy Murphy, Jamison, etc). But if they get stomped or if Shaq is ineffective at both ends...

Look, Simmons's ideas are obviously pie-in-the-sky, best case scenarios (Chris Paul!) but I believe that these are the type of deals that Danny Ferry has to, if not directly purse, at least entertain. I firmly believe that the Cavs have to be willing to cut the cord and trade Shaq should the need arise.

They have roughly $30 million in the expiring contracts of Shaq ($21 million) and Ilgauskas ($11 million) that they can't afford to sit on (especially during LeBron's walk year). They owe it to themselves to explore every available option (unlike Randy Lerner) and that includes parting with Shaq and/or Z. I know they got Shaq for the playoff run but that doesn't (or shouldn't) mean he's untouchable.

This could be LeBron's last season in Cleveland, you gotta explore all of your options.

T-Mac?

There's rumors that Tracy McGrady is on the block:

Tracy McGrady is likely going to end up getting traded at some time in the next seven months -- maybe in a sign-and-trade deal after he becomes a free agent July 1, maybe at the trade deadline in mid-February, or maybe even sooner.

[snip]

One source said teams including Portland, Miami and Cleveland were hoping that McGrady's tenure in Houston would end with a buyout, and he would be free to sign with the team of his choice provided he cleared waivers by March 1.

But that source said the Rockets are not at all inclined to go down that road, and a second source insisted that too much should not be read into McGrady's comeback Tuesday night when he logged 7 minutes against the Pistons, saying it was the next logical step in McGrady' comeback from microfracture surgery, and will help establish how much trade value McGrady has heading into the peak of the trading season. One source also cautioned that Rockets owner Les Alexander's fondness for McGrady is a potential complicating factor in any proposed deal, and third source cautioned that there could be gray-area rules complications in trading Mobley, a quasi-retired injured player.

Would I trade for Tracy McGrady? Hell no. He's injury prone, moody, used to being The Man (a volume shooter) and has a crazy contract ($22 million). Trading for McGrady would require the Cavs to give up at least Z and Delonte and lord knows what else. No thanks. He's not worth the effort.

But picking him as a free agent? I'm down. Of course, McGrady has only been back for two games and no one is really sure how effective he can be... but ya gotta think if he's healthy and motivated that he could play the two next to LeBron. He could help defend bigger guards and small forwards, he could handle the scoring load (maybe?) and he wouldn't cost the Cavs a thing to acquire.

I'm sure there better options (Antwan Jamison? David West?) but McGrady definitely intrigues me.

Nada

Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Zero.

And I'm OK with that.

Look, getting Shaq could've been amazing, I won't deny that. It would've spiced up the second half it would've given the Cavs a legit low post threat and I would've loved having the big fella in town (it'd be a lot of fun).

But you have to admit, that's a substantial risk that the Cavaliers don't have to take.

First of all, they would've been giving up Ben Wallace in the (along with Pavlovic). I'm not a huge Wallace guy, but the man is useful. If you give up Wallace, who guards KG? Bosh? Odom? Picking up Shaq would be either a slight net gain or a lateral move. Sure, they could throw the ball down low, but they'd suffer defensively (unless you want all Varejao, all the time).

And it's not like there wouldn't be any offensive adjustments either. LeBron does a lot of drive-and-kick and if you have Shaq out there, he does what exactly? I'm not saying that the offense would be bad, but there would be some kind of adjustment period.

Nevermind the chemistry problems. Though Shaq seems like an (extremely) easy guy to get along with, you'd either have to send him or Z to the bench. I just have a hard time saying to Z, "thanks for all the blood, sweat and tears this past decade, but get on the bench for the title push".

Look, teams weren't willing to trade for those expiring deals this time around. Maybe no one wants to be the next Chris Wallace (or McHale), I dunno. But the Cavs weren't the only team looking to trade a big contract. Porland was dangling Raef LaFrenz and they ended up with nothing as well.

(also, I think the Cavs had a second move planned once they got Shaq. It doesn't make sense from a basketball standpoint to trade Ben and not pick up a PF somewhere else. If they really wanted Shaq, they could've traded Wally instead, but they would've been down to just Tarence Kinsey at the 2).

At the end of the day, the Cavs are 24-4 team when they have their full compliment of starters. That ain't bad. Would I have liked them to make a deal? Sure. But I don't want Ferry making a trade just to make a trade. It has to be the right deal for this ballclub (both short term and long term) and if the Suns wanted too much, then I don't blame Ferry for balking (he was obviously working the lines). At this point, I think you just have to trust his track record with these things.

Basically, I'm fine with them not pulling the trigger. It's not nearly as exciting and having the Big Cactus (Big Cuyahoga? Big Flaming River? Big Ford Plant?) here would've been beyond cool. But they're still 41-11, despite having their share of injuries, and when they're healthy, they're really good.

Let's just hope they stay healthy (and some bigs get bought out. *cough* JoeSmithDrewGooden *cough*)

Trade Talk

From SI.com:

The Cavaliers spent the the final hours in search of a skilled big man to enhance their size advantage over the champion Boston Celtics, who entered Wednesday with a two-game lead over Cleveland in the crucial race for the East's No. 1 seed. As proud as Cleveland has been of its balanced rotation and experienced depth around conference MVP LeBron James, the Cavs couldn't afford to ignore the value of their hole card -- the expiring $13.8 million salary of eighth man Wally Szczerbiak.

In recent days the Cavs have investigated possible trades for Miller as well as Antawn Jamison (which was rebuffed by the Washington Wizards), Marcus Camby (who thus far had been made unavailable by the Los Angeles Clippers) and Richard Jefferson (who can be acquired from the Milwaukee Bucks as they're pressed by the luxury tax) in hopes of seizing a frontcourt advantage over the Celtics, who have no expiring contracts or an expendable salary valuable enough to be dealt. Could they find their midseason version of Rasheed Wallace (who helped the Pistons win the 2003-04 championship) or Pau Gasol (who shot the Lakers to the NBA Finals last season)?

As much as they were concerned about disrupting team chemistry, the larger issue driving the Cavaliers had to be the continuing speculation that James will depart in 2010. They must do everything possible to win a championship -- not only to exploit his presence while they have him, but also to convince him that his best hope of winning multitple titles is to re-sign with Cleveland.

I've never been a huge Richard Jefferson guy, but he would help this team. He's a big guard who can defend (and has been through some playoff battles of his own). I'm not sure what the Cavs would have to give up (if it's just Wally, than okie-dokie). However, RJ is expensive, making $14.2 million next season and $15.2 the next (though 10/11 is an early termination year).

ESPN has more:

The Bucks got some more momentum Wednesday evening in their quest to find some salary relief for Richard Jefferson.

Sources say the Bucks had discussions with the Cavs about a possible Jefferson-for-Wally Szczerbiak swap. The Cavs have gotten much more active over the past 48 hours, making pitches to Washington for Antawn Jamison and the Clippers for Marcus Camby. However, the Wizards and Clippers have both given the Cavs the stiff-arm.

Camby is still the guy I really want. God I hate the Clippers.

Some more from ESPN:

A source who has been in the know for years tells me that Joe Smith is keeping his fingers crossed that the Thunder do not find another trade for him now that he's back in Oklahoma City.

Smith, the source said, would like to do a buyout and then sign with the Boston Celtics as this season's version of P.J. Brown.

No Joe! Come on, Boston!? Really? Lame.

Also, I found this really interesting (emphasis mine):

Finally, this question, after the Tyson Chandler trade was rescinded: Is there any chance that Chandler could be traded again by Thursday?

One GM, speaking on condition of anonymity, told me he spoke with the Thunder and thought they were extremely conservative in their diagnosis of Chandler. Although he hadn't seen the medical evidence, he felt, based on his conversations with the Thunder, that the team might have overreacted to the center's turf toe issue.

Yes please. Hey New Orleans, you guys wanna save some money? We got a sexy white guy making $13 million just waiting to be traded. We'll take that young, underachieving, athletic big man off your hands, no problem.

Gonna be a fun (and more than likely) uneventful day for Cavs fans.

Trade Stuff

Looks like Ferry has been talking to the Wizards:

One is Washington Wizards forward Antawn Jamison. A veteran who can play both inside and out with high character and a willingness to come off the bench (he is a former Sixth Man of the Year), he represents the top of the class. According to a league executive, the Cavs recently made pitches for both Jamison and Wizards' forward Caron Butler.

The Wizards have made it known they do not want to pay the luxury tax next season and Jamison is at the start of a four-year, $50 million contract. However, Washington has numerous options to reduce payroll over the next year besides moving one of their stars. This would be a trade with their biggest enemy, which is why it still seems to be a long shot.

I'm hesitant to add Jamison, for age and salary reasons. But he would fit in extremely well. As for Butler... dear God, if Ferry can pry him away then I will send the man flowers every day for the next year. Butler would be perfect next to Bron-Bron.

Now, Windy also throw out this little nugget:

The Washington Post reported Tuesday that the Wizards are considering trading their first-round draft pick this year to help with the problem.

Adding Jamison's salary (and Etan Thomas/Darius Songaila) and the Wizards pick would be ridiculous. Getting a top ten pick would be amazing.

However, ESPN doesn't think a DC-Cleveland connection will happen:

The Wizards, sources said, quickly rebuffed Cleveland's offer of Wally Szczerbiak's $13.8 million expiring contract for former All-Star forward Antawn Jamison.

One source with knowledge of the Wizards' thinking said Tuesday that team president Ernie Grunfeld is determined to continue resisting interest in Jamison and Caron Butler because the club has renewed hope that injured starters Gilbert Arenas and Brendan Haywood will play in a small handful of games before the season ends, affording the Wiz an opportunity to evaluate the full team they hoped to field this season.

With Arenas and Haywood both having missed the entire season so far, Washington has cratered to a nightmare record of 12-42.

I'm not entirely surprised by this (as the Cavs are just offering cap relief), but at the same time, how long can the Wizards run with this same core? I mean, three straight first round exits and a terrible record this year. They look completely lost, so let's hope they do something stupid (like giving Cleveland Caron Butler or a first round pick).

Both ESPN and Windhorst think Ferry is targeting Marcus Camby (which shouldn't be a surprise):

The Cavs, meanwhile, are expected to shift their focus from Jamison to making a final pitch (or three) for Clippers center Marcus Camby, after being convinced in this week's talks that the Wizards are not interested in parting with the 32-year-old in spite of their luxury-tax concerns.

The Clippers have been saying for weeks that Camby and rookie guard Eric Gordon are their only untouchables in trade talks, but history says Clippers owner Donald Sterling is bound to be tempted by the opportunity to remove Camby's $9.7 million from next season's payroll if presented with Szczerbiak's contract on deadline day ... unless L.A. can move Chris Kaman's longer contract first.

and:

Another player on the radar is Marcus Camby, the Los Angeles Clippers' defensive center who has two years left on his contract. The Clippers are often in cost-cutting mode and have other strong big men. Coach and GM Mike Dunleavy has constantly told media members and other teams that Camby isn't on the market.

On Tuesday, though, a Western Conference general manager said every Clipper -- with the exception of rookie Eric Gordon -- was available, even as other general managers said Dunleavy's stance had not changed.

I'd love the Camby-man. He's a short term solution, but he'd plug a lot of holes (mainly, the fouth big man/veteran hole) and he won't mess up any 2010 scenarios. I just think that the Clips will demand Hickson, which Ferry will (rightfully) balk at.

For those of you who wanted Brad Miller (anyone? Bueller?), he's (thankfully) off the market:

The Chicago Bulls and Sacramento Kings have reached tentative agreement on a trade sending Andres Nocioni, Drew Gooden and Cedric Simmons to the Kings for Brad Miller and John Salmons, ESPN.com.

One source said the Bulls players were pulled off the team bus Wednesday afternoon and were told they had been traded.

The deal also involved a third team. The Bulls agreed to send Michael Ruffin to Portland, and the Trail Blazers would ship Ike Diogu to the Kings, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard.

What the fuck are the Bulls doing? Do they even have a plan? I love how they were in talks for Stoudemire and ended up with Brad freaking Miller. Salmons is decent, but he's paid too much ($10 mil over the next two years- which isn't terrible, but not great). The Cavs were in talks for Miller, but the Kings insisted on Hickson. HA!

At this point, I have no idea what will happen. Stoudemire being traded looks less and less likely (though if Sarver really wants to cut salary, with the Bulls trading Gooden....), Camby is on the Clippers (so who knows) and it looks like Washington is going to stand pat.

Though, despite the bleak news, I guess we should hold out hope:

"The Cavs are definitely being super aggressive," one Eastern Conference executive said. "They see this economic frenzy out there with so many teams trying to get off money and lower their payrolls like New Orleans did [by trading Tyson Chandler] and they want to capitalize. If they can spend now to help them keep LeBron later, they're going to do it."

So there ya go.

FYI- the deadline is 3pm on Thursday (though I'd wait til 5 to make sure).

Well, there goes THAT option

Well, now Ferry will actually have to make a trade to add some talent to the roster:

The New Orleans Hornets and Oklahoma City Thunder have completed a deal that sends center Tyson Chandler to the Thunder.

The Hornets received forwards Joe Smith and Chris Wilcox in exchange for their best interior defender.

The Hornets also received the draft rights to DeVon Hardin, who was selected No. 50 overall by the Thunder in the 2008 draft.

With Joe Smith being traded (to a good team) it's a safe bet that he won't be bought out this year. So Ferry can't just wait for Smith as a Plan B if the trade front falls through.

Right now, I could see the Cavaliers going either way. I could see them making a late push for a trade (like trying to get a third team involved in the Amare deal) or I could see them standing pat (though I think that's less likely now that Smith is probably gone).

Getting our hopes up

Truckloads of salt please:

It says here, the Cavaliers, Lakers and Heat are the lone teams who should seriously consider obtaining Stoudemire's sub-standard services. Sunday's All-Star start is a gift from an adoring, oblivious public. He'd have no problem deferring to LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade because their areas of expertise don't conflict with his, and they're genuine franchise players . . . whereas he pretends to be.

Last I looked, Stoudemire hasn't exactly proved capable of carrying an affluent team to ultimate glory.

Judging by what the Cavs have to offer - as mentioned, expiring contracts and talented youngbloods - and Kerr's connection and affection for Danny Ferry - I'm guessing it'll be Kevin McHale-Danny Ainge revisited . . . unless L.A. makes Lamar Odom available.

Now, look, I'm not the biggest Amare guy (and this rumor is from Peter Vecsey) but this would be a delight. I was never a huge fan of his game (nice first step, though his jumper has improved) and his defense is atrocious (he let Varejao drive right past him on Wednesday night). But if you can pick him up for Wally+Hickson+picks, you do that and don't look back.

Now, I don't really think that the Cavs have a legit shot (and they shouldn't) but they have a couple of things working in their favor.

First, the Suns owner is nortoriously stingy. So if they don't want to take on a lot of salary, Wally's deal (and Snow's) would be mighty attractive. Plus, Hickson is a legit prospect (he was even mentioned in Simmons's trade value column).

Secondly, Stoudemire has been on the market for practically the entire season and the Suns have gotten no decent offers. There may not be a good deal out there for Amare's potential worth, so they may have to settle anyways.

Third, Ferry and Kerr were teammates in both Cleveland and San Antonio. There's a history and friendship there and it could help grease those gears.

And fourth, but probably one of the most important points, is this:

There is one indication that Suns trade talk involving forward Amaré Stoudemire has not advanced far: His agent has not heard from the Suns about any proposals.

Former National Basketball Players Association Executive Director Charlie Grantham, Stoudemire's new agent this season, equates this portion of trade exploration as fantasy basketball, with the majority of the teams exploring the possibilities. When it gets to reality, Grantham said, he will want Stoudemire to have a say, because he will not want to go just anywhere.

------ [snip]------

If the Suns get serious about a trade involving Stoudemire before Thursday's deadline, Grantham expects to be consulted.

"A place that may be a real good deal for them may not be the best place for us," said Grantham, who is in Phoenix. "In that case, we would not be interested in signing an extension. I would think most teams would not want to rent him for a year and a half. They would want him to sign for more years and know that he's interested in staying."

Grantham said he would not discourage a deal with a team based on market size but added that the potential for a team's success would be a factor.

"Every player wants to go where they have a chance to win a championship," he said. "When you're thrust into the position he is, you hope you have some input there."

Now, Amare wanting a say and Amare getting a say are two totally different things. But the fact that he wants to go to a winner (and market size isn't an issue) has got to work in the Cavs' favor.

I really don't think Stoudemire will end up in wine & gold. There are too many teams (Bulls, Heat, Blazers) that can offer a better package of players.

But right now everything is point towards the Suns getting a crappy deal for Amare. And the Cavs DO have the pieces to form a crappy deal that a cheapskate might find enticing (and they fit the criteria that Stoudemire would want).

Though it's fun to dream, right? A starting line up of Williams-West-LeBron-Amare-Z? I mean, Christ that's a rough five. Now, the Cavs would be banking on Stoudemire catching the defensive bug and I have no idea how that'll play out (Mike Brown would have to work some magic. And he'd need LeBron to set a firm line).

(I'd say say Shaq is the more likely option. But with this economy and the Robert Sarver being a cheap ass...)