NBA AM: Trade Talks Are Heating Up

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Starting To Percolate:  With the NBA trade deadline just eight days away and the All-Star break, the unofficial vetting window for potential trades, this weekend things are starting to take some shape on the trade front. Here are a few things we are hearing:

The Magic Are Not Out, But Not In Either  Magic general Manager Rob Hennigan has been playing the trade talk surrounding his team the same way for most of the season. His team is listening, but his team is not shopping. There are a couple of players that Orlando would be open to moving, the top candidate is Glen “Big Bay” Davis. However, there seems to be virtually no trade market for Davis on his own. His long-storied attitude issues combined with his hefty remaining contract make it more likely than not that he’ll remain in Orlando beyond the trade deadline. In Davis’ defense, he has gotten a lot better and is not nearly the problem child he is often labeled to be, but for the teams that would value what he brings, his contract and the potential for issues makes him a hard sell. The Magic have also entertained offers on Jameer Nelson, but given the size of his contract ($8 million this season) and Orlando’s unwillingness to take on long-term dollars makes moving Nelson a tough sell as well. The veteran teams that could use Nelson are so close to or already over the luxury tax line that unless Orlando takes back something long-term, most deals are unworkable. The Magic continue to turn away incoming offers on Arron Afflalo. Unless something serious comes their way it looks like Orlando may sit out the trade deadline, although they are still having dialogue so you never say never in the NBA.

Knicks Ramping Up Efforts  The Knicks continue to try and strike a deal, having renewed efforts to land Denver forward Kenneth Faried and Toronto point guard Kyle Lowry. It is highly unlikely the Knicks can land either player, but they are trying. The Knicks are open to moving a number of player combinations, but still seem reluctant to include future draft considerations. There is a sense that the Knicks are going to do something at the deadline, but it’s unlikely that it’s going to be anything involving forward Carmelo Anthony. Sources close to the process say there has been a very open and candid dialogue about Anthony’s pending free agency and while there is a risk that he could get charmed out of New York, the Knicks feel like they have enough assurances to hold the line. If Anthony’s tone changes, so could the Knicks’. It will be a scenario to watch, however it seems the Knicks are trying to add to their current roster not subtract their biggest piece.

Warriors Willing To Move  The Golden State Warriors are sitting on two significant traded players exceptions from their cap clearing move with Utah this past summer. The bigger of the two is a $9 million slot, with an additional $4 million slot. Both expire this July. The Warriors are said to be kicking around trade scenarios, especially ones involving veteran players that could help them in the postseason. The Warriors seem most interested in ending or near ending contract players and have been sniffing around for point guard help. With the ability to significantly reduce someone’s luxury tax bill or to take on money in a three team deal the Warriors look primed to be involved in a deal at the deadline, especially if they can extract draft assets or a veteran player to bolster their bench. Unfortunately for the Warriors, exceptions cannot be combined with anything, so whatever player they acquire has to fit into one of those two slots. While the $9 million slot is appealing and opens up a lot of options, there is a sense the Warriors would rather use that exception around the draft or in July unless the right player surfaces.

Kings Looking At Ending Deals  The Sacramento Kings continue to kick around trade scenarios. It seems pretty clear that Marcus Thornton, Jimmer Fredette and the ending $2.6 million contract of Aaron Gray could be had. The Kings have really stayed clear of anything involving a future draft pick, unless it yields a significant asset and it seems they are taking the same stance on long-term contract money. The Kings remain the frontrunner for Andre Miller, whenever the Denver Nuggets decide to move him. The problem is Miller isn’t going to return much for Denver, hence the lack of movement on a deal. The Kings look like they want to make a deal at the deadline, it remains to be seen if anyone wants what Sacramento is selling.

If you are looking for the latest NBA news, notes and rumors, make sure to check out the Daily Rumors section of the site.

The Problem With Picks:  There are a number of so-called tanking teams in NBA that seem more than willing to move off players that are approaching free agency, no longer fit the youth movement plan or are just flat out too good to be on a bad team.

The problem is that the teams in the NBA that want these kinds of players – players who can contribute to a playoff push – simply don’t have the assets or the cap space to make a deal happen.

Almost all of the teams considered frontrunners for a NBA title have either traded their first round picks already or need to hang on to them to replenish the talent pool too because of the NBA’s punitive luxury tax system.

There are a number of teams floating at the bottom of the NBA standings that are hoping to make a move around the trade deadline, but they want rookie scale contract players, draft picks or ending contracts in exchange for the pieces they’d move. Most of the teams that would do a deal for the players don’t have the assets. The teams that have the assets don’t want the players.

»In Related: The NBA Draft Picks Owed.

As the 2014 NBA Trade Deadline gets closer there might be some lowering of asking prices and some teams may settle for what they can get rather than getting nothing, especially teams like the Philadelphia 76ers with regards to Evan Turner, who is headed into free agency, or the LA Lakers and Pau Gasol, another soon-to-be free agent.

The problem with dealing for what you can get is a team often doesn’t get nearly the return they’d like. With the deadline approaching quickly some teams have to decide whether it’s better in the long term to hold the line and see what the offseason brings or liquidate even when the return may be less than ideal.

With so many young teams valuing what’s possible in the 2014 NBA Draft, there is going to be a dearth of lottery level picks available at the deadline, which means some team searching for draft picks in deals may have to settle for second round picks because it’s unlikely that anyone holding on to what could be a lottery pick will move it.

There is no doubting that some teams would make deals for picks, the problem is the teams holding them value the picks more than the players and the teams that value the players don’t hold the picks.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out over the next eight days.

”We Really Like Our Team”:  The sports world is filled with fun clichés, but as the 2014 NBA Trade Deadline approaches the best of the bunch comes from NBA general managers and executives – “We really like our team”.

The phrase is often used to explain why a team is not talking trades, or isn’t looking to make moves, but the problem with the phrase is as much as teams like to use it, can they really use the opposite? – “We don’t like our team?”

There are several teams that are downplaying their involvement in trades. The Orlando Magic, the Washington Wizards, the Indiana Pacers and the Memphis Grizzlies to name a few, yet every one of them are looking at something around the February 20 Trade Deadline.

“We like our team” is really code for we haven’t found a deal we’d consider breaking up our team for. It really means we like our core guys, but we’d consider making some bench upgrades.

»In Related: Alex Kennedy Looks At The Latest NBA Trade Rumors.

In all of the cases mentioned above, each team is sniffing around for something. Orlando wouldn’t be crushed if they could move Glen “Big Baby” Davis, any more than the Wizards would like to add one more impact player to insure they are competitive in the postseason. The Grizzlies would like some help at small forward and the Pacers have eyes on a bench-based scorer.

None of those teams are willing to break up their team to make those kinds of moves, but all of them are sniffing around for a deal, even if it’s just a small deal.

As you hear executives quoted over the next eight days, watch how many tell you how much they like their existing team, then watch how many of them make deals at the deadline.

There is likely some truth to the notion that if a team didn’t do a deal they wouldn’t be crushed, but saying they wouldn’t do a deal at all likely isn’t true; it’s always about what you can get in return for what you have to give up and that’s why every team in the NBA talks to each other just before the trade deadline, because you honestly never know what another team will be willing to part with and that’s where those improbable deals get made.

Would You Quit?:  There was considerable chatter about the future of Laker guard Steve Nash after a report out of New York where Nash makes (one of) his offseason homes, suggested that Nash has told friends that he would retire after this season.

Nash was asked about the reports yesterday and while he continues to battle nerve related injuries and irritations, he made it clear that he is not thinking about hanging them up and he has not been talking about it.

“Not from me,” Nash said to Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News. “I work as hard as I can every day to perform and keep going until I’m not playing anymore. But right now, I have no intentions to stop playing.”

Nash has one more year left on his contract that will pay him more than $9 million next season. If he were to simply retire, he’d leave that money on the table. If he were to attempt a medical retirement, he would need to be ruled unable to play by independent doctors and that is not a path Nash has explored at this point.

»In Related: Will The Phoenix Suns Or LA Lakers Blink First?

Nash says his goal is get passed the nerve irritations and get back on the floor, suggesting that his latest injury is more annoyance than hindrance.

“It’s frustrating more than anything,” Nash said. “It’s something I hope we can get under control quickly here. It doesn’t feel like something too serious. I had so many issues with the nerve; I’m not going to take it for granted.”

Lakers fans have struggled to understand why the 40-year old Nash continues to try and return to the court, especially for a team and a season that’s going nowhere but the draft lottery, but the truth is that for athletes like Nash who love to play, once it’s over, it’s generally over.

In talking with a number of older veteran players, it’s not just the money that continuing to play offers them, it’s the chance to continue to compete, to be part of a team and to continue a lifestyle many of them have had for more than a decade or more.

»In Related: The LA Lakers team salary page.

It’s hard for guys to give up the fame, the adulation and the respect they get as NBA players, even ones on the downside of their career. For Nash, who was as unheralded a prospect as they come when he was drafted in 1996, he turned himself into a two-time MVP and is a likely Hall of Famer. He is not hanging around for the money, because his money is fully guaranteed. He is hanging around the NBA because once it’s over for him, it’s over.

It’s easy for fans and media members to say a guy is washed up and needs to go, but ask yourself this question: Would you give up the life of a NBA player if you really didn’t have to? Neither will Nash.

The Lakers have lost eight of their last ten games and are currently 18-34 on the season, which has them sitting with the fifth worst record in the NBA.

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