data-mm-id=”_5csw7p0kd”>The February 6th NBA trade deadline is rapidly approaching and teams are already looking to make moves. Both conferences are fairly wide open and a big trade could help a dozen different teams make legitimate playoff runs. Or improve their lottery chances. So who is buying and who is selling? BUYERSDallas MavericksThe Mavericks are a dangerous playoff team as long as Luka Doncic walks this earth without a limp. They just lost center Dwight Powell, who had started 37 of the Mavericks' first 43 games, to a ruptured Achilles. They already acquired Willie Cauley-Stein. Now it's just a question of where else they can improve.Los Angeles Lakers & Los Angeles ClippersHealthy, both teams are title contenders as constituted. Neither team is anywhere near perfect, but they have the most important players in place. Having said that, boy would it be nice to upgrade a supporting piece or two or either team. Denver NuggetsThe Nuggets are contenders looking to become serious contenders. They could use a guard and hopefully clear some room for Michael Porter Jr. to play more in the process. Indiana PacersThe Pacers are just 2.5 games out of the second seed in the Eastern Conference. Victor Oladipo is working his way back so their rotation is about to be shaken up anyway. Myles Turner could be the key piece of any outgoing Pacers package.Miami HeatThe Heat always have a buyer's mentality. Pat Riley is constantly looking for a good deal. And this year's Heat team is good. If Riley wants to get somebody like Bradley Beal or DeMar DeRozan, he has the assets to do it. SELLERSHouston RocketsIf you know anyone interested in any of the Houston Rockets players, please, contact Daryl Morey. The Rockets would love to be buyers, but their assets cupboard is quite bare in the wake of the Russell Westbrook trade. All they really have to work with is Clint Capela. And they're trying.New York KnicksDespite the horrible record, New York apparently has some guys that other teams would like to use in playoff scenarios. Marcus Morris, Bobby Portis, anyone besides R.J. Barrett, probably. Charlotte HornetsThey can fight for the 8-seed or try to move some of their veterans and try to bottom out for a better shot at a high lottery pick. Everyone but Devonte' Graham and PJ Washington should be available. Detroit PistonsDerrick Rose is a hot commodity. The Mavericks want Andre Drummond. They have a Morris brother. Or they could keep everyone and fight to get embarrassed by the Bucks in the first round of the playoffs. Cleveland CavaliersSomeone needs to rescue Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson. Two big men with championship experience who bring two very different skillsets to the table. Love has three years left on his contract. Thompson is expiring and reportedly on the block.
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Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benitez says his squad is not big enough to cope with their heavy fixture schedule.
The Champions League holders travel to Japan for their Club World Cup semi-final on December 13 naming a strong squad including the likes of Juan Mata and Fernando Torres.
Chelsea have used just 20 different outfield players during their 22 outings so far this season including the now departed Raul Meireles and Benitez has confirmed that targets for the January transfer window have already been discussed.
You analyse the players who have played every game; there aren t many players here, Benitez told reporters.
They d been playing fewer players. I m not here to criticise, but that s the reality. They d played so many games, two a week and …
Western Sydney Wanderers striker Mark Bridge has been ruled out of their A-League grand final against the Brisbane Roar.
In a blow for Tony Popovic s men, Bridge s ankle injury sustained in their 2-0 semi-final win over the Central Coast Mariners proved too much for the former Sydney FC man to overcome ahead of the Sunday showpiece.
In the only change for the Parramatta-based club, Bridge comes out of the squad for Jason Trifiro.
The Roar are unchanged after their fortunate 1-0 win over Melbourne Victory.
Dimi Petratros was in doubt for Mike Mulvey s men, however the 21-year-old overcame his ankle injury picked up in their semi-final victory to make the squad.
Brisbane are hunting their third championship, after sewing up the premiership by finishing 10 poi…
The agent of Lazio midfielder Hernanes insists he will not leave the Serie A club at the end of the season.
The Brazil international has been linked with a move away from Lazio in the past few months, but his agent Joseph Lee said his client wants to see out his contract at the Stadio Olimpico side.
Hernanes and his family are feeling very well in Rome and have no desire to leave Italy. He has a contract until 2015 and wants to honour it. He will stay at Lazio, Lee told Corriere dello Sport.
The interest of other clubs? Nobody has opened negotiations with me. Many called me and were interested but it was just to talk.
I met with Lazio president (Claudio) Lotito in February. He told me that he does not want to sell Hernanes.
The 26-year-old ha…
Cesare Prandelli has hit back at Zenit s Domenico Criscito after he expressed displeasure at being left out of Italy s FIFA World Cup squad.
Defender Criscito was not included in Italy coach Prandelli s 30-man provisional squad for next month s World Cup, despite featuring for his country as recently as March s friendly with Spain.
The 27-year-old was quick to voice his anger at Prandelli s decision, revealing that the omission hurt more than when he was not selected for UEFA Euro 2012 amid allegations of match-fixing.
But Prandelli has been left bemused by Criscito s reaction to missing out on a call-up, claiming the left-back cannot expect himself to be a definite pick.
He told Gazetta dello Sport: This was a technical choice and, with all due respect, I have n…
Ruben Vinagre is relishing the chance to work under football legend Frank Lampard and coach Ashley Cole at Everton after completing a season-long loan move from Sporting CP.
The 23-year-old, who previously spent two full seasons in the Premier League with Wolves, becomes Everton s second signing of the window following the arrival of James Tarkowski.
Vinagre only joined Sporting on a permanent basis earlier this month, but the loan agreement between the Portuguese club and Everton is reported to contain an option for the Toffees to purchase the defender outright next year.
He can operate as a left-back or left wing-back and will provide competition for Vitalii Mykolenko this coming campaign, with Niels Nkounkou another option in that position for Lampard.
Paris Saint-Germain head coach Thomas Tuchel lauded Kylian Mbappe following his 100th goal for the Ligue 1 champions.
Mbappe celebrated a milestone goal as PSG claimed a 3-1 win over Montpellier at Stade de la Mosson on Saturday.
PSG star Mbappe had been stuck on 99 goals across all competitions since November 20, but he finally joined the illustrious century club – which only includes Pauleta (109), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (156) and Edinson Cavani (200) – away to Montpellier.
Tuchel hailed the rumoured Real Madrid and Liverpool target post-match, telling reporter: As I said after Manchester, he did a great game [in 3-1 Champions League victory over United].
goals in our colors by !
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English)
Against Manc…
Harry Novillo has left A-League side Melbourne City after signing a two-year deal with Turkish outfit Manisaspor.
Novillo signed with City as an injury replacement for Damien Duff in March 2015 and quickly established himself as a fan favourite at AAMI Park.
The 24-year-old scored 10 goals in 2015-16 as City made the semi-finals, bowing out to eventual champions Adelaide United.
However, his season was hit by off-field drama, with the Lyon-born winger stood down from training for two weeks in February following an investigation into an alleged altercation.
While no charges were officially laid against Novillo, City were keen to offload the forward, selling him for upwards of half a million AUD.
I believe at Manisaspor I can direct m…
The 25-year-old Spanish international Samu Garcia is edging towards a summer move to Russian side Rubin Kazan, according to .
Garcia does not feature in Villarreal’s plans for the next season and according to reports from the Spanish daily he is on verge of reuniting with Javi Garcia, who he worked under while playing at Malaga.
Negotiations between Villarreal and Rubin Kazan are believed to be well under way as Manu Garcia is getting ready to change clubs during summer transfer window.
Samu Garcia has spent five years at Malaga before his 2015 transfer to Villarreal.
However, the 25-year-old forward played only 16 La Liga matches for El Madrigal outfit, scoring just two goals in the process.
Villarreal have had a fairly successful campaign beh…
Arsenal star Samir Nasri will do anything to banish memories of France s disastrous European Championships even if it means missing the Muslim celebration of ramadan.
The young midfielder has earmarked this weekend s World Cup qualifier against Austria as the perfect time to show that France is still a top force in international football.
People often say to me that the Euro was a bad experience, but I don t see it like that, Nasri told reporters at the team s training camp on Tuesday.
When you experience failure as a young person you try not to reproduce the same errors, he said.
We re in the mood for revenge and want to do well to show another side (to our game), one with more quality than you saw at the Euros.
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Fabio Capello owes his position as the world s best paid coach to Croatia, but England s Italian manager would be unwise to anticipate any further favours from Slaven Bilic and his squad here on Wednesday.
Having masterminded home and away victories over England in the qualifying campaign for Euro 2008, Bilic played a central role in ensuring Wayne Rooney and co. were missing from the finals, thus creating the vacancy that Capello filled at the start of this year.
The reputation of his predecessor, Steve McClaren, never recovered from the 2-0 defeat England suffered here two years ago.
That match will always be associated with the comical air kick by goalkeeper Paul Robinson which ensured that Gary Neville s passback trundled into the net to gift Croatia thei…