NBA Trade Rumors: How Injuries Will Freeze Potential Deals Before Deadline

The condensed schedule may or may not be having an affect on the frequency of injuries, but it's certainly weighing on the impact of injuries. Missing one game becomes missing two, and missing three becomes missing five. Now it could be injuries will mean missing trades. 

Most famously there is the Brook Lopez injury, which is going to possibly keep Dwight Howard from going anywhere. Arguably it's also holding up a bunch of other trades as well as teams wait to see what happens with Howard before they make their own moves. 

CBSSports' Ken Berger writes that the "sources say serious trade discussions league-wide are on hold while teams await a verdict from Orlando on Howard."

So really there's no telling how many trades are being held up as a result of the Lopez injury. There are a few other trades talks that have come up that could be delayed because of injury though. 

Jermaine O'Neil could be waived if he opts to have surgery on his wrist, ending his season according to ESPN. That would have an obvious impact on the Jermaine O'Neal and Rajon Rondo for Pau Gasol trade that has been rumored. 

Joe Johnson is gong to "take his time" with an ailing knee problem. That could hinder progress in a deal which would send Johnson to Golden State in exchange for Monta Ellis. 

Stephen Jackson sees no future for himself in Milwaukee. He's unhappy there. He's not playing there. He would love to be traded, but the litany of injuries he's had is keeping him from being a player that teams would look at seriously. 

Nick Young would apparently welcome a trade, but would want to approve them. He's had some knee injuries though which might make teams hesitant to pull the trigger on a deal. 

The lockout may be over but the impact still looms over the trade deadline as injuries may be holding up all these players for being moved, as well as the ripple effects. In the end it might be the lack of trades and player movement we are talking about March 15.