NBA Trade Rumors: Steve Nash Must Request Trade from Suns to Get Ring
Steve Nash is one of the best point guards to ever grace an NBA court, but his résumé will never be complete without a championship ring. He won’t be able to accomplish that goal as a member of the Phoenix Suns, which is why he must request a trade before this season’s deadline.
Nash will turn 38 next week, meaning his window to reach the NBA’s pinnacle is quickly slipping away. So he can’t afford to waste another season in Phoenix waiting to become a free agent. He needs to act now so he can be on a contender for this year’s playoffs.
Ken Berger of CBS Sports reports that the team would be willing to explore options should Nash say he wants to move on:
Despite the Suns’ struggles, Steve Nash has yet to express an interest in being traded, league sources said. But the organization will try to accommodate Nash’s wishes if the 37-year-old foundation of the franchise decides he’d like a chance to compete for a championship with a contender. “It’s really on him in terms of what he wants to do or not do,” a person with knowledge of the situation said.
Nash has no shortage of awards and honors to show he was a terrific player. He’s won the MVP Award twice and been named to seven All-Star teams. He’s one of just five players in league history to join the 50-40-90 Club, which represents the three major shooting percentages.
His best attitude is selflessness. He could have easily averaged more than 20 points per game during his prime seasons and maybe even competed for a scoring title, but he always deferred to his teammates, using his tremendous vision to become an elite passer.
All of those accomplishments will be dampened if he never wins a ring, however. Fair or not, when people look back on his career in the future, they will always bring up the lack of a title. That is, unless he gets out of Phoenix and wins on before calling it quits.
There isn’t a nicer guy in the league than Nash, so it would probably be tough on him to request a trade from a city that has treated him so well for nearly eight years. But the fans would understand.
One potential option is the New York Knicks. They have been waiting patiently for Baron Davis to recover from a back injury, but Nash would be a much better option. It would also give the team enough star power to compete with the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls in the playoffs.
The Knicks are likely just one of a several teams that would make inquiries about Nash. He might be getting old, but he’s still one of the best point guards in the league. His arrival would provide an immediate boost to any PG-needy team.
Requesting a trade is the best decision Nash could possibly make at this point in his career. After 16 years of giving, he’s earned the right to be selfish for once.
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NBA Trade Rumors: Why the Bobcats Need to Stay Away From Andray Blatche
Two teams that have had their share of struggles so far this season have been rumored to become possible trade partners, by Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
According to Stein, the Washington Wizards are trying to actively move forward Andray Blatche (currently out with a calf injury)—with one possibility being the Charlotte Bobcats, a team that needs serious help outside of rookies Kemba Walker and Bismack Biyombo.
Blatche has been averaging 10.3 points this season (compared to 16.8 points per game last season) even though he has clashed with former head coach Flip Saunders (was fired) and has not yet played under interim head coach Randy Wittman.
One potential trade scenario reported was swapping Blatche (three years and $24 million) for Tyrus Thomas (three years and $26 million), although the Wizards would rather want to take back the expiring contract of Boris Diaw ($9 million) and let it come off the cap at the end of the season.
However, it is unlikely that the Bobcats move Diaw unless a significant piece becomes available via trade or another expiring contract is offered, as the team is looking to keep their salary cap as low as possible. One way that it could happen is if the Wizards add veteran Rashard Lewis into the mix as his contract is not fully guaranteed in 2012-13. The Wizards may wish to keep Lewis around and shop his contract closer to the trade deadline.
If the Bobcats do acquire Blatche, it would be a big risk since he has a sketchy past (immaturity) and the Bobcats do not need any distractions right now.
The Bobcats should not go for Blatche and should find another player worth bringing on board (such as Andris Biedrins of the Golden State Warriors, who needs a change of scenery) as they already have enough forwards on their current roster (some of which are not part of the long-term plans).
As of right now, the two teams have talked, so maybe talks will be revived closer to the trade deadline.
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Deron Williams: Are the Los Angeles Lakers an Elite Point Guard Away from Great?
It could be argued that the Los Angeles Lakers have the worst starting point guard in the NBA in Derek Fisher, and if he’s not at the very bottom of the list, Fisher is definitely very close to it.
Stats like 5.4 points per game and four assists are not going to cut it against the West’s elite point guards, and it doesn’t help matters that Fisher is only shooting 36 percent from the field.
Time has also diminished Fisher’s once-formidable defensive skills, and it has become painful to watch him get battered off the dribble on a nightly basis.
Fisher no longer has the quickness to stay in front of players like Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook, and if he is a liability on defense and he can’t score either, why exactly does Lakers coach Mike Brown continue to start Fisher?
It could simply be because Brown feels like he has no other options.
Until injured Steve Blake makes his return the only players Brown can call on besides Fisher to play point guard are rookies Darius Morris and Andrew Goudelock.
Both have had their moments on the court, but neither Goudelock or Morris are close to being physically or mentally ready to run a championship-quality team.
The Lakers as a team are a mediocre 13-9, but they have the West’s No. 1 scoring defense and it was recently announced that Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum will comprise two-fifths of the Western Conference’s All-Star starting lineup.
It’s possible that forward Pau Gasol will also be added as a reserve, giving the Lakers a grand total of three All-Stars.
So how does a team with a great defense and that much talent only manage a 13-9 record thus far?
There may be several other factors affecting the Lakers but the roots of their mediocrity are planted in the shaky soil of poor point guard play.
In Phil Jackson’s triangle offense the performance of the point guard was not critical since most players on the court were interchangeable within the confines of the scheme.
But in Brown’s motion offense, the lack of a lead guard has exposed Fisher and to some extent Blake as what they really are, which is below-average players at their position.
Brown’s offense is based on dribble penetration, and neither Fisher nor Blake has the foot speed to get in the lane and create the size mismatches that optimize Brown’s scheme.
Even if either point guard could get consistent penetration in the paint Fisher and Blake’s playmaking skills are questionable at best, and an argument can be made that Bynum and Gasol would be even more productive if they played with a point guard who understood how to get them the ball.
Right now Kobe is the team’s best scoring option and the Lakers’ top playmaker, and in order for this group of players to realize their full potential, Bryant will have to relinquish one of those roles.
Since Kobe is the NBA’s leading scorer at 30 points per game I think it’s pretty easy to determine where his talent is best served on the Lakers, but the team shouldn’t take an “anything is better than Fisher” approach either.
There have been numerous rumors swirling around the Lakers possibly signing out-of-work point guard Gilbert Arenas and Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Ramon Sessions.
It is a debatable point on whether or not Arenas could even help the team, and while Sessions is certainly an upgrade over Fisher and maybe Blake, can he make a big enough impact in a seven-game series against Russell Westbrook or Chris Paul?
Some Lakers fans feel a player like Sessions could return the Lakers to their place among the NBA’s elite teams, but in order to achieve that goal the Lakers may need an elite upgrade at the 1.
Maybe the lingering effects of Jackson’s triangle offense is the reason some fans feel a minimal change at point guard is all the Lakers need this season, but Brown’s offense is arguably designed for a lead guard who can consistently get to the rim.
New Jersey Nets point guard Deron Williams is one of the top five point guards in the NBA, and he should be on the Lakers’ radar if he’s not.
Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard has been the subject of most trade speculation associated with the Lakers, but Bynum’s continued progression towards stardom has quieted a lot of that talk.
Williams’ presence in the Lakers’ starting five would dramatically change the dynamic of the team and the offense.
Bynum would definitely get more touches in the paint, but Williams would also understand the spots in the post where Bynum is most effective.
Kobe does make an effort to get both Bynum and Gasol more touches in the lane, but a point guard like Williams would likely give Bynum more opportunities to re-post and establish better scoring position, whereas Kobe’s natural scoring instincts would take over after the first pass.
Williams would also make Kobe a more efficient player, and while his points per game may suffer a little, his shooting percentage would go up.
Williams has the size and strength to penetrate the lane when he wants to, and while he may not be one of the league’s quickest guards, he’s excellent with his back to the basket and he excels in the pick-and-roll.
The Lakers defense would be even more formidable with Williams, and a starting backcourt of Bryant and Williams would be a scary thought for opponents on either end of the court, but is a deal for Williams a real possibility?
It’s doubtful that New Jersey will accept a deal headlined by Gasol right now, but what happens if the Nets fail to sign Howard themselves?
Williams’ future may be in limbo until Howard reaches a resolution, but I don’t think the Lakers should be counted out in the race to acquire his services.
Remember, Paul was a Laker before NBA commissioner David Stern voided a legal trade, and it is widely assumed that Paul may have only been the first piece of the Lakers’ championship puzzle.
There is a chance that Williams could serve in the same manner as Paul, and even if Howard is not the ultimate target, the addition of Williams to the Lakers roster would certainly make them finals favorites.
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Dwight Howard Trade Rumors: New Jersey Nets Can Learn from New York Knicks
When trying to acquire a superstar the likes of Dwight Howard, the New Jersey Nets already have a template in place to go from. It’s a template the New York Knicks wish they had during the 2010-11 season.
That template is summed up in one word: wait!
The Knicks were so anxious to acquire Carmelo Anthony last season, they shipped their entire roster to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for a few auxiliary pieces, led by Chauncey Billups. Problem was, they had to gut their entire roster to bring over one player.
And what problem is haunting the Knicks this season? You guessed it: depth.
This season, the Nets find themselves in a similar situation: They have the opportunity to acquire a superstar in Howard, but most likely, they will have to gut their roster of its major pieces to do so.
New Jersey will likely center a deal around Brook Lopez, and out of desperation, MarShon Brooks could be a throw-in, along with anything else the Orlando Magic see fit to ask for. They will almost certainly play on the desperation of the Nets, and who can blame them?
Long story short, the Nets will end up gutting their entire roster of its talent much like the Knicks did, leaving little to no depth as a whole in the process.
Instead, if Howard is really serious about Deron Williams and the Nets being his preferred destination, then New Jersey is better off waiting for the big man until the offseason, when they can sign him as a free agent.
Don’t forget, Howard has a ton of pull going for himself as long as he says he won’t sign an extension with any team but New Jersey. In that case, no team will gut their own roster just to acquire the best center in the league as a rental.
The only question is, can New Jersey afford to take such a chance? My initial thought would be no, and like the Knicks’ dilemma of a year ago, they simply can’t take the chance of having D12 change his mind about the Nets being his preferred team because he is in a rush to get out of Orlando.
And rest assured, the Magic will make a deal as long as there is one to be made just so they don’t walk away with nothing.
On the flip side of all this, New Jersey could wait and hope that Howard is true to his reported word about the Nets being his No. 1 choice, and in which case, the Nets will be looking quite impressive going into next season, and more importantly, their new arena in Brooklyn.
They would be able to hold onto Brooks and Lopez, forming a lineup along with D-Will and D12. That would be one of the most dangerous, explosive lineups in the entire NBA, and the Nets would be instant NBA Finals contenders.
As great a scenario as that is, it’s doubtful that it’ll actually happen. New Jersey will be itching to get Howard to New Jersey to secure their dream pairing for the move next season.
Although they’d have a very good team with D12 and D-Will together this season, taking the chance of waiting and eventually signing him as a free agent would give them a great team. That move would give risky a new meaning.
Talk about patience being a virtue. For the Nets, patience could be the difference between a competitive team and an NBA Finals team in the 2012-13 season.
It remains to be seen if New Jersey will want to play that game of “chicken,” but don’t expect them to. Howard will be a Net come March, and such a trade will make the explosion from a block of C4 look like a lit match in comparison.
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Jackson earns praise from Brooks, teammates
Making the jump from the college basketball to the NBA can be a daunting challenge for any rookie and for Reggie Jackson it’s no different. The Oklahoma City Thunder backup point guard was OKC’s first-round pick (24th overall) in the 2011 NBA Draft after a solid collegiate career at Boston College.
He came to a team considered one of the favorites to win the 2012 NBA title and considering he would be playing behind Thunder starting point man Russell Westbrook and talented backup Eric Maynor, his prospects for playing much as a rookie didn’t appear very bright.
But after Maynor tore his ACL earlier this season, Jackson immediately moved into the role as Westbrook’s back-up and while he still doesn’t see a ton of minutes, he is definitely making progress. In 15 games, he is averaging 3.7 points, 1.3 assists and 1.3 rebounds in just over 11 minutes per game.
Jackson’s best game in the Association to date came in a 108-96 win over the Spurs on Jan. 8 at Chesapeake Energy Arena, when he had 11 points and four assists, both career-highs for the young floor general.
He also performed well off the bench (7 points, 2 rebounds) for OKC in a 95-86 win in Dallas on Wednesday night in a battle of Western Conference heavyweights.
While there are still some growing pains, much like there is with any player new to the NBA, Thunder head coach Scott Brooks sees much to like about the 21-year-old Jackson.
“See improvement, there’s a learning curve for every player in this league when they come in. It’s a tough position to play, backup point, because you don’t get a lot of minutes. You don’t have time to really get eight, nine, 10 minutes at a time,” Brooks said. “He’s done a good job. He has to keep working, keep improving and he’s done that. He’s working with our coaches. He’s getting better every game.”
And how does the man who he’s backing up feel about his play thus far? Well, he offers a pretty rave review in his own right, but also offers a bit of advice to his young teammate.
“He can play,” Westbrook said. “He knows the game. He just has to be able to go out there and play mind free.”
Daequan Cook is another member of the OKC bench and he too is pretty impressed with what Jackson has brought to the floor thus far.
“He’s pretty good, man. Pretty good guard, learning the game as he plays, getting used to it and he’s becoming a lot more comfortable playing the game,” Cook said. “He’s still learning but he’s doing a great job of it and really helping out with the second unit.”
Along with Ryan Reid, Jackson is one of two rookies on the Thunder. But where that might make him a target for hazing andor other rookie rites of passage on other teams like carrying bags, buying coffee, sandwiches and the like, that’s not the case for Jackson.
“No, not really, we don’t make him do anything like that. He hangs out with us. We don’t make him too much, probably a few runs (for food or coffee) here and there, but nothing too out the way,” Cook said.
That’s a far cry from what the ex-Buckeye experienced during his rookie season in Miami not all that long ago.
“A little bit, Alonzo (Mourning) had me do a little bit and Shaq did too but nothing too crazy, just making food runs and stuff,” Cook said.
For most rookies, being drafted by a team that is a legitimate contender for an NBA title is a dream come true. However, that ecstasy is usually tempered a bit by the harsh reality that coming to such a talented team is a double-edged sword for most rookies. Sure, they are with a team that wins on a regular basis, but that usually means minutes are fairly hard to come by.
That is definitely the case for Thunder rookie point man Reggie Jackson. But with the recent injury to Eric Maynor, the former Boston College standout’s prospects are now looking up. If he can continue his steady upswing, then not only will he be able to spell starter Russell Westbrook down the stretch a bit more, but he’ll also have a solid impact off the bench and depth is never a bad thing for any contender, is it?
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Where do C’s go from here?
Danny Ainge said hes open to trading one of the Bostons Big Three, and that may not be such a bad idea. That is, assuming, Boston could get anything in return.
Ainge is the Celtics president of basketball operations, the man who makes the big decisions. Last year, he decided to trade center Kendrick Perkins, and while he certainly had his reasons (probably even some good ones), a lot of folks believe it ended the teams shot at a title.
But more on that later, and back to the Big Three for now.
We all knew Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce were joined together with a cut-off date. We knew they arrived with a window that had already been halfway shut.
Today, Allen is 36 years old. Garnett is 35 and Pierce is 34. With the way all are still capable of playing, it certainly wouldnt hurt to keep them around another year or two. Thats especially the case when you consider point guard Rajon Rondo knows his veterans, where and when they want the ball, and even has a way of making them better.
But if thats the case, the Celtics had better get them some help. That might be hard to do without trading one of them. And trading them for something worthwhile might be even more difficult.
So Ainge has quite the conundrum in front of him.
Does he try to ship out Allen or Garnett or Pierce to build for the future? Does he see what he could get for the spare parts or even (gasp) Rondo to make another serious run this season?
Or does he just stay the course, wait it out and see if the current group can pull it together when it means the most?
It would be a safe guess that not even Ainge knows at this point.
For one, theres no telling what any of the Big Three would land in return. Most general managers sure wouldnt be willing to surrender their own future (i.e., young players or draft picks) to take on guys whose skills are believed to be eroding.
For another, theres no telling how well a newcomer would fit in with Allen, Pierce, Garnett and Rondo — no matter how talented that newcomer might be.
When Perkins was traded to Oklahoma City (with Nate Robinson) a year ago, most folks figured Ainge fared well by getting back forward Jeff Green and center Nenad Krstic. Green was considered a major part of the Thunders own trio of talent, which also featured Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
Moving Green was considered just as big of a risk for the Thunder as Perkins was for the Celtics.
But it immediately paid dividends for the Thunder, who made their first appearance in the conference finals since moving to Oklahoma City. They also look like the best team in the West today.
Meanwhile, Green never really fit in with the Celtics. He seemed a little bit upset by the trade — as did the Celtics teammates who Perkins left behind.
Worse, Perkins absence really played a role in the Celtics playoff loss against Miami. He was always the one man LeBron James seemed to refuse to drive to the basket against, dating back to James days in Cleveland.
Perkins protected the rim and wasnt afraid to dish out hard fouls against the leagues elite. He was the willing enforcer that the aging, slowing Celtics needed.
Sadly, Green underwent surgery for a heart condition and was lost for the season. Krstic left to play professionally overseas. And Perkins is flourishing with the Thunder.
But you probably already knew that already. If youre a Celtics fan, you probably try to forget it.
All you want to know is if the latest run of contending is over. And if so, what Ainge plans to do about it.
With the trading deadline a little more than a month away, there are no easy answers.
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NBA Draft Needs to Fix Its Rules and Learn from the MLB
The NBA Draft has been criticized for not allowing high school entrants to make a jump to the NBA anymore, skipping college altogether. Derrick Rose played college ball for a year and took Memphis to the Final Four in his only year. Rose is only one of the many players that are “one-and-done” and one of several types of those players in a lineage under his college coach, John Calipari.
Calipari has long been associated with running a program that may not play by all the rules all the time. Calipari has been able to elude sanctions by the NCAA, but has had his Final Four appearances vanish. Calipari comes under fire because of the types of student-athlete he recruits.
Calipari comes under fie because there have long been rumors that Rose didn’t even take his own college entrance exam. Robert Dozier had his SAT score called into question after an anonymous letter suggested it be looked into. Like Rose, these are other “one-and-done” players Calipari has used in order to rent a Final Four appearance: John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight and Tyreke Evans.
University of Florida coach Billy Donovan believes that the rule makes high school players feel like they are being punished. Donovan is right. Look at how many players leave college early and never earn a degree.
A lot of these players don’t want to be in class at all. Brandon Jennings will serve as case and point for this example. Jennings opted to play pro ball in Europe instead of heading to the University of Arizona. Some have questioned whether this was a move made due to academic issues; Jennings says it was the best route for him to the NBA and it enabled him to make money, something he couldn’t do playing in college.
This shows that players are more concerned about making money and only consider college ball as a bridge to the league. It takes away from the purity of the game for the student-athletes that want to be around the college game.
Unlike Jennings, Jeremy Tyler decided to skip his senior year of high school and play overseas for two years. Kids are leaving high school to pursue a dream of getting paid to play. This is why the NBA needs to allow graduated high school seniors that will be 18 years old by the first day of training camp to submit an entry in the NBA Draft.
Yes, I am aware of the horror stories that are the cautionary tales of Korleone Young, Leon Smith and Lenny Cooke. But people need to look at Kevin Garnett, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. These three are legends and have thrived without going to college. There are players like Al Harrington, Josh Smith, Kendrick Perkins, J.R. Smith and Tyson Chandler that have found success in the league.
Heck, if Eddy Curry, DeSagana Diop, Shaun Livingston and Sebastian Telfair still have jobs, then all high school entrants have a chance to hang around in the league.
I understand the fears that people have with allowing high school eligible players back in the draft, but there are a few solutions to this. First, there is the option to be selected in the draft but then there is a thirty day grace period. Second, create and develop a more structured minor league system. Along with this, create more picks to the draft.
If a high school player is selected in the draft, they then have thirty days to decide if they will go the NBA or play in college. If they elect to play in college, an athlete must go to college for three years before they can become draft eligible again, similar in baseball.
Once those three years are up, the team that originally drafted the player has the ability to retain his rights or relinquish his rights. If his rights are relinquished, he then is open to be picked by any team. I feel that the NBA needs to add two more rounds to the draft and create a European league to serve as another league to supplement the NBA D-League.
The NBA could align themselves with a league and assign players to the European League, or the E-League. The NBA could the have the E- League be like AA baseball and the D- League be like AAA baseball. The two additional rounds would give the pro teams the ability to select a player and option them to either D- or E-League as a selection.
This would help in further developing the game’s global appeal and it gives players the opportunity to develop their game in a league they are better suited to play in at that time. These are the two ways I think the NBA could fix the NCAA’s “one-and-done” crisis.
By using the MLB Draft rule as a guide and allowing high school players to declare for the NBA draft is the best route for them. A more developed minor league system would help players develop for the NBA game in case they aren’t ready right when they enter the league.
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Dwight Howard Trade Rumors: Orlando Star Is One Step Away from ‘The Decision’
Everyone wants to play with Dwight Howard. In recent weeks, even with Derrick Rose’s inability to recruit as Dwyane Wade did with LeBron James and Chris Bosh (or vice versa), Howard has spoken out about the desire to play with the Chicago Bulls.
“If I could play with Derrick right now and God wanted that to happen, it will happen,” Howard told the Tribune. “It has nothing to do with me not wanting to play with Derrick Rose. I love him. That’s my brother.”
As you can see, it was one of those “Eh, I’d love to play with the kid, but I can’t say that out loud or everyone will hate me” moments in Dwight Howard’s career. Unfortunately, those are being more abundant in a shorter span of time as the trade deadline vastly approaches. Howard’s smile first, play later approach is being put on the backburner as he consistently spouts the idea that he will no longer be playing in an Orlando jersey, and on his own accord.
Would Orlando love to keep him? Does Dan Gilbert still dream about LeBron James coming back to resurrect his franchise?
Hell yes!
Needless to say, with the Orlando Magic’s sparse showing of potential with the men in place and Howard’s continuous bombardment of their commitment to the common goal of winning it all, Dwight is further out of the door than any Orlando exec may be willing to admit right now.
One of the biggest problems with his exit is that it will be met with much of the disdain that LeBron James was met with when he decided to participate in “The Decision,” which aired on ESPN. Coating the announcement by saying that all contributions would be donated to the Boys & Girls Club meant nothing to the millions of fans that felt jilted and abandoned at the altar.
This was not just Cleveland fans. It was NY Knicks fans who lobbied for James to be their new poster boy of redemption and success. It was Chicago fans who thought LeBron would be the ideal ying to Derrick Rose’s yang. It was the millions of NBA fans who felt it was unfair that one superstar was paired up with another because it was legal in the league to do so.
What exactly does Dwight Howard think is going to happen after he has taken time out to spew multiple, desirable destinations? That Orlando fans and the rest of the fans league-wide are just going to sit back as another superstar takes his future into his own hands. If the perception of his actions is more than half the battle in how he will be treated, then Howard is failing miserably.
For months now, Howard has been reported through the media belittling his teammates, questioning his coach’s direction and doing everything else but plainly stating, “I WANT TO GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!”
So, whenever the dust settles in Orlando and Dwight Howard has moved on to greener pastures, how will he be approached? How will he be criticized?
If history has taught us anything, it is that the reaction is never solely due to what you have done. It is primarily based on how you do it. Dwight Howard is making his exit from the franchise noisy and messy.
There is no doubt that if he continues, he will infuriate fans of all franchises. Of course all those except for where he lands.
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Why the New Orleans Hornets Are Obvious Losers from the Chris Paul Trade
The New Orleans Hornets and Los Angeles Clippers came up with a deal back in December that sent All-Star point guard Chris Paul to the Clippers in exchange for three players and an unprotected first-round pick. So far in 2012, it is obvious that the Hornets got the short end of the stick in that deal.
The Hornets are currently dead last in the NBA Southwest and show no signs of mounting any sort of comeback. They have the worst record in the Western Conference at 4-17 and are tied for the second-worst winning percentage in the NBA.
This season has been especially painful for fans to watch, and the fact that the Hornets lost CP3 and gained so little makes it sting that much more.
In that trade, the Hornets received the Minnesota Timberwolves‘ unprotected first-round pick, guard Eric Gordon, center Chris Kaman and forward Al-Farouq Aminu.
Gordon is one of the NBA’s most promising young guards, but he has only played in two games for the Hornets thanks to injuries. No matter how talented Gordon is, he cannot help the Hornets from the bench.
It does not help New Orleans that they were unable to reach a deal with Gordon before the deadline. The Hornets may now see a potential great walk away from the organization this offseason. If Gordon walks, then that would only leave two players and a first-round pick with the Hornets from the Paul deal.
However, it seems very likely that one of the other players in that deal, Kaman, could be traded before the March 15 deadline.
Kaman has seen his playing time decrease dramatically over the past week or so. The Hornets have stated a couple of different reasons as to why Kaman is not playing, but it is ultimately because they are trying to trade Kaman, and they want to get some more playing time for their younger big guys.
We might as well say that Kaman is no longer having an impact on the Hornets, and he will likely be gone next year no matter what happens during the rest of this season.
This means that the Hornets could potentially be losing two of the three players they received in that trade back in December.
The only player out of that deal that looks as if he could stay in New Orleans is Aminu. However, the Hornets do not truly know what they have in this young player. He is only a second-year forward out of Wake Forest and has yet to make an impact in the NBA.
In 2012, Aminu has averaged just five minutes a game in the 21 matches he has participated in. The Hornets have a good amount of young talent in their front court, but they do not know what to expect from Aminu just yet. They could just as likely get rid of Aminu this coming offseason if they decide they have enough talent in that spot.
Other than these three players, the Hornets also received the Timberwolves’ first-round pick, but it does not look as if that pick will be nearly as high as New Orleans had hoped. The T-wolves are currently 10-11, but have won six out of their last ten and look to be improving as the season goes on.
Even if Minnesota does not improve much during the rest of the season, it looks as if they will finish in the middle of the pack. Many Hornets fans were hoping to get a top-10 pick from Minnesota, but that looks very unlikely at this point.
On the other side of this deal, the Clippers hit the jackpot. They gave up a lot for Paul, but they also made some big moves in the offseason to make sure they could give up some talent to get CP3.
The Clips are currently leading the NBA Pacific at 12-6 and have won three straight. They look like they could be one of the best teams in the league, and a large portion of that is due to adding Paul before the season.
The summary of the CP3 trade is that the Clippers got a player that is capable of taking over games at will and commands control on the court. The Hornets got three players that could all be gone in the next year or two, along with a first-round draft pick.
It is obvious that the Hornets got the bad end of the deal. Now let’s just hope that they can recover and find a way to compete in the next few years.
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Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers: 4 Takeaways from Nuggets’ 109-105 Loss
The Nuggets played good enough to win as they are the better team overall, but Sunday night, the Clippers were able to put it all together, making Denver’s loss a tough one to swallow.
The Nuggets ran into a steely-eyed Chauncey Billups, who oozed determination and ferocity, along with a clutch Chris Paul, who virtually scored everything he threw up.
Three pointers were raining all night for the Clippers as they drained 14 in all, with many being low-percentage shots.
It was tough going in the paint for the Nuggets against the Clippers’ two shot blocking and rebounding machines.
However, there is no time for head hanging, with three tough games on the horizon.
The Nuggets need to learn from this game and move on so they can regroup, get healthy and return to their winning ways against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday.
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