With the Christmas holidays just over, rumors are flying through the NBA trade market, creating chaos ahead of schedule.
Every day, sports legends and columnists sit in the studios of major sports television stations, arguing heatedly about which team will make a big move before the February deadline.
Every day, the sports sections of major newspapers across the United States are filled with rumors, some true and some false, ranging from Western Conference and Western Conference powerhouses to lottery underdogs. The fax machines in the general managers' offices are constantly churning out quotes.
Some championship contenders are busy inquiring about players to address their roster weaknesses, while others are eager to make a big splash, putting their star players, whose contracts are in their final years or who are in difficult situations, on the negotiating table.
The most rampant rumors are those between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns regarding their star perimeter players. Local Los Angeles media outlets have reported that the Lakers' management is internally discussing trading Kobe Brian for the Suns ' leading scorer, Tracy McGrady.
The news sent fans all over State of California into a frenzy.
The Houston Rockets are also in the eye of the storm. Steve Francis's name has been repeatedly mentioned by the media as a potential trade target, with the most talked-about version being that the Rockets intend to trade him to Philadelphia for Allen Iverson. The rumors have become so detailed that head coach Jeff Van Gundy had to publicly deny them in front of the media, stating that there was absolutely no such thing and that the possibility of the team trading Steve Francis was extremely slim.
Back in Dallas, Mark Cuban was practically ready to put the entire team's rotation on the trading block. This always-high-profile young owner was never one to shy away from his checkbook whenever he saw an opportunity to strengthen the roster, holding a ton of assets and inquiring about potential buyers. The Mavericks' management was already considering how to trade Antawn Jamison and Danny Ford in a package deal, and even Steve Nash, whose contract was expiring, was being dragged into discussions about a trade involving smaller sums.
In private conversations among team executives, rumors of a trade involving a superstar like O'Neal even began to circulate.
As for the interior market, Golden State Warriors ' Eric Dampier has become a hot commodity sought after by various teams. This center, currently in the final year of his contract, has put up rare career-high numbers, averaging a double-double, making him the envy of teams lacking interior presence. New York Knicks president Isaiah Thomas has been waving his assets around, inquiring everywhere, while the Indiana Pacers and Memphis Grizzlies have also joined the fray, afraid of being snatched away if they are too slow.
On the third floor of the Auerbach training center, Sam Presti slammed a thick stack of collected media clippings onto the mahogany table, picked up a paper cup, and took a large gulp of warm water.
Rick Carlisle sat across from him, a red and blue pencil in his hand, marking up the rosters of each team.
"Boss, it's in an uproar outside," Presti pulled out a chair and sat down. "This year, all the general managers are more impatient than the last. Those strong teams in the Western Conference are willing to offer anything to break the deadlock. Rumors of trading Kobe for McGrady are flying everywhere. The phone hasn't stopped ringing in Dallas and Seattle these past few days. Cuban isn't satisfied with the current roster and is peddling his assets everywhere. As for the Lakers, although Kupchak has suppressed the various rumors about Kobe, all the team executives know that if Kobe and Los Angeles can't reach an agreement on a contract extension, this summer will be anything but quiet."
Lin Qi leaned back in his chair, twirling a black pen in his hand, and glanced at the newspaper clippings about Kobe and McGrady on the table, his expression calm.
"The more chaotic the situation, the more smokescreens there are," Lin Qi put down his pen. "Nine out of ten of those superstar trade rumors hyped by the media are just agents testing the waters. Whether it's Kobe, Iverson, or Shaq, it's incredibly difficult to make a trade for stars of that caliber mid-season. Most of them are just tools to put pressure on management or maintain media exposure."
Rick Carlisle put down his pencil and nodded in agreement. " Cuban's thinking is very aggressive; he'd like to trade his entire bench for a big man who can protect the rim. The Warriors are also holding firm on their demands for Dampier, New York is offering a very tempting package to bolster their frontcourt. If the Warriors weren't so greedy, Dampier would probably be wearing Knicks jersey by now."
"The more desperate the league is for interior players, the more people are eyeing us," Presti said with a wry smile, flipping through his phone log. "My office phone has been ringing off the hook these past few days. The whole league knows we have a plethora of interior talent. Mehmet ( Okur ) and Tyson Chandler ( Chandler ) would be starting centers on other teams, but here they're relegated to the bench. Even Dikembe ( Mutombo ) only gets a few minutes of playing time in certain games. Just yesterday afternoon, at least five general managers indirectly asked me if I'd considered putting Mehmet or Tyson Chandler on the trading block."
Lin Qi shook his head. "Reject them all. Others are envious of centers like Eric Dampier who rack up stats in their contract years because they have no other options. Our starters have Ben and Kevin, and our bench has Rasheed, Mehmet, and Tyson Chandler. This frontcourt rotation is a luxury unmatched in the entire league. There's no need to throw ourselves into disarray for other teams' offers."
Rick Carlisle closed the tactics manual and said with deep agreement, "That's right. The current ten-man rotation is working perfectly. Even though Gary ( Gary Payton ) is still recovering from injury, Tyronn (Lue) and Dwyane can hold their own in the backcourt. For us at this stage, the best course of action is to remain still."
Presti crossed out a few lines of notes in his notebook. "So, for the next month, we won't get involved in the bidding in the market?"
"Don't get involved, just pull up a chair and watch the show," Lin Qi stood up, walked to the French windows, and looked down at Chandler and Okur practicing low-post footwork with Jack Sikma on the first-floor training court. "The more those desperate competitors tinker around, the less time they'll have for their rosters to gel. Sam, you, Darrell ( Daryl Morey ), and Masai ( Jerry ) just need to keep a close eye on the offers from each team these next few weeks, especially those potential playoff rivals. If any team makes a roster change, send me a report immediately."
After saying that, Lin Qi turned around and looked at his watch. "Let's go, let's go down and check on the training. Let them fight tooth and nail outside, we'll just focus on playing our own game."
Presti closed the folder and followed Lin Qi and Rick Carlisle out of the office.
At the end of the corridor, the clear sound of a whistle and the dull thud of a basketball hitting the wooden floor came from the training hall on the first floor.