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NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.

The rich may get richer and the Cavs are the rich. Amare Stoudemire may end up in Cleveland and would finally give LeBron James that teammate that could take the scoring load off of him. Amare could take over on nights when LeBron has an off night. Has LeBron ever had an off night? Well, anyway it is assumed that he would welcome the help.

Amare Stoudemire may end up a Cavalier

Rumors have the Cavs going for about every possible player in the league including Jamison of the Wizards and Murphy of the Pacers.

Sources indicate the Cavs, who first started talking to the Suns about their high-profile big man last month, are advancing talks to bring him to Cleveland.

It is possible there are discussions that would make it a larger deal. The Arizona Republic reported earlier this week that the Suns were hoping to get a team to take the contract of guard Jason Richardson in addition to Stoudemire to complete any deal. That has been a sticking point in talks with other teams, but it isn’t clear whether the Cavs would be willing to swallow such a package.
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The Cavs are the leading team in the Eastern Division at the All Star break with a 43 – 11 record. No other team in the Division is even close. The Lakers are 41 – 13 in the East.

Oddly, Amare did not get along with Shaq in Phoenix and would be reunited with Shaq again. We would have to keep a close eye on that relationship.

Amare Stoudemire would give the Cavs a high scoring forward/center. He is averaging over 20 points and 8.9 rebounds over the course of his 7 and one half NBA years and is on this year’s All Star team. It is almost hard to believe that Amare Stoudemire could end up a Cleveland Cavalier. It would have to make them the odds on favorites to win the NBA Championship, if they aren’t already.

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NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.

The Washington Wizards are trying to clean house so they can start over in a way that will eventually get rid of all the egos. This is done by trading off talent and non-talent for short salary times to be released as soon as they run out. In that vein it was time to package up some salaries with Caron Butler and unload him.

Caron Butler and Brendan Heywood will give Dallas more size and quickness

The Mavericks, on the other hand, have a strong team and would love to make a long run in the playoffs. To pick up a player of Caron Butler’s talent and Brendan Heywood’s size in exchange for some players that did not produce can only yield dividends in the future.

From the Mavericks: The Mavericks have acquired forward Caron Butler, center Brendan Haywood, guard DeShawn Stevenson and cash considerations from the Washington Wizards in exchange for forward Josh Howard, center Drew Gooden, forward James Singleton and guard Quinton Ross, an SMU product.

“We are more than excited to welcome Caron, Brendan and DeShawn to the Mavericks family,” President of Basketball Operations Donnie Nelson said. “Caron is an established professional and an All-Star with the ability to score from anywhere on the floor. Brendan with solidify our center position with athleticism, shot blocking and defense. DeShawn has also shown that he can be a talented asset to this team.”
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So with Caron Butler does this look like a one sided trade in favor of the Dallas Mavericks? Not when you consider that Washington wants to clean house and in this trade they will end up cleaning house.

Of the players obtained by Washington, only Quinton Ross is likely to count against next year’s cap figure. Singleton and Gooden’s contracts expire after this season while Howard has an .8 million team option for 2010-2011. Ross has a player option worth .1 million, which means that the Wizards have taken around million off their books for next season.

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The Wizards have the possibility of gaining all kinds of cap space and picking up a good draft pick as they are the 4th worst team in the league.

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NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.

Amare Stoudemire, by anyone’s estimation has been a superb NBA player and one of the better big men in the game today. You have to add in the fact that he is an All Star on any year that he is not holding onto a serious injury. The Suns are going to deal him by Thursday and the most likely prospect appeared to be the LeBron James led Cleveland Cavaliers, but hold on there. The Philadelphia 76ers are also in the mix and are serious enough to offer their best player in slasher Andre Iguodala. Only in basketball and especially only in the NBA can calling a player a slasher be a positive thing.

Sources with knowledge of the negotiations said Saturday night that the Cavs and Suns were in serious talks about a deal that would send Zydrunas Ilgauskas and J.J. Hickson to Phoenix in exchange for Stoudemire, one of the league’s most dominant big man.

Stoudemire is averaging 21.2 points and 8.6 rebounds on the season.

But reports that the five-time All-Star Stoudemire could be headed to Cleveland have led other clubs to spice up their offers to Phoenix, according to sources.

The ball is now in Phoenix’s court.

The Suns are mulling over whether the financial relief provided by Ilgauskas’ million contract — they’ll likely waive Ilgauskas after the trade — and the young and talented Hickson are enough for them to part with an impact player like Stoudemire.

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After Thursday Amare Stoudemire will be wearing a different warmup

The stakes are very high in this deal for either team but maybe ultra high for the Cavaliers. GM Danny Ferry has failed year after year to surround James with quality players and has forced James to have to take over every single game in the playoffs or it is time to head for the exits. This is the LeBron James free agent season and Danny Ferry has gone all out to bring some quality talent to Cleveland.

Based on what the Cavaliers gave up for Shaquille O’Neal and the possible deal for Amar’e Stoudemire, Cavs Danny Ferry could be in line for Executive of the Year honors.

Everywhere except Arizona, where he could face five-to-10 years for robbing the wagon train.

Stoudemire joining the Cavs would be the story of two trades played out over nine months with the Cavs receiving a historic haul: Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, J.J. Hickson, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and a couple of draft picks to Phoenix for O’Neal, Stoudemire and the strong possibility of Ilgauskas on the rebound 30 days later, as NBA rules allow.
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It is very possible that the future of LeBron James playing in Cleveland rides on the deal for Amare Stoudemire.

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NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.

Dwyane Wade put on a show for over 108,000 fans in Dallas, the largest crowd to ever witness a basketball game, as he won the All Star MVP award. The previous record belonged to your intrepid author as he witnessed his Michigan State Spartans lose to Kentucky at Ford Field in Detroit. That record took place to the tune of a couple scotches that later resulted in getting lost on the way home, but that is another story. Dwyane Wade was not lost as he found the basket repeatedly for 28 points and also helped his teammates find the rim for 11 assists. When all was said and done the East, Wade’s team, had beaten the West 141 to 139.

“Not even in my dreams have I ever played in front of an audience this big,” Wade, the Heat guard, said as he gazed at a crowd that would grow to an announced 108,713 fans. “I got a couple of butterflies. But I’m more excited than anything to be here and to be part of making history.”
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Dwyane Wade catches Deron Williams lying down on the job

When Dwyane Wade came to the NBA from Marquette there were questions about his ability, although Dwyane never doubted himself, the questions about his talent and size remained. They remained until he was united with Shaq after a big trade sent Lamar Odom to LA for Shaq. Together Dwyane Wade and Shaq took the NBA by storm and won their title in this very same city of Dallas. Now Wade wants another NBA title.

“Obviously, 2006 was great,” said Wade, whose Finals most valuable player award and championship trophy have collected plenty of dust. “It was really good. But it was four years ago. And that’s a long time.”

The Heat has fallen on relatively hard times since reaching the highest point in franchise history. Miami has gone 102-144 with three playoff victories since 2006.

This season resumes with the Heat carrying a 26-27 record into Tuesday’s game at Philadelphia.

Even with Miami holding significant salary-cap space and plans for major roster upgrade this summer, fellow All-Stars can sympathize with Wade’s eagerness to win at an elite level after rough seasons.

“It took seven years for us to get back to that mountain, so I know how frustrating it is to be in that position,” said Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, who won three consecutive titles from 1999-2002 before winning again last season.

Bryant believes with another key player, the Heat could jump back into the championship mix soon.


It is going to be an enormous year for free agents and several teams have cleared the decks to get in shape for the bidding. Dwyane Wade is hoping that the lure of playing and living in Miami and having Wade for a teammate will draw at least one of the high priced talented free agents.

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NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.

Will it be the player behind door number 1 or door number 2 or the 23 million dollars behind door number 3? These are the questions faced by the New York Knicks as they seek to fix the broken down doormat of a team that they have become. GM Donny Walsh is out to change things and it all could happen this week.

The Knicks are still dreaming of LeBron James in a Knicks uniform

The main purpose is to clear the decks of as much salary cap as possible for the big free agent extravaganza that is coming this summer. The Knicks could be in prime position to sign some big name free agents. The first deal they are looking at and very close to making is for Tracy McGrady of the Houston Rockets and his expiring contract.

The price the Knicks could pay for getting Jared Jeffries (.9M) off their books in this Rockets trade is giving up on their disappointing rookie lottery pick Jordan Hill, and possibly a 2012 first-round pick.

MONEY TALK: Talks between the Knicks and Rockets broke new ground yesterday, with the Knicks now mulling rookie Jordan Hill (above) in an exchange for Tracy McGrady. Jared Jeffries also would depart, freeing some M in cap space.
Another league source said last night the holdup is that Knicks president Donnie Walsh is still unsure he wants to surrender Hill. Still, Hill remains on the table as talks continue.

If Hill is dealt, his salary for next season (.5M) also would come off the books, which could give the Knicks as much as million in cap room.

Thursday is the trading deadline. Walsh is feeling the pressure of opening up more cap space that could open the way for LeBron James or Joe Johnson to join the Knicks — along with another star such as Chris Bosh.

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Don’t know about you, but NBAObsessed thinks adding any of the three players, LeBron James, Joe Johnson, or Chris Bosh would make New York a way better team, let alone getting two of the three.

So why would Joe Johnson leave an up and coming Atlanta team?

And that would be just fine with Johnson, who says he would surely make a free-agent visit to the Knicks because of his great relationship with Mike D’Antoni, who coached him in Phoenix.

“I got even something better to focus on right now with Atlanta, trying to finish off the season well,” Johnson told The Post after the All-Star Game. “[Mike and I] have got a great relationship. He gave me a chance to shine and become the player I am today. I love him, so I would visit.”

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Recent history would suggest the Knicks are going to blow this whole deal and somehow find a way to make their team worse than it is now. Let us hope that recent history does not hold.

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NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.

Phoenix is busy waiting for a better deal to emerge in the shark infested trade waters of the NBA. Cleveland decided not to wait and pulled a 3 way trade with the Washington Wizards and the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers get the big guy Zydrunas Ilguaskas and the Wizards basically get nobody of any consequence, but do get a lot of contracts that will be subsequently unloaded. Jamison had a big contract for next year and the Wizards have decided to clean house and start over.

So they moved on to Jamison, who has been one of their top trade targets since the fall.

Jamison, who is averaging 20.8 points and 8.8 rebounds for the Wizards, is the good-shooting power forward the Cavs have been looking for since last summer. He has two years and million left on his contract, which prompted the Wizards to look to move him as part of a rebuilding process.
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Earlier we saw Washington trade Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood for Josh Howard and Drew Gooden, which looks more and more like a salary reduction move for next year. Now giving up Antawn Jamison is definitely in that category.

Amare Stoudemire may have a chance to battle the Lakers for the NBA title

LeBron James and the Cavs get a potent scorer in Antawn Jamison, although his D leaves a bit to be desired. That was never an issue with Cleveland as Danny Ferry searched for someone to share the scoring load with LeBron. Throw Shaq in the mix and you have a very powerful mix. NBAObsessed will have to see them play to find out what kind of chemistry they will develop.

Now two questions remain. Will Cleveland win it all with Antawn in the fold? Will LeBron stay in Cleveland when the season is over? GM Danny Ferry is hoping that the answer to both questions is Yes!
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NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.

One would think that the big news is a 3 way trade at the NBA trade deadline between Houston, Sacramento, and New York, but that would be flawed thinking. This trade was all about reestablishing the New York Knicks as an NBA power to be in the NBA and returning one of the largest sports markets in the world to David Stern.

In my youth there were three NBA hotbeds for basketball that made tremendous amounts of money for the NBA. The three were the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, and Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics and Lakers had all the titles, but the Knicks had all the fans. In recent times the Knicks have fallen on hard times in terms of talent and fans. Even Spike Lee is struggling, but he has to be happy now.

Why? Because of Tracy McGrady? After all he is an All Star and they just traded for him at the NBA deadline.

No! Because Tracy McGrady’s expiring mega bucks contract plus the contracts the Knicks unloaded at up to about 35 million in cap space to chase LeBron James, Joe Johnson, Chris Bosh, and who knows who else.

With Jeffries’ contract off the books, the Knicks will have enough salary cap space this summer to sign two max free agents. The plan all along is to sign James, the top free agent in the 2010 class. But now the Knicks have the option of signing James and allowing him to pick which other free agent – perhaps Chris Bosh or Wade – the club should pursue.

The opportunity to land two superstars is why Walsh agreed to send Jeffries, rookie Jordan Hill as well as two first round picks to the Houston Rockets. The teams will flip flop first round picks in 2011 but not if the Knicks have the top overall selection in the draft. The 2012 pick is protected Nos. 1 through 5. The Knicks also sent disgruntled veteran guard Larry Hughes to the Sacramento Kings.

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Will LeBron James and Chris Bosh wear the same Knicks uniforms next year?

Only in the wacky world of the David Stern NBA could a team like the New York Knicks pick up a perennial All Star and all anyone can talk about is how great things will be when they get rid of that same All Star. What must Tracy McGrady be thinking right now?

Still NBAObsessed has always been in favor of a strong New York Knicks franchise for the health of the NBA as a league. Don’t take this as a biased view, because my loyalties lie with my beleaguered Pistons of Detroit.

Can you imagine LeBron James and Chris Bosh on the same team playing in Madison Square Garden? Hello, NBA Finals!

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NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.

Now that we are done oohing and ahhing over the wild NBA trades and trying to predict if the Knicks will be able to restore some of their luster from yesteryear and where LeBron will be next year and if the Cavaliers will win it all this year, it is strange to see what is actually happening.

Tracy McGrady wants to remain a Knick

Tracy McGrady wants to win a NBA title and it is that simple. He feels he can do it right in New York and wants to prove he is still a major player right now. Hey, the man is talking pay cut, so you know he is serious. He wants to remain a Knick.

McGrady understands his injury history puts him well behind LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and others on the Knicks’ wish list when the free agency free-for-all commences July 1. But the former Rocket says he wouldn’t require much of the team’s available salary-cap space – or anything close to a max-contract – if it means aligning himself with one or two of the marquee stars available this summer.

“I’m going to tell you guys like this: I’m a guy that I’ve made a lot of money over my career. I can retire right now and I can be fine financially and my kids can be fine when they get older. Money is not an issue,” McGrady said Friday after reporting to the Knicks practice facility in Greenburgh. “If these guys were to bring in a LeBron or a D-Wade, along with a Chris Bosh or a (Amare) Stoudemire, I’d be a damn fool to not want to stay here.

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Going back to the team that actually wants to keep LeBron under contract no matter what it costs, the Cleveland Cavaliers debuted Antawn Jamison. Before we go anointing King LeBron the leader of a NBA Championship team, it should be noted that Jamison was more than bad, he was terrible being unable to make just about anything.

Jamison was a miserable 0-of-12 from the floor in 26 minutes with seven rebounds.

“I rushed a couple shots and I had a few blocked; I couldn’t get into a rhythm,” Jamison said. “It was one of those nights that will never happen again, I can promise you that.”

He now has the inauspicious designation of being a part of the Cavs’ worst two losses of the season. He scored 31 points with 10 rebounds in helping the Wizards smash the Cavs by 17 points in November, and now this. It included two air balls and four times getting his shot blocked by Charlotte’s formidable basket defenders.

It was a relief when he made two free throws for his only points with 40 seconds left just to show it was still possible for him to make anything
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So just 24 hours after all the media’s brilliant analysis of the two trades, we find the media looking dead wrong, including NBAObsessed, as Antawn Jamison does not save the day and Tracy McGrady wants to remain a Knick!

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Just days after travelling to the White House to meet President Obama, Kobe Bryant reached 25,193 career points to become the Los Angeles Lakers’ all-time leading scorer.

To honour the event, previous record holder ‘The Logo’ Jerry West, presented Bryant with a commemorative ball before Wednesday’s game with Charlotte Bobcats.

Lakers went on to beat the Bobcats 99-97, racking up Phil Jackson’s 534th win as coach in the process - making him the club’s all-time leader in coaching wins.

The achievement reaffirms the ‘Zen Master’s’ status as one of the game’s greats. But, modest as ever, Jackson feels he still has work to do if he is to pass Pat Riley as the Lakers’ greatest play-caller.

In typical Hollywood fashion, these landmarks coincided with the UK release of Lakers’ DVD, NBA Champions 2008-09.

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Just days after travelling to the White House to meet President Obama, Kobe Bryant reached 25,193 career points to become the Los Angeles Lakers’ all-time leading scorer.

To honour the event, previous record holder ‘The Logo’ Jerry West, presented Bryant with a commemorative ball before Wednesday’s game with Charlotte Bobcats.

Lakers went on to beat the Bobcats 99-97, racking up Phil Jackson’s 534th win as coach in the process - making him the club’s all-time leader in coaching wins.

The achievement reaffirms the ‘Zen Master’s’ status as one of the game’s greats. But, modest as ever, Jackson feels he still has work to do if he is to pass Pat Riley as the Lakers’ greatest play-caller.

In typical Hollywood fashion, these landmarks coincided with the UK release of Lakers’ DVD, NBA Champions 2008-09.

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