NBA Rumors: Trade, Free-Agent Buzz Surrounding Mo Williams, Jose Calderon, More
A few of the worst teams in the NBA are gearing up for a busy trade deadline on Feb. 19.
Such is the nature of the Association. Poor teams have no use for veterans on expiring contracts or pricey regulars who could command a valuable return. The NBA has become a league where teams commit to rebuilds early and often. There are at least three teams on the rebuild track already.
Rebuilding is a long process (just ask the Philadelphia 76ers), but it certainly has its benefits. Look for a few teams to make moves at the deadline with an eye on the future.
Mo Williams
Scuffling at 8-40, the Minnesota Timberwolves have had few things go correctly this season. One bright spot has been 12-year veteran Mo Williams, who is averaging 12.6 points, 6.4 assists and 2.3 rebounds in 28.3 minutes per game.
Naturally, a veteran point guard performing well on a losing team is a candidate to be dealt. ESPN's Marc Stein tweeted a rumor floating around the NBA:
It'd be unreasonable for the Wolves to ask for a first-rounder, so they're presumably waiting on a team willing to part with a pick in Round 2. Even those selections are valuable, though. Teams don't move picks often, and Williams probably isn't a player most teams would take a chance on at that price.
ESPN's Darren Wolfson tweeted that should Williams be dealt, he could go to one of the following teams:
The key word here is "minimal."
A team like the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers or Los Angeles Clippers might not view a pick in Round 2 as more valuable than adding a veteran floor general who can knock down open threes and find teammates for easy buckets (both things that Williams has done well this season).
The Heat could especially use depth in the backcourt. Williams would probably start meaningful games for Miami. With the Clips, Williams would likely just come off the bench and add some much-needed depth.
Those two teams appear to be the best fits for the former All-Star. He's not the same player he was in 2008-09, when he participated in the All-Star festivities, but Williams would be a valuable complementary piece on a team in need of a spark in the second half.
Jose Calderon
The New York Knicks have won five of their past eight games, but don't get it twisted: This team is very bad. It lacks depth, tenacity and overall talent. There have been few bright spots this season outside of Carmelo Anthony and surprise regular Langston Galloway.
Jose Calderon was expected to be a major upgrade over the likes of Raymond Felton but has disappointed greatly. He's shooting just 41.3 percent from the floor (the lowest of his career) and has per-game totals of only 9.0 points and 4.6 assists. He's playing significant minutes too (30.1 per game), which makes it seem like he's not even involved in the offense when on the court.
The Knicks would benefit from trading the 33-year-old, even if it means getting very little back in return. Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears writes that money is also a motivating factor in the decision: "A source said the Knicks are actively trying to unload guard Jose Calderon’s contract. Calderon is owed $7.4 million in 2015-16, and $7.7 million in 2016-17."
Moving Calderon would allow the Knicks to spend a bit more freely during the upcoming offseason, but it also would allow head coach Derek Fisher and team president Phil Jackson to see how Shane Larkin performs in a larger role.
The 22-year-old has started just 14 games in his first year with the Knicks. He has actually performed better as a reserve, as you can see below:
| Starter, 14 G | 5.6 Pts, 3.1 Ast, 1.6 Reb, 39.2 FG%, 99 ORtg |
| Reserve, 31 G | 5.4 Pts, 2.2 Ast, 2.1 Reb, 43.1 FG%, 102 ORtg |
It's apparent that he has had problems acclimating.
"In college, you can kind of shoot the three without setting your feet, without doing the right technique every time, because it’s not that far," Larkin told NBC's Dan Feldman. "But you get up here, and you realize that those damn near-two extra feet just make it that much harder of a shot."
Larkin is by no means a high-end NBA prospect but has the potential to develop into a low-end starter at the position. Before making any big decisions at point guard during the offseason, the Knicks need to see what they have in the former first-rounder, who is himself an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Kobe Bryant is out for the rest of the season. He isn't getting traded, and he's not a free agent. The Los Angeles Lakers have him in their plans for 2016. It's the rest of the team that is a question mark.
He's ready to take matters into his own hands, if the report from Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times proves true:
This doesn't have much to do with the "now" for the Lakers. But the current outlook of the team is bleak. A record of 13-35 leaves very little room for things like hope and optimism.
One way to start building some hope for the 2016 season is by trading some pieces now. Players like Nick Young, Jordan Hill, Robert Sacre, Jeremy Lin and others could fetch varying levels of returns and aren't guys the team should look to build around. Getting their contracts off the books and adding in a pick or two along the way would be a major success for general manager Mitch Kupchak.
Now, there are no indications of anything imminent out of Hollywood. You can't doubt the fact that moving several of these players is in the best interest of the team, however.
If Bryant pounds the pavement and is able to recruit a big name or two to play with him in 2016, then the extra money saved by this season's deadline deals can be allotted toward putting depth around the core.
It's a formula that other teams have followed in the past. This isn't anything groundbreaking. It's a waste of resources to keep underperforming players who don't have a future with the organization.
Follow Kenny DeJohn on Twitter: @kennydejohn
