3-way with Charlotte, Minn?

[Suns_fan69]

And the drama continues.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2919016

The Minnesota Timberwolves' attempts to trade Kevin Garnett continued Thursday afternoon.

The Wolves have contacted the Charlotte Bobcats to try to help facilitate a deal for Garnett, one day after a potential three-way deal with the Phoenix Suns and the Atlanta Hawks hit a roadblock.

According to sources, the Wolves are asking the Bobcats to give up the No. 8 pick along with an undisclosed player. In the proposed deal, Garnett would go to Phoenix, and the Suns would send Amare Stoudemire to Charlotte. The Bobcats would also be required to take Suns guard Marcus Banks.

The Bobcats have been offering the No. 8 pick to various teams for weeks and have several offers. If they can't get something worked out with Minnesota and Phoenix before the draft, the Bobcats will likely move the pick in another deal, a source said.

However, a source in Phoenix continues to maintain that the team has not had any conversations about trading Stoudemire.

This is just the latest turn in what has been an increasingly bizarre saga of Minnesota superstar Kevin Garnett, who was until recently considered untouchable.

ESPN.com first reported on June 18 that Minnesota GM Kevin McHale was finally listening to trade offers for Garnett and was talking to the Boston Celtics. Shortly after that, Garnett's agent said Garnett would opt out of his contract if he were traded to Boston.

In the last few days, the Lakers got into the picture, trying to work a four-way trade and then a direct deal with the Wolves for Garnett.

When that fell through, Minnesota began looking to acquire Atlanta's No. 3 and No. 11 picks in Thursday's draft along with several cap-friendly contracts from the Hawks and Phoenix Suns. To participate, Atlanta wanted Amare Stoudemire from Phoenix.

On Wednesday, sources say one of the Hawks owners vetoed a hypothetical deal for Stoudemire for financial reasons.

However, late Wednesday night the Wolves were trying to resurrect the deal in a way that would overcome the objections. The sticking point has been a trade kicker in Garnett's contract. The Wolves were talking to a fourth team that could help alleviate the financial burden on Atlanta and Phoenix.

"All I can tell you is we're talking to a lot of people," Hawks general manager Billy Knight said Wednesday afternoon, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I can't say that anything is imminent or even likely to take place. Right now, we have the No. 3 and No. 11 picks and that's all we have.

"We feel good about what we could do if we draft at No. 3 and then again at No. 11. But we are talking ... we're talking about a lot of different things, and we're going to continue to do so up until the draft begins."

The Suns claim to have never had any direct contact with the Hawks about a deal. While they have shown strong interest in acquiring Garnett, the deal never reached a stage where they were asked by either team to give up Stoudemire and never offered him in a trade.

While teams like the Lakers and Suns will continue to pursue Garnett, and the Wolves seem intent on trading him, sources say that it's unlikely, but not impossible, that a deal goes down by the time of the draft.

The latest drama in the Garnett saga shows some of the perils of dealing with the Hawks -- arguably the most dysfunctional franchise in the league.

The Hawks ownership group, Atlanta Spirit LLC, is embroiled in a nasty lawsuit with former partner Steve Belkin. Belkin won a lawsuit against Atlanta Spirit LLC last summer and a judge ruled that he could buy out the owners of Atlanta Spirit and gain full ownership of the team. Atlanta Spirit is currently appealing the ruling.

In the meantime, Belkin holds some authority over the team. He can veto any trade or free agent signing that takes the team above the NBA salary cap. Several sources suggested that it was Belkin who vetoed the trade.

This fiasco isn't the only situation the Hawks are dealing with. Sources said that Knight is in a dispute with some of the Hawks owners over who to take at No. 3. Knight prefers Florida's Al Horford. Some in the Hawks ownership, including influential owner Michael Gearon Jr., want to draft Yi Jianlian out of China.

Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.

 

[SunsTzu]

However, a source in Phoenix continues to maintain that the team has not had any conversations about trading Stoudemire.

Atleast they talked to a Phoenix source 1st this time before things got out of hand.

 

[elindholm]

Here we go again.

If the Suns trade Stoudemire they had better get more than just Garnett back.

 

[abomb]

That would be a great deal for CHA.

 

[Cheesebeef]

i don't buy it for a second - Marion/KT in the deal, plus our pick maybe works though, but Amare and KT ain't happening.

 

[hsandhu]

Chad Ford is an idiot. Chad Ford is an idiot. Chad Ford is an idiot. Say it with me people. So charlotte trades #8 and gets Amare Stoudemire.

I didn't realize draft picks were worth as much as proven stars. Lets trade #24 and get Ginobili.

Amare is not moving anywhere, that is one thing I'm confident in.

 

[elindholm]

The interesting thing is that Charlotte is about $700 million under the cap, so they could absorb all of the junk contracts Minnesota wants to dump, if getting Stoudemire back would be enough compensation for them.

 

[tobiazz]

Somehow I think the Timberwolves do not have the Suns' best interests in mind when they propose these trades.

 

[Gaddabout]

I just think it's crazy the T-Wolves are allowed to throw around names of players of other teams like that. It's pretty close to tampering, IMO.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Wallace, Marion, May, Okafor is a pretty solid foursome, especially in the East for a team that played pretty well at the end of the season. They're REALLY athletic and all solid defenders. Put a mediocre PG who can shoot on that club and it's a young up and coming playoff team in the East.

Have Jordan get on the phone and talk to Marion about an extension.

 

[hsandhu]

I just think it's crazy the T-Wolves are allowed to throw around names of players of other teams like that. It's pretty close to tampering, IMO.

The way they've handled things, I hope they get screwed on a deal. Amare thought he was going to ATL, and the suns didn't talk to either team, the twolves are trying to trade the suns players for them.

 

[Rab]

Wow, what a pile of horse pucky this is.

 

[Muggum]

God help us. Please let this end.

 

[hsandhu]

Wallace, Marion, May, Okafor is a pretty solid foursome, especially in the East for a team that played pretty well at the end of the season. They're REALLY athletic and all solid defenders. Put a mediocre PG who can shoot on that club and it's a young up and coming playoff team in the East.

Have Jordan get on the phone and talk to Marion about an extension.

Maybe charlotte will be willing to take marion w/o an extension. They're trying to dump #8 anyway, get marion for one year, 95% two (cause he aint opting out), and you have a year to extend him.

 

[az1965]

What a bunch of BS...!!

Can ESPN do any worse??? This is like profootballtalk crap.

 

[Rab]

What a bunch of BS...!!

Can ESPN do any worse???

This article actually had me laughing out loud in my cube at work. I mean seriously, this is just getting embarassing for Chad Ford.

 

[sharkman]

McHale is living in dreamland. Marion, KT and the number 24 & 29 should be more than enough to do the deal. How many other teams will absorb $26mil in salaries? If he does nothing....he rents KG for a year...then he walks...and McHale gets nothing. Zip. And the rental doesn't even get them into the playoffs.

Marion, KT, #24 & #29. McHale gets an allstar + a lowpost defender/rebounder with an expiring contract...and three first round picks in the deepest draft in years (our 2 and his own). If he thinks he's getting Amare, Jefferson or anything else, he's brain dead. OK...I now realize that was redundant.

 

[Mulli]

Soon Chad Ford will break a story on Larry Fitzgerald getting traded for a third to the Vikings.

 

[Cicart]

The Bobcats would also be required to take Suns guard Marcus Banks.

WHAT?????

NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!

 

[hsandhu]

McHale is living in dreamland. Marion, KT and the number 24 & 29 should be more than enough to do the deal. How many other teams will absorb $26mil in salaries? If he does nothing....he rents KG for a year...then he walks...and McHale gets nothing. Zip. And the rental doesn't even get them into the playoffs.

Marion, KT, #24 & #29. McHale gets an allstar + a lowpost defender/rebounder with an expiring contract...and three first round picks in the deepest draft in years (our 2 and his own). If he thinks he's getting Amare, Jefferson or anything else, he's brain dead. OK...I now realize that was redundant.

They also get Atl '08. Minny then turns around and trades marion, and some of their bad contracts to charlotte for #8. So minny gets #8, atl '08, lot of cap relief with kt coming off and charlotte taking contracts.

That's the deal, makes too much sense not to happen, of course McHale will screw it up.

 

[Covert Rain]

You guys is it me or is KM and the T-Wolves more determined to trade Amare then the Suns are? Why would we basically need the MT to trade Amare for us???? Holy cow. Maybe KM should worry about trading his own player who is going to opt out instead of trying to broker deals involving Amare.

If the T-Wolves don't want Amare then there is zero reason to trade him. Freaking trade Marion and some other players to them instead. This trade has ZERO chance as is of happening. the other thing guys is that I ESPN has lost a ton of credibility for me in this off season.

 

[RedStorm]

Chad Ford is an idiot. Chad Ford is an idiot. Chad Ford is an idiot. Say it with me people. So charlotte trades #8 and gets Amare Stoudemire.

I didn't realize draft picks were worth as much as proven stars. Lets trade #24 and get Ginobili.

Amare is not moving anywhere, that is one thing I'm confident in.

Really. An all nba center who has yet to reach his prime is equal to any rookie who is drafted #8. I guess then that you can expect #1-7 to walk on freakin water.

Minny is desperate.

 

[Griffin]

Someone needs to inform the Minnesota Timberwolves that they are not allowed to trade another team's players, no matter how much they want a deal to get done.

 

[Rab]

You guys is it me or is KM and the T-Wolves more determined to trade Amare then the Suns are? Why would we basically need the MT to trade Amare for us???? Holy cow. Maybe KM should worry about trading his own player who is going to opt out instead of trying to broker deals involving Amare.

If the T-Wolves don't want Amare then there is zero reason to trade him. Freaking trade Marion and some other players to them instead. This trade has ZERO chance as is of happening.

This is why I said I was laughing out loud. Why are they so obsessed with trading our players for us? McHale is out of his skull. Really, he just throws Amare's name to other teams and before he even talks to the Suns and runs with it.

Chad Ford should know better than this by now.

 

[RedStorm]

You guys is it me or is KM and the T-Wolves more determined to trade Amare then the Suns are? Why would we basically need the MT to trade Amare for us???? Holy cow. Maybe KM should worry about trading his own player who is going to opt out instead of trying to broker deals involving Amare.

If the T-Wolves don't want Amare then there is zero reason to trade him. Freaking trade Marion and some other players to them instead. This trade has ZERO chance as is of happening. the other thing guys is that I ESPN has lost a ton of credibility for me in this off season.

Now, I could see Phx telling Minny...Hey..we will be willing to part with these players and or picks. These players are untouchable. Go and see if you can make something work. But, how many times does one have to say that Amare is not available.