Sports Talk, Rumors and Other Contrarian Insights

Brittney Griner, 6′ 8″ freshman and women’s dunking “sensation” decked Texas Tech’s Jordan Barncastle in the face. Check it out here.

Brittney Griner Punches Jordan Barncastle
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-The New York Knicks, Houston Rockets and the Sacramento Kings have agreed to a deal that will send Tracy McGrady and Sergio Rodriguez to the New York Knicks, while the Rockets will get Jordan Hill, Kevin Martin, Jared Jeffries and the right to swap first round picks with the Knicks in 2011, and the right to the Knicks first round pick in 2012, while the Kings end up with Carl Landry, Joey Dorsey and the expiring contract of Larry Hughes.

My Take: This is clearly signaling that the New York Knicks are banking on this summer free agent crop to improve their team. By Dumping Jeffries (and that absurd free agent contract that Isiah Thomas gave him, which if you didn’t know ended up costing around $60 million with the luxury tax), the Knicks have set them self up to land two max-type free agents. It’s a gamble, and the Knicks have to hope that the lure of New York, combined with the presence of a grinder like David Lee and the blossoming of Danilo Gallinari will be enough to get someone there.

For the Kings, the deal gives them a young, tough power forward in Carl Landry, who can be paired in the front court with the Omri Casspi to give them an athletic front line. Combine that with Tyreke Evans, and the Kings have slowly remade themselves into a young and athletic team. Watch out for the Kings in the next two years.

For the Rockets, I think we have the big winner. They first unload McGrady’s mammoth (albiet expiring deal) and turn it into an extremely talented guard in Kevin Martin, who has plenty of productive years left. Second, they get a guy in Jordan Hill that is only a rookie and was a lottery pick this past year. New York soured on him, but he might blossom in Rick Adelman’s system. Finally, the draft picks should help keep the Rockets loaded for years to come.

In then end, the winner appears to be Houston, knowing the liklihood of landing one of the summer’s big free agents was slim, who used McGrady to get a very good player in Kevin Martin, while only trading a guy in Landry who came off the bench.

Second, Houston GM Daryl Morey is one of the smartest GM’s in the game today and does not nearly get enough praise. If any team knows how to maximize the value of draft picks and correctly ascertain appropriate player value, it’s Houston. In some ways, I don’t think that the Rockets even wanted to play in the free agent market this summer, it just isn’t their style.

-Here is a great article by Michael Wilbon on the Wizard’s dismantling.

I agree with Wilbon on this fully. This hurts now, but the future can be bright now. With a team under the cap in the NBA, there is always the possibility to become part of trades and free agency. Carlos Boozer anyone?

Antawn Jamison has been traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of a three-team trade with the Los Angeles Clippers.

The deal sends Jamison to the Cavaliers, along with point guard Sebastian Telfair from the Clippers.  The Clippers recieve forward Drew Gooden, whom the Wizards acquired last week in a trade with Dallas.  Gooden and the Wizards were going to attempt a buyout if a trade could not be wored out by Thursday’s deadline.

The Wizards will end up with Zydrunas Ilgauskas (and his expiring contract of $11.5 million), Cleveland’s first round pick, and Al Thornton from the Clippers.

My take on the deck-clearing that looks finished by the Wizards to come.

First, if you missed my ESPN Mock On-Air Personality draft, Check it and click here. My #1 proved to be a lightning rod of controversy.

So, with that, let the trade rumors swirl:

-Tracy McGrady WILL be traded Wednesday, reports say.  According to an ESPN report, Tracy McGrady will be dealt today.  The leading favorite to land McGrady: New York Knicks.  The rumored proposal would send Jared Jeffries, Jordan Hill, Larry Hughes and a 2012 first-round pick and 2011 first-round pick from New York to Houston in exchange for Houston’s first-round pick and Tracy McGrady.

The deal would give enough space to New York to pursue 2 top-teir free agents in the offseason by getting Jeffries contract off the books. Click for ESPN story here

-Out of Chicago there have been reports that the Bull’s have offered Tyrus Thomas, Brad Miller and either Kirk Hinrich or John Salmons (my boy) to the Houston Rockets for McGrady. Click here to read Tribune Story.

Mr.Everything-John Salmons of the Chicago Bulls

-Contrary to reports out of Chicago, the rumored deal of Kirk Hinrich to the Lakers appears to be dead, reported by the LA Times. Click Here to Read Times Story

-Cav’s talking trade for Maggette: ESPN reports that the Cav’s are looking at Corey Maggette as a possible trade option if the rumored deals for Amare Stoudemire or Antawn Jamison don’t get done. The key piece to this deal: Big Z’s expiring contract going to Golden State in return for Maggette.

ESPN, says in their article (Click here to read ESPN story) that the first choice is “clearly” Stoudemire, but according to reports on Sportstalk 980, Jamison is Lebron’s first choice and he has asked Cleveland management to pursue him over Stoudemire.

UPDATE: 3:09pm

Two new rumors regarding the Wizards have popped up:

First: The Wizards deal Jamison and Mike James to the Cavs for Big Z, Jamario Moon and a first round pick.

Second: The Wizards deal Jamison, Mike Miller and Nick Young to Miami for Jermaine O’Neal (and his expiring $23 million dollar deal).

Both reports come from Sportstalk 980.

-You heard it here first: Mr. Dunk Trilogy himself, Nate Robinson, is on the move to Boston, as reported by the Boston Herald. (Click here for the Herald story). This trade will end up moving Eddie House to New York, and will probably have no impact on the playoffs.

Nate Robinson--to bad he can't do this in a game.

-In Orlando, there is confidence that the Magic can win the title without a significant trade, as reported by the Orlando Sentinel. Click here to read the Sentinel story.

-Apparently, the Hawks feel the same as the Magic, according the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Click here for AJC story.

In my humble opinion, I think the Hawks motives are not the same as the Magic. The Magic CAN win the NBA title with their current roster, where the Hawks cannot and I think are more concerned about the impending free agency of Joe Johnson.

And to copy my boy, Buster Olney–Today will be better than yesterday.

Alright, so here is the first round of Eastern Conference NBA Rumors: In the Rumors sections, I will go around the 30 NBA teams local paper’s so you don’t have to:

Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood are going to Dallas and Josh Howard and Drew Gooden are coming to DC. Good deal for DC because it saves them almost $30 million, and for Dallas, they make marginal upgrades over what they gave up. Next up: Antawn.

Read the Washington Post story here

Watch Steph Curry make 2 75-footers during all-star weekend.
Watch the video here

The Celtics say that nothing is imminent on the trade front, but that sources say they are still strongly linked to the Wizards Antawn Jamison and that any deal will most likely include Ray Allen’s expiring contract.
Read Here

The Cavs are linked to the big three: Troy Murphy, Amare Stoudemire and Antawn Jamison. Apparently, Lebron has input and has signed off on bringing in Amare or Antawn, with discussions getting very serious about Stoudemire.
Read the Plain Dealer here

Apparently, the Heat are in on the Stoudemire sweepstakes, as well.
Read the Miami Herald article here

The New Jersey Nets and Coach K marriage seems to be more smoke than fire (kind of like the Brad and Jen Reunion Union) as Coach K said “nyet” to any offers that the Nets might throw his way. As for Rick Pitino, as long as they keep the bathrooms clean, he might be interested.
Read the Newark Star Ledger article here

The T-Mac to New York Knicks (washed-up super stars might not have just been the interest of Isiah Thomas) took a hit with news that Caron Butler is going to Dallas. Sometimes I wonder if the Knicks will ever learn.
Read the NY Post article here

Chris Bosh to Free Agents: Just come visit me and you’ll see (Chris, just don’t put what you would do on index cards and place them in their lockers, just ask Gil how that turned out). Maybe Bosh is not just on the way out this summer after all.
Read the Toronto Star article here

Tyrus Thomas to NY? It could happen.
Read the Chicago Tribune article here

A name you will be hearing more of: the Piston’s Jonas Jerebko
Read the Detroit Free Press article here

The Hawk’s Joe Johnson: No idea “what’s going to happen in July?” about his impending free agency.
Read the AJC article here

Shaq to Dwight Howard: Who you calling Superman?!
Read the Orlando Sentinel article here

I’ll get the Western Conference rumors and my thoughts on Danica in the morning.

-Danny