NBA Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz Surrounding Marcus Smart, Jae Crowder and More
It's been one wild NBA offseason so far. Things have certainly been more exciting than they were during the postseason.
The drama really began when the Boston Celtics decided to trade away the No. 1 pick in the draft. After that, we saw Jimmy Butler, Chris Paul and Paul George moved via trade. The Celtics landed coveted free agent Gordon Hayward, while champions the Golden State Warriors got arguably even more dangerous. They drafted Jordan Bell and signed Nick Young in free agency.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, meanwhile, have done essentially nothing.
The offseason came to a head on Thursday, when the league's moratorium period ended and free agency officially began. The deals teams and players had agreed to in the previous week could now become official. This doesn't mean that the craziness is over, however.
There are still some quality free agents out there and there are still deals to be made. We're here to look at the potential trade action that could come after the official start of free agency.
Knicks Interested in Smart
The New York Knicks are in need of talent, and the Boston Celtics might be able to help provide it. Boston is looking to clear salary off the books in order to accommodate Hayward's new contract—a four-year, $128 million deal, according to The Vertical's Shams Charania:
As noted by Marc Berman of the New York Post, the Knicks may be willing to take some of that salary by acquiring Marcus Smart:
"The Celtics, meanwhile have shopped around point guard Marcus Smart in an effort to clear cap room to sign Gordon Hayward, and the Knicks have interest, according to an NBA source.
"The source said the Knicks are looking into trade options to fill the cap space they have—about $15 million once they renounce the cap hold on Rose. Smart will make just $4.5 million this season then become a restricted free agent in 2018."
Smart is a good defensive player who could immediately help New York on that end of the court. The Knicks were ranked 23rd in the NBA last season in total defense, allowing an average of 108.0 points per game to the opposition.
Smart is more than just a pure defender, though. He's a solid all-around player who averaged 10.6 points, 4.6 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game in 2016.
Hayward, Crowder Deal Getting Close
Jae Crowder is another player the Celtics have looked into dealing in order to clear cap space. According to Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Boston has discussed including him as part of a sign-and-trade with the Utah Jazz in order to acquire Hayward.
Crowder is set to earn just under $6.8 million in 2017. This means moving him wouldn't provide major cap relief but it would clear a sizable chunk of money off the books.
According to Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald, a sign-and-trade is indeed close and should be announced by the weekend:
Per Murphy, Crowder is likely to be involved with the deal.
What's unclear is whether other pieces will be involved with the trade. Since moving Crowder isn't going to have a major impact on Boston's team salary—and since his team-friendly deal would benefit the Jazz—it's possible the Celtics will ask for something else in return.
Carmelo Sighted in Houston
The Knicks are looking to clear some salary themselves, most notably by dealing Carmelo Anthony. He's set to earn over $26 million this season and $54 million over the next two years. That's a lot of money for a guy the team clearly doesn't see as a long-term building block.
The problem for New York is that Anthony holds a no-trade clause in his contract. If the team is going to deal him, it'll have to get him to agree to a trade. So far, only two teams look like realistic possibilities for an Anthony trade.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Anthony would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to join the Cavaliers or Houston Rockets should either team make an offer for him.
Seeing as how Houston is considered a possible landing spot for Anthony, it's understandable that his presence in Houston on Thursday created a bit of a stir:
However, it doesn't appear Anthony was there to meet with Rockets brass or anything of the sort. According to KPRC Houston, he was only in the airport on a connecting flight:
"'Melo was spotted at George Bush Intercontinental Airport around 10 a.m. His flight left New York around 7 a.m., according to his luggage tag. Also on the luggage tag is what appears to be 'Melo's final destination: SJD. For those who are not familiar with SJD, it is the Los Cabos International Airport in Mexico. Houston would seem to have been a stop for 'Melo to catch his connecting flight to the destination city."
This is probably disappointing news for Rockets fans. It may also have been disappointing for Knicks fans hoping their team was close to unloading him. Ultimately, New York may have to engage in a contract buyout in order to rid itself of Anthony before the regular season.
