February 9
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Hawks general manager Rick Sund said he expects the team's core group to remain intact after the Feb. 18 trade deadline. "People are talking about us as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference and that's what we strive for," Sund said Monday. "If there is something out there that will make us better, we'll look at it. Do I anticipate [a trade]? No, I don't." Sund wouldn't discuss specifics about trade chatter, but keeping the core together would rule out any trade involving Joe Johnson, who can become a free agent after the season. The other core players (in descending order of 2009-10 salary) include Josh Smith, Jamal Crawford, Marvin Williams, Mike Bibby and Al Horford. The Hawks ..."
February 7
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
columnist Ira Winderman
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How do you make the best of a bad situation? Example A could be the New Jersey Nets. Even as New Jersey chases infamy with its inglorious record, a case could be made that no team could stand better positioned for 2010 free agency. Depending, of course, on how the ball bounces. In a draft lottery that sets up as all-or-nothing as when the Chicago Bulls landed their point guard of the future in Derrick Rose in 2008, walking away from their home-state lottery in Secaucus with Kentucky guard John Wall could change everything for the Nets. While Miami Heat President Pat Riley has been touting his team as the only major player in free agency with both space for a max player and a max talent ..."
February 7
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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This not only should not have been this difficult, it can't be. Not with a night off the day before and two days off to follow. Now with the Chicago Bulls not only lacking sidelined center Joakim Noah, but also suspending forward Tyrus Thomas for one game for conduct detrimental to the team And not with Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra vowing before the opening tip, "I think we'll have energy for tonight." On a three-game trip that opened against the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers, this was the red-circle game, the one the Heat had to have if it wanted any chance of going into the All-Star break with a winning record. Now that can't happen, with Saturday's 95-91 loss at the United ..."
February 5
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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The Grizzlies have one eye on the standings and the other on the business of basketball two weeks before the NBA's trade deadline. In a season where the dynamics have gone from merely improving on last year's 24 wins to competing for a playoff spot, the Griz continue to mull potential trades designed to capitalize on their sudden momentum. General manager Chris Wallace reiterated Thursday night that the Griz are seeking "reinforcement for the stretch run" with a primary goal of securing a playoff berth. The Grizzlies' most glaring weakness remains a woefully unproductive bench. Their lack of depth is what separates the Griz from postseason competitors like the Houston Rockets, who arrive ..."