NBA Trade Deadline 2017: End Time, Latest Rumors and Predictions
The trade deadline for the 2016-17 NBA season is nearly here. The clock will run down at 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 23, ending the chance for teams to make trades.
There is certainly no shortage of teams looking to make deals, either. Those looking to strengthen themselves for a playoff run will be looking to buy. Those planning for the future may be trying to sell. The question is whether or not the right teams can find each other before the 11th hour ends.
With literally only hours remaining before the deadline, it's now crunch time.
With all of this in mind, let's examine some of the last-minute NBA trade rumors and give some predictions.
Jimmy Butler Winds up with Celtics
There are plenty of teams that would probably love to pry small forward Jimmy Butler away from the Chicago Bulls before the deadline. One team that has regularly been linked to Butler is the Boston Celtics.
According to TNT's David Aldridge, the idea of Butler going to Boston is more than just deadline hype.
Here's a look at what Aldridge said on NBA TV, per CelticsHub's Brian Robb:
"I think the Jimmy Butler stuff is real. They have been trying to get Jimmy Butler. [Ainge] doesn’t want to give up Jae Crowder. That’s the main sticking point there and he doesn’t want to give up Jae Crowder in a deal and that’s the guy the Bulls are insisting on right now in any package for Butler. The picks will work themselves out. Boston has about 600 first-round picks in the next five years, so they’ll make it work. That part I’m not worried about. I think it really comes down to Crowder.
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If Crowder doesn't become part of the deal, it's entirely possible the Bulls will balk at trading Butler. As K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune recently pointed out, it would probably take a true blockbuster trade for a team to snag Butler:
Our best guess is that, despite some enticing last-minute offers, Butler stays put for at least the remainder of the season.
Cavaliers Sending Shumpert to Houston?
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been looking for reinforcements to take into the looming playoffs for some time. However, the team isn't willing to part with any significant pieces of the starting rotation to acquire some.
One valuable piece the team may be willing to part with, however, is guard Iman Shumpert. It appears that the Houston Rockets are interested in dealing for Shumpert as well.
According to Marc Stein and Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com, the Rockets have contacted the Cavaliers about possibly trading for Shumpert. Stein and Watkins report that the Cavaliers are wanting guard Patrick Beverley in return.
Beverley wants to remain in Houston, but he has resigned himself to the possibility of being traded.
"If anything does happen, I'll be fortunate and be happy to play back home [Chicago] and be happy to help an organization like the [New York] Knicks or an organization like the Cavs, if something does happen," Beverley said, per Stein and Watkins.
Adding Beverley would make sense for Cleveland, as he could help improve the team's perimeter defense heading into the postseason. Given the teams the Cavs are likely to face once the postseason begins, Beverley could prove quite valuable.
However, it doesn't make as much sense for the Rockets to part with a young defensive talent like Beverley. Houston should want to retain him for the exact same reasons why the Cavaliers want to acquire him—defending teams like the Golden State Warriors.
Our prediction is that a straight-up Shumpert for Beverley trade doesn't materialize.
Pacers to Deal Paul George
If the Indiana Pacers are interested in moving forward Paul George before the trade deadline, it appears the team will have more than one potential suitor.
According to USA Today's Sam Amick, the Los Angeles Lakers are interested in acquiring George, and the Pacers might comply.
While George seems intent on remaining with Indiana, his loyalty may hinge on Indiana's ability to compete for a championship. Amick wrote the following about George's recent meeting with Pacers owner Herb Simon:
"According to a person with knowledge of the meeting who spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation, that is the crossroads that Pacers president Larry Bird now faces. If the Thursday deadline comes and goes and the Pacers roster remains the same, the pressure rises in a significant way.
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The Lakers are George's hometown team, but if he's really concerned with competing for a title soon, then L.A. may not be the best destination for him. Boston, however, might be.
According to The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Pacers could consider dealing George to the Celtics in order to maximize their return in a potential deal.
"There’s no urgency to make a deal for George, unless the Pacers fear the Boston Celtics could ultimately provide Indiana the best possible package of assets in a deal—and think that option could disappear if Boston makes a deal with Chicago for Kimmy Butler," Wojnarowski wrote.
If the Celtics really are serious about buying big before the trade deadline, then Indiana could offer George up—which could ultimately drive up his value to a team like the Lakers.
Our guess is that, if an enticing deal comes along for George, the Pacers will move him.
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