#TRADE MANIA ONLINE FREE#

GM Kevin McHale feels an enormous amount of pressure to win this season after making a number of offseason deals.

The Skinny: Injuries have stalled Olowokandi's season once again, but there's enough frustration in Minnesota already over the Kandiman that the T-Wolves might be looking to deal. He may turn into the sweetener that helps the Nets pull off a bigger deal. The Nets need help in a lot of places, and Planinic is coveted by a number of teams. Scott has complained about Planinic's work ethic, but one source close to the situation claims Scott just doesn't like the rookie's game. But since then, he has had a falling out with coach Byron Scott and has played just seven minutes since Nov. The Skinny: Planinic was supposed to come in and play a major role on the Nets this year, and his performance in the summer league and the preseason seemed to confirm that. Divac's expiring contract may be of some concern to the Grizz, but West really wants to make the playoffs this season, and adding Divac to the mix would probably guarantee it. With the way Brad Miller is playing, this may be the Kings' best chance to restock on some talent while Divac is still under contract. This may be blasphemy to Kings' fans, but a package of Posey, Stromile Swift and Jake Tsakalidis for Vlade Divac makes some sense for both teams. There's no rush to trade him, as he's still the team's best perimeter defender, but if including Posey in a larger deal gives Jerry West the all-star or big man he has been coveting, he wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger. The Skinny: The Grizzlies just signed him, but with the trade for Bonzi Wells, Posey becomes expendable. Scott Layden has been working the phones diligently, and he might be able to improve his chances of making a deal if he sweetens it with Sweetney - one of the more-coveted low-post players in last summer's draft. With so many front-line players - Antonio McDyess, Kurt Thomas, Keith Van Horn, Othella Harrington and Clarence Weatherspoon - Sweetney won't see the light of day this year, or next if the Knicks re-sign McDyess. Sweetney is sitting on the injured list, along with the team's two second-round draft choices, Maciej Lampe and Slavko Vranes. The Skinny: So much for the Knicks' youth movement. It also gives the Sonics a veteran power forward to help anchor their front line. What about a package of Howard, Andrew DeClerq, Tyronn Lue and Steven Hunter for Brent Barry and Jerome James? The move addresses both of the Magic's needs without taking on any long-term deals. If the Magic can get a point guard or a big man back, they'd have to pull the trigger. His contract is pretty reasonable, and several teams - including the Pistons, Timberwolves and Bulls - showed a lot of interest in him this summer. If the Magic are going to shake things up, Howard is one of their most valuable assets in a trade. Howard didn't fit in the front court with Drew Gooden the way GM John Gabriel and then-coach Doc Rivers had hoped, and there's no sense in keeping him around. The team is 4-20 now and has no chance at contending for an Eastern Conference title. The Skinny: The Magic signed Howard because they believed he would be the piece of the puzzle that made them a contender. Today Insider sifts through the group of players who just became eligible to be traded and highlights a few guys who may end up being thrown onto the trading block. With those restrictions now lifted, the silly season can officially begin.

#TRADE MANIA ONLINE FREE#

Before Monday, free agents and first-round draft picks who had signed last summer were ineligible to be traded. 15 has passed, teams will be much freer to make trades than they were before. Even teams that are winning (Boston, Memphis) don't seem hesitant to make something happen. Two weeks ago we talked about why that is - parity, luxury-tax concerns and an unusual amount of rebuilding jobs in the works. Six teams already have pulled the trigger on trades, and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. 19, but in the space of three weeks we've had three major deals go down, two coaches fired and a lot more talk about player movement than I can ever remember at this stage in the season. Is the NBA in for the biggest in-season trading frenzy ever? The trade deadline isn't until Feb.

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