NBA Trade Rumors: Top Trade Target Each Team Wants Before Deadline

The NBA trade deadline is on March 15th. 

That's a little later than usual but that shouldn't be a surprise to most NBA observers in the aftermath of last year's lockout. 

In Major League Baseball, the end of July is the annual period of time each season that fans are constantly scanning the news for information on what their favorite team is doing and what players may be coming or going. 

The NBA is no different. The deadline annually provides teams with opportunities to build for the long-term future or maybe a short-term run for a title. 

Last season the biggest name was Carmelo Anthony who was eventually dealt to the New York Knicks. This year it's Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic that will lead an endless array of trade rumors. 

There are 30 NBA teams, some are chasing Howard but some have other targets, who might your favorite team be targeting?

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Atlanta Hawks

This season has been a forgettable one in Atlanta.

The Hawks have been decimated by injuries losing Al Horford, Josh Smith and Joe Johnson for considerable stretches of time. The team is still over .500 but the real chances of the Hawks making a deep playoff run are slim. 

The three big name players will all eventually return to the lineup and when they do the Hawks will still have one glaring deficiency. 

The point guard. That position was a weakness when the team was healthy. Jeff Teague is a nice player who can flash tremendous athleticism. He's not a great night-in, night-out point guard though. 

That's why the Hawks will take a long look at Ramon Sessions of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Sessions spent last year playing behind Baron Davis and Mo Williams. When he played, he was good. 

Then the Cavaliers used their number one overall pick on Kyrie Irving. The young point guard has been great but when he was sidelined by an injury, Sessions once again played very well on the floor.

All of that has made Sessions one of several point guards that promise to be an object of desire for many teams as the trade deadline approaches. The Hawks are no exception. 

Adding Sessions would have a double impact for the Hawks. It would stabilize and improve this year's injury-plagued edition of the Hawks. They still won't be healthy enough to garner a high playoff seed and win in the tough eastern conference. They will however be set at the point guard position entering the 2012-2013 season. 

Adding Sessions who has put up solid assist numbers passing to a collection of fairly unimpressive options on offense in Cleveland to the likes of Horford, Johnson and Smith will make Atlanta a very tough team to defend. 

Boston Celtics

If you are the type of person that correctly thinks that the Celtics as presently constructed are a team doomed to disintegrate into a morass of injuries and bad records, then you know they must make some big moves. 

If you listen to what Danny Ainge has said then the odds of the Celtics going all out to acquire just one major part (Dwight Howard for instance) seem slim. Howard would provide an instant boost but his sky high cap number would limit the Celtics flexibility and while the need for a big man is the number one issue in Boston, there are other needs as well.

Enter DeMarcus Cousins.

Cousins is a number of things. He's young, he's talented, he's got a tremendous upside, he's not getting paid that much.

He's also immature, prone to an occasional outburst and fairly raw in his game.

The Celtics can probably acquire Cousins without totally maxing out the salary cap and without limiting their flexibility to make other deals down the road.

They'll still have to part with some key players to get him as well as probably one of their two first-round picks in the 2012 NBA Draft. You don't get something for nothing though and Cousins is a 21-year-old player who stands 6'11 and is averaging over 16 points per game and over 11 rebounds per game with a grand total of two and one half years of basketball since leaving high school.

That's called "upside." Cousins has tons of it and the Celtics need every bit of it.  

Charlotte Bobcats

The Charlotte Bobcats have embarked on a long-term plan for building a franchise. It's not going to happen overnight and you don't need to read interviews with Bobcats executives to figure it out. The team is terrible. 

The team also has some expiring contracts and some players such as point guard D.J. Augustine who could bring back value in a trade. What would the Bobcats want ideally? 

Well, barring a time machine to transform Michael Jordan from past-his-prime executive to in-his-prime player, the Bobcats would probably love a few more draft picks. First round picks, any year, anytime. From anyone but of course preferably from teams that will be picking higher in the draft than lower. 

The NBA Draft still operates on a lottery. It's been changed a bit to give the very weakest teams a greater chance at the highest picks but just being the worst team still doesn't guarantee a team the number one pick. 

The Bobcats would love to get as many chances as possible at landing the man who will almost unquestionably be the number one pick this June—Anthony Davis. 

If there's any way possible to grab another shot at the lottery without dealing Kemba Walker or Bismack Biyombo, look for the Bobcats to make the move. 

Chicago Bulls

It's kind of tough to figure out what exactly the Bulls need at the deadline. What or who should they be targeting? 

Rumors of big name players like Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol will probably surface as the deadline draws near but acquiring either player would only happen if the Bulls made a major trade. 

Why would they want to do that? 

The Bulls are 27-8. They have the second best record in the entire league behind only Oklahoma City and Miami, who sit tied at the top of the league for best overall record. 

The Bulls have attained that record while their best player who also happens to be the reigning league MVP, Derrick Rose, having missed 10 games due to a nagging back injury. Those 10 games missed by Rose are more then Durant, Westbrook, James and Wade have missed combined.

That makes a major trade fun to gossip about but probably a not-so-great idea. The Bulls will look for low-cost, low-hanging fruit to pluck at the deadline. If there's a way to acquire an experienced player who can play limited minutes and still possibly contribute to a title run then that would be a good acquisition for Chicago. They probably wouldn't have to give up much more than a second-round pick for some of those players.

One logical player would be Ray Allen of the Celtics. Allen is a free agent this coming fall and he'd fit in perfectly on a team that could use another viable option for Rose to dish to on the perimeter.

The Bulls would have to shed some of their bench players to make room for Allen's salary. That would make them slightly less of a deep team but in the long run most of that depth would be needed only in the case of a major injury to Rose.

If that were to happen then it won't matter who they acquire at the deadline.  

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers have embarked on the rebuilding process after the departure of LeBron James two summers ago. 

Last June, the team made Kyrie Irving the number one overall pick in the NBA draft. Irving has been installed as the point guard of the future in Cleveland and has performed well in his first year in the league. 

The Cavs will look to continue down a similar path at the trade deadline. Cleveland will probably make a trade. Backup point guard Ramon Sessions seems like a prime candidate to be dealt. Cleveland will probably try and secure another first round draft choice in exchange for Session's services.

That would probably end up netting Cleveland two lottery picks in what could end up being one of the deeper NBA drafts in recent memory. It's not a bad strategy at all and Cleveland looks to be determined to follow it.  

Dallas Mavericks

Dallas has salary cap issues and owner Mark Cuban has even gone on the record as saying that the Mavericks aren't inclined to make any major trades this season unless the trade could bring another title to Dallas. 

Dallas is positioning itself to be a major player in the free-agent market this coming offseason. They want to maintain their competitive place in the Western Conference but aren't about to compromise their favorable salary cap position this coming summer to do it. 

If the chance to snag Dwight Howard in a trade presented itself, then they'd be silly to not take advantage of it. Howard is one of the players the Mavericks are clearing cap room to pursue this summer so why not get him on board early if they can in fact pull it off? 

It would take a multi-team deal because the Mavericks don't really have the pieces that Orlando would want in a two-team trade. One player that would be on the way out if such a deal were to happen would be Shawn Marion .

For Dallas, the trade deadline is probably an all or nothing situation. Dallas will either land an essential part of what would become a team with immediate NBA title expectations or stand pat, shed salary this summer and attempt to reload via free agency before the 2012-2013 season begins.  

Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets might not have to actually trade for the player they acquire around the trade deadline. He still may be the team's primary target though. 

Wilson Chandler was one of the many talented players the Nuggets got from the New York Knicks in exchange for All-Star Carmelo Anthony last February. Then when the league was mired in it's labor conflict, Chandler who was a free agent this past offseason, chose to sign a deal and play in China. 

That deal has expired and the season is over in China so Chandler is now able to come back to the United States and play NBA hoops again. 

The Nuggets are reportedly very interested in his services. They should be—he's a versatile player who can excel in either a starting or off the bench role.

Chandler is still technically a restricted free agent so Denver gets to sign him to an offer sheet which would then have to be matched or exceeded by another team. Other teams might show interest in Chandler, but Denver seems to be the most likely destination. 

Detroit Pistons

Here are a few things that most NBA fans seem to agree on with regards to the Detroit Pistons. 

They've got some intriguing expiring contracts. 

They've got a crowded but young and talented backcourt. 

Don't bother asking about Greg Monroe. 

With that in mind the Pistons could be a team able to make a number of moves at the deadline. 

One potential target could be former number two overall pick Emeka Okafor. Okafor has two things working against him in his current home of New Orleans. One is that he makes decent money. The other is that he's never become the player that many thought he'd be when he was the second pick in the 2004 draft behind Dwight Howard.

Okafor could probably be a Piston in exchange for some of the expiring contracts on the team such as Charlie Villanueva. The real question is how much Detroit wants him.

Okafor hasn't been the guy that many thought he'd be. He's a solid all-around player but doesn't seem to provide enough of any one thing in particular, scoring, rebounding or defense, to create a real demand for his services.

Perhaps Joe Dumars thinks that pairing Okafor with rebounding machine Greg Monroe will help define what is expected from Okafor on the court and lead to a resurgence in his level of play.

This is a Piston's team that could easily stand pat at the deadline and wait for the offseason, shed salary and make some deals with the hope to come back with a totally different look for the 2012-2013 season.  

Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors have one of the NBA's more tempting pieces of trade bait. 

Monta Ellis is one of the most exciting players in the league. He's a combo guard that plays like a shooting guard but is sized like a point guard. That will inevitably set off some red flags among some NBA executives.

But his prolific scoring ability will also draw other teams toward making a move for him. 

The Warriors are currently on the outside looking in with regards to the playoffs. They are only three games behind the Blazers for the eighth seed though. 

New head coach Mark Jackson would love to be able to add "made the playoffs in first season" to his resume. That means that the odds of Jackson allowing his team to limp to a low finish in the west could be slim. Jackson seems prepped to compete through the duration of this season.

If that's the case then Ellis won't be going anywhere at the deadline unless someone is coming back that could make a major impact. That would bring the name Dwight Howard back into the mix.

It seems ludicrous since Howard has yet to really express enthusiasm about playing in the Bay Area. But if the Warriors landed Howard, they could probably make a decent run in what appears to be a wide-open Western Conference.

That type of deal could be a disaster down the road in Howard were to decide to sign as a free agent in the offseason but trades like that happen in all sports. It's a risky move for sure but it can pay off in the short-term.  

Houston Rockets

The Rockets have the cap space, the market size, the history and the means to go out and acquire Dwight Howard.

What's stopping them? 

That's a good question. It's probably that they're not too high on dealing for Howard, giving up a fair amount in the process and then not retaining him in the offseason. The ultimate nightmare of course would be for Howard to bolt Houston for in-state rival Dallas. 

That doesn't mean that the Rockets won't be in contact with the Magic as the deadline draws near. 

In addition to Howard, the Rockets would have to be considered one of the favorites to land Lakers forward Pau Gasol. Would the Rockets part with both Luis Scola and Kevin Martin in exchange for Gasol's services? 

They already did that to an extent when the original Chris Paul trade that would have placed Paul in a Laker uniform was voided by David Stern. 

Martin is a shooter who plays sporadic defense. Scola is a warrior down low who's just not quite good enough a player to be considered elite. 

A deal of this type would probably involve other teams because the Lakers don't have much use for Martin. But that doesn't change the fact that targeting Pau Gasol seems like a direction the Rockets may take. 

Indiana Pacers

The Pacers are another team committed to building with youth. That's the direction that team president Larry Bird wants to go in and they seem to be on that path. 

The Pacers also are one of the few teams in the league that has considerable salary cap space. I'm not talking about space this coming offseason, I'm referring to salary cap space now. That gives the team some added flexibility at the trade deadline. The team can actually absorb salary without having to shed it in exchange. 

That means that the current Pacers team, which in spite of it's youth, still has a 21-12 record good enough for third in the Eastern Conference can add talent to the mix for a playoff run. 

The New Orleans Hornets are searching for a buyer and in the process they're trying to shed as much salary as possible. Kaman makes over $14 million this season but that deal expires at the end of the year. Indiana could just offer New Orleans a second round pick or a protected future first-round pick to bring on Kaman and add a solid big man for the upcoming playoffs. 

This type of deal seems like a no-brainer for them if New Orleans is willing to do it. 

Los Angeles Clippers

Ray Allen is a player who probably only makes sense for a handful of teams to acquire.

To want to deal for Allen, a team must be in a position to make a decent run in the playoffs. They also must have a need for both a veteran presence and a guy who can knock down some open shots. Someone to hit big free throws wouldn't hurt either. 

The Clippers knew that a player like Allen could end up playing a key role if the Clippers were serious about making a run at the NBA finals.That's why they signed Chauncey Billups after he was released by the Knicks. 

The problem is that Billups ruptured his Achilles tendon ending his season. The Clippers would love to find a suitable replacement for Billups. They recently signed former Clipper Bobby Simmons but the likelihood of Simmons producing in a similar manner to Billups seems remote. 

Ray Allen would be a the perfect replacement for Billups. Allen isn't as good a playmaker but with Paul on the floor that's not the most essential part of his game. Allen's production has slowed this season. He looks too tired to get his legs under his shot at times. That's likely the result of being forced to run off of screens all game to get open. 

In Los Angeles, he'd get open more as a result of teams collapsing on Blake Griffin in the paint. He'd also benefit playing alongside Paul, who is a more consistent scoring threat than Rajon Rondo. 

If the Clippers are really serious about making a run to win it all this year then Ray Allen seems like a logical guy to pursue as the trade deadline approaches. 

Los Angeles Lakers

It's not a secret that the Lakers have some serious gaps to fill if they hope to make it back to the NBA Finals before Kobe Bryant's retirement in the not-too-distant future. 

One gap? Point guard. Count Derek Fisher among the group of NBA players who will be retiring very soon. Fisher was never a premier point guard but at his best he was able to consistently make good passes, hit open shots and beat his defender on the occasion that he slacked off on Fisher too much. 

Those days are in the past now. Fisher is no longer able to run the offense as effectively and he can't get to the basket with enough frequency either. 

The Lakers would love to add a point guard to stabilize the offense and also open up opportunities for some of the talented players on the roster. Raymond Felton was in the midst of an All-Star-type season as a member of the Knicks last season. Then he was sent to Denver as part of the massive Carmelo Anthony deal.

In Denver, the backcourt was too crowded so Felton landed in Portland. He's yet to fit in there. Last week he was benched for a lack of production.

The Blazers would be open to dealing Felton and his salary fits into the salary exception that the Lakers now have as a result of the Lamar Odom trade.

A deal sending Felton to Los Angeles looks about as likely to happen as any deal in the upcoming weeks.  

Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies are a team that's maxed out as far as the salary cap goes. That's going to play a role in the team not making too many deals come deadline time. 

Memphis who shocked the top seeded San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs last year has suffered from a number of injuries this season. Most importantly Zach Randolph.

Through it all, Memphis remains a 19-15 team. That's good enough to put the team on track for the seventh seed in the Western Conference.

Randolph will be back well in time for the playoffs so the team not only has to stand pat at the trade deadline but doing so may not really be the worst thing in the world.

The team would gladly ship off some of it's less useful parts like Sam Young for a future draft pick. Look for Memphis to remain fairly stable at the deadline but take advantage of a team looking to shore up it's depth by for a run in the postseason by pawning off any salary they can in exchange for more talent down the road.   

Miami Heat

The Heat are a team with NBA championship aspirations. Armed with Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, two of the league's most talented players, Miami has the best record in the league. 

That combination along with Chris Bosh took the Heat to the Finals last year and look every bit capable of repeating the accomplishment this season. 

The emergence of rookie Norris Cole has made the need for a point guard a bit less desperate. Cole paired with Mario Chalmers has proven to be an adequate combination at the point guard position on a team where the need for a point guard is minimized by the presence of two great ball handlers LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. 

The Heat are playing at a very high level and would probably have to be blown away with an offer to make any sort of major changes. Sure they'd love to get some more size to help out in the low post on both offense and defense but the likelihood of that opportunity presenting itself is slim. So is the likelihood of Miami making any sort of trade at the deadline. 

Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks may be getting ready to move former number one overall pick Andrew Bogut.

If that were to happen the team could find itself with some cap room. The team may also be willing to deal Stephen Jackson. Milwaukee won't make these deals without being able to bring in something in return.

Chris Kaman would allow the team to still compete this season and then allow them to spend on free agents in the offseason with his expiring deal. 

In order for the Bucks to get Kaman, they'll have to make some other deals first. That's not unusual is the NBA where the salary cap can force teams to be extremely creative in their methods when pursuing a specific player. 

Minnesota Timberwolves

If Minnesota wanted to really make a bold move to impact the Western Conference playoffs then the one guy they should be targeting is Monta Ellis. 

Ellis is probably available for the right price and Minnesota might be able to package some players to make that deal possible.

Minnesota is currently on the outside looking in but they're only one game behind the current eight seed, the Portland Trailblazers. 

With Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love installed as the centerpieces of the T-Wolves future and Nikola Pekovic playing very solid ball at center, there are really only two positions that Minnesota has flexibility with. 

The team has a bit of a logjam at small forward with last year's first round pick Derrick Williams looking like the best long-term option. That leaves former number two pick overall Michael Beasley in a tough spot. 

The shooting guard position could use an upgrade. If Minnesota could snag Monta Ellis, then they'd have a very tough starting five on offense of Rubio, Ellis, Williams, Love and Pekovic. 

That starting five could probably win at least one round in the postseason. If they could ship Beasley off in the process that would only improve team chemistry by opening up a starting spot for Williams and freeing up minutes for other current bench players such as Martell Webster and Wesley Johnson. 

New Jersey Nets

There's no question who the primary target of the New Jersey Nets is as the trade deadline approaches. It's the same player who has been the team's primary target since the day LeBron James called them and let them know he wouldn't be taking their free-agent offer two summers ago. 

It's Dwight Howard. 

Howard, in case you haven't heard, can be a free agent this summer. The question is what is his path? Will he be traded in the next few weeks? Will he just leave via free agency? Can Orlando convince him to either sign an extension or at the very least sign his one year option for next year which would buy the Magic time to extend his deal further?

There are a lot of questions but there's no question that Howard is the primary target of the Orlando Magic. If in fact the team is able to make a trade for him before the March 15th deadline, it would likely include Brook Lopez and Marshon Brooks.

With the massive amounts of both players and money involved, an eventual deal could include three or maybe even four teams.

Regardless of what a deal would eventually look like, if the question is one of who the Nets primary target is the answer is Dwight Howard.  

New Orleans Hornets

The New Orleans Hornets aren't looking for specific player as the trade deadline approaches. The team is looking for someone who can afford to pay players in the future. 

That's because the team that is currently being run by the NBA is in need of an owner. Without one, the team is doomed from a competitive outlook since the best way to attract a prospective buyer is shedding salary to lower the potential cost and maximize profits for the league. 

There does appear to be some form of potential light at the end of this tunnel. A group led by California businessman Raj Bhathal that includes former player, coach and executive Mike Dunleavy seems like a legitimate candidate to purchase the team.

The Hornets have no other real target per se as the deadline approaches. The only other thing for them to do is trade away players with talent that make money such as Chris Kaman in exchange for draft picks, lower cost players or players with expiring contracts to get them even further below the salary cap.

New York Knicks

A month ago this would have been nearly as simple as figuring out the Nets primary target. 

That was before Jeremy Lin burst onto the scene. 

Now with Lin seemingly entrenched as the starting point guard, the calls for bringing in Steve Nash are pretty much non-existent. 

What if Lin's performance against Miami before the All-Star break wasn't just an illusion though? 

What if the two previous weeks were the outliers and the Miami game was the beginning of a correction? 

In other words, what if the Knicks still need a point guard? 

For now that issue is settled but the trade deadline isn't right now. It's in a little over two weeks. What if the next two weeks for the Knicks that fans see have more in common with last Thursday's version against Miami than the previous incarnations against teams like Toronto, Dallas and Los Angeles? 

If Lin works out then the Knicks will probably stand pat and try to figure out the best way to fit all the pieces on the team into a cohesive winning unit. They may even make a run at trying to pry Dwight Howard away from the Magic. That's all contingent on Lin continuing his stellar play. 

If that doesn't happen then the Steve Nash talks will heat up as quickly as Lin did a few weeks back. 

Oklahoma City Thunder

The only real injury the 27-7 Oklahoma City Thunder have sustained so far this season has been the loss of backup point guard Eric Maynor for the remainder of the season. 

Russell Westbrook is as young and durable a star point guard as the NBA has but he's still human. He's going to have nights when his coach would prefer he not play the 34 minutes per game he averages this season. 

There will also be nights when he's in foul trouble. Finally there might even be a few night when it would be advantageous for OKC to shift Westbrook to the shooting guard position for a brief stint and allow someone else to run the offense. 

Currently the man with that task is rookie guard Reggie Jackson. That's fine as Oklahoma City is cruising through the regular season. It might not be ideal as playoff time comes around. 

The Thunder may have a three game lead over San Antonio for best record in the west but a few weeks back San Antonio beat the Thunder 107-96  in a head-to-head matchup. 

Tony Parker led all scorers in that game with 42 points exposing Westbrook's weaknesses on defense as well as the Thunder's lack of depth at the position. Adding a veteran like Felton could also push Westbrook to play with more intensity on both sides of the floor. 

If Oklahoma City is serious about making a run to win a ring then the backup point guard position should be addressed. 

Orlando Magic

There almost should be two sets of "top targets" for the Magic. 

There should be the target in a proposed Dwight Howard deal and there should be the target in a deal that is designed to convince Dwight Howard to not leave Orlando.

The names associated with Howard are varied. Andrew Bynum, Brooke Lopez, Monta Ellis and Pau Gasol to name a few.

So far only Nash's name has surfaced with regards to a deal designed with Howard not leaving in mind.

There's still a question of what exactly the Magic would part with. There's also a ton of risk in that the potential exists that both Nash and Howard could bolt as free agents this coming offseason. 

For now, Howard is still in an Orlando Magic uniform. If acquiring Nash could keep him in that uniform then one would have to think that's a price that the Magic might be willing pay even if it is a serious risk. 

Philadelphia 76ers

Rod Thorn, the Sixers' general manager, seems content to allow his young and energetic team to continue on the path they're on. 

That makes sense. It's a pretty decent path. The Sixers have been one of the league's nicest surprises this season. They've harnessed their youth and athleticism to become one of the league's best defensive teams. 

Give credit to Doug Collins who is not known for a laid back style. He brings energy to the bench and that seems to translate onto the floor in the form of great defense. No team in the league allows less points per game than the Sixers who yield only 87.5.

That's the good news.

The bad news is that fans anxious for more instant results may not see them them this spring.

Then again no one really knows exactly what Rod Thorn is thinking or planning. He might not be inclined to make a major deal to shake up the team. But what if he could provide some minor improvement to bring some depth and leadership as this young team approaches what will be a very tough Eastern Conference playoff bracket?

Could Kevin Garnett, who seems too old to be a nightly impact starter on the current Celtics, be a valuable off-the-bench defensive spark for the young Sixers? Garnett wouldn't be free by any means. Even in the final year of his contract the Celtics aren't going to just give him away.

If the Celtics do decide that this season is not their year then Garnett's expiring contract becomes a somewhat tempting piece of trade bait for the teams that could use his experience and enthusiasm.

For now, the Sixers seem to imply you should temper your expectations if you're a fan. Spencer Hawes is due back in just over two weeks. It's also just over two weeks until the deadline and that's plenty of time for the Sixers' brass to change their minds.  

Phoenix Suns

If the Phoenix Suns do make a move at the deadline it would probably include their All-Star point guard Steve Nash. That would of course qualify as a "major" move given Nash's two-time MVP status. That's not all, while Nash's birth certificate says he's 38 years old. The NBA leaders board says he currently leads all players in assists per game with 10.9. 

That means two things. One is that he's valuable even as a short term rental. This isn't just getting guy to fill in at your point guard slot. Acquiring Steve Nash would be getting arguably the league's best most experienced floor general. Consider that Nash plays on a weak team without a major scoring threat and still gets those assist numbers. 

The Suns are 14-20 and their leading scorer is center Marcin Gortat. Gortat in fact leads the Suns in both scoring (15.9 ppg) and rebounding (10.4 rpg). 

This makes Gortat the other tradeable chip in the Suns arsenal. Gortat would cost a team a bundle as well since he's signed to an affordable contract for the next three seasons.

That leaves Nash who apparently is open to signing another deal with Phoenix if they're willing to get some talent to surround him with.

The best way to do that might be adding some draft picks. Phoenix is already looking forward to June's draft and the bounty of talent that they think will be available. Maybe trading some expiring deals or even Gortat could net them a few more picks this summer. That seems to be what they're most intrigued by.  

Portland Trailblazers

While Raymond Felton could be dealt out of Portland, there is no indication that Portland will give up on the season. 

That means that if they were to deal Felton the search for a viable point guard would begin immediately. As good a season as Jose Calderon is having, his team, the Toronto Raptors, are terrible. They're 10-23 and have yet to formulate a path toward rebuilding from the departure of Chris Bosh.

That situation was badly bungled by the Raptors who knew that Bosh intended to become a free agent and would likely leave Toronto. The Raptors probably could have dealt Bosh before the conclusion of the 2009-2010 season and gotten something of value for the big man. Instead they stood pat and Bosh walked away leaving Toronto empty handed. 

Toronto doesn't want that to happen again next offseason but it very well could. If Calderon is willing to sign an extension with the Raptors then it makes sense for them to keep him. He's proven himself a very good point guard.

However, if they feel like he's going to leave next summer, they'd be foolish to hold onto him to maintain any form of consistency on a team with a 10-23 record. 

The Blazers are one of several teams that could come calling. 

Sacramento Kings

The Kings have cap room, they're going to have another high draft pick and they've got some young players who just have not gelled in the manner they had hoped for. 

The Kings could use a point guard that is more committed to defense and passing and less interested in creating offense for himself. Tyreke Evans has a great skill set but for a young team searching for floor leadership and defense, Evans might not be the right fit there. 

Rajon Rondo would fit quite well. The issue of course would be the Celtics' willingness to part with Rondo as well as the piece they'd want in exchange. The Kings would probably want to deal Evans in a Rondo deal but the Celtics would be more likely to ask for big man DeMarcus Cousins. 

It's not clear whether or not the Kings would be willing to part with Cousins who has had some maturity issues but also shows fantastic upside at a hard to fill position. 

San Antonio Spurs

Emeka Okafor is another player on the New Orleans Hornets that makes pretty decent money, is under-performing and is a guy that the team would love to pawn off on a contender for some expiring contracts and a draft pick. 

The San Antonio Spurs are a team that could use some more bulk down low to help Tim Duncan through another playoff run. 

The Spurs also have movable parts like Richard Jefferson and Danny Green. 

San Antonio generally isn't the most active team at the deadline. The core of Parker, Ginobili and Duncan has provided the Spurs with little reason to make too many deals. 

With last season's first-round upset fresh in the Spurs' minds, the team may look to add a little more to the existing rotation as the playoffs approach. Okafor could be nothing more than a solid role player but he could also find new life in San Antonio.

He still has very good potential and playing alongside Tim Duncan—even an aging one isn't a bad way to try and unlock it.  

Utah Jazz

When Utah dealt Deron Williams to the New Jersey Nets, Devin Harris was one of the key pieces they received in return. 

His tenure in Utah as a point guard hasn't met with amazing reviews. The Jazz seem willing to deal him but as of now they lack a suitable point guard replacement. 

The salaries don't match up enough for the Jazz to do a one-for-one Calderon for Harris swap. But in the NBA sometimes when there's a will there's a way. 

If Toronto is concerned about Calderon bolting as a free agent Harris also has one more year left on his contract. That might allow Toronto to snag a point guard in this June's draft to step in for Harris if he leaves. 

The Jazz would get another shot at replacing the two great point guards he manned the point before Harris took over the job. John Stockton and Deron Williams made the point guard position as consistent as it has been for any franchise for a span of over two decades. 

Filling those shoes is tough but Calderon might be a better solution than Harris. 

Toronto Raptors

It does appear that Wilson Chandler will end up back in Denver after playing a season in China. 

The Raptors are still in the fight though. 

Toronto has been the Nuggets' stiffest competition for Chandler and for good reason. James Johnson hasn't played well enough to secure the starting small forward position and with Leandro Barbosa's contract expiring at the end of the season, the Raptors feel like they can offer Wilson Chandler both a decent salary and a starting job.

They can't offer the money for this season though and that's just part of the problem.  

The other problem is that the Raptors are playing lottery basketball and the Nuggets are playing playoff basketball.

Add to the mix that Chandler has familiarity with the system and some of the players in Denver and Toronto appears to be fighting an uphill battle on this one.

So far it hasn't stopped them from trying.  

Washington Wizards

Unfortunately for Washington Wizards fans, the current season has a lot in common with most of the recent seasons in Wizards' history. 

In other words, the team is terrible. 

The team's 7-27 record is the second worst in the season. 

That's going to once again provide the Wizards with another high draft choice. For many teams that would be reason for optimism but the Wizards seem to be in the draft lottery every year. At some point one would think the constant re-loading would begin to yield tangible results? 

While Washington looks to the June draft, the team's mission appears to be one of shedding salary. The best way to do that seems to be by dealing troubled Andray Blatche. 

Blatche burst on the scene late in the second half of the 2009-2010 season. The Wizards thought they might have a budding star so they responded by signing him to a lucrative contract extension. 

Since then Blatche's status as a " budding star" has declined. Last season was a drop-off from the previous one. This current one has been a total bust. Injuries have limited his playing time. Blatche was also a key part of the internal team turmoil that resulted in former head coach Flip Saunders being fired earlier in the season.

The Wizards would love to move his considerable contract to another team in exchange for a deal that expires sooner. Boris Diaw of the hapless Charlotte Bobcats would be a prime candidate with a deal that expires this summer.

Would Charlotte be wiling to take on Blatche's deal in hopes that he returns to the form that made him a contract extension candidate in the first place? Probably not without forcing Washington to take on some of Charlotte's own less appealing contracts in the process.

Tyrus Thomas may end up being the guy that gets shipped, along with Diaw to the Wizards in exchange for Blatche. That deal would satisfy Washington's desire to rid itself of Blatche. It would also give them an expiring contract to free some cap room this summer.

For Charlotte they'd be able to rid themselves of Tyrus Thomas' deal. Both teams would absorb a player the other doesn't want in hopes that the player would flourish in a new city and a new system.