NBA Trade Speculation: 10 Trades That Could Shake Things Up

I'm just here to keep you updated on what's going on in the NBA.

There remains several possible trades and moves that would change the NBA and power rankings instantaneously. 

Nobody knows where these players will end up, but it's always fun to speculate and predict.

Will contenders shift to pretenders with the movement of marquee players?

Does the possibility of Dwight Howard linking forces with the great Kobe Bryant still exist?

Could OJ Mayo increase the Bulls' chances of competing for a title?

Let's dig a little deeper into this crazy business known as the NBA.

Dwight Howard to the Lakers

This one is pretty obvious, so I thought I'd get it out the way. 

Dwight Howard to the Lakers would make Kobe and company immediate contenders.

The thing is, the Lakers are not looking to move both Bynum and Gasol.

However, with the decrease in production for Gasol and the seemingly rapid decline of the Lakers, I wouldn't rule out the possibility of Kupchak doing everything in his power to acquire Howard.

If I were Kupchak I'm not sure I'd be willing to swap Bynum for Dwight right as Drew is finding the groove Laker fans have longed for for years. 

But it is clear some changes need to be made in order for Kobe's last years in the league to be salvaged.

OJ Mayo to the Bulls

I may be a little biased, being a Trojan and all, but people underestimate just how much this trade, which died before the deadline, could do for the Bulls.

Joakim Noah, a possible trade piece, may be the anchor of the Bulls defense, but on the offensive end he brings nothing to the table.

It is pretty clear that the Bulls lack a consistent weapon to pair alongside Rose in the backcourt, but the addition of Mayo and insertion of Omer Asik into the starting lineup would make the Bulls a better team and more poised for a deeper championship run.

Steve Nash to the Knicks

There have been talks of Steve Nash joining Melo, STAT and Chandler.

The Knicks' problem is that they play no defense, but having no true point guard also hurts them on the offensive ends and often times results in Melo becoming a black hole.

Too many shots for Melo means too many L's for the Knicks and horrible numbers for Amar'e.

Starting rookie point guard Iman Shumpert is a good player, but he is not a point guard.

His game play is like Dwyane Wade's, even though he may be a little undersized to play the 2-guard.

With Steve Nash at the reigns it doesn't take a genius to recognize the fact that they would be a much better team.

He would keep the ball moving around and could knock down open shots like he has done his whole career.

Not only that, we know how good he and Amar'e are in the pick and roll.

The Knicks would be a tough team to beat come playoff time.

Dwight Howard to the Knicks

Trading Amar'e and Chandler for Dwight Howard is a new intriguing trade rumor circulating around the NBA.

At the end of the day I think both teams would benefit.

Dwight Howard would be that defensive anchor the Knicks are looking for.

The truth of the matter is the Knicks are paying Chandler too much. After his stellar play in the Mavericks' championship run last year, it is once again clear that Chandler is an athletic, yet mediocre center at best.

However, send him and Amar'e to the Magic and pair him with the likes of Ryan Anderson, Hedo Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson and Jason Richardson and you still have a pretty decent team.

As of now, the Magic are winning so I'd think they'd be skeptical to make any moves.

But I also know they don't want to be left with nothing if Howard does decide to leave at the end of the season.

Decisions, decisions, decisions. 

Dwight Howard to the Nets

We all know Deron Williams would love to play with Dwight Howard.

Dwight Howard has also showed interest in playing for the Nets, being under the bright Brooklyn lights and playing for Jay-Z.

This trade would be much easier and more likely if Brook Lopez had not gotten injured at the beginning of the season.

This limits the Nets' already limited pieces to trade with.

However, at the end of the day I think the Nets could put together a nice deal for Howard.

Although the East is perceived as the stronger conference, in reality there are more pretenders than contenders.

Deron Williams and Dwight Howard would be another dynamic duo in the league and could possibly contend in the East with the likes of the Bulls and the Heat.

Deron Williams to the Lakers

It's no secret that the Lakers are looking for an upgrade at the point guard position.

In my opinion, this speculated move is one of the more likely trades to happen on the list.

The truth of the matter is Gasol is now the Lakers' third option.

It makes a lot of sense for the Lakers to swap Gasol for Williams and maybe even rid themselves of Metta World Peace or even Luke Walton.

The Lakers would improve as a team.

Troy Murphy and Josh McRoberts can come in and play solid at the 4-position and would be surrounded by Bynum, Barnes, Kobe and Williams. 

Sounds like a move that would fare well for LA.

Paul Pierce to the Lakers

When I heard about the possibility of Paul Pierce joining the Lakers, I found it rather peculiar.

I then started to think about what exactly he could bring to a struggling Lakers team.

It is clear the Lakers need another scoring option on the wing. 

Although their bigs are their strength, Kobe can't do it all on the perimeter. 

Pierce would be another player you'd have to game plan for as an opposing team and he'd be another weapon the Lakers could go to at the end of the game.

Pierce may be in the downfall of his career, but he is still a solid defender and gets the job done.

Trading Pierce for Pau and one of the many Laker small forwards would be a savvy move for LA.

Deron Williams to the Mavs

The Mavs are on Williams' list of teams he would like to play for if Howard does not come to town.

Although the pairing of Dirk and Deron would not be as monstrous as Deron and Dwight, it would surely still suffice.

Let's not forget that the Mavs are only a year removed from a championship season in which they beat the Heat, and although they lost a lot of players, they are still a solid team.

Poor Lamar Odom might have to be traded again for this acquisition to take place, but this would make the Mavs contenders once again.

They would still be lacking the solid big man that they had in Tyson Chandler last year, but with Williams stepping in for veteran Jason Kidd, the Mavs would be a tough team to beat as the season progresses.

Devin Harris to the Lakers

I am surprised that this has not received more trade speculation.

Devin Harris is still a very good and quick point guard in the NBA today, but he has been put on the trading block.

I wouldn't call him an elite player, therefore the Lakers might not even have to give up one of their bigs to acquire him.

LA has a first-round pick that they received from the Mavs in the trade for Lamar that they could use to fix their point guard problems.

Ray Allen to the Bulls

This potential trade looks good on paper.

Ray Allen and Derrick Rose in the same backcourt. 

A deadly scorer and a deadly shooter.

Talk of the Celtics' Big Three being blown up has come about and they could all be headed their separate ways soon enough.

This is the thing, people thought Rip Hamilton would play a much bigger role when the Bulls acquired him.

But let's think about this, Derrick Rose is not the type of PG to stand at the top of the key and wait for Rip to run off three screens before he is open.

He also isn't really your knockdown three-point shooter.

Allen and Rip play very similar.

It goes without saying that Allen is a much better shooter, but he is not what you would call a scorer.

He struggles to create his own shot and I don't think he'd be much of an improvement over Rip.

That doesn't mean there wouldn't be a lot of hype surrounding this trade, but I'm just saying don't count your chickens before they hatch.