NBA Trade Rumors: 14 Biggest Trade Chips On Struggling Teams
The February NBA trade deadline is fast approaching and is about eight weeks away.
That being said, teams are already looking towards acquiring (or releasing) players for a variety of reasons.
This time around, there is a big number of trade chips that teams will be looking to move to better their teams.
These trade chips come for a variety of reasons including expiring contracts, disgruntled players, bad fits, or just rebuilding situations.
While there will be trade chips of all contract sizes at the deadline, this list focuses on the big contracts that will be available and their likelihood of being involved in any sort of trade.
Enjoy reading and don’t forget to voice your opinion in the comments section below!
Andrei Kirilenko – $17.82 Million
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The Utah Jazz currently sit first in the Northwest Division, so they bare not technically struggling.
Not bad for a team that was supposed to struggle after losing Carlos Boozer to free agency.
On the other hand, Kirilenko is not quite being the man in Utah.
The team has actually done the same whether he has a good game or an off night.
His recent injury also opened the door to first round pick Gordon Hayward to prove his lottery selection.
Hayward has given the Jazz great minutes and has actually limited Kirilenko’s minutes with better shooting and ball handling.
While Hayward does not bring the same pesky defense as Kirilenko, his development is vital for the Jazz’s future.
Kirilenko’s salary is very steep, especially given his contributions to the team.
The Jazz, among plenty of other teams, can benefit from adding a big man to the roster to solidify their inside presence in a very strong low-post western conference.
Maybe they can land a solid back-up big man or perhaps a starting center using Kirilenko’s contract.
Michael Redd – $18.3 Million
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Milwaukee really isn’t in need of a specific kind of player. They have all the pieces they need. They just need to figure out how to win games as they did last season.
But they do have Michael Redd.
Redd is the biggest expiring contract in the league.
The bucks could try and trade him along with role players like Ersan Ilyasova and Drew Gooden for a legit superstar looking to flee his former team.
If they play their cards right, they might be able to land somebody like Andrew Iguodala or Elton Brand who just might push them over the edge and help them become the Central Division juggernaut they were supposed to be.
Yao Ming – $17.69 Million
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It is a sad but true story.
Yao Ming, the former Rocket supers—star and international sensation might have played his last NBA game already. At this point, he might just be a big expiring contract like Tracy McGrady was last season.
The Rockets spent a lot of time trying to trade McGrady but they were able to get nice pieces in return.
They will likely have to do the same with Yao Ming soon.
Jamal Crawford – $10.08 Million
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Jamal Crawford is a solid player and will likely remain one for a few more years.
He is seeking a contract extension with the Hawks but after the team extended Joe Johnson and Al Horford, they will likely have to think twice about extending Crawford.
It would be in their best interest to spend their money on Josh Smith.
Given the shortage of available money, Crawford might chose to leave Atlanta at season’s end looking for more money elsewhere.
Atlanta will most likely try to move him if they are not able to extend his contract. If they do, they will likely be looking for a big man.
While there are not many available big men out there, somebody like Samuel Dalembert might make sense, even if he comes at a steep price for the rest of the season.
Without a big man, they will not get past Orlando and Boston this year, again.
Mike Dunleavy – $10.56 Million
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Mike Dunleavy is a solid player.
He can handle the ball, play defense, and score. Not too long ago he averaged nearly 20 points per game.
Why would Indiana be interested in trading rather than re-signing him?
The team now has Bandon Rush and Paul George.
Brandon Rush is having a better season than Dunleavy is and is a younger player with more upside.
Paul George has shown he has at least enough upside to become a great player.
Both guys need more minutes to develop.
While Dunleavy is not by any means a scrap part, it is just not in the Pacers best interest to try and continue the season with four swingmen.
Danny Granger, Brandon Rush, Paul George, and Dunleavy each deserve closer to starter minutes.
If that is not a good enough reason, consider the Pacers are seriously lacking strong big men as well.
They would benefit from a true back-up center as well as a strong power forward.
Hopefully they will have the chance to address these concerns with Dunleavy’s expiring contract.
Caron Butler – $10.56 Million
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Ouch. That pretty much wraps it up for Caron Butler.
While the Mavericks lost their third leading scorer, it might have been Butler himself who is the biggest loser in this situation.
This was a contract year. He was showing good signs and he became well liked by the fans and the organization.
Then he got hurt.
The problem here is the timing.
DeShawn Stevenson has been playing very well and would be playing more minutes if they were available.
Now they are.
Rodrigue Beaubois, considered a big part of the Mavericks future, is coming back from injury.
Shawn Marion has been solid every in minute he is given.
The story here is that as Butler recovers, the team will use its extreme depth to fill the void and by the time he returns, there might be no need for him. If you dot he math, Butler is expected to rejoin the team at the end of February, right at the deadline. The Mavericks might get a few offers they wont be able to resist for the former all-star by then.
Samuel Dalembert – $12.2 Million
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At first, the trade for Dalembert did not make much sense.
Spencer Hawes was showing some promise in Sacramento.
His expiring contract made the move slightly favorable for the Kings, but questions about whether he would delay Demarcus Cousin’s development quickly arose.
The Kings are not going anywhere and they need a lot of help.
The team needs shooters and a few veterans to glue the pieces together.
They have no need for a borderline starting center making over $12 million per year.
As of late, Cousins has shown he demands more playing time and the Kings are benefiting from it.
Dalembert will soon see garbage time as a back-up role and should be moved.
There will be plenty of teams that would listen to offers and Sacramento should capitalize. Would Atlanta part with Crawford for a true center?
Listen, Sacramento, listen.
Tayshaun Prince – $11.15 Million
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Prince is a 30-year-old veteran playing on a team that is going nowhere anytime soon.
Heard that before?
If you have, it is probably a story that ends up in a trade. Prince will be no exception.
The Pistons like Prince, but Prince will not re-sign with the team given its ownership and on-court problems.
They will face the same situation many teams do. They will either have to trade him or lose him to free agency.
The Pistons need to move other pieces to become relevant, but Prince might be a good first step and one they must make to save the franchise from another four or five years of nothing.
Kenyon Martin – $16.55 Million
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No contract extension yet for Kenyon Martin. And there won’t be one until bigger fish like Billups and Anthony are dealt with.
At this point, Carmelo holds the only remaining key to Martin’s future in Denver.
With Carmelo traded away, the Nuggets will look to get young and cheap.
Martin is not either of those.
Word has it he is actually looking for significant money in an extension and is not happy about the lack of negotiations.
While Denver might want to keep his contract and have it come off the books in the offseason, they might want to package him over to a contending team making a playoff push in exchange for draft picks and young developing players.
Martin will be the last piece to be moved of a complicated puzzle in Denver, but one likely to be completed.
Chauncey Billups – $13.15 Million
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Carmelo Anthony will likely be moved.
Ty Lawson was incredible given starter minutes.
Billups is making $13.15 million this year.
Any more reasons to make Billups a valuable trade chip?
If the Nuggets trade Carmelo, that means the franchise goes into absolute rebuilding mode.
It does not make any sense at all to keep an aging point guard on the roster wasting away. There will be enough teams looking for veteran point guard come the trade deadline, and Denver should be listening.
It is hard to picture the Denver Nuggets without Anthony, Martin, and Billups, but it is the only move that will make sense for the club come he end of February.
Troy Murphy – $11.97 Million
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Troy Murphy has been a dependable power forward and center for a good chunk of his career. Injuries last year slowed him down and he has yet to establish any sort of value this season.
He does have a fat contract that the New Jersey Nets can use to land a franchise player in return.
The Nets have what the Nuggets want, and Carmelo is just a little push away from settling for New Jersey rather than New York.
At this point it is a question of how much the Nets are willing to give up for Anthony, but that will soon be shifted when Denver finds themselves trying to just take the highest bidder.
The Carmelo Anthony to New Jersey deal will happen sooner or later, and you can bet Murphy will be included.
Eddy Curry – $11.28 Million
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Eddy Curry is done.
His basketball life has ended is he is not much more than a paperweight at this point in his career.
He will never check into an NBA game ever again.
His contract though, holds great value.
New York has been trying hard to land a trade for Carmelo Anthony ever since they failed to land LeBron James in the off-season. The truth is they might not be able to pull a trade off given their lack of draft picks to entice Denver.
But that does not mean that they will not make a move for somebody else.
Regardless of where Anthony lands, the Knicks will make a push to land a game changing player.
A big name that comes to mind is Andre Iguodala, who is often considered a B-class LeBron James.
Peja Stojakovic – $15.34 Million
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It is clear Stojakovic will not be playing for the Toronto Raptors.
The team is in serious need of talent, and Peja’s contract might bring in at least some relief.
While the team does have some young talented pieces in Bargnani, Calderon, Barbosa, DeRozan, and Johnson, they desperately need some veterans to add to the mix to develop better on court chemistry.
It does not make much sense to let this contract just come off the books since the truth is that Toronto really does not seem to be very appealing for big name players in the free agent market (other than foreign players).
Toronto will most likely trade this contract at the deadline even if the return is not what a contract of that magnitude could potentially land.
Carmelo Anthony – $17.15 Million
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Carmelo Anthony is a trade chip because it is almost certain now he will no longer be a Denver Nugget after the deadline.
He is the biggest trade chip this season and also the best player available.
His current salary is $17.15 million and he will be signing a $65 million extension with whichever team he decides to join.
Although his talent is at a level unmatched by most NBA players, Denver might actually be the winner by using this trade chip to their advantage.
Denver is looking to add draft picks and expiring contracts for Melo, and they just might get both, plenty of both.
