NBA Trade Rumors: Carmelo Anthony and the 15 Hottest Names on the Block
The NBA has been absolutely aflutter (and a-twitter) with trade activity, rumors and actual transactions alike.
Names like Carmelo Anthony, Steve Nash and Andre Iguodala have been bandied about like bouncing beans by NBA insiders all season, making the last few months almost as exciting for front-office personnel as the Summer of LeBron.
That being the case, let's look at the 15 hottest names that have been thrown around thus far, including those who have moved, are moving and will likely be on the move before the February 24th trade deadline.
15. Brendan Haywood, Dallas Mavericks
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Kicking off the list is Dallas big man Brendan Haywood.
The North Carolina alum went from being the Mavericks' starting center upon arriving in Dallas via trade from Washington last season to third-stringer this season.
Having Haywood stuck behind Tyson Chandler and Alexis Ajinca does the Mavs little good.
Unless, of course, GM Donnie Nelson decides to parlay Haywood into a quality wing player to fill in for the injured Caron Butler.
14. Danilo Gallinari, New York Knicks
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Danilo Gallinari may be the first player on this list with connections to Carmelo Anthony trade possibilities, but he certainly won't be the last.
The young sharpshooter from Italy has been having a solid season for Mike D'Antoni's team, averaging 15.3 points and 4.5 rebounds through 33 games.
This bodes well for the Knicks, who have been working all season, though not as hard as the New Jersey Nets, to swing a trade for Carmelo Anthony, especially after striking out with LeBron James over the summer.
Any deal with Denver would likely involve Gallinari becoming a Nugget, along with a few of his current teammates.
13. Hedo Turkoglu, Phoenix Suns/Orlando Magic
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Speaking of big men who can shoot, Hedo Turkoglu may no longer be on the market, but he became quite a hot name earlier in the season in connection with a number of moves, due in large part to his less-than-stellar play alongside Steve Nash in Phoenix.
Turkoglu eventually ended up back in Orlando as part of the Magic's blockbuster trade with the Suns and has performed well since returning to the team with whom he reached the NBA Finals in 2008.
12. Jason Richardson, Phoenix Suns/Orlando Magic
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Turkoglu was arguably only the third-most important player involved in that particular deal, with the second spot belonging to Jason Richardson.
Unlike Turkoglu, Richardson was doing quite well for himself in Phoenix, averaging 19.3 points per game, before getting shipped off to Orlando.
Though J-Rich's numbers have declined since joining the Magic, he has been an integral part of their improvement since the deal went down in December.
11. Antawn Jamison, Cleveland Cavaliers
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With each passing defeat, the Cleveland Cavaliers appear more and more likely to start dumping veterans, Antawn Jamison chief among them.
The 12th-year forward out of North Carolina has been his usual self this season, scoring a reliable 16.2 points per game both off the bench and in the starting lineup for the Cavs.
Now that Cleveland boasts the worst record in the NBA, expect the team to move someone like Jamison, who has plenty of value as an experienced scorer with a short-term deal, in exchange for some young talent and draft picks.
10. Omri Casspi, Sacramento Kings
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Jamison's name has been lurking in the trade rumor shadows for most of the season.
Omri Casspi's, on the other hand, has just recently burst onto the scene.
The Israeli-born forward has caught the eyes of the New York Knicks and the Chicago Bulls, both of whom are looking for shooters of Casspi's capability.
Like Jamison's Cavs in the East, Casspi's Kings are tanking in the West, with Arco Arena degenerating into a house of dysfunction in Sacramento.
As much as the Maloof brothers supposedly like Casspi as both a person and a player, he's certainly far from off-limits when it comes to trade talks.
9. Stephen Jackson, Charlotte Bobcats
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Stephen Jackson's name has also become something of a hot commodity in trade talks now that his team, the Charlotte Bobcats, are pretty much done for the season.
The "resignation" of Larry Brown was the first signal that the Bobcats may be moving in a new direction under the Michael Jordan regime.
Moving Jackson could be the next, as the Bobcats front office will likely blow up the roster and attempt to start over from scratch.
Jackson may be the most valuable piece the team has, with the likes of Chicago and New York very interested in acquiring his services for this season and beyond.
8. Andre Miller, Portland Trailblazers
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Andre Miller's appearance on the trade market is due to a confluence of move-making forces.
For one, he and (now-possibly-done-for-the-season) backcourt buddy Brandon Roy have reportedly had some issues getting along this season, with Roy going as far as offering GM Rich Cho the ultimatum that he must move one of them.
Secondly, the Blazers, though still in the playoff picture, may be looking to start over, now that a team that once looked to have championship potential has fallen into disrepair due to chronic injury.
Finally, and most importantly, Miller is a wanted man—a savvy veteran with an expiring contract.
His name has made its way into the Carmelo Anthony trade mix in recent weeks, with the New Jersey Nets potentially acquiring him to accompany 'Melo at the Meadowlands and the Nuggets hoping to bring Miller back to Denver, along with young forward Nicolas Batum.
Where Miller goes, if anywhere, is anybody's guess at this point.
7. Devin Harris, New Jersey Nets
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The one point guard who has always been mentioned as a part of the 'Melo-to-Jersey saga is Devin Harris.
The former All-Star, who does have something of a penchant for injury, has done nothing but go about his business this season as the trade winds have swirled about him.
With averages of 16.6 points and 6.8 assists, Harris has been solid all season and represents the team's best tradeable asset outside of Brook Lopez.
The tricky part, of course, is that the Nuggets are already set at the point with Chauncey Billups and Ty Lawson, while the Nets would be left with only Jordan Farmar to man the team if Harris were to depart in a trade.
6. Marcus Camby, Portland Trailblazers
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Talking about Marcus Camby on the trading block has seemingly become an annual ritual in recent years.
The Trailblazers big man is once again drawing interest from teams around the NBA, including, among others, the New York Knicks.
Camby has tremendous value as an athletic big man at a reasonable price, thereby making him among the easiest players to move.
5. Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia 76ers
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Andre Iguodala has yet to have his name tied to any concrete deals, but he has been among the most talked-about tradeable players this year nonetheless.
The 76ers forward truly is a jack-of-all-trades, with the size and athleticism to be a slasher, the unselfishness to be a facilitator, and the streaky stroke to be an occasional dead-eye shooter.
Iggy has recently been sidelined with Achilles' problems, but there are still plenty of teams out there that wouldn't mind adding his 14.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game.
That is, assuming Philadelphia is willing to let him go and hand his minutes to rookie Evan Turner.
4. Rip Hamilton, Detroit Pistons
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Well, well, well, look who we have here.
Another player whose fate would seem now to be inextricably tied to that of Carmelo Anthony.
Rip Hamilton has only recently found his way into the headlines, having reportedly requested a trade out of Detroit since being relegated to bench duty.
Now it looks as though Hamilton will be headed to New Jersey as part of what is shaping up to be the most complicated trade in NBA history.
Whether the aging shooting guard can do for the Nets what he once did for the Pistons is a different story entirely.
3. Gilbert Arenas, Washington Wizards/Orlando Magic
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Gilbert Arenas has settled back into anonymity since moving on to Orlando, but he was all over the basketball rumor mill in 2010.
Arenas went from being the NBA's "Mister Untouchable"—with a huge contract, injury concerns, declining performance, and attitude problems seemingly keeping him in Washington forever—to the savior of the Magic upon reuniting with Orlando GM Otis Smith.
Arenas' stats have taken a hit since taking over as the sixth man in central Florida, but Dwight Howard and company have played quite well since his arrival nonetheless.
2. Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns
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While Steve Nash's teammates have been busy bouncing from team to team, he has stayed steady and quiet as the Phoenix Suns have continued to set in the West.
At 15-20, the Suns are well outside the playoff picture at this point and don't figure to be in contention at all this season.
As such, it may be time for Suns GM Lance Blanks to blow up the roster and start the rebuilding process, which would begin, in all likelihood, with a trade to move the veteran Nash to a contender.
Even at 36 years of age, Nash is still one of the league's best point guards, boasting averages of 16.8 points and 10.5 assists per game.
Hence, it wouldn't exactly be a shocker if Phoenix found a new home for Nash in the near future.
1. Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets/New Jersey Nets?
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You weren't expecting anyone else atop this list, were you?
Carmelo Anthony has been the biggest fish on the trade market ever since word broke over the summer that he wanted out of Denver.
And, after months of hemming and hawing, it looks as though he may finally have a new home.
Granted, 'Melo clearly would have preferred to play at Madison Square Garden for the Knicks, but at least he'll have the opportunity to lead the Nets to Brooklyn, assuming the team's three-team blockbuster with Denver and Detroit goes through.
