In my desire to help all 30 teams with trade ideas, I’ve developed a core of volunteer assistants and sometimes an interesting suggestion comes along. An e-mailer who’s had some good information before wrote last week to say the Bulls and Cavs were discussing Kirk Hinrich and Ben Wallace for Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes.
I’ve been unable to confirm if there have been such discussions. But I know the Cavs have locker-room and chemistry chaos. Damon Jones and Ira Newble declined to enter games last week, and the Cavs are desperate to deal Hughes. His contract — money and years — pretty much matches Wallace’s, and if the Bulls can find anyone to take Wallace’s contract, you’d think they would. Interesting how quickly his sore foot healed.
Hughes, though injury-prone, is the kind of big guard the Bulls are missing. And they have had talks about Gooden in recent years. Plus the Cavs have been desperate for a point guard. There’s interest around the league in Hinrich, and if I were to move him I’d probably want more.
Dumping that Wallace contract, though, could be appealing.
Smooth-sailing Rockets
Houston, with Luis Scola coming on, won its first back-to-back set and had at least five players in double figures for the second straight game, both without Tracy McGrady. It’s giving the team more reason to move McGrady, who is said to have quietly let it be known he’s no longer happy in Houston. With the Rockets still in need of a point guard, you could see them working out a package that includes Hinrich and Andres Nocioni.
It’s a quiet six straight wins to get to 20-10 for the Hornets behind a brilliant season by Chris Paul and Tyson Chandler averaging a double/double and almost 16 rebounds per game in the streak. Quiet because they are at the bottom by far in NBA attendance. … That great point-guard draft of 2005 with Paul and Deron Williams is down to two with Raymond Felton moved to shooting guard in Charlotte. They’re seeing him as more of a combo guard as Hinrich is with the Bulls.
The 76ers’ trade of Kyle Korver for Gordon Giricek gets them farther under the salary cap with Giricek’s expiring contract and suggests Andre Miller may be next. It’s a bit of an upgrade for the Jazz, which still lacks a true defensive shooting guard.
L.A. story
After dubbing Vladimir Radmanovic “My Favorite Martian” earlier this season, Phil Jackson is now calling Andrew Bynum “Mr. Slinky” for Bynum’s propensity for “falling and tumbling.” But without Bynum the Lakers would be falling and tumbling — the big kid’s emergence is making them a legitimate championship contender after big wins over the Suns and Jazz last week.
Now Lamar Odom can fall into the third option role where he is more comfortable, and Kobe Bryant has to be wondering why he ever wanted to go anywhere. Jerry West, in semi-retirement, told the Boston Globe Bryant was never going to be traded; even if he could be it would “decimate” any team because of what it would have to give up and leave Bryant in a less competitive position.
‘Tawn time
Quietly enjoying an All-Star season as a free agent-to-be is Washington’s Antawn Jamison, averaging 22 points and 10.9 rebounds. He’s one of just five players — Dwight Howard, Yao Ming, Carlos Boozer and Al Jefferson are the others — averaging at least 20 and 10. …
After the Orlando Magic fought off Dwyane Wade’s 48 points to win in overtime Friday, Hedo Turkoglu noted how Magic coach Stan Van Gundy went to a trap on Wade in overtime and playfully asked Van Gundy how come he didn’t think of it when Wade had 46 points. It’s that give-and-take, as well as a willingness to be tough, that has Van Gundy among the early coach of the year candidates.
The Magic is in Chicago on Monday. With a backcourt filled with rotation rejects and Rashard Lewis hardly exceptional, the Magic has been one of the season’s early surprises: 10 games over .500 and an impressive 14-5 on the road.
Around the league
The schedule is catching up with the Kings some, but coach Reggie Theus has kept them afloat even with Kevin Martin and Mike Bibby out and Ron Artest in and out from family issues and a suspension. The Kings are here Saturday, with Bibby and Martin due back soon. Chuck Person is gaining some notice on the Kings’ staff, which also features former Bull Randy Brown. …
The Warriors’ Mickeal Pietrus is playing less and saying he’d give his permission for a trade, which is required in a fifth-year rookie deal. Miami is said to be interested. With Troy Hudson gone for the season, the Warriors need point-guard insurance and you can see them going for Memphis’ Damon Stoudemire, who is on an expiring contract and about to lose playing time to rookie Mike Conley Jr., who’s on his way back to the Memphis lineup from injury. …
If the Bulls want Pau Gasol, they’d better move quickly as the Grizzlies figure to move him soon with the season and home attendance collapsing. Atlanta is said to be the latest team interested in Gasol. When Hawks general manager Billy Knight was with the Grizzlies, he acquired the rights to Gasol from Atlanta for Shareef Abdur-Rahim. The Hawks have an excess of young big men. …
You can always count on Don Nelson to get sentimental, as when he heard about Scott Skiles’ firing. “I drafted him,” Nelson said. “He was in jail. I asked him what kind of shape he was in. He said, ‘I can’t do much running where I’m at, but I’ve been doing a lot of pushups.'”
