NBA Trade Rumors: Rounding Up Buzz on Goran Dragic and More as Mill Heats Up
The NBA rumor mill is not alight as bright as the dumpster fires in New York and Los Angeles, but things are on that path as the deadline nears.
It's a funny time, really. Bad teams want to move players to improve. The Denver Nuggets want to sell yet again. Contending teams seem ready to throw in the towel and host a sale.
These last-ditch efforts by all involved do not usually birth a megadeal as the clock expires. Names pepper the mill, but the number of teams actually willing to pull the trigger is another conversation entirely.
While the trade deadline will never rival free agency in importance again, this time of year is an important piece of the puzzle. In other words, observers better know the latest in order to avoid being blindsided.
Andrew Nicholson Enters the Market
This was only a matter of time.
The Orlando Magic tout plenty of bigs at this point, so it makes sense that the team would want to see what it can receive in return for Andrew Nicholson, the No. 19 overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft.
Nicholson's minutes have declined over the course of his three seasons in the league, culminating in an average of 8.9 this year, which has produced a 3.1/1.3/0.2 slash line.
According to ESPN's Marc Stein, the Magic are ready to ship him away:
"Promising" is the right fit for the St. Bonaventure product, who is 25 years old and offers plenty of upside in the right situation.
Nicholson is at his best when he can stretch defenses thanks to his jumper, meaning a contender who could use such a rotational piece may pick up the phone before the deadline.
If not, it seems Nicholson will not receive the fresh start he seems to desire thanks to a crowded depth chart that includes Nikola Vucevic and Kyle O’Quinn.
Jameer Nelson on the Move Again?
So far, veteran point guards are all the rage at the trade deadline—just ask Mo Williams, who recently moved from Minnesota to Charlotte.
Next up might be Nuggets point guard Jameer Nelson, who seems to have the eye of a few contenders, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com:
Nelson is still a productive veteran who averages 21.7 minutes per game, which so far equates to 7.5/4.5/2.6.
The two teams listed make a ton of sense. Miami could use a veteran point to complement Mario Chalmers and help bring along Shabazz Napier. The Washington Wizards are seemingly always on the hunt for a veteran point.
Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders helps to reinforce this notion:
Nelson is 33 years old and has been a member of three different teams so far this year. If another team wants to scoop him up, the cost figures to be low, and he at least understands the inner workings of adapting to new surroundings quickly.
At the very least, a new team receives exactly what it is looking for with Nelson—a reliable backup to lean on when it matters.
The Goran Dragic Fire Sale
Just like that, it seems the Phoenix Suns are ready to throw up the white flag.
To be fair, the organization is in a tough spot. Keep Goran Dragic and compete, sure, but then likely lose him during free agency this offseason. Let him go and get something in return, but find it more difficult to compete right now.
Which route the Suns take figures to depend on what the top two interested parties bring to the table. As Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times reports, the Suns want a first-round pick:
As Stein notes, those Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Lakers are the two teams most interested in swinging a deal.
Phoenix will surely listen to both because of a "balance" issue, as general manager Ryan McDonough recently told 98.7 FM in Phoenix, per Stein.
"I think our roster balance is a little off, and that's my fault," McDonough said. "We are a little too backcourt-heavy, especially in terms of guys who, you know, I think you'd define primarily as scorers in the backcourt."
As an expiring contract, Dragic is the way to go in order to receive the most in return. He's 28 years old and shoots a superb 50 percent from the field to go with a 16.2/4.1/3.6 slash line despite the crowded nature of the depth chart.
As a contender, Houston has an obvious interest and way to make a deal work. Los Angeles figures to view Dragic as a critical role to the rebuilding process, although all it has to offer is a top first-round pick—something the team may not be willing to surrender based on recent rebuilding tactics.
Regardless, as the deadline nears, Dragic is the top name to monitor.
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
