NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Potential Impact Moves for the Offseason
Only one team will take home the 2015 NBA championship, which means 29 other organizations will do whatever it takes to improve the roster either in trades, free agency or the draft.
Each franchise has different limitations when it comes to acquiring new talent, whether that is due to financial restrictions or the lack of assets to make trades. Still, there are impactful players available if you know where to look.
Here is a breakdown of some possible deals that can happen in the coming weeks and months during the offseason that could make a big difference across the league for next season.
Ty Lawson on the Move
When the Denver Nuggets were at their best a few years ago, Ty Lawson was the engine that made them run. Now it seems the point guard is just being wasted on a miserable squad.
Although Lawson finished this past season with averages of 15.2 points and 9.6 assists per game, the Nuggets finished with a 30-52 record and well out of the playoff race. As a result, it might be time for the 27-year-old guard to move on to a team that could really use him, such as the Sacramento Kings.
"Rumors persist Sacramento coach George Karl will make a play for Ty Lawson, who played for Karl in Denver," wrote Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times.
This idea was first brought up in February by Bleacher Report's Howard Beck, with Lawson helping Karl regain some of the flair from the 2012-13 Denver Nuggets, who won 57 games. The point guard even received votes for the MVP that season.
Meanwhile, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders recently noted the Dallas Mavericks are a possibility for a trade:
With these playoff hopefuls lacking a true point guard and Lawson having the experience of running a team, either one could be a match made in heaven.
Detroit Pistons Dealing Their Draft Pick
The Detroit Pistons made an intriguing move to improve the starting lineup by dealing for Ersan Ilyasova. As Ben Leibowitz of Sports Illustrated noted, this likely means the end of Greg Monroe's career with the team, as Ilyasova and his outside shooting make for a better fit.
On the other side of this trade, though, giving up Caron Butler leaves the Pistons devoid of a quality small forward. Keith Langolis of Pistons.com argued this could lead to filling this position through the draft or free agency:
However, the organization could also use the first-round pick to acquire a small forward more ready to contribute at this level.
As Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post reported, "Detroit, in the No. 8 slot, reportedly is open to shopping its pick. The Pistons, who recently traded for Milwaukee 'stretch 4' Ersan Ilyasova, could use additional help at small forward."
Despite a down year, the talent is there for Detroit to contend for a playoff spot next season if it can fill the hole on the wing. While players such as Mario Hezonja and Stanley Johnson could be top options in the draft, both of them are relatively raw and could take some time to make a true impact, whereas a trade could bring a more immediate contributor.
This would be a risk for a growing young team, but sometimes that is necessary to win in the NBA.
Atlanta Struggling to Afford DeMarre Carroll
After finishing with the best record in the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks might look different next season. Both Paul Millsap and DeMarre Carroll are set to be free agents, and both could be difficult to re-sign this summer.
While it seemed like a team could have Carroll at a discount a few months ago, the small forward's stock blew up after a big postseason, where he averaged 14.6 points per game. This included a stretch of six straight games with 20 points or more.
The result is the Hawks possibly being priced out of keeping their player, according to Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com:
"Sources say the Hawks are bracing themselves for an asking price of 4 years and $50 million -- and given the postseason Carroll put together and the interest around the league, possibly even more. If the price tag is much higher than that, there's good reason to believe the flexibility-minded Hawks could bow out, though their strong preference is to retain Carroll, who has been an essential cog in their two-way success.
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Carroll was considered the fifth wheel on the roster for much of the season with Millsap, Jeff Teague, Al Horford and Kyle Korver all named All-Stars in 2015. However, his defense, athleticism and recent scoring bursts show he could be extremely valuable.
Atlanta should try to do whatever it takes to keep the forward on board, but if it can't, some other team is going to get quite a player.
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