Prowling the NBA: Jan 10 - Officer, if you'll just let me off with a warning...

Article 6, section 9 of the NBA's current collective bargaining agreement reads as follows:

(a) Whenever a player is physically present at a facility or venue owned, operated, or being used by a Team, the NBA, or any League-related entity, and whenever a player is traveling on any NBA-related business, whether on behalf of the player’s Team, the NBA, or any League-related entity, such player shall not possess a firearm of any kind. For purposes of the foregoing, "a facility or venue" includes, but is not limited to: an arena; a practice facility; a Team or League office or facility; an All-Star or NBA Playoff venue; and the site of a promotional or charitable appearance.

Apparently Gilbert Arenas missed that memo.

The NBA's trade deadline for the season is a month away, and as one would expect, rumors are starting to fly. Even the Timberwolves are involved this week.

But first and foremost, there is the issue of the man known as Agent Zero....

Gilbert Arenas has been suspended indefinitely without pay by the NBA for violation of its firearms policy:

Well...that actually isn't completely accurate...

Arenas had guns in the Wizards' lockerroom. That not only violates NBA rule, but also Washington DC law, which states that firearms cannot be carried outside a person's personal property. Violation of that law is considered a felony, punishable by 5 years in prison, among other things. Check last week's Prowling the NBA for details on what happened.

The NBA had grounds to suspend Arenas two weeks ago, but Stern seemed content to let the US Attorney General take over the investigation and make their ruling first.

Then this image surfaced.

That picture was taken Tuesday, January 5th, during the pregame rituals of the Wizards' game against the 76ers. As you can see, Arenas is jokingly holding his hands like guns, pretending to shoot teammates.

He thought it was funny. David Stern did not.

"The possession of firearms by an NBA player in an NBA arena is a matter of the utmost concern to us. I initially thought it prudent to refrain from taking immediate action because of the pendency of a criminal investigation involving the office of the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia and the Metropolitan Police Department, and the consideration of this matter by a grand jury sitting in the District of Columbia. For the same reason, I directed the Wizards to refrain from taking any action. Wizards personnel continue to be interviewed by law enforcement authorities, some are scheduled for appearance before the grand jury and the investigation is proceeding with the intensity that one would expect for such a serious incident.

"Although it is clear that the actions of Mr. Arenas will ultimately result in a substantial suspension, and perhaps worse, his ongoing conduct has led me to conclude that he is not currently fit to take the court in an NBA game. Accordingly, I am suspending Mr. Arenas indefinitely, without pay, effective immediately pending the completion of the investigation by the NBA."

So, Stern instantly reversed course on his initial plan, suspending Arenas indefinitely on the spot before Wash DC authorities had concluded their investigation (which is still ongoing, for the record). As proof that that photo was the instigation for Stern's decision, it should be noted that Stern said Arenas "is not fit to take to an NBA court"....not that he broke the rules....and that the NBA has since asked photo distribution client Getty Images to permanently remove the picture from all media sites the NBA has control over.

The NBA also fined Andray Blatche, JaVale McGee, Randy Foye and Nick Young for their participation in the incident photographed above.

Also, the NBA has taken no action against Javaris Crittenton, despite reports he not only also drew a gun in the incident, but chambered a round as well.

Crittenton denies any wrongdoing in the incident, saying, "I have done nothing wrong. Let the investigation process take its course and you will see that. My name is dying in this situation."

So it could be more accurately put that the NBA suspended Gilbert Arenas indefinitely for not taking its firearms policy seriously....not just breaking it.

This is the second time Arenas has been suspended by the NBA for gun related issues. In 2004, he was forced to sit out Washington's season opener for failing to maintain proper registration on his firearms.

The suspension of course, raises a very glaring question: what is indefinitely?

The NBA has a few reasons for making such an ambiguous decision:

1) Stern doesn't know exactly what to do with Arenas, just that he doesn't want him on the court. So "indefinitely" is just a way of saying "stay away until we figure out something more concrete".

2) Stern might be hoping the Wizards use this incident as justification to terminate Arenas' contract under the "morals clause" most NBA deals contain. This would not only save him the hassle of being the one to do it, if that is indeed what he is looking for, but would also leave it in the owners' hands as to whether Arenas gets back into the NBA. Stern could then say none of it was his decision.

The Wizards will undoubtably give terminating Arenas' deal serious consideration. This will be now the third season of his mega-contract where they will be getting very little actual production from Gil. I'm not sure if the "without pay" part of the suspension means the Wizards are exempt from paying him this year's money, but the contract still counts against the luxury tax, and that's damage enough.

To successfully terminate the deal though, the Wizards will need the DCPD to press very serious charges as a result of their investigation.

If they do cut Arenas, one would think that, despite all this, a lot of NBA teams would more than willingly sign Arenas if he is forced into free agency. Not for nearly as much as his current deal, but I'm positive interest would be high.

3) Stern doesn't want to set a finite suspension time only to have Arenas return right as DC police reach a verdict in the criminal investigation side of this. Having Gil come back and then be sent to prison as a legit NBA player looks a lot worse than having him sentenced as a player the league is excommunicating.

For his part, Arenas has finally gotten serious about the situation, no doubt because there's now a tangible penalty for it. "He [Stern] made a tougher decision today that went against me. And I have to accept it."

"I feel very badly that my actions have caused the NBA to suspend me, but I understand why the league took this action," Arenas said. "I put the NBA in a negative light and let down my teammates and our fans. I am very sorry for doing that."

Arenas added that he had called Stern to apologize.

"While I never intended any harm or disrespect to the NBA or anyone else, my gun possession at the Verizon Center and my attempts at humor showed terrible judgment," he said. "I take full responsibility for my conduct."

Arenas' teammates have acknowledged his mistake, but are also, unsurprisingly, standing by him. Shooting guard DeShawn Stevenson wrote the words "Agent Zero" on his ankle tape during last night's game against the Hornets. Team captain Antawn Jamison also apologized to fans before the game:

Jamison also acknowledged before the game that, more than anything, the team is just sick of dealing with the situation. "It's been going on too long -- long enough. We're definitely sick of it, too much negative publicity, and I think guys are just to the point where we just want to get some positive publicity and turn things around and start winning some games, start having fun."

Added Stevenson: "The media is here every day, and it's not because we're winning."

The suspension also raises some eyebrows about Stern's authority, as the suspension arguably was made based on opinion more than objective standards, but that's a discussion for another day....

And now, getting into the trade talk, this situation has prompted the Wizards to begin seriously exploring blowing up the team.

The Wizards are now exploring any and all trade possibilities, the most concrete being Antawn Jamison to the Cavaliers:

The Cavs, for their part, are sitting on arguably the most attractive trade piece in the league: center Zydrunus Ilgauskas' $11.5 million expiring contract. Jamison would seem to be an ideal fit for the Cavs' spread offense, and would go a long ways towards solving their mismatch problem against Rashard Lewis and the Magic. The Wizards would get near-instant cap relief, and would probably get a good young player like JJ Hickson, Darnell Jackson, and/or Danny Green as well.

As reported last week, the only player the Wizards seem determined to retain is center JaVale McGee. Everyone else is up for auction.

On Cleavland's end, it's pretty safe to assume Big Z will be moved somewhere within the next month. His contract is highly lucrative and movable, so it's hard to pin down what's really being talked about and what's just speculation, but there's little question his time with the Cavs is winding down quickly.

The Cavs have also had talks with the Pacers regarding Troy Murphy, although he isn't as good as Jamison, and thus is being valued much less by the Cavs.

Also reportedly in the "trade everyone on the team" open market...

The Utah Jazz are exploring trade possibilities for everyone on the roster except Deron Williams:

That's not to say they're shopping everyone. It's doubtful they're highly inclined to move shooting guard Ronnie Brewer or big man Paul Millsap either. They just don't consider either untouchable.

The Jazz have been shopping forward Carlos Boozer's expiring contract all season, but reports are rival executives feel the team is asking too much for him. Still, it seems probable that Boozer will be moved by the deadline, when teams no longer have the luxury of time to mull things over.

Boozer seemingly wore out his welcome in Utah last season with a rash of injuries, controversial comments, and the emergence of Paul Millsap. He opted to stay in his contract however, realizing it was more than he would get on the open market with the poor economy.

One rumor that has persisted all season is Boozer to the Bulls for a package built around Tyrus Thomas. That deal would seem to make sense for both teams: the Bulls get the low post scoring they desperately need, and possibly a way to salvage their season, which would make the possibility of not resigning Boozer this summer seem less dire. The Jazz would get an athletic, defensive minded forward they need, and wouldn't face the prospect of letting Boozer walk for nothing without the cap space to sign a replacement for him on the open market.

Also, it's certainly no secret the Jazz have been trying to move Andrei Kirilenko for a couple years now, although the trade market for him reportedly hasn't improved much. His contract is more expensive and runs for a couple years still.

Another player central in the trade mill is...

Trade rumors are heating up over Chris Bosh:

It seems almost certain now that Bosh won't stay in Toronto because...well....they can't win. Bosh is, once again, putting up a spectacular individual season, but injuries to point guard Jose Calderon and his teammates' inability to play defense has stuck the Raptors at .500 (19-19) with no room to improve the roster significantly.

Rumors continue to swirl around Bosh heading to Miami or Chicago, but a couple new ones surfaced this week as well.

One is Bosh heading to the Rockets. The deal would have to include some 2 out of 4 combination of Aaron Brooks, Trevor Ariza, Carl Landry and Louis Scola (Ariza and Landry are the most likely combo), and and possibly a third team to make finances line up. The Raptors have no interest in seeing Tracy McGrady suit up for them again, so that possibility appears to be out.

Bosh is a Texas native, and until this past summer was linked with the Spurs quite consistently.

Another rumor is that the Lakers are preparing an offer for Bosh with a package built around Andrew Bynum. It is Peter Vescey and the NY Times, so there's legitimate question about the accuracy of the rumor, but in theory the deal would be something like Bosh for Bynum and Jordan Farmar.

The Raptors have maintained they believe Bosh will willingly take part in a sign-and-trade at the end of the year, so personally I think chances are stronger they'll keep him and see if the team can make a push late in the season that convinces Bosh to stay. But he's going to be a hot topic for the next month, that's for sure.

Now, for a couple deals that have been completed...

The Mavericks have reportedly re-acquired forward Eduardo Najera:

The deal is expected to be announced tomorrow, when the paperwork clears.

The Mavs will send forwards Kris Humphries (a Minnesota native and Gopher alum) and Shawne Williams. The trade will save the Mavs roughly $4.7 million; the Nets are expected to waive Williams.

Still no rumors surrounding Erick Dampier, but I'd expect those to start surfacing soon. Check out shrink's post on The DUST Chip to see why.

Also completed...

The Heat, in a very roundabout way, have acquired Rafer Alston:

I say "roundabout" because they didn't directly trade for him.

Alston was bought out and waived by the Nets, and the Heat quickly expressed interest, since Mario Chalmers has been something of an unmitigated disaster since the end of November. The Heat were so desperate for a competent point guard, they brought back Carlos Arroyo from overseas.

But to clear the room for Alston, the Heat needed to open up a roster spot and reduce their cap line, so they traded point guard Chris Quinn to, ironically, the New Jersey Nets....Alston's former team.

This is Alston's second tour with the Heat.

Wade is thrilled to have Alston back, saying, "Veteran guys are so important in this league. They've done it for so long and Skip became a leader. He's a general on the floor, that really helps to lead his team."

Alston played very will in his first game back in Miami, posting 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists in the Heat's win over the Suns.

Rafer had a phenomenal end to last season, leading the Magic to the finals while filling in for the injured Jameer Nelson, despite being a midseason acquisition with no training camp and minimal practice time. He's a streaky shooter, but also a great glue point guard.

The Heat also chose to retain Arroyo for the rest of the year by letting his contract become guaranteed.

Other trade rumors from around the league:

- The Warriors are still shopping Anthony Randolph, hoping to move Corey Maggette with him

- The Hornets are still hoping to avoid trading David West by shopping Mo Peterson and Devin Brown

- There aren't any trade rumors around Milwaukee's Michael Redd, but he has said that if he is traded, he wants to go to a contender (a not-so-subtle request to play for the Cavs)

- Despite the rumors around Jamison, most league GMs expect the Wizards to try and trade Caron Butler first

- Andre Miller continues to be on shaky footing in Portland after reports said he and head coach Nate McMillan got into a very heated argument that lasted nearly 30 minutes in practice

- The Rockets continue to remain quiet about Tracy McGrady. Check out last week's Prowling the NBA for details on the situation

Draft Watch:

Best news of the week: Evan Turner is playing again.

Turner returned from his back injury about two weeks ahead of schedule, 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists in 20 minutes in a win over Indiana. He then followed that with a more typical Turner performance of 19 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks in yesterday's loss to our Golden Gophers.

Click over to Rumblebee's in-depth scouting report from the game for full details.

During Turner's absence, the Buckeyes' scoring dropped from 84ppg to 64ppg, and the team went 3-3 (as opposed to 8-2 with him). They also dropped out of the rankings....Ohio State was ranked #18 before Turner's injury, but is unranked now.

Turner has season averages of 17 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks. He's not a great shooter, so he won't solve many of the Wolves' problems on that front, but he does everything else at a very high level, and his all-around game draws comparisons to Scottie Pippen, which makes one think Turner would be the perfect fit for this team and it's pseudo-triangle offense.

John Wall and Wes Johnson continue to play well:

Neither did anything noteworthy this past week, good or bad.

Derrick Favors and Cole Aldrich:

Have not done so hot this new year.

Favors is averaging just 7 points and 7 rebounds in January. Georgia Tech upset #5 ranked Duke yesterday, but Favors had a minor, mostly defensive role in that.

Aldrich has begun to re-find his defense, but his offense likewise continues to struggle mightily. Kansas was rocked by Tennessee today, despite the Vols missing Tyler Smith, and Alsrich again had problems with players much smaller and lighter than him.

Aldrich is going to be a case, I think, where the stats and the scouts say two very different things. Right now the stats say he's a solid center who makes and elite impact defensively. The game says he doesn't dominate the way someone of his size and experience should. The scouts say he's a step slow, has a questionable skill level, and doesn't perform well outside of Kansas' system.

There's a lot of time left in this season and Aldrich will be helped simply by Kansas making what seems like an inevitably deep run in the tournament. But he's been trending downward all season. Personally, I think the Wolves would be a lot better off focusing on Greg Monroe, Solomon Alibi, or Jerome Jordan if we want a center in this draft.

Finally, a piece of Wolves' news. As most of you already know...

The Wolves reportedly offered Al Jefferson to the Pacers for Danny Granger:

And the offer was quickly declined.

Here's my thinking:

First, this wasn't so much a trade proposal as it was a call to gauge Al's value. This seems similar to the report at the beginning of the season where Al was reportedly being traded for Amare Stoudemire, but it turned out that was just a call to test how much other teams thought of Jefferson.

Second, if the team is trying to trade Jefferson for a high end wing player, Indiana is the wrong team to deal with. Granger is their franchise player....Bird has maintained that for three years now. To them, dealing Granger would be like the Lakers dealing Kobe.

So on that front, my opinion is to forget about this. Granger to Minnesota isn't happening.

Third, this would seem to line up with Marc Stein's report that Kahn is starting to explore Jefferson trades. But also contradicts the report that Kahn hasn't called anyone, and that he isn't looking to make a major trade until the summer. Both of which is why I'm more inclined to believe this was a value test rather than an actual trade offer.

Fourth, I've been insistent since the minute we acquired Love than a Love/Jefferson duo wouldn't work because of the severe size, athletic, and defensive deficiencies it poses. I'm not as convinced that Love is the one who should stay, but I won't argue the point here either.

If the Pacers are willing to trade Granger to us, then we take the deal and never look back. It'll leave us severely undermanned at center for the rest of the year, but it's not like we're planning on going anywhere anyways.

Just....don't hold your breath...

Since S-n-P (and I'm guessing, most of the rest of you) haven't seen much of Granger, I'll leave you this week with a Danny Danger highlight mix. A statistical analysis reveals a very impressive player, but really, all you have to do is watch him a fair amount to see that. Up until last season, Granger was very much on par with Carmelo Anthony in all regards, and probably still would be if he had a Chauncey Billups of his own to play alongside of.

No one knows when or even if we'll ever see Gilbert Arenas in the NBA again.

But it's safe to say it won't be for a very long time at the least. David Stern takes guns more seriously than arguably any other issue in the NBA.

In the meantime, there's about to be an avalanche of trade rumors coming down on us. So read up, and until next week...