NBA Trade Rumors: Analyzing Buzz on Nerlens Noel, Iman Shumpert and More
The 2016-17 NBA season is a little over a week old, but that hasn't stopped the rumor mill from churning out a few enticing tidbits.
Since it's so early in the year, no team will be looking to execute a blockbuster trade anytime soon. If any of those deals are finalized, they'll almost certainly come closer to the Feb. 23ย trade deadline.
A few general managers could be looking for smaller ways to upgrade their squads.
Below are some of the rumors that have surfaced in recent days.
Nerlens Noel
The Philadelphia 76ers have to do something to alleviate their logjam in the frontcourt.
Trading Joel Embiid would be a tacit acknowledgment that The Process has been a failure, and the 22-year-old is healthy enough to where he can actually help the team, so he's untouchable. That leaves one of Nerlens Noel or Jahlil Okafor as the odd man out.
On Monday, Turner Sports analyst David Aldridge wrote about the various first-round draft picks from 2013 who were in line for contract extensions. Regarding Noel, Aldridge wrote the Sixers weren't going to re-sign him before Monday's deadline and that Philadelphia is continuing to make him available for possible trades.
Ideally, the Sixers could move Okafor, who is basically a younger version of Greg Monroe. Although Okafor is a great scorer in the post, his defense is nonexistent. In today's NBA, a big man who can't protect the rim is a liability.
In September, Noel didn't outright demand a trade, but he said the Sixers needed to move somebody, per the Associated Press' Chuck Gormley:
"You've got three talented centers that can play 30-plus minutes a night and three centers can't play 30 minutes a night. That's that. Things need to be situated. Obviously, somebody's got to be moved around. It's a tough situation, but I can only say so much because I have no say and no power.
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The problem for Philadelphia is that dealing Noel may not get the team the return it hopes. He had minor knee surgery in October and hasn't played yet this year.
Even if Noel plays well in his return to the court, few expect the Sixers to re-sign him in the offseason, which hurts their bargaining position. Near the trade deadline, general manager Bryan Colangelo may take whatever he can get to avoid losing Noel for nothing next summer.
Iman Shumpert
Rookie Kay Felder is the Cleveland Cavaliers' backup point guard, which is less than ideal for a title contender. In the event Kyrie Irving is injured, the Cavs would be putting a lot of pressure on the second-round draft pick.
General manager David Griffin is in a bind, though. Cleveland has few assets of value it could realistically trade for a veteran backup point guard. According to Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon, the Cavs aren't actively working the phones to move Iman Shumpert, either.
Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue has been using the 26-year-old at the point for stretches, which ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin thinks has provided mixed results so far:
Shumpert's trade value is at the lowest it has ever been anyway, so Cleveland couldn't piece him together in any deal to acquire the backup point guard it needs.
Shumpert is supposed to be a ย three-and-D guy, but he shot 29.5 percent from beyond the arc last year. Durability has always been an issue as well, with the former Georgia Tech star missing 28 games in 2015-16, not to mention Shumpert will earn a little over $31 million over the next three years.
Since Griffin has so little flexibility with the roster, he might as well hold on to Shumpert and hope the swingman can take a step forward in 2016-17.
Portland Trail Blazers
For many fans, the Portland Trail Blazers had an odd offseason. They signed Evan Turner and Festus Ezeli, and extended C.J. McCollum, Meyers Leonard, Moe Harkless and Allen Crabbe.
According to Spotrac, the Blazers' payroll climbed from $66,562,366 inย 2015โfourth-lowest in the leagueโto $112,823,448 this season, which is third-highest behind the Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers.
ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported there could be a method to general manager Neil Olshey's madness:
"The suspicion among numerous league observers is that the Blazers' non-stop spending this past offseason was asset collection as much as anything. Scan through all those names again and it's clear Portland has no shortage of options to thrust itself into all kinds of trade talks as [Olshey] continues to shape the roster around backcourt bedrocks [Damian] Lillard and [McCollum].
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That strategy would make sense. Portland has the pieces to earn a top-four spot in the Western Conference, but it's a serious stretch to call the team an NBA Finals contender. In order to make that jump, the Blazers need to find another star to pair with Lillard.
Attracting marquee free agents may prove difficult, so packaging various pieces in a trade would be the easiest way for Portland to acquire that star-level talent.
There isn't a ton of urgency for Olshey to act now. Lillard is only in the first year of his five-year max deal, and the Blazers' window for success extends beyond this year. Still, it would be smart for Olshey to begin looking at ways he can take his roster to the next level.
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