RUMOR: Nuggets Looking To Sell the Big Ticket?
With back-to-back titles now in their trophy case, the Nuggets have turned their eye towards preparing for the future, hence the early-season deal that sent Wade to Seattle to bring in Rajon Rondo. The Nuggets would like to do the same with KG, but his expiring deal puts a bit of pressure on them to get value now. Will it happen? If a deal is to come, it'll probably be from a team on the brink of contending that has little to lose by going all-in for a title. The problems there would be creating the salary to match, as KG's 20+ million contract isn't exactly easy to swallow. Getting adequate compensation is also a potential issue, as very few teams right now are in Darth mode, willing to sell off their young talent to stack the deck in their favor. As such, if KG does get traded, it could be for a player entering or in his prime, rather than a developing piece. And with UFA looming for KG, the Nuggets may have to take what they can get now and work out the kinks later.
RUMOR: Is Danny Granger Really Out In DC?
The end of the Rashard Lewis era has melted away GM Xist's cheerful facade and revealed a bitter and ruthless man. Danny Granger has found himself an unfortunate casualty of Xist's sour attitude, as despite Granger's solid performance this season, Xist has been quite open about his intent to trade him, citing future tax issues as the reason. Yet here we are, on deadline day, and Granger is still on the team. Some would say that it only proves the dryness of the market, but perhaps there's more to it than that. After taking what most would probably call an "okay" deal for Lewis to start the offseason, Xist might not want to sell low again. There's also the issue of tanking. Xist has claimed that even though he's not fully opposed to tanking, he won't outright look to do so, not so long as he has a reason not to. Yet every move since the Lewis deal has seen him skirt closer to the line he said he wouldn't cross, and anything less than a solid deal for Granger would put him over that line in the eyes of many, especially with the injury to their starting center. It would seem as if logic dictates two opposite courses of action here, so it will be interesting to see which course of action the Wizards take.
