Any of the big names being tossed around - hughes/lewis available to us?

here it is...


Trade rumors: Vin Baker, Larry Hughes, Rashard Lewis
by Chad Ford


It's obviously a buyers market in the NBA. Want to trade your troubled star? Right now, GM's will give you small for big. Long-term contracts for short ones. Head cases for your head cases. Want to move Latrell Sprewell? The Knicks can take their pick of Shawn Kemp or Shawn Bradley. In other words, serious trade talk has yet to get serious.

And while that can easily change with one big trade to break the ice, so far everyone has their poker face on. Who are the latest names to surface on the trading block?

You know there's a dearth of NBA big men when Vin Baker's name begins bubbling up. Unlike Gary Payton, who now seems like almost a lock to remain in Seattle, Wally Walker and Co. wouldn't hesitate to get big Big Vin off their books if, and it's a big if, they can get a young player or cap room in return.

The Knicks and Pacers, both in desperate need of a low-post presence, have been linked to the weight-challenged big man. Apparently, they think Baker could regain his All-Star form if he got back to the more height-challenged Eastern Conference.

The problem with shipping of Baker is that the Sonics need low post help as well -- even with Baker's improved play. They're last in the league in defensive rebounds per game. Coach Nate McMillan said the team may pursue a rebounder before the trade deadline.

"This is the group I have," McMillan told the Tacoma News Tribune. "We know that rebounding has been a problem for us. Am I comfortable with it? We want rebounding. If we can't find rebounding with the group we have, then we have to go out and find somebody that will bring that to us. We are one of the worst rebounding teams in the league, and until we get that solved, it will be a concern of mine."

Another name bubbling up on the trade rumor mill is the Sixers' Eric Snow. Coach Larry Brown, who loves to tinker almost as much as he loves rookie Speedy Claxton, sees Snow as his best chance to add another piece to the Sixers' puzzle.

Former trade-deadline Sixer trade partners the Hawks and Pistons are both in desperate need of a point guard. By NBA standards, Snow is a bargain, making just $3.75 million.

Speaking of point-guard woes, despite the progress of Larry Hughes, the Warriors still feel their a point guard away from respectability. The Warriors don't want to tinker too much with their core of Antawn Jamison, Jason Richardson, Troy Murphy, Danny Fortson, Erick Dampier and Adonal Foyle, but Hughes may be the odd man out.

He is a restricted free agent this summer and league sources say Hughes has an extremely inflated view of what he's worth. After maxing out Jamison this summer, the Warriors aren't likely to do it again with Hughes, especially with Richardson developing. While the experiment of using Hughes at the point has not been a bust, the Warriors are crossing their fingers that this year's futility will translate into a No. 1 draft pick and the chance to add Duke's Jason Williams to this promising squad.

While the Warriors may decide to hedge their bets and deal Hughes now, the same can't be said of the Sonics. A source inside the Sonics said they're holding onto Rashard Lewis despite his comments that he wants the max and wouldn't mind returning home to Houston. According to the source, the Sonics are confident that their offer (which probably will be impressive, but not the max) will be the best Lewis gets next summer.

Spree and Camby for Lewis and Baker would make us awful. It said on realgm.com that "Marc Berman of the New York Post reports that while all the talk has centered on the Knicks trying to pry third-string big man Marc Jackson from the Warriors, GM Scott Layden actually has worked harder on obtaining Golden State's 6-11 starting center Erick Dampier, according to sources.

In fact, Layden is trying to get a third team involved in a Dampier deal since the Knicks and Warriors have no match. League sources say the frontcourt-glutted Warriors, for contract purposes, are willing to deal Dampier. The 27-year-old's trading value has never been higher and he's in the third year of a seven-year, $49 million pact. Golden State would want back in package at least one player whose contract expires after the season. "

So I guess the Knicks have finally realized they aren't going to get a player who is going to turn us around so they're going after Dampier. The only thing that scares me is that he is in the 3rd of a seven year, $49 mil. contract, which isn't good for the Knicks salary cap woes. I really don't want to see them do that, but at Realgm.com there is a Golden State/Denver trade with Fortson, Jackson, and Sura going to Denver and Posey, Van Exel and Calbert Cheaney going to Golden State. Now, what I'm saying is there has to be a way to get Camby and Marc Jackson involved and have the Knicks get Fortson or Jackson and Van Exel. Trade Checker is down but here is the basis of the trade:
Knicks Get: Van Exel and Fortson/Jackson (preferably Fortson due to his rebounding.)
Nuggets Get: Fortson/Jackson, Sura, Marc Jackson of the Knicks
Warriors Get: Camby, Cheaney, and Posey

I think thats fair for all three teams, what does everyone think?

Van Exel means less shots for Spree and Houston, which is not good. Also, I don't like the idea of Thomas at center.