http://[h3]
[h3]Foster injury a dealbreaker?[/h3]
11:00AM ET
[h5]Jeff Foster |
Pacers [/h5]
Jeff Foster is a name often brought up in trade talks for Western Conference teams looking for a big man.
He's known as a stout defender -- someone with the ability to guard the likes of
Pau Gasol come playoffs time. He also has an expiring contract, which makes him a desirable get.
With
Greg Oden and
Joel Przybilla out for the season, he could have helped fill the center void in Portland. Denver was also rumored to have interest in him.
But is that all over now? As ESPN's John Hollinger reports, Foster is likely to require season-ending surgery and Denver's interest in him is over. One would have to assume this sentiment extends to all teams that had interest in trading for the big man before the trade deadline.
[h5]John Hollinger[/h5]
With injury, Denver no longer interested in Foster
"Multiple sources said Denver's longstanding pursuit of Indiana's Jeff Foster is over because he's likely to require surgery for his injured back and miss the rest of the season. With the team over the luxury tax and possessing few quality trade assets, especially with
J.R. Smith trade rumors drowning in cold water, it appears other potential moves for frontcourt help seem nearly as unlikely."
[/h3]
http://[h3]Anthony might return tonight[/h3]
10:44AM ET
[h5]Carmelo Anthony |
Nuggets [/h5]
Carmelo Anthony has missed four games with a sprained left ankle, but he may play tonight against Sacramento.
"I think he'll try to play against Sacramento," head coach George Karl told
The Denver Post. "Not playing against the Spurs, it was maybe the pace of the game, and it's going to be another 36 hours of rest."
http://[h3]Bobcats eye Thompson?[/h3]
10:42AM ET
[h5]Jason Thompson |
Kings [/h5]
"I think if we're going to trade for another player and take on significant money, you'd have to feel like you're getting some real bang for your dollar," Kings basketball president Geoff Petrie told
The Sacramento Bee.
With that in mind, it's probably unlikely the Kings will trade
Jason Thompson to Charlotte. Sources tell the newspaper that the Bobcats would be "very motivated" by a deal involving the power forward.
The Bobcats are stacked with frontcourt players with limited trade value.
Frontcourt players the Kings might have interest in could be the Warriors'
Andris Biedrins and the Wizards'
Brendan Haywood.
http://[h3]Butler better fit for Rockets?[/h3]
10:17AM ET
[h5]Caron Butler |
Wizards [/h5]
The Rockets are in trade talks with several teams including Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and Washington.
Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle thought
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=2386Andre Iguodala would be a better than
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=1705Caron Butler for the team, but his mind might have been changed.
Feigen writes: "I can, however, share something from a friend who is a long-time scout and front office guy. I had come over thinking Andre Iguodala would be a better get than Caron Butler. He strongly disagreed, arguing that neither is a guy that carries a team, but Iguodala has the contract of one. Butler has one more year left on his deal. He said Butler 'isn't a good guy, he's a great guy.' Most of all, he said Butler is a better fit, giving the Rockets shooting they desperately need and that would work well next season with
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=1722Yao Ming."
ESPN.com's Marc Stein wrote on Saturday that "for a Wizards-Rockets deal to go through, Washington would almost certainly try to hold out for at least one of Houston's rotation players, such as
Luis Scola."
Stein reports no deal is imminent between the two clubs.
http://[h3]Mixed results for Heat[/h3]
10:13AM ET
[h5]Miami Heat [/h5]
Michael Beasley and
Mario Chalmers had MRI's yesterday and the results were good and bad.
The
South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports Beasley's hyperextended right knee came back negative and he could play Monday against Milwaukee.
Chalmers has a partial tear in his sprained left thumb and he's out indefinitely.
http://[h3]Mavs won't make a big deal?[/h3]
10:06AM ET
[h5]Dallas Mavericks [/h5]
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban doesn't think the team will make a big trade, but if a small one is struck it might be due to a trade exception they manufactured in the deal that brought
Eduardo Najera to Dallas.
"I don't see any bargains happening out there, so I'm not looking for any big deals," Cuban told
The Dallas Morning News.
"Now that we have that trade exception, if somebody else has a big deal go down, we can demand a talented young player to pop in there," Cuban added. "That might be our best opportunity. We'll see. I think everybody waits for the perfect deal until the last second."
http://[h3]Wolves will only make a modest trade[/h3]
10:05AM ET
[h5]Minnesota Timberwolves [/h5]
Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations David Kahn reiterated Sunday that any trades by the team would be modest and he won't include any of the team's core players.
Kahn did admit he could use some depth in the frontcourt.
"No question, we need more length and athleticism on the front line to complement
Al Jefferson and
Kevin Love," Kahn told the
Pioneer Press.
http://[h3]Deal coming for Knicks?[/h3]
10:04AM ET
[h5]New York Knicks [/h5]
The Knicks will continue to look at potential trades as we get closer to Feb. 18. The hope is that somehow they can move
Eddy Curry or
Jared Jeffries to free up more salary cap room this summer.
"The key is it's got to fit into the plan," head coach Mike D'Antoni told the
New York Post. "It's got to be right. I think we as an organization, we're looking all the time, trying to better the team without messing up the long-term plan. It's a tricky thing to do. We'll keep looking. [Team president] Donnie Walsh will keep looking."
http://[h3]Sessions on the block this summer?[/h3]
10:01AM ET
[h5]Ramon Sessions |
Timberwolves [/h5]
Ramon Sessions was close to signing with the Knicks last fall, but ended up inking a deal with the Timberwolves.
Sources have indicated to the
New York Post that Sessions will be traded if the Timberwolves can sign Ricky Rubio in the summer.
Rubio was drafted with the fifth pick in the 2009 NBA draft and is playing in Spain this season.
http://[h3]Redd not discouraged[/h3]
10:00AM ET
[h5]Michael Redd |
Bucks [/h5]
Bucks guard
Michael Redd suffered a season-ending injury to his left knee for the second consecutive year. Redd is confident he'll make a successful comeback, even though no player has recovered from two ACL injuries to the same knee and played at a high level.
"It's a little more devastating because it happened on the same knee," Redd told the
Journal Sentinel. "But I've had assurance from the medical team that I'll be fine. I'll be back again.
"I never questioned God, but I thought, 'Why me?' Why not me? I would be one of the first people to come back from ACL surgery twice and play at a high level. I think it's going to encourage a lot of people in the future. 'If I can do it, you can do it.' I've got so much to offer, in my career and my game."
http://[h3]Should Allen be traded?[/h3]
9:33AM ET
[h5]Ray Allen |
Celtics [/h5]
After watching the Celtics-Lakers game yesterday,
ESPN.com's Chris Sheridan wonders if
Ray Allen will still be in Boston after the trade deadline.
Sheridan writes: "If Allen has a chance to hit the game-winner 10 different times, how many times do you think he'll knock it down? If your answer is five or fewer, you may be thinking the same thing I am: The time has come for the Celtics to think long and hard about whether they want to head into the postseason with their main core intact; or whether they want to explore the possibility of trading Allen and his expiring $18.8 million deal for a package of players that'll make them a better team."
Allen knows there is a chance he could be moved. "Nothing would surprise me. I've seen guys come and go, whether on my team or another team, that you didn't expect to go. That's just the nature of the business. You can always say somebody is untradeable or untouchable, but that's the guy who has all the value."
http://[h3]Bynum frustrated[/h3]
8:05AM ET
[h5]Will Bynum |
Pistons [/h5]
Will Bynum missed his 16th straight game yesterday due to a sprained left ankle and the point guard is getting frustrated.
"It's frustrating in general. It's frustrating because it's my contract year. It's frustrating because we're losing. It's frustrating watching the games. It's frustrating challenging myself to stay inside of what we're doing as a team to keep myself going," Bynum told the
Detroit Free Press. "It's all that in one, and it's frustrating because it's new to me. But I'm constantly working at it and constantly trying to stay positive and just try to push through it."
http://[h3]Frye selected for three-point contest[/h3]
7:23AM ET
[h5]Channing Frye |
Suns [/h5]
The Arizona Republic reports Suns center
Channing Frye will be named as a participant in the Three-Point Shootout during All-Star Weekend.
Frye is shooting 44 percent from three-point range and has made 114, which is only behind the Knicks
Danilo Gallinari (122) and the Rockets
Aaron Brooks (115).
Frye is the first center to take part in the event since forward/center
Sam Perkins did in 1997.
http://[h3]Cartilage tear knocks out Paul[/h3]
6:58AM ET
[h5]Chris Paul |
Hornets [/h5]
Hornets All-Star point guard
Chris Paul will undergo arthroscopic surgery today to repair a cartilage tear to his left knee. Paul will be out at least a month, reports
ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
The NBA will have to name a replacement to take Paul's spot on the All-Star team.
http://[h3]Thomas' role with OKC[/h3]
6:30AM ET
[h5]Etan Thomas |
Thunder [/h5]
Etan Thomas hasn't played in almost two months. Head coach
Scott Brooks says Thomas isn't getting off the bench due to the improved play of
Serge Ibaka.
"When you have guys that are playing well, and the team is playing well, it's hard to find time for all 14 guys on the roster," Brooks told
The Oklahoman. "There are only so many minutes. I guarantee you all 30 coaches will give the same answer."
Thomas helps all of the Thunder bigmen in practices and could help the team in another matter. He is making $7.3 million in the last year of his contract, which could be used in a trade.
http://[h3]Mason retired?[/h3]
6:21AM ET
[h5]Desmond Mason |
Kings [/h5]
Desmond Mason, waived by Sacramento earlier this season, was at the Thunder-Warriors game last night. Mason says he may retire from the NBA.
"Maybe. I haven't made a final decision, yet, but I'm kind of leaning," Mason told
The Oklahoman. "I'm enjoying my family. I keep myself busy. I'm working on some (projects)."
http://[h3]Will the Cavs keep Jackson?[/h3]
5:29AM ET
[h5]Cleveland Cavaliers [/h5]
The 10-day contract signed by Cedric Jackson expires today and the Cavaliers have not decided if they're going to sign him to another 10-day deal.
"We'll talk about it," head coach Mike Brown told
The Plain Dealer. "He's a good guy and I haven't seen whether or not he could play, so I'm OK with him being around."
http://[h3]No timetable for Hansbrough[/h3]
4:57AM ET
[h5]Tyler Hansbrough |
Pacers [/h5]
Tyler Hansbrough has been coping with an inner ear infection since late December and has missed 14 of 18 games. There is no timetable when the rookie forward will return to game action.
"The fact that I'm not taking part in any contact drills tells you where I'm at with things," Hansbrough told
The Indianapolis Star. "I'm not putting a timetable on my return. We'll see when things start to clear up. If you're off balance, you put yourself at risk of getting hit."
