NBA Trade Rumors: Unhappy Stars Who Will Be Dealt in Offseason

The 2012 trade deadline was a hectic one to say the least, with a plethora of eleventh hour activity shaking up rosters across the league. What might have been the bigger story of the day, however, were the moves that didn’t go down.

Those moves might be waiting until the offseason to happen. Trade stock usually drops around the deadline as GMs  are crunched for time and are sometimes forced to make impulsive last minute decisions. By waiting until the summer to cut a deal, an organization can take their time and ensure they get the most face value out of a trade.

Josh Smith, who indicated to Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he wished to be traded earlier in the season, remained with the Hawks. As Atlanta is a playoff team with Smith,  GM Bill Tastle might be waiting until the conclusion if the season to move his star forward. The Hawks will certainly want a slew of talent to replace Smith with, or another star in exchange. However, moving key pieces midseason could have proven detrimental to the team’s short-term success, as Tastle opted to not pull the trigger on moving Smith.

The Bulls might be more displeased with underachieving forward Carlos Boozer than Boozer is with the Bulls, with his numbers substantially down since joining the team last season. Boozer was the subject of multiple trade rumors before the deadline, including a Dwight Howard ploy, as sources told Ken Berger of CBS Sports. Chicago could seek another deal for Boozer over the summer, as moving his hefty four-year, $53 Million dollar contract might prove difficult for the Bulls.

As far as the Deron Williams situation goes, it’s unlikely to think that acquiring Gerald Wallace yesterday will keep him in a Nets uniform next season. Williams could simply opt out his contract and become a free agent July 1, but it’s doubtful that he would shaft the franchise and walk away for nothing. D-will could do the franchise a favor and opt in to the final year of his contract, giving them at least a trade exception, or perhaps a draft pick or two, in return.

The same could be said about Suns point guard Steve Nash, who will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. While the Suns are confident they can bring Nash back as Suns owner Robert Saver told the Arizona Republic, keep in mind that the future Hall of Fame point guard will be 39 in February and hasn’t won a title. Phoenix is far out of contention this season, and Nash possibly could mull his options come free agency. Again, his relationship with the franchise will likely make him a sign and trade candidate, as opposed to walking as an unrestricted free agent.

People are constantly on the move in the NBA, and it’ll be interesting to see what exactly the offseason holds in store for us.