NBA Rumors: Latest on Jamal Crawford Trade, Joe Johnson and More

There is no such thing as a dry rumor mill in the Association. 

Big names have new homes or returned home with the free-agency floodgates open, but there is plenty of chatter around the NBA. There are still contracts to shed, future outlooks to mold like clay and rosters to round out, whether via trade or free agency.  

More moves are inevitable at this time of year. The Association is a trigger-happy place, and many front offices keep their fingers ready to improve.

Below, three teams seem on the hunt to do so via various alleged transactions, and together they form the headline acts of the mill right now.

Joe Johnson Deal Off?

Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

So much for the Joe Johnson-Cleveland Cavaliers marriage.

The deal made sense, the rumblings first mentioned by Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. The Brooklyn Nets want to do whatever it takes to get out of their bad contracts and avoid cap penalties. Johnson is one of those, with a $24.8 million cap hit next year, per Spotrac.

Johnson would make perfect sense in Cleveland as a rental, too, a season removed from watching the Cavaliers get run off the court by the Golden State Warriors thanks to a lack of depth.

According to Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, though, the talks are off:

It seemed to be a win-win situation for both parties.

In the deal, Brooklyn would receive Brendan Haywood and his $10.5 million cap hit, per Spotrac, but it's a hit not guaranteed if he's waived. Johnson? A veteran who wants to chase a ring and still averaged 14.4 points and 3.7 assists last season.

Even if the talks are dead, there are other ways both teams can dangle such assets on the market in the hopes of improvement.

Cavaliers and Jamal Crawford?

For the Cavaliers, this may come via a pursuit of Los Angeles Clippers guard Jamal Crawford. 

It's an assumed bit of information that the Clippers would like to perhaps throw the 35-year-old guard on the market. He's not going to receive much in the way of playing time over J.J. Redick despite his talent, and now Lance Stephenson is also in the mix.

Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com confirms the Cavaliers share the same thought: "Northeast Ohio Media Group has confirmed an ESPN report that the Cavaliers are exploring the possibility of trading for one of the most electric sixth men in the league: shooting guard Jamal Crawford of the Los Angeles Clippers."

Of course, Haywood's contract comes up in the report. Los Angeles could use the cap space, especially if it helps the front office make something out of nothing after it whiffed hard on DeAndre Jordan's trip to free agency.

As for the Cavaliers, Crawford could provide a serious boost to the second team, if not the first. Mo Williams backs up Kyrie Irving now, but a veteran who averaged 15.8 points on 26.6 minutes last year is nothing short of an upgrade on Matthew Dellavedova and Joe Harris.

Such a transaction makes sense for the Cavaliers in comparison to the Johnson rumblings in the financial department. It might be a wash on the court, too, so expect chatter to heat up.

Heat Hosting a Sale

J Pat Carter/Associated Press

The Miami Heat are like the Nets when it comes to cash—now is the time to do whatever it takes to avoid cap penalties. 

There's no reason to doubt Pat Riley, of course. He saw Justise Winslow fall in his lap on draft day. But bringing back Goran Dragic was costly, and ditto for Dwyane Wade. The moves help the Heat remain contenders in the Eastern Conference, but contender status comes with a steep price.

Per Grantland's Zach Lowe, the Heat will throw two veterans on the block, the idea being to shed salary: "Mario Chalmers and Chris Andersen are available for nothing, per several league sources."

Here is the problem for the Heat. Mario Chalmers is a solid veteran who averaged 10.2 points and 3.8 assists in a backup role last year. But teams know the Heat want to shed salary, so why not push for a high-upside player such as Shabazz Napier instead?

Chris Andersen isn't a bad backup center by any means, but why not push for a big man such as Josh McRoberts?

So it goes for a team like the Heat, which will contend next season so long as the squad remains healthy. Even if the team isn't able to swing a deal, it's in a good spot from an on-court standpoint.

Keep tabs on the Heat. When it comes to Riley, anything is possible.

All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.