NBA Trade Rumors: Playing Fact or Fiction with Latest Offseason Buzz

Now that the offseason has begun, it means that "Rumor Season" is in full bloom in the NBA. Every team is doing something, heard to be doing something and ready to make the magical move that makes them a contender. 

Some are true, some are pure fiction and some are half-truths.

We're going to take some time and play a little game of "Fact or Fiction" with the latest NBA rumors circulating the web. 

Are the Charlotte Bobcats Looking to Trade Down?

There are rumors that the Charlotte Bobcats would like to trade down a couple of spots with Cleveland. 

This only makes perfect sense for everyone involved. Cleveland actually wants to shed some of its picks, so giving up two trades to move up isn't completely unthinkable. 

On the other hand, Charlotte wants picks and can move down and still get the pick they want the most, so that makes perfect sense. 

Is this fact or fiction? As reported by the Cleveland Plain Dealer, according to Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap, it's fact. 

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"I think anybody in our situation would have that on the board," Dunlap said. "(Our) people are very smart up top. So options and thinking of your variables is a very smart thing to do."

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Folks, this is not a head-scratcher. It makes perfect sense, and one side is admitting to it. There is probably only one reason it's not done yet. 

The Washington Wizards are sitting on the No. 3 pick and want Bradley Beal. If they think that Cleveland might try and leapfrog them to take him they could offer more. 

Wouldn't it be the ultimate comic irony if Michael Jordan scammed Washington on draft day?

VERDICT: FACT

Luol Deng on the Block

There are talks that Luol Deng is on the trading block. Who the Bulls are talking to is another question. K.C. Johnson, Bulls beat writer for the Chicago Tribune, succinctly puts it this way, 

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...The Bulls have had preliminary conversations with lottery teams regarding Luol Deng. However, according to two league sources, those talks haven't included the Warriors, a bad rumor that won't die.

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So if you had your heart set on getting Dorrell Wright and the seventh pick back, too bad, so sad. 

That trade works out great for the Warriors, but for the Bulls, not so much. There's no talks anyway. 

Why is Golden State not going to happen? Because, 

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The entire purpose of trading Deng, which management isn't dying to do, would be to do so to a team that can absorb Deng's contract into its salary-cap space, thus eliminating the need to take back salary.

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The objective then is to shed salary, not to get rid of Deng. Therefore, any deal which involves bringing back big salaries isn't likely to be true. 

The entire purpose of trading Deng, which management isn't dying to do, would be to do so to a team that can absorb Deng's contract into its salary-cap space, thus eliminating the need to take back salary.

VERDICT: FACT

Houston Rockets Trading for No. 5 Pick

There are reports that the Houston Rockets are looking to trade their 16th and 18th pick, along with Kyle Lowry for the No. 5 pick and Tyreke Evans. According to Ric Bucher, this is not true. 

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FWIW: Multiple sources shooting down Rockets-Kings talk about Lowry + picks for Tyreke + No. 5. But Rockets are interested in No. 5.

— Ric Bucher (@RicBucher) June 26, 2012"

So there's that. 

Beyond that, there's this, 

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Told there is no way that Kings would do purported offer of Lowry/14/16 for Evans and five if it was even actually offered.

— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) June 26, 2012"

So there is little chance of this trade happening. 

Verdict: Fiction

Is Tyreke Evans on the Block?

That the Sacramento Kings aren't looking to deal Tyreke Evans for the Houston deal doesn't mean they aren't looking to deal him at all, though. As Sam Amick reports on Sulia, 

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Regardless of conflicting info, a quick peek at Tyreke Evans' situation: So I'm told the former Rookie of the Year who won that award as a point guard has informed the team that he doesn't want to play small forward spot anymore. Add this to the fact that he's not getting an extension this summer and no one in his camp thinks the Kings will pay big next summer when he's a restricted free agent, and you start to understand why he's available for the right price. This Evans situation, in other words, isn't going away anytime soon.

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There is a good chance that the Kings will move Evans, but they aren't going to give him away. If they aren't going to pull the deal on, they may be overvaluing their hand. 

VERDICT: FACT

Is Houston Pursuing Dwight Howard for a Rental?

The reports are that the Houston Rockets are trying to position themselves to pick up Dwight Howard. They aren't looking to stop there, though, according to Bill Ingram of Hoopsworld, 

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The Rockets have been linked to Dwight Howard in recent days, but sources close to the situation say that acquiring Howard would only be the first step in Houston’s master plan. 

The team would then try to acquire a second star player, with Deron Williams atop their wish list, to put next to Howard. If all goes as planned, Houston will have the resources to trade for Howard and sign Williams to a max contract.

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Certainly, putting Deron Williams and Dwight Howard together would be a coup for the Rockets, who would give Howard serious reason to consider staying if they could land both of them. 

Whether they can do this is one thing. Whether they are trying to do it is another and it certainly seems they are. Having already secured a third first-round pick, it looks like they are trying to bundle assets. 

VERDICT: FACT

Are the Portland Trail Blazers Looking to Trade Jamal Crawford

According to Chris Haynes of Comcast Sports Net Northwest,

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The Portland Trail Blazers are fielding trade offers for guard Jamal Crawford and the Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Boston Celtics are among the teams actively pursuing the scoring specialist intensely, a league source tells CSNNW.com.

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The most likely of these scenarios is the Timberwolves, who were in the running to land Crawford last winter before he signed with Portland.  

VERDICT: FACT

Are the Raptors Looking to Trade for Kyle Lowry?

There have been a lot of rumors involving teams that would trade in the draft with Toronto. One of those rumors has Kyle Lowry going there from Houston. According to Chad Ford and Marc Stein, 

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The Raptors have been especially fond of Lowry, who has been regarded for months as a borderline untouchable in Houston but more recently has publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with Rockets coach Kevin McHale. Whether the Rockets are indeed prepared to part with Lowry, as talks with the Kings, Raptors and other teams continue, figures to be one of the bigger stories of draft week. 

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This seems to be mostly in the realm of speculation to me. It makes sense, but reports of actual conversations seem limited. 

This may deal on how far Andre Drummond falls. 

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What’s clear from the Rockets’ end, sources say, is the player they’re fondest of in the upper reaches of the draft: UConn big man Andre Drummond. Many scouts believe Drummond has the second highest upside of any player in the draft behind consensus No. 1 overall pick Anthony Davis, but the 7-foot, 279-pounder would almost certainly still be available at No. 5. 

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For Toronto, it might just come down to who is available when their pick comes up and whether someone wants to trade up and grab that player. Their pick isn't high enough to assure that the player anyone wants will still be there.