NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Anthony Davis Trade, LeBron James and More

The NBA rumor mill has turned its attention to the future. 

It's the next logical step after the league received a facelift with superstars such as Gordon Hayward moving around the league.

With the next step being a look ahead to the trade deadline and free agency in 2018, the shift offers some interesting rumblings impacting more than a handful of teams.

Below, let's study some of the early salvos from the market and what they might mean for next season and beyond.

Jazz Gearing Up for a Run

Kim Raff/Associated Press

The arms race in the Western Conference is one of the most interesting storylines in the league right now.

A year after the Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets showed flashes, the New Orleans Pelicans and Minnesota Timberwolves seem like teams on the rise. This doesn't even take into account superstar arrivals such as Paul George or reshuffling like Chris Paul joining the Houston Rockets.

Those Jazz, though, have made a handful of moves while trying to compensate for the loss of Hayward. And, according to Jody Genessy of the Deseret News, the team will continue to build from within rather than seek out a big trade:

It's not a bad approach for a team with a still-intriguing core thanks to the arrival of Ricky Rubio at the point to pair with arguably the game's best center, Rudy Gobert.

For instance, Thabo Sefolosha is quality depth most teams can't claim to match, not when he's rotating with Joe Ingles and Joe Johnson.

Jonas Jerebko, a former member of the Boston Celtics, will work in tandem with Derrick Favors. Ekpe Udoh will do the same on the back end of the rotation after spending a few years overseas showing quality play.

This isn't the flashiest thing Jazz fans want to see in any offseason, not to mention in one where the team lost a superstar. But the Jazz got here through this approach and don't seem ready to stop now regardless of who jumps ship.

Celtics Eyeing Davis? 

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

Be honest—did anyone think a set of future-looking rumors wouldn't mention the Celtics?

Boston and president Danny Ainge, even after the Hayward signing, feel like a team always looking at the future as opposed to the present. Isaiah Thomas-Hayward-Al Horford is nice, but the team has plenty of future draft assets to look forward to, either because of an actual selection or how the front office can package them in a trade.

The latter seems to be a topic of discussion around the league, according to The Vertical's Chris Mannix: "In addition, rival executives expect Boston to be keeping close tabs on New Orleans, which is entering a critical season. The Pelicans are committed to seeing if an Anthony Davis-DeMarcus Cousins frontcourt can work, but if the season goes awry, it's widely believed the Celtics will make a strong run at Davis, who is under contract through 2020."

Granted, a huge dose of salt seems a requirement for any rumor like this because of how conservative the Celtics seem to be when it comes to trades.

Looking at the Pelicans, if the Anthony Davis-DeMarcus Cousins tandem doesn't work out, the team is likely more comfortable moving on from the latter, who has a shorter contract anyway. Davis might get back more via trade, but he's under team control longer and isn't a problem like Cousins on the court when it comes to technical.

Boston would obviously take either depending on the price. And while fans might get tired of hearing about rumors like this surrounding the team, the dragging-the-feet approach has still netted the team a quality center and a superstar forward lately while picking high a few years in a row. Drag it out a little longer, and a blossoming team might hit it hot at the same time LeBron James and his crew starts to fade.

The shorter version—the Celtics aren't leaving the spotlight just because they signed Hayward.

Pressure is on in Cleveland

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

Speaking of James, his Cleveland Cavaliers don't look so hot.

Cleveland hit this offseason with the understanding James could opt out after next season. As unfathomable as it might seem that he'd leave his hometown again, he won a title there and fans can only direct so much anger his way if the roster around him is a mess.

It isn't...but things haven't been encouraging this summer either.

This is apparent enough based on a report from Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today, who spoke with a person close to the situation who described James as "concerned about the Cavaliers' offseason." It doesn't get much better when expanded upon.

"Gilbert's decision [to fire GM David Griffin] left the Cavs without the franchise's top two front-office execs at a critical time, and it left James frustrated and concerned about the team's ability to put together a roster that can better compete with Golden State, the person with direct knowledge of James' thinking told USA TODAY Sports," Zillgitt wrote.

Indeed, the Cavaliers picked an odd time to shake up the front office and make little in the way of noteworthy moves. This doesn't mean do something crazy like strike a deal for a PG13 or a Carmelo Anthony, but it has to be frustrating from James' perspective to watch Golden State retain its championship core because Kevin Durant cut a team-friendly deal.

Meanwhile, the rest of the league has moved on, with the Warriors setting off an arms race where one would have assumed the Cavaliers would be more active.

It's early, and this hardly means LeBron's packing his bags ready to see a handful of his Cleveland jerseys ablaze on social media again. But it's not the best sign, either, and teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and others with the cap-space outlook to afford him are watching closely.

All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.