NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Samuel Dalembert, Raja Bell and More

The 2012-13 NBA season has finally pushed past the All-Star break and trading deadline, but, fortunately for hoops fans, there are still plenty of juicy rumors abound concerning potential transactions and other moves around the league.

Whether these whispers concern a two-bit role player or bona fide superstar, they always tend to be interesting and worth following up on.

Let’s take a look at the latest buzz surrounding some of the hottest players and teams in the Association in Thursday’s rumor roundup.

 

Samuel Dalembert

The Milwaukee Bucks center was suspended for Tuesday night’s contest against the Dallas Mavericks, as he violated a team policy against tardiness.

There was talk that the big man may be released, but Yahoo! Sports’ Marc J. Spears recently shut that down. The insider noted that there would be no buyout heading Dalembert’s way, even though he has been sparsely used since All-Star weekend concluded.

The journeyman has been apart of four different teams during his 11-year tenure in the NBA, having his best years from 2001-2010 as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers. He’s set to earn $6.7 million in 2012-13, before becoming a free agent in the coming offseason.

With Milwaukee preparing to make a playoff push, it’s not surprising that it isn’t willing to just cut ties with a skilled 6’11”, 250-pound backup for being a bit late, even if he’s not playing much.

 

Raja Bell

Bell hasn’t seen the floor for the Utah Jazz this season, but the veteran is reportedly hoping he can find a way to reach a buyout of his contract in order to join the Los Angeles Lakers at some point in 2013.

According to HoopsWorld’s Alex Kennedy, the 36-year-old shooting guard has been telling his friends in the league that he will be joining L.A. shortly, which could be close to the truth or nothing more than a pipe dream at this point.

Because he wasn’t traded, Bell is still on the Jazz’s books for $3.48 million before his contract expires, making it costly and potentially harmful for Utah to make that decision.

Kennedy notes that there’s a chance the Jazz will not release Bell for the simple fact that they are contending for a playoff spot that the Lakers have a great chance to get. Aiding the enemy by allowing Bell to bolster L.A.’s backcourt would be foolish, and it may be worth the few million to keep him away.

While Bell is doing nothing for the Jazz, it is better than him doing anything for a Western Conference rival.

Dwyane Wade

Dwyane Wade is currently working on defending the Miami Heat’s title and winning the third of his career, but there’s been talk that the star guard could wind up playing in China down the line.

According to Jalen Rose, former NBA star and Grantland contributor, there are rumors going around that Wade promised his shoe sponsor—Li Ning—that he would join up with a Chinese team after his career in America wraps up.

Hopefully the 31-year-old star will not be leaving the Association anytime soon, but it could be interesting to see him star in China down the line. As long as he’s still able to play at a somewhat effective level, it will certainly be exciting to see Wade bring his unique style to another league in a different nation.