ESPN Trade Watch: Top Big Men on the Block

Word leaked last week that the Hornets had conversations with the Heat about a Shawn Marion-for-Chandler swap. Apparently the Hornets aren't as high on him as they were a year ago, and they could be in trouble with the luxury tax next season and need to clear some room.

O'Neal was traded this past June. And now, with the trade deadline swirling, he is at the center of the storm again. The Raptors are ready to move him and develop Andrea Bargnani at the 5. But can the Raptors find someone willing to pay the injury-prone O'Neal $30 million over the next season and a half?

The Heat have shown the most interest. The Knicks and the Bulls also might make some sense. Source: ESPN.com

Pistons Talking to Heat

The Detroit Pistons, whom the Bulls host tonight, also reportedly are talking to the Suns and Heat.

The Pistons reportedly have made Rasheed Wallace available. The league's trade deadline is Feb. 19. Source: Chicago Sun-Times

Suns May Prefer Tyrus Over Beasley

In a somewhat surprising development Monday, several sources indicated the Phoenix Suns do not have much interest in Miami's Michael Beasley and would prefer Tyrus Thomas in a trade for all-star power forward Amare Stoudemire.

The chatter on Monday, though, suggested the Suns aren't convinced Beasley would fit into their offensive system and they don't want to take back Marion, even for less than half a season. Marion has a $17 million expiring contract and was sent to Miami for Shaquille O'Neal a year ago. Source: Arlington Heights Daily Herald

But a source shot down one report that the Bulls and Miami Heat were the front-runners to land Stoudemire, saying the two teams that have offered the most for the All-Star forward have yet to be publicly identified.

According to Miami media, the Heat has been trying to get Suns president Steve Kerr to take back Shawn Marion, who went to Miami for Shaquille O'Neal last February. The Heat also likely would have to part with forward Michael Beasley, whom it selected with the second pick in the draft last summer after the Bulls took Derrick Rose. Source: Chicago Sun-Times

Chandler Still On Heat's Radar

With the trade deadline less than two weeks away, the rumors are increasing, and several possible deals involve Hornets starting center Tyson Chandler.

Chandler has been rumored in possible trades since December, when Sports Illustrated mentioned Chandler in a possible exchange for the Detroit Pistons' Rasheed Wallace. The latest rumor has Chandler going to the Miami Heat in exchange for power forward Shawn Marion, whose $17.1 million contract expires at the end of this season.

The only reason the Hornets would consider trading Chandler is because they might not be able to re-sign him when he becomes a free agent after the 2009-10 season.

Chandler will make $11.8 million next season, and when that's combined with the $14.2 million that Peja Stojakovic will earn along with the first year of Chris Paul's three-year extension kicking in ($13.7 million) and David West's $9 million, the Hornets' payroll for next season is already projected to be at $76 million.

That would put them over the luxury tax threshold, which is estimated to be set between $72 million to $73 million for the 2009-10 season. The tax kicks in at $71.1 million this season -- the Hornets' combined current payroll is $67.8 million.

It appears the Hornets are more likely to move a player such as backup guard Morris Peterson or backup center Melvin Ely, who has an expiring contract, before the Feb. 19 trade deadline than break up their core group before seeing how far they could advance in the playoffs.

Chandler would attract more attention because he has one year remaining on his current deal after this season and he's only 26. Like last season, the Hornets' most pressing need is improving their bench.

"But I do suspect starting this week into next week, the phone lines are probably going to be ringing a lot more by GMs in this league. I'm sure Jeff is going to get a lot, and he's going to give a lot. The one thing you want to do is find out what the teams are willing to do. So you always want to inquire about certain things that you think can make you a better basketball team. I know he's been getting calls."

Read More... Source: New Orleans Times Picayune Blog

Heat Bench Ready?

We know the Heat’s starters can ball. Four of them _ Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem, Shawn Marion and Jamaal Magloire _ have played in playoff races and playoff games. And we’ll throw rookie Mario Chalmers in the mix because of how steadily he’s played considering he’s a first-year player.

As for the rest of the team, well, the pressure is on. They’ve performed very well so far. No, they’ve been outstanding. But season-long success is very much a wait-and-see proposition considering these guys have little or no experience in a playoff race.

Understand something: I truly like this team. They’re fun. They hustle. They work hard. I’m just not convinced there’s quality depth. I’m not convinced they’ll finish .500 (mostly because of an expectation of injuries).

I still have them hovering around 37 or 40 victories, which I realize means finishing 13-19 (in the case of 40 victories) the rest of the way.

I also realize a sub-.500 record still gets you in the playoffs, maybe even the No. 6 spot. And the Heat will certainly make the playoffs.

I’m just not sold on this bench yet. Source Palm Beach Post

Miami Heat Should Land Stoudemire as a Free Agent

It wouldn't be an easy offer to turn down. It would, after all, be consistent with all the other major moves Pat Riley has made, falling in line with his philosophy of winning as much as you can in the present while forgetting the future.

But it would simply be an act of impatience from an organization that has targeted the summer of 2010 as the point when it will officially rebuild a champion.

Giving up Beasley in exchange for Stoudemire now would essentially say the Heat believes that duo is enough to infiltrate the elite of the league either this year or next. And that's just not the case. Those two alone wouldn't be enough to match the depth of the Cavaliers, the dynamic inside-out game of the Magic or the often-suffocating defense of the Celtics.

If the Heat can go ahead with another move for Marion and set itself up for the free agent shopping spree of 2010, it could still sign a Stoudemire or a Chris Bosh without having to lose Beasley.

Just by waiting another year and a half, the Heat gives itself the opportunity to develop the type of depth that the Lakers have used to climb to the top of the league. It would allow the Heat to see exactly how much better Beasley, who turned 20 last month, can be with some experience and real playing time (not the sporadic handful of minutes he sees now). It would set up the franchise for the long-term so it can be a consistent contender like the Spurs rather than a pieced-together one-hit wonder like Miami a few years ago.

The fear, of course, would be the uncertainty of free agency. If Bosh and Stoudemire, which would presumably be the Heat's top two targets, choose to sign elsewhere, the Heat's plan would appear to have failed miserably.

PLACE TO BE

But it should be easy for the Heat to convince itself it's a desirable destination. There's the lure of playing with Dwyane Wade, of living in Miami, of avoiding a state income tax and of a franchise that is among the most respected in the league. And if that still fails to land one of the two attractive big men, there will be several other options in that free agent class, including Joe Johnson, Josh Howard and possibly Dirk Nowitzki and Yao Ming.

The possibilities are far too numerous for the Heat to pull this particular trigger right now and give up on a potential cornerstone in Beasley.

And that's really what this debate boils down to. Will Beasley be a consistent 20-point, 10-rebound player who will be a matchup nightmare for the next 15 years? Or will he be little more than he is now, a streaky but inconsistent scorer with no concept of the defense?

Beasley didn't offer much of an argument for himself Sunday, managing just four points in 13 minutes despite being guarded by DeSagana Diop and someone named Alexis Ajinca for most of his time of the floor.

There's more there. It's impossible to measure just how large of an adjustment it is for Beasley to go from main collegiate attraction to occasional NBA sideshow. But the gifts are there. And giving him up for Stoudemire right now would be giving up that gift far too soon. Especially when they could play together 20 months from now. Source: The Miami Herald

Aggressive Bids For Stoudemire

The best "power" power forward in the league, Amare Stoudemire, will have as many as a dozen suitors now that Phoenix has made public its desire to trade him, but the Nets figure to be one of the few teams that can satisfy the Suns' need for youth, draft picks, and expiring contracts.

Their best offer, according to a general manager who has an understanding of Kerr's wish list, probably would have to include forwards Yi Jianlian and Ryan Anderson, along with one of the three first-round picks the Nets own over the next two summers. The GM requested anonymity because he was discussing another team's players.

Said the aforementioned GM: "I think the Nets could make a quality offer, though it depends largely on how the Suns feel about (Yi). But Amare could make a lot of teams formidable overnight."

That includes Detroit, Miami, Chicago and Portland, who are among the many who figure to make aggressive bids. Source NJ.com

Jones Adjusting

It has been almost a month since James Jones returned from wrist surgery, and this sharp-shooting forward is still trying to get into midseason form.

Acquired as a free agent last summer, Jones entered Saturday averaging 3.6 points in just under 13 minutes a game.

Physically, Jones said he feels good. But adjusting to a new team without the benefit of training camp hasn't been easy.

''It's been a little bit tougher than I expected,'' Jones said. ``You have to pick your spots and do as much as you can, but you can't simulate game shape until you get playing more serious game minutes.'' Source: The Miami Herald

Cook Could Return Tonight Against Charlotte

Philadelphia - Heat guard Daequan Cook could return tonight against Charlotte after missing the past three games with a bruised left thigh.

Coach Erik Spoelstra said Cook, who suffered the injury Jan. 31 against Dallas, did some court work in Miami on Saturday.

"Jay [Sabol, the Heat trainer] said it is going to be partly up to [Cook]," Spoelstra said Saturday. "He will have to see how he feels. He has not run [full] speed yet on the court. He was able to shoot today and had a workout with the therapist."

Cook is second to Chris Quinn among Heat guards in 3-point field goal percentage at 41. He is scheduled to compete in the 3-point shooting contest during All-Star weekend in Phoenix on Saturday. Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Miami May Not Be So Hot On Boozer

An NBA source said the Heat might not be as interested as some thought in Utah forward Carlos Boozer this summer because of his injury woes and the allure of the 2010 free agent market. Boozer lives in Miami during the offseason and can opt out of his contract this summer. But by passing on Boozer, Miami would not only be able to re-sign Dwyane Wade next year but could try to pair him with one of the elite players in the 2010 free agent class. Keep in mind that Wade and LeBron James - the marquee free agent next year - are close friends who have openly talked about playing together. Wade, plus heralded rookie forward Michael Beasley and a marquee 2010 free agent (i.e. James, Chris Bosh, Dirk Nowitzki, Amare Stoudemire, Yao Ming) could make the Heat title contenders again. The source added that struggling Sacramento is having a "fire sale" and is open to trading everyone but star guard Kevin Martin. Source: The Boston Globe