NBA Rumors: Week of Nov. 14 Complete Roundup

Although the number of high-profile moves during the early stages of a season are limited, it's a period that sets the tone for the weeks and months ahead. Teams start to figure out exactly where they stand and names start popping up in rumors that will continue to heat up as the campaign wears on.

This year is no different. Some key questions include: Can the Chicago Bulls contend if Derrick Rose can't stay healthy for an extended stretch? Do the Cleveland Cavaliers need another piece to reach their potential? And what does the future hold for Kobe Bryant?

It's going to take some time for those situations to play out. But the rumor mill is already spinning at a pretty rapid rate. Let's check out some of the latest banter from around the league and examine what it could mean for the teams and players involved.

Kobe Bryant

The Los Angeles Lakers are in a tricky position. They would love to make another championship run with Bryant leading the charge. Yet, the roster doesn't feature enough top-end talent outside of the franchise legend, and his contract makes it difficult to make any major short-term upgrades.

That's led to talk about potentially moving No. 24 and going into a full rebuild. While the New York Knicks have been mentioned as a possible landing spot, Mitch Lawrence of Forbes reports fans in The Big Apple shouldn't get their hopes up: "But from what we can tell, talking to industry sources familiar with the Lakers' thinking, No. 24 isn't going anywhere. He's got a no-trade clause and the Lakers have a no-trade mindset."

Obviously, pairing Bryant with Carmelo Anthony is an intriguing scenario both for the Knicks and the NBA as a whole. It would immediately vault the team into the Eastern Conference title conversation alongside the Bulls and Cavs.

The 36-year-old guard has also shown so far in the new season that's he still got the tools to play at a high level. Moving to a team where he could put that productivity to better use and possibly chase a championship would seem like a strong option.

Apparently not, however. It sounds like Bryant is ready to finish his career with the Lakers for better or worse. Probably the latter, unless the Lakers can get creative to generate some cap space for a couple big moves to improve his supporting cast.

Kevin Love

When the Cavaliers completed the deal to add Love to a roster that already featured LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, it seemed like a perfect union. But Cleveland is off to a sluggish start and with that comes talk about what might happen if things don't work out.

Right now that surrounds Love potentially leaving the experiment after just one season. Sam Smith of NBA.com reports the power forward could opt out of his current deal and head for Los Angeles during the offseason:

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It's not going to get as much discussion during the season, but one of the biggest issues for the Cavs is that both LeBron James and Kevin Love own opt outs after this season. LeBron James basically cannot afford to go anywhere after his return to Cleveland. But watch out for Love. Indications are he will seriously consider the opt out and has his eyes on a return to Los Angeles, where he attended college and where the Lakers long have had him on their free agent wish list.

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Love has watched his offensive role drop off from his days with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Irving has remained a shoot-first point guard despite the arrival of two other stars. But it's hard to imagine the post player is already plotting his escape from Cleveland.

Of course, if the Cavs were 6-0 rather than 3-3 it wouldn't even be a topic of conversation. Eventually, everything should fall into place and they will start clicking on all cylinders. That will cause the discussion to fade away, at least until the season ends.

Ray Allen

Allen remains a hot commodity despite giving no clear indication about whether he plans to continue to play or is ready to call it quits. The longtime sharpshooter could still provide productive minutes for a contender if he did decide to return.

Furthermore, should he come back, it's a mystery as to whether he has a team in mind or would simply start a standard free-agent tour amid the season. Either way, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders notes the feeling is still that Allen will play on: "Allen hasn't officially announced whether he'll play this season, but many people around the league believe he'll sign at some point during the campaign."

Though it's a popular rumor-mill talking point, there's really no rush. The teams that would be in the market for the shooting guard are doing so with an eye toward the postseason, not November games against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Cavaliers still feel like the most logical destination—especially with Dion Waiters struggling to handle a secondary role. But if you listed out the championship contenders, a vast majority of them would benefit from adding Allen to the rotation. It's just a waiting game.

Steve Nash

Ongoing back problems are expected to keep Nash sidelined for the entire season, and whether he ever plays in another game is a major question mark. He's one of the best point guards in history, but unfortunately various ailments have slowed him down in recent years.

In years past, his expiring deal would have given the Lakers a terrific trade chip. That's not necessarily the case anymore with the way teams approach contracts.

But Marc Stein of ESPN reports they are going to shop it anyway to see what it could yield: "As ESPN.com reported last month when Nash was ruled out for the 2014-15 season because of recurring nerve issues with his back, Lakers officials are planning to explore the trade market for potential deals between now and the February trade deadline with Nash's $9.7 million expiring contract."

It's too bad Nash hasn't been able to get healthy enough for another run, much like Bryant has done. That would have given the Lakers two key pieces and made their quest to make some noise in the West a little bit easier.

If Los Angeles could get a chip for the future for the contract, it would be a solid move. Moreover, all of the different conversations that include the Lakers right now show they could be very active over the next 12 months.

Kenyon Martin

Martin played 32 games for the Knicks last season. He averaged four points and four rebounds in just under 20 minutes per game. His effectiveness has faded over the past five years but, as a veteran big man with a track record of prior success, the calls will probably keep coming.

The latest inquiry came from the Memphis Grizzlies. Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal reports the team held a workout for the forward, who previously met with the Houston Rockets, but no offer is expected right away: "The Grizzlies conducted a workout with veteran free-agent forward Kenyon Martin on Wednesday, but no deal is imminent. The Griz are gathering information on free agents, which is part of their customary routine when there is an open roster spot."

Memphis is off to an 8-1 start with Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph in good form. Both starters on the interior are playing a lot of minutes, so there's not an immense need for adding frontcourt depth at the current time.

If an injury arises, the Grizzlies might cycle back around to Martin. He wouldn't be a game-changing addition, but he can still provide some reliable minutes for a team in need.