Buying or Selling Latest NBA Rumors Leading into 2015 Trade Deadline

Smell that? It's a fresh batch of piping-hot NBA trade rumors hitting the presses with the Feb. 19 deadline just over a week away.

As has been the case for weeks now, buyers and sellers continue to engage in preliminary negotiations before trade talks get set to ramp up during the league's week-long All-Star break.

However, several new and unexpected names have hit the trade block in recent days, with a handful of familiar faces rumored to be garnering interest in fresh title-contending locales.  

So as franchises intensify their pursuits to try to acquire final championship pieces or dump established veterans in exchange for younger, cheaper assets, it's time to sift through the latest trade chatter and separate fact from fiction.

Denver Demands a 1st-Round Pick for Arron Afflalo

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The Denver Nuggets apparently love flip-flopping on their affection toward Arron Afflalo. 

After trading him to the Orlando Magic in 2012 and re-acquiring him this past summer, Denver appeared to be reconciling with the fact that it ever parted with him in the first place. 

Except now the Nuggets are interested in dealing him if they can snag a first-round pick in return, according to The Denver Post's Chris Dempsey: 

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The Nuggets are holding firm to seeking a first-round pick from teams wanting to trade for shooting guard Arron Afflalo, according to NBA sources.

There have been no takers, although interest remains high for Afflalo’s services. Teams don’t want to relinquish a first-rounder for a player that might walk on them at the end of the season. Afflalo has a player option for the final year of his contract.

It is a snag that prevented Afflalo from being dealt to Charlotte, sources said. 

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As Dempsey notes, the contractual uncertainty is what makes trading for Afflalo risky. At 29 years old, Afflalo could decline next season's player option worth $7.5 million and seek to ink one last long-term deal. Alternatively, Afflalo could opt into the final year of his deal and wait for the salary cap to spike in 2016 before attempting to capture contractual security at a presumably higher cost.   

That gray area is understandably giving interested parties pause. Plus, it doesn't help that Afflalo's stock is trending into the red now that he's averaging 14.9 points on 43.1 percent shooting—the lowest mark since his rookie season. 

Verdict:  Buy the asking price, sell anyone meeting it

Timberwolves Dangling Kevin Martin?

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The Minnesota Timberwolves are flush with young assets in the midst of a grueling rebuild, so veteran contributors aren't of paramount concern as head coach Flip Saunders focuses on developing bundles of raw talent. 

As a result, Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix reports Timberwolves shooting guard Kevin Martin could draw interest before the Feb. 19 trade deadline, writing, "Player to keep an eye on before the trade deadline: Minnesota’s Kevin Martin. He is owed $14 million over the next two seasons but could be a valuable asset to a team looking for scoring punch off the bench. Dallas and Washington are among the possibilities."  

Dealing Martin would make sense if the Timberwolves could receive cheap pieces in return for the volume scorer, but as 1500ESPN's Derek James explains, the relatively bloated nature of Martin's deal makes acquiring anything of value difficult at this stage: 

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The biggest challenge the Timberwolves will face in dealing Martin is the fact that he is due another $7 million in 2016, and has a $7.3 million player option for 2017. Contending teams generally don't have an abundance of cap space, and that might mean that the Timberwolves would have to take on a less-than-desirable salary in any trade to make the numbers match.

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The specific teams Mannix mentions make sense from personnel standpoints, but neither the Dallas Mavericks nor the Washington Wizards are flush with cap space to take on long-term salary.

CSN Mid Atlantic's J. Michael confirmed that logic from Washington's standpoint, tweeting, "Wiz arent trying to get Kevin Martin (see salary). Wolves do want Kevin Seraphin. That wont happen."

And while Washington is hard-capped after signing Paul Pierce to the mid-level exception, Dallas has maxed out its books at $74.3 million. In other words, don't bank on it. 

Verdict: Sell

Portland's Intrigued by Wilson Chandler

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All of the major trade chips involved in a furious Western Conference arms race have already been dealt, but Denver Nuggets swingman Wilson Chandler could represent a nice plan B for contenders that have yet to make a move. 

Specifically, the Portland Trail Blazers. 

According to Basketball Insiders' Alex Kennedy, "A number of teams have expressed interest in Wilson Chandler, including the Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers. It’s believed that Denver wants a first-round pick back in any deal involving Chandler."

There are two reasons Portland's interest makes sense. One is monetary, and the other has to do with roster construction. 

At the most basic level, Chandler is affordable—and that's huge for the Blazers. Since they have to deal with the unrestricted free agencies of LaMarcus Aldridge, Wesley Matthews and Robin Lopez this summer, Portland can't afford to stack its books. Fortunately, only $2 million of Chandler's $7.2 million for next season is guaranteed, meaning the Blazers could acquire him without incurring much risk. 

Chandler's addition would also help Portland on the wing, where things get rather thin behind the injury-plagued Nicolas Batum. 

Having retained a 2015 first-round pick that figures to fall somewhere in the latter third of June's festivities while possessing expiring contracts that could help alleviate some of Denver's financial problems, Portland feels like a natural fit for the 27-year-old Chandler. 

Verdict: Buy

Taj Gibson on the Move?

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The Chicago Bulls' frontcourt is crowded, without a doubt, but parting with Taj Gibson feels like an extreme measure considering the Eastern Conference power structure has been sketched out in pencil, not indelible ink.

First, Sporting News' Sean Deveney passed along rumblings of Gibson's name landing on the trade block: 

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Gibson has been connected to much of the league the past few months, from Los Angeles to Toronto to Phoenix to Detroit to Portland. 

In recent weeks, he has not played with the energy for which he has been known, and there has been speculation that he is frustrated with the addition of Nikola Mirotic and Pau Gasol (though his playing time has not changed much).

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At first glance, that's quite tasty gossip. Gibson's minutes have held steady since last season, but his scoring average has dipped from 13.0 to just under 11.0 while attempting two fewer shots per game.

But Gibson's not in Chicago to be a statistical maven. He epitomizes Chicago's forceful, intimidating attitude around the rim, and as the Chicago Sun-Times' Joe Cowley reported, Gibson provides some very necessary medical insurance: 

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A source indicated the Bulls have made no calls about trading Gibson, especially because they have health concerns about center Joakim Noah. Coach Tom Thibodeau did all but reiterate that point, stressing the importance of the role Gibson plays.

"Because of his ability to guard both positions [power forward and center] and to play both positions and [because] Jo’s still working his way back [from offseason knee surgery], I think Taj is critical for our team," Thibodeau said. "Taj has played well. He’s been consistent. He’s been our best defender up front. That’s something that we need."

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As Thibodeau said, Gibson has been quite steady at center. Posting a player efficiency rating of 21.4, while holding opposing 5s to a PER fractional points above the league average, per 82games.com, Gibson and the $25.4 million remaining on his deal feel indispensable at this point.  

Verdict: Sell

Toronto's Searching for an Upgrade at Power Forward

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Another rumor, another contender reportedly on the prowl for a last-minute upgrade to help improve its title odds.  

According to Basketball Insiders' Steve Kyler, the Toronto Raptors have put out feelers in search of dealing for a veteran power forward to help round out their dynamic starting lineup: 

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The Raptors are one of several teams sniffing around for a roster upgrade, specifically at the power forward spot.

A few names continue to surface around league sources when talking about Toronto, the biggest being Indiana’s David West, the next is Chicago’s Taj Gibson, then Denver’s Kenneth Faried and then there is a long list of B and C tier names that Toronto might consider at the deadline if all else fails.  

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If there's one area the Raptors needs to shore up offensively, it's power forward. Per HoopsStats.com, Toronto's 4s rank last in scoring among all power forward crops across the league.

In that respect, Indiana Pacers forward David West feels like an ideal fit given his penchant for pulling defenders away from the basket and sinking mid-range jumpers. However, it's unclear if the Pacers are interested in dealing West, who owns a player option worth $12.6 million for next season. 

According to Grantland's Zach Lowe, "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."

Furthermore, dealing or marginalizing any combination of Amir Johnson, Patrick Patterson or James Johnson has the potential to disrupt the synergy Dwane Casey's squad has developed over the past two seasons, as Patterson told the Toronto Sun's Ryan Wolstat:

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You look at past history where teams have been in a positive situation, they've been winning or maybe they’ve lost but they're in a great situation as far as standings go and they make a trade and next thing you know that trade messes up the chemistry and causes them to play horribly, have problems in the locker room, thus resulting in a horrible season after that and losing in the playoffs too early.

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General manager Masai Ujiri wouldn't be doing his job if he wasn't calling around and gauging the market for veteran additions, but Kyler cautions, "The Raptors are not offering much, and that’s likely why there has been so little traction."

Verdict: Buy Toronto's interest, sell a deal materializing 

All statistics current as of games completed through Feb. 7 and courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com unless noted otherwise. All salary information retrieved from BasketballInsiders.com.