NBA Trade Rumors: Analyzing Buzz on Trey Burke, Taj Gibson and More
While much of the focus in the NBA right now revolves around free agency on July 1, teams also have the luxury to upgrade their rosters through trades.
Money is no longer an impediment for teams in any deal because of the projected $24 million salary-cap jump from last season to this season, per ESPN's Brian Windhorst. Teams still have to be shrewd with their investments to make sure they get the most bang for their buck, but there is a greater margin for error now.
With more money than ever to go around in the NBA, there should be a flurry of trades this summer that impact the sport's landscape.
Here are the latest rumors floating around about potential deals, as well as what they might mean.
Jazz Shopping Trey Burke
The Utah Jazz find themselves drowning in point guards after acquiring George Hill from the Indiana Pacers as part of a three-team deal before the draft.
ESPN's Marc Stein offered one potential solution to the Jazz's problem, reporting they have made Trey Burke "available" in a trade to interested teams.
Hill and Dante Exum will likely be sharing the bulk of the playing time. Burke already looked like an odd-man out last season, despite shooting a career-high 41.3 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from three-point range, when he averaged a career-low 21.3 minutes per game.
Burke is not making much money on his rookie contract. The 23-year-old is set to make nearly $3.4 million next season, per Spotrac. He's not the kind of point guard who will run an offense by distributing the ball and getting everyone involved.
However, for a team that needs scoring help and has the roster space for three point guards, Burke can be an asset. He's capable of coming off the bench, as he did last season, and scoring 10 points in 20 minutes.
It's not a sexy profile, making the Jazz's potential return minimal, but he no longer serves a purpose with the team, and Utah has moved on to other point guards.
Taj Gibson on the Market
The Chicago Bulls have already made one marquee trade this summer and could be the team holding a lot of keys this offseason.
One player from the Bulls who might not be around the team much longer is Taj Gibson. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reported Gibson is appearing in trade discussions.
"To add some further clouds to the Bulls frontcourt rotation, a league source said that the Bulls have been talking to several teams about the possibility of moving Taj Gibson," Cowley wrote. "The power forward is in the final year of his contract, scheduled to make $8.9 million."
It appears on the surface as if the Bulls are about to embrace a rebuilding period. They have already shipped out Derrick Rose, who probably needed a change of scenery after the way things have gone since 2012.
In addition to sending Rose away, the Bulls have key free agents such as Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah who may not be long for Chicago. They still have Jimmy Butler, assuming they don't deal him, which is a good foundation piece to build around.
Yet without Rose, Gasol or Noah, Robin Lopez becomes Chicago's second-best player. He's a quality big man, especially on offense, but there's no way he should be that prominent on a team hoping to be a serious playoff contender.
Gibson has been a valuable resource for the Bulls as a power forward who was worth 5.4 win shares in 73 games last season, per Basketball Reference.
It's time for him to start seeing what market is out there. The former first-round pick just turned 31, has missed 29 games over the last two seasons and doesn't have any versatility on offense because of the lack of a jump shot.
The Bulls thought they could get away with using Tom Thibodeau's roster in Fred Hoiberg's system last year. It failed to the point the front office has to make bold choices to make sure they aren't down for long.
Suns Intent on Making Deal
The Phoenix Suns have missed the playoffs in six straight seasons, so it's past time to start finding ways for this franchise to make a return to relevance.
Stein reported that Phoenix's front office has been diligent in making sure everyone around the NBA knows what it has to offer in a potential trade:
The Suns aren't known for making good decisions when it comes to trading players from their backcourt. Isaiah Thomas has turned into an All-Star with the Boston Celtics, who acquired him from the Suns seven months after they got him in a deal.
It is to Phoenix's credit that the front office recognizes it needs to do something to pull the franchise out of this current rut. Yet this doesn't seem to be the kind of thing the Suns should be trying at this moment.
Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight are in their mid-20s, each signed for at least the next three seasons and combined to average 40 points, 7.9 rebounds and 11.2 assists per game last season. They should not be the No. 1 option on a playoff team, but there's nothing wrong having them as the second and third guys.
Granted, even with that duo in place last season, the Suns only won 23 games. They are lacking that superstar talent who can push them into the playoff mix, though there are only a handful of those guys to go around.
There's nothing wrong with a team such as the Suns, who have had just one winning season since 2010, exploring all of its options. Phoenix just needs to make sure that any deal it explores with players such as Bledsoe and Knight benefits it more than the other team.
