Update: In true Newtonian fashion, every deadline rumor is soon followed by vehement denial from somewhere else. This one is no different, and this morning Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld tweeted that a source denied any trade talks between the Warriors, Bucks, and Magic, saying there had been "no discussion whatsoever. Not one call."
Rumored deals surrounding Milwaukee Bucks center Andrew Bogut aren't going away. According to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, the Bucks have been engaged in talks with the Golden State Warriors and Orlando Magic as part of a three-team deal that would send Bogut to the Warriors and Monta Ellis to the Magic. A departure from the many rumors involving Dwight Howard, the deal would not involve moving the star center. Instead, Orlando is hoping the addition of a player like Ellis could persuade Howard to stick around after this season. What the Bucks would receive and the larger framework of the deal remains unclear.
This report comes after Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle said Warriors sourced had dismissed rumors over the team's pursuit of Bogut as "nothing more than hype." The Magic and Warriors were also apparently in talks with the New Orleans Hornets as part of a similar three-team deal to move Ellis to Orlando, but the Warriors were not satisfied with the return.
Naturally, there are a huge number of hang-ups with any deal involving Dwight Howard (or Andrew Bogut, for that matter). The Magic have been reluctant to make any move before getting a stronger sense of Howard's intentions after this season. If the Magic feel they have a chance to retain his services, they'll surely be motivated to bring in additional help in order to cement his desire to stay. If Howard is set on leaving, they're far more likely to go into full sell-off mode to whatever extent is possible. On Golden State's end, sources have suggested they're unlikely to swing a deal with Orlando that doesn't land them Dwight Howard, though Bogut would be a fair consolation prize.
Berger also reports that the Houston Rockets were in talks with Milwaukee to acquire Bogut in a simpler two-team deal, but that Houston has backed out of that discussion to pursue a different deal. No clear picture on how that trade was structured, though many formulations were reportedly proposed.
HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy tweeted that rival executives believe a Bogut trade would likely be followed with a deal shipping out Brandon Jennings. I find this a bit hard to believe, especially with the Bucks firmly in the race for the final Eastern Conference Playoff seed and Jennings playing quite well over the past few games. In fact, there are conflicting reports that seem to suggest "rival executives" don't really know what they're talking about: Yahoo!'s Marc Spears says a source close to the situation has indicated that Jennings will not be traded.