NBA Trade Rumors: The Latest on Andre Iguodala, Carmelo Anthony and Steve Nash
Only a quarter of the way through the season and the 76ers have looked like one of the weaker teams in basketball. Struggling out of the gates with a 6-14 record, rumors have begun swirling that Philadelphia is looking to shop Andre Iguodala and the remaining $56 million on his contract.
Meanwhile, almost 2,000 miles to the west, the Denver Nuggets have gotten off to a hot start at 13-6, making the decision on whether to deal Carmelo Anthony that much more difficult.
So what’s the latest on each of these situations? What other possible trades loom as possibilities in the upcoming weeks and months? Who are the potential suitors? Read on for all that and more.
LeBron-Lite to Cleveland?
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Philadelphia is traveling to Cleveland tonight to take on the Cavs, and the trip could prove to be more permanent for the man known as AI2.
Equipped with the trade exception acquired in the LeBron James trade, the Cavaliers have been looking to acquire a star player and could turn to Iguodala—a poor man’s James.
After trading Allen Iverson a few years back, Philadelphia management tagged Iguodala as the future of the franchise. Cut to the present and the same people are second guessing their decision.
AI is blessed with a wealth of gifts including world-class athleticism, but he doesn’t quite fit the bill as a franchise player.
Untradeable Contract?
2 of 11Despite four years remaining on a contract that will pay the 6'7" wing $14 million annually, it has become apparent that Iguodala would be best served as a second or third option on a title-contending team. He can score, rebound and pass but he’s far from an elite scorer.
A season removed from averaging 17, 6.5 and 6, the former Arizona Wildcat has seen his scoring drop for the third consecutive season (19.9 to 18.8 to 17.1 to 14.0 this season). Still, even with a steep price tag, there is a market for Iguodala, who has also been linked to Houston and Dallas.
The Sixers have a wealth of young talent, especially at the wing positions with players like Thaddeus Young, Andres Nocioni and last season’s number two overall pick, Evan Turner.
Logjam on the Depth Chart
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It seems obvious that the Sixers need to address the logjam created in their backcourt, but trading Iguodala should be a last resort rather than a first option.
Watching Evan Turner, you quickly see that he is a poor man’s Iguodala, which really makes him the homeless man’s LeBron via the transitive property. Turner has been underwhelming this season, averaging only 7.5 points, five rebounds and two assists, and has looked like a waste of a top draft pick.
While Turner can do a little bit of everything well, there is no aspect of this game that jumps out. He’s a good athlete but not an elite one. He can handle the ball well, but not well enough to run an offense.
Analysts likened Turner to Brandon Roy around the time of the draft, but he lacks the stroke and smoothness of the Portland star.
Could Philadelphia Move Another of Their Players?
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Clearly one of the motivating factors in shipping Iguodala out of town is creating playing time for their rookie, but I’m not so sure that’s a wise idea. Still, this is a rebuilding team that is in dire need of shedding payroll.
The biggest problem is that they still have Elton Brand on the books for three seasons and $51 million. Even if the Sixers clear AI’s massive contract, they wouldn’t be players in free agency. The team has a $55 million payroll for each of the next two seasons and will have to re-sign Thaddeus Young and/or Spencer Hawes, who will have only one season remaining on their contracts after this season.
Ideally GM Rod Thorn would package a young and attractive commodity (either Turner or Young) with Elton Brand in an attempt to dump his exorbitant salary, but it could be tough to find a suitor for a 31-year-old injury-prone forward making $17 million per season.
Brand has improved his game and has seen his numbers rise significantly from last season (up to 16 and eight with better than a block and steal per game), and some panicking GM could pull the trigger on a deal that helps them in the short-term—even if it could be a debilitating long-term move.
Return on Investment
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So if Philadelphia is really entertaining offers for Iguodala, what can you expect them to land in return? The Cavaliers can offer immediate cap relief through their trade exception but they have few other attractive assets.
Surely Philly would want J.J. Hickson—a 6'9" forward who is averaging 11 and five on the season—but Cleveland would most likely be unwilling to part with their 22-year-old athletic freak. In fact, just a year ago, Cleveland was unwilling to pull the trigger on a deal that would have landed them Amare Stoudemire because it would cost them Hickson.
In all likelihood, a deal involving Iguodala would involve the aforementioned trade exception and one of the draft picks acquired from Miami in the James trade. If I was Rod Thorn, I would be far more eager about dealing with Houston.
The Rockets could offer Jared Jeffries' expiring contract, the trade exception from the Trevor Ariza trade, and one of a number of young players that includes Chase Budinger, Jordan Hill, Patrick Patterson or Courtney Lee.
As for Dallas? A deal involving Caron Butler’s expiring contract and the young Roddy Beaubois would likely intrigue Philly, but Dallas seems hesitant to move the dynamic French guard.
Looking for a sleeper? Iggy would fit exceptionally well into the Knicks run-and-gun offense and could be viewed as a trade option if New York management decides that their chances of acquiring ‘Melo are dwindling. Wilson Chandler and Eddy Curry’s expiring contract works financially, as do a number of packages involving one or more of the Knicks' young players in addition to the dead weight that is Eddy Curry.
Hello 'Melo
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After mentioning Carmelo Anthony, it’s worth examining his situation in Denver. This offseason it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Anthony would force a trade out of Colorado. Now, with the Nuggets tentatively penciled into the fifth playoff slot, a trade looks less and less likely every day.
Back in September, the 26-year-old forward was on the cusp of being dealt to New Jersey for a package centered around this season’s number three overall draft pick Derrick Favors. The four-team deal would have landed the Nuggets a king’s ransom that included Jazz forward and former All-Star Andrei Kirilenko plus multiple future first-round picks.
Now the Nuggets' hot start has management re-thinking their stance on trading the ‘Cuse product. With veterans like Chauncey Billups and Kenyon Martin, this is a team built to win now. Either Denver has to keep Anthony, play out this season and hope their star re-signs next season, or blow up their entire roster.
If Anthony leaves, they would immediately shop the 34-year old Billups and let K-Mart’s absurdly overpriced contract ($16.5 million this year) expire.
Can the Nuggets Management Learn From Example?
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If we assume that Anthony remains in Denver for the season (and based on the lack of chatter on the trade front that seems like the most likely scenario), you can be sure of two things.
One is that Denver will make the playoffs but fail to advance past the first round in the extremely tough Western Conference. The other is that Anthony will leave via free agency to either New York or New Jersey, both of which will have enough cap room to offer a maximum contract.
If I’m a fan of Denver (which, by the way, I am not), in the back of my mind I would be hoping my team falls off. As long as the team is competitive, management would be hesitant to deal their best player. If they were out of playoff contention, it would be a different situation entirely.
That forces fans to ask themselves, would you rather have one more season of ‘Melo or a bright future to look forward to? By letting Anthony play out the season in Denver, you risk allowing him to walk for nothing.
Trading him away may sting, but surely the Nuggets management doesn't want to suffer like their counterparts in Cleveland and Toronto did last offseason.
Potential Suitors
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The rumored suitors for Anthony have remained unchanged since earlier in the season with New York, New Jersey, Houston and Orlando expressing interest.
A trade to the Magic would be ideal for the league as It would pair two of the game’s biggest stars in Dwight Howard and Anthony. It would create a phenomenal in-state rivalry between Miami and Orlando. It would also add a fourth team (Boston, Los Angeles and yes, even Miami) that could realistically contend for a title this season.
Unfortunately, the Magic don’t have the assets to make a blockbuster trade happen.
Denver would want a package similar to the rumored deal with New Jersey, including young players and/or draft picks along with expiring contracts. The best offer Orlando could make would involve Mickael Pietrus’ expiring contract plus Jameer Nelson, Ryan Anderson and picks.
Not only does that offer pale in comparison to the Nets' earlier offer, but it would leave Orlando without a point guard.
New York lacks the assets to make a deal now as their core of young players (Wilson Chandler, Toney Douglas, Landry Fields, Danilo Gallinari and Anthony Randolph) aren’t exactly future stars.
Car-Ming? Yao-Melo?
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If New Jersey is hesitant about dealing Favors (who looks like he could be an absolute terror on the glass), Houston could be the most logical landing place for ‘Melo.
The Rockets could build a package around Jared Jeffries' expiring contract and the trade exception they gained when they dealt Trevor Ariza. If Houston offered that type of cap relief plus Patrick Patterson, Jordan Hill, Courtney Lee and a draft pick (they have the right to swap first-rounders with the Knicks if they so choose), Denver might have to re-think their stance.
Of course, when a player of ‘Melo’s caliber is available, there will be no shortage of suitors and any number of dark horse candidates could emerge, from Dallas, who seems to be willing to discuss any trade, to Chicago, who bowed out of the Anthony sweepstakes earlier this offseason.
Could Steve Nash Really Be Dealt?
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Another interesting trade possibility is brewing in Phoenix. Somehow, Steve Nash has led a very underwhelming Suns team to an 11-9 record and the eighth spot in the West, but it’s tough to see them maintaining their success.
The 36-year-old Nash has never won a title and could be a huge deadline addition to a playoff contender if the Suns fall out of contention. The Suns don’t have the money to spend on big-name free agents, as evidenced this summer when they allowed Amare Stoudemire to leave as a free agent.
For a team like that, the only way to rebuild is through the draft and trades.
With that in mind, the question needs to be asked of Phoenix owner Robert Sarver: Are you happy to just compete for a playoff spot and sell tickets or do you have greater aspirations? If the answer is the latter, a Nash deal seems inevitable.
This is a team with very few attractive young players and a roster full of AARP-eligible ballers. Grant “Over The” Hill is 38, Hedo Turkoglu is fading fast at 31, and at 29, Jason Richardson no longer has the elite athleticism of yesteryear.
Potential Blockbuster?
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Although it seems almost unthinkable that the Suns would deal the face of their franchise, a trade would certainly be in the organization's best interest.
A trade of Jameer Nelson, Pietrus, Brandon Bass, Ryan Anderson and picks for Nash and Turkoglu would be a win-win for both teams.
For Orlando, the benefits are obvious. They land arguably the game’s best passer in Nash, whose ability to nail the deep ball would fit in perfectly with the Magic offense. They would also re-acquire Hedo Turkoglu, who spent his most productive seasons in Orlando. While Turkuglu’s contract is vastly overpriced (four years remain at over $10 million per season), his ability to shoot, pass and stretch the defense would be a valuable weapon for the Magic.
For the Suns, this move would be all about rebuilding. They would dump Turkoglu’s atrocity of a contract and gain significant financial freedom in the process. Mickael Pietrus has an expiring contract while the other three players are all young with team-friendly contracts.
Bass will make $8 million over the next two years, Anderson is due $3 million in that time, and Nelson will make $15 million.
The Suns would get younger—Nelson is almost a decade younger than Nash while both Bass and Anderson are under the age of 25—and they would gain financial flexibility. In fact, the trade would free up $7 million for the 2010-11 season and another $13 million for 2011-12.
That would mean the Suns only have $16 to $20 million dollars in contracts on the books for the 2012-13 season when the free-agent class includes Robin’s brother Brook Lopez, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, Eric Gordon, Kevin Love and more.
We most likely won’t see any moves on the trade front until the trade deadline approaches in February, but it’s like they say: 99 percent of rumors aren’t true, but 99 percent of them are fun to talk about.
