| 22 February 2011
Jeff Kramer will join Beyond the Beat this month for a closer look at trade rumors surrounding the Portland Trail Blazers, and the lastest with the ongoing Collective Bargaining Agreement discussions with the NBA lockout looming. You can also read more from Jeff Kramer at his own site, Storyteller Contracts.
A number of major media outlets, including Yahoo Sports and CBS Sports, reported Monday evening that the myriad of rumors about which team Carmelo Anthony will next be playing for can finally be put to rest, as he was traded from Denver to the New York Knicks. Official confirmation by the league office is expected to come as soon as Tuesday.
Speculation has been rampant that as soon as Anthony’s trade destination was made final, other trades would follow. An examination of recent history confirms that this is often the case – once a key trade is consummated, it often leads to the door being opened for other deals. For example, several days before the 2010 trade deadline, Washington and Dallas pulled off a 7 player trade that included Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, Josh Howard and Drew Gooden. That trade proved to be only the first of several major trades that took place in the days that followed after teams realized that those players were no longer available.
Many believe that something similar will take place this year, as teams seek to make deals knowing now that Anthony is member of the Knicks. There is even speculation that some of the players headed to Denver might be traded again, possibly to New Jersey. Expect the trade rumor mill to be in full force during the next few days.
As for the Blazers, there continues to be a lot of speculation that the Nets, having missed out on a trade for Carmelo Anthony, might seek to make a trade with Portland. Jason Quick of the Oregonian quoted a unnamed source on Monday who said of a possible trade between the two teams: “It’s real, but it’s not done”. The names rumored to be involved are Andre Miller and Joel Przybilla of Portland and Devin Harris and Troy Murphy of New Jersey.
Quick is right when he points out that a deal involving just those four players would not be legal under CBA trade rules.
Portland would have to include one or more players whose combined outgoing salary was greater than $2.01 million but whose combined incoming salary from the Nets’ perspective was less than $11.29 million. This could be accomplished through involving a number of Blazer players, but would seem to exclude the possibility of including Brandon Roy, Marcus Camby or LaMarcus Aldridge because of their contract status, unless New Jersey expanded the trade to include additional Nets players.
Needless to say, it is logical to assume that the trade of Anthony to New York is only the first of several trade dominos to fall this week. But predictions as to how many more trades take place before Thursday’s trade deadline – and whether any Blazers will be involved – will surely be the source of much speculation over the next few days.
Other Trade Deadline News from Beyond the Beat:
One Of Portland's Trade Assets Not Getting Much Discussion
Spears: Cavs Like Miller, Fernandez Still Part Of Talks With New Jersey Nets
Teams Interested In Dante Cunningham, Ready To Ditch The Mask
Source: Morrow Could Make Or Break Miller-Harris Trade Talks
photo: daylife
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