NBA Rumors: Latest Trade Buzz on Thanksgiving Day 2014
You might not bring your cell phone to the dinner table this Thanksgiving, but NBA general managers have no choice but to dine with their smartphones within close reach.
While you eat your turkey and mashed potatoes and talk to your not-so-favorite relatives about school, work and the like, GMs around the Association will be talking about their rosters—both with family and opposing executives.
In the never-ending quest to upgrade their teams, general managers are always looking to make things happen. Not even Turkey Day can get in the way of that.
Below is the latest trade buzz from around the league to hold you over between dinner and dessert.
The holiday season has only just begun, but the Cleveland Cavaliers already have something on their wish list. In fact, this should be on their "needs" list.
Fox Sports Ohio's Sam Amico tweets that the Cavs are looking far and wide for someone to man the paint:
Cleveland is allowing teams to shoot 46.8 percent from the floor (tied for 23rd in the NBA). They're tied for 19th in the NBA with 41.6 rebounds per night. Both of those issues are mostly because of subpar play from the team's big men. Adding a more formidable one into the mix would remedy these issues and help the Cavs right the ship.
Anderson Varejao and Tristan Thompson have been only average. On a team thought to be destined for the NBA Finals after acquiring Kevin Love and signing LeBron James, the Cavs are moving in the wrong direction.
Timofey Mozgov, 28, would add some much-needed depth to the frontcourt. Cleveland doesn't necessarily need anther star; it just needs someone who can be productive.
Mozgov has been productive this year for the Denver Nuggets, posting a 14.5 PER. He is shooting 52 percent from the floor in 25.1 minutes per game.
Amico's report claims that the Cavs have yet to have success in talks with Denver. At 7-7, the Nuggets are hovering between contention and not factoring into the playoffs in the Western Conference. It might take another few weeks of mediocrity before they decide to sell their valuable pieces and gear up for the future.
If the Cavs can hold on until mid-December, they might be able to get Mozgov at their price.
The Philadelphia 76ers are something to behold—just maybe not in the usual sense.
At 0-14, Philly is on pace to earn the No. 1 overall pick in next year's draft. They've rebuilt and rebuilt again through the draft in the past two seasons, but they still lack something to make them competitive. Perhaps it's just a matter of time before all the young talent clicks.
Among that young talent is a slew of big men. Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid are the most notable examples, although Henry Sims also has made a bit of a name for himself as the team's starting center. Embiid, of course, hasn't played this year and has no timetable for his return from a foot injury.
Despite the bevy of young bigs on the roster, general manager Sam Hinkie could look to add yet another if the team gets the top pick. Freshman Jahlil Okafor is widely considered the top player in the nation, but the Sixers might have to get creative to create a need for him.
Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv reports that moving one of their current players (likely Noel or Embiid) wouldn't be difficult: "Several NBA sources said Philly could easily trade one of their current bigs if they opt to draft Okafor at No. 1 (assuming they get the No. 1 pick)."
Okafor is a game-changer in the post. The Duke Blue Devil has just a handful of games at the college level under his belt, but there's a good reason why all signs point to him going with the top pick in several months.
David Teel of the Daily Press highlighted his skills in the low post as part of the reason why:
"Okafor’s low-post game is unusually polished for his age. He is overpowering and subtle, understands angles — hence his penchant for old-school bank shots — and is an effective passer out of inevitable double-teams," he wrote.
The difference between Okafor, Noel and Embiid is not necessarily in terms of talent. Sure, Okafor might be the most polished of the bunch, but the potential is there for all three.
Instead, Okafor has health on his side. Noel missed his rookie campaign following knee surgery, and Embiid is on the shelf right now.
Drafting Okafor and plugging him into the starting lineup immediately should help the Sixers progress back to respectability.
The Boston Celtics are another team in the midst of a long season. At 4-8 entering Friday night's game, Boston is struggling to find consistency from their young core.
Brandon Bass, one of the lone veterans on the roster, is a 29-year-old big men who would prove valuable to multiple teams. Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald reports that some teams have already placed calls: "Scouts and opposing front-office types have begun to speak and inquire about the 29-year-old forward, a practice that’s generally a precursor to discussing a trade."
A ton of things add together to make Bass a likely trade candidate. Aside from being a 29-year-old playing on a young, losing team, he owns a PER of 16.29 and a manageable $6.9 million salary. He's also shooting 52.8 percent from the floor and possesses one of the top mid-range jumpers in the league.
Teammate Gerald Wallace, when notified about the interest in Bass, told Bulpett about a few other aspects of the game where he excels:
"That doesn’t surprise me. Brandon is an exceptional big. He’s very good in the pick and roll, and he’s very good defensively at moving his feet. He’s one of our best defensive bigs we have, so it doesn’t surprise me at all."
Should Boston actively shop Bass, plenty of teams will line up. But what would general manager Danny Ainge ask for in return? The salary relief would be nice, but a player of Bass' value likely wouldn't be dealt in a salary dump.
Instead, Boston might ask for a second-round pick or another young player back in return.
Bass is simply a veteran player in need of a change of scenery. He has watched his minutes decrease to 18.5 per night from the 27.6 per night he averaged last season.
As a proven winner and competitor, he would benefit from an increased role on a better team.
Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @kennydejohn.
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