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Thought I would post this since Weasel hasnt had time

NBA Trading Day

by Chad Ford

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Also Below: Are the Magic done dealing? | Turning down the Heat | Trading Spree out of control | The blockbuster that got away . . . | Peep Show

Inside the NBA Draft: The LeBron Lottery

NBA Rumors: Trading Spree out of control

NBA Insider Chad Ford will be chatting live on ESPN.com today at 1 p.m. ET. Click here to submit your questions.

This just in. . .

Pat Riley was just sent a thank you note by Nextel Wireless.

Juwan Howard has gone into hiding. He was last seen with Chris Gatling.

League sources say the Knicks are offering to send Scott Layden back to Utah.

A breathless N.Y. Times headline declares that the Jazz have shot the Knicks' offer down.

Hubie Brown just blamed the internet for the Mike Miller-Drew Gooden swap.

Jerry Krause refused to confirm or deny the exisitence of the "so-called trade deadline."

Phil Jackson turned down a Tracy McGrady for Robert Horry, Tracy Murray and Samaki Walker swap, citing fears that McGrady won't be able to pick up the triangle quick enough.

Cavs GM Jim Paxson is talking with the Benetton Treviso about a Trajan Langdon-for-Ricky Davis swap.

The Pacers promise to include Larry Bird in any Austin Croshere trade.

Donald Sterling just sold his Clippers season tickets.

A 12-team blockbuster trade involving Joe Forte, Terence Morris, Cherokee Parks, Eddie House, Felipe Lopez, Robert Traylor, Lee Nailon, Kenny Satterfield, Jake Tsakalidis, DeShawn Stevenson, Bruno Sundov and Bobby Simmons works if you do the math. However, one GM, speaking on conditions of anonymity, declared the whole trade "overrated."

Mark Cuban claimed there was a 99.9 percent chance that the Mavs won't make a trade unless they're offered Brian Grant, Latrell Sprewell, Antonio Davis, Austin Croshere, Keith Van Horn, Vin Baker or anyone else for that matter.

It's the trade deadline, baby. The crap coming from teams smells a lot like the Cavs and the Nuggets. The truth, as Orlando and Memphis reminded us Wednesday night, is that if you hold out long enough, good trades can still happen in the NBA. And sometime after the 3 p.m. ET deadline we can all go to bed. . .

Until then, ESPN Insider breaks down what is and isn't going down as we head into the homestretch. . .

Are the Magic done dealing?

Mike Miller

Guard-Forward

Memphis Grizzlies

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

49 16.4 5.8 2.8 .418 .847

It took Magic GM John Gabriel only eight months to pull the trigger on the Mike Miller-to-the-Grizzlies trade. Can he really pull off another deal in the next six hours?

That was the talk late Wednesday night after Gabriel finally got a legit young power forward. As you already know, Grizzlies GM Jerry West had been trying to get Miller since draft night. The holdup all along was that he was offering Stromile Swift, a player Magic coach Doc Rivers liked but Gabriel wasn't fond of.

Just a few weeks ago West agreed to put Gordan Giricek into the deal. However, it wasn't until Wednesday afternoon that West finally decided that Gooden, his first pick with the Grizzlies, was worth Miller. One Eastern Conference GM felt that Memphis got the best end of the deal.

"I like Drew Gooden, but I think he's a tweener," one Eastern Conference GM told Insider. "If Jerry really liked him, he wouldn't have traded him, logjam or no logjam. Memphis needed a true small forward and I think Miller was probably the best one available. It's an interesting trade for Orlando. What the really needed was some athleticism, rebounding and shot blocking in the post. Gooden is tall, but he's not what they needed. They may have been better off taking Swift. I think Gooden will struggle without a true big man in the middle."

Apparently, the Magic feel the same way. Several league sources told Insider late Wednesday night that the Magic were still working the phones, looking for a center. The bait? Darrell Armstrong and Andrew DeClercq.

Much of the talk centers on Golden State, which has been trying to move several big contracts off the books so that it can re-sign Gilbert Arenas this summer.

According to several league sources, the Magic are interested in swapping DeClercq and Steven Hunter for Adonal Foyle. However, the Warriors would prefer to rid themselves of Erick Dampier. To make that deal work financially, the Magic would have to give up Armstrong and DeClercq.

The concern on the Magic's end is that the team would struggle to make the playoffs without a solid backup for Jacque Vaughn. Armstrong is also one of the most popular players on the team. It would be a major blow to lose him. It's possible, however, that the Warriors would agree to waive Armstrong after the trade. That would allow the Magic to re-sign Armstrong after he cleared waivers.

Foyle and Dampier aren't the only big men the Magic have inquired about. They've also talked with the Nuggets about Marcus Camby, the Hornets about Elden Campbell, the Blazers about Dale Davis and the Sonics about Jerome James. While none of these players is a perfect solution, each one would be a big upgrade over the Magic's current corps of big men.

Magic trade Miller, get 2 rookies

Brian Schmitz / Orlando Sentinel

Looks like Magic got best of trade

Mike Bianchi / Orlando Sentinel

Magic's act tests their fans' patience

Ken Hornack / Daytona Beach News-Journal

Turning down the Heat

After some hot and heavy Eddie Jones trade talk on Tuesday, it looks like trade discussions cooled significantly for the Heat on Wednesday.

Eddie Jones

Shooting Guard

Miami Heat

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

42 18.5 4.9 3.7 .426 .824

Talks between the Bulls and Heat, according to several league sources, ended Wednesday afternoon. The Bulls and Heat were discussing a Jones-for-Marcus Fizer-, Jamal Crawford-and-Eddie Robinson swap. Bulls GM Jerry Krause seemed to confirm as much.

"I just haven't heard the right words yet," Krause told the Chicago Tribune. "If we hear the right words, there will be some action, but if we don't hear the right words, there won't be any action. It's that simple. A year ago today, we heard the right words from Indiana.

"I don't feel a sense of urgency. If we don't hear the right words, I'm satisfied this team will develop into a very good team."

The T-Wolves were still trying to get the Heat to accept a Terrell Brandon-for-Jones deal, but Wolves coach Flip Saunders doesn't sound optimistic that the Heat will agree to pull the trigger.

"He could help [us], but I just don't think that's a viable option," Saunders told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "When you look at Pat [Riley], no matter what, he wants to win. It would be pretty tough to convince him to take somebody who's not going to play ... and say, we'll wait a year, and then he'll get off the books next [February] so not this summer but the next summer we can sign somebody. Well, what are you going to do in the meantime?"

Unfortunately, for the Heat, they might not have a much better option. If they don't move either Jones or Brian Grant, they'll be stuck with the same cap issues for the next four seasons.

Brian Grant

Forward-Center

Miami Heat

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

54 9.8 10.6 1.2 .500 .717

The other prominent Heat trade talk, mentioned on Insider Wednesday, has the Heat and Mavs talking about a Grant-for-Nick Van Exel-and-Travis Best trade. So did the Mavs or the Heat initiate the trade talk? It depends on who you ask.

Sources in Miami claim that it's the Mavs calling the Heat. A source in Dallas claims that the Heat are the ones making a push to get a trade done. While some league sources insist that this is a trade that could happen, consider this: Neither side is convinced that the trade will really help them. If that's the case, why do it?

Riley remained noncommittal on everything.

"We've obviously had conversations," Riley told the Sun Sentinel. "I don't want to get into talk." However, Riley said general manager Randy Pfund "doesn't think much is going to happen."

For Heat, trade talk isn't cheap

Ira Winderman / South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Krause doesn't feel another trade coming

Roman Modrowski / Chicago Sun-Times

Deadline drama develops

Robbi Pickeral / St. Paul Pioneer Press

Help for Wolves? It's up to McHale

Bob Sansevere / St. Paul Pioneer Press

Mavs have eye on Heat's Grant

Eddie Sefko / Dallas Morning News

Trading Spree out of control

Latrell Sprewell

Guard-Forward

New York Knicks

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

45 17.6 3.3 4.4 .411 .791

Little known fact. Latrell Sprewell moved out of his houseboat, "The Pride of Milwaukee" two years ago and permanently set up shop here in Bristol at ESPN's Rumor Central.

Alas, another trade deadline comes and goes, and Spree, who's hasn't been paying rent and who has been promising to move out for months, looks like he's staying put, at least until June.

The Knicks have tried almost every conceivable deal out there, including talking to the Spurs about a swap that would've reunited Spree with P.J. Carlesimo.

Here's a surprise; the San Antonio Express News is reporting today that talks between the Spurs and Knicks are off because, get this, the Spurs don't want to part with Malik Rose. Yeah, that's the only reason I can think of either not to do this trade.

Antonio Davis

Forward-Center

Toronto Raptors

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

35 14.1 8.4 2.0 .400 .738

How desperate is Scott Layden getting? Now comes word that the Raptors and Knicks have been talking about a swap that would send Spree and Othella Harrington to Toronto for Antonio Davis and Morris Peterson. Now that would've been a blockbuster.

The Newark Star Ledger is reporting that the Raptors said that they'd consider it if the Knicks substituted Kurt Thomas for Harrington. They didn't. It was dropped, revisited and dropped again.

There was also talk Wednesday of a three-way deal that would send Spree to Miami, Brian Grant to Philly and (here we go again) Keith Van Horn to the Knicks. And, there's talk of a repackaged Latrell Sprewell-Keith Van Horn deal with Indiana involved. The Knicks would get Van Horn and Austin Croshere, the Sixers would get Sprewell (and presumably a draft pick), and Indiana would receive Charlie Ward. Of course, if the Knicks really shot forms of this trade down the first time, don't you think they'd do it again?

Raptors keen on Sprewell?

Doug Smith / Toronto Star

Knicks: All quiet on the trade front

Dave D'Alessandro / Newark Star Ledger

Sprewell's a Keeper

Greg Logan / Newsday

Side Issues Crop Up, but Sprewell Is Unruffled

Chris Broussard / New York Times

Deadline may be a Knick dead end

Frank Isola / New York Daily News

The blockbuster that got away . . .

Warriors head coach Eric Musselman is no stranger to big trades. Musselman used to pull off some whoppers when he was the GM of the CBA's Rapid City (S.D.) Thrillers.

"[The trade deadline] doesn't affect me at all," Musselman told the Contra Costa Times. "In the CBA, we'd trade six guys at a time. I traded nine guys out of 10 when I was the GM in Rapid City."

Too bad we're not in the CBA. Musselman told reporters Wednsday night that he's no longer confident the Warriors can get a deal done by the trade deadline. But, boy, was his team sitting on the crest of a doozy.

Several team sources confirmed to Insider on Wednesday that a five-team trade involving the Warriors, Knicks, Sixers, Magic and Pacers was actually in the works until the Knicks and Magic pulled out of the deal Wednesday morning.

Erick Dampier

Center

Golden State Warriors

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

54 8.3 7.1 0.7 .490 .692

The trade would've sent Erick Dampier and Austin Croshere to the Knicks; the Pacers would've gotten Charlie Ward, Brian Skinner and Mark Pope; the Magic would've received Danny Fortson and Othella Harrington; the Sixers would've had Adonal Foyle and Bob Sura; and the Warriors would've received Andrew DeClercq, Darrell Armstrong, Travis Knight and Derrick Coleman.

That move, in one fell swoop, would've cleared nearly $20 million off the Warriors' cap for next season.

According to several sources, the Pacers, who are desperate to move Croshere, were the team initiating the discussions, and the Warriors and Sixers quickly signed on. However, Knicks GM Scott Layden couldn't be convinced despite the fact that the trade was landing him a coveted big man and big small forward. The salaries were too much for owner James Dolan to swallow and Layden backed down.

The Magic were never fully on board either. The Magic weren't enamored with Fortson. They were hoping to land a younger, cheaper player to play in the post. When talks began heating up with Memphis about the Mike Miller-for-Drew Gooden swap, things quickly fell apart.

Still, it's possible that remnants of this deal may still go down. The Magic are talking to the Warriors about a possible Dampier-for-DeClerq-and-Armstrong swap. The Warriors are also still holding out hope (though it looks pretty slim right now) that the Sixers will still pull the trigger on a Coleman-for-Foyle-and-Fortson (or Sura) trade. If they could get both of those trades to happen, the team would clear enough cap room to make a significant offer for Gilbert Arenas this summer.

Austin Croshere

Power Forward

Indiana Pacers

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

29 4.7 3.3 1.1 .392 .774

Unfortunately, Sixers coach Larry Brown sounded like the Sixers were no longer willing to deal. "If you had asked me two weeks ago, I would have said definitely [about the likelihood of making a trade]," Brown told the Philadelphia Daily News. "Now, I'd say it's doubtful. I don't want to do it for the sake of doing it."

The Pacers are also praying that the Knicks will agree to swap Ward straight up for Croshere. However, if Layden's no longer able to take on bad contracts (the only thing he's ever done really well), there's no way the Knicks can pull the trigger.

Musselman questions defense

Matt Steinmetz / Contra Costa Times

Don Thinking Big As Deadline Nears

Marc Berman / New York Post

At trade time, Layden doesn't know the deal

Mitch Lawrence / New York Daily News

Amid talk of Olympics and trades, a win

Phil Jasner / Philadelphia Daily News

Hot air of sellers heats up trade talks

Stephen A. Smith / Philadelphia Inquirer

Peep Show

Atlanta Hawks: GM Pete Babcock said it looks like Jason Terry and the rest of the Hawks are staying put. "No one we've talked to once wants to add payroll," Babcock told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "They want to reduce it. Teams are afraid of the luxury tax; they don't want to spend more money."

Seattle SuperSonics, New Orleans Hornets: The two teams have talked about a Kenny Anderson-for-Elden Campbell swap, the Tacoma News Tribune reported. The Tribune is reporting thata deal that would send Brent Barry and Vitaly Potapenko to Philadelphia for Derrick Coleman is also on the table.

Los Angeles Clippers: Owner Donald Sterling made a surprise appearance Wednesday, fueling speculation that the Clipps may be on the verge of a deal, the L.A. Times reported. "I'm being serious now," Lamar Odom said when asked about his talk with Sterling. "We've got to have him around. He's got to know where our minds are at. It's about summertime. . . We have to keep playing hard and hope everything goes well, so he'll keep things together because I don't want to start over. With the team we've got, it's important for Mr. Sterling to be here, so we can make some improvements in the team. . .Everybody's playing hard. Nobody's quit. Elton Brand has more bandages than a running back. . .We've got a group of us who want to make this a team. Donald Sterling has to marry one of us to his team."

Milwaukee Bucks: GM Ernie Grunfeld sounds like man willing to pull of a trade by the deadline. While he doesn't have any expiring salaries to work with, he does have several first-round draft picks, including one from Atlanta. "That's a high pick that has good value," Grunfeld told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "If it's the right deal, we're not adverse to putting any picks in a trade. They [the picks] have value to us, and to other teams."

Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets: Boston and Denver may still finally pull off that trade that sends Mark Blount back to Boston. According to the Boston Herald, there are two scenarios in play -- Blount for Bruno Sundov and a second-round draft pick, or Blount and either Mark Bryant or Donnell Harvey (Bryant is more likely) for Shammond Williams and a second-round pick.