NBA Trade Rumors: The Latest Buzz Surounding Andrew Bogut, Rudy Gay and More
We're about a quarter of the way through the 2016-17 NBA season. This means, of course, that we still have a long, long way to go.
Teams still have months to construct, hone and develop their teams into potential playoff contenders (or not). The trade deadline, February 23, won't even arrive for two months. While teams aren't yet in position for fire sales or pre-postseason spending sprees, there are certainly some already looking to make moves.
Today, we're going to run down some of the latest trade and acquisition rumors circulating the NBA world. Which teams are looking to make a deal? Which players are about to be on the move? Let's dig in.
Andrew Bogut, Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks currently sit at 6-19 and appear to be entering full-on rebuild territory. This has naturally led to some speculation surrounding center and potential trade bait Andrew Bogut. The Australian center is expected to become a free agent after the season anyway.
The question, of course, is whether or not the Mavericks can get anything worthwhile in return.
"You definitely see if you can trade Bogut," Matt Mosely of the Dallas Morning News recently said, per SportsDay. " I don't really know how much value Deron Williams has at this point. You think a team's going to give up a first-round pick for him? I don't really see it. And Bogut only works for certain teams."
ESPN's Marc Stein reported last week that the Boston Celtics and the Portland Trail Blazers could be interested in acquiring Bogut.
A move for Bogut would make sense for each of these teams, as both are trending as potential playoff teams and could use help on the defensive side. Of the two teams, Boston seems to make the most sense as a buyer. The Celtics currently sit 5.5 games back in the Eastern Conference and could realistically look to challenge for one of the top playoff spots this season.
Bogut just might add enough defensive help to help the Celtics make a move in the conference. He is a quality role player, averaging 25 minutes, 10.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.
"If a deal can be made that doesn't hurt the Celtics' long-term plan, [the Celtics] should consider him as a legitimate option before the trade deadline," Nicholas Goss of NESN.com recently wrote.
Rudy Gay, Sacramento Kings
Rudy Gay of the Sacramento Kings is another player who has generated some buzz of late. The Kings, who hold a 9-16 record, aren't playing particularly well right now. Gay, who is averaging an impressive 18.6 points per game, is.
This makes Gay a fairly obvious trade target for teams looking to add some punch on the offensive side. While he is dealing with a hip injury, ESPN's Chris Haynes reported that the issue isn't serious:
"OKC, Indiana has had interest in him, Houston had some periphery interest—but I don't think they have the pieces to trade," The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski stated on his Vertical Podcast with Woj earlier this week.
The Oklahoma City Thunder would seem like a natural landing spot for Gay, as the team hasn't quite been able to replace the production of departed star Kevin Durant. Yet the Thunder are playing like a potential playoff team and currently hold a 15-11 record.
On Wojnarowski's podcast, he mentioned that the Thunder nearly had a deal done for Gay during the preseason. A foot injury to Cameron Payne reportedly ended that deal, however: "Oklahoma City, they got down to the wire before Cameron Payne's injury. They had some very serious talks with Sacramento."
Would adding Gay be enough to get the Thunder past the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs? Probably not. However, it would almost certainly make the team a more formidable force. What the Thunder have to wonder is if he is worth parting with potential future building blocks.
The Houston Rockets are in a similar situation in that Gay might make the team a more dangerous playoff contender but not a true title contender. The Indiana Pacers are interesting, because adding Gay might be enough to help the team get into the Eastern Conference postseason.
The Pacers (13-14) are playing like a borderline playoff team right now.
Timberwolves Looking to Add Some Help?
The Minnesota Timberwolves might not seem like a team that would be looking to add significant pieces at this point in the season. The team already has a talented young core of players that includes Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns. However, the team doesn't appear ready to compete this season.
The Timberwolves have won just seven of their 25 games this season yet seem to be interested in adding another piece to the puzzle.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on the TrueHoop podcast that the Timberwolves are looking specifically for frontcourt help.
While adding a player who could help with the team's interior defense would make sense for Minnesota, the team doesn't have a ton of trade capital to offer in return. Minnesota won't possess a first-round pick until 2019 and isn't likely to part with a player like Wiggins.
The Timberwolves could offer up a veteran like Ricky Rubio or Shabazz Muhammad, but what could they realistically expect in return? The Timberwolves don't appear to need another developmental player or an aging veteran who won't be around when the team is competitive.
Kurt Helin of NBCSports.com recently made his case for Luol Deng of the Los Angeles Lakers: "It’s a healthy contract to take on, but he had success in the [Tom] Thibodeau system before, and the Lakers will listen."
Deng is in the first year of a four-year, $72 million deal, so the price would be considerable. If he could provide exactly what Minnesota needs on defense, however, Minnesota might just be a legitimate contender by the time his contract expires.
