UPDATE IV: Kevin Lee with 1070 The Fan has an update posted after the Pacers morning practice.
As of 1:15pm there still is no trade. After today's practice Jim O'Brien had little to offer, saying Larry Bird and David Morway would handle any potential deal.
If final details are all that need to be worked out, they weren't being handled during Pacers practice. Both Bird and Morway were in attendance, and lingered around afterwards.
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UPDATE III: From the Denver Post, Steven Hunter's agent denies a deal is close, although seems to endorse the idea of getting it done. Bartelstein also represents Danny Granger.
Hunter's agent, Mark Bartelstein, said he wouldn't rule out a future trade, but said, "I don't think there's anything close. I think there's a lot of talk this time of year, so I don't think it's any secret that the Nuggets are looking for a point guard and the Pacers would love to get an athletic big like Steven."
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UPDATE II: From Pacers.com, Bruno doesn't shoot down the rumors and has a comment from Larry Bird.
Team President Larry Bird issued the following statement Friday morning: "We're not going to comment on trade rumors involving our players."
OK, considering Bird has denied trade rumors in the past, this seems like a little more smoke as we search for the Tinsley trade bonfire.
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UPDATE: Mike Wells has talked to the Pacers and Nuggets and reports NO DEAL. Well, that was fun. Obviously, Vecsey was reporting information fed to him from Tinsely's camp. Maybe there's more dealing to be done, possibly another team to handle the excess players on the Pacers roster. Hopefully Vecesy's report does't blow the whole thing up. Wouldn't be the first time the Pacers denied a story (think Bird admonishing Mike Wells before the J.O. deal was done) and then later announced the deal.
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This seems strange and bizarre, but Peter Vecsey posted this story at 3:17AM this morning reporting that Jamaal Tinsley has been traded to the Denver Nuggets for Chucky Atkins and Steven Hunter, a deal he discussed on local radio yesterday. I say strange because there I haven't seen any other stories cross the wires, yet. Vecsey did say he was going to dinner with Donnie Walsh last night. Maybe he had too much vino. This comment from the story is pretty cut and dried, though.
Locked-out Pacers point Jamaal Tinsley was traded to the Nuggets for Chuckie Atkins and Stephen Hunter, The Post has learned.
The deal is contingent on Tinsley passing a physical.
Vecsey goes on to say that Tinsley has been working out in Atlanta and is in great shape.
So Denver picks up Tinsley's $21million, 3-year contract, while the Pacers payroll takese on Atkins with two years at $3.24 millions and $3.48 million left on his deal. Hunter also has two years left at $3.86 million and $3.69 million. Less than half of their total salary remaining is guaranteed.
Congratulations to Larry Bird for holding out and getting this done (if indeed, the teams actually acknowledge the deal). The Pacers will need to make some other minor deals since this will bloat the number of players under contract to 17 and that does not include Austin Croshere who appears to be impressing the team in camp.
More to come, I'm sure...