NBA Free Agency 2015: Latest Predictions for Top Trade Rumors
The NBA's free-agency period has featured plenty of big-name contract agreements, but trade conversations are now starting to surface, as well.
Teams are looking at both regular swaps and sign-and-trade opportunities to make sure they get their desired roster by the end of the summer, all while staying financially responsible.
Well, some teams haven't exactly been financially responsible with their funds, but you get the point—money matters, and it's a huge factor in every single trade an NBA team makes.
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Without further ado, let's look at three of the biggest trade rumors swirling and come up with some likely results of each scenario.
Is Joe Johnson Headed to the Cavaliers?
As if the Cleveland Cavaliers needed to add anything to their roster (or luxury tax bill), ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported the squad is pursuing the Brooklyn Nets' Joe Johnson.
The seven-time All-Star will make $24.9 million in 2015-16, second only to the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant, according to Windhorst. Cleveland has been trying to unload center Brendan Haywood's non-guaranteed, $10.5 million expiring contract and would also have to let go of longtime big man Anderson Varejao.
In terms of Joe Johnson's on-court contributions, he would be an OK fit in Cleveland.
The Cavs, when healthy, have three dynamic offensive weapons (LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love) who can create their own offense. However, the bench could use an offense generator, especially with J.R. Smith likely gone as a casualty of Cleveland's cap situation. It's not a total necessity since one of James, Irving and Love can play alongside the reserves basically at all times, but it wouldn't hurt.
But Cleveland really needs to consider the repercussions of this trade before pulling the trigger.
Remember, the Cavaliers have already agreed to sign Kevin Love to a five-year, $110 million deal and Iman Shumpert to a four-year, $40 million contract. Neither LeBron James nor Tristan Thompson have reached agreements yet, but their deals will both be huge.
Here's an estimation from USA Today's Ryan Glasspiegel of what Cleveland's financial commitments could look like next season with Johnson:
| Joe Johnson | 24,894,863 | Spotrac |
| LeBron James | 22,100,000 | Business Insider |
| Kevin Love | 17,695,000 | Spotrac |
| Kyrie Irving | 15,800,000 | Spotrac |
| Tristan Thompson | 14,000,000 | Estimation |
| Iman Shumpert | 9,000,000 | Estimation |
| Timofey Mozgov | 4,950,000 | Spotrac |
| Mike Miller | 2,854,940 | Spotrac |
| Joe Harris | 845,059 | Spotrac |
| Rakeem Christmas | 523,093 | RealGM |
| Cedi Osman | 523,093 | RealGM |
| Sir'Dominic Pointer | 523,093 | RealGm |
Remember, the salary cap for next season is $67.1 million, and the luxury tax threshold is $81.6 million, per RealGM. That's a lot of money Cleveland's ownership will have to pay the league.
Varejao would also obviously be gone, leaving just Love, Mozgov and Thompson as a rather thin big-man rotation.
Also, the talks between the teams reportedly stalled Monday.
The Cavs should realize the price to get Johnson is too much, and the Nets will realize they don't want Varejao, as Brooklyn's finances will be in bad shape even without Johnson.
Prediction: The Cavs-Nets trade falls through
Will Jamal Crawford Be a Cavalier?
It's pretty obvious the Cavs want to get rid of Haywood's contract.
According to ESPN's Marc Stein, Cleveland is also contacting the Los Angeles Clippers about a possible trade for Jamal Crawford (involving Haywood, of course).
But this one makes a bit more sense.
First of all, it's simpler, as it's just a one-for-one swap: Cleveland will acquire Crawford, and Los Angeles will get Brandon Haywood, who the Clippers will promptly dump for cap room.
And, more importantly, the deal benefits both squads.
The Cavs will get a proven bench scorer who can shoot off the dribble or the catch, and he would only cost them approximately $5.7 million next year, per Spotrac. The 35-year-old Crawford is a cheaper, more reliable alternative to retaining J.R. Smith.
Meanwhile, the Clippers will free up cap room to acquire badly needed big-man help. DeAndre Jordan is gone to the Dallas Mavericks, and Blake Griffin is literally the only post player left on the roster who deserves rotation minutes on a hopeful playoff team. The move would also free up minutes for the newly acquired Lance Stephenson at the backup shooting guard position.
Why would either team pass this offer up?
Prediction: The Cavs get Crawford, the Clippers get Haywood
Is Jeremy Lin Going to Dallas?
The Dallas Mavericks' situation at point guard is not good. Rajon Rondo is now a member of the Sacramento Kings, and the remaining floor generals on the roster (at the moment, at least) are J.J. Barea, Raymond Felton and Devin Harris.
None of those players is capable of running the offense of a title-contending team, which Dallas undoubtedly hopes to be with Wesley Matthews and DeAndre Jordan.
To that end, Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski has reported a possible sign-and-trade that would land the Los Angeles Lakers' Jeremy Lin in Dallas.
Lin is a guy who deserves minutes, and even though he certainly wouldn't be one of the better starting point guards in the league, he could be a decent option there for Dallas.
To find the room needed to bring in Lin, Mavs Moneyball's Tim Cato proposes the following swap: Lin for Raymond Felton and a future second-round pick. Talent-wise, Los Angeles would be getting the shaft here, but Lin wasn't going to figure heavily in the guard rotation anyway; plus Felton's deal expires next summer, while Lin's would likely extend further than that.
This proposal seems like a solid option for both teams.
Prediction: The Mavericks get Jeremy Lin, the Lakers get Raymond Felton and a second-round pick
Note: All signings and contract details are courtesy of NBA reporters on Seth Partnow's Breaking NBA list on Twitter. The list consists of 12 reporters with inside knowledge on free agency, such as Yahoo's Wojnarowski, NBA.com's David Aldridge and ESPN's Marc Stein.
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