NBA Trade Rumors: Latest News on Chris Paul, Kevin Love and More

Since the Dec. 15 eligibility deadline for summer signings has passed, the NBA is officially into trade season. Most players in the league can now be traded, and rumors are popping up all over.

One big-name player on the market is Chris Paul, who's playing for an Oklahoma City Thunder team potentially looking to sell. The Thunder are hovering around playoff position, but the roster is nowhere close to that of a championship contender.

But can OKC actually swing a trade?

"No one wants CP3," an anonymous executive told Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus. "[Steven] Adams' contract is terrible. [Danilo Gallinari] is the only one that can bring something back."

More than anything, the problem with Paul is a mess of a contract. He's due $38.5 million this season, per HoopsHype, before $41.4 and $44.2 million salaries over the next two years. Paul holds a player option for 2021-22, but there's no way he declines it.

Deciding to acquire Paul is committing to multiple years of him dominating the salary sheet. And for any hopeful contender, that's not a fiscally wise decision.

Adams is less of a problem, though the $27.5 million he'll earn in 2020-21 is quite hefty. Gallinari is due $22.6 million this year, but his expiring deal makes it a non-issue beyond an interested team having cap space or the ability to match salaries.

Discussions involving Kevin Love will also be difficult.

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Cleveland Cavaliers aren't likely to find a great offer for the veteran forward.

"I think you're looking at a marketplace where they'll get, probably, a protected first-round pick and maybe an expiring contract and then maybe a throw-in player," he said on the Woj & Lowe: Trade Season Special that aired Sunday on ESPN.

Although Woj added he believes Love is ready to leave the Cavaliers, his four-year contract is pretty glaring. ESPN's Zach Lowe said there is a "pretty big dissonance" between Cleveland and the rest of the league about Love's value.

The issue, it seems, is Cleveland wants a considerable return for an All-Star, while other teams consider him a complementary star.

Regardless, according to Lowe, the Portland Trail Blazers and Phoenix Suns may be interested in Love.

Love's former team—the Minnesota Timberwolves—meanwhile, must be prepared to upgrade the roster. They're mired in a seven-game losing streak and, even if they recover soon, haven't showed signs of being a real postseason threat.

Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic previously said Jeff Teague is on the market, and Pincus' reporting added Robert Covington to the list.

Teague is averaging a respectable 14.4 points and 6.8 assists, yet he's not in Minnesota's long-term plans. The veteran plays a slower brand of offense the Wolves want to run; fortunately for them, his expiring deal may be moved.

Covington demands an uncomfortable discussion, though.

Acquired in the Jimmy Butler trade last year, Covington is a terrific three-and-D player on a reasonable contract. He's provided 12.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game and has three seasons left on a deal averaging $12.1 million.

That doubles as why he's so attractive around the league. However, Minnesota might be able to capitalize on his appeal as an avenue to shed salary and/or add draft capital.

The Wolves shouldn't rush into a trade involving the wing, but they'll need to make an honest assessment of their long-term future before the February deadline. And, in all likelihood, that answer probably entails getting maximum value for Covington.

Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.