NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz Surrounding Possible Trade Targets
It's those dog days of summer where NBA fans find themselves twiddling their thumbs, counting down the days to the beginning of the 2015-16 season.
While they wait, their favorite team's management is in the war room, meticulously going over their roster and scanning the market for new players.
There are still a few names that could be on the move in the upcoming weeks as we take a look at the latest rumors surrounding some of the most notable targets.
Jamal Crawford
The Los Angeles Clippers have to be feeling good two months away from the start of their new season. After convincing DeAndre Jordan to remain a Clipper, Los Angeles added plenty of depth to their roster by bringing in shooting guards Paul Pierce, Lance Stephenson and power forward Josh Smith.
With the addition of Pierce and Stephenson, Jamal Crawford could be on his way out of Los Angeles, and he's gaining some attention on the market.
According to the New York Daily News' Frank Isola, the New York Knicks have joined the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers as interested parties pursuing Crawford's services.
Coming off a 17-win season in which they began instituting the triangle offense, which ranked worst in the league last season, the Knicks could use a pure scorer like Crawford, who played five seasons with New York from 2004-09.
As someone who has already handled the bright lights and scrutiny that the New York market brings, Crawford could be a vital player coming off the bench behind Arron Afflalo, who has built a solid career playing in small-market towns like Orlando, Denver and Portland.
Experiencing some of his best seasons with the Knicks, including a career-high 20.6 points-per-game average in 2007-08, Crawford has proved that he can perform in New York—especially on an underachieving side, as he never made the playoffs during his time at Madison Square Garden.
If Afflalo does sputter, the Knicks could take comfort knowing they have a viable scoring option at their disposal.
But what could hold up a deal like this is the almighty dollar, as former Brooklyn Nets assistant general manager Bobby Marks assesses:
"Only movable contract for NYK is Calderon, Don't think LAC would want that extra year.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) August 18, 2015"
"Just a tidbit to a Crawford/Calderon type deal, Doesn't work, LAC only has 125% to take back players , LAC-Tax team has restrictions
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) August 18, 2015"
While they are not as desperate for added scoring as the Knicks, the Cavaliers could be in trouble at the shooting guard position, as Isola explains: "Cleveland's first option is to re-sign J.R. Smith, who opted out of a deal that would have paid him $6.4 million this season and remains unsigned. The Cavs are offering Smith, 29, a massive pay cut."
With Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love set to complement LeBron James on the scoresheet, the Cavaliers could be looking at the possibility of starting Iman Shumpert, who has averaged single digits in scoring every year of his career, at the shooting guard position.
Though Shumpert can play a better brand of defense than Crawford, it would be difficult to pass up on a player that has averaged 14 points or more over the past 12 seasons.
The third team that Isola mentions, the Miami Heat, might use Crawford differently if they can pull off a trade for him.
With Dwyane Wade and Gerald Green at the shooting guard position, Crawford might see most of his time backing up Goran Dragic at the point, especially if Mario Chalmers is on the trading block, as Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel mentions.
If Chalmers goes, the Heat will not be able to go into the new season with just one point guard. That's where Crawford comes in.
Though he's known for his scoring, Crawford is capable of running the point. He's a decent facilitator and has averaged over four assists a game in six separate seasons.
And you thought the DeMarcus Cousins trade rumors were over.
On Monday, Bleacher Report's Howard Beck reported that Cousins may once again be on the trade block:
"Sacramento, I think, wants to hold onto him. Certainly, the owner, Vivek Ranadive, absolutely wants to hold onto DeMarcus Cousins. But I've been told that if you polled the rest of the organization, the vast majority are in favor of trading DeMarcus Cousins, and that would include—though he denies it—coach George Karl.
"
But some members of the Kings organization are already dispelling these rumors, starting with Cousins:
Vice president of basketball operations Vlade Divac also chimed in:
Finally, Ranadive gave his take on the situation:
Rumors began swirling around Cousins toward the end of June, as Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Karl was pressuring the Kings to deal Cousins. However, management was quick to confirm that Cousins was not going anywhere.
Gaining his first All-Star selection last season, Cousins is becoming one of the NBA's most talented big men, averaging 24.1 points per game and 12.7 rebounds per night in 2014-15.
For a team that is trying to improve on a 29-win season, dealing their biggest star would not be a step in the right direction. But if attitude problems are splitting Cousins and Karl up, one of these parties will have to go. And while the sensible choice says Karl, a new four-year deal will make that decision a bit tougher.
Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com.
