NBA Trade Deadline 2016: Date, Latest Rumors Surrounding Star Big Men
A fun NBA All-Star Weekend has concluded, and the league's trade season is upon us with the Thursday deadline approaching.
Many lottery teams and other noncontenders that have underachieved this season will discuss large-scale deals while trying to inch closer to contention. Some of the upper-tier playoff teams and upstart squads, however, may look to make small tweaks to boost their chances of winning an NBA championship this season or in the near future.
Four difference-making big men from three teams have been prevalent in trade chatter throughout the past few days: Dwight Howard, Al Horford, Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young. Let's review the latest rumors and break down their respective situations heading into the deadline.
Dwight Howard
With a 27-28 record, the Houston Rockets have fallen short of what most fans and pundits expected from them this season. The team's defense has fallen by the wayside, as has its rebounding.
But don't expect Houston to trade Howard, its defensive anchor and leading rebounder, at the trade deadline.
While the team has discussed potential deals, the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen noted that "the Rockets' talks about Howard were more exploratory." Feigen added that an NBA executive told him there was a "low probability" that a deal centered around the 30-year-old center would happen.
This is probably a good idea for Houston, as Howard is hardly the main problem. Several members of the team have failed to give consistent efforts on defense, and it starts with offensive superstar James Harden. The shooting guard is often apathetic in his efforts to stop the opposition from scoring.
With Houston playing poorly, Howard's trade value is also at an all-time low despite his solid numbers of 14.6 points and 12.0 rebounds per game. The Rockets wouldn't get a fair return for him, so they should hold off.
Al Horford
The Atlanta Hawks' franchise big man of nearly nine seasons has played for plenty of above-average teams. Horford has never missed the playoffs in his career, but he's also never won a game past the second round of the postseason.
Some rumblings have surfaced regarding Horford's trade prospects, but Sporting News' Sean Deveney reported the Hawks have not been "actively shopping" the 29-year-old center. Deveney added that Horford has not sought a trade or informed the team that he wants to leave in free agency.
This doesn't mean the Hawks won't move their star center, but it does make it seem unlikely. If another team offers an enticing package, it would be smart for Atlanta to pull the trigger. The 31-24 squad has a huge weakness (rebounding), and it doesn't have the overall talent or depth to contend for a title in its current state.
It would be weird to see Horford in a different jersey. However, his pairing with Paul Millsap in the frontcourt is cumbersome because both are undersized (at 6'10" and 6'8", respectively) and have finesse skill sets. That makes them vulnerable to teams with big, banging post players.
We don't know what will happen with Horford in the distant future, but it looks as though he'll stay put for now.
Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young
It's not a stretch to say the Brooklyn Nets have the bleakest future of any NBA franchise thanks to poor management. They have few future draft picks to look forward to and almost no young prospects of note. And they aren't good now, either—the Nets boast a 14-40 record.
So what will they try to do at the trade deadline? Sell, sell, sell.
According to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, Brooklyn is willing to deal Lopez and Young, its two best assets. The 27-year-old Lopez leads the team in scoring and is second in rebounding, while the 27-year-old Young is second in scoring and first in rebounding.
Isola mentioned one trade possibility that involves Young heading to the Toronto Raptors for Patrick Patterson, Delon Wright and a first-round pick. Brooklyn would desperately hope for that pick to turn into a lottery selection, as it needs a potential blue-chip prospect to groom, not a future role player.
The Nets need some type of shake-up at the deadline because the franchise is headed nowhere.
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