NBA Trade Rumors: Predicting Who Stays and Who Goes by Deadline

With the March 15 NBA trade deadline fast approaching, rumors continue to swirl regarding which players will don new uniforms for the remainder of the season and which will stay with their respective lineups.

From Dwight Howard to Carmelo Anthony, here are my predictions for who will stay and who will go by the deadline.

I think a lot of these could go either way, and I'd appreciate your comments and opinions.

Steve Nash

In his 16th year of playing point guard in the NBA, Steve Nash continues to put up stable point and assist totals.

Nash made his league debut in 1996, and he played for the Phoenix Suns two seasons before donning a Dallas Mavericks uniform for a huge chunk of his career. However, Phoenix re-acquired Nash in 2004, and the Canadian has played for his original team ever since.

The question is—will the Suns trade their aging point guard for someone younger and overall more beneficial for the team's long-term goals?

And, does Nash want to play elsewhere? 

As far as Phoenix trading Nash, it would require a pretty solid offer from another team, and not many teams have shown strong enough interest. At one point, New York seemed ready to put its name in the running; however, the recent eruption of "Linsanity" in Knicks Nation gives reason to believe NY will stick with second-year PG Jeremy Lin.

I also don't see Nash biting at the reins to relocate. One must assume he's drawing closer to retirement, and he seems to be the loyal type. Although Phoenix started out a little rough this season, the Pacific team has moved to 12-15 on the season and stands at No. 3 in its conference.

"I'm still with the Suns and happily with the Suns," Nash commented. "I've put everything I have into trying to turn this thing around and trying to see what we can do to get ourselves back into contention. To be honest, with this condensed season, I've put all my focus into preparing to play every day."

Although Phoenix may be considering a trade, Nash retains that he is not nervous about the approaching deadline.

"Our position has been the same all along," Lon Babby told Sports Illustrated, "which is I've told him that he has earned the right to stay with our franchise as long as he wants provided that he believes in what we're doing, and provided that he's all in and wants to do that."

My prediction: Nash stays in Phoenix.

Monta Ellis

Monta Ellis was drafted by Golden State in Round 2 of the 2005 NBA Draft, and the guard has played with the Warriors since then.

It also seems like trade rumors surround the young athlete yearly.

At 26 years old, Ellis averages 23 PPG and six APG.

It's no secret that the L.A. Lakers need an effective guard, but their radar doesn't seem to be pointing in Ellis' direction. Current rumors state that L.A. has its eye on veteran Gilbert Arenas.

Golden State desperately needs help at the center position, and Ellis could work as trade bait for such a deal. Potential teams that could offer big men are the New Jersey Nets (Mehmet Okur) or the New Orleans Hornets (Chris Kaman).

Because the Warriors have Stephen Curry (17.5 PPG and seven APG), the loss of Ellis might be worth it if the right deal was offered.

“We need to solve our one glaring need at center,” Jerry West told the San Francisco Chronicle, “and once you have some chips, that’s when you can make a trade or shake things up to get something you don’t have. It’s challenging, but I’m confident that it can be done.”

However, based on the team's current situation, it seems that West may wait until next year to shop Ellis around. According to HoopsWorld.com, Golden State will have about $10 million in cap space this summer. The Warriors also possess the chance to grab a top-seven pick in the upcoming draft, and these combined factors suggest there's no hurry on moving their star player.

My prediction: Ellis stays in California.

Stephen Jackson

Veteran Stephen Jackson has played 12 years in the NBA, and many--including Jackson himself--question if Milwaukee is the best team for him.

Although he averages 12 points and just over three assists per game, there seems to be some tension between Jackson and the Bucks organization. A week ago, Jackson had played only nine minutes over a five-game stretch. He sat out one game due to suspension, and Milwaukee head coach Scott Skiles benched him for an additional three games.

According to Alex Kennedy of Hoops World, Jackson had not demanded a trade as of Jan. 31. However, the veteran did admit to being frustrated with his decreased minutes.

In an ESPN.com article published on Feb. 7, Jackson was quoted as saying the following:

"I'm supporting my teammates the way that I've always been. I'm going to respect the coaches, I'm going to respect everybody around. But at the end of the day, everybody knows I want to play. That's not a secret."

Well, Skiles doesn't seem too keen on Jackson playing in Milwaukee, so a trade could be on the horizon. The question is, where would Jackson go?

ESPN's Ric Bucher weighed in via SportsIllustrated.com:

"

My understanding is that Stephen Jackson and Dwight Howard have talked several times about playing together.  They would love to do so with the Nets with Deron Williams as the point guard setting them up. If the Nets want to improve their chances of getting Dwight Howard, making a deal for Stephen Jackson … should be on their menu.

"

The LA Clippers could also be in the running, due to the recent loss of Chauncey Billups. Billups suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon and will be out for the remainder of the season.

My prediction: Jackson will be traded before the deadline, probably to the Clippers.

Pau Gasol

Lakers center Pau Gasol may be in his 11th NBA season, but he doesn't seem to be slowing down statistically.

The native of Spain currently averages 17 PPG and 10 RPG, and the big man could certainly be an asset to any team wanting to take him on.

The Lakers already showed they were willing to part with Gasol when they attempted a trade that would send Gasol and Lamar Odom packing.

The trade was nixed, but not before Gasol realized where L.A.'s real loyalties lay.

Currently, the two teams most largely involved in Gasol trade rumors are Houston and Boston.

Should David Stern have allowed the original trade to go through, Houston would have been the proud owners of Gasol. However, the Rockets still look to bring him in through an alternative deal.

Adrian Wojnarowski wrote the following in regards to Houston's interest in Gasol:

"

Everyone knows the Lakers need a point guard, and the price of a top playmaker remains the same: Gasol. The Houston Rockets still have a longing for Gasol, but the Lakers would want a player the Rockets are most reluctant to part with: point guard Kyle Lowry. The Lakers could probably pry a combination of Kevin Martin and Luis Scola for Gasol, league sources said, but it’s doubtful they’ll move Gasol without solving their point guard problem. 

"

The more recent rumor involves Gasol heading to Boston in exchange for guard Rajon Rondo. Although the deal sounds a bit far-fetched, it's been proven that the Celtics will part with Rondo...for the right price. Boston shopped their guard around earlier in the season, attempting to make a deal involving OKC's Russel Westbrook and Kendrick Perkins.

The question is, do the Lakers have enough collateral to offer along with Gasol to sweeten the deal?

My prediction: Gasol will stay in L.A.

Michael Beasley

When it comes to judging Minnesota forward Michael Beasley, Timberwolves fans are the worst offenders—I can say that, because I'm one of them.

Originally a No. 2 draft pick (2008 NBA Draft), Beasley is your classic "young star that didn't pan out." He struggled to find consistency or a starting position with the Miami Heat, and he also has a reputation for getting into trouble—specifically with marijuana possession.

Beasley is a risk, and Minnesota took that chance. 

The young ball player seemed optimistic and excited for a new start when he came to the Midwest in 2010.

However, he once again struggled to find his zone on the hardwood, and he was once again cited for possession in July 2011. Riding the bench due to nagging ankle injuries at the beginning of this season, Beasley was a giant question mark.

Being that rookie Derrick Williams shares a similar style of ball, many fans believe Minnesota should trade Beasley and give Williams the minutes. Timberwolves forward Kevin Love even "joked" about the offense running smoother with Beasley sidelined.

Even with all the negative hype surrounding Beasley, though, one has to admit he's stepped up his game since returning to the floor. He's put up a couple double-doubles from the bench, and he seems to have finally come to terms with that position.

Although I think GM David Kahn would be willing to let Beasley go, I'm not sure another team would gamble on the volatile young forward.

My prediction: Beasley stays in Minnesota; no other team wants him.

Ramon Sessions

Currently a backup for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Ramon Sessions continues to show spurts of success on the floor. 

To those teams now shopping for an additional guard, Sessions is a viable possibility.

According to ESPN's Marc Stein, both the New York Knicks and the LA Lakers are seriously looking at Sessions. Although Cleveland seems willing to make a deal, the article states that the Cavaliers want to secure a first-round draft pick in exchange for the guard.

Here's what Stein had to say about the possible trade:

"

Although the Lakers have their own first-round pick and Dallas' first-rounder in 2012, it's believed that L.A. prefers to hold off on using either of those picks or its $8.9 million trade exception (created by the deal that sent Lamar Odom to the Mavs) until Dwight Howard's situation plays out in Orlando. Meaning that the Lakers don't want to burn one (or more) of their limited trade assets and then find out that Orlando is suddenly ready to deal Dwight before the March 15 trading deadline.

"

Sessions averages 10 points and six assists per game, and those numbers aren't too shabby for a desperate Lakers squad. And with the addition of rookie Kyrie Irving to the Cavaliers' roster, Cleveland wouldn't exactly be left wanting.

My prediction: Sessions will be traded before the deadline, most likely to L.A.

Dwight Howard

No doubt the largest trade discussion out there, the question of where Dwight Howard will land has been swirling since Day 1 of the shortened season.

The L.A. Lakers, New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets have been among the most prominent contenders, and the Chicago Bulls were mentioned a few weeks ago.

Orlando owner Richard Devos doesn't seem too keen on the idea of sending his All-Star away. He recently made it pretty clear, telling ESPN:

"I don't want to trade him."

However, what good is it to trap a player on your roster that has no desire to be there? Howard has been becoming noticeably disgruntled in a Magic jersey, and it's clear he's ready to move on.

Will Devos accept the inevitable and try to form a reasonable deal, or will he keep Howard in the lineup?

My prediction: Howard will remain in Orlando, but he'll leave when he enters free agency this summer.