NBA TRADE: Earl Boykins & Julius Hodge to the BUCKS, Steve Blake to the NUGGETS!

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Nuggets deal Boykins, Hodge to Bucks for Blake

By Marc Stein
ESPN.com

The Denver Nuggets need some breathing space from luxury-tax territory. The Milwaukee Bucks need backcourt scoring to counter their injury crisis.


That's why the teams combined on a trade featuring Earl Boykins on Thursday.


Now 10 games into the Allen Iverson Era, Denver has agreed to send Boykins, little-used guard Julius Hodge and cash to the Bucks for guard Steve Blake.


The surging Boykins has scored 20 points or more in eight of his 10 games alongside Iverson, but his shots and minutes were certain to dwindle when Carmelo Anthony returns from suspension on Jan. 22. Denver couldn't resist the opportunity to trade him now given that Boykins will soon be its odd man out and more so because this move ensures that the Nuggets will not be paying luxury tax at season's end.


The Nuggets, sources say, had hoped to keep Boykins for a few more games while Anthony completes his 15-game ban. But they had to make the trade immediately because Milwaukee's $4.3 million injury exception created by Bobby Simmons' season-ending ankle and foot surgeries -- its only mechanism for taking back Boykins' contract in this exchange -- expires Friday.

Blake averaged 3.6 points and 2.5 assists in 33 games for the Bucks this season.


"We're getting a classic point guard," Nuggets vice president of basketball operations Mark Warkentien told The Associated Press. "He's an outstanding shooter and solid floor leader."


Boykins' arrival will be a welcome boost to the Bucks, who have lost leading scorers Michael Redd (knee) and Mo Williams (shoulder) to injuries in the past week. Redd is expected to miss at least a month, with Williams sidelined 2-3 weeks. Charlie Villanueva (shoulder) is also out indefinitely and Simmons didn't play a single game this season before it was determined that he'd need two operations.


The Bucks are hoping Boykins' scoring can help keep them in the playoff hunt until Redd and Williams return. The 5-foot-5 dynamo makes $2.95 million this season and is scheduled to earn $3 million next season but has the right to decline his player option and become a free agent July 1.



Milwaukee, sources said, also managed to extract an estimated $700,000 from the Nuggets to pay the remainder of Hodge's $1.2 million salary.


Blake, meanwhile, will get an opportunity to win some back-up minutes in Denver's backcourt, with the Nuggets admittedly looking for pass-first facilitators who can play with Iverson, Anthony and swingman J.R. Smith. The Nuggets also created a $2.95 million trade exception through this transaction because, with Blake being swapped for Hodge, Denver sent out more salary than it received in the trade. The trade exception is good for one year.



Sounds like a good trade, though the Nuggets probably coulda' gotten a little more for Boykins...I predict a major number increase for Steve Blake though...What ya'll think?

[Eddie G.]

I don't know who Blake is, but Boykins was really kicking ass recently.  Its a shame they're getting rid of him.  He's only getting 3 million, so why do it?

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Do you really think they need any more offensive minded point guards than Iverson?

["THE" MoSav]

Do you really think they need any more offensive minded point guards than Iverson?

no they dont, Boykins is score first. Blake is a pass first PG, which is what they need. Plus they cleared up 3 mill in cap space

[GangstaBoogy]

They definitely could've got more for Boykins. He put up a lot of big numbers while J.R. Smith & Carmello we're out. They really have no need for him now that they have Iverson.

[Bay Area Jat]

Boykins is gonna be a free agent next year was liability on D.

[Eddie G.]

Boykins is gonna be a free agent next year

didn't know that.  now it makes sense.

[WC Iz Active]

I actually think this is a good trade for both teams.  I think Denver maybe could of gotten a little more in return for Boykins but again I believe its a solid trade all around for both teams.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

A.I. liked pairing with Boykins, but he's turning page

By Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News
January 13, 2007

It was a tandem that brought smiles to short people everywhere.
Playing 10 games together, 6-foot Allen Iverson averaged 26.7 points and 5-5 Earl Boykins 22.6 for the Nuggets. It's doubtful the NBA ever had seen two teammates score that much who didn't even combine to be 11 1/2 feet.

But the duo was broken up when Boykins was traded Thursday to Milwaukee. In their first game without Boykins, the Nuggets lost to Houston 90-86 Friday night at the Pepsi Center despite Steve Blake, acquired in the deal, scoring all 13 of his points in the second half.

"I honestly thought it did work out with me and Earl," Iverson, despite the Nuggets going just 3-7 when they played together, said before the game. "I can't say we didn't have some success because I feel we did have some success. But whatever the organization feels. I had nothing to do with (the trade)."

The Nuggets dealt Boykins and Julius Hodge to the Bucks for the 6-3 Blake to save money and because the team sought a pass-first point guard such as Blake more than a shoot-first point such as Boykins.

Blake had an impressive debut, shooting 5-for-8 and handing out six assists. But the Nuggets, who got a game-most 28 points from Iverson, had struggles on offense, shooting only 34.8 percent.

The Nuggets got a career-high tying 24 rebounds from center Marcus Camby. But Houston forward Shane Battier drilled a three-pointer with 46.7 seconds left that gave his team an 89-86 lead.

Battier led the Rockets with 25 points. Center Dikembe Mutombo pulled down 10 rebounds, his ninth straight double-digit outing.

Nuggets coach George Karl wished team brass would have waited on a deal to see how Boykins meshed with Iverson and forward Carmelo Anthony, who has three games left on a 15-game suspension for fighting. Karl believed it would have worked.

How well Anthony and Iverson mesh won't be known until Jan. 22. Until then, Iverson said it's important the Nuggets do whatever they can to stay afloat.

"As bad as I want (Anthony) out there on the basketball court, we still have to wait four more games," Iverson said before Friday's game. "We've got to try to win every one of these games right now. We can't use (Anthony's suspension) as an excuse. ... I think we should be a lot better than our record (4-8 since Anthony's suspension) shows regardless of the trade happening and regardless of the injuries and the suspensions we've had."

Nuggets management would have liked Boykins to have been retained until Anthony's suspension ended. But the deal was made Thursday because the Bucks had a $4.3 million injured player exception that expired Friday.

Until Anthony returns, there could be more of a scoring burden on Iverson. But he doesn't look at it that way.

"I don't want to just try to put it on myself," he said. "It's not a one-man game. It's a team game. Others have to step up. ... It's going to be real tough, especially with Melo out and Earl not being here because guys are going to double- and triple-team me a lot more and try to get the ball out of my hands."

When that happens, Iverson hopes Blake can help. Iverson called a Blake a "true point guard" who's "tough" and "can make a shot" when needed.

"I don't need shots," Blake said. "I'm going to take shots if I'm open. There's a difference."

Blake arrived in Denver on Thursday night. He was unable to take part in the team shootaround Friday morning while paperwork was being taken care of, but he was cleared to play well before tipoff.

"It's much easier," Blake said of going to a team that doesn't have a bunch of set plays. "If I went to a team that was very structured and had like 50 plays, I'd really be scrambling to figure things out."

The Nuggets have spent a lot of time figuring things out lately. The last month has seen two major trades, injuries and suspensions to Anthony and J.R. Smith.

While Smith started Friday in his second game back after serving a 10-game penalty, the Nuggets have games remaining at Portland, home to Cleveland and at Houston without Anthony. The Nuggets already are assured of not being able to reach Karl's goal of going 8-7 during Anthony's suspension.

"I thought we'd be one or two games better," Karl said. "But it's all understandable, too. As a coach, you're very frustrated because you want to help these guys because the players are giving you everything you can ask for."

The Nuggets might miss Boykins' scoring during the remainder of Anthony's suspension. But at least one player didn't cite that as a key consideration.

"Really, we only won four of 11 and I think that Earl was playing his best," forward Eduardo Najera said before Friday's game. "So, it's not really the offensive end. It's the defensive end that we've got to pick it up on."

[swangin and bangin]

LMAO at his size