NBA Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz on Futures of DeAndre Jordan, Marc Gasol and More
Although it feels like there is plenty of time for general managers to conclude business before the 2018 NBA trade deadline, Feb. 8 will be here before you know it.
With the deadline creeping up, rumors are swirling about some of the biggest names in the league. Not every rumor will come to fruition, but it feels like at least one major deal is on the horizon that could shake up the NBA landscape.
Especially for teams looking to add help inside, DeAndre Jordan and Marc Gasol are two centers who may available for the right price. Teams hoping to land a superstar such as Anthony Davis or Paul George will likely be left wanting, though.
Those four players are the focus of the rumors below.
Cavaliers Have DeAndre Jordan on Their Radar
NBA writer Sam Amico reported Wednesday the Cleveland Cavaliers aren't deep in trade talks with the Los Angeles Clippers over Jordan but are "sniffing around."
Basketball Insiders' Steve Kyler reported Tuesday the Cavs could package together Iman Shumpert, Tristan Thompson and a first-round draft pick in order to acquire Jordan.
The next natural question is whether that first-rounder is Cleveland's or the Brooklyn Nets' first-round pick the Cavs received in the Kyrie Irving trade. Kyler didn't provide confirmation one way or the other, but it's probably safe to assume the Nets' first-rounder is off limits if Jordan is all Cleveland will get back in the trade.
As good as Jordan is defensively, he's still limited on offense. According to Basketball Reference, 85.5 percent of his field-goal attempts have come inside three feet.
Jordan can be a free agent at the end of the season, which further weakens the Clippers' leverage. Jordan may only be a half-season rental, and conversely, the prospect of paying him a max extension isn't all that enticing, either.
The Cavs would need to make the salaries work, so Shumpert and Thompson make sense in terms of the players going the other way. And throwing in a late first-round draft pick wouldn't be a too steep a price to pay.
Given the Clippers' negotiating position, that may be the best they can hope to receive for Jordan if the Cavs put it on the table.
Marc Gasol Holds All the Cards Regarding Trade
Were the Cavs to acquire Gasol, parting ways with the Nets' pick would be a little more palatable.
According to Kyler, it's basically up to Gasol about whether the Memphis Grizzlies trade him:
"Gasol continues to say all the right things when asked directly about his future, but more and more people in NBA circles are saying the same thing. All it will take for Gasol to be traded is him telling management he wants out—that would give the front office the green light with ownership to move on from Gasol."
For his part, Gasol told ESPN.com's Zach Lowe earlier in December he wouldn't initiate any discussion about a trade with the Grizzlies front office.
"I have a responsibility to this city," he said. "I'm not gonna quit, no matter what. ... But as long as [owner] Robert [Pera] wants me here, my teammates want me here, they think I'm part of the solution—and not part of the problem—that's all I need."
It's easy to see why Gasol would want to stay in Memphis, at least until he can opt out of his contract after the 2019-20 season. The Grizzlies are the only NBA team he has ever known, and he has built a special relationship with the fans over the years.
If he's happy in Memphis, there's no reason for him to leave—even if doing so would give him a better chance of winning an NBA title.
Similarly, the Grizzlies shouldn't be desperate to trade Gasol, even if they are going to struggle to just make the playoffs. There's no telling when they would be able to get a player as good as Gasol again, and it's easy to tell a team to simply blow things up when you don't have to suffer through what could be a long, painful rebuilding process.
A lot of things could change before the deadline, but the Grizzlies could easily hold on to Gasol despite the team's awful start to this year.
Anthony Davis, Paul George Both Appear to Staying Put
The idea of Davis getting traded this year always seemed slim, and ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski cast even more doubt on the notion the four-time All-Star could be on the move anytime soon.
Wojnarowski reported Tuesday the New Orleans Pelicans "have no intention of trading an all-world talent under contract through 2021, no matter the return."
A little more surprisingly, the Oklahoma City Thunder are taking the same approach with George, according to Bleacher Report's Ken Berger:
"According to a league source with knowledge of the team's thinking, the Thunder were under no delusions that George was committing to anything beyond this season when they shipped [Victor] Oladipo and [Domantas] Sabonis—products of the Serge Ibaka trade with Orlando—to Indiana for the four-time All-Star. Furthermore, the source said, the team has shown no inclination to entertain trade discussions."
The logic behind the Pelicans keeping Davis is rather obvious.
Sure, New Orleans leaves itself open to a situation where it has no leverage and settles for pennies on the dollar in a trade. But imagine the reaction among Pelicans fans if the team were to trade a 24-year-old center who's averaging 25.7 points and 10.6 rebounds per game.
Not to mention Davis is signed for three more years. The Pelicans also own the eighth-best record (15-16) in the Western Conference. Now isn't the time to consider trading one of the NBA's best players.
On the flip side, the Thunder seemingly have every reason to seriously consider offloading George by the deadline.
Putting George together with Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony has been disappointing, with the Thunder looking like a collection of individuals rather than a cohesive unit at times. George's contract gives Oklahoma City another incentive to trade him since he could leave in offseason.
With all of that said, there was always going to be a difficult adjustment period as Westbrook figured out how to share the ball with Anthony and George.
The Thunder may be able to work things out by the time the playoffs roll around. As bad as things are, Oklahoma City is just 2.5 games behind the Minnesota Timberwolves for the fourth seed, and 5.5 games separate the Thunder from the third-seeded San Antonio Spurs.
Oklahoma City shoved all of its chips in on winning a title this year, so the team might as well see it through and stick with its core until the end.
