NBA Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz on DeMarcus Cousins, Hassan Whiteside and More
Although the Feb. 19 NBA trade deadline is more than two months away, rumors are swirling as Dec. 15 was the first day teams could trade players they signed as free agents in the offseason.
Whether they want to admit it or not, teams are scrambling to assemble a defense that can try and stop the run-and-gun, small-ball style of the defending champion Golden State Warriors.
Sacramento Kings All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins is one of the bigger names currently being mentioned in trade talks, per
| 2015-16 | 25.2 | 10.7 | 2.7 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 33.1 |
| Career Avg. | 19.2 | 10.6 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 31.1 |
Even though the Kings are receiving offers they are playing coy, per Scotto: "Sacramento is listening, but the Kings are in a holding pattern and currently have no plans to make a deal despite sitting in 13th place in the 15-team Western Conference, the sources said."
It's not likely the team would make a statement on wanting to trade a star like Cousins and lose any bargaining power it may have, but it certainly doesn't look like anything is eminent just yet.
If something does happen, ESPN's Skip Bayless thinks the 25-year-old Cousins would be a good fit in Miami:
Here is some of what the athletic big man would bring to the Heat, per Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports:
Scotto said Miami could make sense as the Heat are poised to lose their center, Hassan Whiteside, after this season, but that the Celtics are in good position for a trade:
"Celtics general manager Danny Ainge has long been enamored with Cousins, and he has a plethora of draft picks – including Brooklyn’s unprotected 2016 and 2018 first-round picks – plus young assets (Kelly Olynyk, Jared Sullinger, Marcus Smart, etc.) and the expiring contract of David Lee to make a deal happen. This is a similar formula Ainge used in the past to acquire Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.
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The three interested teams are all currently playing better than the 10-15 Kings, and adding Cousins could certainly help with a playoff run in the Eastern Conference.
Whiteside Not Likely to Remain in Miami
Speaking of the league's top shot blocker, if the Heat don't trade Whiteside this year, he will most likely walk, as Scotto explained:
"After originally signing a two-year deal with Miami, Whiteside falls short of full Bird Rights. As a result, the only way Whiteside can be signed without regard to the salary cap is by accepting a minimum salary or the Early Bird average salary of $8 million as Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel has noted. Neither of those scenarios is plausible since Whiteside will command close to max money on the open market due to his current play and the dearth of available young centers.
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Scotto mentioned the 26-year-old Whiteside as a possible piece in a Cousins trade. Other rumors had been flying around, and Whiteside actually addressed them Wednesday, per Winderman: "I just saw it. It's just rumors. I mean, it's just rumors, I guess. I don't really know how factual it is. But I'm just going to keep playing basketball."
So far he's been doing that pretty well, averaging 12.1 points and 10.5 rebounds to go along with the league-leading four blocks per game. The seven-footer is a force inside, as seen in this video from the Heat:
As Scotto wrote, Whiteside will be one of the top free agents this season but would be a huge get for someone looking to upgrade the defense for a playoff run this year.
Veteran Butler Possibly on the Move
ESPN's Marc Stein reported Wednesday night that the Kings could be trading Cousins' teammate, 35-year-old Caron Butler:
Whether or not Butler would be included in a deal with Cousins is speculation at this point, and judging by Stein's tweet it actually seems like it might be something the struggling Kings are doing as a favor for a veteran player.
Stein said the deal could happen before Christmas or shortly after, and the Milwaukee Bucks are the leading candidate to land him:
At this point in his career the aforementioned veteran leadership is what Butler brings to the table more than scoring or rebounding.
His 2.5 points per game are nearly 12 points under his career average of 14.2, but the two-time All-Star brings 14 years of playing experience and is well-respected around the league.
