sorry if some have been already posted, but I wanted to empty my mailbox :

Prospects of trading Carter look slim

By Chad Ford
ESPN Insider

After hinting all summer that he wanted out of Toronto, Vince Carter finally went public with his trade demand last week.


"It's time for the truth: I want to be traded, I'm ready to be traded," Carter said on Thursday. "First and foremost, this has nothing to do with the fans or the city, it's just time for me to look after me."


In that opening statement you can learn just about everything you need to know about Carter.


Carter believes that his career will be resurrected if he's traded from Toronto. That's unlikely and other GMs around the league know it. Sources around the league claim that the Raptors have explored trading Carter ever since new GM Rob Babcock took over -- but the team has received little interest from teams around the league.


Carter's assertion that Raptors management isn't trying hard enough to trade him is laughable.


"I want a fair shot at being on the market and being traded and I feel I haven't had that fair shot," Carter said. "This is about doing what's best for me. . . I want them to get someone of fair value. ... but I'm looking for a new start for Vince right now. I've never been this way, but it's time. I've looked around at so many rosters trying to find what would help this team and it's hard."


That's Vince's biggest problem. All other 29 GMs in the league know that Vince is all about what's best for Vince and are reluctant to give away a player on any value in return for him.
Carter hopes to be making his points in another uniform soon.


"There's no way the team gets fair value back in return [for Carter]," one source told Insider. "He's still a huge draw, but a lot of people question whether he's strong enough physically or mentally to lead a team to a title."


That includes the Raptors, who are caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place with Carter. They can trade him away and kiss goodbye any semblance of fan support the lowly Raptors now enjoy. Or they can keep him and continue to wallow in mediocrity.


Babcock has insisted all weekend that a trade is not in the works for Carter and that he has no intention of giving away his star. It's likely to stay that way.


Carter has zero leverage. His contract lasts another three seasons. Babcock knows that Carter's trade value is at rock bottom right now. When teams believe that a player is trying to force his way out of situation, they low ball you. Right now, the Raptors are seeing nothing but low ball offers.


There are, however, a number of interesting trade partners out there that could make a strong pitch for Carter if they were willing to include a star or two in the talks. Insider breaks down the trade options for the Raptors. While all of them are far from perfect, if the Raptors do decide to sever ties with Vince, these four teams have the best chance of putting together a deal that could make some sense for the Raptors.



NEW ORLEANS HORNETS


The one rumored deal out there that has some legs is a Baron Davis for Carter swap. Both players have demanded trades and the Hornets desperately need a player like Carter who can put fans in the seats. The problem, from the Raptors end, is that Davis doesn't want to play in Toronto. He's looking for a trade to a big market team, a playoff contender, preferably on the West Coast. The Raptors would be, in essence, trading one headache for another.


Considering Davis's history of injuries, conditioning issues and poor attitude toward coaches, it's very unlikely that the Raptors are willing to take that risk. If the Hornets were willing to include Jamaal Magloire in the deal, however, things would change dramatically. Magloire, a native Canadian, wants to play in Canada and would give the team the big in the middle that they desperately need.


Magliore is a base year player, making him difficult to trade this year. However, a Magliore, Jamal Mashburn and David Wesley for Carter, Donyell Marshall and Jerome Moiso trade does work under cap rules.


A Davis-Carter backcourt is a highlight reel waiting to happen and would likely end any trade demands that Davis had. However, without Magliore, the Hornets would be very thin at center -- a risky proposition in the West.



MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES


The Wolves could give up either Latrell Sprewell or a combination of Wally Szczerbiak and Michael Olowokandi for Carter.


Spree in Toronto would be a disaster and everyone knows it. The Wally deal is more interesting. At this point Szczerbiak would welcome a trade to Toronto. He never quite fit into the new mix of players in Minnesota last season and has a rocky history with Kevin Garnett. The chance to be first or second fiddle on the Raptors make him a good fit.


If the Wolves were willing to include Olowokandi as part of the deal . . . a starting line up with Rafer Alston, Szczerbiak, Donyell Marshall, Chris Bosh and Olowokandi with Jalen Rose, Morris Peterson, Alvin Williams and rookie Rafael Araujo coming off the bench is an upgrade, especially in the East.


The downside? Would the Timberwolves really be willing to weaken their front line like that? A Carter and KG combo would be formidable. With Spree in the last year of his contract, the Wolves need a younger replacement anyway. But that trade would leave just Ervin Johnson at center. Is that enough to get the Wolves all the way to the promised land in the West?



PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS


The Blazers are still shopping Shareef Abdur-Rahim and might be willing to make the swap. Blazers GM John Nash would love having a player like Carter in the fold. The team has been looking for a dominant two guard all summer and Carter would be an excellent fit.


Abdur Rahim isn't a great fit in Toronto, however. With Bosh already showing great promise at the position, the only reason the Raptors would make this move is for financial reasons. The move would save the Raptors a load of cash next summer if Abdur-Rahim left via free agency, but it still wouldn't be enough to get them far enough under the ap to make any real noise.


A three way trade with the Blazers, Wolves and Raptors that sent Abdur-Rahim to Minnesota (they almost sealed a deal for him several weeks ago), Carter to Portland and Szczerbiak and Olowokandi to Toronto might make some sense.



SEATTLE SUPERSONICS


A Ray Allen for Carter swap might make the most sense from a talent swap standpoint. The two players are close in age and have put up roughly the same numbers that past few seasons. Carter would give the Sonics a huge boost in the lagging attendance and Allen would give the team a desperately needed sharp shooter.


However, Toronto would have no guarantee that Allen, who becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer, will re-sign with them. He is looking for a max contract extension with the Sonics and given his age and injury history, that might be too much for the Raptors to bite off. If they offered him any less, there's a great chance he'd bolt the next summer. To date, the Raptors have had only two major free agents, Carter and Antonio Davis, re-sign with the club in free agency.


Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.

Gasol, Kirilenko, Parker seek early deals

By Chad Ford
ESPN Insider

Pau Gasol might have been the best player in the world this summer. Now he'd like to get paid like one.

As of late Monday evening, Gasol's new agent, Arn Tellem, was moving closer to brokering a hefty six-year extension with the Grizzlies, a source close to the negotiations told Insider. The deal will likely make Gasol the second-highest paid international player in the NBA, behind only Dirk Nowitzki.

While the parameters of the deal are still being negotiated, sources claim that the Grizzlies have offered a deal worth at least $75 million over six years. Tellem, whom Gasol hired specifically for the negotiations, is looking for more cash, but sources claim that the two sides aren't that far apart and expect something to happen by training camp.

Over the summer, Gasol emerged as one of the top players in the world, leading the Spanish national team to a 5-1 record. He averaged 22.4 ppg and 7.3 rpg on 61 percent shooting during the tournament and had a monster game against Team USA. Guarded by former MVP Tim Duncan, Gasol scored 29 points in a losing effort for Spain.
Gasol has won over the skeptics, including Jerry West.

His play in the Olympics wasn't a fluke. NBA scouts all noticed that Gasol, who turned 24 in July, continues to pack on the muscle and refine his inside game. Jerry West has taken notice as well. After originally being lukewarm to Gasol, he's come around and made re-signing him a top priority this summer.

"He's a 24 year old, seven-foot, all-star caliber player who improves his game every year," one NBA scout told Insider. "I think by the time he's 26 or 27, he's going to be a center -- and perhaps the best one in basketball. This is a slam dunk for the Grizzlies. Gasol has a great work ethic and is a team player too. He deserves the cash."

Other NBA agents are watching the negotiations closely. Teams have until October 29 to sign players drafted in the class of 2001 to long-term extensions. If they do not, the players become restricted free agents at the end of the season.

To date, only two players, the Grizzlies' Shane Battier and the Nets' Richard Jefferson, have inked extensions. Battier's deal was for six years, $37 million. Jefferson received a whopping six-year, $76 million. However, since those two signed, negotiations have been relatively quiet. More than one agent believes that the owners believe that the Nets paid too much for Jefferson and are trying to cool off the market.

"There's no question that the owners are trying to distance themselves from the Jefferson deal," one agent told Insider. "There are several players in this class that are much better players. If he gets $76 million, what do they get? When you factor in how much guys like Kenyon Martin and Carlos Boozer got paid, the starting point for many of these players is very high."

Just below Gasol on the pecking order of top players eligible for extensions are the Jazz's Andrei Kirilenko, the Spurs' Tony Parker and the Blazers' Zach Randolph. Given their production last season, their age, and their potential, you could argue that all three of the players are worthy of a deal more lucrative than what Jefferson got. That's what worries the owners.

"You have to try to explain to the agents that just because one team made a mistake doesn't mean we have to as well," one NBA GM told Insider. "The Nets were desperate. They were gutting the team. They felt like they had to show Jefferson that they were ready to build around him. I'm not sure any of these other players are in the same position. They may be better players, but sometimes it's about being in the right place at the right time."

There's some truth to that. While Kirilenko statistically is a top 10 player in the league, the Jazz are one of the NBA's most fiscally conservative teams. With that said, Kirilenko's agent, Marc Fleisher, claims that the two sides have been talking for "a while" and that negotiations with the Jazz were progressing in the right direction.

The Jazz are willing to give Kirilenko a six-year contract that's worth more than the six-year, $68 million they paid to Boozer. That's a good starting point according to Fleisher, who said he was optimistic the two sides could work something out.

Fleisher also represents another top player, Parker. Fleisher claims that talks with the Spurs just started: "I just got a letter from the team laying out the issues. We haven't talked numbers yet, but I expect to shortly."

The Spurs, another historically conservative team when it comes to handing out contracts, may have no choice but to open the vaults to Parker. The 22-year-old native of France had a coming out party in the Olympics last year and looks to be the only elite point guard on the free agent market next summer. Given the numbers veterans like Steve Nash and Derek Fisher got from teams hungry for a point guard, both the Spurs and Parker know he could be playing for a max contract this year if talks of an extension don't work out.

Randolph is the other player who put up enough good numbers this year to look at a huge extension. However, his recent legal troubles has put a chill on negotiations, according to sources. While the Blazers believe that Randolph possesses the talent worthy of a major contract extension, they aren't sure he has the maturity to handle it.

"Zach is an unbelievable player, but he has to grow up," one Blazers source told Insider. "We want to build around him, but he's got to prove he's ready to take on the responsibility. With all the problems we have had historically, we've got to be careful about who we give our money to."

After those four players, there are a number of other players who have a good shot at getting something done. The Sixers and Samuel Dalembert's agent, Marc Cornstein, met last week in an effort to hammer out an extension.
Dalembert, right, has tremendous promise that might earn a major paycheck.

Dalembert may be the toughest guy in the entire class to gauge. With his size (6-11), age (23) and the numbers he put up toward the end of last season (12.3 ppg, 12.4 rpg, 4.4 bpg), you could make the argument that he has the potential to be the best center in this class. However, the Sixers also worry that given his history of injuries and small resume, it's too risky to break the bank on him yet.

Dalembert isn't alone in this predicament. Eddy Curry, Kwame Brown, Joe Johnson, Vladimir Radmanovic, Jason Richardson and Tyson Chandler also all fall in the category of young, talented, but relatively unproven up to this point.

Will their agents work out a sort of compromise that exchanges some cash for a sense of security? One more marginal season from a guy like Brown or Curry and they might really have a tough time getting a big deal next summer (see Stromile Swift this year).

Or do you say no to an extension and roll the dice that the player has a breakout year this season? If a guy like Brown or Curry were to blow up, they'd be looking at near max dollars next summer.

When you factor in that the CBA is up for renegotiation -- and most believe that terms will come back less favorable for players in the end -- most agents are erring on the conservative side at the moment.

"There's a trade off that ends up happening," Cornstein told Insider. "You want a high number, but you also want to protect a player for his future. Many of these guys are so young, you can afford to take a little less now, knowing that they're still young enough to earn another huge contract down the road if they perform the way we believe they can."


Around the League

Remember our story on Monday about how many GMs in the league have really cooled to the idea of trading for Vince Carter. We give you Magic GM John Weisbrod as Exhibit A.
"There just aren't many scenarios you could draw up where we'd be a better team in acquiring him," Weisbrod told the Orlando Sentinel, "not when you factor in whom we would have to trade. I can say in no uncertain terms, we would not trade Steve Francis for Vince Carter."

"The more I'm around him, the more I'm a Steve Francis guy," Weisbrod said. "Don't get me wrong, Vince is an unbelievable athlete, but I'd rather have Steve Francis. Steve is a warrior."


Swift remains the only top free agent left without a contract. It's pretty clear at this point that another team isn't going to make an offer. The Grizzlies have offered Swift several multi-year deals, but he hasn't signed off on any of them.
Where does that leave him? The Grizzlies want to re-sign him, but they don't want to overpay. Look for Swift to either settle for the Grizzlies' offer or take their one-year tender offer. It's worth $5.9 million and Swift gets the bonus of being an unrestricted free agent next summer.


Teams are still making their pitches to free agent Karl Malone but have yet to hear back from the Mailman. What's the delay? Apparently, Malone still hasn't healed from his offseason knee surgery and still isn't 100 percent sure he'll play at all.
"He is working out and all signs are pointing to a 100% recovery, but that is still many months away," said Malone's agent, Dwight Manley. "There is no timetable."

The Lakers, Heat, Spurs and Timberwolves are all in the hunt.


The Cavaliers have been trying to sign free agent Keon Clark, but they can't seem to find him. If that isn't enough to change GM Jim Paxson's mind, I don't know what is.
Chad Ford covers the NBA for ESPN Insider.

Glove would fit well in Boston
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Tuesday, September 14
Updated: September 14
9:22 AM ET


After 12-plus years in the same uniform, Gary Payton talked his way out of Seattle. Then he talked his way out of Milwaukee. Most recently, he talked his way out of Los Angeles. Now, with his Hall of Fame career in the balance, he is attempting to do the same thing in Boston, but he seems to be missing one major point.

Gary Payton needs the Celtics a lot more than they need him.

Gary Payton
Point Guard
Boston Celtics
Profile


2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
82 14.6 4.2 5.5 .471 .714


While with the Sonics, Payton made eight all-star teams, won two gold medals and was named the 1996 Defensive Player of the Year. In a city that once hosted Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez and Steve Largent, he became its most celebrated athlete. Owners changed, coaches changed and -- even after making it to the NBA Finals -- one superstar was exchanged, as Shawn Kemp departed and Vin Baker arrived. But Payton remained. He was the Sonics.

Then economics became a factor. Payton was nearing the end of his contract and was demanding a new, lucrative deal that would extend his stay in Seattle. He was 34 years old. Management wasn't interested in a long-term commitment and traded the point guard, who was averaging more than 20 points per game and 8.8 assists midway through the 2003 season.

While in Milwaukee, he posted nearly the same numbers, despite being in a new city with new teammates and running a new system. His 19.6 points and 7.4 assists per game more than validated his elite status in the league. But after 28 games and an early exit in the playoffs, he was a free agent. Of even more impact, he was as prideful as ever.

Payton would have it his way, playing where he wanted and when he wanted. Milwaukee wanted nothing of it, despite the fact the Oakland native had made a career of doing just that. He was, perhaps, the most prolific trash talker left in the league. He barked at coaches, teammates and referees. He openly challenged owners. But he backed it up on the court and missed only seven games in 13-plus seasons.

With Milwaukee reluctant to offer him a contract loaded with commas, he chose to play for almost nothing in Los Angeles, ignoring the fact that there were few, if any, other offers.

He seemed to think it was a privilege for the Lakers to have his services for such a low price, rather than viewing it as an opportunity for an aging point guard to join two of the best players in the NBA in an attempt to win his first NBA title. During one particularly tough stretch, with losses, injuries and bickering piling up, he barked out to the media that this was not what he had signed up for.


Payton's L.A. experience ended with humbling playoff matchups against younger, quicker guards.
It culminated in an embarrassing five-game Finals flame-out against Detroit, in which Payton posted a humbling 4.2 points per game on 32 percent shooting. He went 2 of 10 from long range during the series and 14 of 56 during the playoffs. He started games but no longer finished them. Opposing point guards went around him with ease. His bark no longer had any bite.

Soon enough, that minimum salary he disdained became his only salvation. Instead of opting out of his deal with the Lakers and trying his hand on the open market, where he had to know his stock had plummeted, he decided to remain with the team. But like Seattle and Milwaukee, Los Angeles had had enough of Payton and ignominiously traded him to Boston.

Payton refused to go, refused to take a physical and still has refused to report to the Celtics. He told the media he would, again, do it his way, on his terms. After all, he was Gary Payton.

The only problem, though, was that he no longer averages 20 points per game. He wasn't averaging 9 or 8 or even 7 assists per game. By the end of the NBA Finals, he was averaging 4.4 assists per contest, and Chauncey Billups, his Pistons' counterpart at point guard, was named MVP.

But here's where it gets really interesting.

The Celtics won only 36 games last year. They made the playoffs but got bounced by an average margin of 17 points per game. Their leader, Paul Pierce, never shot worse in his professional career. Their second-leading scorer was a cantankerous part-timer with a history of trouble. Their third-leading scorer was a journeyman now playing for his fourth team in five years. Their fourth-leading scorer averaged 5 points per game the season before. Their coach quit, their general manager was routinely booed for trading away fan-favorite, blue-collar players. And it appeared to most that the team was trying to tank the 2004 season in order to get a better draft pick.

This team didn't trade for an eight-time all star with two gold medals and a nifty defensive trophy. They traded for a guy with one year left on his contract.

The Celtics are not going to win the NBA title this season. They probably care less about making the playoffs if it means another chance at a lottery pick. Given the opportunity, they'd likely just as soon dump salary and become a major player in the free-agent market next year.

This season is already finished two months before it begins.

But what Payton is missing is that for the next 82 games, he could own this team. He could start every game, finish every game and, in between, absolutely dominate the ball, pounding it into the post all by himself, barking out orders and wearing that scowl. Nothing could make him happier. He could have it his way.

Kobe wouldn't be holding the ball. Shaq wouldn't be clogging up bottom of the key. Phil Jackson wouldn't be forcing him to run some esoteric offense that dulled his skills and will to win.

Last year, Payton began as the fourth option with the Lakers and finished as the sixth, fractions of a point ahead of Stanislav Medvedenko. This year, Payton would be the second option, with No. 1 gladly handing him the ball for more help and no No. 3 in sight.

He's got Jiri Welsh instead of Bryant. He's got Mark Blount instead of O'Neal. He's got a rookie named Al Jefferson rather than Karl Malone. He'll be playing against the Sixers, Raptors and Knicks for a playoff spot, not the Spurs, Timberwolves and Kings.

Let's not make any mistakes about this. This could be an 82-game redemption cycle for Payton. This isn't a career move. It's a career saver. Next year, he won't be with the Celtics, and the Celtics won't be with him.

But, exactly how many teams out there could he really start for, with his current credentials?

How many teams could he actually lead to the playoffs?

How many teams would give him the 1,000 shots that are going to be available with the Celtics?

In fact, this could very well be Gary Payton's last shot, if he would only report to Boston and take it. One good year could give him one last chance next season to sign as a free agent with the team of his choosing and one more run at that elusive championship. He could turn last year into an aberration, rather than the culmination of his career.

He has always been a fighter. This time, he simply needs to pick his fight.

Sonics epitomize long shots
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Monday, September 13
Updated: September 13
12:49 PM ET


Ray Allen wants to be paid $100 million over the next seven years, not only because he is one of the best players on the Seattle SuperSonics but also because he is one of the best shooters in the NBA.

The problem, though, is that the Sonics are already paying Rashard Lewis, Vladimir Radmanovic and Flip Murray (as well as Brent Barry last year) to be Ray Allen.

During the 2004 season, the Sonics shot a whopping 1,936 3-pointers. The audaciously offensive Mavericks, by comparison, shot 1,456. The notoriously unbalanced Celtics shot 1,599. There wasn't a team in the NBA that was 300 triples close to these Sonics -- and that was with Allen injured for a substantial portion of the season.

Allen played in only 56 games last year and still put up 378 3-pointers. The only player to beat him in that category was Lewis, who had 386 attempts in 80 games. Right behind Allen was Radmanovic, who had 377 3-point attempts in 77 games. Add in Barry's 252 as the playmaker on the team and Murray's 229 off the bench, and you have the most prolific long-range team in the NBA.

But by all indications, Lewis wants to shoot more. In his first full season in the Sonic rotation in 2000, Lewis took 120 3-pointers. The next year, he became a starter and took 285 triples. Year after that, his long-range attempts were up to 316. Last year, he took 386.

Forget the fact that in Lewis' best season in the NBA, which just so happened to be in 2003, he took only 217 3-pointers and averaged a career-high 18.1 points per game. This kid has fallen in love with the long shot.

But he isn't the only one on this team. In Radmanovic's first season in the NBA, he shot 157 3-pointers while grabbing only 185 defensive rebounds as a 6-foot-10 power forward. The following year, he took 293 3-pointers compared to only 247 defensive rebounds. Last year, his third in the NBA, he took 377 3-pointers compared to 302 defensive rebounds.

The long shot became more than an offensive strategy for this team. It became a culture. Three out of every 10 shots were from beyond the arc as 2,169 of Seattle's total of 7,964 points scored were triples.

The Soncis' leading scorer was a small forward. Their second-leading scorer was a shooting guard. Their third-leading scorer was the back-up guard. Their fourth-leading scorer was Radmanovic -- a post player only by introduction -- and their fifth-leading scorer was the point guard.

The Sonics didn't have a power player who averaged more than 7.1 points per game. They also didn't have a single player who averaged more than 6.5 rebounds per game. They had only two players who averaged more than 0.6 blocks per game, and no one posted more than 1.4.

But here's the rub. They won only 37 games and missed the playoffs by six to a team that spent $14.6 million less on payroll.

Ray Allen
Shooting guard
Seattle SuperSonics
Profile


2003-2004 SEASON STATISTICS
GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
56 23.0 5.1 4.8 .440 .904



Allen becomes a free agent after next year and, according to reports, is asking for a six-year deal worth about $100 million. The Sonics are offering six years at about $70 million, which is curiously close to Lewis' deal that will pay him $65 million over his term; Radmanovic and Murray are also up for free agency next year, and Barry's already gone to San Antonio.

Let's say the Sonics are able to satisfy Allen at some compromised cost and retain Radmanovic despite his agent's obscene demands, then what are we to expect of them?

Two-thousand 3-point attempts?

Forty wins?

Allen is perhaps one of the best 10 or 15 players in the game today. He has shown that he can be more than just a shooter by upping his assist, rebound and steal numbers since coming to Seattle from Milwaukee.

But Allen and Lewis?

Allen, Lewis and Radmanovic?

Allen, Lewis, Radmanovic and Murray?

Put them all in a barrel, shake them up, use a blindfold and pull one out. Can you really tell the difference? Why not trade for Peja Stojakovic, Allan Houston and get Steve Kerr out of retirement. Because if the Sonics aren't careful over the next 82 games, they could turn their immediate future into one long 3-point shooting contest with little hope of coming out a winner.

Heat, Kings and Grizzlies still have work to do

By Chad Ford
ESPN Insider

The free-agent frenzy is over, and a number of high-profile teams have a lot to show for it. With NBA spending at an all-time high and trades going down at a frantic pace, there is a growing parity in the league that gives hope to franchises that have had little to cheer about the past few years.

From Boston to Utah to Orlando and even Cleveland, GMs can stand up credibly after a busy summer and tell fans hope is on the way.

With all the focus the past two months on what teams have done in an effort to improve, it's just as instructive to look at what some teams have left to do.

Training camps start in less than a month, and a handful of potential contenders -- including the Heat, Grizzlies, Kings and Rockets -- are heading into the season with major holes left unfilled.

Today, Insider takes a look 10 teams that still need to make another move or two before training camp begins. Do the Heat have enough depth to make Shaq happy? Can the Kings add enough depth to make a difference in the West? Will the Grizzlies finally get their hands on a big man? Here's our take.


Miami Heat
Holes: Power forward, small forward
Skinny: Shaquille O'Neal is big. But can the Big Aristotle play three positions? He might have to this year to compensate for the Heat's shocking lack of depth. Miami had to give up three starters for one in the Shaq trade. While Shaq is an enormous upgrade over Brian Grant at center, the team has yet to adequately fill holes at the four and three left by the departures of Lamar Odom and Caron Butler.
The team signed sharp-shooting Wesley Person (5.8 ppg, 2 rpg in '03-04) to play the three and goes into opening day with second-year forward Udonis Haslem (7.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg) as the starting power forward. Their bench players at that position, third-year forward Rasual Butler (6.8 ppg, 1.4 rpg), veteran big man Malik Allen (4.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg) and second-round pick Matt Freije don't exactly inspire confidence on a team that has championship aspirations.

Miami's starting backcourt looks good, but there's little depth there, either. Dwyane Wade is a phenomenal talent, but is he really a point guard? He had better be. Damon Jones is coming off the best season of his career, but he's more of a gunner than a point. Keyon Dooling? He couldn't crack the Clippers' rotation. Eddie Jones has been great for the Heat the past four seasons, but he turns 33 in October and shot a career low 41 percent from the field last season. His backup, rookie Dorell Wright looks like he has a ton of potential. But when you consider he just graduated from prep school a few months ago, how much help is he really going to be?

Also see: Insider Depth Charts


Memphis Grizzlies
Holes: Center
Skinny: Brian Cardinal might be the hardest-working guy in the NBA, but he isn't going to be the player who puts the Grizzlies over the top next season. Jerry West has been looking for a legit big man for the past two seasons but still keeps coming up empty. Stromile Swift and Lorenzen Wright were good for the Grizz last season, but West still wants an upgrade. The Grizzlies were the front-runners to land Erick Dampier in a sign-and-trade earlier in the summer, but the Warriors weren't interested in what the Grizzlies were offering.
Last month the Grizzlies turned their attention to landing a younger, but riskier big man -- Eddy Curry. The Grizzlies have a ton of assets to throw at the Bulls, and a trade that would send Bonzi Wells and a re-signed Swift to Chicago for Curry, Eddie Robinson and Chris Jefferies works under the cap. Bulls GM John Paxson has grown weary of Curry's inconsistency and lack of conditioning. He showed up at the Bulls' training facility 35 pounds overweight six weeks ago -- after vowing to get in the best shape of his career as the season ended. Since then, Curry has been working out consistently and has gotten his weight down below 290 -- svelte for Curry.

However, talks have cooled over the past few weeks since Curry began working hard. If the Grizzlies don't land Curry -- who's left? The Grizzlies have a ton of assets to work with. The team has an astounding 10 players on its roster who play guard. No one needs four point guards and six players who can play shooting guard, not even Hubie Brown. The team also has Swift, who's hoping a team works out a sign-and-trade for him.


Sacramento Kings
Holes: Depth at shooting guard, small forward and power forward
Skinny: Remember a happier time when the Kings sported one of the deepest benches in the league? Those days are now gone. The Maloof brothers had to spend so much money signing free agents like Chris Webber, Mike Bibby, Brad Miller and Doug Christie that they can no longer afford to pay the role players that once made the Kings so successful. While Sacramento continues to have one of the most impressive starting fives in the league, its bench is going to be a big issue this year.
With the exception of Bobby Jackson, who is great backing up Bibby, and big man Greg Ostertag, who the Kings added to help Miller, the Kings are shockingly shallow this year. The team is looking for rookies and one second-year player to help out the rest of the team's starters. That's pretty scary considering the team's injury history. The best of the group is second-year forward Darius Songaila, who was solid in limited minutes backing up Webber and Miller last season. Given that Webber misses, on average, around 20 games per season, will Songaila be enough?

The rest of the group consists of first-round pick Kevin Martin (who lit up the summer league), second-round pick Ricky Minard and international free agent David Bluthenthal. Will he be able to bail them out if Peja Stojakovic goes down with an injury?

While we're at it, let's not forget that Stojakovic is publicly demanding to be traded, and Webber privately supports the idea. GM Geoff Petrie claims the team won't trade Peja, despite strong interest around the league. The Pacers have talked with the Kings about a Ron Artest for Stojakovic swap. Another one that could make some sense? Stojakovic and Christie to the Suns for Shawn Marion and Joe Johnson.


New Jersey Nets
Holes: Power forward
Skinny: The Nets have yet to recover from losing Kenyon Martin to the Nuggets this summer. They attempted, to no avail, to get Shareef Abdur-Rahim from the Blazers. After that, there was little left on the market that made much sense for them. Now they're stuck with perennial backup Aaron Williams (6.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg), third-year forward Brian Scalabrine (3.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg) and undrafted rookie Kyle Davis. That's a far cry from the All-Star caliber numbers K-Mart put up last season.
The Nets will get some relief if Alonzo Mourning is healthy enough to play 20 minutes a game. That will allow them to move Jason Collins and, at times, rookie Nenad Kristic to the four when they need help. But if the Nets are going to contend this year, they really need someone capable of grabbing eight or nine boards a game.


Houston Rockets
Holes: Center, small forward, point guard
Skinny: The Rockets pulled off the second-biggest trade of the summer when they swapped three starters -- Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato for Tracy McGrady and Juwan Howard. A combo of T-Mac and Yao Ming should easily get the Rockets into the postseason next year. But you don't make a blockbuster trade like this unless you're gunning for a championship, and the Rockets still have some glaring weaknesses.

Can the much-traveled Mutombo provide the kind of Yao insurance the Rockets need?
Over the past few weeks the Rockets have made some solid moves. The team signed veteran guards Bob Sura and Charlie Ward to help out at the point. The trade for Dikembe Mutombo (to the Rockets for Eric Piatkowski, Adrian Griffin and Mike Wilks) should go through today. But is that enough?

Mutombo, when he's capable of actually playing, is the perfect back-up for Yao. But he hasn't been healthy in two years. There's a reason the 7-foot-2 former defensive player of the year has bounced around Philly, New Jersey, New York and Chicago in the space of two years. Teams aren't convinced Mutombo (who's generously listed at 38) has much left in the tank. Teams keep trading for him, hoping he still has some juice, but lately he has disappointed everyone. This is relevant to the Rockets, because they have no one else to back up Yao. Yao goes through a grueling offseason every year for the Chinese national team and has been incapable, in the past, of giving the team more than 30 mpg.

With Piatkowski out of the mix, Sura likely will be slotted as T-Mac's back-up at the two. That leaves Ward, Tyronn Lue and second-year guard Reece Gaines to battle it out at the point. The team is also thin at small forward, where veteran Jim Jackson will have to hold down the fort virtually by himself. Third-year forward Bostjan Nachbar and veteran Clarence Weatherspoon can both play the position, but neither has been effective lately.


Denver Nuggets
Holes: Depth at shooting guard, small forward
Skinny: The Nuggets, by all accounts, had a fantastic summer. They re-signed starting center Marcus Camby to a pretty reasonable deal, then went out and landed a potential all-star at power forward in Kenyon Martin. On paper, at least, the Nuggets look like they could be serious contenders in the West this season.
What they're still missing is any sort of depth at shooting guard and small forward. Carmelo Anthony and Voshon Lenard will reprise their starting roles there this season, but the Nuggets literally have no one behind them. They've talked to their own free agents like Jon Barry, Ryan Bowen and Rodney White, as well as a couple of the few free agents left on the market, such as Michael Curry. There isn't much out there, so the Nuggets may have to get creative with a trade or two to fill the holes. Nikoloz Tskitishvili is the bait. Will anyone bite?


Atlanta Hawks
Holes: Point guard, center
Skinny: The Hawks have made some progress this summer. They hired an up-and-coming head coach in Mike Woodson, made great trades for Al Harrington and Antoine Walker, and still kept their cap flexibility for next summer.
Still, this team has to play basketball, and cap space and a team full of shooting guards and small forwards -- they've drafted six in the past two years: Boris Diaw, Travis Hansen, Josh Childress, Josh Smith, Donta Smith and Royal Ivey -- aren't going to win them many games.

Tony Delk is the only guy on their roster resembling a point guard, and big guy Peja Drobjnak is the only guy who can play center. Both are career backups playing the two most important positions on the floor. There aren't any free agents left that make much sense.

The Hawks could try to use the remaining $7 million in cap space and make an offer for restricted free agent Stromile Swift, who spent most of his time last year playing center for the Grizzlies and played well. While his ideal position is power forward, in the East, he should be able to get along just fine as a center for one season. Once Walker comes off the books next year, Swift could move back to his natural position, and the Hawks could pursue a big in free agency with $15 million-plus in cap room.

The team has targeted free-agent point guard Kenny Anderson to help at the point. But how much does he really have left? He turns 34 in October and averaged just 20 mpg last season.


Toronto Raptors
Holes: Center
Skinny: New GM Rob Babcock knew the team had to upgrade the center postion this summer to have any real chance of competiting. They reached in the draft for BYU big man Rafael Araujo, then spent some of their free-agent money on journeyman Loren Woods. While, technically, this is an upgrade over what the team had last year -- nothing -- is it enough? Last season the team was forced to play rookie Chris Bosh at center. While he started strong, he wore down quickly and finished the season with a whimper. The Raptors want to move him full time to power forward this year, which means they probably need a lot more help at center. The team does have some assets to move. Donyell Marshall is in the last year of his contract and will be the odd man out if Bosh starts at the four. The team also can afford to move point guard Alvin Williams now that Rafer Alston is in the fold.

Seattle SuperSonics
Holes: Center, depth, talent
Skinny:The Sonics are in perpetual rebuilding mode. They made no significant improvements to a team that won just 37 games last year and lost their starting point guard, Brent Barry, to the Spurs. Danny Fortson should give the Sonics some needed toughness in the post, but there's a reason he couldn't get off the bench in Golden State and Dallas the past two seasons.
Stromile Swift would make some sense in Seattle, but the team knows the mid-level exception won't be enough to land him. There is significant trade interest in a number of Sonics, from Ray Allen to Rashard Lewis to Vladimir Radmanovic. However, the only guy they've been close to moving is backup point guard Antonio Daniels. Something has to give or the team faces the real possibility it will challenge the Clippers and Warriors for the worst record in the West.


Charlotte Bobcats
Holes: Point guard, shooting guard, small forward
Skinny: If the Bobcats go into opening night with the roster they currently have, the honeymoon's going to be over quickly in Charlotte. The Bobcats have a plan, and it's a good one. The team isn't overspending and has, instead, decided to focus on developing a number of young players, hoping to strike gold with one or two. However, their opening night roster is pretty miserable.
Emeka Okafor is the only legitimate NBA starter on the team, and he hasn't played a game. Jason Hart, Gerald Wallace, Jason Kapono, Melvin Ely, Brandon Hunter, Theron Smith, Tamar Slay, Primoz Brezec and Jamal Sampson are all intriguing prospects. But on most NBA teams, none of them would be getting more than 10 to 15 minutes a night. This is the Bobcats' core.

I'm not saying the Bobcats should do anything differently at this point. I think it makes some sense to make a run at Stromile Swift, though the Bobcats haven't shown any real interest so far. But after that, the team is probably better off hoping one or two of these guys pans out. Still, it's going to be ugly, Bobcats fans. As far as holes go, the Bobcats are the Grand Canyon of the NBA.


'Atomic Fly' Looking for Work
With so many teams needing to fill holes and so few quality free agents left on the open market ... what is an NBA GM to do? Several GMs, impressed with the play of some veteran international players in the Olympics, have been quietly probing around Europe hoping the missing piece to their puzzle might reside overseas.

So far, teams are coming away empty handed. Many of the players they now want -- like Lithuania's Sarunas Jasikevicius and Arvydas Macijauskas, Argentina's Fabrico Oberto and Greece's Lazaros Papadopoulous -- were available earlier in the summer but since have signed contracts or had their NBA escape clauses expire. Jasikevicius agreed on a three-year contract with Spanish club F.C. Barcelona that will commence after his contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv expires at the end of the coming season. While the contract does have an NBA escape clause, Barcelona is on the verge of making Jasikevicius one of the highest-paid players in Europe. NBA teams will no longer be able to get him cheap.

A couple of top international players are available however ... and some of them are willing to work cheap.


Gianmarco Pozzecco had no problem getting by Stephon Marbury in the Olympics
At the top of the list is veteran Italian point guard Gianmarco Pozzecco. Known as the "Atomic Fly" in Europe, Pozzecco is one of the quickest, most exciting players over there. He's also one of the wildest, which is why he has never gotten a serious look from NBA scouts. However, over the past two seasons, he's settled down considerably and was the biggest reason an underdog Italian team won the silver medal in Athens.

Pozzecco's age -- he turns 32 in a week -- and his size -- he's listed at 5-foot-11 -- are both major obstacles to overcome. But he called me over the weekend and claims he's willing to come off the bench and play for the NBA minimum just to get a shot at the NBA.

"I have this dream of being an NBA player," Pozzecco told Insider. "I think that the NBA teams they see that I can play against anybody. They cannot defense me. I make my teammates better. If Tim Duncan is on my team, I get 20 assists per game. I just want the possibility to show everybody what I can do. I'm sure I could give help."

Pozzecco, along with his attorney, Cristiano Carugati, has been contacted by several interested teams. Pozzecco is a free agent and has held out from signing a contract in hopes an NBA team will come calling. They're telling everyone the same thing -- Pozzecco is willing to take a big pay cut to play in the NBA. With so many teams in need of a veteran point guard, could Pozzecco be the answer?

He has the quickness and floor vision NBA teams like. He also has a flair to his game that has made him a fan favorite in Europe over the past five seasons. He's not the greatest shooter, and size and defense will be big issues ... but as a back-up?

One NBA GM, who is considering making a run at Pozzecco and did not want to be identified, claims he should be in the league. "Our coaches always complain that we don't have enough guys who understand the game and how to run a team. This guys does. I've watched him mature over the past few seasons. He used to be out of control. But he's really come into his own lately. He could play 15 to 20 minutes a night on a good team. I think someone will sign him."

ESPN Insider is a waste of money, you pay for stuff that is 99% BS or pretty obvious insights that any good Sports fan is already aware of.
i.e. Prospects of trading Carter look slim! NO kidding Chad!

ESPN is BS!

Posted by nykfan4life:

ESPN Insider is a waste of money, you pay for stuff that is 99% BS or pretty obvious insights that any good Sports fan is already aware of.
i.e. Prospects of trading Carter look slim! NO kidding Chad!

ESPN is BS!

Happily for me, I'm jsut a part of a long long chain of guys that forward it to others... i like that : =)

Posted by knicksbabyyeah:

All in all, insider is pretty much negligible, but as a hoops junkie you pretty much want to have your fix in case you'd miss something, which you won't

you said it ! I just need something to read about hoops. Insider comes almost everyday which helps him endure the offseason... sad life.