Chad Ford - Top 25 Players to be Dealt

[winsomme]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/columns/story?columnist=ford_chad&page=TradeWatch-0910

I actually think we could have a shot at some of these guys. My top three would be:

Ty Thomas
Troy Murphy (if CLE goes in another direction)
Kirk Hinrich

Caron Butler would be a stretch given what we could offer.

[Who]

Are there any other interesting names on the list who are more in the Celtics price range? $5-8 million per annum?

I don't have ESPN Insider.

[winsomme]

Jeff Foster...?

I think the general idea is that the players being moved are being moved due in large part to their contract...

Honestly, I think the Cs should not worry about next year's FA. We don't seem to have realistic way to get in on big FAs, so doing an expiring contracts for a good player with a not so good contract seems like the best way to go to me..

[Who]

I'm still intrigued about trying to sign Tyrus Thomas in free agency with the MLE next summer. He's a very interesting player for that type of money. Especially if you could lock him down on a long term deal.

Ty Thomas
Troy Murphy (if CLE goes in another direction)
Kirk Hinrich

Caron Butler would be a stretch given what we could offer.

I don't think we have a shot at Troy Murphy or Caron Butler due to Murphy's contract ($11-$12 million per annum) and Butler's talent + trade value.

I also don't think we have anything to offer Chicago for Ty Thomas. They're not looking to get rid of him. He's a useful player to them and doesn't effect their free agency hopes. They're trying to trade him for talent while they still can. The Celtics group of borderline/non-rotation reserve players + maybe a late first round pick doesn't look tempting enough.

I think the Celtics have an excellent chance at acquiring Kirk Hinrich if they were interested. I don't expect Danny to be but if he were I think Hinrich is an attainable target. I didn't like the idea of trading for Hinrich in the past, due to his contract, but I've been warming up to it recently. Still not sold but my interest in the idea is growing.

[scoop]

Who will get traded?

After talking with teams throughout the league, here's a look at 25 players who could be changing uniforms by Feb. 18.

We'll keep updating this list through the Feb. 18 trade deadline as new rumors and potential trades develop.

Impact players most likely to be moved

(Ranked from most likely to least likely to be traded)


Jamison
1. Antawn Jamison, F, Wizards
Jamison is at the top of this list for three reasons. First, the Wizards are a mess and seem to be moving rapidly toward a fire sale. Second, Jamison is in the latter stages of his career. Neither he nor the Wizards want him stuck on a terrible team. Third, a number of contenders want him, namely the Cavs. That's the perfect recipe for a big deadline trade.

2. Troy Murphy, F, Pacers
The Pacers look as though they're moving toward a youth movement as they continue to build around Danny Granger. With a number of contending teams interested in Murphy, the Pacers seem to be in the right place to make a deal. While Murphy may be overpaid, there are few bigs in the league who can rebound and spread the floor the way he can. With just one more year left on his contract, Murphy could be the missing piece for a team trying to compete for a title.

The Cavs seem to have the most interest, though several other teams have also told me they'll make a run at him. At the very least, the Pacers should be able to deal Murphy for expiring contracts and one asset (either a draft pick or a young prospect).


Prince
3. Tayshaun Prince, F, Pistons
Joe Dumars didn't expect the Pistons to be championship contenders this season. But he also didn't anticipate the team losing 13 games in a row. The fact that the Pistons drafted three small forwards in last year's draft and that two of them -- Jonas Jerebko and Austin Daye -- look very promising is all you need to know. The word on the street is that the Pistons are in very active trade discussions on Prince.

While the team would prefer to move Richard Hamilton, I don't think it's going to be able to find a home for him given his enormous contract. If the Pistons can swap Prince for some help in the paint, they've got to do it. The combination of Charlie Villanueva, Jason Maxiell, Ben Wallace and Kwame Brown just isn't getting it done.

4. Caron Butler, G/F, Wizards
If Jamison goes, Butler probably won't be far behind. He actually has a little more desirability than Jamison because his contract is shorter (just one year remaining) and he's younger. However, it's not clear that the Wizards are willing to just give away Butler, who is a good player in his prime. The Wizards have to build around someone, don't they?


Miller
5. Andre Miller, PG, Blazers
Miller may be a wily veteran, but he's struggled to adapt to Portland's culture and, more specifically, head coach Nate McMillan. Miller's addition was never seen as a slam dunk, but more of a desperation ploy by the Blazers, who felt compelled to use their cap space this past summer after being spurned by Hedo Turkoglu.

While the team's original stance was that it wanted to hold on to Miller, his recent run-in with McMillan has cleared the way for a possible trade. If the Blazers want expiring contracts in return, they can probably move him. If they demand a young player or a future first-round draft pick, probably not.

6. Jeff Foster, C, Pacers
The Pacers appear to be committed to developing Roy Hibbert and Tyler Hansbrough, leaving little room for Foster -- a mobile, high-energy big man who can defend 4s and 5s.

If you are a Western Conference team trying to stop Pau Gasol, Foster would be a great get. The Nuggets have shown considerable interest in Foster, but they aren't alone. The Blazers, Jazz, Spurs and Suns would all like to get him, too.


Hinrich
7. Kirk Hinrich, G, Bulls
The Bulls need to move Hinrich for an expiring contract in order to have a realistic shot at making a pitch to both LeBron James and Chris Bosh this summer. Can you imagine a team with LeBron, Bosh, Derrick Rose, Luol Deng and Joakim Noah? John Paxson can. If Bosh isn't traded before the deadline, you have to believe the Bulls have a good chance to get both.

However, trading Hinrich won't be easy. His productivity has really fallen the past two years, and he still has two years and $17 million left on his contract. Bill Simmons swears the Celtics will be interested. But that's a lot of money for a backup point guard.

8. Tyrus Thomas, F, Bulls
Thomas has a lot of talent but has been unable to put it all together. At times, he has been more of a distraction than an asset in Chicago. The challenge in trading Thomas is twofold. One, the Bulls don't want to wreck their cap space this summer, meaning what they'll likely want in return is an expiring contract and a draft pick. Two, whoever trades for him has to decide quickly whether he's worth keeping, given that he's heading toward restricted free agency this summer.

Those two factors complicate things pretty dramatically. But given that there's interest from both the Bulls and Thomas' camp in moving on, don't be surprised if a deal happens.


Camby
9. Marcus Camby, C, Clippers
Camby may be one of the hottest commodities on the list. Not only is he still a legitimate defensive force in the paint, but he also has an expiring contract. You get a player for the rest of the season and cap relief at the end. The biggest question isn't whether the Clippers could move Camby, it's whether the Clippers will move him. And as Marc Stein wrote this week, Blake Griffin's absence complicates the Clippers' calculations.

The team is positioned to have significant cap room this summer if it keeps Camby and lets his contract expire. Whatever offer they get for him will have to match or exceed what they believe they could get on the open market next season.

10. Carlos Boozer, F/C, Jazz
Boozer is in the same camp as Camby. He's a very productive big man in the last year of his deal. However, Boozer is infinitely harder to move than Camby. Why? Because the Jazz want something significant in return and because Boozer will want a huge contract as a free agent this summer.

A team trading for him is making a huge commitment. Not only is it giving away a prized asset (probably some combination of a young player or draft pick plus cap relief), but it is also committing to being held over the coals by Boozer and his agent, Rob Pelinka, this summer. That's why it's harder than you might think to move Boozer.


Calderon
11. Jose Calderon, PG, Raptors
Calderon was considered a gem just a year ago, but he struggled out of the gate this season, and the Raptors have played much better without him. Now that he's back from injury, you can expect the Raptors to shop him around. They could really use some help at the 2-guard position. DeMar DeRozan is a nice prospect, but he's not ready yet.

There have been rumblings of a Calderon-Kevin Martin swap. The move would give the Raptors a lot of offensive firepower, but it would also cement their status as one of the worst defensive teams ever.

12. Al Jefferson, PF, Timberwolves
David Kahn has been pretty adamant that he's not shopping Jefferson, saying he wants to use the entire season to evaluate his players. But a number of GMs around the league are equally adamant that Jefferson's name has been brought up in discussions. Kahn doesn't sound like a guy who's convinced Kevin Love and Jefferson can play together in the frontcourt.

Kahn knows he wouldn't get a talent like Danny Granger in return, but if he could get an athletic center or a big-time shooter for Jefferson, he might decide to make a move.


Harris
13. Devin Harris, PG, Nets
Last year we were plugging Harris as an All-Star. This year? I have sources who say the Nets are no longer sold on Harris as a core piece on the team. If they can package him with an expiring contract or two and get a young All-Star in return, they might do it. If they knew they were getting John Wall, they'd surely do it.

But even if they have to settle for something else, it sounds as though Harris' lackluster performance this season has soured folks on him. There will be a lot of interest in Harris, but I'm not sure anyone will be willing to give up an All-Star for him.

14. Chris Bosh, PF, Raptors
Much to the chagrin of Raptors fans, I've been writing that Toronto needs to trade Bosh now while it can still get value for him. The closer we get to the trade deadline, the more real that possibility sounds.

Over the weekend, reports by ESPN's Marc Stein and the New York Post fingered the Rockets and Lakers as teams with heavy interest in Bosh. While neither team has made an official offer for Bosh, I expect both will by the deadline.

I'm not sure the Rockets can put together a compelling package, but the Lakers can. If L.A. offered Andrew Bynum, Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo would have to say yes, wouldn't he? Bynum is a legit center who is still only 22 years old. And most important, he is already locked into a long-term deal. If the Lakers are willing to offer Bynum (a big if), the Raptors won't get a better offer.


Stoudemire
15. Amare Stoudemire, PF, Suns
Amare would have been at the top of this list in August. However, the Suns are back to playing Mike D'Antoni basketball, and the team is winning and having fun again. While I wouldn't call the Suns contenders quite yet, they've been very competitive against the top teams in the West. That should effectively squelch all of the potential Stoudemire trade rumors we expected to hear.

The Suns are clearly trying to go for it all, and I doubt they'll disrupt the flow and swap Stoudemire out before giving him and Steve Nash one more chance to lead Phoenix to the Finals.

Expiring contracts


Ilgauskas
1. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, C, Cavs
Cleveland may be the most motivated team in the league to do a deal. Another playoff failure could devastate the Cavs' chances of keeping LeBron this summer. Ilgauskas is their biggest chip. He can wipe nearly $12 million from someone else's books. Also, the team that trades for him would most likely waive him, allowing Big Z to rejoin the Cavs.

2. Tracy McGrady, G, Rockets
McGrady may no longer be a superstar, but his contract is. A team trading for T-Mac can wipe $22 million off its books next year.

The key for the Rockets is to get back players worth paying and worth giving up this season's potential cap space for. For the most part, talks have been slow. Teams like expiring contracts but tend to shy away from giving All-Stars or top young prospects in return. Too bad Chris Wallace doesn't need to cut payroll this season.

3. Kenny Thomas, PF, Kings
The Kings are suddenly better than anyone expected. However, they would still love to cut long-term payroll. They've been using Thomas' $8.8 million expiring contract as bait. In other words, you can have it if you take Andres Nocioni, too.


Dampier
4. Erick Dampier, C, Mavs
Dampier is another intriguing trade chip. He's having a good season, and the Mavs are right in the Western Conference hunt. So, Dallas could surely use him. However, the fact that his contract isn't guaranteed next season makes him a tremendous asset and gives Dallas one last shot at adding a younger veteran who could put it over the top.

5. Brendan Haywood, C, Wizards
6. Mike Miller, F, Wizards
7. Mike James, G, Wizards
With the Wizards in rebuilding mode, you can be sure that all three contracts are coveted. Together they're worth about $20 million of cap relief. The Wizards may have to give away Jamison and Butler, but with these expiring contracts, they could end up with some decent young players or future first-round picks in return.

8. Travis Outlaw, F, Blazers
9. Steve Blake, G, Blazers
Together these two players can get roughly $8 million off a team's books. If Kevin Pritchard decides to make a big move, both players could be key assets to making a deal happen.

10. Kwame Brown, C, Pistons
Brown has been a bust in Detroit, just as he was in Washington and L.A. The Pistons will try to package his expiring $4 million contract with either Tayshaun Prince or Rip Hamilton to continue to remake their roster.

------

Not a lot of interesting targets.

If Foster was healthy, he'd be a good solution for the rebounding woes. Finding a deal that could work for both teams would still be a long shot though.

Hinrich would bring $17 millions in the books for the next 2 years. Unless Wyc is willing to increase the pay roll to grotesque levels, I'd rather have the financial ability to sign and re-sign free-agents. Plus, I'm not sure if Paxson is so sold on trading Hinrich at all costs as Ford is.

Nocioni contract is not as costly as Hinrich's - and I doubt the Kings can trade him plus Thomas in a package for expirings - but he's been playing very poorly this season. I'm not sure if he'll regain the form+health that would allow him to give the kind of production that would justify bringing him in.

[winsomme]

Most of the names are ones we keep hearing about:

Jamison, Prince, Boozer, Andre Miller, Camby...etc....

Also, Big Al, Bosh, Devin Harris, Calderon

there are 15 in that part of the list.  

Then there is a list of players with expiring deals, but those are players that teams will be trying to use to get guys in the other list. ie not guys we would be after...

although maybe Outlaw, MIke Miller, or McGrady. Not sure what Miller's health situation is.

But I think the general idea is that the expiring contracts would be used to get good players away from teams looking to unload contracts......

Like Ilgauskas for instance...or Brendan Haywood or Steve Blake maybe Dampier, etc

[MaxwellSmart86]

Foster would be great...plus, he'd be able to sing "We are the Champions" live---along with all of his band's other hits.

[winsomme]

I'm still intrigued about trying to sign Tyrus Thomas in free agency with the MLE next summer. He's a very interesting player for that type of money. Especially if you could lock him down on a long term deal.

Ty Thomas
Troy Murphy (if CLE goes in another direction)
Kirk Hinrich

Caron Butler would be a stretch given what we could offer.

I don't think we have a shot at Troy Murphy or Caron Butler due to Murphy's contract ($11-$12 million per annum) and Butler's talent + trade value.

I also don't think we have anything to offer Chicago for Ty Thomas. They're not looking to get rid of him. He's a useful player to them and doesn't effect their free agency hopes. They're trying to trade him for talent while they still can. The Celtics group of borderline/non-rotation reserve players + maybe a late first round pick doesn't look tempting enough.

I think the Celtics have an excellent chance at acquiring Kirk Hinrich if they were interested. I don't expect Danny to be but if he were I think Hinrich is an attainable target. I didn't like the idea of trading for Hinrich in the past, due to his contract, but I've been warming up to it recently. Still not sold but my interest in the idea is growing.

Ty Thomas actually would be a huge relief cap-wise for the Bulls. Either they lose his restricted number (7 mil) or they simply will not have to worry about trying to re-sign him. I definitely think we could be in play for him.

He would add the athleticism that we are after....

[scoop]

I'm still intrigued about trying to sign Tyrus Thomas in free agency with the MLE next summer. He's a very interesting player for that type of money. Especially if you could lock him down on a long term deal.

Ty Thomas
Troy Murphy (if CLE goes in another direction)
Kirk Hinrich

Caron Butler would be a stretch given what we could offer.

I don't think we have a shot at Troy Murphy or Caron Butler due to Murphy's contract ($11-$12 million per annum) and Butler's talent + trade value.

I also don't think we have anything to offer Chicago for Ty Thomas. They're not looking to get rid of him. He's a useful player to them and doesn't effect their free agency hopes. They're trying to trade him for talent while they still can. The Celtics group of borderline/non-rotation reserve players + maybe a late first round pick doesn't look tempting enough.

I think the Celtics have an excellent chance at acquiring Kirk Hinrich if they were interested. I don't expect Danny to be but if he were I think Hinrich is an attainable target. I didn't like the idea of trading for Hinrich in the past, due to his contract, but I've been warming up to it recently. Still not sold but my interest in the idea is growing.

Ty Thomas actually would be a huge relief cap-wise for the Bulls. Either they lose his restricted number (7 mil) or they simply will not have to worry about trying to re-sign him. I definitely think we could be in play for him.

He would add the athleticism that we are after....

Thomas is an expiring. What would the Bulls gain from trading him for other expirings (of lesser players + multiple contracts that could force them to release some of their current players or make another trade more difficult)?

If they don't want to have his cap hold, they'll simply not offer him the QO.

[winsomme]

I'm still intrigued about trying to sign Tyrus Thomas in free agency with the MLE next summer. He's a very interesting player for that type of money. Especially if you could lock him down on a long term deal.

Ty Thomas
Troy Murphy (if CLE goes in another direction)
Kirk Hinrich

Caron Butler would be a stretch given what we could offer.

I don't think we have a shot at Troy Murphy or Caron Butler due to Murphy's contract ($11-$12 million per annum) and Butler's talent + trade value.

I also don't think we have anything to offer Chicago for Ty Thomas. They're not looking to get rid of him. He's a useful player to them and doesn't effect their free agency hopes. They're trying to trade him for talent while they still can. The Celtics group of borderline/non-rotation reserve players + maybe a late first round pick doesn't look tempting enough.

I think the Celtics have an excellent chance at acquiring Kirk Hinrich if they were interested. I don't expect Danny to be but if he were I think Hinrich is an attainable target. I didn't like the idea of trading for Hinrich in the past, due to his contract, but I've been warming up to it recently. Still not sold but my interest in the idea is growing.

Ty Thomas actually would be a huge relief cap-wise for the Bulls. Either they lose his restricted number (7 mil) or they simply will not have to worry about trying to re-sign him. I definitely think we could be in play for him.

He would add the athleticism that we are after....

Thomas is an expiring. What would the Bulls gain from trading him for other expirings (of lesser players + multiple contracts that could force them to release some of their current players or make another trade more difficult)?

If they don't want to have his cap hold, they'll simply not offer him the QO.

future picks...

[PLamb]

Guys I think are missing off of that list that maybe the Celtics would be interested in

Kevin Martin - Kings

Anthony Morrow - Warriors

Josh Howard - Mavericks

Bobby Brown/Devin Brown - Hornets

Ramon Sessions/Corey Brewer - Timberwolves

Patrick O'Bryant - Raptors          (just kidding)

[Fafnir]

Guys I think are missing off of that list that maybe the Celtics would be interested in

Kevin Martin - Kings

Josh Howard - Mavericks

The only way we're getting either of these guys would a be a three team deal, one which would likely cost us Ray Allen.

[Who]

Guys I think are missing off of that list that maybe the Celtics would be interested in

Kevin Martin - Kings

Josh Howard - Mavericks

The only way we're getting either of these guys would a be a three team deal, one which would likely cost us Ray Allen.

I don't think the Celtics should have any interest in Josh Howard. It's been two years since he was a high level player ... and he's really struggling badly at the moment. Too large a risk.

Kevin Martin, yes, the Celtics should be actively trying to pry him away from the Kings.

[Fafnir]

Guys I think are missing off of that list that maybe the Celtics would be interested in

Kevin Martin - Kings

Josh Howard - Mavericks

The only way we're getting either of these guys would a be a three team deal, one which would likely cost us Ray Allen.

I don't think the Celtics should have any interest in Josh Howard. It's been two years since he was a high level player ... and he's really struggling badly at the moment. Too large a risk.

Kevin Martin, yes, the Celtics should be actively trying to pry him away from the Kings.

I agree with you on Josh Howard, especially with his ankle issues.

But I still think it'd be a stretch for us to land either. The Mavs would want talent back for Howard. I'd love Keving Martin, I just don't see it happening....

[celticinorlando]

i think the cavs will try to get murphy or jamison..i would hope boston would keep up and try to add prince