NBA Trade Rumors: Buzz from Around League as Deadline Approaches
March Madness may be for college basketball, but NBA fans could be treated to their own version of madness when the playoffs start with a number of teams that could theoretically take home the crown. The fact that there are so many contenders makes the approaching Feb. 19 trade deadline so interesting.
All it could take for certain teams is the right timely move to completely alter their chances before the playoffs start.
Naturally, there are a number of rumors floating around the league. Here are a few of them.
Zach Lowe of Grantland had an update on David West:
"In the bigger picture, the Pacers have to decide what they want to be this season — and how David West fits into that. There were rumblings about six weeks ago that the Pacers had made West available for a first-round pick, but those rumblings have quieted, and that price is probably too high.
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There is a lot to chew on in that rumor, including the fact that the Indiana Pacers have to decide what they want to be this year.
Sure, they may be an abysmal 19-32, but they are well within striking distance of the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference and are coming off an impressive victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. West proved his value with 20 points and 13 boards, which marked the seventh straight game he scored in double figures.
Trading him away would realistically end any postseason hopes for Indiana, unless Paul George was to return to the floor in time for a late run.
Perhaps if Indiana could land that first-round pick in return for West it would be easier, but giving up on the season for less than that may prove difficult for a franchise that was just the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference last year. Don’t be surprised if West is still a Pacer by the end of the season.
Lowe also provided an update on Kevin Garnett:
"It’s also fun to watch the Nets figure out the present and future of their big-man rotation, which includes two pieces — Brook Lopez and Kevin Garnett — who will be the subject of trade talks over the next two weeks. Garnett has a no-trade clause, but he holds some appeal to playoff teams who can use a boost off the bench and/or some long-term salary relief.
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This is somewhat similar to the Pacers’ situation with West, considering the Brooklyn Nets actually own the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference by a narrow margin over the Miami Heat. However, Garnett is only averaging 6.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game (as of Friday evening) and isn’t as valuable of a player as West is at this point of his career.
Giving Garnett up for the right pieces wouldn’t necessarily cripple Brooklyn’s playoff chances.
There is also the possibility of a contract buyout, which spurred Garnett to talk about his immediate future, via Alex Raskin of The Wall Street Journal:
"I haven’t thought too much of my own personal [situation]. When that road comes, I’ll cross it and I’ll deal with it. A lot of things with [my] family situation and things, it’s not just convenient to get up and move, to change things. It’s not as convenient as it once was when I was younger. I have a lot more responsibilities and things to take into account.
I don’t know what management is going to do. When my situation comes up, I’ll obviously give it some attention. Other than that, my attention is trying to get us on a winning streak, get us on a road where everybody’s playing together.
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Garnett is far from the dominant player he once was for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics earlier in his career, but contenders would be hard-pressed to find someone available at the deadline with more postseason experience in big games. There is something to be said for that heading into what promises to be a thrilling NBA playoffs.
Whether that causes a team to reach out in an effort to land Garnett remains to be seen, but it is certainly an interesting development to watch in the next few weeks.
Kevin Martin
Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN passed along an update on Kevin Martin:
The Minnesota Timberwolves are coming off a shocking victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, but they are still a disappointing 10-40 on the season. They are in full-blown rebuilding mode, and the 32-year-old Martin is likely not in the long-term plans.
It is really no wonder, then, that his name is at least popping up in trade discussions, even if there hasn’t been any serious movement yet.
Martin is the type of floor-spacer who could help a contender with a talented point guard who attracts defensive attention with penetration and then kicks it out to shooters. Martin is averaging 20.5 points per game behind 43.9 percent shooting from beyond the three-point line (as of Friday evening) and would make defenses pay for devoting too much attention elsewhere.
He also has some postseason experience from his time on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Martin is a source of instant offense who can stretch the floor with lethal three-point shooting. There is room for that on plenty of teams, which means he could be a hot commodity come the trade deadline.
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