NBA Trade Deadline 2015: Date, End Time, Hottest Rumors, Predictions and More
With the NBA trade deadline upon us, contending teams are going to do whatever they can to help their push toward a title.
Although many superstars are not expected to move this winter, plenty of big names could change teams by Thursday. It all depends on whether or not the front offices are willing to give up valuable commodities to make deals work.
Considering how many teams believe they have a chance to bring home a championship, it wouldn't be surprising to see some aggressive moves this week. Here is a look at the latest rumors and predictions for how each will turn out.
What: NBA Trade Deadline
When: Thursday, Feb. 19
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Suns Losing Point Guard Depth
The Phoenix Suns have a lot of talent on their roster, but the top three scorers all basically play the same position. In order to create some balance and get some security going forward, the team might unload a point guard.
According to ESPN's Marc Stein, a few teams are interested in acquiring Goran Dragic:
"The Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers are among many teams expected to try to persuade the Phoenix Suns to part with star guard Goran Dragic before Thursday's NBA trade deadline, according to league sources.
Sources said that the Rockets, who let Dragic go in free agency in the summer of 2012 but have him high on their list of free-agent targets this summer, are prominent among the teams hoping to engage the Suns in serious discussions about Dragic before the league's annual trade buzzer next week.
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Stein later reported the Suns would rather trade Isaiah Thomas:
Eric Bledsoe remains the primary ball-handler in Phoenix and should be around for a long time after signing a five-year deal before the start of the season. With this in mind, it wouldn't make much sense for the Suns to also pay Dragic the money he is worth this summer.
Even though Dragic plays mostly shooting guard at this point, he is best suited to play point guard on another team, with both the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets being quality long-term fits.
Depending on the return, this deal could set the Suns back for the rest of the season, but the young squad is looking to contend in the future, and this would be the best way to do it.
Prediction: Goran Dragic is traded to the Rockets
Nuggets Likely to Be Aggressive
The Denver Nuggets have some talented players, but this season has obviously not gone as planned with the team well out of playoff contention. As a result, it might be time to start rebuilding.
According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, Arron Afflalo has been a hot topic lately:
Zach Lowe of Grantland reports Afflalo and Wilson Chandler are being shopped, but some more interesting players could also be on the move:
"The more interesting questions surround Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried. Denver isn’t shopping those guys, but Jusuf Nurkic is the only true untouchable on the roster, per several league sources who have dealt with the Nuggets. The sense around the league is that you could land Lawson or Faried with a Godfather offer. They are gettable. Boston and Denver have had exploratory talks about Lawson, per several sources.
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Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge was excited about the possibility of a big deal at the deadline, via Brian Robb of Boston.com:
"We’re opportunistic. There’s a lot of different things that can happen. [...]
We’re ready. We have a lot of bullets in our arsenal right now. We have a lot of assets we can move for a lot of different things and go in a lot of different directions at this point. This is one of those "turning points."
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The problem is the Nuggets know that Ty Lawson can be a franchise cornerstone going forward. It seems unlikely that they would trade him away for anything less than top price.
On the other hand, Afflalo is much more likely to be dealt to a team like the Washington Wizards. They are a team that could be a contender but have an obvious need for scoring depth, and the veteran guard would be a good fit.
Prediction: Arron Afflalo is traded to the Wizards
Nets Make a Big Deal
Like other teams out of contention, the Brooklyn Nets could trade off some aging assets. However, the most notable trade chip is center Brook Lopez.
The 26-year-old former All-Star has dealt with a variety of health problems throughout his career, but when he is on the court, he has shown the ability to dominate in the low post. This is why there is interest in him from around the league.
Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders breaks down one potential destination for Lopez:
Sam Amico of Fox Sports also heard from multiple sources the Nets are open to moving the center for the right price.
Adding Lopez would be the perfect move for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who often struggle to find a consistent third scorer behind Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. He would give the squad some much-needed balance in the post and make the Thunder an instant contender.
On the other hand, Lopez is one of few players on Brooklyn's roster who could be a building block for the future. Despite his past problems, he is still young and just entering his prime. They should hold out for a huge offer, and that doesn't seem likely to come.
Prediction: Brook Lopez stays with the Nets
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