Category: Fantasy Basketball (Page 263 of 274)

According to an ESPN source, the Philadelphia 76ers are entertaining trade offers and want to complete a deal this week.

A source close to Iverson has told ESPN.com that Sixers brass met Sunday to go over the various trade proposals that have come in over the past few days. One or two three-team trade proposals were expected to be explored Monday, and the source said the Sixers were inclined to pull the trigger shortly thereafter — either Monday night or Tuesday.

The source indicated the Minnesota Timberwolves were not seriously in the running, and the attention being paid to Denver and Boston was being overblown.

The Celtics have the advantage of being able to add Theo Ratliff’s $11.7 million contract into the mix, while the Memphis Grizzlies would be one of the few teams able to offer Philadelphia cap relief for next summer through Eddie Jones’ expiring $15.7 million contract — if not for the inconvenient fact that team president Jerry West’s hands are tied because of the pending sale of the team, precluding him from making trades.

Dallas also could offer a package starting with two expiring contracts (Jerry Stackhouse and Austin Croshere), as could New Orleans (Desmond Mason and Mark Jackson add up to almost $13 million), while the Charlotte Bobcats are far enough under the salary cap to take back Iverson in a trade in which the salaries would not have to even come close to matching.

Another team that can’t be totally dismissed is the New York Knicks, who are in the unique position of being able to take back both Iverson and Chris Webber in a trade. Because the salaries of Iverson and Webber add up to nearly $38 million, the Knicks would have to offer at least $30.4 million worth of contracts back — a total that could be reached with a package of Steve Francis, Quentin Richardson, Malik Rose and Channing Frye.

It would be great to see AI traded to Minnesota, but it doesn’t look like the Sixers are too happy with what they’d get in return (Ricky Davis, Mike James and Randy Foye). Philly loves Devin Harris, but Mark Cuban has said that they won’t trade him. AI’s big salary (~$18 M) limits the number of teams that are able to swing such a deal. All things being equal, the Sixers want to trade him out of the conference, but they’re going to take the best deal they can get. Thankfully, it doesn’t look like it’s going to drag out like the Ron Artest did saga last season.

Live and in person, I was at the Staples Center last night to witness Michael Redd’s 45-point outburst against the Lakers, helping the Bucks pull the upset, 109-105. Redd shot 16-30 from the field, including 5-9 from behind the arc, and finished with eight rebounds, five assists and four steals. He has developed into (arguably) the best pure shooter in the league and has passed Manu Ginobili on my list of the best second round picks of the last 20 years. Meanwhile, Kobe led the Lakers with 27 points, but shot just 7-23 from the field and seemed none too happy about Redd’s explosion at his team’s expense. As a longtime Bucks fan and Laker-hater, it was a great, great night – objectivity be damned.

The win puts the Bucks at 5-9, but their record is a bit deceiving. Even though the season is young, Andrew Bogut, Bobby Simmons and Charlie Villanueva have all missed time due to injury, but they’re able to join Redd and Mo Williams for some consistent action, the young Bucks should improve and make a playoff push in the second half of the season.

The Nets lost at home to the Bobcats, 96-92. I’m starting to see a trend in the New Jersey box scores. Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson and Nenad Krstic all score over 20, while no other player hits double figures save Jason Kidd, who constantly seems to flirt with a triple-double. The point? There isn’t one…I’m just sayin’.

The other surprise score was Toronto’s 94-77 win against the Hornets. In fairness, NO/OKC was missing David West and Peja Stojakovic, who missed the game due to injury.

The Jazz blew out the Clippers, 112-90, in a meeting of one-loss teams. Moreover, they did it without (maybe) their best player, Andrei Kirilenko, who sat out with an ankle injury. With the win, Utah advances to 7-1 and a three-game lead in the Northwest. Utah’s success can be attributed to Carlos Boozer’s health and the improved play of Deron Williams. Boozer is averaging 21.1 points and 12.6 rebounds, while shooting a stellar 55% from the field. (Those numbers have to make Cleveland fans cringe.) Meanwhile, Williams is starting to make Jazz fans forget that the team passed on Chris Paul. The second-year guard is averaging 16.9 points and 8.5 assists this season.

In other news, San Antonio won a statement game against the Rockets, 92-84. The Rockets led by 13 at halftime, but a nine-point fourth quarter was Houston’s undoing. Dallas beat Chicago, 111-99, and the Bulls continue to struggle with their chemistry, falling to 3-4 on the season.

Well, the NBA season is already two weeks old, so it’s as good as time any to roll out our first set of Power Rankings.

TOP FIVE:

1. San Antonio (5-1)
After a home loss to the Cavs, they’ve won four straight, including a win against the Suns. They’ll be tested tonight on the road against the Rockets.

2. Cleveland (5-2)
The Cavs look like the class of the East, but their inconsistency is maddening. Wins at San Antonio and at home against Chicago are negated by losses to Charlotte and Atlanta.

3. L.A. Clippers (5-1)
After losing their opener in Phoenix, the Clippers have rattled off five straight with wins against Phoenix, Dallas and NO/OKC. They visit the Jazz tonight.

4. Utah (6-1)
The Jazz have wins over the Rockets, Suns and Pistons. They will be tested tonight when they host the Clippers, but Andrei Kirilenko is going to miss some time due to injury.

5. Houston (5-2)
The Rockets have won four straight and host the Spurs tonight. Yao Ming is playing like an MVP while McGrady is still working his way back. This might be Yao’s team now.

BOTTOM FIVE:

26. Milwaukee (2-5)
It’s going to take a while for the young Bucks to gel. After a promising 2-1 start, Milwaukee has dropped four straight.

27. New York (2-6)
The Knicks have had a tough schedule with losses to the Cavs, Rockets and Spurs (twice). Quentin Richardson and Jamal Crawford have been pleasant surprises, while the Marbury/Francis combo has yet to be fully tested.

28. Boston (1-6)
The Celtics are competitive – in their six losses, they’ve been outscored by just 5.8 points. They are young, so they should improve as the season wears on.

29. Charlotte (1-5)
A nice win over Cleveland is the only bright spot in an otherwise poor start.

30. Memphis (1-5)
Yes, the Grizzlies have a 13-point win over Charlotte on their resume, but it isn’t enough to keep them out of the cellar. Memphis’ leading scorers are Mike Miller, Chucky Atkins and Hakim Warrick. (Ouch.) The good news is that Pau Gasol may be back earlier than expected.