NBA Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz on Nik Stauskas, Terrence Ross and More
Although many teams at the NBA trade deadline want to improve for this season, plenty of others are still looking toward the future.
Whether an organization is well out of contention or a solid team is just trying to build for future seasons, the trade deadline is a good chance to get some young prospects away from desperate teams looking to make a deal. For many of these players, a change of scenery could go a long way.
With this in mind, here is a look at some young players who could be on the move before the 3 p.m. ET deadline on Feb. 19.
Nik Stauskas, Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are interested in making some changes to the roster, and that might include trading away their first-round pick from this past year.
Nik Stauskas was the No. 8 overall selection in the 2014 draft but has struggled in his first year, scoring just 3.4 points per game while tallying a player efficiency rating of just 5.7, which is by far the lowest on the team, according to ESPN.
Although they are not quite giving up on the guard, the Kings are willing to see what his value is at this stage, via Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders:
Despite his poor shooting numbers (32.8 percent from the field, 26.1 percent from three-point range), he showed throughout his career at Michigan that he has the talent to be an elite shooter at this level if given a chance. For a team looking for upside, it is certainly there with Stauskas.
On the other hand, it seems more likely another player on the Kings will be traded this week, via Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports:
"The camp for Kings forward Jason Thompson would like to get him traded before Thursday's deadline, a source said.
— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) February 16, 2015"
With George Karl now in charge, Sacramento will do whatever it takes to find a lineup that works. Only time will tell if that is with or without some key players in the current rotation.
Terrence Ross, Toronto Raptors
After seemingly taking a step back in his third season, Terrence Ross is now riding the bench in Toronto.
Raptors head coach Dwane Casey recently told the Toronto Sun's Steve Simmons that a lack of consistency and defense has kept the guard from the starting lineup:
"He's been up-and-down. He's one of the best athletes in the league. But he needs to take advantage of that. Defensively, first, that's where we need him to be top-notch. That's the first thing. And I think, offensively, I've opened the reins up too much. ...We need defence from him first. If he does that, that one thing, he can help us.
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Although Toronto was initially against trading away the talented youngster, Zach Lowe of Grantland has heard the thought process has changed lately:
"Ross has been coming off the bench since mid-January, and though he can shoot, the rest of his game has stagnated — especially his defense. The Raps are listening to incoming offers on Ross, per several league sources, and a couple of power forwards on borderline playoff teams stand out as intriguing targets: David West and Kevin Garnett.
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Kennedy also noted the team was interested in bringing in a high-profile player:
Even though the Raptors are sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference at the All-Star break, the rest of the teams are likely to present a challenge in the second half of the season. If this squad can find a way to improve, it has to do that.
At the same time, Ross has a great deal of athleticism with an offensive skill set that could make him a star. This would be a great chance for a team to buy low on someone with plenty of potential.
Andrew Nicholson, Orlando Magic
After a promising rookie season where he averaged 7.8 points in just 16.7 minutes per game, Andrew Nicholson has failed to lived up to expectations. He has seen his scoring numbers drop each of the past two years and is now struggling to get onto the floor.
ESPN's Marc Stein now reports the forward is on the trading block:
Despite the struggles, Bleacher Report's Ethan Norof believes this could be a quality deal for a team in need:
Meanwhile, Brian K. Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel argues the Dallas Mavericks could be a possible destination:
"There is one possible suitor for Magic's Andrew Nicholson: Dallas. Mark Cuban liked his game at one point.
— Brian K. Schmitz (@MagicInsider) February 12, 2015"
The Mavericks fit the qualification of a savvy team, and they could also use some frontcourt depth behind Dirk Nowitzki and Tyson Chandler. With these types of veterans on the roster, Nicholson could also learn from some of the better low-post players in the league.
In any case, it seems like Nicholson's time with Orlando is coming to an end.
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