NBA Rumors: Trade Buzz Surrounding Hottest Names on Block
The NBA is a wacky place right now with the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs without conference leads.
One thing yet to be hurt in the process of a strange set of early-season circumstances? Trade rumors, of course.
The NBA rumor mill is alive and well this time of season. Whether it is contenders on the hunt for additions to help turn a corner or stay out front, or a team looking to sell and create wiggle room for the future, the block has it all.
Below, let's take a look at some of the hottest rumors on the block at the moment.
The Derrick Williams Showcase
Remember Derrick Williams?
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft has yet to truly blossom into the player most thought he would be. Over the course of his first four seasons, he failed to shoot better than .437 from the field and averaged more than five boards a game just once.
This season has been as bad. His contributions to the middling Sacramento Kings has been negligible, as his shooting percentage hovers around the .400 mark and he averages fewer than 2.0 boards per game.
But these Kings are smart. In an effort to build for the future, the front office hopes to tout Williams as a must-have commodity, according to Rui Thomas of Cowbell Kingdom:
"It’s no secret that Williams’ time is coming to an end in Sacramento. He is regarded around the league as a reclamation project at best, and at worst, a bust. The Kings can sell him to other clubs as an expiring deal, or let him walk when free agency begins.
The Kings want to squeeze the most out of their asset while they can. Middling and bottom-tier clubs would love to trade for Williams’ contract to shed long-term salaries, but what Sacramento is currently doing is reminding NBA scouts and general managers that the 6-foot-8, 240-pounder retains his tantalizing potential.
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The appeal to Williams is simple—teams want that contract flexibility. To be fair, the former Arizona star is also only 23 years old, so there is some value to be had in the long-term department if another staff feels it can get the most out of him.
Others teams will need to play along, though.
If the Kings are asked to take another contract back in return, it is hard to see how a deal gets done. But with how desperate teams can get for an expiring contract, crazier things have certainly gone down on the block.
Cavs on the Hunt for Size
While many concern themselves with what the future holds for Kevin Love in Cleveland, the team itself sounds content to focus on size issues in the paint that have helped to hamper the squad.
Cleveland sits at 8-7 and allows nearly 100.0 points per game on average because of defensive issues down low. As predictable as those may have been to observers after the addition of Love, the problem may continue to persist until the front office makes another move.
It should come as no surprise, then, that the team continues to come up in trade whispers, as Sam Amico of Fox Sports points out:
According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst on a WKNR podcast (h/t CBSSports.com's James Herbert), the connection to Timofey Mozgov dates as far back as August.
It makes sense, too, as Cavaliers coach David Blatt coached Mozgov on the Russian national team. At 7'1" and 250 pounds with averages of 10.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, he certainly fits the bill for what the Cavaliers need.
For now, though, Blatt seems content with Love under center, as captured by Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com:
"In general, I would like to say, I think Kevin Love is playing the best defense of his career so far. He can get better like all of us can, but he’s doing a good job. He’s buying into the system, into the principles, and he needs to continue to do that and we need to continue to involve him in the way that we are.
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With Anderson Varejao nursing an injury and Brendan Haywood as well as other depth bodies not providing the spark next to or in relief of Love, though, it seems like it's a matter of time before the Cavaliers pull the trigger on the deal.
The price just has to be right for both parties. Right now, Cleveland seems a bit tapped in what it can offer. In other words, do not expect the Cavaliers to exit the rumor mill anytime soon.
Andrei Kirilenko’s Trade Status
As of right now, Andrei Kirilenko is the biggest name on the trade block.
A deal seems on the approach, but the veteran himself appears to have put a halt on any such thing for the time being, as explained by Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski:
"In checking on the availability of Brooklyn Nets forward Andrei Kirilenko, several contenders were left with the impression that the former All-Star’s desire to tend to a family matter in New York makes a trade impractical for the foreseeable future, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
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Kirilenko saw action in just seven games this year before his hiatus. The 33-year-old forward is not a fit with head coach Lionel Hollins as he was with Jason Kidd and has a fat contract that the Brooklyn Nets surely want out of at this point.
As Wojnarowski indicates, though, interested teams such as the Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers would want some sort of compensation in return or would simply be content to wait for an eventual buyout of the contract.
The recipe for any team to gobble up Kirilenko’s contract and then cut him free all but ensures he will not spend the entire season with Brooklyn.
The deciding factor is how badly the brass in Brooklyn truly wants out of the financial restraints in the first place.
If a contender comes calling and will give up assets to get Kirilenko, then all of this will come to an end. But if it continues to be teams that want something in return, his name is not fading from the spotlight.
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
