NBA Rumors: Five Moves That Still Need To Happen

For many of us, it is easy to forget that NBA offseason is still going full force.

Wait, so there are other free agents other than those guys that signed in Miami?

I know, I was surprised too.

Other than free agency, there are still some rumors of big things that could change the look of the league before the season begins.

Let's take a look at what could happen.

5. Larry Hughes to the Celtics

At 31 years of age, Larry Hughes still has a lot of basketball left in him.

And the Celtics could use him.

Hughes could be a valuable backup to Ray Allen and he fits right into Boston's game plan.

Hughes, over his career, has hit 40.7 percent of his three pointers.

He is also known as an above average defender, having made the NBA All-Defensive Team in 2005. 

Hughes is a high risk, high return kind of guy, but in this case the Celtics should take the risk.

4. Tayshaun Prince leaves Detroit

Detroit is aging and aging quickly.

In an effort to add some youth to the team, they want Tracy McGrady (I'll get to that later).

At 30 years of age, Prince missed nearly half of Detroit's games last year, while having his worst scoring year since his sophomore season. 

This would be a move for Detroit's future.

Prince, who is in the last year of his contract, could draw interest from a range of teams. 

Detroit may have to bundle Prince with someone to get a decent return, but for the sake of their future, they better consider it.

3. Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson Retire

For the sake of the NBA and its fans, Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson need to retire.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against these two players.

In their prime it was hard to find guys as exciting as these two.

But their prime is far in the rear-view mirror now, and neither seems ready to accept it. 

McGrady has had two injury plagued seasons in a row, and the only team that seems remotely interested in signing him is Detroit.

That's the same team that finished last in its division last year.

I want to remember the T-Mac that routinely averaged 25 points a game, not the one who came off the bench for the worst team in the division to average eight points a game.

As for Iverson, well he should have retired three years ago.

His legacy has already been tainted by his antics and refusal to come off the bench.

Call it quits and keep it that way.

2. David Stern ends Knicks agreement with Isiah Thomas

Does it sound like there is a problem with a NBA team paying a college coach to help them recruit players?

Well there is.

Just imagine the implications here. It changes both the college and pro game.

Who is to say that Thomas wouldn't keep his best freshmen on the bench the entire year, then encourage him to enter the draft.

Then the Knicks could easily grab him.

I'm not saying it would happen, but it could.

The bigger implication is that other NBA teams will try to arrange similar deals with bigger college basketball programs. 

Why do the Knicks want to continue to do business with a guy who lost them $12 million in a sexual harassment lawsuit anyway?

1. Chris Paul to the Knicks

As much as it pains me, this needs to happen.

Why? For parity.

Right now the East seems like a three-team race. 

The Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, and Orlando Magic have the decided edge.

The Hawks should be in the mix, and the Knicks adding Paul would make things even more interesting. 

Paul is a dynamic player who would immediately make the Knicks a playoff team.

Introduce 2011 free agency, and all of the sudden the Knicks could have their own Big Three.

As a Heat fan, I love when the Knicks are in the cellar, but hey, I'm up for another epic rivalry.