THIS POST HAS BEEN BUMPED TO THE TOP. SCROLL DOWN FOR BLAZERS / KNICKS COVERAGE.
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UPDATE: Portland Trail Blazers guard Jamal Crawford was held out of Wednesday night's game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden and was not on the team's bench, according to Blazers Broadcasting.
Joe Freeman of The Oregonian reports that Crawford was on the team's post-game flight to Chicago.
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According to multiple reports, the Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers are involved in 3-team trade talks that could send Blazers guard Jamal Crawford to Minnesota, Timberwolves forward Michael Beasley to Los Angeles, and Lakers guard Steve Blake to Portland. The salaries don't quite match, so other pieces would need to be included. There are additional reports that suggest Portland would receive a first round pick as well.
Here's how the story unfolded on Wednesday.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports...
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Portland's talks with Minnesota on a Jamal Crawford deal are gathering momentum again, sources tell Y! Sports.
Portland's talks with Minnesota for Jamal Crawford are part of a 3-way scenario with Lakers, source says. Michael Beasley would go to LA.
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Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.com adds...
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Sources confirm: Lakers, Wolves and Blazers discussing three-team deal. Michael Beasley to LA, Jamal Crawford to MIN, Steve Blake to POR.
Other players and picks will likely be added to the LA-MIN-POR three-team deal. Those are just the names I'm hearing right now.
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Update: Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com reports...
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CSNNW.com has learned that the Portland Trail Blazers are close to bringing back guard Steve Blake in the reported three-team deal. A source who's familiar with the talks says "if it's not done, it sounds close."
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Joe Freeman of The Oregonian reports...
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A source tells me there is legs to the three-team trade that would send Jamal Crawford to Minny and Steve Blake to Portland.
The Blazers would get a 1st-round pick in addition to Blake in the three-team deal. Not sure where the pick is coming from yet.
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Jason Quick of The Oregonian reports...
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Agent Andy Miller (Crawford) says deal with Minn/LAL is close to being done. Blake to PDX. Steve Blake says he has not been informed of deal to Portland yet.
Blake's agent Joel Bell says he's aware his client has been discussed in deal with POR but he says he doesnt know whether it will get done.
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Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune reports...
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A three-way trade that would send Timberwolves forward Michael Beasley to the Los Angeles Lakers, Portland guard Jamal Crawford to Minnesota and Steve Blake to the Blazers continues to be discussed among those teams and appears to be the team's No. 1 preference to make a deal as Thursday's 2 p.m. trade deadline approaches, league sources confirmed this afternoon.
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Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press reports...
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Don't be surprised if the Minnesota Timberwolves trade forward Michael Beasley to the Los Angeles Lakers and acquire guard Jamal Crawford from Portland in a three-team deal that would send Lakers guard Derek Fisher to the Trail Blazers.
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Joe Freeman of The Oregonian reports...
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Coach [McMillan] said Crawford will be in uniform and will play tonight vs Knicks. Said management has not told him to hold Crawford out.
Crawford said he has not heard from anyone the Blazers organization - management, coach, otherwise - about any impending deal. As you might expect, Crawford said today has been a challenging day and tonight will be one of his most challenging games to compete in.
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Dwight Jaynes of CSNNW.com reports...
I do not believe Blake will be a part of that three-way trade. Portland wants another draft pick but don't want that Blake contract.
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Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times reports...
No deal yet, but Lakers still trying hard to get Michael Beasley before tomorrow's deadline. "They're pushing for it," said a source. Source confirmed that Lakers might send Blake to Portland as part of deal. Blake, talking before tonight's game in N.O.: "I'm still here."
Kristen Blake, wife of Steve, writes...
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I know nothing. You know nothing. All the reporters pretending they know things know nothing. That pretty much sums it up.
Now back to your regularly scheduled wastes of time. Remember-you never get those minutes back. I want back the 2 it took me to type this.
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Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reports...
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Lakers getting Beasley, Jamal Crawford to Minnesota and and Steve Blake to Portland is getting close, the News Mitch Lawrence reports
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Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.com reports...
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The Lakers, Timberwolves and Blazers are still discussing the three-team deal involving Michael Beasley, Jamal Crawford and Steve Blake.
Source close to the situation on Lakers-Wolves-Blazers talks: "It could go down any time."
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Update (9:19 p.m.): Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports reports...
While Blazers holding it up, sources close to MIN-LAL-POR deal expect it to go down. Crawford to MIN, Blake to POR, Beasley to LAL & more.
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Update (11:33 p.m.): John Canzano of The Oregonian reports...
Source directly involved in the Jamal Crawford trade said the deal should be done in the morning.
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Sam Amico of FoxSportsOhio.com reports...
Several sources have said that if the three-team deal between the Lakers, Timberwolves and Trail Blazers takes place, it might be Luke Ridnour of the T-Wolves going to the Blazers. Initial reports had Lakers point guard Steve Blake as the man headed to Portland. According to reports, the trade would also send Michael Beasley from the Wolves to the Lakers, and Jamal Crawford from the Blazers to the Wolves. The Blazers would also receive one of the Lakers' two first-round draft picks.
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An earlier version of this post -- with extended comments -- was posted Wednesday morning and can be read here.
The Blazers and Timberwolves have been linked in talks for more than a week.
Portland's desire for a first round pick for Crawford earlier this week. I joked with Blazers Acting GM Chad Buchanan about trading for Steve Blake back on Feb. 27.
-- Ben Golliver | benjamin.golliver@gmail.com | Twitter