NBA Trade Rumors: Latest Chatter Surrounding Josh Smith, Omer Asik and More

The free-agent signing period has already produced some big moves in the NBA, but it appears as though there are plenty more to be made. With teams looking to bring in more talent or perhaps even trying to clear cap space in order to make room for free agents, the trade market is very much in play.

A few big trades have gone down in recent days, and it seems likely more will be added to the list in the near future. Roster moves have made certain players expendable, which could allow teams to improve at a discounted rate. Nothing is certain until the deals are made official, but there is certainly a lot of buzz out there right now.

Here is the latest chatter surrounding the likes of Josh Smith, Omer Asik and more as the wild free-agent market continues to dictate moves across the league.

Josh Smith Sign-and-Trade in the Works?

With Chris Paul re-signing in Los Angeles, Dwight Howard agreeing with the Houston Rockets and Andre Iguodala settling on the Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks small forward Josh Smith may very well be the best player remaining on the market. The Rockets have reportedly shown interest in him as well, but they don't have the cap space necessary to sign him. Because of that, the Rockets are exploring a potential sign-and-trade deal with the Hawks, according to ESPN's Chris Broussard.

Such a deal would clear a lot of money off the books for Houston as Asik has a cap hit that exceeds $8 million, as does Jeremy Lin. The Hawks aren't going to re-sign Smith at this point, so they would be wise to get something in return. Asik may not be ideal since Atlanta already signed former Utah Jazz forward Paul Millsap and has big man Al Horford on the roster, but Asik averaged more than 10 points, nearly 12 rebounds and a block per game last season, so he is a valuable commodity.

The big question is whether or not the Hawks want Lin. Atlanta probably doesn't want anything to do with him as he appeared to prove last season that he was a flash in the pan, but the allure of Asik may prompt the Hawks to bite. Bringing in Smith would make the Rockets instant contenders in the Western Conference as he would be added to a strong core that already includes Howard, James Harden and Chandler Parsons.

Pelicans Interested in Omer Asik

If the Rockets ultimately decide against a sign-and-trade to acquire Smith, there is still a market for Asik elsewhere. Many observers scoffed at Houston handing Asik a big offer sheet last season as the Turkish center had never really proven anything, but he developed into one of the league's most consistent big men. That fact isn't lost on the New Orleans Pelicans as they are willing to make an offer that would send forward Ryan Anderson to Houston, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

After trading center Robin Lopez to the Portland Trail Blazers in a three-team deal that brought former Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans to New Orleans, the Pelicans are left without a reliable center on the roster. Asik would provide a steadying presence in the middle, and he would be one half of a formidable duo alongside Anthony Davis. The Pelicans have certainly amassed a nice array of talent this offseason, and bringing in a guy like Asik would be the cherry on top.

On the flip side, Anderson would be a great fit for Houston. The Rockets will have to alter their offensive approach to some degree with Howard now in the fold, but they are still a run-and-gun team at heart. Anderson would give them a 6'10" forward with outside range, so he can shoot threes in transition and even draw defenders away from Howard in half-court offensive sets. Provided a deal can't be struck for Smith, this potential trade makes too much sense for it not to happen.

Marcus Camby Wants Trade from Raptors

The New York Knicks had high hopes for Marcus Camby as a reserve center last season, but injuries kept him out for much of the year and ultimately made him expendable. Camby was part of a package that the Knicks sent to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for power forward Andrea Bargnani, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Camby has no intentions of having a second stint north of the border, though, as he has asked to be traded or bought out.

Camby certainly isn't the player he once was at the age of 39, but he can still be an effective presence. Camby averaged nine rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game for the Rockets and Blazers the season before last, so he still has something left in the tank. There are plenty of contending teams out there that could use a veteran presence in the paint, and while it remains unclear if anyone is interested, the Raptors probably won't struggle when it comes to unloading him.

A team like the Miami Heat would likely love to have him, although salary issues would need to be worked out. The Heat have succeeded without a true center, but Camby would give them another option off the bench. Regardless of where he ultimately lands, Camby is a guy who can still contribute at the NBA level as long as his long injury history doesn't catch up with him.

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