NBA Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz on Danilo Gallinari, Jamal Crawford and More
Venus Williams once said, “I guess rumors are more exciting than the truth.”
Agree? Disagree? Regardless of your personal feeling, the fact is that rumors rule the NBA offseason. And while she was talking about something else, Williams’ words still ring true when it comes to pro hoops.
Let’s have some fun. Here are three of the biggest rumors making their way around the NBA grapevine:
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Danilo Gallinari in Green and White?
For some reason, the Denver Nuggets seem to be really pushing to trade forward Danilo Gallinari. Sure, the Italian has been dealt a tough hand in the injury department, but the 26-year-old can play.
He and lottery pick Emmanuel Mudiay could form a very interesting one-two punch up in the Rocky Mountains, but according to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, the Nuggets explored a possible trade with the Boston Celtics:
Now, Boston has more future draft picks than Peyton Manning has customers at his Colorado pizza restaurants, so this would make sense if—and only if!—the Nuggets are going to put on their Philadelphia 76ers hats and tank their souls out.
But with Wilson Chandler signing a new deal and Mudiay looking like the real deal at point guard, why call off the dogs now?
Gallinari would be a tremendous fit in that up-and-coming Celtics team, though. The Rooster has career averages of 14.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists a game, all while shooting 41.6 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from downtown.
The best part about watching him in green and white? Beating up on the division-rival New York Knicks, who drafted and traded Gallo after just two-and-a-half years.
Jamal Crawford to Cleveland, World Domination
Stop it, Cleveland Cavaliers. Give those other Eastern Conference teams a chance, will you? This is getting out of hand.
According to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal, sweet-shooting SG Jamal Crawford “has been linked to the Cavs in trade talks”:
"Despite insistence from the Clippers to the contrary, league executives in Las Vegas believe they would be willing to part with Crawford, who has been linked to the Cavs in trade talks.
But the optimism surrounding the Cavs and J.R. Smith striking a new deal renders a move for Crawford unnecessary at this point, particularly considering what it would cost the team in luxury taxes. If Smith departs in free agency, the need for Crawford increases.
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Smith opting out of his deal is his problem. If the front office is willing to continue spilling out money like a 21-year-old at a Vegas casino, so be it. Crawford would give Cleveland an electrifying weapon off the bench, lessening the offensive load that’s resting on LeBron James’ shoulders.
Imagine a Cavs bench that features Mo Williams, Crawford, Anderson Varejao and potentially Iman Shumpert and/or Matthew Dellavedova.
Again, that’d be their bench. Reminder: LeBron, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love are studs.
Not fair. If this somehow happens, every other team in the league would fold their arms like a spoiled little child and let out a collectively sassy “hmpf!”
For the sake of watching the Eastern Conference all year, fans outside of Ohio should be rooting for this thing to head south before Cleveland becomes unbeatable.
Nets not Looking to Deal Iso Joe
The Brooklyn Nets are practicing patience.
Wait, what? That felt weird to write. Let’s see what ESPN’s Marc Stein has to say about the team potentially moving Joe Johnson:
And there you have it—patience. Or is it just common sense?
ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst recently linked Johnson to the Cavaliers, who are clearly trying to add a scoring guard to their stacked roster.
It might be Crawford, but it sure won’t be Johnson. NetsDaily’s Bob Windrem tweeted out a similar report even before Stein got word:
The 34-year-old shooting guard is still a viable scoring option, but his contract is downright gargantuan. In 2015-16, Iso Joe will be the league’s highest-paid player that’s not named Kobe Bean Bryant.
Johnson’s money comes off the books next summer, so what’s the point of dealing him now?
It’d be the wise move for the Nets, who trade players and picks like kids used to trade baseball cards (in the good ol' days), to hang on to Johnson for one more go-around.
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.jpg?w=600 "Offseason Moves for Every Team 👉")