NBA Trade Rumors: Buying Rumored Deals at the Start of Free Agency

Now that the 2013 draft is in the rearview mirror, NBA trade rumors are starting to heat up. The question is, which trade rumors should the NBA community buy as realistic possibilities moving forward?

At least for the moment, it’s time to sell rumors surrounding Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo and Portland Trail Blazers power forward LaMarcus Aldridge.

Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe wrote that although the Dallas Mavericks are targeting Rondo, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge plans to build around the All-Star point guard moving forward.

Meanwhile, Joe Freeman of The Oregonian uncovered that Aldridge has not demanded a trade. (The Oregonian’s Jason Quick originally speculated that Aldridge wanted out of Portland.)

So while I’m not buying either of those rumors, there are others swirling about that are worth buying. Some teams will attempt to improve for a championship run. Others, like the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics, will rebuild by trading valuable players for youth and draft picks.

Kris Humphries to Charlotte?

Kris Humphries was one of many players acquired by the Boston Celtics in exchange for Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry. However, it doesn’t appear as if the social pariah will be staying put in Boston.

According to Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix (via Twitter), the Charlotte Bobcats are a possible landing spot for Humphries. Rival NBA executives don’t believe he’ll remain in Boston to start the 2013-14 season, according to Mannix.

Humphries is set to make $12 million next season. As an expiring contract, he has some value on the open market because he’ll come off the books in 2014.

The power forward is now just two years removed from his best NBA season, having averaged 13.8 points and 11 rebounds per game in 2011-12. His numbers took a nosedive following the transition to Brooklyn (5.8 points and 5.6 rebounds), but he wasn’t receiving consistent minutes.

Adding Humphries to the starting rotation would be a solid short-term option for Charlotte. His rebounding presence could take some pressure off of rookie center Cody Zeller.

Houston Looking to "Dump" Lin's Contract?

The Houston Rockets appear to be the front-runners in the Dwight Howard sweepstakes, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Of course, that means very little considering D12’s propensity to waffle on big decisions, but you take the good with the bad.

For the Rockets to add Howard this summer, they’ll need to shed some salary in order to free up a max deal for the All-Star center. Reportedly, Houston general manager Daryl Morey will look to move Jeremy Lin.

According to Mark Deeks of ShamSports (via Twitter), “Houston is trying to dump Jeremy Lin’s salary, going so far as to prioritise (sic) cap relief over young basketball assets.”

The emergence of Patrick Beverly as a legitimate NBA player last season helped make Lin somewhat expendable in Houston. “Linsanity” (not surprisingly) didn’t reoccur, but the point guard out of Harvard should still be seen as a valuable addition to other teams around the league because he’s a marketing gold mine who can sell jerseys and tickets.

It will be interesting see what the Rockets do as they continue to pursue Howard.

Orlando and Los Angeles: Trade Partners Again?

According to Ramona Shelburne, Marc Stein and Chad Ford of ESPN.com, the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Clippers have been engaged in trade talks centering on Arron Afflalo and Eric Bledsoe.

The article points out that although Doc Rivers is a fan of Bledsoe and would like to coach him Los Angeles, keeping the athletic young guard as a super-sub behind All-Star point guard Chris Paul isn’t financially feasible forever.

As a result, the Clips should look to trade the youngster for assets that can help the team win immediately. It certainly won’t be an easy decision, but it’s logical.

Unfortunately for Magic fans, netting Bledsoe for their defensive-minded shooting guard is not a forgone conclusion. In fact, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, plenty of worthy suitors are attempting to up the ante in order to land the Clippers’ prized young guard.

If Orlando were to land Bledsoe and add him to a backcourt that already includes second overall pick Victor Oladipo, the entire NBA community would benefit. Those two would immediately become the most athletic backcourt in the league.

Of course, many other teams are looking to throw a monkey wrench in that plan.

Bledsoe to Toronto?

The 23-year-old Eric Bledsoe is one of the hottest commodities on the trade market this summer, and according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, the Toronto Raptors have joined other teams in an attempt to land him.

Per Stein’s article, the Raptors were looking into a deal that would send former No. 1 overall pick Andrea Bargnani along with DeMar DeRozan to the Clippers. Now that Bargnani has reportedly been traded to the New York Knicks, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, that deal obviously is no longer possible.

Nevertheless, I expect the Raptors to continue their pursuit of Bledsoe.

If the Clips can still get DeRozan back in any potential deal, it’s a win-win for both sides. DeRozan doesn't have the defensive capabilities of Arron Afflalo, but he's athletic and fits the Clippers' up-tempo style.

Brandon Jennings to Be Moved?

For all the complicated details surrounding Brandon Jennings’ 2013 offseason, make sure to read this piece by Bleacher Report’s Ethan Grant.

Essentially, nobody truly knows what the future holds for the Milwaukee Bucks' star point guard. Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times reported (via Twitter) that the Bucks are making Jennings available to suitors. Brett Poirier of TC Media said (via Twitter) that Jennings’ desire is to play for a big-market team (a sentiment that the NBA community has heard before).

Despite those reports, Bucks general manager John Hammond is determined to keep Jennings in Milwaukee, according to Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

“It’s our intention for Brandon Jennings to remain a Milwaukee Buck,” Hammond said. “We’re hoping to negotiate with him fairly through the July process.”

Considering that information is from the horse’s mouth, so to speak, it seems unlikely that Jennings will be moved.

Nevertheless, if Jennings doesn’t want to be in Milwaukee, the Bucks could easily match any offer extended to him as a restricted free agent, then trade him for value. As a poignant example, that’s something the New Orleans Pelicans could have done with Eric Gordon. Instead, they’re now stuck with the injury-riddled guard who admitted, “Phoenix is just where my heart is now,” according to ESPN The Magazine’s Chris Broussard.

The Dallas Mavericks are a potential suitor for Jennings' services, so perhaps a package including Shawn Marion’s contract and multiple draft picks would peak Hammond’s interest.