NBA Rumors: Last-Minute Trade Reports Before 2018 Deadline
It's going to be hard for the NBA trade deadline to top the move sending Blake Griffin to the Detroit Pistons.
Rest assured, it will try its best.
Thursday's 3 p.m. ET NBA trade deadline features plenty of interesting factors, from a Los Angeles Lakers team coming to grips with reality to noteworthy drama surrounding the Cleveland Cavaliers and beyond.
As some of the rumors below showcase, major names could get shipped around the league, and other future-minded moves could drastically influence how drafts and future free-agent periods play out.
Here's the latest ahead of the deadline.
Memphis' Price for Tyreke Evans
The NBA is starting to change its approach to first-round picks.
Even a few years ago, throwing a first-round pick in a deal for a veteran like Tyreke Evans seemed like a no-brainer affair, especially when the team coughing up the pick was a contender looking to seek out the proverbial missing piece.
It isn't so simple now.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Memphis Grizzlies are having a hard time getting some interested parties to relinquish a top pick for Evans:
Specifically to Evans, though, it isn't hard to see why the Grizzlies might hold out right up until the deadline if necessary. The 2009 No. 4 pick is having one of the best years of his career, averaging 19.5 points and five assists and rebounds per game while shooting a career-best 45.8 percent from the floor.
A bit of hesitation on Evans makes sense as well—this is his last year under contract, meaning he could fall into rental territory. If the team that trades for him wants to keep him around, it's looking at surrendering a draft asset before splurging on a 28-year-old guard looking to cash in for perhaps the last time.
Teams like the Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets and Philadelphia 76ers would love to have Evans' scoring upside, perhaps for a half-season or more. But well out of the playoffs, the Grizzlies are in a position to sit on their asset and drive up the price.
The Julius Randle Saga
Good luck figuring out what the Lakers will do at the deadline.
It seems like the Lakers have come to grips with reality about the upcoming open market and want to double down on developing their guys. One of those guys could be Julius Randle, provided the right team doesn't come with the right offer before the deadline.
So far, no dice, per Wojnarowski:
From a trade-value standpoint, Randle is one of the strangest players in the league. He's 23 years old and averaging career bests in points (14.2) and field-goal percentage (55.4). But he's only doing it over 23.9 minutes per game and isn't the type of versatile player who really pushes a contending lineup into championship territory.
Rebuilding teams like the Dallas Mavericks would probably love to have someone like Randle on the roster to act as a stopgap while working on his game for years. But the price has to be right and isn't—why cough up anything more than a second-round pick for Randle, passing up on a prospect with major upside?
Like most of the chatter before the deadline, there aren't any easy answers here. Unless a team comes in with a shocker, though, the fact Randle won't be getting many offers as a restricted free agent this offseason could mean he sticks with the Lakers.
For now, at least.
The DeAndre Jordan No-Blink Contest
DeAndre Jordan could have a new team by Thursday afternoon.
Somebody has to blink, though.
Jordan, the last man standing with the Los Angeles Clippers after the departures of Chris Paul and Griffin (funny how that worked out, right?), could find himself joining an instant contender like the Cavaliers if the two sides can agree to the deal.
As always seems to be the case, though, things will boil down to the...Brooklyn Nets.
Here's Yahoo Sports' Jordan Schultz:
Wojnarowski added a third team could get involved:
Jordan, going on 30 years old in July, is a win-now move for a team like the Cavaliers even though he's only averaging 11.5 points and 14.9 rebounds on 65.3 percent shooting from the floor—a mark well down from his production the year prior.
LeBron James and the Cavaliers could certainly use some help underneath the basket, though, with no player averaging double digits in rebounds and teams routinely doing what they want in the paint. The result is a chippy team not shy about what it says publicly while sitting on an iffy 31-22 record and an uncertain future.
Jordan isn't necessarily the answer to all these problems, but he's a major step in the right direction. It's a risky move for the Cavaliers in that he's due a big cap hit next season as well, though his contract situation also coincides with LeBron's schedule, provided he chooses to stay in town.
At the same time, Cleveland refusing to let Brooklyn's pick enter the conversation makes sense from a long-term perspective. Not only could a high pick there entice James to stay in town, it provides a high-upside player if he leaves regardless.
Based on the wants and needs of all parties, it sounds like this one could come down to a decision made right at the deadline and only with a third team getting involved.
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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