NBA Rumors: Reviewing Top Reports from 2016 Trade Deadline
The NBA trade deadline came and went with a bunch of teams doing a whole lot of nothing.
Fans are always excited for this time of year as they hope for a superstar to join their favorite team. Smart front offices don't mind selling off assets if it means improving for the long run. With the exception of the Golden State Warriors, however, few teams are good staying put.
This will leave a number of disappointed fans wondering what happened after a relatively quiet deadline Thursday.
Plenty of big names were rumored to be on the move, though. Here is a look at some of the more notable players who were expected to change teams and why they will be wearing the same uniform this week.
Pau Gasol, Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls have been a disappointment this season and don't appear to be realistic contenders in the Eastern Conference. They are in position to make the playoffs, but that doesn't mean a whole lot in the NBA if you just lose in the first round.
This made Pau Gasol, a 35-year-old veteran likely to opt out of his current contract after the season, an obvious candidate to be traded. Chris Mannix of The Vertical reported Wednesday the Bulls were "motivated to move Pau Gasol." Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee reported that "league sources said the [Sacramento] Kings are aggressively pursuing" the center.
There were other interested parties, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, but this appeared to be a strong match as the Kings were hoping to make a playoff push by solidifying the frontcourt.
This didn't come through, with Gasol now appearing willing to stay with Chicago, per Wojnarowski. Ben McLemore and Kosta Koufos were reportedly on the table for Chicago, but the front office preferred to keep the big man where he is.
General manager Gar Forman had high praise for the six-time All-Star, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune:
Fans likely would prefer a member of the core to be younger and capable of contributing for a few more years, but the Bulls clearly made their choice. Whether it is the right one remains to be seen.
Dwight Howard, Houston Rockets
If Gasol doesn't have the record for most times on the trading block, Dwight Howard is probably close. Every year it seems like there is a conversation about which team he will play for next.
This year a number of noteworthy teams were interested in a potential blockbuster move, with the Atlanta Hawks being a part of arguably the biggest, per Adam Spolane of SportsRadio 610:
If this had gone through, it would have dramatically shifted the outlooks of all three teams as well as put Howard back in his hometown of Atlanta. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News provided a look at another option for the Houston Rockets that was presumably closer:
ESPN.com's Marc Stein took a look at all the interested parties as well as a reason why Howard stayed:
It's hard to make a potential franchise-changing move for a player who might not be with the team for more than a couple of months. Unless there was a guarantee he would sign with his new squad—which wouldn't happen—there was simply too much risk.
From the other perspective, the Rockets would be in the same situation with Al Jefferson, who has also dealt with a knee injury for most of the season. It's understandable why they would turn down the offer from the Charlotte Hornets.
Houston would likely have completed a deal with a better offer, but that simply wasn't coming for a rental in the midst of Howard's worst scoring season since his rookie year.
Jeff Teague, Atlanta Hawks
Not only was Jeff Teague mentioned as part of the huge trade for Howard, but multiple other teams were interested in bringing in the starting point guard. Like Chicago, the Hawks have been a bit disappointing this year and could try to get rid of veterans with value, even if Teague has another year still on his deal.
Atlanta had considered offers for Al Horford as well, but ESPN.com's Zach Lowe explained that it was more likely the point guard would be on the move "with the [Milwaukee] Bucks, [Utah] Jazz, [Brooklyn] Nets, [New York] Knicks and perhaps even the [Orlando] Magic kicking the tires."
Atlanta took the offers seriously over the past week, at least until Thursday, when Teague was no longer a trade option, per Wojnarowski:
In this situation, the problem seemed to be less about the offers and more about the asking price, as Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today clarified:
Teague is obviously a good player, but this is a lot for another team to give up in a deal. Organizations are always trying to improve for the present or the future, although this scenario would hurt in both instances.
With that said, don't be surprised if the 27-year-old guard ends up in this situation again next year.
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