I hate trade columns.

Weeks of speculation that almost never pan out and aren’t anchored by
any kind of reality. If it’s not an agent looking to place his
client(s) somewhere else, it’s a GM, on orders of his silent owner,
looking to create a market for a player he wants to to ditch. Even the
"truth" of something, like Team A is shopping a player, is normally
calculated by Team A for its own self-interest. Plus, almost everyone
is lying this time of year; the teams that are really looking to do
something deny it even when they’re caught red-handed.

Hate them.

But you love them, and I get that. Nothing beats bar talk (How good
would the Cavs be with Jamison?), and it’s fun when it’s not your job
to check out every rancid, ridiculous rumor. But we are within two
weeks of the Feb. 18 trade deadline, so I guess spending a few minutes
dipping into the water isn’t going to kill me.

Continue reading “In world of trade talk, chatter rarely lives up to hype” »

With the trade deadline less than three weeks away, talks are only starting to heat up.

It’s the NBA way, due in part to the fact that team executives are
looking to assess their current roster as long as possible before
making changes. It’s also because the 11th-hour approach is written
somewhere in the general manager’s unofficial handbook. Continue reading “Real trade season coming” »