We're inside of a day until the deadline and there's a lot going on, predictably. We're tracking Pau Gasol, and of course, Dwight Howard throughout the day.
The forecast for this trade deadline is considerably cooler. But the talk will be the same as ever. Constant. Keep it right here throughout Wednesday for all the latest on NBA chatter as the deadline nears.
So if you missed the Dwight Drama last night, the Magic beat the Heat, and afterwards Dwight got all excited and told reporters that he wanted to stay in Orlando past the deadline and hoped they would "roll the dice" with him. Just so we're clear, he's not signing an extension. He's still going into free agency. But he wants them to risk losing him for nothing so that he can make a run with the better team now before joining, presumably, New Jersey.
Magic officials didn't take kindly to that.
After smiling through All-Star weekend in his hometown and refusing to discuss his future, Howard used the occasion of his last home game before the trade deadline to prey on management's vulnerabilty. If the Magic ignore Howard's plea to let him finish the season, they'll face a certain fan backlash. After Howard and Magic executives had promised each other to keep their conversations private, some team executives were privately disgusted with his public comments Tuesday night.
via Ken Berger - CBSSports.com Magic getting close to Dwight decision; Nets in lead.
So now there's speculation that Howard saying he wanted to stay could prompt the Magic to move him after him saying he wanted to go made them want to keep him. Because this is how the NBA works now.
Meanwhile, around the league:
5:25 p.m.
- Mark Cuban says a trade is unlikely for the Mavs: "Unless somebody has a brain lapse and makes a mistake," Cuban said. "Then we'll happily take advantage of it."
- The Raptors aren't really looking to make a big deadline deal: "No. I don't sense anything happening, especially anything that's going to affect our flexibility, cap flexibility next season, us going into free agency," head coach Dwane Casey told the Toronto Sun.
- It would be complicated, but are the Warriors looking to deal Stephen Jackson already?
- The Nets and Jazz are talking about a deal involving C.J. Miles.
- According to the New York Daily News, there are "discussions for the Jazz to send Bell to the Clippers for the $3.8 million trade exemption Clips got in Eric Gordon deal."
- The Wolves are looking at Jason Richardson, according to HoopsWorld: "The Magic and Timberwolves discussed a Richardson for Michael Beasley swap. Nothing imminent. Wolves weighing options."
- Is Chris Kaman going to be on the move? According to ESPN.com, he's still drawing interest: "New Orleans is still willing to trade Kaman and will settle for a second-round draft pick at this point. The Hornets are not looking for players in return. Indiana has interest in Kaman."
- The Wolves, Lakers and Blazers are talking about a three-team trade that would send Michael Beasley to Los Angeles while Jamal Crawford would head to Minnesota, with Steve Blake heading to Portland, according to multiple reports.
11:00 a.m.
- We took a look at the Warriors-Bucks trade of Monta Ellis, Stephen Jackson, Andrew Bogut, and Ekpe Udoh (apologies to Kwame Brown, get better big fella). And we evaluated the winners and losers for each team.
- Monta Ellis was not heartbroken to leave the Warriors, he told the San Francisco Chronicle.
- The Warriors also called the Kings about Tyreke Evans, according to SI.com.
- The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports the Bucks may not be done dealing, with Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Shaun Livingson both on the block.