NBA Trade Rumors: Pre-Deadline Buzz on Goran Dragic, Jamal Crawford and More
Hollywood could not script the 2015 NBA trade deadline any better.
There are the comeback kids. Legendary franchises whittled down to bottom-barrel status such as the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are on the hunt. Budding superstars such as Goran Dragic hurt their own team and impact the market with revelations that they want out.
Heck, the entire Eastern Conference is up for grabs, and each front office that fancies itself a contender is willing make that one move to separate from the pack.
A ticking time-bomb classification does this deadline justice. Unlike in past years, this one actually feels meaningful.
Whether it will be is a moot point—the "what ifs" are fun for fans—and maybe players, too.
Wizards Looking to Deal
The Washington Wizards are one of those Eastern Conference teams right in the thick of things at 33-21.
Right now the team certainly looks like a contender. Thanks to Marcin Gortat and others, the team ranks ninth in rebounding average and in points allowed at just 97.3 surrendered per game.
Defense is not the issue in Washington. The team sounds ready to move one of its more attractive assets at the deadline if the right situation pops up, as explained by J. Michael of CSNWashington.com:
"They're willing to trade a first-round draft pick. To make any sort of trade of significance, for a player with the talent of an Arron Afflalo for instance (only using this name as an example), the Wizards will have to part with one. They are, CSNwashington.com was told by a person with knowledge of the situation Tuesday night, which makes them a stronger player in the market.
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It is rather easy to see that the Wizards want more depth behind John Wall and Bradley Beal, which explains interest in veteran point guard Jameer Nelson if he is bought out, as Michael hints.
A willingness to move a first-round pick places the Wizards above plenty of potential buyers at the deadline.
Now that the rest of the league understands the length to which the front office will go to upgrade, don't be shocked if the windy conditions around the Wizards only increase before the deadline.
Jamal Crawford's Surprise Entry
It is no secret that the Los Angeles Clippers, despite a 35-19 mark, would like to alter the roster a tad in order to rediscover a spark that will lead to title contention.
Few thought that would entail seeing Jamal Crawford's name on the block.
This might just be a thing, though, as ESPN's Arash Markazi reveals:
It's a tad mind-boggling that the Clippers would deal the reigning Sixth Man of the Year in order to find a spark and correct inconsistency, but as the cliche adage goes, desperate times call for desperate measures.
Crawford would be quite the get for most teams around the league. The 34-year-old star posts a 16.0/2.6/2.0 slash line and a 16.97 player efficiency rating, per ESPN.com, on 26.9 minutes per game.
A potential deal likely hinges on what the Clippers can gain in exchange, but the fact Crawford is not untouchable anymore speaks volumes to the situation in Los Angeles.
If there is one team to watch at the deadline that may surprise with a big deal, it seems to be the Clippers.
Goran Dragic Update
Just like that, the Phoenix Suns need to find a trade partner for Dragic in a hurry—and probably not on their terms.
According to ESPN's Marc Stein, Dragic has informed the organization that he will not be back with the team after this year and prefers the Lakers and others:
Dragic and the Lakers continue to come up together on the mill. The shoe fits, as the Jeremy Lin experiment will mercifully end this offseason and the Lakers will be on the hunt for a point to play next to Kobe Bryant while another top selection slots in next to Julius Randle—all before the team makes a major free-agent play in 2016.
There are other teams that may interest Dragic, though, and Stein appears to have an idea that the Celtics are one of the top trade candidates:
It is hard to imagine a reality in which any player takes issue with a chance to help the rebuilding Celtics and receive credit as a key component to a turnaround.
The interesting thing with the Celtics is that the front office has arguably more tradable assets than any other team on the market. Now superimpose this with the fact the Suns are greatly hurt in the leverage department because now the globe knows the team will do whatever it takes to get something in return for his inevitable departure.
The vultures are swirling around the Suns now. How the front office handles the situation is the key storyline of the deadline.
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
