Mavs trying to trade for Jahidi White

[aexchange]

Courtesy of ESPN: NBA Insider

Michael Jordan promised Wizard fans that he'd remove that losing stigma in Washington by any means necessary. Over the course of the past year he's found a way to dump Rod Strickland, Juwan Howard, Mitch Richmond and almost every other player on the Wizards' roster when he arrived.

Apparently he's not done. A league source told ESPN Insider that Jordan has been talking to several teams about trading center Jahidi White. The Mavericks and Rockets are the most interested. The Sonics have also shown interest in landing the rugged, 270-pound low-post menace. Each team is looking for a physical, low-post presence.

Jordan tried to move White this summer in exchange for Charles Oakley. The deal fell through just before the draft, but that hasn't stopped the Wizards from listening to various offers. Jordan doesn't have a particular disagreement with White, but would just like to clear more cap space next year. White's contract doesn't run out until the 2004-05 season.

Jordan is looking for players in the last year of their contracts as well as draft picks in return for White. If he can get rid of White, he can get nearly $15 million under the cap to pursue next year's free agents. Even if Jordan does find a taker, he'll have to wait until mid September to trade White, who is a full base year player until then, making his salary almost untradeable.

According to the source, Jordan traded for rookie Brendan Haywood to shore up the Wizards' front line in anticipation of shipping White off sometime this season.

The biggest question is, what is Jordan going to do with all of that cap space? With Vince Carter, Paul Pierce and Dirk Nowitzki under long term extensions, there won't be much left in the 2002 free-agent market.

Insider has learned that Jordan's main target will likely be Sonics free agent Rashard Lewis. The Sonics may have something to say about that. They're building their whole team around him, but Jordan would have created enough cap spaces to land Lewis straight up. Combine him with an almost sure lottery pick this year (Jordan loves Duke point guard Jason Williams) and you have the makings of a young, dynamic basketball team.

[Big Boy Laroux]

well, there's a low-post enforcer for you. we could ship off trent in a sign-and-trade couldn't we? sign trent to a contract that expires when jordan wants it to?

[TheKid]

But then that wouldn't free up that much space either because Trent would be resigned. Trent would easily use up $5-$6 Mill atleast. Or is Jordan trying to free up cap room for himself???

[Big Boy Laroux]

he's trying to free up cap room for next season... can a sign and trade be done with a one-year contract?