NBA Rumors: Latest Trade Buzz on Paul Millsap, Tyson Chandler and More
The NBA trade deadline is about a month-and-a-half away. But the rumor mill is already buzzing with plenty of information about who could be on the move and where they might be going.
The Cleveland Cavaliers' acquisition of Kyle Korver from the Atlanta Hawks last Saturday may have kick-started the league's trade season. Let's focus at a few other players who have recently appeared in rumors and discuss each of their situations.
Paul Millsap
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Now that Korver is gone, the Hawks are just one player away from completely dismantling the starting lineup that led the team to 60 wins during the 2014-15 season.
That player is three-time All-Star power forward Paul Millsap, but even he could be gone in the next month or so. According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, the Hawks are listening to calls for Millsap and would like any offer to include at least one high-quality first-round pick. The team is obviously looking toward the future with the threat of the Cavaliers continuing their domination looming over the entire Eastern Conference.
Millsap, despite being an unrestricted free agent this coming summer, is worth quite a haul. He's 31 years old, but he's played his best basketball over the last few seasons and has a versatile skill set. Every single team in the league would appreciate having his lunch-pail effort on both ends of the floor and his low-ego personality on its roster.
| 2013-14 | 17.9 | 8.5 | 3.1 | 1.7 | 1.1 |
| 2014-15 | 16.7 | 7.8 | 3.1 | 1.8 | 0.9 |
| 2015-16 | 17.1 | 9.0 | 3.3 | 1.8 | 1.7 |
| 2016-17 | 17.7 | 8.2 | 3.8 | 1.6 | 0.9 |
Stein also reported that the Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors and Sacramento Kings all have known interest in acquiring Millsap. While there may be some doubt that any of those three teams would be able to supply a good enough pick to satisfy the Hawks' requirements, a potential Millsap trade could also include a third team that gives Atlanta the draft selection and other assets it wants.
Chandler is enjoying a bounce-back year with the Phoenix Suns. The 34-year-old center has started 29 of 30 games and averaged 7.6 points and 11.7 rebounds per game on an outstanding 69.4 true-shooting percentage, per Basketball-Reference.com.
However, his fit is still questionable in Phoenix. The main problem remains the fact that the team owes him nearly $26.6 million over the next two seasons beyond 2016-17, per Spotrac, and his advanced age is a bit off from the young Suns' rebuilding timeline.
According to Stein, the Portland Trail Blazers are interested in acquiring Chandler. While Portland has had a disappointing start to its campaign this season, it doesn't have much choice but to build more for the present than the future because of all the big-money contracts it has handed out in the past couple offseasons.
At the moment, rim protection and rebounding are arguably the two biggest reasons the Blazers rank second-to-last in defensive efficiency, according to NBA.com/Stats. Chandler's presence would help alleviate those issues, even though he's not quite the difference-maker he was five seasons ago.
However, the question is this: Is bringing in an aging, moderately effective center with a somewhat hefty price tag worth it for a team that probably has no chance of catching the Western Conference elite this season?
Portland Trail Blazers Not Looking To Trade Two Key Pieces
Speaking of the Blazers, ESPN.com's Chris Haynes reported Thursday that the team is willing to make a trade to shake things up, but not one that involves C.J. McCollum or Evan Turner. Both players committed to long-term deals with Portland last summer, though McCollum is under contract through 2021, one year after the end of Turner's deal.
First of all, Turner is untradable right now anyway. Few teams want ball-dominant wings who don't shoot, penetrate or defend particularly well, especially ones who are owed $70 million over the next four seasons, per Spotrac. But McCollum is a different situation.
It's no surprise that the Trail Blazers don't want to trade their 25-year-old scoring 2-guard, considering he's played quite well this season and the team just committed to him for five years last summer. But if Portland did want to trade McCollum at some point, the possibilities of retooling around Damian Lillard and whatever package the Blazers can get for McCollum is tantalizing.
The Blazers could get plenty of value back from parting with their budding shooting guard who is averaging 23.6 points per game on a 59.0 true-shooting percentage, according to Basketball-Reference.com.
As of now, Portland has a questionable future if it continues to build around two small guards who score a lot and hardly play defense. The team doesn't appear ready to give up on that formula yet, but it may have to do so soon if it wants to become a legitimate contender in the near future.
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.jpg?w=600 "Offseason Moves for Every Team 👉")