Indiana, San Antonio, Milwaukee, Detroit, and Washington all showing interests in JJ Redick

— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) February 21, 2013

That’s the question that remains as the NBA approaches today’s trade deadline, and one that had the Nets smack in the middle of the annual rumor mill as they prepared to face the Bucks last night.

“I don’t know,” Nets interim coach P.J. Carlesimo said before the game when asked if he thought his team would look the same after today’s deadline.

Because of Prokhorov’s willingness to spend, and because of their hole at power forward, the Nets have been linked to the top player available, Atlanta’s Josh Smith — who also happens to play power forward. But while Yahoo! Sports reported the Nets, along with the Bucks and Suns, are the three likeliest destinations for Smith, it still seems unlikely the Nets would be able to pull off such a deal.

The biggest impediment in any deal for a player such as Smith or Boston’s Paul Pierce is the fact the Nets are including power forward Kris Humphries in any such deal because of his $12 million salary. Though that would make the salaries match in a trade for a big name such as Smith or Pierce, teams are reluctant to have to take on the $12 million Humphries is owed next season, as well.

A league source said there was “not much” to reports of the Nets making a run at Pierce, who has spent his entire career with the Celtics and who has a partially guaranteed salary for next year of just $4 million.”

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/nets/trade_talk_swirls_mUAmHYjuj4VLgddnW1ayvL

Hawks, Bucks seriously talking on Josh Smith deal, sources tell Y! Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh among players discussed for Smith, Devin Harris.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) February 21, 2013

The Nets’ willingness to a deal centered on forward Kris Humphries, guard MarShon Brooks and a first-round draft pick, but the Celtics want a more substantial package to consider moving Pierce, league sources said.

“The Celtics still highly value Pierce and it wouldn’t make sense to trade him for that kind of a package if they’re keeping Kevin Garnett,” one league source said.

Boston has shown interest in forward Mirza Teletovic and securing another possible first-round pick, but the Nets have shown no inclination to pay that steep of a price for Pierce.

The Nets and Celtics discussed a deal for Pierce at the 2012 trade deadline, but the Celtics decided to keep him for another playoff run. Pierce, 35, is averaging 18 points for the Celtics this season, shooting his worst from the field – 41 percent – in the past eight seasons.

Boston had interest in guard C.J. Watson in a separate deal, but Brooklyn doesn’t want to part with him, sources said.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba–nba-trade-deadline-buzz–clippers-end-kevin-garnett-trade-talks-for-now-030112108.html;_ylt=AwrHgZSKQCRRhH0AUgELcykA;_ylu=X3oDMTFoZnA0Y2I3BG1pdANCbG9nIEluZGV4IGJ5IEF1dGhvcgRwb3MDMQRzZWMDTWVkaWFCbG9nSW5kZXg-;_ylg=X3oDMTFrODdzYXZuBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANhdXRob3IEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnM-;_ylv=3

So the Hawks are trying to trade Smith before Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET trade deadline, and like that awkward Facebook friend page you come across, it’s complicated.

Several teams have expressed varying degrees of interest in Smith – from the Los Angeles Clippers to the San Antonio Spurs to the Washington Wizards to the Phoenix Suns to Brooklyn Nets to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Teams all have the same questions about Smith.

1. Will Smith re-sign with the team that acquires him? No team wants to give up key assets for the remaining two months of the season and get nothing long term.

2. Do teams want to sign Smith, who will makes $13.2 million this season, to a five-year deal for maximum money? That’s a lot to invest in a quality player who has never been a first-, second- or third-team All-NBA selection or an All-Star.

There’s also a third issue that concerns league executives: How will Smith impact the locker room? The Hawks suspended and fined Smith earlier this season for “conduct detrimental to the team.”

Brooklyn’s offer: MarShon Brooks, Kris Humphries and a first-rounder for Smith, a person familiar with the proposed deal told USA TODAY Sports. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because of fluid negotiations.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2013/02/20/nba-trade-deadline/1932729/

Read more at: http://nesn.com/2013/02/report-celtics-will-also-trade-paul-pierce-if-theyre-able-to-move-kevin-garnett-before-deadline/ ]]> http://www.basketballtraderumors.com/celtics-trade-paul-pierce-theyre-move-kevin-garnett-deadline/feed/ 0 http://www.basketballtraderumors.com/trade-buzz-teams-trudge-cautiously-deadline/ http://www.basketballtraderumors.com/trade-buzz-teams-trudge-cautiously-deadline/#comments Wed, 20 Feb 2013 00:42:33 +0000 admin http://www.basketballtraderumors.com/?p=1279 The usual trade deadline frenzy might yet be upon us before 3 p.m. ET Thursday. But for now, team executives believe the new trade and financial rules have had a chilling effect on the discussions.

Teams have become hypersensitive to the enhanced luxury-tax penalties and looming repeater tax, so the days of easily dumping long-term salary in exchange for a draft pick are effectively over. Plenty of teams are seeking draft picks and young talent, but those teams possessing such prized commodities aren’t willing to easily give them up.

Teams that have used their full mid-level exception this season (Boston) or bi-annual exception (Chicago) are hard-capped at $74 million. Without a third team to absorb salary, it’s going to be challenging for such teams to pull off a blockbuster trade. A team like Brooklyn is allowed to exceed the $74 million hard cap because it has not used one of those exceptions, so the Nets have more room to maneuver.

The only area of increased urgency to complete trades by Thursday’s deadline as opposed to this summer would be deals involving prospective free agents. With players like Al Jefferson and Josh Smith, Utah and Atlanta, respectively, might want to consider moving them now because there will be far fewer potential trade partners in July. Why? Starting this summer, teams whose post-trade payrolls exceed the luxury-tax line by more than $4 million will not be permitted to acquire a player in a sign-and-trade. So if the Nets want Dwight Howard, for example, it would be much easier to acquire him now.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/blog/ken-berger/21727776/trade-buzz-teams-trudge-cautiously-toward-deadline

But what determines whether such a trade would be worth it for the Clippers depends on how much the Ticket can improve L.A. within the next couple of years.

Right now, the Clippers are No. 3 in the West. They trail San Antonio by four games and the Thunder by 1.5 games. A path to the Finals would almost certainly go through Oklahoma City at some point, and also possibly through S.A. To beat either team will require not just the strong offense we’ve come to expect from Chris Paul’s teams, but really good defense. OKC and S.A. are No. 1 and No. 5 in offense in the NBA, respectively. Any defense would be tested when facing that. In particular, the Thunder have the best offense since the 2009-10 Suns. It’s a powerful beast led by the most aggressive creator in the league (Russell Westbrook) and the purest scorer of his generation (Kevin Durant). Even great defense have real trouble slowing the Thunder. And many would hesitate to call L.A.’s defense great. That’s where K.G. comes in.

http://www.sbnation.com/2013/2/18/4000514/kevin-garnett-clippers-nba-trade-rumors-2013-analysis

Still many involved for Atlanta’s Josh Smith, including Bucks, Nets, Celtics, 76ers, Wizards, others, sources say. Strong belief he’s moved.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) February 17, 2013