Brandon key to reported blockbuster deal
By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
Send an Email to Chad Ford Wednesday, July 23
Updated: July 23
10:13 AM ET
How ironic is this picture? In the midst of all of the press conferences where newly signed free agents sit, crisp new jersey's in hand, talking about chemistry, championship banners and being a (insert team name here) for life -- the yin to the NBA's yang is finally starting to catch up.
Latrell Sprewell
Guard-Forward
New York Knicks
Profile
2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
74 16.4 3.9 4.5 .403 .794
Remember when Glenn Robinson was going to be the guy who solved all of the Hawks' problems? Or how Keith Van Horn was misunderstood in New Jersey and had finally found a home in Philly? Or how T-Wolves vice president Kevin McHale once claimed he'd never have eyes for Latrell Sprewell?
For every happy marriage being consummated in the NBA, there's a messy divorce lurking in the shadows.
It didn't take long for the messy details to begin to spill in after ESPN the Magazine's Ric Bucher reported that the T-Wolves, Knicks and Sixers had agreed to a trade Tuesday night.
There were denials, finger pointing and a whole cast of other unsavory characters trying to get in on the real trade trophy of this offseason -- Terrell Brandon.
Brandon is expected to retire in February, meaning that his $11.1 million salary this season will come off the books. That's a huge potential savings to a team like the Hawks, who are desperately trying to get below the luxury-tax threshold. The Heat and Pacers were also interested in Brandon.
Glenn Robinson
Small Forward
Atlanta Hawks
Profile
2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
69 20.8 6.6 3.0 .432 .876
Bucher reported that the the Knicks would send Spree to the T-Wolves, the T-Wolves would send Brandon to the Hawks, the Hawks would send Robinson to the Sixers and the Sixers would send Van Horn to the Knicks.
The deal as reported doesn't conform to NBA collective bargaining agreement guidelines that stipulate that the salaries of players involved have to be within 15 percent plus $100,000 of each other. The problem is that the Wolves are sending out only $11.1 million but have to take back Spree's $13.5 salary in return.
However, various other reports have Minnesota adding center Marc Jackson to equation. If Jackson goes to Philly, the salaries should all fit.
Keith Van Horn
Forward
Philadelphia 76ers
Profile
2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
74 15.9 7.1 1.3 .482 .804
As of late Tuesday night, though, everything seemed in flux. The New York Daily News, citing a person close to Knicks president Scott Layden, reported that the four-team trade was off but that the Knicks and Sixers were committed to getting a deal done. The Philadelphia Daily News reported that the T-Wolves had already heard from other teams trying to sweeten the deal for Brandon. Several reports had the Pacers trying to stay in the picture for Brandon. They must find a way to clear enough cap to make room for free agent Brad Miller. And the Newark Star Ledger is reporting that the Knicks may also send Kurt Thomas to the Kings for Keon Clark.
Got all that? It appears that the silly season in the NBA is back.
None of the involved parties seemed to be willing to discuss the trade. Four-team trades are highly volatile and chances of things falling apart always appear to be high.
"I can't really say anything," Wolves owner Glen Taylor told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "We haven't done a trade."
"It's premature," Hawks GM Billy Knight told the Atlanta Constitution Journal. "We are talking about a deal, but no deal is a done deal until the deal is done."
"Nothing is planned," a Knicks source told Newsday. "It hasn't been agreed to. A lot of things are proposed."
If the deal does go through today as reported, it will put the Spree trade watch on hiatus for the first time in years. Spree has already been traded in the media a dozen times and, implausibly, seems to pop up in almost every trade scenario to rumored out there.
What we do know for sure is that the Knicks are serious about trading Spree and they're dead set on taking Van Horn in return. Knicks head coach Don Chaney likes Van Horn because of his shooting range and offensive rebounding. But most importantly he has size. Spree (at 6-foot-5) has been playing out of position in New York for years. Numerous reports claimed that the Sixers and Knicks are committed to working out a trade, even if the four-team trade falls through.
The Spurs also had reported interest in Spree and there were several reports Tuesday night (denied by Mark Cuban in e-mail) that had the Mavs also interested in getting into the Spree fray.
What is less clear is why the Sixers would be willing to take back Robinson in return for Van Horn. Robinson does have one less year on his contract, but after that the return is negligible. Robinson is a terrible defender, has struggled to fit in with his teammates in Milwaukee and Atlanta, and doesn't address the team's biggest need -- center. Adding Jackson (who played his collegiate ball at Temple) will help.
A better deal for Philly might be to ship Van Horn to New York for a combination of Kurt Thomas and Charlie Ward. Ward has only $2 million in salary protection for this year, meaning that the Sixers could immediately clear $4 million in cap room. Thomas is the type of low-post bruiser the team needs. The Knicks could then turn around and ship Spree to Minnesota for Brandon and Jackson. That move would give the Knicks another big body and it would clear $11.1 million off the books next year.
Around the League
Lamar Odom is in Miami today trying to get an offer sheet from the Heat. From all accounts Odom wants to play in Miami and coach Pat Riley is love. So what's the hold up? A couple of things. First, Odom is looking for a deal that averages at least $10 million a year. That's six years, for $60 million, if you do that math. Second, because the Clippers are also interested and are giving signals that they'll match, he's also leaning toward a shorter contract. A three-year, $30 million deal would work for Odom (and likely scare off the Clippers who were offering three years for $24 million), but at a starting salary of $9 million a year, would the Heat balk?
Furthermore, the Nuggets and, to a lesser extent, the Spurs have also shown interest. However, don't be surprised if San Antonio tries to get back into the picture. Now that the Spurs appear to have lost out on their chance to land Sprewell, the team may get more serious about Odom. The Nuggets, on the other hand, are in limbo until they hear back from Brad Miller.
Odom's options really ruined their chances of landing Gilbert Arenas as well. The Clippers weren't sure exactly how high they could go in the Arenas bidding war until Odom signed an offer sheet or agreed to a deal with the Clips. With all of the interest in Odom right now, his agent wasn't going to jump at the first offer on the table. Secondly, the Clippers would have had to trade at least one player (either Keyon Dooling, Quentin Richardson or Chris Wilcox) to get far enough under the cap to sign both Odom and Arenas.
What all that does mean, however, is that the Clips were willing to lose Arenas in order to keep Odom. That should confirm what Insider has been reporting all year, that re-signing Odom was a top priority for the Clips this summer.
Anyone else notice that with Arenas rolling into town the Wizards' backcourt is awfully crowded? In addition to Arenas, the Wizards have Jerry Stackhouse, Larry Hughes, Juan Dixon and rookies Jarvis Hayes and Steve Blake. That's half the team. And, with the exception of Blake, five of those guys will be demanding plenty of playing time. Assuming Stack and Arenas play 40 minutes a game, there are just 18 minutes left for Hughes, Dixon and Hayes. Hayes will also compete with Jared Jeffries for minutes at small forward and Stackhouse can play the three in certain situations. That still won't be enough to make Hughes and Dixon happy.
GM Ernie Grunfeld said that he won't shop Hughes, leaving Dixon as the guy who probably is the odd man out.
Grunfeld confirmed as much when he discussed acquiring Arenas. "He is someone we targeted right away," Grunfeld told the Washington Post. "You put him with Jerry Stackhouse and Larry Hughes, and that's a backcourt that's quite formidable."
You have to be impressed with Grunfeld's immediate impact in Washington. Under the old regime, it's unlikely the Wizards could've gotten their act together and wooed a free agent of Arenas' caliber. Now, Grunfeld has a promising young player at all five positions. If new head coach Eddie Jordan can find a way to motivate Kwame Brown, the Wizards could finally have something they really haven't had in years -- real hope.
The Warriors moved quickly to replace Arenas with Speedy Claxton on Tuesday. His agent, Bill Duffy, denied a report in the San Antonio Express News that Claxton was still willing to rejoin the Spurs if they'd match the Warriors' three-year, $10 million offer.
Speedy Claxton
Point Guard
Golden State Warriors
Profile
2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
30 5.8 1.9 2.5 .462 .684
According to Duffy, Claxton could have made more money in San Antonio or Utah, but he preferred the starting opportunity available with the Warriors.
"He's made his commitment to Golden State," Duffy told the San Francisco Chronicle. "He loves the way they play and he wants the responsibility of having his own team to run. It's a great fit."
Warriors GM Garry St. Jeans seemed happy with the consolation prize. "You had a big, strong, powerful, quick and fast point guard that was explosive," St. Jean said of Arenas. "Now you're getting a diminutive one who's extremely quick, who really has a good assist-to-turnover ratio, who really flourishes in an open game."
The team has also received encouraging signs from second-year player Jiri Welsch. Welsch had a dominant summer league in Los Angeles and can swing to the point when needed. The team also still has Bob Sura, who can play the point. However, despite the sugar coated statements by the team, the loss of Arenas is a major, major blow.
Rarely do point guards come along with the size and explosiveness of Arenas. Coach Eric Musselman knew this early into last season and begged St. Jean to start clearing cap then so that the Warriors could re-sign Arenas. St. Jean wasn't convinced that Arenas would get an offer for more than the mid-level exception, nor did he think he wanted to leave the West Coast.
The Wizards' six-year, $65 million deal should not only mean the end of the short Arenas era in Golden State but also signal the demise of St. Jean. Where there is no vision teams never prosper. It's tough to see the Warriors doing a repeat of last season without Arenas running the show. With so many teams in the West getting considerably better, someone inevitably has to get worse. That team looks like it could be Golden State.
Who would've thought two weeks into the free-agent process that the Mavs would be left standing without a significant addition to the roster? Owner Mark Cuban has made pitches to just about everyone, but in an abrupt departure from previous seasons, no one seems to want his money. The latest Mavs strikeout went down Tuesday when Robert Horry agreed to a two-year deal with the rival Spurs.
That leaves Elden Campbell, Derrick Coleman, Tyrone Hill and Predrag Drobnjak as the best big men left on the board for Dallas. Only Hill fits the description of what Dallas is looking for -- a rugged low-post bruiser willing to do some dirty work in the paint.
Raef LaFrentz
Forward-Center
Dallas Mavericks
Profile
2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
69 9.3 4.8 0.8 .518 .682
Instead, the Mavs may have to try to swing a deal to get a player like that. They've been dangling Raef LaFrentz (he can't be traded until July 31) but no one seems to be buying. The Heat might have had interest in swapping Brian Grant for LaFrentz had they landed Elton Brand, but now they're unlikely to move Grant. The Knicks seems willing to part with Thomas, but it's unclear whether they'd really be willing to take LaFrentz in return. A deal of Thomas and Othella Harrington for LaFrentz would work under the cap. A LaFrentz-and-Evan Eschmeyer-for-Antonio Davis deal also isn't out of the question.
By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
Send an Email to Chad Ford Wednesday, July 23
Updated: July 23
10:13 AM ET
How ironic is this picture? In the midst of all of the press conferences where newly signed free agents sit, crisp new jersey's in hand, talking about chemistry, championship banners and being a (insert team name here) for life -- the yin to the NBA's yang is finally starting to catch up.
Latrell Sprewell
Guard-Forward
New York Knicks
Profile
2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
74 16.4 3.9 4.5 .403 .794
Remember when Glenn Robinson was going to be the guy who solved all of the Hawks' problems? Or how Keith Van Horn was misunderstood in New Jersey and had finally found a home in Philly? Or how T-Wolves vice president Kevin McHale once claimed he'd never have eyes for Latrell Sprewell?
For every happy marriage being consummated in the NBA, there's a messy divorce lurking in the shadows.
It didn't take long for the messy details to begin to spill in after ESPN the Magazine's Ric Bucher reported that the T-Wolves, Knicks and Sixers had agreed to a trade Tuesday night.
There were denials, finger pointing and a whole cast of other unsavory characters trying to get in on the real trade trophy of this offseason -- Terrell Brandon.
Brandon is expected to retire in February, meaning that his $11.1 million salary this season will come off the books. That's a huge potential savings to a team like the Hawks, who are desperately trying to get below the luxury-tax threshold. The Heat and Pacers were also interested in Brandon.
Glenn Robinson
Small Forward
Atlanta Hawks
Profile
2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
69 20.8 6.6 3.0 .432 .876
Bucher reported that the the Knicks would send Spree to the T-Wolves, the T-Wolves would send Brandon to the Hawks, the Hawks would send Robinson to the Sixers and the Sixers would send Van Horn to the Knicks.
The deal as reported doesn't conform to NBA collective bargaining agreement guidelines that stipulate that the salaries of players involved have to be within 15 percent plus $100,000 of each other. The problem is that the Wolves are sending out only $11.1 million but have to take back Spree's $13.5 salary in return.
However, various other reports have Minnesota adding center Marc Jackson to equation. If Jackson goes to Philly, the salaries should all fit.
Keith Van Horn
Forward
Philadelphia 76ers
Profile
2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
74 15.9 7.1 1.3 .482 .804
As of late Tuesday night, though, everything seemed in flux. The New York Daily News, citing a person close to Knicks president Scott Layden, reported that the four-team trade was off but that the Knicks and Sixers were committed to getting a deal done. The Philadelphia Daily News reported that the T-Wolves had already heard from other teams trying to sweeten the deal for Brandon. Several reports had the Pacers trying to stay in the picture for Brandon. They must find a way to clear enough cap to make room for free agent Brad Miller. And the Newark Star Ledger is reporting that the Knicks may also send Kurt Thomas to the Kings for Keon Clark.
Got all that? It appears that the silly season in the NBA is back.
None of the involved parties seemed to be willing to discuss the trade. Four-team trades are highly volatile and chances of things falling apart always appear to be high.
"I can't really say anything," Wolves owner Glen Taylor told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "We haven't done a trade."
"It's premature," Hawks GM Billy Knight told the Atlanta Constitution Journal. "We are talking about a deal, but no deal is a done deal until the deal is done."
"Nothing is planned," a Knicks source told Newsday. "It hasn't been agreed to. A lot of things are proposed."
If the deal does go through today as reported, it will put the Spree trade watch on hiatus for the first time in years. Spree has already been traded in the media a dozen times and, implausibly, seems to pop up in almost every trade scenario to rumored out there.
What we do know for sure is that the Knicks are serious about trading Spree and they're dead set on taking Van Horn in return. Knicks head coach Don Chaney likes Van Horn because of his shooting range and offensive rebounding. But most importantly he has size. Spree (at 6-foot-5) has been playing out of position in New York for years. Numerous reports claimed that the Sixers and Knicks are committed to working out a trade, even if the four-team trade falls through.
The Spurs also had reported interest in Spree and there were several reports Tuesday night (denied by Mark Cuban in e-mail) that had the Mavs also interested in getting into the Spree fray.
What is less clear is why the Sixers would be willing to take back Robinson in return for Van Horn. Robinson does have one less year on his contract, but after that the return is negligible. Robinson is a terrible defender, has struggled to fit in with his teammates in Milwaukee and Atlanta, and doesn't address the team's biggest need -- center. Adding Jackson (who played his collegiate ball at Temple) will help.
A better deal for Philly might be to ship Van Horn to New York for a combination of Kurt Thomas and Charlie Ward. Ward has only $2 million in salary protection for this year, meaning that the Sixers could immediately clear $4 million in cap room. Thomas is the type of low-post bruiser the team needs. The Knicks could then turn around and ship Spree to Minnesota for Brandon and Jackson. That move would give the Knicks another big body and it would clear $11.1 million off the books next year.
Around the League
Lamar Odom is in Miami today trying to get an offer sheet from the Heat. From all accounts Odom wants to play in Miami and coach Pat Riley is love. So what's the hold up? A couple of things. First, Odom is looking for a deal that averages at least $10 million a year. That's six years, for $60 million, if you do that math. Second, because the Clippers are also interested and are giving signals that they'll match, he's also leaning toward a shorter contract. A three-year, $30 million deal would work for Odom (and likely scare off the Clippers who were offering three years for $24 million), but at a starting salary of $9 million a year, would the Heat balk?
Furthermore, the Nuggets and, to a lesser extent, the Spurs have also shown interest. However, don't be surprised if San Antonio tries to get back into the picture. Now that the Spurs appear to have lost out on their chance to land Sprewell, the team may get more serious about Odom. The Nuggets, on the other hand, are in limbo until they hear back from Brad Miller.
Odom's options really ruined their chances of landing Gilbert Arenas as well. The Clippers weren't sure exactly how high they could go in the Arenas bidding war until Odom signed an offer sheet or agreed to a deal with the Clips. With all of the interest in Odom right now, his agent wasn't going to jump at the first offer on the table. Secondly, the Clippers would have had to trade at least one player (either Keyon Dooling, Quentin Richardson or Chris Wilcox) to get far enough under the cap to sign both Odom and Arenas.
What all that does mean, however, is that the Clips were willing to lose Arenas in order to keep Odom. That should confirm what Insider has been reporting all year, that re-signing Odom was a top priority for the Clips this summer.
Anyone else notice that with Arenas rolling into town the Wizards' backcourt is awfully crowded? In addition to Arenas, the Wizards have Jerry Stackhouse, Larry Hughes, Juan Dixon and rookies Jarvis Hayes and Steve Blake. That's half the team. And, with the exception of Blake, five of those guys will be demanding plenty of playing time. Assuming Stack and Arenas play 40 minutes a game, there are just 18 minutes left for Hughes, Dixon and Hayes. Hayes will also compete with Jared Jeffries for minutes at small forward and Stackhouse can play the three in certain situations. That still won't be enough to make Hughes and Dixon happy.
GM Ernie Grunfeld said that he won't shop Hughes, leaving Dixon as the guy who probably is the odd man out.
Grunfeld confirmed as much when he discussed acquiring Arenas. "He is someone we targeted right away," Grunfeld told the Washington Post. "You put him with Jerry Stackhouse and Larry Hughes, and that's a backcourt that's quite formidable."
You have to be impressed with Grunfeld's immediate impact in Washington. Under the old regime, it's unlikely the Wizards could've gotten their act together and wooed a free agent of Arenas' caliber. Now, Grunfeld has a promising young player at all five positions. If new head coach Eddie Jordan can find a way to motivate Kwame Brown, the Wizards could finally have something they really haven't had in years -- real hope.
The Warriors moved quickly to replace Arenas with Speedy Claxton on Tuesday. His agent, Bill Duffy, denied a report in the San Antonio Express News that Claxton was still willing to rejoin the Spurs if they'd match the Warriors' three-year, $10 million offer.
Speedy Claxton
Point Guard
Golden State Warriors
Profile
2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
30 5.8 1.9 2.5 .462 .684
According to Duffy, Claxton could have made more money in San Antonio or Utah, but he preferred the starting opportunity available with the Warriors.
"He's made his commitment to Golden State," Duffy told the San Francisco Chronicle. "He loves the way they play and he wants the responsibility of having his own team to run. It's a great fit."
Warriors GM Garry St. Jeans seemed happy with the consolation prize. "You had a big, strong, powerful, quick and fast point guard that was explosive," St. Jean said of Arenas. "Now you're getting a diminutive one who's extremely quick, who really has a good assist-to-turnover ratio, who really flourishes in an open game."
The team has also received encouraging signs from second-year player Jiri Welsch. Welsch had a dominant summer league in Los Angeles and can swing to the point when needed. The team also still has Bob Sura, who can play the point. However, despite the sugar coated statements by the team, the loss of Arenas is a major, major blow.
Rarely do point guards come along with the size and explosiveness of Arenas. Coach Eric Musselman knew this early into last season and begged St. Jean to start clearing cap then so that the Warriors could re-sign Arenas. St. Jean wasn't convinced that Arenas would get an offer for more than the mid-level exception, nor did he think he wanted to leave the West Coast.
The Wizards' six-year, $65 million deal should not only mean the end of the short Arenas era in Golden State but also signal the demise of St. Jean. Where there is no vision teams never prosper. It's tough to see the Warriors doing a repeat of last season without Arenas running the show. With so many teams in the West getting considerably better, someone inevitably has to get worse. That team looks like it could be Golden State.
Who would've thought two weeks into the free-agent process that the Mavs would be left standing without a significant addition to the roster? Owner Mark Cuban has made pitches to just about everyone, but in an abrupt departure from previous seasons, no one seems to want his money. The latest Mavs strikeout went down Tuesday when Robert Horry agreed to a two-year deal with the rival Spurs.
That leaves Elden Campbell, Derrick Coleman, Tyrone Hill and Predrag Drobnjak as the best big men left on the board for Dallas. Only Hill fits the description of what Dallas is looking for -- a rugged low-post bruiser willing to do some dirty work in the paint.
Raef LaFrentz
Forward-Center
Dallas Mavericks
Profile
2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
69 9.3 4.8 0.8 .518 .682
Instead, the Mavs may have to try to swing a deal to get a player like that. They've been dangling Raef LaFrentz (he can't be traded until July 31) but no one seems to be buying. The Heat might have had interest in swapping Brian Grant for LaFrentz had they landed Elton Brand, but now they're unlikely to move Grant. The Knicks seems willing to part with Thomas, but it's unclear whether they'd really be willing to take LaFrentz in return. A deal of Thomas and Othella Harrington for LaFrentz would work under the cap. A LaFrentz-and-Evan Eschmeyer-for-Antonio Davis deal also isn't out of the question.
