Well maybe for just a second. NBA All-Star Weekend has come and gone capped by Sunday’s unwatchable All-Star game. Teams are now back to business back as the second half of the season began Tuesday night. So now that the NBA stretch run is upon us, is it time to starting talking NBA basketball? Not so much. The NBA is all about quantity over quality and there will be plenty of time for fans to turn their attention to the NBA when the never-ending playoffs begin whenever. As March Madness draws near, NBA basketball shouldn’t be on any basketball fans radar until after the conclusion of the college basketball season.
However, there is one event this week in the NBA that is more exciting than the actual product out on the court and that is the trade deadline, which hits today at 3pm. There has been talk galore and most of it will amount to absolutely nothing. However, this doesn’t mean that speculation and rumors aren’t fun to discuss. Bleeding Sports breaks down some of the more prominent trade rumors making the rounds and which ones GMs should pull the trigger on before the deadline.
Memphis Grizzlies trade Pau Gasol to Chicago Bulls
This trade has been talked about for weeks on end. While Kevin Garnett would be a better option for the Bulls, Minnesota is hell belt on keeping the Big Ticket in Minneapolis for the time being. Memphis, meanwhile, isn’t pushing Gasol out the door as hard as he’s trying to bust it down. The major sticking point in this trade is Jerry West’s desire to acquire 2 of the Bulls’ 4 young studs of Luol Deng, Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich, and Andres Nocioni. Bulls’ GM John Paxson isn’t willing to overpay even for a low post scorer the Bulls’ desperately need. While I agree there is great risk involved for Chicago, at some point the franchise needs to make a move. The team has been in dire need of an inside threat since trading away Eddy Curry and Bulls aren’t going anywhere until they fill that void. The choice for the Bulls is to either make the deal for Gasol now and make a run in the East or wait, fade in the postseason for the third straight season, then make a run for Garnett in the summer.
Sacramento Kings trade Mike Bibby to Cleveland Cavaliers
This is an interesting rumor that has started to gain momentum. If Cleveland can pull this off they have to go for it. Matching Bibby with Larry Hughes and Lebron may just be what Cleveland needs to get past Detroit and into the NBA Finals. Any trade with Sacramento, would include Drew Gooden heading out West. The challenge for Cavaliers’ GM Danny Ferry is finding a third team that can provide the Kings with an expiring contract and draft picks that Cleveland doesn’t have to offer.
New Jersey Nets trade Jason Kidd to Los Angeles Lakers and Vince Carter to Who Knows
Sounds more and more unlikely that neither Jason Kidd or Vince Carter will be moved before the trade deadline. However, if I were the Nets’ Rob Thorn I would be desperately trying to move both of them. New Jersey wants Andrew Bynum from Los Angeles in exchange for Kidd, who is a player the Lakers’ are unwilling to move. I understand New Jersey refusing to a deal without Bynum, but I still believe that Kidd’s trade value is at its peak right now and if they can’t get Bynum now they shouldn’t expect to him get or any player of that caliber down the road.
As for Vince Carter, he is likely to opt out of his contract after this season and become a free agent. The likelihood of him returning to New Jersey are highly unlikely, however, teams aren’t willing to give up much for a player who could bolt at the end of the season. The Nets are currently 9th in the Eastern Conference and are going nowhere fast. Receiving something in return for Carter is better than nothing. You would think there would be a contender out there who believes Carter could put them over the top and would have something to offer New Jersey. While the Nets may be worried about a public relations backlash from the fans they should be more concerned about building this team for the future and its eventual move to Brooklyn. Nobody in New Jersey goes to watch the Nets play now so what’s the difference.
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