NBA Trade Deadline Rumors: Nets want Lakers’ Jordan Hill, Nets’ Terry for Cavs’ Jack , Nets also want Hawks’ Teague, And Celtics won’t trade Rondo if no Two 1st Round Picks are involve in return

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With the trade deadline approaching, trade rumors are swirling around the NBA as who will most likely be traded and whose players are in the trade block.

The BleacherReport.com breaks down some more trade rumors to add on the rumors on Pau Gasol, Omer Asik, Greg Monroe,Andre Miller and Evan Turner:


Nets Interested on Lakers’ Jordan Hill
The Brooklyn Nets, strapped with a disabled player exception in the wake of Brook Lopez’s season-ending injury, appear determined to sure up the frontcourt. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the team has been in conversation with the Los Angeles Lakers regarding power forward Jordan Hill. 

The 26-year-old is averaging career-highs in points with 8.5, rebounds with seven and field-goal percentage at 54.1 percent, while logging a career-high 19.5 minutes per contest.
After being drafted by the New York Knicks early in the 2009 draft, Hill was traded to the Houston Rockets, and then to the Lakers, where he’s found a niche as a high-energy rebounder and defender. According to 82games.com, Hill has outproduced his opponents at both the power forward and center spots, holding centers to an effective field-goal percentage under 47.
He’s outrebounded his forward opponents by four boards per 48 minutes, according to the site, and has edged centers in boarding by nearly seven per 48.
Brooklyn has struggled to defend the center position this season, with Lopez going down early and Kevin Garnett—though still defensively impactful—not capable of logging major minutes. Per 82games, centers log a player efficiency rating of 17.3 against Brooklyn—higher than any other position. The .526 effective field-goal clip allowed to centers is tied for the highest of any position.
Hill’s opponents shoot 49 percent against him at the rim, a number that is better than four Nets frontcourt players, per NBA.com.
According to Tim Bontemps, a move for Hill would further demonstrate the Nets brass’ lack of regard for any type of financial constraint the league tries to limit them by. Tacking Hill onto the payroll would run this roster’s total bill—in salary and luxury tax—to an unprecedented $205 million.

Nets Interested In Trading Terry for Cavs’ Jack
According to ESPNNewYork.com’s Ohm Youngmisuk, the Brooklyn Nets are interested in trading for Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Jarrett Jack and could send struggling veteran Jason Terry over in the potential swap.

The 30-year-old Jack hasn’t played nearly as well in Cleveland as he did for the Golden State Warriors a year ago. After signing a four-year, $25 million contract with the Cavs during the 2013 offseason, his numbers have declined across the board in 2013-14.

The current average of 8.5 points per game is Jack’s lowest since his rookie year with the Portland Trail Blazers (2005-06) when he notched 6.7 points per contest.
He hasn’t been comfortable in a backcourt that already features the dueling-banjos tandem of Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters, and his assists-per-game numbers have dropped significantly—down to 3.7 from 5.6 a year ago.
Terry, meanwhile, has been even more ineffective since joining Brooklyn by way of the blockbuster trade with the Boston Celtics that also netted the Nets Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
“Jet” is averaging 4.5 points and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 36.2 percent from the floor. He’s shooting a respectable 37.9 percent from beyond the arc in 2013-14, but that has done little to ease his Swiss-cheese defense.
NBA.com indicates that Terry’s defensive rating (team points allowed per 100 possessions with him on the floor) is a heinous 108.4.
For the Cavaliers, this proposed trade would get them out from under Jack’s contract, which is set to pay him $6.3 million in 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16 before an additional unguaranteed $6.3 million in 2016-17.
Terry, meanwhile, is only under contract through the 2014-15 season, when he’ll make approximately $5.8 million.
Brooklyn would add a veteran guard to a rotation that already sports Deron Williams, Shaun Livingston and All-Star Joe Johnson. If Jack can revive his career under first-year head coach Jason Kidd, then the Nets could climb to a No. 4-6 seed in the East by the time the playoffs start.

Cleveland would set itself up for 2015’s free agency by adding the 36-year-old Terry because his contract will come off the books that summer.

This deal makes sense for both sides involved, but the Cavaliers haven’t been eliminated from playoff contention yet. They sit just three games behind the No. 8 Charlotte Bobcats and five games back of the Nets.

If the Cavs think they can’t compete for a postseason berth, then ditching Jack’s contract for Terry’s is a good move. It saves money in the short and long term, but Terry’s best years are clearly behind him.

The Nets would take on even more salary by adding Jack, but if Mikhail Prokhorov has proven anything during his short stint as owner, it’s that money is no object.

In fact, sources told ESPN.com’s Ohm Youngmisuk and Marc Stein that the Nets “are willing to take on the two remaining guaranteed seasons worth in excess of $12 million left on Jack’s contract despite the luxury-tax implications.”

At the end of the day, perhaps both of these players simply need a change of scenery to get back on track. Although that’s a possibility, Jack’s ugly contract and Terry’s poor play seem to be the key factors leading trade talks for each side.

Knicks Interested to get Hawks’ Teague in a trade

Interest in prospective trade targets rather than incumbent assets abounds within the New York Knicks organization.

Desperate for a point guard with more savvy and better stamina than Raymond Felton, ESPN’s Marc Stein says the Knicks may be knocking at the Atlanta Hawks’ door.

Jeff Teague, 25, has spent his entire career in Atlanta. This past summer, the Hawks matched a four-year, $32 million contract offer tendered by the Milwaukee Bucks, thereby keeping Teague on the books through the 2016-17 season.

As Stein notes, though, Teague must want to play in New York before anything happens.

Assets are also an issue. The Knicks have few valuable players to assemble trade proposals around and are unable to deal a first-round draft pick that can be used before 2018.

The Hawks could simply be interested in moving on from Teague, whoThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported wasn’t thrilled about the thought of continuing his career in Atlanta over the offseason. Grantland’s Zach Lowe previously noted that general manager Danny Ferry wasn’t in love with his contract either.

Still, the Hawks are going to demand ample return on someone who’s averaging 15.6 points and 7.2 assists per game.

Acquiring Teague also hamstrings New York financially beyond next season, which can and should be a deal-breaker.

In December, ESPN.com’s Brian Windhorst revealed the Knicks’ plan to embark on a free-agency shopping spree in 2015, when players such as Rajon Rondo, Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge and even LeBron James could become available.

Assuming the $24 million left on Teague’s contract after this season decreases the likelihood of any coup coming to fruition.

Again, though, the Knicks are desperate. Other wells, such as the ones containing Toronto Raptors All-Star snub Kyle Lowry, are drying up.

In truth, the idea of trading for Teague isn’t an unrealistic one—especially if Atlanta is motivated to make a deal. On its own, the willingness to take on salary isn’t much. In conjunction with other assets, however valuable, it can work wonders.

Teague is also a clear upgrade over Felton—then again, who isn’t? Though he doesn’t space the floor (25.6 percent shooting from deep),Teague infuses additional playmaking into an offensive dynamic prone to long stretches of stagnancy.

Does that mean the younger Teague has enough moxy and backbone to direct veteran superstar Carmelo Anthony? Not necessarily. And remember, anything the Knicks do from here on out is with Anthony in mind.

“I haven’t had any in depth conversation with management about who I want to play with,” Anthony told reporters while in New Orleans for the 2014 NBA All-Star Game. “What kind of team we should have. I’ve never had those conversations.”

Conversations like those need to be had soon if the Knicks are seriously considering making a move before the Feb. 20 trade deadline. Nothing could be worse for them than acquiring a player who isn’t on an Anthony-approved contract.

Boston Celtics Want Two 1st-Round Picks in Any Rajon Rondo Trade

NBA teams targeting Boston Celtics star point guard Rajon Rondo via trade moving forward may have to cut their losses, because the C’s reportedly want two first-round picks in return if he’s to be dealt prior to the Feb. 20 trade deadline.

According to Sam Smith of Bulls.com, “The asking price if you can get Rondo is said to be two unprotected first rounders.”
By setting the asking price for Rondo at two unprotected first-round selections, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has essentially made his floor general untouchable.

It makes sense that Boston’s front office would set the price for Rondo this high, because the point guard was named the Celtics’ 15th captain in franchise history earlier this season.

According to ESPN’s Chris Forsberg, first-year head coach Brad Stevens explained that the decision wasn’t made lightly.

“I’ve always believed that captains name themselves with their leadership on and off the court,” he said. “This isn’t about us naming Rondo captain. This is about him earning that title through his play as a Celtic, his accountability as a leader of this team, and his commitment to the Boston community.”

That didn’t make it sound like Rondo was on the trade block, but apparently he could still be dealt to a high bidder.

Of course, perhaps the only team in the NBA that could afford the price tag of two first-rounders is the Phoenix Suns.

Depending upon where the Washington Wizards and Minnesota Timberwolves finish in the standings, Phoenix could have up to four first-round picks in the 2014 NBA draft. New general manager Ryan McDonough has ties to the Celtics organization, but the Suns already have two All-Star caliber point guards on the roster in Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe. As a result, targeting Rondo doesn’t make sense for the upstart desert dwellers.

Also, since the 2014 draft has been hyped for months as being deep and loaded with talent, teams have been even more hesitant to give up their picks.

For instance, the Los Angeles Lakers have insisted that they want a young asset (player or draft pick) in any potential trade for Pau Gasol, per ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Marc Stein. To this point, both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Phoenix Suns have refused to give up a first-round pick for the veteran Spaniard.

First-round picks don’t always have a ton of value, but this year’s draft appears to be filled with potential All-Stars and viable starters.

Ultimately, I don’t believe the Celtics will trade Rondo. That’s partly because of the lofty trade demands, but it’s also tied to the fact that the NBA is a point guard-driven league.

Without a competent point guard, teams need bona fide superstars to compensate. In the case of the New York Knicks, they’re still struggling even with Carmelo Anthony on board.

There’s no guarantee that Boston will find a new Rondo in the 2014 draft anyway, so the safest choice would be to build a supporting cast around him as the star attraction.

He’s a veteran, a leader and, most importantly, a proven champion. That’s something the Celts simply can’t overlook.

Trade Deadline

We will wait until February 20 on whose rumors will come true and whose players will shift new team.

NBA fans are already excited on the outcome of the trade deadline.

Ed Umbao

Founder of PhilNews.xyz | co-Founder of PhilNews.ph

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