Western Conference Insider: Economy may factor into deals

Contenders are heading into next month's trade deadline looking to acquire those pieces to put them over the top. That much hasn't changed this season from seasons past.

But the price they're willing to pay may not be as steep.

The NBA, like the rest of the country, isn't immune to the recession. In these cost-conscious times, the stats in play when proposed deals hit the table extend beyond points and rebounds. Dollars will dictate trade sense more than ever before.

"You're going to start to see more of the business between teams based on the economy," a Western Conference executive said. "The economy is going to drive the way organizations build their teams. A lot of positioning for that may happen during the trade deadline.

"Everyone is trying to improve their team, just as before. Many of the deals that go down in February will be done with an eye on making your team viable in July and after next season."

The nine teams in the West with playoff aspirations all could use some help on the floor. The Lakers appear the most secure, but those teams with title hopes historically are the most inclined to bring in extra bodies for the stretch run. The other eight also will look and listen before the Feb. 19 deadline.

Teams such as San Antonio and New Orleans likely have identified specific needs. Dallas needs to figure out if it has the right group or if a major overhaul is needed. Phoenix and Denver have stirred the pot already. Houston and Utah are in the market for healthy players. Portland, with its young core, may be the most inclined to stand pat, but the Blazers are no stranger to Let's Make a Deal.

But with few exceptions, if any, teams are looking to save cash. Are there any owners willing take on those salary-cap busting contracts?

"There are only a few places where you can move a big contact," the exec said. "Dallas used to be the dumping ground and Cleveland a little bit. Those places are starting to dry out."

The current luxury-tax threshold is $71.15 million. Of the nine teams in playoff contention in the West, five are currently projected to pay the luxury tax. The question they have to ask: Is the cost of adding a "difference maker" worth the financial hit?

While the West Nine can each make a case for advancing in the playoffs, the scenarios aren't as clear cut in the Eastern Conference. It's difficult to imagine any of the teams in the East Scrum doing any postseason damage. (For argument's sake: The Scrum encompasses teams from seventh place to 14th or New Jersey to Indiana.)

And since a first-round exit means little, financially, to a team, a prudent course for many might be to sell off assets and retool for the future. Is Milwaukee better served by making a futile playoff push or moving Michael Redd and/or Richard Jefferson? If the Bucks decide to dump payroll, what teams can afford to add the $35 million owed to Redd or the $29 million for Jefferson over the next two years?

Corporate sponsorships aren't being renewed at past levels. Local broadcast revenue isn't as plentiful. It all ties into the bottom line. "Owners are taking a more meticulous look at these situations," the exec said. "What you'll see is more of a CEO-management style on the basketball side. We're one business across the board.

"When a team doesn't think they can compete, they're going to run a business. So in times like this, the health of the business is first and foremost."

The trick becomes getting a deal done that makes sense on the court and in the checkbook. Yes, it can be done.

"The landscape of the trade deadline is changing," the exec said. "There will still be player-related moves, but every one of those deals will have a financial component. Everybody is feeling the recession. "The teams that are light and lean sleep easier at night."

The Rockets are without Ron Artest for at least another week, as he continues to rest a sore ankle. Tracy McGrady is out for two weeks trying to get back into shape. Yao Ming, coming off last season's broken foot, has been surprisingly healthy ... so far.

This can't be what Houston coach Rick Adelman envisioned of his Triple Threat. Yao, T-Mac and Artest have started just 14 games together this season. The Rockets played their 40th game Tuesday night.

There have been several occasions where Adelman didn't know who would be able to go until right before tipoff. The uncertainty is reflected in Houston's record (24-16 and currently eighth in the West) and trickles down the roster.

"It's tough," Adelman said of a team that's lost nearly 70 games to injury. "You never know what's going to happen. It's tough on the other guys, too, because they never know where they're going to be in the rotation or what the rotation is going to be.

"There's not much we can do about it. We have to live with it right now."

Jazz forward Paul Millsap's streak of 19 straight double-doubles ended with Saturday's rout of Detroit. He'll have plenty of time to work on another run of double dips with Carlos Boozer out at least another month. Millsap needs to get back in the lineup first, but his sore knee isn't considered serious ... Minnesota's bid to go undefeated in 2009 ended Tuesday night. Still, the 5-0 start to the New Year marked the Timberwolves longest winning streak since December, 2005 ... How far will Spurs center Matt Bonner go to insure an invite to the 3-Point Shootout? The league's leading 3-point shooter won't stoop below bribing the man who will choose the field in Phoenix, NBA vice president Stu Jackson. "I'm going to send him some flowers," Bonner quipped, "or maybe one of those cookie bouquets."