NBA Rumors: Buzz Surrounding Miles Plumlee, Tayshaun Prince and More
We have reached the point in the NBA season when it is fairly clear which teams are playoff contenders and which ones should start planning for the future.
That means we have reached the point when the pretenders could look to move some of their players in deals with an eye toward the future. That is music to the ears of contenders trying to bolster their rosters for a postseason push, so, naturally, there are some rumors flying around the Association.
Here is a look at a few of them.
Miles Plumlee
Marc Stein of ESPN.com provided an update on Miles Plumlee and the Phoenix Suns:
Plumlee’s averages of 4.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and one block per game may not jump off the page, but he is hitting 56.2 percent of his shots from the field. Plumlee’s contract is also enticing, as he is making just north of $3 million combined for the rest of this season and next.
Cheap production down low is not always easy to find, and the Suns apparently have made some available.
Plumlee has also demonstrated his durability this season by appearing in every single game and could at least be a consistent body off the bench for a contender.
Of course, the Suns are contenders themselves, but playing time has become an issue lately, with 10 players averaging more than 15 minutes a night and nine players averaging at least 20 minutes a game. There is only so much time to go around, which means the 26-year-old Plumlee could benefit from a change of scenery.
Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald noted that the Boston Celtics may have plans for the newly acquired Tayshaun Prince: “The Celts are expected to try to trade Prince by the Feb. 19 deadline, and could buy out the rest of this final year ($7.7 million) on his contract if nothing materializes.”
Prince came over as part of the trade that sent swingman Jeff Green to the Memphis Grizzlies, but the Kentucky product is not part of Boston’s future plans.
For his part, Prince commented on his new role, via Bulpett:
"My approach is come in here, provide a spark, provide leadership, and, throughout practice, just watching the young guys and what they were doing, just kind of help wherever I'm needed. Who knows what the situation is as far as the first few games, as far as how much I play or how much I don't play. I'm not really too concerned with that. The most important thing that they're looking for out of me is to provide some leadership and some experience and obviously showing them things in practice, the way things can be done and stuff like that.
"
The Celtics aren’t competing for anything this season, and Prince is 34 years old. It makes sense on paper that they are trying to trade him, especially if they can get some future assets in return. On the flip side, Prince could be a valuable contributor for a contender off the bench with his 7.3 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, but his value goes beyond the box score.
He has played in 140 postseason games throughout his career, and there is no replacement for experience when the playoffs roll around. Don’t be surprised if a team filled with young players without much seasoning makes a move to land Prince just so it can have his presence on the sidelines.
Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com provided an interesting update on former Ohio State guard Aaron Craft:
Craft was something of a lightning rod in college, especially among opposing fanbases in the Big Ten, but he has apparently done enough to land on the radars of some NBA teams. While he tallied the most career assists in Ohio State history (and the second-most in the Big Ten since the 1997-98 season), he was best known for his defense.
Players such as John Havlicek and Magic Johnson suited up in the Big Ten, but nobody has more career steals in Big Ten history than the former Buckeye. Craft was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year twice and is the only Ohio State player to tally more than 1,000 points, 500 assists and 250 steals.
Craft isn’t going to blow many NBA fans away with open-court speed or athleticism, but teams that are in need of perimeter defenders off the bench could look his way. He was a proven commodity in a physically grueling college league and is capable of finding his teammates in ideal positions on the offensive end.
If the cliche "defense wins championships" holds true, Craft wouldn’t be a bad option off the bench.
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