NBA Trade Rumors: Top Candidates to Be Moved During 2012 NBA Draft

The NBA Trade Deadline has come and gone, but in a condensed NBA season, the next biggest trade day—the NBA Draft—is just a mere three months away.

The focus of this day is simply to improve, and whether that's by selecting young prospects, or taking the opportunity to ship out players and contracts via trade, the draft is a day where teams can once again find themselves in a league-wide shakeup.

Every year, rumors fly around the deadline; and every year, some of them happen and some of them don't.

Whether a team hung on to a player because they couldn't find a buyer, couldn't get the right value in return or simply couldn't cut ties halfway through the season, the NBA Draft is the next opportunity for teams to make the moves they passed on a few months prior at the NBA Trade Deadline.

Pau Gasol

The Los Angeles Lakers had the opportunity to trade Pau Gasol this past week, but will ultimately be moving forward with the 7'0" power forward still on the roster.

The Houston Rockets acquired center Marcus Camby from the Portland Trail Blazers at the deadline, and while he's a good piece to have on the team today, his age and his expiring contract are not likely to keep him in Houston long-term.

The Rockets have coveted Gasol for some time now, and if they want to make a move, the draft could be the time to do just that.

The Lakers clearly held onto Gasol for a reason, but if the acquisition of Ramon Sessions and Jordan Hill doesn't boost the Lakers to the next level this season, don't expect the organization to sit back and watch the team age themselves into the 2012-13 season with the same roster.

Josh Smith

Josh Smith reportedly wants out of Atlanta, but quite frankly, the Atlanta Hawks didn't seem concerned enough to oblige.

The report of Smith's request came out about a week before the deadline, yet it appeared that there were no significant attempts to send Smith packing during that time.

Since the request became public, Smith averaged 25.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.75 blocks per game. While those numbers are arguably enough to convince a team to take on his $12.4 million contract, they were also enough to keep the Hawks wary of trading away such an important piece of their roster.

Despite Smith's production, the team does not look as if it is going to be able to keep up with the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls out East, and could even have trouble with the Orlando Magic, Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers as well.

There should be teams who would work with the Hawks to obtain Smith, and if Atlanta believes they are going to have trouble extending the 26-year-old forward next season, the offseason could be the best time to begin shopping for what else is out there to help improve their chances in the Eastern Conference.

Brandon Jennings

The acquisition of Monta Ellis does two things for the Milwaukee Bucks.

For one, it makes their backcourt one of the most dynamic in the league. With Ellis and Brandon Jennings both capable of running, shooting and scoring almost at will, they could become one of the most exciting teams to watch—if you decide to watch them, that is. 

It also, however, makes Jennings expendable.

Jennings said earlier this season that he had begun eyeing big-market teams, which should make the organization nervous about losing the 22-year-old point guard to free agency come the end of his rookie contract.

If bringing in Ellis is enough to keep the point guard around long-term, great. If not, though, they might want to start looking at what they can get now, instead of letting him run the show not only on the court, but in the front office as well.

Paul Pierce

Fans in Boston surely want to see Paul Pierce retire a Boston Celtic, especially after he eclipsed the 1,000-game mark with the team this season.

With the Celtics aging, however, as well as management willing to blow up the roster sooner rather than later, it appears as if the future of the team is very much up in the air.

The entire big-three and Rajon Rondo survived this week's trade deadline, but while the team looks the same now as it did last week, next season could provide more of a shakeup for the Celtics than any other team in the league.

Admittedly, Pierce's chances of remaining with the Celtics increase if the team lets Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen walk this summer as free agents. Between the two of them, there's about $31.2 million of cap space freeing up come July.

Rebuilding around veteran Pierce, star point-guard Rondo and whomever the team can attract with the new-found salary is a good way to go.

The Celtics' willingness, however, to trade Pierce to the struggling Portland Trail Blazers this season should be a sign that even with the possibility of added cap relief, his time in Boston is not as guaranteed as some would hope it to be.