NBA Trade Rumors: Hottest Buzz Surrounding Jamal Crawford, Luol Deng and More
While the bulk of most NBA rosters are set in the wake of the draft and free agency, some teams are still looking to add the final piece to the puzzle during the lead-up to the 2015-16 regular season.
The trade market remains fairly active because of that, and there is no shortage of intriguing players who could be had for the right price. It isn't likely a true game-changer will get dealt this late in the proceedings, but there are certainly some complementary options on the block.
As organizations continue to progress toward the preseason and eventually the regular season, here is a rundown of the latest trade rumors making the rounds in NBA circles.
Jamal Crawford
Shooting guard Jamal Crawford has been a key reserve for the Los Angeles Clippers over the past few seasons, but with his contract set to expire at the end of the upcoming season, there have naturally been some trade rumblings surrounding him.
According to Dan Woike of the Orange County Register, the 35-year-old veteran has been linked to both the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers since those particular teams are looking for shooting off the bench.
When asked about his situation on Twitter, Crawford had an interesting response with regard to free agency:
The two-time Sixth Man of the Year Award winner is at the mercy of the Clippers, but head coach Doc Rivers' comments suggest that he has no interest in moving one of the NBA's top scoring options off the bench, per Melissa Rohlin of the Los Angeles Times:
"We like Jamal. Jamal does something that only several people do, Lou Williams, and a couple of more guys. Our job is to always improve our team, but we also respect and love what Jamal has done. The rumors about that is even crazy, but it is what it is, there's nothing we can do about it.
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While potentially losing Crawford for nothing next offseason is far from ideal, the Clips are a loaded team that would be better off entering the season with Crawford still on the roster.
A core of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan is good enough to contend for a title, and adding the likes of Paul Pierce, J.J. Redick, Lance Stephenson and Crawford to the mix makes them one of the NBA's deepest and most talented teams.
Crawford's minutes may go down a bit compared to what he has grown accustomed to in recent years, but he will continue to be a key contributor as a spark plug off the bench if the Clippers ultimately opt to keep him.
Forward Luol Deng's first season with the Miami Heat didn't play out as well as many hoped, but the Sudanese veteran enters 2015-16 with a chance to play for what could be one of the Eastern Conference's top teams.
The 30-year-old former Duke standout surprised many by opting into his contract for the season, but Ken Berger of CBSSports.com provided a logical explanation:
While Deng may like what Miami has to offer, it is unclear if that feeling is being reciprocated. According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, Deng's status is totally dependent upon how the Heat fare this season.
His sources indicate that Miami will keep Deng if it looks as though it has a chance to make some noise in the Eastern Conference, but a trade is likely if the Heat stumble out of the gates.
Since the Heat have a talented team featuring Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Goran Dragic, Hassan Whiteside, Gerald Green, Amar'e Stoudemire and rookie Justise Winslow, it is difficult to envision them struggling much in a conference that is short on elite teams aside from the Cavs.
Miami has a real chance to go as far as the Eastern Conference Finals, and perhaps even further than that if it can figure out the key to defeating Cleveland.
Deng may not be quite as dynamic as he once was, but he chipped in 14 points per game last season and figures to be a nice secondary or tertiary scoring option. With that in mind, look for Deng to play out the year in Miami before hitting free agency in 2016.
Charlotte Hornets
It can be argued that the biggest potential trade of the offseason is one that didn't happen and won't happen since the window has already come and gone.
The Charlotte Hornets held a great trade chip in the draft with the No. 9 overall selection, and it turns out they had a massive offer to consider from the Boston Celtics.
According to Zach Lowe of Grantland, the C's offered Charlotte the No. 15 and No. 16 overall selections in the 2015 NBA draft as well as a future Brooklyn Nets first-round pick and a future first-rounder from either the Memphis Grizzlies or Minnesota Timberwolves.
Boston presumably wanted to move up in an effort to select Winslow, who was eventually taken by Miami at No. 10. Instead of taking the deal, the Hornets decided to stand pat and draft Wisconsin big man and reigning National Player of the Year Frank Kaminsky.
While Kaminsky has a chance to be a solid player at the next level, turning down four first-round picks for a guy who could turn out to be a role player seems crazy. Hornets vice-chairman Curtis Polk explained the decision-making process with regard to the offer, per Lowe:
"You have two minutes to decide: 'Do I want to do this trade?' You don't have a day. You don't have hours. After all the intelligence we'd done, we were comfortable with Frank. But now you have two minutes to decide if you make this trade, who you're gonna take at No. 16, or maybe No. 20, and we haven't been focusing on that range. In fantasy basketball, it sounds great: 'Oh my God, they could have gotten all those picks.' But in the real world, I'm not sure it makes us better.
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In one respect, the Hornets deserve some credit for identifying the player they wanted and sticking to their guns. At the same time, their stubbornness could have cost them multiple good players and a brighter future.
The success of Charlotte's decision hinges largely on Kaminsky and the type of player he ultimately becomes, but if he is anything short of a productive contributor, then Hornets fans will rue the decision to keep the pick for many years to come.
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