NBA Trade Rumors: Blockbuster Buzz That Will Impact Next Season
The NBA offseason hasn't seemed so off with all the free-agent signings, the sign-and-trades and all the rumors of the trades that haven't happened.
These rumors are not done yet, either. There are sure to be plenty of moves that will go down before next season, and some of these moves be huge.
Let's take a look at some of the buzz surrounding the bigger names floating around the trade market.
Dwight Howard
At some point, Howard has to be traded, right? These rumors have felt like they have dominated headlines since the beginning of headlines.
Well, the good news is that Sam Amick of SI.com reported that Magic GM Rob Hennigan wants to trade Howard by early August.
I'm not taking anyone for their word on this deal, and I'll believe he is traded when it becomes official. Until then, it is all speculation piling in a massive pile of unfulfilled promises.
As for which team he will be traded to, the Lakers appear to be the frontrunners. ESPN's Dave McMenamin and Ramona Shelburne's report that they will trade for Howard even knowing he is determined to test free agency.
Andrew Bynum
If the Lakers do acquire Howard, it is an almost certainty that it will involve Bynum, and likely a third team. ESPN's Ramona Shelburne is reporting that it would be "foolish" to trade for Bynum without talking to the big man first.
That should fall into the no-brainer category as Bynum, like Howard, is set to be a free agent at the end of the season.
To that end, Shelburne reports that the Lakers have not granted permission for any team to talk to Bynum. She passes along that Bynum's agent made it clear that his client does not have a preferred list of teams.
There are a lot of moving pieces in any proposed Bynum and Howard trade, and for as much as this trade is talked about, I'll be shocked if it ever happens.
Richard Hamilton
It might be a big drop-off in name power to go from Howard and Bynum to Richard Hamilton, but it's a trade that could make a big impact as well. Just the fact that they are shopping Rip adds some insight into the Bulls' front office.
K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reported that Hamilton is being shopped. This comes on the heels of the Bulls shipping out Kyle Korver, and the fact that they are bringing in bargain free-agents instead of re-signing players like Omer Asik and Ronnie Brewer.
It's difficult to come to the conclusion that the Bulls are making these moves with an eye on the bottom line, or that they are preparing to mail it in while Derrick Rose recovers from his knee injury.
