NBA Trade Deadline 2012: Potential Deals to Look for This Deadline

It's time to fire up the trusty ESPN trade machine and play fantasy GM. 

Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard will flood most of the rumored trades, and I am not about to leave those two big fishies out of this trade article, but there are plenty of other exciting (and hopefully realistic) trades to ponder.

Pau Gasol for Josh Smith and Marvin Williams

The Deal

Lakers Get: Josh Smith, Marvin Williams and Kirk Hinrich

Atlanta Gets: Pau Gasol, Steve Blake, and Matt Barnes

This deal doesn't affect the winning percentage of either team, so in essence, it's fair.  But if it doesn't affect the winning percentage then why do the deal? 

For the Lakers, they shed some salary because Kirk Hinrich comes off the books next year at eight million dollars and is seemingly an upgrade over Steve Blake.

Marvin Williams addresses their need at small forward and more long term than Matt Barnes does. 

Throw in the fact that Josh Smith isn't a significant downgrade at the power forward position and this seems like a slam dunk for the Lakers. 

Despite what the trade machine says. The Lakers would be younger, more athletic, while shedding salary down the line.  On the flip side, this is a good deal for Atlanta because Josh Smith takes some really dumb shots. 

Which is okay, but a lot of people on the Hawks take really dumb shots so swapping out Smith for the taller and more efficient Gasol upgrades their frontcourt. 

Gasol and Horford are both good passers and have good midrange games, which would seem like a good pairing.  The Hawks don't get much for Williams other than that they don't have to hear him whine about not getting enough shots, let's see if he keeps up that act with Kobe on his team. 

Matt Barnes is serviceable for this year, and Hinrich was expendable given how well T-Mac was playing when Hinrich was sidelined with a shoulder injury earlier this year.

Leandro Barbosa for a Bag of Chips

The Deal

Lakers Get: Leandro Barbosa (through the Lamar Odom trade exception)

Raptors Get: A Bag of name brand Lays Chips a.k.a a heavily protected second round pick

The Raptors apparently want to move Barbosa so that they can offer Wilson Chandler a hefty contract that they are hoping the Nuggets won't match.

The Lakers are able to add depth to their team and some scoring off the bench. 

It won't affect their cap situation going forward either, since Barbosa comes off the books after this season.

Boston Blows Things Up

The Deal

Utah Gets: Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Raymond Felton

Portland Gets: Rajon Rondo, CJ Miles and Golden State's Unprotected Pick (from Utah)

Boston Gets: Derrick Favors, Nicolas Batum, Gordon Hayward, Devin Harris and Trade Exception from Mehmet Okur Trade (10 million).

Boston instantly gets to rebuild with a solid core of Batum, Hayward and Favors.

Portland gets the all-star point guard they have been searching for the past few years that will be able to get the most out of all their talented pieces. 

Not to mention the Golden State pick (this could go to Boson instead depending on who the better negotiator is). 

Utah will try to contend with Felton, Allen, Pierce, Millsap and Jefferson.  A starting five that should be good enough to compete in a wide-open Western Conference.

Blazer fans will almost certainly be upset for giving up Batum, but he is bound to get overpaid by the likes of Washington or Sacramento in the offseason.

Steve Nash and Grant Hill for Ryan Anderson and JJ Redick

The Deal

Phoenix Gets:  Ryan Anderson, JJ Redick, Jameer Nelson, Quentin Richardson and the trade exception from the Brandon Bass deal (4 million)

Orlando Gets: Steve Nash, Grant Hill, Channing Frye and Hakim Warrick

It's painful to let go of Anderson but he is in for a big pay raise this offseason, and one wonders if he would put up the same numbers playing next to someone other than Howard.  

The Magic get a lesser, but more cost-effective version of Anderson in Channing Frye and more importantly get Steve Nash. 

A major upgrade at point guard for the team and someone that will hopefully be able to push this team back into the Finals.  Doing this deal obviously means that the Magic are all in with Dwight Howard, and if it backfires on them both Nash and Hill come off the books as well giving the Magic some cap space to pursue another free agent.  

The Suns are going nowhere anytime soon and get some great value for their two aging stars by netting Redick and Anderson. 

They also get rid of one of their bad contracts by shipping out Hakim Warrick.

Paul George for Monta Ellis

The Deal

Pacers Get: Monta Ellis

Warriors Get: Paul George

The funny thing about this trade is that both fan bases are probably saying, "No way we do that deal!" 

As both players are beloved. 

But they both address specific needs for their new team.

The Warriors need a bigger, defensive specialist to pair next to Curry.  This description really doesn't do George justice as he can put the ball in the bucket, but he's just not the offensive threat that Ellis is.

Which is exactly what the Pacers need.  Someone who they can go to in crunch time. 

Instant offense (though maybe not always the most effective).

This trade could also be done Hibbert for Ellis as the Warriors are in need of a center, but if the Pacers do that deal then so are they.