Boykins, Hodge to Bucks for Blake

[AFBlue]

Saw this just a minute ago.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2727760


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, according to NBA front-office sources, are combining on a trade featuring Earl Boykins that will be announced later Thursday.


Now 10 games into the Allen Iverson Era, Denver has agreed to send Boykins and little-used forward Julius Hodge 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.


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 two to three 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 opt out of his contract 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.

[timvp]

Interesting. Steve Blake has been horrible this season, so I'm not sure the Nuggets will get anything out of him. He might be decent to pair in the backcourt with AI since he's 6-foot-3.

Nuggets fans hated Boykins and Julius Hodge was pretty much a bust. I don't really see where Boykins is going to fit in with the Bucks. They have Mo Williams backed up by Charlie Bell. As long as Redd is out, they can put Bell at SG and have Boykins back up both. But when Redd comes back, that will be a little crowded.

All in all, pretty decent trade for both sides. Nuggets get rid of some salary and get a guy who can pass and the Bucks get even more scoring without having to give up much.

[bdictjames]

I thought Denver fans loved Boykins.

[ChumpDumper]

We already have a chucker backup point.

[AFBlue]

We already have a chucker backup point.

Two actually, but neither have a great success rate.

Vaughn isn't afraid to let it fly man, plays like he'll never get back on the court in all aspects of play.

[NuGGeTs-FaN]

YES HE IS GONE!!!

Glad to have Blake onboard.

Earl has played great offensively during the suspensions but he just gives up too amny points on the defensive end.

[P-O-Z]

YES HE IS GONE!!!

Glad to have Blake onboard.

Earl has played great offensively during the suspensions but he just gives up too amny points on the defensive end.

yea his a good scorer but his size really kills him