NBA Trade Rumors: Examining Pre-Deadline Buzz for Teams Trying to Stir Pot
As the NBA's Feb. 19 trade deadline approaches, squads are exploring all possible angles to renovate their rosters.
Not every team is searching for an immediate boost to ignite a late-season push, however. Teams out of playoff contention are planning beyond 2015, hoping to capitalize on others' desperation.
Well on their way to another high lottery pick, the Philadelphia 76ers are staying busy a year after dispatching several players at the deadline. But for the first time in years, they appear unwilling to boot any and all big league contributors.
Perhaps the best of the Western Conference's worst, the Denver Nuggets harbor no postseason hopes in a loaded grouping. Armed with several valuable assets, they have an interesting choice between unloading for picks and young talent or assembling a package for a prominent upgrade.
What are these two organizations thinking a week before trade season closes? Let's take a look at the latest rumors.
Denver Nuggets
Arron Afflalo, whom the Nuggets acquired last June, is once again the subject of trade talks. Per The Denver Post's Christopher Dempsey, nobody is acquiescing to their lofty demand:
"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.
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Averaging 14.7 points per game during his second stint in Colorado, the 29-year-old shooting guard is a quality two-way player who could easily blend into any new atmosphere. But teams are reluctant to cough up precious first-round picks, especially for someone on an expiring contract.
Last week, Basketball Insiders' Steve Kyler passed along whispers of Afflalo preparing to exercise his opt-out clause and become a free agent:
According to Basketball Insiders' Alex Kennedy, Denver is making similar demands for forward Wilson Chandler, who has drawn interest from competing Western Conference contenders.
"A number of teams have expressed interest in Wilson Chandler, including the Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers," Kennedy wrote. "It’s believed that Denver wants a first-round pick back in any deal involving Chandler."
Two years younger with another season under team control, Chandler is more likely to corral a late first-rounder from a strong squad such as Portland or Los Angeles. But 82games.com offers some concerning splits, as Denver posts minus-seven net points per 100 possessions with him on the court and a plus-1.8 margin without him.
| OFF Rating | 102.5 | 106.5 |
| DEF Rating | 112.6 | 104.7 |
| Net Rating | -7.0 | +1.8 |
Kennedy also noted Denver's desire to net a star player at the deadline. ESPN.com's Marc Stein previously reported that the Brooklyn Nets rebuffed Denver's "serious push" for Brook Lopez, who becomes a free agent this offseason.
The oft-injured center is averaging just 15.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game this season, and the Nets will at best sneak into a dim Eastern Conference playoff picture. After callously mortaring their future for veterans well past their primes, they need to seriously consider pawning off the 26-year-old.
It's worth trying to buy low on a talented offensive big man, but Lopez won't make Denver a serious threat. The team is better off blossoming 20-year-old rookie Jusuf Nurkic.
Philadelphia 76ers
These days, Philadelphia makes most of its noise off the court. At 12-41, the rebuilding franchise continues to bottom out in the quest for more lottery balls. Winning doesn't do it any good, so why not shop some serviceable talent?
Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer said the 76ers will once again look to parlay their cap space into cheap, young assets:
"With the most salary-cap space in the league and roster flexibility, the Sixers are, once again, in the market to acquire an expiring contract from a team looking to dump a salary. If the price is right, they also will take in unheralded players on opposing teams' rosters who they believe can contribute in their system. It would be similar to the way they received Tony Wroten from the Memphis Grizzlies in August 2013 and Henry Sims from the Cleveland Cavaliers at last season's trade deadline.
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But don't expect any blockbusters. Pompey also wrote that prominent players drafted over the past two years will stay put:
"However, unlike last year's deadline, when they shipped Spencer Hawes to Cleveland and Evan Turner and Lavoy Allen to the Indiana Pacers, the Sixers' method of gaining compensation won't involve trading their best players, according to a league executive.
The source said the Sixers are not interested in parting ways with their core players, Michael Carter-Williams, Nerlens Noel, or Joel Embiid, at this time. General manager Sam Hinkie could change his mind over time.
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This could be a sign that the 76ers are finally ready to escape the league's basement and begin their journey up the ladder. With Embiid and another top first-rounder, they'll have the young nucleus they craved when blowing everything up, and they have the financial flexibility to snag a free-agent upgrade or two if they so desire.
Carter-Williams has previously popped up in rumors, but trading an explosive 23-year-old floor general who can attack, distribute and rebound makes little sense. After Philadelphia beat the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday with him sidelined, NBA.com's John Schuhmann noted its prior struggles without him:
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute becomes the most interesting name to monitor before the deadline. A 28-year-old with an expiring contract seems like an optimal guy to move for a pick and/or a prospect. But he is averaging a career-high 10 points per game this year, and Pompey noted Hinkie's affinity for the forward.
Given the team's track record, he's a strong candidate to play for somebody else next week.
