http://espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/p...ly-trade-winds
By Mark Stein
I wouldnt mind making a run at Caron Butler
By Mark Stein
You've been subjected to countless ruminations already this season about the likelihood of a Carmelo Anthony deal before the NBA's Feb. 24 trading deadline.
You've likewise seen and heard stories in recent days and weeks about the starry likes of Atlanta's Josh Smith, Minnesota's Kevin Love, Memphis' Zach Randolph, Golden State's Monta Ellis and even the Phoenix Suns' Steve Nash switching teams via trade ... even though numerous sources both within and outside their various teams insist that none of those luminaries have actually been made available by their current teams. Ditto for the Los Angeles Clippers' Chris Kaman and Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala.
It's conceivable that some of those stars might wind up being shopped before the last Thursday in February, likely starting with Iguodala. But it hasn't happened yet.
So who is available at this pre-Thanksgiving juncture?
Trade chatter is expected to pick up leaguewide after Dec. 15, when free agents who found new teams in the offseason become eligible to be added to deals, but there are a few intriguing names in circulation if you know where to look.
There are a few former All-Stars whose availability is well-established. Gilbert Arenas in Washington, as you realize by now, for example. The Clippers' Baron Davis, too, along with Philadelphia's Elton Brand. Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince in Detroit. The undefeated New Orleans Hornets, meanwhile, hope to be aggressive in peddling Peja Stojakovic's $14.2 million expiring contract between now and the deadline, as my ESPN The Magazine colleague Chris Broussard detailed earlier this week.
The goal here, however, is introducing a few fresher names to the conversation. Players who aren't just legitimately in play as we speak but also are less difficult to move contractually as the likes of Arenas (who's owed more than $60 million and three years left after this season) or Davis (two years and nearly $29 million left, also after 2010-11).
So here are five:
Stephen Jackson, Bobcats
JacksonThe enigmatic swingman's future with the Bobcats is a tricky read. For multiple reasons.
Besides the two years and $19.3 million left on his contract after this season, which some teams would balk at, Jackson is said to be a favorite of new majority owner Michael Jordan after arriving last November from Golden State and teaming with Gerald Wallace to power the Bobcats into the postseason for the first time in franchise history.
But Larry Brown's fondness for Jackson, by contrast, has been in question since opening night, when the Bobcats' 70-year-old coach stunningly benched his co-captain for the entire fourth quarter of a game in Dallas that was still as close as nine points inside the final six minutes. Jackson fumed after Charlotte's eventual 101-86 defeat -- and there haven't been any repeat benchings -- but one rival GM said Thursday night that he believes the 32-year-old is "gettable" largely because these two strong wills are bound to keep clashing.
Sources told ESPN.com that San Antonio flirted with reacquiring the playoff-tested Jackson during the offseason ... and that Brown didn't oppose Jackson's departure. If that's not a sufficient hint, multiple sources consulted this week told ESPN.com that Wallace is generally regarded as Charlotte's only untouchable.
J.R. Smith, Nuggets
SmithSmith's ability to frustrate his coach with his famously loose play is one of the league's worst-kept secrets. George Karl has spoken about it openly in recent weeks.
The reality, furthermore, is that Smith's name could have easily appeared with the Arenas-Baron-Brand group of players that have been, uh, "highly gettable" for some time.
Yet we're listing Smith here just to slam home the notion that the Nuggets, successful as they've been in slowing/calming the trade frenzy that engulfed the whole league just days before training camp opened when Melo was nearly sent to New Jersey, remain determined to find a taker for the unpredictable guard. As soon as possible.
Team officials have been pleasantly surprised by the team's chemistry, especially considering the potential damage they feared as a result of the constant Melo speculation and the potential despair stemming from the knee injuries that will keep big men Kenyon Martin and Chris Andersen out until December at the earliest. Yet the claim that continues to emanate from Denver's inner sanctum is that Smith's uneven play has been the only real threat to the chemistry so far.
Marcus Thornton, Hornets
ThorntonYou wouldn't have expected to see Thornton's name on this list. Not after the second-rounder averaged 14.5 points per game last season as one of the league's breakout rookies.
But Thornton is averaging just 14.8 minutes under new Hornets coach Monty Williams. He's not playing poorly, mind you, but playing time continues to be scarce thanks to three recent additions to the Hornets' backcourt: Marco Belinelli, Willie Green and Jerryd Bayless. Thornton, it appears, is the odd man out.
The Hornets aren't eager to part with the 23-year-old, but word is they are prepared to do so if a suitable offer materializes. One problem, though, is that Thornton on his own can't bring much back in return since he's making only $762,195 this season. The flip side: Thornton will undoubtedly appeal to several teams because he produced like a starter as a rook and costs so little.
Caron Butler, Mavericks
It would be a misrepresentation to suggest that the Mavericks are actively shopping Butler, who's off to a slow start anyway as a 39.1 percent shooter from the field.
Yet it's likewise well-known that the Mavs, after their inability to make the splashy offseason acquisition they were hoping for, remain eager to find an elite shot-creator to complement Dirk Nowitzki.
Pretty much everyone in Dallas thus knows that the Mavs, to do so, would almost certainly have to build a deal around Butler's $10.6 million expiring contract, DeShawn Stevenson's $4.2 million expiring deal and perhaps even second-year speedster Roddy Beaubois.
What the Mavs don't want to do -- which was billed as an option back when they got him in July -- is surrender center Tyson Chandler if they're fortunate enough to make an impact acquisition before the deadline. Although he also possesses an attractive expiring deal worth $12.6 million, Chandler beat out Brendan Haywood for a spot in the starting lineup and has emerged as the anchor and chief energy source for a defense that, if you believe what we're seeing at this early stage, has noticeably improved.
ThompsonJason Thompson, Kings
It wasn't long ago that Thompson, selected with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2008 draft, and Spencer Hawes were being touted as the Kings' frontcourt tandem of the future.
Now?
Thompson is averaging just 15.4 minutes per game off the bench and has been shopped by the Kings.
You've likewise seen and heard stories in recent days and weeks about the starry likes of Atlanta's Josh Smith, Minnesota's Kevin Love, Memphis' Zach Randolph, Golden State's Monta Ellis and even the Phoenix Suns' Steve Nash switching teams via trade ... even though numerous sources both within and outside their various teams insist that none of those luminaries have actually been made available by their current teams. Ditto for the Los Angeles Clippers' Chris Kaman and Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala.
It's conceivable that some of those stars might wind up being shopped before the last Thursday in February, likely starting with Iguodala. But it hasn't happened yet.
So who is available at this pre-Thanksgiving juncture?
Trade chatter is expected to pick up leaguewide after Dec. 15, when free agents who found new teams in the offseason become eligible to be added to deals, but there are a few intriguing names in circulation if you know where to look.
There are a few former All-Stars whose availability is well-established. Gilbert Arenas in Washington, as you realize by now, for example. The Clippers' Baron Davis, too, along with Philadelphia's Elton Brand. Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince in Detroit. The undefeated New Orleans Hornets, meanwhile, hope to be aggressive in peddling Peja Stojakovic's $14.2 million expiring contract between now and the deadline, as my ESPN The Magazine colleague Chris Broussard detailed earlier this week.
The goal here, however, is introducing a few fresher names to the conversation. Players who aren't just legitimately in play as we speak but also are less difficult to move contractually as the likes of Arenas (who's owed more than $60 million and three years left after this season) or Davis (two years and nearly $29 million left, also after 2010-11).
So here are five:
Stephen Jackson, Bobcats
JacksonThe enigmatic swingman's future with the Bobcats is a tricky read. For multiple reasons.
Besides the two years and $19.3 million left on his contract after this season, which some teams would balk at, Jackson is said to be a favorite of new majority owner Michael Jordan after arriving last November from Golden State and teaming with Gerald Wallace to power the Bobcats into the postseason for the first time in franchise history.
But Larry Brown's fondness for Jackson, by contrast, has been in question since opening night, when the Bobcats' 70-year-old coach stunningly benched his co-captain for the entire fourth quarter of a game in Dallas that was still as close as nine points inside the final six minutes. Jackson fumed after Charlotte's eventual 101-86 defeat -- and there haven't been any repeat benchings -- but one rival GM said Thursday night that he believes the 32-year-old is "gettable" largely because these two strong wills are bound to keep clashing.
Sources told ESPN.com that San Antonio flirted with reacquiring the playoff-tested Jackson during the offseason ... and that Brown didn't oppose Jackson's departure. If that's not a sufficient hint, multiple sources consulted this week told ESPN.com that Wallace is generally regarded as Charlotte's only untouchable.
J.R. Smith, Nuggets
SmithSmith's ability to frustrate his coach with his famously loose play is one of the league's worst-kept secrets. George Karl has spoken about it openly in recent weeks.
The reality, furthermore, is that Smith's name could have easily appeared with the Arenas-Baron-Brand group of players that have been, uh, "highly gettable" for some time.
Yet we're listing Smith here just to slam home the notion that the Nuggets, successful as they've been in slowing/calming the trade frenzy that engulfed the whole league just days before training camp opened when Melo was nearly sent to New Jersey, remain determined to find a taker for the unpredictable guard. As soon as possible.
Team officials have been pleasantly surprised by the team's chemistry, especially considering the potential damage they feared as a result of the constant Melo speculation and the potential despair stemming from the knee injuries that will keep big men Kenyon Martin and Chris Andersen out until December at the earliest. Yet the claim that continues to emanate from Denver's inner sanctum is that Smith's uneven play has been the only real threat to the chemistry so far.
Marcus Thornton, Hornets
ThorntonYou wouldn't have expected to see Thornton's name on this list. Not after the second-rounder averaged 14.5 points per game last season as one of the league's breakout rookies.
But Thornton is averaging just 14.8 minutes under new Hornets coach Monty Williams. He's not playing poorly, mind you, but playing time continues to be scarce thanks to three recent additions to the Hornets' backcourt: Marco Belinelli, Willie Green and Jerryd Bayless. Thornton, it appears, is the odd man out.
The Hornets aren't eager to part with the 23-year-old, but word is they are prepared to do so if a suitable offer materializes. One problem, though, is that Thornton on his own can't bring much back in return since he's making only $762,195 this season. The flip side: Thornton will undoubtedly appeal to several teams because he produced like a starter as a rook and costs so little.
Caron Butler, Mavericks
It would be a misrepresentation to suggest that the Mavericks are actively shopping Butler, who's off to a slow start anyway as a 39.1 percent shooter from the field.
Yet it's likewise well-known that the Mavs, after their inability to make the splashy offseason acquisition they were hoping for, remain eager to find an elite shot-creator to complement Dirk Nowitzki.
Pretty much everyone in Dallas thus knows that the Mavs, to do so, would almost certainly have to build a deal around Butler's $10.6 million expiring contract, DeShawn Stevenson's $4.2 million expiring deal and perhaps even second-year speedster Roddy Beaubois.
What the Mavs don't want to do -- which was billed as an option back when they got him in July -- is surrender center Tyson Chandler if they're fortunate enough to make an impact acquisition before the deadline. Although he also possesses an attractive expiring deal worth $12.6 million, Chandler beat out Brendan Haywood for a spot in the starting lineup and has emerged as the anchor and chief energy source for a defense that, if you believe what we're seeing at this early stage, has noticeably improved.
ThompsonJason Thompson, Kings
It wasn't long ago that Thompson, selected with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2008 draft, and Spencer Hawes were being touted as the Kings' frontcourt tandem of the future.
Now?
Thompson is averaging just 15.4 minutes per game off the bench and has been shopped by the Kings.
I wouldnt mind making a run at Caron Butler
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