NBA Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz Surrounding Ryan Anderson, Jamal Crawford and More

The first week of free agency is nearing a close and teams are preparing to make the deals they have agreed to official. However, there is still plenty of action waiting to happen before the final roster spots have been filled out.

While the San Antonio Spurs continue to impress with their free-agency wizardry and the Los Angeles Lakers try to pick up the pieces of shattered free-agent dreams that litter the floor of the Staples Center, certain teams have been forced to look to the trade market for help.

Who will get that final role player needed to push them over the top? Who will open up some additional cap space before things go crazy in the summers of 2016 and 2017? Here are some of the latest trade rumors from around the league.

Joe Johnson to the Cavaliers Stagnates

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

One of last weekend's biggest rumors involved talks between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Brooklyn Nets swapping Joe Johnson for Brendan Haywood—more accurately his hefty, cap-strangling contract—and Anderson Varejao.

But what once looked like a great addition for the Cavaliers quickly soured, as ESPN.com’s Chris Broussard reported (via ESPN.com's Mike Mazzeo) Monday that the trade talks have taken a serious hit:

As the second-highest paid player in the league—the forward is set to make $24.9 million next season—Johnson would have been a heavy monetary burden for Cleveland to shoulder, but bringing the All-Star in was expected to help the depth issues that were on full display during an injury-plagued run to the NBA Finals.

The seven-time All-Star averaged 14.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game for the Nets last season, and he would have given Cleveland another strong shooter from beyond the arc.

The complexity of the situation and the Nets' lack of interest in taking on Varejao’s $9.6 million contract appear to have killed the trade—for now.

Cavaliers, Heat in for Jamal Crawford

David Phillip/Associated Press

Just as the Johnson trade rumors started to take a turn for the worse, discussions started up surrounding the Cavaliers offloading Haywood’s contract for another veteran. Haywood averaged 5.4 minutes and 1.6 points per game last season, but is currently on a $10.5 million contract, making a potential move little more than a cap-relief effort.

Since losing DeAndre Jordan to the Dallas Mavericks, the Los Angeles Clippers have been shopping guard Jamal Crawford to add some desperately needed depth to Doc Rivers’ squad, and the team have potentially piqued Cleveland’s interest, according to ESPN.com’s Marc Stein:

But the Cavaliers aren’t alone in their interest in Crawford, with Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com reporting that the Miami Heat have reached out to inquire about the guard:

"

The Miami Heat also reached out to Clippers management to gauge what it would take to pry Crawford away, a league source informed NEOMG. His services are being courted to South Beach for scoring assistance and insurance in the event Dwyane Wade misses a game or two.

"

Despite his age, Crawford would fit well with either franchise in their attempts to reach to the NBA Finals. As a two-time Sixth Man of the Year winner, the guard would be willing to take on whatever role is asked of him by the Eastern Conference teams.

Averaging 15.8 points and 2.5 assists per game last season with the Clippers, Crawford still has plenty left in the tank. He looks to play a big role in how the rest of the offseason shapes up.

Ryan Anderson Garnering Interest From the Phoenix Suns

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

After trading Marcus Morris to the Detroit Pistons, missing out on LaMarcus Aldridge and acquiring Tyson Chandler already this offseason, the Phoenix Suns have been one of the busier teams since start of free agency on July 1.

Things don’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon, either, as the Suns continue their quest to squeeze into a tight playoff race in the Western Conference.

According to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report, the Suns are interested in trading for New Orleans Pelicans forward Ryan Anderson:

Last season, Anderson averaged 13.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game for the Pelicans while backing up Anthony Davis. He is a stretch 4 who could provide great shooting off the bench for the Suns, who finished tied for 20th in the league in three-point shooting last season.

In a separate report, Schultz claims the Suns are also attempting to offload Markieff Morris after dealing his brother last week:

Markieff Morris averaged 15.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game as a starter last season, but his relationship with coach Jeff Hornacek and the departure of his brother make it seem as though neither twin's future lies in Arizona.