NBA Trade Rumors and Scenarios: Speculation Bound to Pick Up Steam This Summer
There will be plenty of NBA trade rumors in the 2011 offseason.
And that may be all there is for a while. With the possibility of a looming lockout looking very realistic, teams may not be able to do much in the market until the labor issues are settled.
Every single one of the 30 teams in the league could use an upgrade in one way or another, and that's exactly what we're here to sift through.
Atlanta Hawks: Trade Kirk Hinrich
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Hinrich is plenty capable of playing off of the ball as a 2-guard, but if the Hawks roll out a pairing of Jeff Teague and Kirk Hinrich in the backcourt, they're going to get eaten alive by bigger guards.
Teague's emergence as a legitimate starter in the postseason allows the team to explore the trade market for Hinrich, and his $8 million expiring contract at season's end is certain to bring back a sweet return.
Boston Celtics: Trade Ray Allen
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After a disappointing early exit from the postseason, Boston's General Manager Danny Ainge has once again promised to explore all of his options in the offseason.
Ray Allen is the team's most attractive trade chip, as he remains remarkably prolific at this stage of his career and would yield the best return in any potential deal.
Charlotte Bobcats: Trade Draft Picks
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General Manager Rod Higgins is looking to move up in the upcoming NBA Draft, and he's certainly got the resources to do exactly that.
The Bobcats have the No. 9 and No. 19 picks in the draft, and a packaging of those two picks may certainly be enticing for a team like the Utah Jazz, who hold the third overall selection.
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Chicago Bulls: Acquire O.J. Mayo
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At this season's trade deadline, the Bulls relentlessly tried to acquire a shooting guard to bolster the backcourt.
After coming up empty handed, it wouldn't be shocking to see the team re-visit the possibility and ultimately make a big splash by acquiring a player of Mayo's caliber.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Trade J.J. Hickson
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The Cavaliers are going to debate just about every possibility over the next month, and trading Hickson may be a very real possibility for a team that's looking to re-build.
He was awesome down the stretch last season, but he might never play that well again on a consistent basis and the team could look to capitalize on his value by striking when the iron is hot.
Dallas Mavericks: Trade Brendan Haywood
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Tyson Chandler might be a free agent at season's end, but no Dallas fan wants any part of an overpaid Brendan Haywood in the starting five.
Although it might be tough to move him, freeing up some money on the payroll by dealing his bloated contract elsewhere would be of great benefit to the long-term landscape in the big D.
Denver Nuggets: Trade Raymond Felton
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When the Nuggets originally acquired Felton in the Carmelo Anthony deal, there was a ton of chatter about the point guard being immediately swapped once again in a separate deal.
That never happened, but it doesn't mean that the team is planning on keeping him for the long haul. Ty Lawson is clearly the point guard of the future, and Felton's value is likely to never be this high again.
Detroit Pistons: Trade Richard Hamilton
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With two years and about $25 million remaining on his current deal, trading Rip is not going to be any small task.
But given the nature of the current Pistons team, the front office should look to maximize any potential return in a trade of their veteran because they certainly don't want another Hamilton-Kuester standoff in the midst of a youth movement.
Golden State Warriors: Acquire Antawn Jamison
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This may not make a ton of sense at first glance with David Lee in the fold, but this could be a key move that allows the Warriors to rise back to prominence in the not too distant future.
The team can start Lee at the 5 in a very small lineup, slide Jamison in at the 4 and either let his $15 million deal come off of the books at season's end or flip him at the trade deadline for some attractive assets to a team in search of some financial relief.
Houston Rockets: Trade Hasheem Thabeet
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Hasheem Thabeet is making over $5 million next season, so that's already more than five million reasons why the Rockets should look to deal him.
He's never looked anything close to being a capable contributor on the court, much less a No. 2 overall pick, but he could be a coveted asset considering his deal is set to come off the books at the end of the campaign.
Indiana Pacers: Trade Josh McRoberts
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The Pacers nearly dealt Josh McRoberts at the deadline to Memphis in exchange for O.J. Mayo, but the deal fell through because it was submitted late.
The franchise is likely to re-visit the possibility of dealing him once again, because they're clearly committed to developing Tyler Hansbrough in the 4-spot, and they don't want anything to stunt his growth.
Los Angeles Clippers: Trade Chris Kaman
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If the Clippers are ever going to get serious about competing, they need to find a trade partner for Chris Kaman as soon as humanly possible.
He's a very talented center who would be a fit on a handful of teams (Charlotte Bobcats, for one), and the Clippers desperately need to free up some money if they hope to retain DeAndre Jordan.
Los Angeles Lakers: Acquire Dwight Howard
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The Magic have denied that Dwight is being shopped, the Lakers have said that the fans shouldn't expect any major changes in this mold, but this is going to be one of the hottest rumors in the world until something happens.
Howard could quiet all of the trade chatter if he put pen to paper and signed the extension, but his unwillingness to do that should speak volumes about his future intentions.
Memphis Grizzlies: Is Rudy Gay on the Move?
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The Grizzlies went on a brilliant postseason run in the 2010-11 season, and they did it all without the team's superstar, Rudy Gay.
And while the team's owner has publicly said that they're not trading the superstar this offseason, one has to think they're going to examine all the possibilities about what he could potentially net in a deal considering how well the team played without him.
Miami Heat: Trade Mike Miller
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The Miami Heat are going to have their hands tied in the trade market over the next several seasons with three maximum contracts on the books, so Pat Riley is going to have to get creative if they don't win it all.
One move to potentially explore is shipping Mike Miller out of town, so the Heat could have some financial freedom to sign some veterans heading into next season. Miller hasn't come close to being worth his yearly salary.
Milwaukee Bucks: Trade Ersan Ilyasova
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The Bucks find themselves in a precarious position with not a lot of attractive assets to dangle on the trade market, but one name that might intrigue some other teams is Ersan Ilyasova.
Milwaukee already has a resident European sniper in Carlos Delfino, and Ilyasova's reasonable contract that expires at season's end is definitely a gamble worth taking.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Trade Jonny Flynn
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Jonny Flynn has failed miserably to live up to expectations in Minnesota, and now they're looking to improve at the position once again this offseason.
Although he hasn't provided much at the NBA level, his expiring deal and potential to contribute are two items that may have opposing GM's picking up the phone.
New Jersey Nets: Trade Brook Lopez
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The Nets don't have a lot of attractive pieces on the roster outside of Deron Williams and Brook Lopez, and if they're intent on keeping D-Will for the long-term, they better make a serious splash.
Dwight Howard's arrival would almost certainly be enough to keep both superstars very happy for the long term, and as good as Lopez is, Howard's arrival would make his tenure in New Jersey an afterthought.
New Orleans Hornets: Trade Chris Paul
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Do the Hornets really want their own version of the Carmelo Anthony trade saga?
The key with this scenario is that the Hornets are controlled and operated by the NBA, so any potential deal for the superstar is going to be looked at with an extraordinarily critical eye.
New York Knicks: Acquire Ramon Sessions
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Now that the Cavs have the top overall pick and are likely to select Duke's point guard Kyrie Irving, Ramon Sessions becomes largely expendable because veteran Baron Davis is also on the roster.
The Knicks would be wise to trade for Sessions, who would give them an answer at the position with Chauncey Billups nearing the end of the line.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Trade Nate Robinson
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Nate Robinson has yet to find his niche with the Thunder, and given the fact that he's unlikely to see major minutes behind both Russell Westbrook and Eric Maynor, he may not ever really fit on the team.
With a $4.5 million expiring deal next season, the spark plug off the bench may be looking at a new home once again.
Orlando Magic: Trade for Backup Center
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At last season's trade deadline, there was a lot of conversation between GM Otis Smith and opposing clubs about the possibility of acquiring a backup center.
Howard can't log major minutes on every single night, and nabbing someone like Robin Lopez would help to ease the burden on the All-Star center.
Philadelphia 76ers: Trade Andre Iguodala
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Despite the Sixers insisting that Andre Iguodala hasn't asked for a trade, that doesn't mean that they won't look to deal him.
He's got three years and over $40 million left on his current deal, so the Sixers are going to have to get creative if they hope to free up some cap space in an attempt to re-build the team.
Phoenix Suns: Trade Steve Nash
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Phoenix was "on the fence" about dealing Steve Nash prior to last season's trade deadline and ultimately wound up keeping him for the tenure of the season.
But now that the club is looking toward a full-blown re-construction of the roster, perhaps Nash would be more valuable to the team in terms of what he could yield in any potential deal rather than with his production on the court.
Portland Trail Blazers: Andre Miller
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Andre Miller has a team option that the Blazers could easily choose not to exercise, but instead of letting him walk away for nothing, perhaps they'd benefit by attempting to deal him.
It should be interesting to see what he could net in any potential deal, but he's still a proven contributor in the final years of his career.
Sacramento Kings: Trade Jason Thompson
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The Sacramento Kings have a plethora of big men down low, and Jason Thompson's name has come up more than once or twice in potential trades.
Although he isn't likely to bring back much considering the limitations on his playing time of late, he could blossom into a major contributor for any team that's willing to roll the dice.
San Antonio Spurs: Trade Tony Parker
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If the Spurs are going to get serious about improving their roster in the offseason, Tony Parker could serve as a very valuable trade chip to teams looking to upgrade at point guard.
He's still got a fat chunk of change owed to him over the next few seasons, but there are a plethora of teams that would gladly take on his contract if it meant they were starting a player of Parker's caliber at the point every single night.
Toronto Raptors: Trade Leandro Barbosa
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Barbosa's expiring contract is going to be a juicy negotiating chip at the bargaining table, but constant injuries that force him to the sideline may inhibit his value.
And with the news that Barbosa's lingering sore wrist will have to be something he deals with for the rest of his career, teams may be extra cautious when inquiring about the Brazilian Blur.
Utah Jazz: Trade Mehmet Okur
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Mehmet Okur needs a one-way ticket out of town in the worst way.
After failing to contribute in any way, shape or form last season, the overpaid Okur has really fallen out of favor with the fans in Utah and just getting him off of the roster is addition by subtraction for the Jazz.
Washington Wizards: Trading Up for Derrick Williams
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The Washington Wizards have Williams atop their draft board, and with the No. 6 and No. 18 picks in the upcoming draft, they may very well have the resources to grab him.
A potential packaging of those two picks and a player or two to move up into the No. 2 spot with Minnesota (who could kick in Jonny Flynn in the deal) may be a real juicy scenario for both teams looking to rapidly improve.
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