With the Feb. 23 trade deadline fast approaching, it's hard to keep track of all the trade rumors and speculation flying around the NBA. Don't worry. We've got you covered.A lot of big names have been circulating, and we've gotten to the part of the season when even the players can't ignore the potential deals. (Looking at you, Carmelo Anthony.)These things are fluid, so keep in mind nothing is final until the call to the league office is made and the physicals are passed. With that said, here's all the trade talk you may have missed fr om Feb. 3:Jahlil Okafor heading back home to Chicago?The Bulls have inquired about 76ers big man Jahlil Okafor, according to CSN Chicago. Okafor, a Chicago native, has gotten caught in Philly's frontcourt logjam in his second season.The Sixers will continue to build around potential superstar Joel Embiid, and Nerlens Noel, Ersan Ilyasova and Dario Saric all stepped up when Okafor missed significant time in January with a knee injury. That's without mentioning rookie Ben Simmons, who could make his debut after the All-Star break. Okafor could benefit fr om a change of scenery, but Chicago may not be the best fit for his game. The Bulls have been dreadful fr om the outside offensively, and a post player like Okafor would only clog up the lane for slashers like Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler. A potential Okafor deal would likely involve a third team as the Bulls won't be — or at least shouldn't be — willing to give away valuable draft picks for Okafor and don't have the kind of players to entice Chicago. CSN Chicago reports there is more interest from the Bulls than Sixers at this point, so this deal could hinge on Chicago coming up with an offer that would change Philly's mind.Despite trade talks surfacing about a Carmelo Anthony-for-Kevin Love trade, the Cavs' All-Star forward doesn't expect to be moved before the deadline.Love believes he will be in Cleveland "for a long time" and laughed off the latest trade speculation (via ESPN.com): "I said it doesn't matter if I have an All-Star year or its one start or the other, it's always going to be there, right?"Nearly a decade into his NBA career, Love has grown accustomed to being in the middle of possible trades dating back to his time with the Timberwolves. Learning to deal with trade rumors, he says, is simply "part of the growth process."Cleveland.com reports Love will be ready to play against the Knicks after missing Cleveland's past two games with back spasms. His return provides an entertaining backdrop for Saturday night's game (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC).
They call him Ron Burgundy, cowboy, and occasionally when he steps to the free-throw line, "MVP."Yes, small-town Ron Baker is taking Madison Square Garden by storm much like Jeremy Lin did in 2012 but the Wichita State product isn't forgetting his roots despite the bright New York City lights. "All the small-town cliches, those are legit with me," Baker told Bleacher Report about growing up in Scott City, Kan., a town of just under 4,000 people. His Knicks teammates often remind him that he's an "awe shucks" country boy. "Sometimes when I walk into the locker room, Carmelo (Anthony) will start talking like a cowboy and be like, 'You from Kaaansaas, home of James Naaaaismith,'" Baker said with a drawl. "It's gotten more hysterical as I've gotten to know the guys."Baker's trying to get to know the city as well despite not being near his usual wide-open spaces surrounded by wheat. He drives 45 minutes from White Plains to Madison Square Garden, trying not to get lost along the way. "In Kansas, you base all directions on wh ere the sun is — it's something you just naturally do," Baker said. "Here, sometimes you can't see the sun because of the buildings and I'll be like, 'I don't know wh ere I am.'"There have been other minor difficulties off the court for Baker as well. "The first couple of times I pulled up to the MSG parking lot and told the security guard I was a player, the guy did a double time and seemed skeptical," Baker said. "But now when they see my Hyundai Sonata roll in, they know who it is and that business is coming."Despite being a walk-on at Wichita State and going undrafted in 2016, Baker has made multiple starts for the 22-29 Knicks this season. Hopefully the Knicks will let Baker stick around unlike Lin.
DeAndre Jordan wasn't expecting to be an All-Star.Despite exceptional play over eight seasons, the Clippers center has never been named an All-Star, so he expected more of the same in 2017. He was so sure of the fact that he actually planned a trip to Hawaii, which he had to cancel once he discovered the news."After practice on Thursday, I had my trip to Hawaii ready to go. I was super excited about it," Jordan told ESPN's The Undefeated. "I was waiting for this one last little thing [All-Star announcement]. I was leaving at 6 in the morning [of Feb. 16] and was ready to rock. Someone texted me and said, ‘Hey, you got to cancel that trip to Hawaii.’ I was like, ‘No, this is done. This is set. What’s up?’"I was thinking that they would have known at practice if I made it or not. They didn’t say nothing at practice, so I was like, ‘Cool, I didn’t make it. I’m about to set my trip up.’"Jordan went on to tell The Undefeated about his emotions toward making it for the first time. He said he had essentially given up on the idea of ever making it to the game. Last year was especially strange as he was named All-NBA First Team, but not an All-Star.
Ah, Blake Griffin dunking all over people. It's one of the things we love about the Association.Griffin put another defender on a poster Thursday night when he yammed all over the Warriors' Kevon Looney. It was vintage Blake, who is still plenty explosive even after missing time this season with a knee injury.Griffin was a bright spot in the Clippers' 133-120 home loss to the Dubs. He finished with 31 points and eight rebounds.LA needs a healthy Blake to pair with Chris Paul when CP3 returns from his injury.
When you look back at the Warriors' offseason, one big name pops up immediately: Zaza Pachulia.Well, maybe it's Kevin Durant considering he's a former MVP playing the most efficient basketball of his career. But Pachulia has been a huge bargain after signing a one-year, $2.9 million deal last summer.The big man from Georgia — the country, not the state — has filled the role left behind by Andrew Bogut, who the Warriors had to move in order to free up the necessary cap space to add Durant. And he has filled that role nicely. Before Pachulia went down with a shoulder injury Sunday against the Trail Blazers, he was playing some of his best ball of the season.Pachulia is second in the league among centers behind Rudy Gobert in ESPN's Real-Plus Minus, which weighs several factors in measuring a player's impact on team performance. He's also part of the top five-man lineup in terms of plus-minus (minimum 20 games played) with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Durant and Draymond Green, and he continues to rebound above his career rate (17.6 total rebound percentage in 2016-17 vs. 16.2 career) in his 14th season at age 32.He's added an edge and physicality to a Warriors team with unparalleled skill and scoring ability. Pachulia left a lasting image on the Warriors-Thunder rivalry when he dropped Russell Westbrook and stood over him with a menacing stare. Pachulia also earned a $15,000 fine for taking a swipe at Heat forward Luke Babbitt's face.
ralph lauren jacket />Draymond Green typically doesn't see eye to eye with LeBron James — except when it comes to Charles Barkley.On the recent podcast of San Jose Mercury News columnist Marcus Thompson II, the Golden State Warriors forward expressed his support for the Cleveland Cavaliers star after he went off on the NBA analyst."I’m all for destroying Barkley," Green said. “You know, Barkley talk a lot. A whole lot for a guy who has not won a championship. … I think Shaq should talk about the champions. Kenny (Smith) should talk about the champions. Ernie (Johnson) can talk about the champions. When it comes time to speak about someone who has a championship, Barkley should be muted."You know how on … “Around the Horn” wh ere they just ice somebody out on the screen? They should be able to do that with Barkley any time the name of a champion come up."James responded to Barkley's recent comments on TNT saying James was "whiny" among other things in reference to the team's roster, calling Barkley a "hater" before criticizing his behavior during his Hall of Fame career."All I've done for my entire career is represent the NBA the right way," James said. "Fourteen years, never got in trouble. Respected the game. Print that."
