The Biggest Potential 2015 NBA Trade Deadline Steals

Several of the NBA's most prominent early season trade-block dwellers were dealt during the campaign's first few months, but that doesn't mean there won't be a flurry of action surrounding the Feb. 19 deadline. 

While potential upgrades at this stage may not significantly alter the postseason landscape, a cluster of role players could represent solid additions to the second units of prospective title contenders. 

Whether it's floor generals who can provide relief in the form of stingy defense and volume scoring, rotational sharpshooters with plenty to prove or low-post bangers possessing a knack for disrupting opponents' shots on the interior, there's a collection of intriguing, under-the-radar talent available. 

But in order to pinpoint the biggest potential deadline steals, a couple of factors were considered.

First, players possessing team-friendly contracts received priority status, since they won't be difficult to move when it comes to matching salaries. Second, contributors on teams that have been reported as sellers crept higher up on the list. As a result, you'll notice a heavy focus on veterans stuck with rebuilding teams.

Mo Williams, PG, Minnesota Timberwolves

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Playoff hopefuls in need of an upgrade at the backup point guard spot could do much worse than snagging Mo Williams on the cheap from the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, "Rival teams believe Mo Williams is available in 'Sota if you can satisfy Wolves' wishes on a draft pick." 

While ESPN 1500's Darren Wolfson indicates no deal is imminent with the Feb. 19 trade deadline more than two weeks away, he also tweeted the "#Twolves return will be minimal." 

If that winds up being the case, interested parties may be able to swing a deal for Williams simply by dangling a future second-round pick in front of the Western Conference bottom-dwellers. 

Sure, Williams isn't the most efficient scorer. He's shooting 39.9 percent from the field and a middling 33.8 percent from three. But after signing a one-year, $3.75 million deal with the Timberwolves, acquiring parties will be incurring no risk by parting with a second-round asset of relatively low value in exchange for a playmaker capable of creating his own shot in times of offensive strife. 

He's also no stranger to scoring in large quantities after dropping 52 points against the Indiana Pacers on Jan. 13 to set a new Timberwolves single-game scoring record.  

Don't be fooled by his long bouts of ball-dominance, though. Williams is capable of playing as an off-guard in modified lineups. According to SportVU player-tracking data, he is knocking down 41.4 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes to date. That's 12 points higher than his mark on pull-up triples. 

With the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers listed among the interested parties, per Wolfson, keep an eye on the 32-year-old's streaky scoring as the All-Star break approaches.

Pablo Prigioni, PG, New York Knicks

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Aging point guards are all the rage on the NBA's black market these days. Take 37-year-old Argentine floor general Pablo Prigioni, for example.

According to SNY's Adam Zagoria, "the #Knicks would like to deal Pablo Prigioni for a 2nd-round pick. He's not playing now & not part of the future."

While Prigioni's lost playing time as head coach Derek Fisher has carved out more minutes for Langston Galloway and a host of unproven youngsters, the three-year NBA vet is a willing passer and pesky defender. 

Nicknamed "The Sneak" by Grantland's Zach Lowe for his cunning defensive tendencies, Prigioni's presence has made the Knicks defense 1.6 points better per 100 possessions this season, according to NBA.com. He also owns a steal percentage of 3.4, which represents a career high and the top mark among all New York players.

The puzzling part of any potential Prigioni acquisition is extracting some offensive value during his brief stints on the floor as a backup or third-string point guard. Although he's a remarkably steady three-point shooter—41.5 percent for his career—he hesitates to take open looks far too often in favor of distributing.

Substance supersedes flash with the wily ball-handler, but don't be fooled. Prigioni is capable of packing some surprising production into limited minutes if he embraces a more aggressive approach.

Nik Stauskas, SG, Sacramento Kings

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Perhaps the most intriguing buy-low candidate on this winter's trade block is rookie sharpshooter Nik Stauskas. 

According to CBS Sports' Ken Berger, the Kings have made the Michigan man available in trade talks as they pursue complementary front-line players to pair with their All-Star center: 

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Determined to find an upgrade to complement inside force DeMarcus Cousins, the Sacramento Kings are seeking frontcourt help in a trade and are willing to discuss first-round pick Nik Stauskas in the deal, league sources told CBSSports.com.

The Kings want to pair Cousins with a frontline player who would fit with his post-up skills -- either a stretch four or above-the-rim defender, sources said. They've fielded numerous calls about Stauskas, whose opportunities have been limited with the steadily improving play of Ben McLemore.

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As Berger explained, Stauskas has largely resided in head coach Ty Corbin's doghouse, playing an average of 14.1 minutes over the course of 44 appearances. 

"When he gets a double team on the weakside, he needs to learn how to come off and be ready when the shot is there," Corbin told reporters before last Wednesday's 119-102 loss to the Toronto Raptors, per HoopsAddict.com. "If not, read and take what’s there for him quickly. Defensively, his body has to get stronger in order for him to be able to defend guys at his position in this league. He’s working hard. But he’s a rookie in this league and he’s trying to find his way.”

To Corbin's point, Stauskas is converting on an underwhelming 27.4 percent of his triples while rattling home just over 30 percent of his catch-and-shoot treys. For a supposed specialist, those numbers don't inspire much confidence. 

However, Stauskas is only 21 years old, and so much of a young player's early prosperity is dependent upon a forgiving environment that allows him to learn on the job while not being punished too harshly for experiencing growing pains. And since he isn't reaping those benefits, a change of scenery may be in the best interest of both parties.

Jordan Hill, F/C, Los Angeles Lakers

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To be absolutely clear, Jordan Hill's name hasn't cropped up in trade rumors at a high clip to date. However, the structure of his contract and the Los Angeles Lakers' commitment to developing a few younger bigs could make the 27-year-old bruiser a sneaky target for buyers in need of added frontcourt depth. 

For starters, Hill was signed to a two-year, $18 million deal over the summer. And while that seems like a slight overpay on the surface, the flexible nature of year two makes the Purple and Gold's approach a savvy one. 

Specifically, the final year of Hill's deal functions as a team option worth $9 million, meaning any team that makes a play for him could renounce his rights after this year and be free of additional financial burdens. 

With Tarik Black and Ed Davis garnering larger developmental roles as the Lakers seek to retain their top-five protected selection owed to the Phoenix Suns this summer, Hill could conceivably help L.A. add to its stockpile of future assets while aiding with the ongoing tank. 

A double-double waiting to happen, Hill's ability to function as a feisty rebounder, second-chance opportunist and supplementary mid-range shooter should make him an attractive option for undersized contenders.

Miles Plumlee, C, Phoenix Suns

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Poor Miles Plumlee. Blindsided by the Phoenix Suns' acquisition of Brandan Wright from the Boston Celtics, Plumlee has been relegated to the role of back-end rotational big man.  

As a result, the Suns are putting the third-year pro on the trade block in hopes of extracting any sort of return value before his stock depreciates completely. 

According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, "sources told ESPN.com ‎that the Suns are working in conjunction with Plumlee's agent, Mark Bartelstein, to try to find a new home for the third-year center, who has seen his playing time steadily dwindle as the season has progressed."

In January, Plumlee watched his playing time plummet to 11.9 minutes per game—nearly eight minutes fewer than his December total. Alex Len's emergence didn't help either. 

But as Bleacher Report's Adam Fromal explained, Plumlee has plenty of redeemable skills to offer potential future employers: 

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Plumlee was an underrated option at the 5 during the 2013-14 campaign, performing nicely on the glass, protecting the rim fairly well and displaying some offensive upside as a last-resort option in the half-court set. At the very least, he can be a capable body in the rotation of a contending team with a size deficit. 

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It's hard to imagine Plumlee's services garnering anything more than a second-round pick. The fact that he's under team control on a rookie deal for another season should make the former Duke Blue Devil a worthy buy-low candidate, though. 

All statistics courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com unless noted otherwise. All salary information retrieved from BasketballInsiders.com.