9 NBA Players on the Trade Block with Highest Value Right Now
The 2013-14 NBA season is still in its infancy.
With four-plus months and 60-something games left on each team's schedule, now is hardly the time to begin pressing panic buttons. No, not even yours J.R. Smith.
But teams have absolutely started making assessments both for the present and the future. Following the New York Knicks' latest air-clearing session, via ESPN LA's Arash Markazi, the Empire State's NBA entities have already held three team meetings.
The season might be young, but it's already been quite informative.
As franchises become more aware of their present states and the directions they're heading, those assessments will start to shift to personnel decisions. Some clubs have already taken that plunge.
There are players to be had on the trade market. Some appear to have arrived by way of unimpressed executive staffs. Others have sparked then fanned their own trade fires.
No matter how they came, though, the important thing is that they're here. Now they can be judged and have their strengths and weaknesses measured in the public forum.
But what makes a trade candidate more valuable than another? A lot of things, actually.
Talent, obviously, plays a pivotal role in the evaluation process. But items like consistency, versatility and economic impact all have their places in the grading scale.
Reality is starting to set in, and teams will start hitting the trade market by the busload. So which players should these potential trade partners be targeting?
*Unless otherwise noted, statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.
9. Rudy Gay, SF, Toronto Raptors
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The stat sheet hasn't been kind to eighth-year wing Rudy Gay. In fact, his box scores have become such an unmitigated source of disappointment that he's banned stat sheets from the Toronto Raptors' locker room.
A dramatic move, for sure, but one that unfortunately feels justified. He's never attempted this many shots (18.9 a night), nor connected on a lower percentage of those looks (37.5 percent from the field).
His bank statements haven't seen a bit of that damage. Per Hoopsworld.com, he's pulling in a cool $17.8 million this season.
So, let's see here. Declining production and no immediate salary relief coming—he'd be crazy to decline the $19.3 million player option he holds for next season at this rate. Not a good mix, is it?
According to the National Post's Bruce Arthur, first-year Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri has already broached the subject of moving Gay.
It sounds good in theory. Ujiri needs to plug plenty of holes, and wiping Gay's contract off the books would be a nice step in that direction. Besides, how hard can it be to sell someone who's good for 19.4 points and 7.1 rebounds a night?
Really hard, actually, without getting crushed in return.
Gay's box scores are empty; avoiding eye contact with them can't change that fact. His salary is bloated and only getting worse.
I'm sure there's a market out there for him, but not one that features anything like what Ujiri will hope to find.
8. Jameer Nelson, PG, Orlando Magic
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Jameer Nelson has been a part of some of the Orlando Magic's finest times.
He was the starting point guard and fourth-leading scorer of the group that battled all the way to the 2009 NBA Finals. He nearly posted a 50-40-90 shooting slash that season and holds more than respectable career marks of .446/.377/.814.
But Orlando's glory days are a thing of the past. So, too, is Nelson's time as a reliable source of production.
His field-goal shooting has never been lower (37.3 percent). His turnover rate has never been higher (19.4 percent).
As Magic GM Rob Hennigan continues to move the franchise through a rough rebuilding stretch, Nelson could be his latest casualty. Per ESPN.com's Marc Stein, a future first-round pick could pry Nelson out of Orlando. Yesterday.
The problem is that pick may never be coming.
The 31-year-old Nelson isn't the walking financial constraint that Gay is—he's owed just $8.6 million this season and has only $2 million guaranteed for 2014-15—but he's far removed from the bargain bin.
The youth movement is alive and well in Orlando. The Magic have obvious motivation to move Nelson.
But that asking price will have to come down first. Even a low-end first-round pick is too much to give for an offensive-minded point guard who doesn't have a lot of offense left.
7. Dion Waiters, SG, Cleveland Cavaliers
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A lot can happen in two seasons.
In the months leading up to the 2012 NBA Draft, Dion Waiters' ceiling couldn't have risen any higher.
Per Terry Pluto of The Cleveland Plain Dealer, scouts littered Waiters with labels of nexts—the next Russell Westbrook, Joe Dumars and even Dwyane Wade.
Those comparisons proved convincing enough for Cleveland to invest the No. 4 draft pick in the former Syracuse sixth man.
One-plus season later, though, they've proven to be more ridiculous than anything.
Both Wade and Dumars were 46-percent-plus shooters the moment they stepped onto the NBA hardwood. Waiters has yet to clear the 42-percent mark and is sitting below 40 percent this season. Westbrook was the latest bloomer of the trio (40.8 percent shooting over his first two seasons). But by his sophomore campaign he'd established himself as an effective passer (8.0 assists) and relentless rebounder (4.9 per game).
Waiters is still searching for his NBA niche. If scoring is going to be his calling card, then he's coming dangerously close to running out minutes. He's a volume scorer at best for now—13.8 points on 12.5 shots in 2013-14—who doesn't positively impact the box score in any other way (3.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.3 turnovers).
Waiters might still hit those formerly lofty goals, but the Cavs apparently aren't buying his chances. Per ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard, Cleveland has been "actively shopping" the second-year guard.
Imagine the package you could've received for a blossoming Westbrook, Dumars or Westbrook. Now realize that nothing remotely resembling that package will come in return for Waiters.
6. Iman Shumpert, SG, New York Knicks
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As ESPN New York's Ian Begley noted, "Iman Shumpert seems to be involved in almost every trade rumor making the rounds these days."
In other words, if there's a name on this list, chances are Shumpert's name has been linked to it in one way or another.
Still just 23 years old, the third-year guard is still setting his ceiling.
Some nights he looks like a budding superstar. With good size (6'5", 212-lbs.) and the athleticism to play either guard spot, he can be a havoc on defense and a hero on offense.
Other nights, though, he seems disinterested in ever realizing his full potential.
"I think he could be an elite defender," one scout told Begley. "He's got to commit to it and I think at times he wavers on that."
The numbers suggest he's far from wearing that elite crown. He's yielded above average player efficiency ratings to opposing shooting guards (16.3) and small forwards (21.1)—the league average is 15.0—this season, via 82games.com.
Consistent defensive effort will be the only thing that can salvage his trade value. His offense has been simply a crap-shoot.
For the second straight season, his field-goal percentage has dropped below 40. He's hit better than 33 percent of his triples in just one of his first three seasons.
Buying or selling Shumpert won't be easy. His ceiling is still massively high, but his basement appears a lot lower than Knicks fans would like to admit.
It feels like he'll be on the move at some point this season, but determining his next destination or New York's return package isn't easy.
5. Kenneth Faried, PF, Denver Nuggets
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Kenneth Faried's availability is hard to gauge.
ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported that the third-year forward was being discussed in a deal that would have sent him to the New York Knicks in exchange for Iman Shumpert and future draft considerations.
But Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski later reported that nothing short of a "blockbuster deal" would pry Faried away from the Denver Nuggets.
Whenever there's smoke, though, fire is usually not far behind.
It's not surprising that other clubs would covet Faried. The 24-year-old is a supercharged athlete, devastating finisher (56.1 career field-goal percentage) and relentless worker on the glass (career 18.8 rebounding percentage).
To sweeten the pot, he costs less than $4 million over this season and next combined.
But Denver has reasons to field offers for the "Manimal," too.
His offensive game is limited. If he's not cleaning up errant shots, he's getting his baskets on the back-end of lobs. If first-year coach Brian Shaw wants to fully institute a slower, more controlled offense, he'll sap Faried's effectiveness in the process.
Plus, the third-year forward seems to save his energy for loose balls and the offensive glass. He has more matador defensive tendencies that an energetic player should.
Faried's good, but is there a chance for him to become something better? Expect that intrigue to be a main selling point if the Nuggets really hope to land a 2014 first-round pick in exchange for the big man.
4. Omer Asik, C, Houston Rockets
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Omer Asik is the most stable talent on the list so far.
The 27-year-old is a walking double-double. He double dipped 33 times in a starting role last season—tied for 14th-most in the league—and has always maintained a similar pace in smaller doses over the course of his career (10.2 points and 13.2 rebounds per 36 minutes).
Of course, with Dwight Howard now manning the Houston Rockets' middle, Asik is also the list's most expendable name.
He knows as much. Per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, Asik has asked the Rockets to be traded. Again. The ink had barely dried on Howard's max contract this summer when Asik first asked for a change of scenery.
The Rockets have tried to meet his request. Well, sort of.
Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Houston has discussed an Asik deal with "multiple teams." But a rival GM told CBS Sports' Ken Berger that Houston's current asking price is "delusional."
Asik would be a relatively safe acquisition. He's a force on the boards, a presence in the paint (career 1.7 blocks per 36 minutes) and a consistent, albeit limited, offensive threat (career 53.5 field-goal percentage).
But safety isn't always a highly sought after commodity on the trade market. Especially when it comes with a premium attached—he's an $8.4 million salary cap hit next season but will actually make $15 million for his service.
That might be an easier pill to swallow than banking on players like Waiters, Shumpert or Faried from reaching their full potential. But there are better talents available, and ones that may carry a relatively equal price to obtain.
3. Evan Turner, SF, Philadelphia 76ers
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Evan Turner has been bracing for his departure from the Philadelphia 76ers for a while.
The former No. 2 overall pick did not secure a contract extension on his rookie deal before the season started. In fact, he told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer "there was nothing whatsoever" in terms of a negotiation.
None of this surprised Turner, though. As he told Pompey, first-year Sixers GM Sam Hinkie "is not my GM."
Whether fueled by the talks that weren't or motored by the same motivations any player feels in a contract season, he's powered through a full-fledged breakout campaign.
He's shattered previous career bests nearly across the board, making massive leaps in scoring (21.4), rebounding (7.1) and efficiency (16.0 PER).
Turner was a trade candidate long before his statistical surge began. Philly's already planning for the future—2013 lottery pick Nerlens Noel might be held out for the entire season—and the 25-year-old doesn't seem to be a part of that plan.
According to Fox Sports Ohio's Sam Amico, the Sixers would have no shortage of potential trade partners should they decide to move Turner between now and the trade deadline.
Don't expect an astronomical return, but Turner should command tremendous value. Not only can he help solidify a contender, he also brings financial relief in the form of his expiring contract.
Future draft consideration will almost certainly be a part of Philly's required compensation. The rest of that package will feature either similar economic assistance or a high-upside piece for the future.
Still, there are two names swirling through the rumor mill that will command a higher price than even Turner.
2. Luol Deng, SF, Chicago Bulls
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Derrick Rose's second season-ending knee injury changed everything.
Basketball fans lost one of the game's true greats. Again. The Chicago Bulls prepared for gut-check time. Again.
But that's where the similarities may stop for this Rose-less round of Bulls hoops. The word "may" is key, because no one seems to know how the franchise will respond.
Steve Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune laid out of a blunt plan of action: "Blow up this Bulls thing right now." ESPN Chicago's Nick Friedell said the "roster should look much different when [Rose] returns."
All of this speculation coming, of course, while Bulls GM Gar Forman is busy telling Bulls.com's Sam Smith that the franchise will not "make any rash decisions."
The rebuilding chatter, media-influenced or not, is loud. Loud enough that it's made its way to free-agent-to-be Luol Deng.
"It's definitely there," Deng said of the trade talk, via Friedell. "I don't know if you would call it a distraction, it's almost—it's disturbing. But it is what it is."
Deng's contract status has no doubt increased that volume. He's set to enter the 2014 offseason as an unrestricted free agent once his $14.2 million contract expires at season's end.
A two-way force and consummate glue guy, the 28-year-old could be a vital veteran presence for a championship-hopeful searching for the final piece to the puzzle.
This franchise, the only NBA home Deng has ever known, understands exactly what type of player he is. That's why he's impossible to erase from Chicago's future.
Unlike the names before him on this list, though, an astronomical asking price wouldn't necessarily nix these trade talks. If a team truly feels its knocking on the championship door, Deng could be that final lift needed to clear the last hurdle.
1. Rajon Rondo, PG, Boston Celtics
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It probably says a lot about the trade market when the man at the top hasn't logged a single minute of game action since January.
In truth, though, this has less to do with the other available names than it does with Rajon Rondo's incredibly high skill level.
A perennial assists leader with all of the physical tools to play All-NBA-caliber defense, the eighth-year guard is among the league's few transcendent talents.
Even for the rebuilding Boston Celtics, this doesn't sound like a player they should consider moving, does it?
That's because, if you believe Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, they're not.
"I haven't talked to any teams about Rajon Rondo," Ainge said, via Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
But that hasn't stopped analysts from speculating about a potential deal. "They have to trade Rajon Rondo," ESPN.com's Marc Stein wrote in his preseason power rankings. "You know it, I know it, everyone in basketball knows it."
Rondo, who's still recovering from a torn ACL, has to prove he's healthy before Ainge can seriously entertain trade offers. Shipping off Rondo—who's one of the league's greatest bargains with just $24.8 owed to him for this season and next—for anything under market value would be foolish.
So, what is market value for someone with this kind of talent? Someone who can't shoot a lick from outside (career 24.1 three-point percentage), but nevertheless remains an efficient scorer (career 48.1 field-goal percentage) and potent passer (career 8.3 assists per game)?
Honestly, that's hard to say. What isn't difficult, though, is determining that none of these other names promise a bigger return package than Rondo. Not even when he's confined to street clothes.
