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Clips, Sonics will dominate trade deadline talk

by Chad Ford

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Also Below: Nuggets change their tune on Camby | Will Payton and KG hook up in 2003? | Has Yao Ming hit the rookie wall? | Peep Show

Despite the recent bout of parity that has gripped the league, there's still no denying that the best teams in the NBA still live out West. So it should come as no surprise that the best free agents also are living large in the wild West.

While you can get lucky in the East with Jason Kidd and Jermaine O'Neal, you strike gold as you head out West. Tim Duncan, Gary Payton, Karl Malone, Elton Brand, Andre Miller and Lamar Odom are all going to be free this summer.

Want to see where the real trade action is going to be in February? Look for the Sonics, Lakers, Clippers and Blazers to be working the phones this month.

Here's a look at each team's significant, expiring contracts. Wednesday we tackled the Eastern Conference. Today, it's time to head out West.

DALLAS MAVERICKS

Expires in 2003: None

Expires in 2004: Avery Johnson ($5.4 mil)

Comments: Mark Cuban has a fat wallet and no conscious. You can never count the Mavs out at the trade deadline because Cuban loves to deal for guys that no one else would touch (Tariq Abdul-Wahad and Nick Van Exel last summer, Juwan Howard two years ago). However, since he's traded away all of his players with expiring contracts, he no longer has much to work with as the deadline approaches. You're stuck with what you got Dallas fans. Pray that they figure out how to get up for a big game or two.

DENVER NUGGETS

Expires in 2003: Juwan Howard ($20.6 mil); Chris Whitney ($3 mil - Team Option)

Expires in 2004: Marcus Camby ($7.8 mil - Player Option); Mark Jackson ($1.5 mil)

Comments: The Nuggets are already looking at roughly $18 million in cap space this summer. But they wouldn't mind clearing more if they could. The target? Marcus Camby. He's got loads of talent and a reasonable deal. But he'll have to last more than 17 seconds to generate the type of interest GM Kiki Vandeweghe was hoping for.

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS

Expires in 2003: Erick Dampier ($7.5 mil - Player Option); Gilbert Arenas ($512,000)

Expires in 2004: Chris Mills ($6.6 mil); Bob Sura ($6.3 mil); Adonal Foyle ($4.4 mil)

Comments: The Warriors would love to clear more cap space and also clear out a logjam or two. Their main goal is getting Danny Fortson out of Oakland, but they wouldn't mind moving Mills and Sura either for an expiring contract. Ideally, they cut $15 million off the cap and get enough cash to re-sign Arenas this summer. Otherwise, they're stuck with the mid-level exception. If a team like Denver offers him more, he's probably gone.

HOUSTON ROCKETS

Expires in 2003: James Posey ($1.7 mil.); Jason Collier ($1.3 mil.)

Expires in 2004: Glen Rice ($9.6 mil)

Comments: The Rockets probably made their big deal when they swapped Kenny Thomas for Posey. Don't expect much more to go down. The team is under the luxury-tax threshold and has no significant holes. It may, however, look at moving Rice this summer. It doesn't look like he's a fit in Houston's youth movement.

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS

Expires in 2003: Michael Olowokandi ($6 mil); Elton Brand ($4.9 mil); Lamar Odom ($3.5 mil); Eric Piatkowski ($3 mil.); Sean Rooks ($2.6 mil); Andre Miller ($2.5 mil.); Corey Maggette ($2.1 mil); Wang Zhizhi ($1.9 mil - Team Option); Marko Jaric ($1.7 mil - Team Option)

Expires in 2004: Keyon Dooling ($2.3 mil); Quentin Richardson ($1.8 mil)

Comments: Where to begin? Several GMs told Insider that no one in the league gets more calls right now than Elgin Baylor. He has a ton of underachieving talent on his roster and everyone in the free world knows Donald Sterling isn't going to fork out the cash for everyone. The Clippers cannot trade Olowokandi because he signed a one-year tender, but everyone else is fair game. Brand is the most likely to be re-signed and Odom is a Sterling favorite, but Miller, Maggette and, surprisingly, Richardson are all available. What do the Clippers want in return? You guessed, more young prospects with a few more years left on their rookie contracts. Will Sterling ever let Baylor pull the trigger? History says no. But expect a couple of capped out team to make the Clippers an offer they can't refuse.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS

Expires in 2003: Robert Horry ($5.3 mil - Team Option); Tracy Murray ($3.7 mil); Samaki Walker ($1.5 mil.)

Expires in 2004: Slava Medvedenko ($1.5 mil)

Comments: It comes down to this. If the Lakers believe they have enough juice to make a couple of more runs at the title, nothing changes. If GM Mitch Kupchak can convince Phil Jackson otherwise, Horry, Murray and Walker will all be gone. This is the Lakers only shot at adding a third dominating player to their core. Kupchak knows it. Can he convince Jackson before it's too late?

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

Expires in 2003: Bryant Reeves ($13 mil.)

Expires in 2004: Wesley Person ($7.7 mil); Brevin Knight ($5 mil.); Stromile Swift ($4.6 mil); Gordan Giricek ($1.5 mil)

Comments: The Grizz have to ship their first-round pick off to Detroit this summer (unless it's the No. 1 overall pick), meaning that if Jerry West is going to jump start the rebuilding process, he has to make something happen now. He's got two choices. He could try to package Lorenzen Wright with a young upstart like Swift, hoping to land a legitimate star in return. Or, he can try get guys with expiring contracts and wait for the summer of 2004. If he can lop off an extra $10 million in payroll, the Grizzlies will be big players in the free-agent market of 2004.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES

Expires in 2003: Anthony Peeler ($3.3 mil - Team Option); Rasho Nesterovic ($2.4 mil)

Expires in 2004: Kevin Garnett ($28 mil)

Comments: It's really hopeless as long as Garnett is making around $12 million less than the cap. Now that Wally Szczerbiak has signed his extension, the team has no cap flexibility and no real assets to use in a trade. I think it's premature this season, but don't be shocked to hear KG trade rumors come summertime. It just doesn't look like the team can afford to re-sign him and surround him with the talent he needs to win a championship.

PHOENIX SUNS

Expires in 2003: Randy Brown ($2.7 mil)

Expires in 2004: Penny Hardaway ($13.5 mil - Player Option); Tom Gugliotta ($11.7 mil); Jake Tsakalidis ($1.6 mil)

Comments: Not much going on in Phoenix. They are playing much better than anyone could've hoped and have talent at every position. Their goal right now is to get Googs off the books so they can get under the luxury-tax radar.

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

Expires in 2003: Scottie Pippen ($19.7 mil); Arvydas Sabonis ($7 mil - Team Option); Antonio Daniels ($3.4 mil)

Expires in 2004: Rasheed Wallace ($18 mil); Jeff McInnis ($3.6 mil - Team Option)

Comments: The Blazers are a mess. Yes, they're winning basketball games. But Wallace's latest [censored]-up is just another example of how fragile this team is. The word around the league is that Pippen is available. The Blazers are talking to several teams in need of cap space next summer in an attempt to add even more talent to this deep roster. Of course, a rap sheet and a parole officer are required with each application.

SACRAMENTO KINGS

Expires in 2003: Vlade Divac ($11.2 mil - Player Option); Keon Clark ($5 mil - Player Option); Brent Price ($4 mil); Mateen Cleaves ($1.4 mil)

Expires in 2004: Vlade Divac ($12 mil); Lawrence Funderburke ($3.6 mil); Hidayet Turkoglu ($1.9 mil)

Comments: Don't mess with a good thing.

SAN ANTONIO SPURS

Expires in 2003: Tim Duncan ($12 mil - Player Option); David Robinson ($10.5 mil); Steve Smith ($9.9 mil); Danny Ferry ($4.5 mil - Team Option); Steve Kerr ($2.6 mil); Speedy Claxton ($1 mil)

Expires in 2004: Tim Duncan ($13.3 mil); Emanuel Ginobili ($1.5 mil)

Comments: The Spurs will likely only have four players (Tony Parker, Bruce Bowen, Malik Rose and Emanuel Ginobili) under contract come July 1st. That could give them as much as $25 million in cap room next summer. Duncan will take a large chunk of that, but the team should still have enough left to sign another max free agent. Kidd and Olowokandi appear to be the two main targets, but there are other options. They could attempt to speed up the process now and ask the Hawks whether they'd be willing to swap Shareef Abur-Rahim in return for Smith, Claxton and a first-round pick. It may kill the cap space, but there are no guarantees that Kidd or Olowokandi, or any other top players, want to live in San Antonio.

SEATTLE SUPERSONICS

Expires in 2003: Gary Payton ($11.6 mil); Kenny Anderson ($9.2 mil)

Expires in 2004: Brent Barry ($5.4 mil); Desmond Mason ($1.9 mil)

Comments: Sonics GM Rick Sund will probably have to have his cell phone surgically removed from his ear after the trade deadline. The Sonics are reeling and they have two very attractive commodities. Payton is still the second-best point guard on the league and plenty of team would love to get their hands on him. Anderson is valued that way, but his expiring contract could really help out a bunch of teams signing the luxury tax blues. The Sonics have already made it clear that they're rebuilding for the future. Why take your chances in free agency? If they jump start the process now, they could probably move one or two bad contracts off the books (read Calvin Booth) and land two or three top young prospects to compliment Rashard Lewis and Desmond Mason.

UTAH JAZZ

Expires in 2003: Karl Malone ($19.3 mil); John Stockton ($7.9 mil)

Expires in 2004: Greg Ostertag ($8.7 mil); DeShawn Stevenson ($1.6 mil); Jason Collins ($1.3 mil)

Comments: Last season, everyone was panicking that the Jazz were shipping out the Mailman. This year, with the Jazz rolling, things are much quieter. The team knows that it may lose him to free agency. However, the Jazz don't want to be the ones that sever the relationship. Instead, the Jazz are waiting. They've targeted Elton Brand and Andre Miller this summer. If they could add them to a core with Andrei Kirilenko and Matt Harpring, they should be set for years.

Nuggets change their tune on Camby

Maybe Marcus Camby isn't going anywhere after all. After a month of trade speculation swirling around the fragile center, the Denver Post is reporting that the Nuggets have contacted Camby's agent about a potential three year extension.

Marcus Camby

Forward-Center

Denver Nuggets

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

1 5.0 3.0 0.0 1.000 .500

"It's something I have to look into when the time is right," said Camby, whose status is day to day after spraining his right ankle Friday in his Nuggets debut against Cleveland. "They've definitely expressed interest to my representation. It's something I am definitely interested in.

"It shows their commitment to me. They've been bending over backward for me and trying to make sure that I'm all right. You want to be surrounded by people like that. I haven't even played double digits in minutes yet they still think so highly about me and my game. I like to be around people like that."

If the Nuggets are serious, that would throw a wrench into rumors the team was after Clippers free agent Michael Olowokandi. With rookie Nene Hilario looking like he's the real deal, and GM Kiki Vandeweghe promsing he'll make a run at re-signing Juwan Howard this summer, a combo of Camby, Howard and Nene would cement Denver's front court for years.

New Camby deal might be in future

Marc J. Spears / Denver Post

Camby's swollen ankle continues to keep him on the bench

Chris Tomasson / Rocky Mountain News

Denver miles away, but on right track

Mitch Lawrence / New York Daily News

Will Payton and KG hook up in 2003?

Speaking of potential free agents, Kevin Garnett's situation in Minnesota remains murky. He was unable to come to terms with the team on a contract extension last fall. Garnett reportedly was willing to take a pay cut if it meant that the T-Wolves would use the money they were saving to sign another star.

Kevin Garnett

Small Forward

Minnesota Timberwolves

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

42 21.9 12.9 5.6 .476 .772

However, shortly after the T-Wolves decided to re-sign Wally Szczerbiak, the negotiations ended and the rumors began. Numerous league sources have told Insider that Garnett wants to remain in Minnesota, but he's no longer convinced that the Wolves will have the money or the cap flexibility to turn the team into a contender.

The Sonics were in town on Wednesday and Garnett used Gary Payton's ongoing feud with the Sonics to illuminate his own frustrations.

"I think it's just a shame," Garnett told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "I talked to him at halfcourt and you could see it in his face -- he's a little frustrated. I just told him, 'Keep your head up, man. The dog days are everywhere.' "

Gary Payton

Point Guard

Seattle SuperSonics

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

40 21.2 4.9 9.3 .465 .675

Garnett said he'd love to play with Payton, but knows that his team won't have anything to offer beyond the mid-level exception this summer. "I don't have too much juice around here, but I would vouch for Gary Payton coming here. I've told them a couple times. [censored], my situation ain't even really stable here. I dunno. It'd be a great thing to play with him."

So, if Payton can come to Minnesota, would KG consider bolting for Seattle when he becomes a free agent in 2004? "That's a great question. It rains too much. I can deal with snow, I don't know if I can deal with rain."

Beyond the money issues and the lack of supporting cast, Garnett is steal dealing with his own demons.

"You guys beat me up a little bit, Magic [Johnson] beat me up a little bit, [Kevin] McHale and Glen Taylor beat me up a little bit," Garnett said referring to criticism he took last summer after the T-Wolves suffered another first-round playoff exit. "But I felt like I was between a rock and a hard spot. I don't call plays. I'm not the coach, and I don't tell the point guard what to do. This year, Flip [saunders] is just calling plays for me [down the stretch]. That's the difference between last year and this year."

Wolves notes: Garnett feels for Payton's situation

Steve Aschburner / Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Wolves beat Sonics 96-91 for third victory in a row

Steve Aschburner / Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Has Yao Ming hit the rookie wall?

Yao Ming

Center

Houston Rockets

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

40 12.6 7.9 1.5 .518 .769

Yao Ming claims he's not tired. He doesn't believe in "rookie walls." Everything is just fine, despite a string of lackluster performances over the past few weeks.

Asked by reporters if he was wearing out, he said simply, "No."

Asked if he had hit the "rookie wall," he said: "I am a rookie, so if I hit the rookie wall, I don't really know."

Asked again if he was physically worn out, Yao said: "This is the third time I said in five minutes (that) I'm not tired."

So what is the problem? "I feel that I have had some good opportunities," Yao said. "I just haven't put the ball in the basket. I don't think I played that well."

“ I think he is tired. ... This is a tough league for everybody, but what he's gone through, I think he needs to get his battery recharged, and I think it will start happening again. ”

— Rudy Tomjanovich, Rockets coach

Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich begs to disagree. "I think he is tired," Tomjanovich told the Houston Chronicle. "Just talking with the coaches, we're thinking he should take both these days (Wednesday and Thursday) off and rest. He is not a mistake player, and to have five turnovers in 22 minutes is a lot for him. This is a tough league for everybody, but what he's gone through, I think he needs to get his battery recharged, and I think it will start happening again. I don't think it was a good picture of him. This is sort of what we've been seeing for a while. I feel for the guy. He's really trying. We're going to look at two days off. It's hard to do it, because he always wants to be out there."

Yao has rested through the entire fourth quarter of losses to the Spurs and Mavericks. His numbers in January (10.6 ppg, 8.8 rpg on 40 percent shooting) show the dramatic decline. Yao hasn't had a basketball break in more than year. Combine that with all of the attention he's getting -- from defenders, the media, and the marketers -- and it's pretty clear he needs a blow.

"He's been great. I don't know how he does it," Tomjanovich said. "I don't think anybody has gone through what this guy has gone through -- the whole setup, how he got here, what he went through before, the assignments, the responsibility he has. To come in and do as well as he has is really a miracle."

Yao tires of questions about fatigue

Jonathan Feigen / Houston Chronicle

Peep Show

Memphis Grizzlies Despite their recent surge, coach Hubie Brown isn't convinced his team has turned the corner. "Our problem is we're still fragile from quarter to quarter. Not from game to game," Brown said. "We've seen improvement in some players. We see a leveling off in some other players. And by the end of the year, you'll know exactly who is where." The Griz started the season 0-13, which prompted the firing of Syndey Lowe and hiring of Brown. They have since gone 12-15. "Losing close is OK for a short time period," Brown said. "Now, you expect to make progress. We can only do that with immature becoming mature, selfish becoming unselfish and knowing your job versus making mistakes. Sounds easy, hard to do."

Corey Benjamin

Shooting Guard

Atlanta Hawks

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

1 8.0 8.0 1.0 .300 .500

Atlanta Hawks: Corey Benjamin is in the house. The second-leading scorer in the NBDL this season just signed a 10-day contract with Atlanta. Originally drafted in the first round by Chicago in 1998, he has bounced around since 2001. "It wasn't the best time," Benjamin said of his first NBA stint. "Being in Chicago, it was going down and down and down, and it got me off track. I made a U-turn in life with the Bulls, and now I'm turning back around. But I'm hungry for the game again. I have to prove that I belong here." The opening in Atlanta came at the expense of Ira Newble, whose knee and hamstring injuries are expected to keep him out three or four more game after he had started 36 of the previous 40.

Seattle SuperSonics: Brent Barry is attempting to go where no NBA player has gone before. After winning the Slam Dunk contest in 1996, he will attempt to become the first player to also add the 3-point shooting crown to his collection. Barry is a career 45.9 percent shooter from long range but has been bothered of recent with tendinitis in his left knee.

Antoine Walker

Forward

Boston Celtics

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

41 21.8 7.5 4.3 .400 .629

Boston Celtics: It's going to take more than a knee injury to keep Antoine Walker out of the All Star weekend festivities. "Two weeks is on the high end, I think,'' he said after being informed that he had been selected to participate in the 3-point shooting contest. "I'll be back before that. I'm really looking forward to it -- I'm excited. I have to get more than Paul (Pierce). I'll be back for all of that -- everything.'' There is also the chance that he would be selected to play in the All Star Game. "To hear that I did not have a tear (in the knee) was great news," he said. "Obviously I'm relieved. My season was on the line. Now I just want to get it right. It's still very sore, but right now I'm just concerned about getting the swelling down. This is not a good time for me to get injured. I was playing great basketball. It's tough, but I'm happy that this was not a (torn anterior cruciate ligament)."

Orlando Magic: Grant Hill has a structural problem with his thrice-repaired left ankle. And that's the good news. "I've heard what I believe is good news this past week," he said after specialists said they believed the problem could be fixed without surgery. "It's a complex issue the way it's explained to me, but it's good." There is no timetable for his return.

Toronto Raptors: Antonio Davis is having second-thoughts about ever coming to Toronto. "Looking back (at his time with the Pacers), my wife was in a great situation, my kids were in a great situation, and now they're not in that same situation," Davis said. "They're in a good situation, but they're not in a great situation. That wears on me, too. They made all the sacrifices for me to go to Toronto and try to be successful, and where are we now?" This is the second time he has made such remarks, the first coming before re-signing with the Raptors in a multi-million, multi-year contract in 2001.

Chicago Bulls: All Jamal Crawford wanted was a shot at the starting point guard position once Jay Williams arrived from Duke. But even now that Williams has been injured, Crawford still is left wanting after being yanked midway through Wednesday night's loss to Orlando. "I was hopeful Jamal would step up," coach Bill Cartwright said. "He couldn't throw it in the ocean. We had other guys who couldn't throw it in the ocean either. But even if you're not going offensively, you can contribute at the other end. That didn't happen."

Griz still fragile at halfway point

Ronald Tillery / Memphis Commercial Appeal

Ailing Newble out 3-4 games

Michael Lee / Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Barry will go for another All-Star weekend title

Jayda Evans / Seattle Times

Walker gets good news on knee

Mark Murphy / Boston Herald

Doctor's visit gives Hill hope

Tim Povtak / Orlando Sentinel

AD shows frustration with Raps' sorry season

staff / Toronto Star

No new deal for Crawford

K.C. Johnson / Chicago Tribune