Less than a week removed from the official end to the NBA lockout and the trade winds continue to blow heavy as teams gear up for the shortened 2012 season.
ESPN is reporting the Los Angeles Lakers are gearing up to make a run for both Chris Paul and Dwight Howard. Everybody except the “Black Mamba” is fair game according to the report. Possible trade scenarios include: Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom to the Orland Magic for Howard and Hedo Turkoglu; and Paul Gasol to the New Orleans Hornets for Paul.
Additional ESPN reports suggest the New Jersey Nets are prepared to offer center Brook Lopez and two first-round draft picks to pry Howard away from the Magic. If completed, Howard would be paired with Nets point guard Deron Williams and could become a contender in the East.
Speaking of Williams, Ken Berger of CBS Sports believes the Dallas Mavericks are storing cash to make a play for the all-star after the season. Williams is set to become an unrestricted free-agent after the season. He’s estimated his chances of a return to the Nets is at “90%,” but also voiced interest in going to Dallas. With aging future hall-of-fame point guard Jason Kidd inching closer to retirement, finding a top-flight replacement is a high priority for owner Mark Cuban. This may be part of the reason Cuban isn’t throwing insane dollars at Tyson Chandler.
In international news, Yahoo! Sports reports that J.R. Smith and Wilson Chandler are trying to find a way to get out China. Both players signed deals to play in the Chinese Basketball Association despite warnings that no escape clauses would be allowed if the NBA lockout was ended. The players are reportedly offering to return all salary earned plus an additional $1 million each to their respective teams in hopes of being released. However, thus far the Chinese government (who owns the league) is balking at any deal, meaning the two NBA vets may be forced to finish out their CBA seasons and try to latch on with a team in March.
Smith was recently named Player of the Week after a 52-point, 22-rebound performance. Meanwhile Chandler is the league’s second-leading scorer, averaging 32 points per game.
