NBA Rumors: Latest on Potential Roy Hibbert Trade and Other Free-Agent Rumblings

What would NBA free agency be without a little trade-induced fun?

As the summer signing period rolls on, teams are looking for creative ways to clear cap space and making instant-impact additions, with the trade market acting as a gateway to seemingly endless possibilities.

Running down the latest reports and rumors regarding trade candidates and free agents of note, here's everything you need to know about how the Association could be shaken up in the days ahead.   

Dallas Considering Hibbert Sign-and-Trade?

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Should the Dallas Mavericks strike out in their pursuit of DeAndre Jordan, they'll be scrambling for options to fill a gaping hole in the middle. 

According to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, losing out on Jordan could force the Mavericks to try to facilitate a sign-and-trade after former Dallas shooting guard Monta Ellis agreed to terms on a four-year, $44 million deal with the Indiana Pacers: 

Roy Hibbert is entering the final year of his contract after opting into a guaranteed $15.5 million shortly before free agency started, according to BasketballInsiders.com. 

The 7-footer could be expendable, though. 

Since April, the Pacers have been harping on their desire to play smaller lineups that can run the floor and create matchup problems. Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird didn't pull any punches when reflecting on Hibbert's 2014-15 season, either.

"I didn't think he played that well, to be honest," Bird said, according to the Associated Press (via USA Today). "He always played hard, he's very durable, but I didn't think he had a great year."

Hibbert averaged just 10.6 points and 7.1 rebounds while shooting below 45 percent from the field for the third year in a row, and the lumbering nature of his play isn't conducive to modernized small-ball efforts. 

For a team like Dallas that's looking to plug myriad holes, though, Hibbert could be a half-decent stopgap solution. 

Phoenix Needs to Clear More Cap Space

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Like the San Antonio Spurs before them, the Phoenix Suns are doing everything in their power to clear cap space and sign LaMarcus Aldridge.

Step 1 of that plan unfolded Thursday afternoon, per Wojnarowski:  

But according to Wojnarowski and Grantland's Zach Lowe, shipping that package of players to the Motor City left Phoenix with a bit of work to do as it seeks to carve out a max-salary slot:

With Marcus Morris already headed to the Detroit Pistons, Markieff Morris becomes a fascinating case to monitor. The more polished Morris brother averaged a career-high 15.3 points and 6.2 rebounds while appearing in all 82 games last season and could represent a complete steal if he's acquired in a desperate Suns salary dump.  

Markieff is also signed to a team-friendly deal that will pay out $8 million next season, $7.4 million in 2016-17, $8 million in 2017-18 and then conclude with an $8.6 million payment during the 2018-19 season, per BasketballInsiders.com. 

According to USA Today's Sam Amick, Phoenix is still in the thick of the Aldridge chase alongside the Spurs and Mavericks. But unless the Suns clear the necessary space on their cap sheet, it's hard to envision them facilitating a stunner.  

David West Looking at Contenders 

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David West is slated to turn 35 years old before the start of the 2015-16 season, so logic would have dictated that he'd try to maximize his earning potential with his prime earning years in the past.  

West isn't most players, though, as he told WTHR.com's Bob Kravitz:  

"

At this point in my career, I just want to win. I'm just not sure the Pacers are in title contention right now. I'm going into my 13th season. I'll be 35 soon. When I got to Indiana, there was hope of getting there and we played at a really high level for a couple of years. But I just don't know if the team is in the position to win right now and I didn't know if I'd have that opportunity to win a title if I'd stayed with the Pacers.  

"

As a result, the rough-and-tumble power forward opted out of a $12.6 million guarantee with the Pacers for next season. Now he's honed in on a couple of potential landing spots, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein: 

Amick also notes West "has serious interest in playing" for the Golden State Warriors, and that "he would also likely take a significant paycut to play for the Spurs, though their fluid roster situation means the kind of paycut is not known."

With Aldridge's future still undecided, the Spurs appear to be in wait-and-see mode. 

The Washington Wizards, however, could present West with an interesting opportunity if he's amenable to their financial limitations, as NBA.com's David Aldridge explained:  

Although the Wizards can only offer West the mid-level exception, they could represent a nice fallback option if he isn't able to land with a Western Conference powerhouse. 

West would provide Washington with frontcourt depth behind Nene and Marcin Gortat, and a potentially bigger role long-term can't be overlooked. If West signs a multiyear deal with the Wizards, he could theoretically be a cost-effective solution at the 4 for a few years after Nene's contract expires following the conclusion of next season. 

Some more free-agency dominoes need to fall before West makes a decision, but if early reports are any indication, he won't be short on quality options when the time comes to make a commitment.