NBA Trade Rumors: Examining Who Is on the Block Ahead of Free Agency
As NBA free agency on July 1 comes closer, teams might be too focused on signing big-name players to be worried about trades.
But with only so many valuable assets set to hit the market, there are going to be losers in free agency. All 30 teams are looking to improve their rosters, but there are only so many options available.
When teams miss out, the trade market is bound to react. Here's a look at some of the players who could find themselves playing for a new team next season via trade.
Dropping a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals is a frustrating experience. Golden State Warriors big man Andrew Bogut may become the target of some of that disappointment.
According to Monte Poole of CSNBayArea.com, the Warriors are frustrated with Bogut and backup center Festus Ezeli. The Warriors drafted center Damian Jones in response to that, and it could lead the club to move Bogut if it needs extra cash to sign free agent Kevin Durant:
"Drafting Jones also was, according to league sources, an indication of the team's frustration with starting big man Andrew Bogut, who is a candidate to be moved should the Warriors succeed in their pursuit of upcoming free agent Kevin Durant.
The Warriors, should they win the race to KD, will have to shed salary and several sources indicate they'd like to move Bogut as much if not more than anyone else.
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The Warriors landing Durant seems like something that's more likely to happen in NBA 2K16, but the Dubs are on the short list of teams Durant will meet with. According to Ananth Pandian of CBS Sports, Golden State will be the first team to meet with him after he sits down with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday.
Bogut has been an integral part of the Warriors' rise to prominence over the past four seasons. If they shop the veteran center, it would show their commitment to getting the Larry O'Brien Trophy back.
Patrick Beverley
After Mike Conley and Rajon Rondo, few point guards on the free-agent market are starter material. That makes it a position worth keeping an eye on as possible trade bait.
According to Sean Deveney of Sporting News, a point guard who might be on the trade market is Patrick Beverley. Deveney reported the Philadelphia 76ers have looked into dealing for the 27-year-old:
"Philadelphia explored the possibility of working a trade for Minnesota's Ricky Rubio on draft night, though that would likely have to be a three-team deal in order to provide the Timberwolves with the kind of veteran help the Sixers lack. Rubio is expected to be available again this summer. The Sixers have also expressed interest with the Rockets in point guard Patrick Beverley, a source told Sporting News.
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Beverley seems to be a good fit for the Sixers. He's a veteran compared to the rest of the roster after playing four seasons with the Houston Rockets, including three as a starter. While his numbers don't leap off the page, he's a consistent presence who plays great defense.
Here's a look at his numbers compared to incumbent point guard Ish Smith's last year:
| 71 | GP | 50 |
| 63 | GS | 50 |
| 9.9 | PPG | 14.7 |
| 3.4 | APG | 7.0 |
| 1.3 | SPG | 1.3 |
| 3.6-8.4 | FGM-A | 6.0-14.8 |
Beverley racked up his numbers while playing alongside ball-dominant guard James Harden. With Beverley presumably running the offense in Philadelphia, his scoring and assist totals could see an uptick while still providing a defensive boost.
Whether that's with Philadelphia or another point guard-needy team remains to be seen, but it appears as though at least one organization is interested in his services.
Trey Burke
Teams in the market for an intriguing point guard have other options besides Beverley. According to Marc Stein of ESPN.com, the Utah Jazz are looking to shop Trey Burke:
This development shouldn't come as a shock. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, the Jazz will officially acquire George Hill from the Indiana Pacers in July, and Dante Exum is returning from injury.
Even without Hill on the roster and Exum injured last season, Burke struggled to find a role. He averaged just 21.3 minutes per game in 2015-16 after averaging at least 30.0 minutes per game in his first two years with the club.
Still, there could be a market for Burke.
He's only 23 years old and a former lottery pick, and he is still in the final year of his rookie deal. The Jazz aren't in much of a position to drive up the price for Burke, either. Given the plethora of options, a team shouldn't have to part with too much to take a shot at giving Burke a chance to shine.
It might take a while to see how free agency plays out, but it makes more sense for Burke to suit up somewhere other than Utah when the dust settles on the offseason.
