Sources: Cavaliers close to deal for Stoudemire

[blazzin311]

Found this, this morning for those interested. I'd have to think that if the Cavs got Stoudemire it for sure makes them the favorites to win the Eastern Conference.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4913305

Updated: February 14, 2010, 2:57 AM ET
Sources: Hickson, Ilgauskas to Suns

By Chris Broussard
ESPN The Magaazine
Archive
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Phoenix Suns are closing in on a deal that would send All-Star forward Amare Stoudemire to Cleveland, according to sources with knowledge of the negotiations.

Stoudemire

The Cavaliers would send Zydrunas Ilgauskas and J.J. Hickson to Phoenix in exchange for Stoudemire, one of the league's most dominant big man.

While Cleveland remains in talks with several other teams, the club, from management down to the players, has settled on Stoudemire as its first choice.

The ball is in Phoenix's court. The Suns are mulling whether the financial relief provided by Ilgauskas's $12 million contract and the young and talented Hickson are enough for them to part with Stoudemire.

Cleveland believes the addition of Stoudemire would all but seal LeBron James' re-signing with the team when he becomes a free agent this summer. The Cavaliers are also prepared to sign Stoudemire, who has one year and $17 million remaining on his contract, to a long-term contract extension once the season ends.

The Suns will likely waive Ilgauskas, which would allow him to be re-signed by Cleveland after 30 days.

Cleveland is also talking with Washington about acquiring Antawn Jamison, as well as Indiana about Troy Murphy. Meanwhile, Golden State is trying to entice the Cavs into taking Corey Maggette for Ilgauskas.

[-King-]

Originally Posted by BIG_DADDY

GO LAKERS!!!! That is all.

This.

[Saul Good]

Originally Posted by Psyko Tek

A'm'a'r'e' os constantly in foul trouble

I just want the suns to get a1st or 2nd and 3rd for him
and then it's bye-bye

no d
no boards
can't create

hell I'ld rather play Looooouuu Admunsen and lopez

If I were the Cavs, I'd offer them a 3rd. I know it's off topic, but who do you think the Chiefs should draft in the 8th round this year?

[Basileus777]

The great JJ Hickson.

Salary dump trades are ruining the NBA. This would be one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history. I don't know how anyone could think that trading a garbage man like Hickson for one of the best pick and roll bigs in the league wouldn't make the Cavs a better team. Amare has a nice mid-range shot and would be nasty playing with LeBron. Seriously, LeBron is making JJ Hickson look decent by feeding him easy baskets.

If the Suns trade for Ilgauskas and waive him (which they probably will), that essentially means they traded the Cavaliers JJ Hickson for Shaq and Amare.

[KevB]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

He's actually matured quite a bit. He's a good player, and would work as a second guy who knew his role. Again, he's a physical rebounder who gets a lot of points on putbacks, and he can score from the low block.

Shockingly, this is all true. Randolph has been a model teammate for the Griz this year, and that's with a team full of impressionable youngsters. I think if you put him with a LBJ, he'd know his role and act accordingly. He was a black hole for the Knicks and Clips, but look at the garbage he was playing with. He probably should have been the guy taking the most shots.

[RealSNR]

cavs shud sing greg osterrtag

[Quesadilla Joe]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

He's actually matured quite a bit. He's a good player, and would work as a second guy who knew his role. Again, he's a physical rebounder who gets a lot of points on putbacks, and he can score from the low block.

The only other guy who would be a better fit for that Cavs team (realistically), IMO, would be a guy like Stephen Jackson (who is both a great and awful teammate).

I knew Randolph was having probably his best season of his career, but I haven't caught one Grizzlies game all season. I just figured he was putting up numbers by being selfish. Guess he has wised up a bit.

Stephen Jackson is very versatile good player. He would be a good fit on any team IMO. He is a little bit of a thug though.

[Basileus777]

Randolph is also a poor defender, and he's a much less efficient scorer than Amare. You're talking about a full .100 difference in TS%. And he can't be a partner in the pick and roll with LeBron like Amare can. The Cavs don't have a need for the rebounding that Randolph would bring either. Z-Bo would be a better fit for a team like Boston that can't rebound and has no post scoring.

[RealSNR]

Much better outcome than Stoudemire for the Cavs.

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/02/17/w...s=iref:nbahpt2

Cavaliers get Jamison from Wizards in 3-team trade

Posted Feb 17 2010 7:53PM - Updated Feb 18 2010 12:49AM
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Cleveland Cavaliers acquired Antawn Jamison on Wednesday night, the forward they hope will fit in between LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal on a championship front line.



Jamison goes to Cleveland from the Washington Wizards in a three-team trade that sent Drew Gooden to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Washington received Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, a 2010 first-round draft pick and the rights to Emir Preldzic, who was selected in the second round of last year's draft from Cleveland.
The Wizards also received forward Al Thornton from Los Angeles.
Cleveland gets guard Sebastian Telfair from the Clippers.
"Antawn is a great pro. We are very excited to have an experienced all-star player of Antawn's caliber and character join us," Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry said in a statement announcing the trade. "He has the ability to add a special, unique dimension to our team with a strong inside presence and the ability to stretch teams defensively, while impacting the entire court. We think he matches the culture we have built, and continue to build, and will fit well with our group on the court and off."
The Cavaliers had long coveted an athletic power forward who could play on the perimeter after they were eliminated by the Orlando Magic in last year's Eastern Conference finals.
They had reportedly been involved in trade talks with Phoenix for Amare Stoudemire, but instead ended up with another former All-Star.
Jamison, who had been with the Wizards since 2004, is averaging 20.5 points this season. He was not in uniform for Washington's game with Minnesota on Wednesday.
"Antawn Jamison has been the embodiment of leadership on and off the court for this franchise for five-and-a-half seasons and we thank him for all he has done for the Wizards and the city of Washington," Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld said. "Unfortunately, our on-court results have not met our expectations and we felt it was necessary to make changes to improve our future and our financial flexibility. This trade accomplished both of those objectives."
Jamison left the arena shortly before the game. As he entered his car, he said to reporters: "Not now."
He did have a message for Wizards fans. "You know I love them more than they love me."
Jamison should immediately step in at power forward for Cleveland and supply James with another legitimate scoring option as the Cavaliers' seek their first championship. Jamison is still owed $28 million over the next two seasons.
Cleveland (43-11) already has the best record in the NBA and can set a new franchise mark by winning its 14th straight game Thursday night against Denver. Still, the Cavaliers couldn't pass on the opportunity to add a proven veteran like Jamison, who can stretch opposing defenses with his perimeter shooting and open up the lane for James and O'Neal.
Ilgauskas, who is 34, has played his entire 12-year NBA career with the Cavaliers. He was supplanted as the starter center by O'Neal this season. He's averaging 7.5 points and 5.3 rebounds this season. His career averages are 13.9 points and 7.7 rebounds.
"Z has been a cornerstone part of this franchise and his jersey will hang in the rafters here some day, not only because of his play, but because of the tremendous person he is and what he has meant to the franchise and the community," Ferry said. "He has represented the Cavaliers, Cleveland and the NBA at a consistently high level for many years. We wish Z and his family the best."
Ilgauskas' agent, Herb Rudoy, told the (Cleveland) Plain Dealer that he would work quickly to get a buyout from Washington. That would free up Ilgauskas to sign with another team -- including re-signing with the Cavaliers, although he'd have to wait 30 days to return to Cleveland.
"I've already heard from a few teams -- good teams -- that are really interested in wanting to talk about Z going to play for them," Rudoy told the paper.
James can become a free agent this summer, leaving this as Cleveland's final shot at a championship before he decides to stay or go. The Cavaliers also had the league's best record last season, when they failed to reach the NBA finals.
Maybe Jamison can help them take that next step.
He was extremely popular not only with fans in Washington, but also with his teammates and the late owner Abe Pollin. After Gilbert Arenas was suspended indefinitely early last month, Jamison was the one who was chosen to speak to the crowd before the Jan. 8 game. He apologized for a skit that pantomimed shooting guns, calling it: "very embarrassing."
Now Jamison is gone and Wizards coach Flip Saunders lauded him.
"He's one of the most professional guys I've ever been around," Saunders said.
The Wizards acquired Gooden on Saturday in a multiplayer trade that sent Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson to the Dallas Mavericks.
Gooden was reportedly seeking a buyout. Unlike his three former Mavericks teammates, he did not practice with the Wizards on Tuesday, but was at shootaround Wednesday morning. He was listed as inactive.
"Basically, we started looking at opportunities to clear cap space for this summer and in the meantime acquire assets that we also liked," Clippers general manager Mike Dunleavy said. "In the last two days, we were able to do that. And it gives us the flexibility to pretty much go in a lot of different directions."
Jamison was an All-Star in both 2005 and 2008, and averaged 20.5 points in 41 games. He missed the first nine games of this season with a sprained right shoulder.
The 33-year-old played his first five seasons with Golden State and after playing the 2003-04 season with Dallas, was traded to Washington. Jamison has a career average of 19.9 points.
The 6-foot-7 Thornton has averaged 13.7 in his three-year career with the Clippers.
Telfair, who's 24, will be playing for his fourth team. The former first-round pick has averaged 7.9 points in his career.

[Titty Meat]

Originally Posted by billay

Hickson is one of the most underrated players in the NBA. Amare is good but I don't see how this stretchs the court to open things up for Lebron. Jamison would be the ideal player for the Cavs.

This.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

I didn't think the Wizards would be willing to deal Jamison for basically nothing.

That's a phenomenal trade for Cleveland.

It allows them to go small with Varejao, Jamison, Lebron, West, and Williams, and if they want to go big they can do the following:

Ilgauskus/Shaq
Varejao
Jamison
Lebron
Williams/West

Plus, it gives you a crunch time lineup that allows you to take Varejao and Shaq off the court, who are either poor offensive players (Varejao) or defensive liabilities and poor FT shooters (Shaq).

Far better than dealing for Stoudemire, as you want to win right now, he's not a horrible defensive player, and his numbers weren't ridiculously elevated by Steve Nash.

Plus, he's not a soft bitch when it comes to rebounding.

[DaKCMan AP]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

I didn't think the Wizards would be willing to deal Jamison for basically nothing.

That's a phenomenal trade for Cleveland.

It allows them to go small with Varejao, Jamison, Lebron, West, and Williams, and if they want to go big they can do the following:

Ilgauskus/Shaq
Varejao
Jamison
Lebron
Williams/West

Plus, it gives you a crunch time lineup that allows you to take Varejao and Shaq off the court, who are either poor offensive players (Varejao) or defensive liabilities and poor FT shooters (Shaq).

Far better than dealing for Stoudemire, as you want to win right now, he's not a horrible defensive player, and his numbers weren't ridiculously elevated by Steve Nash.

Plus, he's not a soft bitch when it comes to rebounding.

You realize they traded Ilgauskus?

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by DaKCMan AP

You realize they traded Ilgauskus?

You realize he's gonna get bought out and end up back in Cleveland in 30 days?

[Miles]

Originally Posted by DaKCMan AP

You realize they traded Ilgauskus?

I think the general assumption but many is that his contract will be bought out and he returns to the Cavs.

If the Cavs win the championship this year it will mark the third consecutive year that the team that won it all were heavily aided by poor/poorly run teams trying to save money.

[DaKCMan AP]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

You realize he's gonna get bought out and end up back in Cleveland in 30 days?

From what I've heard, Dallas wants him real bad and has already been in contact.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by DaKCMan AP

From what I've heard, Dallas wants him real bad and has already been in contact.

Dallas can't offer him any more than Cleveland can, and Cleveland is a significantly better team.