Spurs After Tyrus Thomas

Yahoo Sports reports

The San Antonio Spurs are trying to unload Antonio McDyess and the remaining $7.5 million owed him after this season to possibly clear a way to make a trade for Chicago Bulls forward Tyrus Thomas, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

The Spurs have been searching for expiring deals to move McDyess, who will make $4.9 million next season and is guaranteed about $2.6 million in 2011-12. Trading McDyess would free minutes and give them greater flexibility to re-sign Thomas this summer if they want. Thomas would give the Spurs a younger, more athletic complement to Tim Duncan

Clippers Waive Ricky Davis

Adrian Wojnarowski reports via Twitter

The Clippers have waived Ricky Davis.

Apparantly, the Clippers needed to free up a roster spot to make the Camby trade so Davis was the odd man out.

Ricky Davis was playing miserable basketball a year ago but he’s recovered some of his previous form. At least his jump shot. Still, doubtful that he can manage anything useful as a rotation player for another club and it’s not like he’s the ideal locker room guy.

Davis might be done until the offseason but I do expect another team to give him another shot next season.

Camby To Portland

Not finalized yet but appearantly it’s close to the dotted line. ESPN reports

Update: It’s official now. Portland also included $1.5 million in cash considerations.

The Los Angeles Clippers were in discussions to trade forward-center Marcus Camby to the Portland Trail Blazers for Travis Outlaw and Steve Blake, sources told ESPN The Magazine’s Ric Bucher.

One source close to the situation initially said that the sides had agreed on the deal, but multiple sources later said that the deal was close but not completed. A Clippers source told ESPNLosAngeles.com that the talks were “substantive,” while another source told Bucher that the negotiations were on the “goal line” but awaiting owner approval before a trade call with the league is scheduled.

Knicks Close To T-Mac Trade

Very interesting trade here — Adrian Wojnarowski reports

The New York Knicks are getting closer to reaching the Houston Rockets’ demands for Tracy McGrady and his $23 million expiring contract, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

The Knicks and Rockets have designed the framework of a deal that would unload New York’s Jared Jeffries, Jordan Hill and either Al Harrington or Larry Hughes for McGrady, Joey Dorsey and Brian Cook.

As talks stood on Monday, the price of dumping the burdensome contract of Jeffries – who is owed $6.9 million next season – comes with the Knicks and Rockets exchanging 2011 first-round picks and the Knicks’ 2012 first-round choice going to Houston. New York also might include a 2010 second-round pick.

Washington Close To Luxury Tax Threshold

Chris Sheridan reports

As I mentioned in today’s live chat, the Washington Wizards are not done dealing. And their next priority is moving $2.6 million in salary to get below the luxury tax line.

For practical purposes, that means they are trying to include Mike James and his expiring $6.47 million contract in a package with Antawn Jamison ($11.6 million) and/or Mike Miller ($9.8 million), and they’d do a lopsided trade that favored the other team if it got them under the tax.

$2.6 million — nice to know the exact figure.

Iggy No Longer On Trade Block

Ric Bucher reports

The 76ers, several sources say, have all but pulled Iguodala off the market after aggressively exploring interest in him over the last 10 days.

It’s about time Philadelphia came to realize it wasn’t in their best interest to deal Iguodala. There wasn’t any type of decent offer out there for them to take.

They should have arrived at this conclusion mere days after floating his name around in trade discussions. It’s ridiculous that this indecision + instability lasted so long.

At the end of the day, at least they (Ed Stefanski) managed to make the right decision.

Rumour: Butler To Dallas (done deal)

Marc Stein reports

Long-running trade talks between the Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards have taken a fresh twist now that the teams have seriously discussed the prospect of packaging center Brendan Haywood to Dallas in the same deal with Wizards forward Caron Butler, according to sources close to the discussions.

Talks between the teams had stalled in the past week, partly because of Washington’s insistence that the Mavericks take guard DeShawn Stevenson in any Butler deal, but the potential for acquiring two front-line players — since Butler and Haywood would immediately become key rotation players for the Mavs — has renewed Dallas’ interest.

Rumour: Butler + Jamison To Boston

Adrian Wojnarowski reports

In a dramatic move that would resuscitate their fading championship hopes, the Boston Celtics are discussing a deal with the Washington Wizards for forwards Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler, league sources told Yahoo! Sports on Friday.

The proposed deal would send the expiring contracts of Ray Allen, Brian Scalabrine and J.R. Giddens to the Wizards, a move that would signal the start of Washington’s rebuilding process.

The trade isn’t imminent, but talks have progressed and Celtics GM Danny Ainge has positioned his organization to make one of the boldest trade deadline moves in years.

Magic vs Cavs Thoughts

Orlando vs Cavs

Does Cleveland beat Orlando in the playoffs this time round?

The Cavs still look vulnerable to Orlando’s four in one out offense + their heavy use of the pick and roll/pop play.

But I’m not convinced that Jameer + Vince are playing well enough to match what Hedo + Rafer did to Cleveland last season.

Whenever Orlando get some penetration either one-on-one or off the pick and roll, they’re able to pick Cleveland’s defense apart. The Cavs are not comfortable defending a power forward out on the three point line and their whole team defense is out of whack as result. Each time Orlando forces a defensive rotation, then makes a few simple passes, they end up getting a good look for one of their shooters.

Sacramento Interested In Troy Murphy

The Sacramento Bee reports

It’s t-minus nine days until the NBA’s Feb. 18 trade deadline, and we’ll keep this conversation going because the fan appetite for information is certainly strong this time of year.

As of my last trade blog post, I hadn’t been told that the notion of Indiana-forward-Troy Murphy-to-the-Kings was legit. That has changed, however, as sources close to the Pacers say there is significant Kings interest in the 29 year old forward.

The Pacers reportedly want to shed themselves of Murphy’s salary, and Thomas would almost do it on his own. He makes $11 million this season and nearly $12 million next season (the final one on his deal). Indiana would surely push to include at least one of the Kings’ young prospects (Donte’ Greene?)