can some1 post todays insider...it says somethin about a dyess and odom swap...thanks

Summer trading block in the West
by Chad Ford



Can having too much talent be a bad thing? In the West, an embarrassment of riches has led to two classes in the NBA -- the talent-laden Western Conference and the minor league East.

Consider the Clippers. They are stocked with so many young, promising players that it will be virtually impossible for any owner, let alone notorious cheapskate Donald Sterling, to re-sign them all.

The Cavs would love to have that problem.

The East needs David Stern to find the Karl Marx lurking inside him. Sooner or later the bourgeoisie West needs to share the wealth with the proletariat East before things really start getting nasty.

If Lamar Odom and Michael Olowokandi can commute from their homes in L.A. to their new places of employment next season, expect rioting in the East this summer.

Here's an early sneak peek at who could be on the trading block this summer in the West. Big names with big games, from Lamar Odom to Antonio McDyess, could be wearing new jerseys next season -- hopefully, for parity's sake, Eastern Conference jerseys.


Clippers -- What owner Donald Sterling decides to do this summer will have a ripple effect throughout the entire league. Center Michael Olowokandi is a restricted free agent. He's playing the best ball of his career. There aren't very many GM's who wouldn't love to have him, but the Bulls' Jerry Krause is one of the few who has the cap space to throw at the Kandi-man. Point guard Jeff McInnis is an unrestricted free agent and young studs Elton Brand, Corey Maggette and Lamar Odom are eligible for contract extensions. If Sterling balks at writing all of those big checks, the vultures will be out in full force. Expect the Clipps to retain Brand and at least attempt to give Olowokandi some cash. But with Darius Miles coming on strong, Odom and Maggette might the cream of the trading block this summer.

Nuggets -- The vultures are circling around Antonio McDyess. After the Nuggets quickly caved to Nick Van Exel and Raef LaFrentz before the trade deadline, teams are hoping for a repeat this summer. The Nuggets have a few months to convince McDyess that they have a plan in place to rebuild quickly. Good luck. They traded away their best young player, LaFrentz, for cap room, which means they're a good five or six players away from a championship. We have no doubt Kiki Vandeweghe can turn it around, but it's hard to imagine McDyess waiting around for the next five years to see it happen. If they think there's a good chance his eyes will wander next summer, he could be gone.

Warriors -- We have no idea what GM Garry St. Jean is thinking. The Warriors have a knack for killing a guy's trade value. They did it last fall with Marc Jackson and they've done it again this spring with Larry Hughes. The Warriors have given up on the Hughes-at-point-guard experiment. But instead of showcasing Hughes and then trying to work out a sign-and-trade this summer, they've benched him and leaked enough negative press to scare off just about everyone willing to talk sign-and-trade. Expect the team to also see what power forward Danny Fortson and center Erick Dampier would bring them on the market. Both have done a solid job, but word on the street is that Antawn Jamison wants all three starting positions next year.

Suns -- Here's a surprise, the backcourt of Starbury and Penny didn't pan out. Here's another one. The Suns are still looking for a big man to play in the middle. Can the Suns find a taker for Penny? They'll shop him hard this summer and hope for the best. The know they want to rebuild around Stephon Marbury, Shawn Marion and Joe Johnson. Having Penny shooting spit balls from the bench isn't their idea of team chemistry.

Grizzlies -- On the record, the Grizzlies couldn't be happier that they signed Jason Williams and Michael Dickerson to long-term extensions this fall. Off the record . . . right. Dickerson missed the entire season with a "sports hernia" while Williams has vacillated from scintillating to erratic. What else is new? With the Grizzlies likely drafting high, they've got some major decisions on which direction this team will go. For clarity's sake, let's hope it's not an all Jason Williams backcourt.

Sonics -- Gary Payton's decided to be the good solider and the Sonics were rewarded with an MVP-worthy season from the Glove and a surprise trip to the playoffs. But this summer Payton will begin pressing for that contract extension. If the team gives it to him, its cap flexibility is gone. If the Sonics don't, he'll be gone next summer. If GP pushes too hard this summer, don't be surprised to see the Sonics listening to offers again. Expect Rick Sund to call back all of the teams that were flirting with Vin Baker before the trade deadline to see if they're still taking Viagra.

Blazers -- They're playing well and what they really need is some continuity, but with Trader Bob Whitsitt running the show, you know that's not happening. The big decision this summer will be Bonzi Wells or Derek Anderson. Given Mo Cheeks' latest rotations, don't be surprised to see Anderson sitting on the IL for some other team next season.

T-Wovles -- There are some chemistry issues here that have to be addressed. How much longer can Kevin Garnett and Wally Szczerbiak co-exist? With Terrell Brandon a big question mark, could Wally, a cult favorite in Ohio, land them Andre Miller? Just asking.

Mavs -- The team says that Nick Van Exel fits into its long-term plans. Don't believe it Mark Cuban and Nellie love to tinker and Van Exel is their most movable part.

Jazz -- It looks like John Stockton will return for another season, but if he retires, will this be the year that the Jazz decide to move Karl Malone? We'll believe it when we see it.