Insider continued.................
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Knicks may not be done dealing yet either
Isiah Thomas has likely made the biggest trade he's going to make, but don't be surprised if a few smaller trades follow. Thomas tried to pry away Darius Miles from the Cavs last weekend, offering Charlie Ward in return. Cavs GM Jim Paxson wanted Frank Williams instead and Thomas balked. Now with Marbury and Norris in the fold, that deal probably sounds very appealing to Thomas. A Williams-and-Othella Harrington-for-Miles trade works under the cap and may make some sense for both parties.
Darius Miles
Guard-Forward
Cleveland Cavaliers
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
29 9.7 4.7 2.6 .420 .583
The Cavs have essentially given up on Miles. He's recorded four DNPs in as many games at the end of December and is clearly out of favor with coach Paul Silas. While snagging Williams for a player once considered the most promising in the draft class of 2000 seems a bit underwhelming, the Cavs need a young starting point guard and Williams has looked great the past week. On the Knicks' end, there isn't much to lose. Your point guards are now in place and Isiah's next goal is to get more athletic in the frontcourt. Miles would give the Knicks that. He's in the last year of his rookie contract, meaning the Knicks have no long-term obligation to him, but also own his Bird Rights if they do choose to re-sign him.
The other big trade that Thomas was pursing was for Rasheed Wallace. Sources claim that Thomas was in heated talks with the Blazers, but that Blazers GM John Nash felt that he could get more for Wallace than just McDyess and Ward. Nash is still concerned about winning this season and felt that McDyess and Ward couldn't match the contributions on the court of Wallace. Now that Thomas has moved both players, the chances of Thomas getting Wallace are pretty slim
His one long shot may be to offer to take a couple of Nash's long-term contracts in return for Wallace, much like he did with Phoenix. If Isiah was willing to swallow the contracts of Wallace, Ruben Patterson and Derek Anderson, would the Blazers bite?
Nash has been trying hard to get Patterson and Anderson out of Portland. Both are signed to long-term deals that run through the 2006-07 season and both have had issues with coach Maurice Cheeks. The problem is that the only way the Knicks could afford to take on those contracts would be to ship two of their biggest contracts back in return. Thomas would give up good citizens like Allan Houston and Keith Van Horn in a heart beat to make that trade, but the long-term effects would hurt the Blazers.
As it stands, Wallace and his $17 million salary are set to come off the books this summer. Van Horn is signed through the 2005-06 season. Houston's deal runs through he 2006-07 season. The big salary hit for the Blazers would come in the summer of 2005. As it stands right now, the Blazers are looking at around $20 million in cap room in 2005 assuming they don't re-sign any of their free agents. If Nash pulled a trigger on the deal, the Blazers would only be around seven million under the cap. That's probably enough to scare them away.
Ward on his way to the Spurs?
Suns GM Bryan Colangelo confirmed that the Suns will waive Charlie Ward this week. Ward has a buyout clause in his contract that must be evoked by Jan. 10th. The Suns will save roughly $3.5 million by waiving him and another $3.5 million in luxury tax penalties.
Where will he end up? Sources claim that Thomas was working on a deal, before the Suns trade on Monday, that would've sent Ward to San Antonio as part of a three-team deal that would sent Ron Mercer to Detroit and Bob Sura to New York. Now that Ward will be a free agent, he can choose where he wants to play. However, there are strong indications that he'll still land in San Antonio. The Spurs are desperate for a veteran point guard to back up Tony Parker. Other teams, including the Mavericks, Nets and Pacers, have also shown interest in him.
------------------------------------
Peep Show
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Tuesday, January 6
Updated: January 6
9:40 AM ET
Orlando Magic: The reason it feels like the Magic haven't won since last Christmas is because, well, they haven't. "We definitely thought the team was going to start taking strides forward," Tracy McGrady said in the Daytona Beach News Journal. "But obviously we took a couple steps forward and now we're taking a huge step backward. It's bad." Head coach Johnny Davis has tried to motivate his team by changing the rotation and switching to a zone defense, but they just can't seem to stop opponents from scoring at will. "It's hard to stay focused, especially when you come out and you're ready to play and you're giving up 40 points in the first quarter," McGrady said.
Seattle SuperSonics: If Sonic players want to get in the game, they're going to have to do it the old fashioned way. They're going to have to earn it. "The way you do that is probably go with a rotation that would have been at the beginning, and if guys play (well) then you work them into the rotations," head coach Nate McMillan said in the Tacoma News Tribune. "Then you have things laid out, and you don't have players who are (angry) about why is this guy playing or this guy. It is right there in black and white. I think everybody during this season ... has looked at (Vladimir) Radmanovic and said, 'What the hell is he doing on the floor?' So I have to make sure they understand, and understand what you are doing to them."
McDyessNew York Knicks: Yesterday's big trade came as no surprise to Antonio McDyess. "It was like they were making everything out to be my fault," McDyess told the New York Daily News. "Dolan used to always talk to me, telling me he was excited to watch me play. But once Isiah came he wouldn't even look me in the eye. Isiah never said a word to me. He slapped my hand but that was it. I said, 'Something ain't right.' If I was part of the plan he would probably talk to me, but it was obvious that I wasn't in their plans. Isiah, I think, wanted to get rid of all of Scott Layden's players." McDyess went so far as to say that Thomas instructed head coach Don Chaney to remove him from the starting lineup prior tot he trade. "It leaves a sour taste in my mouth," McDyess said. "Anybody can get traded but that doesn't mean you have to change your personality toward me. It was like it was my fault. I was always good to them. I worked hard to come back. But then Isiah came and everyone started acting funny. It made it miserable to go to work."
Golden State Warriors: Cliff Robinson wants to end his team's six-game losing streak, and if that means ending his starting streak, then so be it. "I think we can still turn this thing around," said Robinson in the Contra Costa Times. "But I think something has to be done. Maybe shake it up a little bit. Maybe change the lineup. Maybe do something. We've got to do something to get us going in the right direction. It's always a tough one, but it could be the smallest little thing that could get us going." Robinson believes that putting Troy Murphy into his place might help. "I don't have a problem with that," Robinson said. "If that's something they want to do, I don't have a problem with that. When I get out there, I'm going to play hard whether it's coming off the bench or starting."
BakerBoston Celtics: Vin Baker will tell you he needs a doctor, not the mortician. "I don't think I've played as well as I did the first half of the season," said Baker in the Boston Globe. "Every player goes through that. Every player goes through slumps. I've got to get it back. It's just about getting on the floor and getting back to doing the things I do best. It's a gift and a curse when you do well so early. When you go through a slump like every player in this league goes through, it's magnified, obviously." His coach just hopes he's right. "It's pretty much up to him to produce on the court, to do the things that he might be struggling with," said coach Jim O'Brien. "In our defensive schemes, if our big guys are not mobile, we struggle. I'm hoping he can get it back to where he gets back in the starting lineup and gets 25-30 minutes."
Miami Heat: Rookie Dwyane Wade is a pretty good basketball player. He's just no doctor, so don't believe him when he says he'll be back sooner than expected with the injured right wrist. "It was basically two weeks at the minimum is what was said," coach Stan Van Gundy said. "He gets reevaluated on Thursday. With a miracle, that would put you at another week and a day and put him back for the Sacramento game [Jan. 13]. We pretty much planned that he would probably be out for these [home] games, and unfortunately for the entire West Coast trip. Hopefully we get him back sometime on that trip, but there's a probability he won't."
---------------------------------
Knicks may not be done dealing yet either
Isiah Thomas has likely made the biggest trade he's going to make, but don't be surprised if a few smaller trades follow. Thomas tried to pry away Darius Miles from the Cavs last weekend, offering Charlie Ward in return. Cavs GM Jim Paxson wanted Frank Williams instead and Thomas balked. Now with Marbury and Norris in the fold, that deal probably sounds very appealing to Thomas. A Williams-and-Othella Harrington-for-Miles trade works under the cap and may make some sense for both parties.
Darius Miles
Guard-Forward
Cleveland Cavaliers
Profile
2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
29 9.7 4.7 2.6 .420 .583
The Cavs have essentially given up on Miles. He's recorded four DNPs in as many games at the end of December and is clearly out of favor with coach Paul Silas. While snagging Williams for a player once considered the most promising in the draft class of 2000 seems a bit underwhelming, the Cavs need a young starting point guard and Williams has looked great the past week. On the Knicks' end, there isn't much to lose. Your point guards are now in place and Isiah's next goal is to get more athletic in the frontcourt. Miles would give the Knicks that. He's in the last year of his rookie contract, meaning the Knicks have no long-term obligation to him, but also own his Bird Rights if they do choose to re-sign him.
The other big trade that Thomas was pursing was for Rasheed Wallace. Sources claim that Thomas was in heated talks with the Blazers, but that Blazers GM John Nash felt that he could get more for Wallace than just McDyess and Ward. Nash is still concerned about winning this season and felt that McDyess and Ward couldn't match the contributions on the court of Wallace. Now that Thomas has moved both players, the chances of Thomas getting Wallace are pretty slim
His one long shot may be to offer to take a couple of Nash's long-term contracts in return for Wallace, much like he did with Phoenix. If Isiah was willing to swallow the contracts of Wallace, Ruben Patterson and Derek Anderson, would the Blazers bite?
Nash has been trying hard to get Patterson and Anderson out of Portland. Both are signed to long-term deals that run through the 2006-07 season and both have had issues with coach Maurice Cheeks. The problem is that the only way the Knicks could afford to take on those contracts would be to ship two of their biggest contracts back in return. Thomas would give up good citizens like Allan Houston and Keith Van Horn in a heart beat to make that trade, but the long-term effects would hurt the Blazers.
As it stands, Wallace and his $17 million salary are set to come off the books this summer. Van Horn is signed through the 2005-06 season. Houston's deal runs through he 2006-07 season. The big salary hit for the Blazers would come in the summer of 2005. As it stands right now, the Blazers are looking at around $20 million in cap room in 2005 assuming they don't re-sign any of their free agents. If Nash pulled a trigger on the deal, the Blazers would only be around seven million under the cap. That's probably enough to scare them away.
Ward on his way to the Spurs?
Suns GM Bryan Colangelo confirmed that the Suns will waive Charlie Ward this week. Ward has a buyout clause in his contract that must be evoked by Jan. 10th. The Suns will save roughly $3.5 million by waiving him and another $3.5 million in luxury tax penalties.
Where will he end up? Sources claim that Thomas was working on a deal, before the Suns trade on Monday, that would've sent Ward to San Antonio as part of a three-team deal that would sent Ron Mercer to Detroit and Bob Sura to New York. Now that Ward will be a free agent, he can choose where he wants to play. However, there are strong indications that he'll still land in San Antonio. The Spurs are desperate for a veteran point guard to back up Tony Parker. Other teams, including the Mavericks, Nets and Pacers, have also shown interest in him.
------------------------------------
Peep Show
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Tuesday, January 6
Updated: January 6
9:40 AM ET
Orlando Magic: The reason it feels like the Magic haven't won since last Christmas is because, well, they haven't. "We definitely thought the team was going to start taking strides forward," Tracy McGrady said in the Daytona Beach News Journal. "But obviously we took a couple steps forward and now we're taking a huge step backward. It's bad." Head coach Johnny Davis has tried to motivate his team by changing the rotation and switching to a zone defense, but they just can't seem to stop opponents from scoring at will. "It's hard to stay focused, especially when you come out and you're ready to play and you're giving up 40 points in the first quarter," McGrady said.
Seattle SuperSonics: If Sonic players want to get in the game, they're going to have to do it the old fashioned way. They're going to have to earn it. "The way you do that is probably go with a rotation that would have been at the beginning, and if guys play (well) then you work them into the rotations," head coach Nate McMillan said in the Tacoma News Tribune. "Then you have things laid out, and you don't have players who are (angry) about why is this guy playing or this guy. It is right there in black and white. I think everybody during this season ... has looked at (Vladimir) Radmanovic and said, 'What the hell is he doing on the floor?' So I have to make sure they understand, and understand what you are doing to them."
McDyessNew York Knicks: Yesterday's big trade came as no surprise to Antonio McDyess. "It was like they were making everything out to be my fault," McDyess told the New York Daily News. "Dolan used to always talk to me, telling me he was excited to watch me play. But once Isiah came he wouldn't even look me in the eye. Isiah never said a word to me. He slapped my hand but that was it. I said, 'Something ain't right.' If I was part of the plan he would probably talk to me, but it was obvious that I wasn't in their plans. Isiah, I think, wanted to get rid of all of Scott Layden's players." McDyess went so far as to say that Thomas instructed head coach Don Chaney to remove him from the starting lineup prior tot he trade. "It leaves a sour taste in my mouth," McDyess said. "Anybody can get traded but that doesn't mean you have to change your personality toward me. It was like it was my fault. I was always good to them. I worked hard to come back. But then Isiah came and everyone started acting funny. It made it miserable to go to work."
Golden State Warriors: Cliff Robinson wants to end his team's six-game losing streak, and if that means ending his starting streak, then so be it. "I think we can still turn this thing around," said Robinson in the Contra Costa Times. "But I think something has to be done. Maybe shake it up a little bit. Maybe change the lineup. Maybe do something. We've got to do something to get us going in the right direction. It's always a tough one, but it could be the smallest little thing that could get us going." Robinson believes that putting Troy Murphy into his place might help. "I don't have a problem with that," Robinson said. "If that's something they want to do, I don't have a problem with that. When I get out there, I'm going to play hard whether it's coming off the bench or starting."
BakerBoston Celtics: Vin Baker will tell you he needs a doctor, not the mortician. "I don't think I've played as well as I did the first half of the season," said Baker in the Boston Globe. "Every player goes through that. Every player goes through slumps. I've got to get it back. It's just about getting on the floor and getting back to doing the things I do best. It's a gift and a curse when you do well so early. When you go through a slump like every player in this league goes through, it's magnified, obviously." His coach just hopes he's right. "It's pretty much up to him to produce on the court, to do the things that he might be struggling with," said coach Jim O'Brien. "In our defensive schemes, if our big guys are not mobile, we struggle. I'm hoping he can get it back to where he gets back in the starting lineup and gets 25-30 minutes."
Miami Heat: Rookie Dwyane Wade is a pretty good basketball player. He's just no doctor, so don't believe him when he says he'll be back sooner than expected with the injured right wrist. "It was basically two weeks at the minimum is what was said," coach Stan Van Gundy said. "He gets reevaluated on Thursday. With a miracle, that would put you at another week and a day and put him back for the Sacramento game [Jan. 13]. We pretty much planned that he would probably be out for these [home] games, and unfortunately for the entire West Coast trip. Hopefully we get him back sometime on that trip, but there's a probability he won't."
