NBA Trade Rumors: Power Ranking the 15 Players Most Likely to Get Traded
The NBA trade deadline is fast approaching and with each passing day a new rumor comes out. Of course the most talked about potential trade of the NBA season, Carmelo Anthony to New Jersey, still has yet to go down and it's unsure if it will happen now.
The Nets are going to make one last ditch effort to get Anthony to agree to the deal by sending Mikhail Prokhorov and Jay-Z to meet with him. Maybe if Jay-Z puts him in a music video with Beyonce that will push Anthony towards New Jersey.
There are a number of other big name players who have heard their names bantered about in trade rumors. Guys like Steve Nash, Andre Iguodala, Chauncey Billups and Devin Harris could find themselves playing for a new team before the February 19 trade deadline.
This list is not going to talk about where these guys could go, rather it is focused on ranking the players who are likely to be moved before the deadline.
Here is a power ranking of the 15 NBA players most likely to be traded before the 2011 trade deadline.
15. Troy Murphy, New Jersey Nets
1 of 15
One of the final pieces in the Carmelo Anthony trade to New Jersey, Troy Murphy has lost all his value as an NBA player. He can’t stay healthy and when he is healthy he is not productive. He is averaging four points and four rebounds in 18 games played.
All is not lost since just last year Murphy averaged 15 points and shot 47 percent from the field. Plus, he has an expiring contract, which increases some of the value that he may have lost with his play this season.
14. Anthony Randolph, New York Knicks
2 of 15
Anthony Randolph is only in his third year in the NBA. This is his first year with the Knicks after two years in Golden State. The transition has not been smooth. Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni has not played him a lot this season and even when he has played, it hasn’t been pretty.
The Knicks want to move Randolph for something. It’s just a question of what they can get for the 21-year-old power forward.
13. Gerald Wallace, Charlotte Bobcats
3 of 15
A year after making a surprise run to the playoffs, the Charlotte Bobcats have been in a season-long tailspin. As a result, they are looking to dump Gerald Wallace and the two years remaining on his contract.
There is talk that Cleveland wants to bring Wallace into the fold. It doesn’t really make sense given how awful the Cavaliers are, but to each their own. Maybe the Cavs think Wallace will win them a couple more games this year.
12. Derrick Favors, New Jersey Nets
4 of 15
The New Jersey Nets first round pick this past year, Derrick Favors, has been on the trade block since getting drafted. He is only 19 years old and has the size and athleticism that every GM loves. He will be relatively cheap for the next two-and-a-half years on his rookie contract.
Favors production this season has been solid, if unspectacular, averaging nearly seven points and five rebounds per game. He will be a great pick up for Denver, or wherever he is traded to.
11. Al Harrington, Denver Nuggets
5 of 15
New Jersey doesn’t want Al Harrington. More specifically, they don’t want any part of the $28 million that he is still owed. It’s unclear why the Nets don’t want Harrington, whose contract really doesn’t seem that outrageous looking at his production.
It could be because he is 30 years old, but he still plays at a pretty high level. He is averaging 12 points and five rebounds per game. He shoots very well from three-point range, 40 percent for the season. He is a very valuable bench player.
10. Baron Davis, Los Angeles Clippers
6 of 15
Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling is not a fan of Baron Davis. Often times you wonder if Sterling is a fan of the NBA, given the way that he has run the Clippers franchise into the ground.
Trading Davis could be problematic because of his injury history and his contract. But he provides great leadership at the point guard position and could bring something back to the Clippers, who, in spite of their awful ownership, have been playing really well lately.
9. JR Smith, Denver Nuggets
7 of 15
Another piece in the massive three-team deal, JR Smith has been a solid contributor for the Nuggets since arriving in 2006. He has never been a great shooter, but he does score double digits on a regular basis.
He is shooting at nearly a 38 percent clip from beyond the arc. He can be a great asset for a team that is looking for some scoring off the bench.
8. Chris Kaman, Los Angeles Clippers
8 of 15
Every team is looking for size. That’s why people draft a guy like Greg Oden instead of Kevin Durant with the first pick in the draft. Whenever there is anyone with size available a team will always take a chance on them. That’s why Darko Milicic is still in the NBA.
Chris Kaman hasn’t played a lot this season due to injury, but when he does play he is one of the better big men. He will usually give you 12-14 points and 8-10 rebounds per game. Those are very solid numbers for a big man in the NBA today.
7. Richard Hamilton, Detroit Pistons
9 of 15
One of the “other” pieces to the Nuggets-Nets-Pistons trade, Richard Hamilton isn’t the player that he once was. His scoring has dropped by nearly five full points per game this season. His overall shooting has been down the last two years.
However, he is a great veteran presence for a team. He could be a valuable asset coming off the bench. His three-point shooting has been very good this year, at nearly 40 percent. He will be very good for whomever he plays for in the future.
6. Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia 76ers
10 of 15
Much like Elton Brand, the Philadelphia 76ers would be best served in trading Andre Iguodala. He is making a lot of money and the franchise is going nowhere fast.
Iguodala has battled injuries this season and that has hurt his trade value, making it a little less likely that he will be dealt. That said, evaluators know the talent that he has and he is still young (26) that someone will take a chance on him.
5. Devin Harris, New Jersey Nets
11 of 15
Devin Harris seems to be the point guard that everyone wants. When he was traded to Dallas in the 2004 draft, he was going to be their point guard of the future.
Dallas traded him to New Jersey for Jason Kidd, because an aging point guard who can’t shoot is the missing piece to a championship.
Harris was going to be the foundation for the Nets turnaround. Now he is probably going to be the centerpiece for the Nuggets in the Carmelo Anthony deal.
He is only 27 years old and puts up 16 points and seven assists per game with a bad supporting cast. Surround him with talent and his game could take off.
4. Chauncey Billups, Denver Nuggets
12 of 15
Chauncey Billups is starting to show his age this season. His shooting is down across the board and he hasn’t really looked comfortable this year. That could be a product of the trade rumors, which Billups says have upset him.
Billups is a great team leader and still a quality point guard. If there is a young team on the cusp of contention, Billups would make a very valuable asset.
3. Elton Brand, Philadelphia 76ers
13 of 15
Philadelphia has exceeded expectations up to this point, with a 16-23 record. They are a franchise in need of an overhaul. Elton Brand is having a very good year for the 76ers, averaging nearly 16 points and shooting better than 51 percent from the field.
He does make a lot of money, but a team that needs some size on the inside and has quality parts they can get rid of could take on that contract.
2. Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns
14 of 15
The more the Phoenix Suns play this season, the more you can see that they are not a playoff team. They need to do a lot of work to rebuild that franchise. Steve Nash is the face of the franchise and one of the most beloved players in team history.
The problem is their window of opportunity to win with Nash closed when A’mare Stoudemire left last summer. Trading Nash while his value is still high would make the most sense for both player and team.
1. Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets
15 of 15
Carmelo Anthony has been on the trading block forever. There has been movement on that front in the last two weeks, with a 15-player, three-team deal all lined up. Anthony just has to warm up to the idea of playing in New Jersey.
Given that everything is already in place and Denver has incentive to get something for Carmelo, it seems unlikely that the deal won’t get done. He doesn’t make a lot of sense for the Nets given where they are right now, but at least he has some name value.
