NBA Rumors: Trade Buzz Surrounding Lance Stephenson, Jamal Crawford and More
Think the three-team trade between the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder marked the end of the early-season trade rumors in the NBA?
Think again.
There are still plenty of rumors circulating around the Association, including some surrounding household names like Lance Stephenson and Jamal Crawford. Here is a closer look at a few of them.
Lance Stephenson
Ken Berger of CBS Sports provided an update on Stephenson and the Charlotte Hornets: “The Hornets continue to explore trade possibilities for Lance Stephenson and are looking for frontcourt help, sources say.”
Stephenson has been a serious disappointment for a Charlotte Hornets team that was hoping to contend for a favorable seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs heading into the season. The team as a whole is 12-24, while Stephenson has dealt with some lingering injuries and is only shooting 38.6 percent from the field, an abysmal 15.1 percent from three-point range and 63.5 percent from the free-throw line.
He hasn’t been the same defender we saw in Indiana, either, and was even benched earlier in the season.
This feels like a lost year for Charlotte, especially now that Al Jefferson is out for a significant amount of time with a groin injury. Getting any type of future asset back for Stephenson would at least help accelerate the rebuilding phase that will follow this year, even though it would be painful to admit the Stephenson signing was a failure.
Jamal Crawford
Berger provided an update on Crawford as well in the same story:
"The Clippers continue to shop for a starting small forward, but have told at least one inquiring team that they do not intend to move valuable sixth man Jamal Crawford in the process, sources say. The Clippers have one of the least productive benches in the league as it is, and that problem would become even more pronounced if they moved Crawford.
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For as badly as the Los Angeles Clippers need a more effective small forward than Matt Barnes in a league that has LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Paul George and more at the position, Berger highlights the problem with trading Jamal Crawford.
He is the only player coming off the bench for the Clippers who is averaging better than 6.2 points per game and keeps the offense afloat when Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are sitting.
For what it’s worth, Crawford didn’t seem too bothered by past rumors, via NBA.com: “I’ve been in trade rumors ever since I’ve been here, which is the weirdest thing. But that’s part of the business, honestly. I can play wherever. I can play here, I would love to play here. But if not, if something happens, you move on and do what you’ve got to do.”
Los Angeles’ best opportunity to pry a small forward from someone may be to find a team that is already out of contention and looking for future assets in some type of trade. If that trade happens, it will apparently not include Crawford.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio alerted fans that the Cavaliers may not be done trading:
"The Cavs apparently are still trying to pry center Timofy Mozgov from the Nuggets. They now have another protected first-round draft pick (from the Thunder), to go with their protected first-rounder from the Memphis Grizzlies. The Cavs seem to believe they can turn at least one (with other stuff) into a rim-protecting big man, and they seem to believe they can do it soon.
It seems the Mozgov situation is improving for the Cavs. A deal doesn't seem close by any means, but I'm told at least the Cavs are no longer receiving a "flat no" from the Nuggets.
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For as much noise as Cleveland’s acquisition of J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert made, the Cavaliers are still missing a rim protector down low after Anderson Varejao was lost for the season to injury.
Timofey Mozgov isn’t exactly Dwight Howard in his prime, but he is averaging 8.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. More importantly, per NBA.com, Mozgov holds opponents to a shooting percentage of four points fewer than their average when they shoot from less than six feet.
That is the exact type of rim protection that the Cavaliers need next to Kevin Love down low.
The Cavaliers have allowed 99.3 points per game on the season and are 23rd in the league in total rebounds per game (as of Tuesday). Even with LeBron James, Love and Kyrie Irving, it is very difficult to envision Cleveland winning any type of championship this season without a better paint presence on defense and on the boards.
If Cleveland makes the trade, Mozgov will at least get the interior defense heading in the right direction.
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