A sampling of rumors floating around today
Today In Rumors: Cavaliers Finalize Wishlist, Bucks Want Troy Murphy, And More
Cavaliers finalize wishlist, wait for Amare shoe to drop
The Cavaliers, using a committee that included management, coaches, veteran players, ownership and LeBron James, have created a wishlist of sorts, according to Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. At the top is Amare Stoudemire, but in case that falls through because the Suns elect to trade with Miami, they have fallback options.
Antawn Jamison tops the fallback list. Though the Cavaliers continue to hold out J.J. Hickson in talks with the Wizards regarding Jamison, the two teams continue to talk. Yahoo! Sports reported that the Cavaliers and Wizards have made progress on a trade that would send Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Jamario Moon and a first-round pick in next year’s draft for Jamison and Mike James, which would get the Wizards completely out of the luxury tax. However, ESPN’s Chris Broussard quotes a source denying that offer ever got presented.
The Cavaliers have also maintained contact with the Warriors about Corey Maggette in case all that falls through, according to Windhorst.
Bulls, Lakers talking Kirk Hinrich trade, having problems
The Lakers and Bulls are still talking about a deal to send Kirk Hinrich to LA, but the Bulls want salary-cap relief and the Lakers are insisting on including Sasha Vujacic and his $5.5 million salary in 2011, according to the Chicago Tribune. The two teams are trying to recruit a third team to help facilitate the deal, but are having no luck.
Too bad. Hinrich in LA would be fun to see, and the Bulls desperately need the cap space.
Bucks want Troy Murphy?
When was the last time the Milwaukee Bucks were a buyer in the trade market? 2002? 2001? I honestly can’t remember.
However, it appears they are buying this year. According to Chris Mannix of SI.com, the Bucks are looking for a power forward to play alongside Andrew Bogut. They’ve honed in on Indiana’s Troy Murphy, who has a bad contract that expires before next season. The Bucks don’t mind taking on money next year, because they’re already not going to be under the salary cap this summer, but they’d prefer not to take on money in 2011 because they have the contracts of Michael Reed and Dan Gadzuric off the books. In that sense, Murphy is a perfect fit.
Spurs shopping Richard Jefferson, no takers
The Richard Jefferson experience has been a disaster for the Spurs. How do we know for sure? According to Frank Hughes of SI.com, the Spurs are shopping him and finding no takers. Jefferson makes $14.2 million this season and $15.2 million next year, so I doubt anyone takes him, but this is the NBA, so who knows.
Odds and Ends
- Memphis, New York and New Jersey have honed in on Sacramento's Sergio Rodriguez, according to the Sacramento Bee. The Grizzlies are probably the frontrunners because they have enough cap room to absorb Rodriguez's contract. SB Nation's Grizzlies blog Straight Outta Vancouver, however, says the Grizzlies should pass.
- Surprise, surprise: Drew Gooden wants a buyout on the remainder of his $4.5 million contract, according to Michael Lee of the Washington Post. The Wizards, however, are hoping to trade him before the deadline, though he'd have to be traded by himself. If Gooden isn't traded and is bought out, he will have been bought out after being traded to a bottom-feeder at the trade deadline in each of the last two season.
- Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution shoots down a rumor that the Hawks offered Maurice Evans in a package for Milwaukee's Kurt Thomas. Too bad, because I think Thomas helps the Hawks a lot more than Evans.
- Orlando is always an active team around the deadline, but GM Otis Smith says that won't be the case this year, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
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