NBA Trade Rumors: Breaking Down Buzz on Joe Johnson, Lance Stephenson and More
Baseball might have the hot stove, winter meetings and a flurry of big trades toward the end of every calendar year, but the NBA is no slouch when it comes to trade talks and rumors in December.
Several big names have been bandied about in recent days as the league inches ever closer to Dec. 15, when free agents signed during the summer months are allowed to be traded. The relaxing of this restriction gives many teams greater flexibility when it comes to making the kind of moves that can improve a franchise in the short or long term (or both).
Here is the latest buzz surrounding three players who are reportedly in contention to swap squads this season.
The Brooklyn Nets don't appear to be afraid of tearing down the current roster and building anew.
According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein and Ohm Youngmisuk, the Nets have let other teams know that three of the team's biggest stars are on the trading block: "The Brooklyn Nets have begun reaching out to teams to let them know that former All-Stars Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson are available via trade, ESPN.com has learned."
The Nets are 9-12 on the season, and the three aforementioned players rank fifth, third and first on the team in player efficiency rating (excluding the recently signed Darius Morris), respectively, per ESPN.com.
Although Brooklyn has a losing record, it does play in the Eastern Conference, where playoff hope springs eternal for just about every team not located in either Detroit or Philadelphia, or playing home games at Madison Square Garden.
However, the early results fall well short of the expectations of a team that also features the likes of Kevin Garnett and is coached by Lionel Hollins, who enjoyed plenty of success running the Memphis Grizzlies.
While all three players could prove to be very difficult for the Nets to offload—they would need trade partners who possess a distinct win-now mentality—Johnson might be the toughest of them all to see getting traded.
He's putting up fine numbers comparable to last season, although the 33-year-old swingman's shooting percentages are down this year.
| 2013-14 | 79 | 32.6 | 15.8 | .454 | .401 | 3.4 | 2.7 | 15.5 |
| 2014-15 | 18 | 34.9 | 15.7 | .439 | .354 | 5.0 | 3.8 | 15.8 |
Still, Johnson and Williams aren't exactly detrimental to the squad. According to ESPNNewYork.com's Mike Mazzeo, the Nets tend to struggle when Lopez is on the floor:
"The Nets have to slow it down with center Brook Lopez in the game, and his teammates have struggled playing with him. Lopez has a minus-3.3 on-court net efficiency rating (100.2 points per 100 possessions for vs. 103.5 points per 100 possessions against). Brooklyn is only slightly better offensively with him on the court (98.9 offensive rating on bench). The Nets are much better with Joe Johnson (103.2 offensive rating on vs. 93.0 offensive rating off) and Deron Williams (101.3 offensive rating on vs. 94.5 offensive rating off) on the floor as opposed to the bench.
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The big issue with moving Johnson is his massive contract. His deal doesn't expire until the end of the 2015-16 season, and he has a $23 million cap hit for next year, per Spotrac.
Scoring points has always been Johnson's calling card as he's not renowned for his defense in any way, but it would be tough for any team to justify taking on that salary with his current level of production.
Despite the trade rumors swirling, Johnson remains focused on winning with the Nets.
"This is what comes with the territory,” he said, via Mazzeo. “It’s part of it. And us as players, we still have jobs to do. And that’s to come out, try to get victories and help this team be successful. We just gotta stay focused with that."
Lance Stephenson
The Charlotte Hornets thought they had found the perfect complementary piece to the inside-outside combo of Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson when they signed Lance Stephenson as a free agent prior to this season.
However, the swingman has struggled on the floor since the opening tipoff, and the new-look Hornets' 6-16 record isn't helping the franchise distance itself from the tarnished Bobcats moniker that graced many of these players' jerseys as recently as last season.
According to RealGM.com's Shams Charania, several teams have expressed interest in trading for Stephenson:
"Lance Stephenson has garnered fresh trade inquiries into the Charlotte Hornets’ front office recently and wouldn’t be opposed to a potential move to the Brooklyn Nets, but hopes to remain part of and succeed in his partnership with the Hornets, league sources told RealGM.
Four to five NBA teams have shown an interest to the Hornets on Stephenson, but no deal is imminent, Stephenson has made clear his desire to help propel a turnaround and both sides believe there’s still time to salvage a productive relationship and run with the franchise, sources told RealGM.
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A move to the Nets would be an intriguing blockbuster, as Stephenson hails from Brooklyn, and the team is reportedly looking for big-time trade partners.
Stephenson's signing was indeed a sign that the Hornets were ready to become main players on the NBA stage, and they could be just the type of win-now team ready to try something new and salvage a potentially lost season. Johnson would be the best fit considering the Hornets are set at point guard with Walker and in the frontcourt with Jefferson.
However, the Hornets would be unwise to give up on a 24-year-old with so much potential so soon. Stephenson shot 37.5 percent from the floor in November but has improved to 46.4 percent in four games in December, per ESPN.com. He's still a disaster from beyond the three-point line (0-of-8 in December), but he has the strength and athleticism to find higher-percentage shots without serving as a threat from long range.
Some of Charlotte's biggest issues this season have come on the defensive end of the floor. It ranks 21st in the league in defensive efficiency, per ESPN.com, and is giving up 100.5 points per game.
Of Hornets with at least 10 games under their belts this season, Stephenson ranks fifth in defensive rating per Basketball-Reference.com. He also ranks second on the team in both steals (0.8) and rebounds (7.4) per game.
With shutdown defender Michael Kidd-Gilchrist only just recently making his way back from a foot injury, the Hornets could really suffer on defense if they trade Stephenson and don't get quality defenders in return. It's best the team stands pat for now and takes a chance on turning things around with a young swingman with building-block potential.
Wilson Chandler
Something about the Denver Nuggets roster makeup just screams potential trade partner. They've managed to remain competitive for the past few seasons without a bona fide superstar on the squad, but a 10-12 record in the competitive Western Conference makes them little more than a fringe playoff contender at this point in the season.
It's like a less depressing version of the Milwaukee Bucks' former eighth-seed-or-bust mentality.
The latest Nugget to end up in the rumor mill is Wilson Chandler, who has reportedly drawn interest from the Oklahoma City Thunder, per Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix.
Chandler is averaging 14.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. At 27 years old, he should be in the prime of his career and would provide a valuable scoring option and veteran presence out on the wing.
The 10-13 Thunder got off to a poor start this season with injuries to superstars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, but they are on a five-game winning streak and should be able to secure a playoff spot if team health permits.
Chandler would be an excellent asset for a 2014 NBA title run, which has to be the Thunder's aspirations as the small-market team's window could be closing with Durant set to become a free agent in 2016.
It's unclear what they would have to give up to get Chandler, but the team would be better off trading future assets and preserving the integrity of the team it has now. Draft picks and/or a young player with potential like Jeremy Lamb could be enticing in any potential trade, as the Nuggets don't have the talent on the current roster to compete in a Western Conference flush with heavyweights.
