NBA Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz on Danilo Gallinari, Iman Shumpert and More

The NBA offseason waits for no one. While many folks across America were busy celebrating Independence Day, NBA decision-makers were busy working to get deals done before the official start of free agency—free-agent deals can be signed starting July 6.

Free agency isn't responsible for all of the offseason excitement, though. We've also had plenty of trade drama over the last several days. Plenty of players have been on the move, as teams look to supplement their free-agent hauls and adjust their team salaries.

We're here to examine the latest trade-related storylines and rumors with the official start of free agency only a day away.

Gallinari is Clippers-Bound

The Los Angeles Clippers may have traded away Chris Paul to the Houston Rockets, but this doesn't mean the team is content to just break things apart and head toward a rebuild. L.A. re-signed Blake Griffin and now has added forward Danilo Gallinari.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Clippers have acquired Gallinari from the Denver Nuggets by making a three-team trade. The deal also involves the Atlanta Hawks.

"The Clippers send Jamal Crawford, Diamond Stone, a 2018 first-round pick previously acquired from Houston and cash to the Hawks, league sources said," Wojnarowski explained. "Atlanta will send a 2019 second-round pick it previously acquired from Washington to Denver to complete the trade, league sources said."

Per Wojnarowski, Gallinari will sign a three-year, $65 million deal:

The addition of the former Nuggets standout gives the Clippers a dangerous trio with him, Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. The team will have a different dynamic than the one that included Paul last year, but it could still be just as competitive.

Cavaliers Still Looking to Deal Shumpert

While many teams, especially those in the Western Conference, have been wheeling and dealing since the start of July, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been strangely quiet. Yes, Cleveland is limited by a massive salary and a lack of tradable assets. Yet the team has to do something to ensure it can be competitive in the future.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported at the start of free agency that Cleveland was looking to gain some assets by dealing away Iman Shumpert:

According to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com, the Cavs were in talks over the weekend to send Shumpert to the Rockets. Per Shams Charania of The Vertical, talks stalled after the Rockets inked P.J. Tucker to a new deal:

If the Cavaliers can find a way to move Shumpert, it would potentially help the team's effort to sign other players. Shumpert is set to make over $10.3 million in 2017, which is quite a lot for a role player who seemed to have little value this past postseason.

Per Wojnarowski, moving Shumpert would also put the Cavs below the luxury tax, which could make the team's total savings closer to $28 million—assuming the team doesn't put the money back into the roster.

If the Cavaliers aren't going to spend to bring in more talent, though, it could be a sign owner Dan Gilbert is ready to turn the page on this incarnation of the team and its title chances. If he doesn't believe LeBron James is going to return to Cleveland after next season, he could be eying a rebuild.

Anthony Willing to Join Cleveland

If Gilbert and the Cavaliers do decide to add more talent to the team and make another title run, they may have an option in current New York Knick Carmelo Anthony.

The Knicks are looking to move Anthony, and Cleveland is one of the few places for which Anthony would waive his no-trade clause, per Wojnarowski.

Anthony would also waive his no-trade clause to join the Rockets, who may have more to offer the Knicks than Cleveland does. For Anthony, any potential hesitation for a Houston deal may come from the fact the Rockets' coach is Mike D'Antoni. Anthony spent time playing under him a few years back, and the two didn't always get along.

However, the draw of playing alongside Paul and James Harden may be enough to squash that hesitation. The Cavaliers—while able to offer some quality players to join—have very little to offer the Knicks in a trade.

Unless the Cavaliers can convince New York to take Shumpert in a deal for Anthony, acquiring Carmelo may not be a realistic option.

Here's the other problem for Cleveland—that massive team salary. While moving Shumpert would get the team under the luxury tax mark, adding Anthony would put the team back over it in a big way. Anthony is set to earn more than $26 million this season.

A more realistic option would be for the Cavaliers to sign Anthony to a team-friendly deal after he receives a contract buyout from the Knicks—a move Anthony would certainly welcome.

The Knicks, though, have no reason at all to buy out Anthony's contract if they believe someone will eventually trade him. This means any action involving Anthony may come down the road as both he and the Knicks play the waiting game.