ESPN Insider Weekend Update

[Admin]

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NBA swap meet heats up

Two days into free agency and everyone is already bored. Most of the top free agents already have dates to the prom. There are about 10 teams that have the cash and the inclination to use their mid-level exceptions. Everyone else is fighting for scraps.

David Stern may have found a way to take the frenzy out of free agency. But the impending luxury tax and listless market are encouraging plenty of teams to talk trade.

"I think the combination of the collective bargaining agreement and the luxury tax is going to create a lot more trading in the summer," one team executive told Insider. "For the most part, free agents have all the incentives to re-sign with their own clubs, which really weakens the market. Then teams really don't have much money to spare to sign other guys. So what happens is that teams have only two real avenues to improve their teams — the draft and trades. The draft is over and I think you'll see the trading season really heat up in the next two weeks."

The summer of 2003 may be an exception because so many teams have cleared cap room to be players in the free-agent market. But 2004? Teams will be right back to where they are this summer — over the cap and running from Stern's tax collectors.

So, for teams like the Hawks, Celtics, Pacers and Raptors, who are trying to improve without paying the luxury tax, their real work has just begun . . .

Can the Knicks sell Spree to the Hawks?

Trade rumors swirling around Latrell Sprewell just won't keep going away.

The latest has the Knicks and Hawks talking about a trade that would send Spree and Othella Harrington to Atlanta for Jason Terry, Nazr Mohammed and Alan Henderson. The Hawks have been shopping Terry since they acquired Dan Dickau on draft night.

According to one Hawks souce, the coaching staff doesn't believe Terry has a future as a two guard because of his size. While he's shown flashes at point guard, the Hawks would prefer to deal him and bring in a more experienced, taller two guard that would allow them to play Dickau. Spree, who has been stuck playing out of position in New York his entire tenure there, meets the description. With young swingmen like Dion Glover and DerMarr Johnson waiting in the wings, the Hawks can afford to let Terry slide away.

The Knicks, who are desperate to upgrade at point guard and center, get both needs taken care of with one fell swoop. Mohammed is better than any free agent centers out there right now. Terry's game is hard to figure out, but the Knicks believe he can still play the point. While Henderson's salary (3 years, $22 million remaining) is tough to swallow, that has never stopped the Knicks in the past. The Knicks have been trying to get Toni Kukoc thrown into the swap instead of Henderson, but right now the Hawks aren't budging.

However, Hawks GM Pete Babcock told the Atlanta Constitution on Saturday that he has no interest in trading for Sprewell. Babcock said the club's experience with Isaiah Rider would sour the team on adding Spree to the mix. "It's unfair to compare players, but we went against our organizational standards to a degree with J. R. Rider a few years ago. We rolled the dice - we lost big-time on it. We would have to think very hard about bending again." Babcock also denied that the team was shopping Terry. "So all these statements that we've been trying to trade him since we got [Dan] Dickau. There's absolutely no truth to that," he said.

The N.Y. Daily News is also reporting that Cleveland could possibly be involved in a three-way deal that would send Andre Miller to the Knicks. The report doesn't, however, indicate who the Cavs would take in return. Given the fact that neither the Knicks nor the Hawks have players in the last year of their contracts, nor do the teams have many young prospects (unless your counting DerMarr Johnson, but I wouldn't), a deal with the Cavs seems unlikely.

Spree rumors over the past week have had him going to the Bucks, T-Wolves and even the Pistons, so take all of this talk with a grain of salt.

T-Wolves GM Kevin McHale shot down a Wally Szczerbiak-to-the-Knicks rumor Thursday. "I'm not trading with those guys," McHale told the Post. "I don't like their guys because of a combination of contracts and other things."

Earlier in the day, McHale told The Post: "Nothing's going to happen for a lot of reasons. I'm trying to make my team better. Believe it or not, you guys from New York think everyone's out there to make the Knicks better. That's not the way it works. I'm looking to make our team better, which is a foreign concept to you guys in New York."

Still, there's very little doubt left that Knick GM Scott Layden no longer feels like the Knicks can win with Spree playing out of position. "Sprewell's been the most shopped player in the league," one GM told the New York Times.

While that may be an overstatement, it shows that Sprewell's name has been prominent in trade talks. The Knicks realize he will have to be involved in any deal that brings them a top-flight player.

"The reason Sprewell has not been traded is not because of a lack of effort on the Knicks' part," the GM told the Times. "There are some teams interested in him, but it's not like the Knicks are going to get Kobe Bryant for him."

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[Hawksfreak]

[andycard69]

Man Babs came out and blasted that rumor out of the water and ESPN just cant let it go. Spree has no value b/c he is on the decline and has a few years left. His value should get them someone like Vin Baker.

[Admin]

Well that trade part is still up from Friday, but they updated it below with the part about Babs saying hell no on Saturday........

[DJ_Money]

Spree will be linked to every NBA, WNBA, NBDL, CBA, USBL, and ABA team over the summer. Seriously, this guy gets around like Madonna.

A writer from the Seattle Times is reporting that the Sonics and Celtics have agreed to a Vin Baker/Kenny Anderson swap. They just can't agree on who else we be included in the deal. Boston wants to send Potapenko, while Seattle wants Eric Williams. Seattle also wants to swap Shammond Williams for Joe Forte.

[Traceman]

If he gives Boston 14/7 a night, that will be a tremendous improvement but I wouldn't be surprised to see him get 17/9 in the EC. If Boston can figure out a way to keep Rogers, I think they will be one of the better teams in the EC.

[Hawksfreak]

Baker is probably gonna be traded for Kenny Anderson. That would be a good trade for both teams.