NBA Trades: Greg Oden, Carmelo Anthony and 8 More Who Need to Be Moved
We're just a few weeks into the 2010-11 NBA regular season, but several players already seem to be on the outs with their current teams.
Player movement in the NBA is becoming increasingly fluid each year. We see big names moved to other teams every year, and not just during the offseason.
The summer of 2010 was huge for player movement, but we'll almost certainly see some more big deals prior to this season's February trade deadline.
Here are 10 players who are way overdue for a change of scenery.
Andre Iguodala
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2010-11 Stats: 12.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game on 43-percent shooting.
Career Stats: 15.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game on 46-percent shooting.
Why He's Down: Iguodala's had a lot to deal with this season. Injuries, a new coach and plenty of trade rumors must be on his mind.
Philadelphia already appears to be a long shot to even contend for the playoffs and Iguodala may be more motivated if he was playing for a contender.
Why He's Gotta Go: It's time for the 76ers to move on from the Iguodala/Brand era and begin a full-scale rebuilding. Elton Brand is actually playing pretty well and it would be extremely difficult to move his enormous contract. The same is not true for Iguodala.
They already have a similar young player in place to fill Iguodala's role right now in Evan Turner. Plus, they could probably get a couple decent players in return.
How He Can Still Contribute: Iguodala definitely still has some solid years in front of him. He's just 26 years old and, when he's healthy and motivated, he can play great defense on the wing and finishes as well as anyone on the break.
Possible Destinations:
Denver Nuggets—As part of a Carmelo Anthony deal.
New York Knicks—Philadelphia may want Eddy Curry's expiring contract.
Dallas Mavericks—Caron Butler may be available.
Houston Rockets—They'd have to give up Shane Battier and Jared Jefferies, but Iggy could spark them. He and Kevin Martin would be a great combo on the wings.
Utah Jazz—Andrei Kirilenko is on an expiring contract, but Philly would have to give up Iguodala and Jason Kapono to get it.
Richard Hamilton
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2010-11 Stats: 13.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists on 42-percent shooting
Career Stats: 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists on 45-percent shooting
Why He's Down: Hamilton is starting to advance in years, and the way he used to move on offense put a lot of miles on those legs. Plus, he's now splitting time with a lot of different wings and combo guards.
Why He's Gotta Go: If there was ever a team in need of a complete reboot, it's the Pistons. They've been trying to tweak the roster for years, but at a certain point you just need to start fresh.
How He Can Still Contribute: He may be in his 30s and slowing down a bit, but Hamilton can still provide eight to 10 points off the bench for a contender. He'll also play hard on defense and can provide some veteran toughness and leadership.
Possible Destinations:
Orlando Magic—Orlando could get Hamilton and back-up big man Chris Wilcox in exchange for the horribly inconsistent Vince Carter.
Denver Nuggets—As part of a Carmelo Anthony deal.
Washington Wizards—Hamilton could return to his old team as part of a Gilbert Arenas deal.
Utah Jazz—Detroit could send two bad contracts (Hamilton and Charlie Villanueva) in exchange for Kirilenko's expiring deal. The former Piston would fit in well in Jerry Sloan's offense.
Jamal Crawford
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2010-11 Stats: 13.1 points, 3.5 assists and 1.8 rebounds on 41-percent shooting
Career Stats: 15.5 points, 4.0 assists and 2.7 rebounds on 41-percent shooting
Why He's Down: He's adjusting to a new coach and dealing with a contract situation that he's clearly unhappy with. He's always been somewhat inconsistent, but this season, he doesn't seem motivated to break out of it.
Why He's Gotta Go: This is a player who's probably not going to be a part of the future for Atlanta. He's inconsistent and has an unpredictable attitude.
How He Can Still Contribute: He could be a solid missing piece for a contender that needs another shooter. He demonstrated last year that he can still get hot and knock down a lot of shots from the outside.
Possible Destinations:
Chicago Bulls—Chicago has a pretty big hole at the shooting guard position. Atlanta has a pretty big hole at the small forward position. A Crawford for Luol Deng swap could work.
Detroit Pistons—Detroit would love to get Crawford's expiring contract and Ben Gordon or Richard Hamilton could be solid contributors for the Hawks for a couple years.
Gilbert Arenas
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2010-11 Stats: 15.9 points, 4.7 assists and 3.7 rebounds on 39-percent shooting
Career Stats: 22.6 points, 5.6 assists and 4.2 rebounds on 43-percent shooting
Why He's Down: He's coming off a season packed with controversy, he has dealt with injuries over the last few years, and he is now playing behind young star John Wall.
Why He's Gotta Go: He's got a giant contract that the rebuilding Wizards would like to get out from under. Plus, he's clearly not a part of Washington's future.
How He Can Still Contribute: He could still be solid as part of a veteran team with players who could keep his attitude under control. If he finds his way on to a contender, he'll be more motivated to play hard on both ends of the floor.
Orlando Magic—They could swap Vince Carter for Arenas.
Toronto Raptors—Washington would love Peja Stojakovic's expiring contract.
Sacramento Kings—They already have some attitude problems on the roster, but an Arenas/Tyreke Evans backcourt could be fun.
Baron Davis
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2010-11 Stats: 8.8 points, 4.8 assists and 2.5 rebounds on 32-percent shooting
Career Stats: 16.7 points, 7.3 assists and 4.0 rebounds on 41-percent shooting
Why He's Down: He's out of shape, unmotivated, injury prone, competing for minutes with an exciting, young rookie and he's getting older.
Why He's Gotta Go: The Clippers have a sunny future with Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon. Baron Davis only brings clouds into that sky.
How He Can Still Contribute: As is the case with many of the players on this slideshow, he could be significantly more motivated by a veteran coach and a contending team. Once upon a time, he was one of the best point guards in the NBA.
Milwaukee Bucks—They need a backup point guard and can offer Michael Redd's expiring contract in exchange for Davis.
It's tough to imagine many teams taking on this contract.
Caron Butler
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2010-11 Stats: 13.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists on 38-percent shooting
Career Stats: 16.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists on 44-percent shooting
Why He's Down: He simply hasn't been able to adjust to his role in Dallas.
Why He's Gotta Go: He's really struggling to figure things out and he has performed well-below expectations since joining the team.
How He Can Still Contribute: He was a great all-around player for a few years in Washington, and I think he can get out of this slump if he finds the right situation.
Possible Destinations:
Denver Nuggets—As part of a Carmelo Anthony deal.
Philadelphia 76ers—A Caron Butler for Andre Iguodala deal makes a lot of sense to me.
Houston Rockets—The Mavs could get a strong wing defender in Shane Battier and Chuck Hayes' expiring contract
Carmelo Anthony
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2010-11 Stats: 25.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists on 46-percent shooting
Career Stats: 24.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists on 46-percent shooting
Why He's Down: Well, he's not...
Why He's Gotta Go: Denver's Carmelo Anthony era is clearly coming to a close. The longer the Nuggets hold on to Melo, the longer they delay the inevitable. He's not going to sign the extension he's been offered, and the Nuggets need to deal him soon so they can, to get the most valuable return possible in a trade.
How He Can Still Contribute: He's one of the league's top 10 to 15 players.
New York Knicks—One spot that's already been talked a lot about. Eddy Curry's expiring contract is pretty attractive.
New Jersey Nets—They will be very hesitant about dealing Derrick Favors, but he'd be the key to getting Melo.
Chicago Bulls—Denver wants Joakim Noah, but if the Nuggets get desperate and send Melo there without getting Noah in return, the Bulls would be a serious title contender.
Dallas Mavericks—This deal makes a lot of sense to me. A core of Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd and Anthony could be very good.
J.R. Smith
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2010-11 Stats: 8.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists on 37-percent shooting
Career Stats: 12.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists on 43-percent shooting
Why He's Down: He's locked deep inside George Karl's doghouse.
Why He's Gotta Go: It's time for the Nuggets to rebuild, and I'm assuming a lot of dominoes are going to fall after Carmelo Anthony gets dealt. J.R. Smith may even go before Melo.
How He Can Still Contribute: He'd have to be surrounded by veterans and strong leaders, but he can still fill it up when he gets hot.
Possible Destinations:
Chicago Bulls—They need shooters and a shooting guard. Smith could fill both of those needs.
New York Knicks—Could be very productive in Mike D'Antoni's up-and-down offense.
Sacramento Kings—A Tyreke Evans/J.R. Smith backcourt would be very explosive.
Eddy Curry
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2010-11 Stats: N/A
Career Stats: 13.3 points and 5.3 rebounds on 55-percent shooting
Why He's Down: He's out of shape, broken down and completely unmotivated.
Why He's Gotta Go: He'll never play in Mike D'Antoni's system. His expiring contract could get the Knicks some good players in return.
How He Can Still Contribute: Almost willing to guarantee he won't. However, teams love to acquire expiring contracts because at the end of the year that money comes off the books. For that reason, the Knicks might just hang on to him.
Possible Destinations
Denver Nuggets—As part of a Carmelo Anthony deal.
There could actually be a lot of teams that come calling for Curry's expiring contract around the trade deadline.
Greg Oden
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2010-11 Stats: N/A
Career Stats: 9.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks on 58-percent shooting
Why He's Down: It's really quite sad, but this guy just can't stay healthy.
Why He's Gotta Go: The Trail Blazers have invested a lot in Greg Oden. The term on that investment is up, the return has been negative, and they need to move on.
How He Can Still Contribute: If by some miracle he could stay healthy, he could be a very solid NBA center. He's just 22 years old, he can rebound, defend inside and finish at the rim.
It's not likely that anyone will trade for him during this season, but the Trail Blazers aren't going to re-sign him and he'll be a free agent next year.
The risk would be huge for any team, but he'll likely sign with someone next year for a bargain price.
Possible Destinations
Minnesota Timberwolves—They desperately need a center. Milicic needs to play good in more than two consecutive games to convince me otherwise.
New York Knicks—Another team that could use a legitimate center to pair up front with their great power forward.
Toronto Raptors—They could slide Bargnani over to power forward and start Oden alongside him.
Cleveland Cavaliers—He kind of has that old-man face thing goin' on like LeBron.
Charlotte Bobcats—Haven't had a decent inside presence since Emeka Okafor left.
Miami Heat—Clearly need a center.
Golden State Warriors—If Oden could stay healthy, he and David Lee could form a great frontcourt to go along with their explosive backcourt.
Your Thoughts?
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What do you think? Does anyone else need a change of scenery? Do any of the players I mentioned just need more time with their current team? Can you think of any more trade possibilities involving these players?
Let me know in the comments section.
