NBA Trade Rumors: Breaking Down League Buzz Ahead of 2020 Trade Deadline

With the 2020 NBA trade deadline fast approaching—3 p.m. on Thursday—the basketball world is filled with swirling rumors about who could be on the move. This isn't a surprise, as last year's deadline saw notable names like Harrison Barnes, Jabari Parker, Tobias Harris and Kristaps Porzingis were all dealt just before the deadline.

While the name circling the rumor mill this year may not all be high-profile, things are getting started with a bang.

A 12-Player, Four-Team Deal

It appears that the first significant deal of deadline week will involve the Atlanta Hawks, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the core of the deal is a swap sending Robert Covington to Houston and Clint Capela to Atlanta. The Timberwolves will receive a group of players including Malik Beasley, along with a first-round pick from Atlanta. The Nuggets get a group that includes Shabazz Napier, along with a first-round pick from Denver.

The massive deal only came together after Minnesota failed to land D'Angelo Russell from the Golden State Warriors, according to Wojnarowski.

Kyle Kuzma, Marcus Morris

Though he has proven to be a valuable role-player this season, the Los Angeles Lakers are open to moving the power forward if it means getting a centerpiece for their second-team offense.

"The Lakers have investigated the market on Kyle Kuzma, per sources and prior reports. They have poked around on a long list of ball handlers," ESPN's Zach Lowe wrote.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported on Tuesday that the New York Knicks and Lakers have discussed a deal involving the Kuzma:

Presumably, the Lakers would use Kuzma to try making a run at small forward Marcus Morris. SNY's Danny Abriano reported that the Knicks are more willing to move Morris now that former team president Steve Mills is out of the building. He also reported that the Los Angeles Clippers are among the interested teams.

According to SNY's Ian Begley, the Knicks and Lakers also had talks involving Allonzo Trier and Alex Caruso before Mills was shown the door.

Darren Collison

One reason why the Lakers may not pull the trigger on a Kuzma-Morris trade is Morris' $15 million salary. Another reason is the fact that L.A. may be able to bolster its roster without trading its most promising young player.

Retired guard Darren Collison is considering returning the NBA and may view the Lakers as a destination.

"I've been told he's going to use the All-Star break to really mull it over," Charania told Alex Kennedy on the HoopsHype podcast. "I think both L.A. teams are preferred destinations."

At just 32 years old, Collison should have plenty left to offer a team like the Lakers. During the 2018-19 season, he averaged 11.2 points while shooting 46.7 percent from the floor.

Andre Iguodala

With the Covington-Capela deal getting done, it's possible that other trade dominoes now start to fall. One of them could involve Andre Iguodala, who has been dormant since the Memphis Grizzlies acquired him from the Warriors in the offseason.

According to Bleacher Report's Ric Bucher, the Grizzlies aren't looking to do Iguodala "any favors" and don't plan on buying out his contract. If they don't find an offer they feel is worthy, they'll hold onto his rights until the end of the season.

The problem there is that Iguodala has no intention of playing for Memphis if he isn't dealt to a team he prefers. This, according to The Athletic's David Aldridge:

According to Wojnarowski, Iguodala would prefer to land with the Lakers or Clippers. Charania reported that the Miami Heat are now among the team interested in acquiring him.

One way or another, Iguodala's relevance to Memphis' 2019-20 season should be coming to an end.