NBA Trade Rumors: Latest Whispers from Around the League
You have probably made a number of trades already in your fantasy basketball league or in NBA 2K15, but there usually aren’t any big-time moves in the opening week or two of an actual NBA season.
That is certainly the case for the 2014-15 campaign, but there are still plenty of rumors circulating around the league.
Two of those trade rumors in particular surround the Los Angeles franchises, as the Clippers are looking for ways to improve a title-contending roster, while the Lakers' star is caught up in some rumors of his own.
With that in mind, here is a look at some of the latest trade rumors from around the NBA.
Frank Isola of the (New York) Daily News passed along an update regarding the possibility of Kobe Bryant getting traded to the New York Knicks:
"The Lakers could begin the rebuilding process immediately by removing Bryant’s salary from their cap. The Knicks are one team that has expiring contracts to placate Los Angeles.
“I don’t see it happening,” said one Eastern Conference GM. “I’d put it at minus 20%.”
The same general manager thought about it for a moment and added: “The only way this happens is if Kobe goes to the Lakers and asked to be traded.”
"
If you take away the fact that Bryant has played with the Lakers his entire career and that the Eastern Conference general manager said it’s not going to happen, this potential trade makes some sense.
A Bryant and Carmelo Anthony pairing would make the Knicks instant playoff contenders in the watered-down Eastern Conference. What’s more, Bryant is familiar with the triangle offense and with Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher from their time in Los Angeles together and would accelerate the learning curve in the Big Apple.
From the Lakers’ perspective, getting rid of Bryant would exponentially increase their chances of landing a top-five draft pick, which is the only way their pick doesn’t go to the Phoenix Suns this season. Considering Steve Nash and Julius Randle are out for the year, Bryant is the only real hope the Lakers have at stringing together any wins.
Interestingly, Isola notes that if Bryant were to become available, the Chicago Bulls and Dallas Mavericks would also be among the teams that take a look at the future Hall of Famer.
Chicago and Dallas are both title contenders on paper, and adding a dynamic star like Bryant would really alter the landscape of the NBA. It would especially help in Chicago, since the Bulls have struggled to score the past couple of years and Derrick Rose’s health is always a concern.
Before everyone gets excited about the prospect of Bryant switching uniforms, it is worth looking at some quotes from the man himself, via Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports:
"I hear the chatter of Kobe should ask out and he should go and play for a contender in this latter stage of his career. But that's not what I do. I'm extremely loyal to the Lakers.
I believe in fighting through the tough times as well as enjoying the good times. It's my responsibility to get us to be the best that we can be. It's important that we approach that on a day-to-day basis.
"
Perhaps he will change his mind when the trade deadline rolls around after a half season of losing.
Los Angeles Clippers Looking for a Small Forward
Things are looking a lot better for the other Los Angeles franchise, but there is still room for improvement for the Clippers if they want to compete with the defending champion San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs this season.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports made the following statements on The Home Team radio program, via www.kfwbam.com:
“The Clippers have to find a way to get better at small forward. They’re just not good enough there. They’ve scoured the league trying to find a small forward, but I don’t know that they have the assets or players to give up to get that kind of player back in a trade.”
The Clippers have arguably the best point guard in the game in Chris Paul, one of the best overall players in the league in Blake Griffin and an interior force in DeAndre Jordan. They also boast solid backcourt depth with Jamal Crawford and J.J. Redick, and Spencer Hawes is a formidable big man off the bench.
However, there is not a lot of proven or reliable talent outside of Matt Barnes at the small forward position. Hedo Turkoglu is well past his prime, and Chris Douglas-Roberts is not exactly the guy you want to rely on in crunch time against the Spurs in May.
Even Barnes himself is more of a defensive stopper than an offensive threat.
It is really no wonder that Los Angeles is looking at small forwards with that roster. There really aren’t any other holes to fill.
The Clippers have the pieces to make a run at the title, and the injury situation in Oklahoma City means the Western Conference is wide open behind the Spurs. This could be their best chance to take home the Larry O’Brien Trophy, and another small forward would only make Los Angeles even more dangerous come playoff time.
Follow me on Twitter:
