NBA Trade Rumors: Post All-Star Break Moves We Expect to See - Bleacher Report
As we approach the trade deadline, we expect there will be some moves announced soon. But whether they get announced or not, there will certainly be some progress made on some this weekend.
Dwight Howard to Nets
One move that everyone expects to be made (and one that probably will be) is that the New Jersey Nets will acquire the services of Dwight Howard before the trade deadline. The latest reports are that the Nets are trying to work a three-team trade. There hasn't been an indication of who that team might be.
Pacers Will Add Someone
The Pacers are one of the most improved teams in the NBA, but they should be getting even better before the trade deadline. Larry Bird says,
I'm going continue to do whatever I can to make this team better. If I see a player out there I think can make us better, I'm going to go ahead and make the move. It could be a trade, but it's probably going to be picking up somebody off another team just so they can get some money off (the salary cap). We've got a lot of calls in, talked to a lot of people and we're going to try to continue to strengthen this team.
While he doesn't name names, it should be mentioned that the team has $15 million below the cap space to absorb a contract. They don't have to give anyone up. So if it's just a move of taking on salary, as some teams are trying to jockey themselves for position next year, the Pacers are the best-equipped team to do that.
Another possibility, and this is pure speculation on my part, is making a play for Wilson Chandler. He's the best free agent out there and they have the most money to spend.
Warriors Will Make a Move
According to the Golden State Warriors GM Larry Riley, Golden State will make a move before the trade deadline.
"We're working day and night and we're hopeful," Riley told NBA.com on Monday night. "But what will not happen is, we won't do something that sets us back just to do a deal. We want to find the right deal, and if we get one of those we'll do it. I don't know what the odds of it are right now."
The most likely scenario is that either Monta Ellis or Stephen Curry gets moved somewhere. While both guards possess All-Star ability, the two together are undersized. It's not likely they're going to get Howard, but don't rule them out as a team that gets involved with a multi-team trade with the Nets and Howard.
A Few Moves That Won't Happen
There are a couple of moves that just are not going to happen. First, don't expect Pau Gasol to go anywhere, no matter how many times his name gets brought up. He's the seventh-highest paid player in the game, and he's no longer a top 10 player in the NBA.
The major obstacle here is that he makes so much money that in order to get a return on him, the team absorbing the contract is going to have to essentially deal two quality players to obtain him. Notions that have him going out packaged together with other overpaid, past-their-prime players to bring back Howard and Kyle Lowry are just unrealistic.
Another thing you shouldn't expect to happen is for the Chicago Bulls to make a major move. They simply aren't aggressively seeking to do anything. With the Bulls in contention for the top overall seed, in spite of Derrick Rose missing so many starts due to injury, there seems little reason to.
24 Feb, 2012
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Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNGomKX3WUMfzJfjFcsk0u3-Dx9dHA&url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1078917-nba-trade-rumors-post-all-star-break-moves-we-expect-to-see
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