NBA Trade Rumors : 10 Players Who Could Be Traded as Rentals
The NBA Trade Deadline is on February 24 at 3 p.m. ET, and like always, it's never too early to speculate on who will be moving. Maybe Carmelo Anthony or Steve Nash?
You never know who will make a splash at the deadline, maybe it could be your team. So if you want to see 10 players who could be traded to your favorite team, read on.
No. 10: Jamal Crawford, Atlanta Hawks
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Last year's Sixth Man of the Year could be on the move since he wants what the Hawks don't want to pay for1an extension. His contract expires at the end of the year, and the Hawks could trade him away rather than lose his services for nothing. I could see either the Bulls or Pistons making a play for Crawford.
The Bulls desperately need a shooting guard with Ronnie Brewer as their starter. Imagine a lineup of Rose, Crawford, Deng, Boozer and Noah (when he returns from surgery). That lineup could play with Boston and the Lakers. They would have to give up at least Taj Gibson and probably James Johnson to acquire Crawford, but they have to look at that potential lineup and think, what if?
The Pistons could swap Richard Hamilton for Crawford and cash. This would be much easier since the salaries are very close, and both players could use a change of scenery. Maybe that change of scenery could improve both their seasons, Hamilton would, hopefully, get motivated to be in another playoff chase again, and Crawford would be given the reins of the Pistons as their main scorer.
No. 9: Vince Carter, Phoenix Suns
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Vince Carter was recently traded from the Orlando Magic to the Phoenix Suns in the blockbuster trade and could be on the move again. Vince is still a very capable player and if he doesn't succeed in Phoenix, he could easily be on the move again at the trade deadline with his contract guaranteed for only $4 million next year. A team like Dallas or maybe Chicago could be players for his services.
Dallas has made trades for aging superstars in recent years (Jason Kidd and Shawn Marion), and with Mark Cuban as the owner, anything is possible. The only hole in their starting lineup is at shooting guard with DeShawn Stevenson. They have Jason Terry, but he is much more suited to come off the bench and be their spark plug. They could trade Caron Butler and Stevenson for Carter or even Caron and a first rounder for Vince. The lineup of Kidd, Carter, Marion, Dirk and Chandler is very formidable, and if they could get Vince to perform, it could be great.
Chicago is also a team with a need at the shooting guard and would love to have Vince Carter in their lineup. He would give them a solid compliment to Rose and Boozer for scoring, and he wouldn't have to be the main scorer because of Rose and Boozer, which would let him pick and choose his shots more. If he could give them 15 a night, that would help the Bulls drastically.
No. 8: Jason Richardson, Orlando Magic
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Jason Richardson was also included in the blockbuster trade by the Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns and could be traded again. In the trade, the Magic gave up backup center Marcin Gortat and are noticeably small now. They have a surplus of wings, and at least one or two of them could be gone in order to get the much needed depth at center. I could see Chicago, Dallas, Denver or Indiana making a move for J-Rich.
Have you gotten the point yet that Chicago needs a shooting guard? Well, they need one bad and J-Rich could be wonderful in Chicago. He would give them a dynamic shooter and high-flyer to run with Derrick Rose on the break. He would have to score consistently and at least be an average defender, and Chicago would be a championship contender.
Dallas is just like Chicago and really could use a solid starting shooting guard. If Dallas could give up Caron Butler and a pick or maybe J.J. Barea for Richardson, it would be an absolute steal. They would easily be top two in the West and my pick to win the Wild Wild West.
Denver and Indiana are teams that could go under the radar and land J-Rich. Denver could offer Al Harrington and Renaldo Balkman for Richardson. While it doesn't give the Magic the depth they need, they would get a poor man's Rashard Lewis in Harrington. Indiana could give Mike Dunleavy Jr and Jeff Foster; this trade makes much more sense for Orlando because they get the center they need in Foster and an expiring contract in Dunleavy Jr.
No. 7: J.R. Smith, Denver Nuggets
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J.R. Smith is one of the most bipolar players in the league; you never know if he is going to give you 25 points or five points. But that is the thing that makes him so attractive; he can get hot at any time and when he's hot, he is one of the best pure scorers in the league. He has an expiring contract and could be the player that gets a contender over the hump. I could see Dallas, Chicago and maybe even Boston making a play for him.
Dallas and Chicago could use the scoring of Smith and both teams would be very scary if they had him. He provides unbelievable matchup problems when he is hot and would give either team a 6'6" shooter who can absolutely soar. He actually might be a better fit than Crawford, Richardson or Carter on either team because he doesn't need to be the main scorer like Carter or Richardson and is better, overall, than Crawford.
Boston is a very interesting possible destination for Smith. Doc Rivers has brought in difficult veterans like Nate Robinson and transformed them. If he could do the same with Smith, Boston would be very formidable. Their bench would be amazing, and they would definitely, in my opinion, win the Eastern Conference easily. This is a major sleeper trade since Boston is rumored to have interest in sharpshooter Rudy Fernandez, and it might be easier to get him, but you never know.
No. 6: Michael Redd, Milwuakee Bucks
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Michael Redd is one of the best shooters in the league when healthy; the only problem is he hasn't been healthy in so long that people wonder how he will play. He hasn't played since last year, and even then, he didn't look the same as before when he was a dynamic three-point shooter and a terrific slasher. He could be the player a contender could use to get solid minutes of the bench and have a big game here or there. The Lakers, Dallas, Chicago, Boston or maybe the Spurs could add the veteran for the playoff run.
Chicago and Dallas would get the much needed depth they need at the shooting guard spot, but the problem is that Redd most likely isn't a starter. He would have to come off the bench unless he had a revival.
The Lakers, Celtics and Spurs could all use Redd as instant offense off the bench to help bolster their second units. LA specifically needs a spark after their recent play and a healthy Michael Redd would help them drastically. The Celtics and Spurs don't really need him, but if they could get him at a cheap price, they would be wise to pull the trigger.
No. 5: Samuel Dalembert, Sacramento Kings
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Samuel Dalembert has been a solid defender and rebounder in the NBA for years and could really help teams down low. He is content with being a backup, and if he went to a contender, he could be very instrumental for that team. The one team that comes to mind is the Orlando Magic.
The Magic desperately need a backup center, and Dalembert would be perfect for the team. He plays defense and rebounds, which really is all they would need him to do behind Dwight Howard. If the Magic could trade maybe Quentin Richardson and a second rounder for Dalembert, they would be much improved. With Dalembert, they would be able to go up against the Celtics and Heat easily. He could be the missing piece of the puzzle for Orlando.
No. 4: Tayshaun Prince, Detroit Pistons
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Tayshaun Prince has had a rough last couple years, but before that, he was one of the league's premier defenders and a solid scorer. He could guard almost anyone on the court and was usually guarding the opposing teams best player. He is extremely versatile and would help a playoff team dramatically. Teams like Boston, San Antonio, Houston and maybe even the Heat or Jazz could use Prince.
Boston and San Antonio could use Prince off the bench to be their glue guy—the guy who goes out and does all the dirty work like defending and scoring when needed. He would fit right into either team; the only problem would be the asking price by Detroit for him. It might be more than Boston or San Antonio is willing to pay for a rental.
Houston would be an interesting team for Prince to land on. He would give them two of the best defenders in the NBA and allow them to match up with anyone from point guards to some power forwards. They would be much improved with Prince.
The Heat and the Jazz could both use Prince defensively and maybe even offensively. For Miami, they would get someone to fill Haslem's role of the dirty player. While Prince wouldn't guard down low, he could guard every other position and would let Lebron and D-Wade play passing lanes more and get out in the open court. The Jazz could trade Andrei Kirilenko for Prince and wouldn't lose the defense that Kirilenko provides and would get better on offense with Prince. He would help them a lot.
No. 3: Zach Randolph, Memphis Grizzlies
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Is anyone in need of a 20-10 guy? Zach Randolph is one of the few players in the league who you know will give you 20 points and 10 rebounds on a nightly basis and could be on the move. Teams that could use his service are Orlando, Miami and Atlanta.
In Orlando, he would play with Dwight Howard and would give the Magic arguably the best low-post tandem in the NBA. He would eliminate the need for a backup center since he could play at the spot if Dwight needed a breather or was in foul trouble. The magic would be downright scary with Z-Bo on their team.
The Heat have needed depth down low since Haslem went down, and Randolph would give them a fantastic lineup with Arroyo, Wade, James, Bosh and Randolph. This is just like the Magic; if the Heat got Randolph, then they would have arguably the best low-post tandem in the league with Bosh and Randolph. They very much could use his rebounding and points.
The Hawks have a solid young player in Al Horford down low, but the addition of Randolph would make them a power in East. They would start Mike Bibby, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Al Horford and Zach Randolph and would be able to match up with any team in the league. That isn't even including Jamal Crawford, if they keep him. They really need another low-post player, and Randolph could put them over the hump.
No. 2: Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns
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Steve Nash is one of the best point guards in NBA history and has been rumored to be on the move for what seems like years. He has stayed a Phoenix Suns through all the rumors so far, but his time might be at an end at the trade deadline. Teams like the New York Knicks and the Atlanta Hawks could use Nash and might be willing to give up a lot to get him.
New York is the team that has been heating up as a trade partner ever since former Suns head coach Mike D'Antoni went to coach there. There have been tons of "what if" rumors regarding Nash and how he would play if he was traded to the team with his old coach and old partner in crime (Amare Stoudemire). Most people believe he will drastically help the team, but the one problem would be the asking price of the Suns. There is no way they trade away Nash without getting a lot in return. Maybe a Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler and draft picks deal for Nash.
The Atlanta Hawks currently have Mike Bibby and Jeff Teague as their point guards and would love to have Steve Nash join their team. Imagine if they got both Nash and Zach Randolph somehow at this trade deadline or before, they would rise into the top three of the East easily. They would suddenly become legit championship contenders and give the fans down in Atlanta something fantastic to cheer about. To get Nash, the Hawks would have to give up at least a couple first rounders and Jeff Teague. That might be the problem because that is an awful lot to give up for one player, but if it's someone like Nash, then they have to deeply consider it.
No. 1: Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets
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Carmelo Anthony's name has been the hottest name since summer in regards to who is the most likely to be traded. He has a three-year and $65 million extension from the Nuggets on the table but has not signed it and is widely considered to be on the move on, or before, the trade deadline. He was almost traded this summer to the New Jersey Nets, but the deal did not go through and fell apart. The Nets, the 76ers and the Knicks are the most likely possible destinations for Mr. Anthony.
The Nets were easily the closest team to acquire Carmelo with a package of Derrick Favors, Troy Murphy, multiple first rounders and $3 million. This is an amazing deal for the Nuggets, but the trade fell through. The one downfall is that the Nets don't want to trade for him without a guarantee that he would sign an extension, and the only place Carmelo is rumored to be willing to sign an extension is in New York.
The Philadelphia 76ers have been rumored as a possible destination, but there is no reported deal offered for Carmelo. It is widely speculated that the 76ers would have to give up Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young, several first round picks, expiring contracts and maybe even more. This is a huge price to pay for a player that will almost certainly leave after the year. I don't see this trade going through because of that fact.
The New York Knicks are considered the front runners to land Carmelo this season. They can give Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallanari, multiple draft picks and maybe Anthony Randolph. This is easily the worst deal out of the Knicks, Nets and 76ers but is also the most likely to happen. Carmelo has shown that he wants to play for the Knicks, and when he played in Madison Square Garden this season, he was showered with praises and was treated like basketball royalty. I think this trade will happen most likely at the deadline or shortly before.
