NBA Rumors: Latest Trade Buzz on Jaylen Brown, Ricky Rubio, More

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It's almost Christmas Day, which is always a major marker on the NBA calendar. There will be an exciting slate of games taking place on the holiday, and while it's not quite the midway point of the season, things will really start heating up heading into the new year.

We're also deep enough into the season that there's been some serious trade buzz going around the league. Teams aren't making major moves quite yet, and there's plenty of time still to do so, as the trade deadline isn't until Feb. 10. But these rumors give us an idea of what deals could take place between now and then.

Here's some of the latest trade buzz from around the NBA with Christmas on the horizon.

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Jaylen Brown has been named in trade rumors in recent weeks, as the Boston Celtics have been struggling to get going during the 2021-22 season. However, this buzz may not come to fruition.

According to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, there's "never really been much consideration given" to trading Brown from the Celtics' side. Instead, Boston's potential moves could be to supplement the supporting cast that the team has built around Brown and its core.

"What they're concerned with within the Celtics is ... do they have the right pieces around these guys?" Mannix recently said on The Crossover podcast (h/t HoopsHype).

Brown missed some time earlier this month with a hamstring injury, but he's been playing well when healthy. The 25-year-old guard is averaging 22.4 points and 5.3 rebounds in 18 games, shooting 45.2 percent from the field.

The Celtics are 16-16 and in eighth in the Eastern Conference, but they've lost five of their past eight games. Assuming they keep building around Brown and Jayson Tatum, it will be interesting to see what moves they make to try to spark a push into the playoffs.

Craig Lassig/Associated Press

When the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired Ricky Rubio in a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves in August, some thought they may then flip the 31-year-old point guard to another team in a midseason deal. HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reported that some around the league wondered if that was a possibility.

But with the Cavs playing well and Rubio providing veteran leadership off the bench, it seems he could be sticking around in Cleveland for a while.

Scotto shared that the Cavaliers "value" Rubio, according to some members of the organization, which may indicate he isn't going to get moved prior to the Feb. 10 trade deadline. Rubio is set to become a free agent at the end of the season, but he could help Cleveland make a playoff push before then.

The Cavs are 19-13 and fourth in the Eastern Conference. They've won 10 of their past 13 games, and Rubio has played important minutes, averaging 12.6 points and 6.6 assists in 32 games.

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

The Denver Nuggets are a bit short-handed on the wing. Michael Porter Jr. underwent back surgery earlier this month, while P.J. Dozier tore his left ACL last month. So the team could benefit from adding some depth to help offset those losses.

And it seems that's what the Nuggets are trying to do. According to Mike Singer of the Denver Post, Denver has been "actively looking" to acquire a wing player. It's not yet clear, though, who the Nuggets may be looking to bring in and whether or not they'll be aiming to make a trade.

Porter was a big loss, as he made nine starts for Denver this season and was averaging 9.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Dozier had been a valuable bench player, averaging 5.4 points and 3.5 rebounds in 18 games.

Even though the Nuggets have been playing without these two, they're still 15-15 and in seventh in the Western Conference. If they can land a solid wing player to give them a boost, perhaps that will help them make a strong push in the second half of the season.