BELEMASPORTTALK.COM

Rumblings about Ray Allen being on his way out of Boston are accurate, but only if the Celtics can get back a player who’d crack the top eight in their rotation. One scenario that has been discussed would have Allen going to Chicago for Kirk Hinrich and another piece — John Salmons? — to satisfy the salary requirements.
• The Blazers’ interest in Wizards center Brendan Haywood is understandable, considering the catastrophic injuries to Greg Oden and Joel Pryzbilla. But an expiring contract – such as the one belonging to Travis Outlaw – won’t be enough to pique Washington’s interest. As with Jamison, the Wizards want useful assets in return. In this case, sources say, Washington has asked for Rudy Fernandez and has been strongly rebuffed. Consider those talks stalled for now, but don’t discount a revival before Feb. 18 for these reasons: 1) The Blazers’ desperate need for a big man, and 2) Their ability to get ownership approval to take on money in the right deal.
• The Mavs, behind big spender Mark Cuban, are always buyers at the deadline. Nothing has changed this year, with the Mavs said to be targeting help at shooting guard in a deal that would likely include Josh Howard and Erick Dampier.
• Other than Cleveland, only a handful of teams are active in trade talks and willing to take on money. The others are Dallas, Boston, Portland and potentially Denver, which could get ownership approval for a big enough name – though no such possibility is imminent. The Nuggets are steadfastly refusing to include J.R. Smith in any deal, and their quest for a big man will have to go in a different direction with Indiana’s Jeff Foster likely out for the year with back issues.