NBA Trade Rumors: Latest on Brendan Haywood, Ryan Anderson and More

The NBA offseason has already seen as much drama as a reality show, but the surprises aren't finished.

Arguably the biggest story of the summer has been the league-wide pursuit of center DeAndre Jordan, who agreed to a deal with the Dallas Mavericks before instead re-signing with the Los Angeles Clippers. This move will create a ripple effect throughout the league, with teams now trying to keep up with those at the top.

The problem is most of the big names are already off the free-agent market, which means the best way to improve will be through trades. Some of these moves will require maneuvering around the salary cap, but everyone will remain interested if there is a chance to get better before the start of next season.

At this point in the offseason, the biggest trade piece is, surprisingly, Brendan Haywood, the 35-year-old center who scored 35 total points in 22 games last season. While this wouldn't make sense in most situations, the fact is everyone is simply after his contract.

As Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com explained, Haywood has a non-guaranteed contract worth $10.5 million. This means an opposing team could match his salary in a trade and then waive him, freeing up a great deal of cap room for more free-agent signings.

ESPN's Marc Stein initially reported the possibility of bringing in a playmaker like Jamal Crawford through this deal:

However, the secret is now out, and plenty of teams are interested in being a part of this deal, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports:

This is a great situation for the Cleveland Cavaliers to be in considering they were likely only a healthy player or two away from winning a championship. With LeBron James re-signing with Cleveland, according to ESPN's Chris Broussard and Brian Windhorst, the team should remain a top contender for the 2016-17 season.

Dealing away a non-rotational player for a useful asset could be the difference in finally bringing a championship to Cleveland.

Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

On the other side of the deal, quite a few teams will do whatever it takes to create versatility in the budget.

The Los Angeles Lakers obviously have a lot of cash tied up to Kobe Bryant and his two-year deal, but the team is preparing for the future with a young core that now includes Julius Randle, D'Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson.

It makes sense for the team to want to find ways to supplement this group with more talent, especially in a market that doesn't really tolerate rebuilding seasons.

Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns also have young talent but are seemingly more desperate to win now. They already cleared some of their cap room in a trade that sent Marcus Morris, Danny Granger and Reggie Bullock to the Detroit Pistons, per NBA.com, which helped bring in Tyson Chandler.

Phoenix also is far from done on the trade front. The squad wasn't able to sign LaMarcus Aldridge, but it still wants to upgrade at the 4 alongside Chandler and young center Alex Len. Despite Markieff Morris coming off a career year where he averaged 15.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, he might be on his way out, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders:

This potential deal could be due to a variety of reasons, one of which being a felony assault charge Morris picked up with his brother in January. With Marcus Morris already off the roster, it might make sense to deal Markieff Morris as well.

From a basketball sense, the Suns would also be smart to find a power forward who can stretch the defense and be a better fit within the offense. Morris has some range, but 83.7 percent of his shots last season were within the three-point arc, according to Basketball-Reference.com. Conversely, a stretch 4 like Ryan Anderson of the New Orleans Pelicans only saw 50.8 percent of his attempts come from two-point range.

Likely for this reason, Anderson is one of the primary trade targets among a group of power forwards, according to Jordan Schultz of the Huffington Post:

Anderson had a bit of a down year last season, averaging 13.7 points per game while making 34 percent of his three-point attempts. This outside shooting percentage was the lowest of his seven-year career. Still, he is set to make a comparable salary to Morris next season (around $8 million) and would be a great fit as a replacement, even if this requires multiple trades.

Considering how competitive the Western Conference has become, the Suns will struggle to make the playoffs with the roster as it stands. They need to remain aggressive in pursuit of both free agents and potential trades.

This mindset remains true for any team with aspirations of greater things, which will ensure an exciting upcoming few weeks in the NBA offseason.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.