NBA Trade Rumors: Latest on DeMarcus Cousins, LaMarcus Aldridge and More
Three months after the NBA trade deadline, the rumor mill is churning again with reports of players who could be wheeled and dealed for better prospects.
Some teams want into the draft lottery, while others simply want to get their hands on a veteran.
For fans whose teams aren't the Golden State Warriors or the Cleveland Cavaliers, trade talks can be welcome news in this slow part of the year. Take a look at the top three NBA trade rumors of the moment, and see if your team is included.
Dallas Mavericks Lead the Drive to Land LaMarcus Aldridge
LaMarcus Aldridge clearly wants to return to Texas. And the time seems to be right.
The star forward is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and he just moved out of the house in the greater Portland area he was renting from Damon Stoudamire, per John Canzano of the Oregonian.
However, a recent report from Bleacher Report's own NBA Senior Writer Ric Bucher suggests that the team currently in the lead to lure him from the Portland Trail Blazers is not the San Antonio Spurs, but the Dallas Mavericks.
Bucher writes:
"Of his potential suitors, league sources indicate that the Mavericks are the biggest threat to pull Aldridge away from the Blazers, but it's the general idea of returning to Texas, not a specific destination, that appeals to him. Both the Mavericks and Spurs, of course, could have the requisite cap space, reputation of success and location.
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Aldridge, of course, was born in Dallas and played college basketball for the University of Texas at Austin. While his roots could be pulling him back toward his home state, his competitive drive is surely pointed in that direction as well.
Though the Blazers finished first in the Northwest Division in 2014-15 with a .622 win percentage, their second-highest since 2008-09 after finishing at .659 in 2013-14, they suffered an early exit from the playoffs at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies in a frustrating series overall for Aldridge.
The Mavericks, by the way, have only dropped below .600 on a season three times in the last 15 years.
Whatever his reasoning, Aldridge is simply ready for a change, a source told Bucher. "He feels he's been in Portland a long time and that maybe it's time for a change. That's what is driving this," the source said.
DeMarcus Cousins Expected to Remain with Sacramento Kings
DeMarcus Cousins has been one of this offseason's hottest trade-market commodities.
The league trade deadline on February 19 was no impediment to trade rumors about Cousins. In May, ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported that the Boston Celtics were interested in moving assets for Cousins, a rumor that has persisted into present day.
On June 6, CSN's Greg Dickerson was still hearing murmurings about Danny Ainge and Boston's interest in acquiring Cousins.
However, after months of life, Basketball Insiders' Steve Kyler has finally come to kill this rumor.
"From what I have been told the Kings want to give the Cousins/Karl situation a full season before they make drastic changes," Kyler wrote on June 9.
It's clear why the Kings would want to hold on to Cousins if they can. The 24-year-old phenom is the type of player a team can build a franchise around; he was third in the league in 2014-15 in double-doubles, with 47, and had two triple-doubles.
Still, it's not clear that the game of musical chairs the Kings' ownership has been playing with the head coaching position has made Sacramento the optimal place for Cousins to play. He was vocal that he didn't support the firing of former head coach Michael Malone in December, per ESPN.
Cousins hasn't put in that many games under George Karl, so perhaps another full season in the current structure would help the Kings find some direction and allow Cousins to shine. But if he ever wants out of Sacramento, it seems he'll always have a suitor.
Boston Celtics Want into the Lottery, Willing to Spend
Many NBA teams are feeling a bit salty that they weren't one of the 14 teams included in the 2015 NBA draft lottery, including the Boston Celtics.
Comcast SportsNet Celtics insider A. Sherrod Blakely reported that the team confirmed it's looking to move into the lottery or top-14 area even though it has the 16th overall pick.
Writes Blakely: "Danny Ainge, Celtics president of basketball operations, confirmed to CSNNE.com that the Celtics have some interest in moving up in the draft but added that there’s no one specific player they're looking to draft."
Furthermore, per Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times, the Celtics are willing to give up their two first-round picks (No. 16 and 28) to move into the lottery.
Though the Celtics haven't indicated that they are looking to move up for one player in particular, some of the players projected to go in the top 14 whom Blakely notes the Celtics are interested in include "Kentucky center Willie Cauley-Stein, Arizona forward Stanley Johnson, Kansas forward Kelly Oubre, Texas forward/center Myles Turner and...Kentucky shooting guard Devin Booker."
However, it seems unlikely that the Celtics would be willing to give up the 16th and 28th picks for the 14th. And if they're looking to move further up into the lottery than that, can they really convince another team to make a deal? It's worth keeping an eye on as the draft approaches.
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