The Daily Dose: Dose: Injury News & Trade Talk
While there are no NBA games to keep us occupied during the break, there are plenty of trade rumors to share in the Dose. And if you haven’t watched the Dunk Contest highlights yet, make sure you do. Aaron Gordon had two of my favorite dunks of all time, back-to-back. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here!
All-Star Notes
The West won 196-173 and Russell Westbrook was named MVP with 31 points, seven treys, eight rebounds, five assists and five steals. Just another day at the office. The West players didn’t look too interested in feeding Kobe Bryant and getting him the MVP in his final All-Star appearance, while Paul George dropped 41 points for the East, missing the scoring record by one point. He also hit nine 3-pointers, which set an All-Star record. Zach LaVine won the dunk contest for the second straight year and the battle he and Gordon waged was epic. Klay Thompson upset teammate Stephen Curry to win the 3-point Shootout, while LaVine also won the Rising Stars MVP, and Karl-Anthony Towns won the Skills Challenge.
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Monday’s Injury News
Before the trade news, there’s some injury tidbits to address. Chris Bosh is having more calf issues and we’re all hoping he doesn’t have another blood clot. Bosh’s agent said “it’s too soon to report” if that’s the case, but the Heat are said to have “serious concerns” about him, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Owners of Bosh may want to hope for the best while making some alternate plans in case Bosh is going to be on the shelf. Amare Stoudemire and Justise Winslow would likely both see a boost if Bosh is out.
Taj Gibson was hospitalized with his left foot injury just prior to the All-Star break. If he’s going to miss time, with Nikola Mirotic still sidelined, Bobby Portis may finally become relevant. Think about a grab-and-stash.
John Wall could need to miss a little time as he deals with knee tendinitis, although nothing is imminent. He’s dealing with some pain though, and Garrett Temple would see a boost if Wall misses any games.
Carmelo Anthony says his goal is to play in the Knicks’ final 27 games, despite his sore knee. It’s a nice goal to have, but he’s still a shutdown candidate if the Knicks fall completely out of the hunt. And right now they’re five full games behind the Hornets for the No. 8 seed in the East. If the Knicks don’t start winning soon, I’m going to be pretty concerned about Melo the rest of the way.
Monday’s Trade Talk
Markieff Morris is pretty high on the list of favorites to be traded but the Suns are said to want a first-round pick and a young player in return. That’s going to be a tough sell for a guy who just got into a scuffle with a young player on his bench and it’s possible the Suns could still be trying to move Morris over the summer. But if I had to guess, I’d say he gets moved by Thursday’s deadline. And if it happens, his value will likely take a pretty big hit. But it’s been a nice two-week run with the disgruntled twin.
The Magic are looking to trade both Victor Oladipo and Tobias Harris, and both players should be held until we see where they end up. A Jeff Teague for Dipo move to Atlanta shouldn’t hurt Dipo’s value if it were to happen.
The Heat are said to be interested in Joe Johnson (Nets) and Ryan Anderson (Pelicans). The Heat might need Anderson if Bosh’s injury is as serious as it sounds.
The Rockets and Heat are reportedly in discussions on a deal that would involve Hassan Whiteside and Dwight Howard, according to Frank Isola. The Houston Chronicle has said Howard’s not likely to be moved, so take this for what it is: a trade rumor.
The Pacers are said to be interested in both Ricky Rubio and Jeff Teague, which would likely send George Hill packing. The Hawks are asking a lot for Teague, while Rubio’s not going to come cheaply, either.
The Celtics are said to be interested in Kevin Love, but then again, most teams are in the same boat. It’s hard to see the Cavs shaking things up while they’re still the favorites to win the East.
Brook Lopez looks like he’s on the trading block for the Nets, but their asking price is said to be pretty high. I doubt he’s moved.
Even though the Clippers deny it, Blake Griffin is still rumored to be on the block. Any deal involving Griffin would be a big one and my guess is he’ll still be with the Clippers come Friday.
While Al Horford and Teague are still on the trading block for the Hawks, the Celtics don’t appear to be interested in acquiring Horford, or Dwight Howard, for that matter.
Danilo Gallinari is not on the trading block for the Nuggets, according to the Boston Globe. He’s having a nice season in Denver and has been able to stay remarkably healthy thus far.
The Raptors, according to ESPN, have inquired about Thaddeus Young (Sixers), Ryan Anderson (Pelicans), Kenneth Faried (Nuggets), Markieff Morris (Suns) and P.J. Tucker (Suns), as they appear to be serious about improving at power forward. The arrival of any of them in Toronto would immediately hurt Luis Scola and Patrick Patterson, and solidify the Raptors as the team with the best chance of upsetting the Cavaliers in the East.
The Bucks are open to trading Michael Carter-Williams and if it happens, Jerryd Bayless could be fun to own down the stretch.
The Cavs are looking to move Iman Shumpert, but he’s not likely to have any more value with another team than he’s had with the Cavs.
Ben McLemore and the Kings are working together to find a trade, but I doubt he’ll land in a spot that would offer him more playing time than he’s been getting for the Kings.
The Knicks are doing their best to move Jose Calderon, but it’s probably not going to be easy given his age, industry history and salary. If he goes, Langston Galloway is probably the big winner. It’s also possible New York could end up with a player like Brandon Jennings or Ty Lawson this week.
The Cavs have pursued Kings’ big man Kosta Koufos, according to Marc Stein, but I doubt he’d have much of a role in Cleveland.
The Jazz are said to actively be looking to move PG Trey Burke, as Raul Neto has played well and Dante Exum is due back next year. If he gets moved, the little value he already has should dry up.
The Wolves are trying to move Adreian Payne and Kevin Martin, and Martin’s a guy who could emerge with some value if he gets traded to the right team.
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