NBA Trade Deadline: Top 10 Point Guards On The Block
That's right folks. Despite what the media has tried to tell you, there are actually OTHER players besides Carmelo Anthony who are on the trading block.
This year, it seems the trend is with point guards. As teams try to make last minute deals to push their team into the playoffs, or to a higher seed, many floor generals may be changing jerseys and teams within the next week.
Here we review the top point guards who could be dealt before the deadline.
Chauncey Billups
1 of 10
Mr. Big Shot has been linked to almost every Carmelo trade the past few months—not that he's pleased with this at all. Billups is from Denver, went to the University of Colorado, and currently lives in Denver. He said one he's done playing, he plans on working in the front office for the Denver Nuggets. Basically, he's got his dream job.
But he's also expensive, on the downside of his career at 34-years-old, and most importantly for a team like the Nuggets, who may be in the rebuilding process (if Anthony is traded). It is why they've so desperately tried to attach him to any trade with Melo.
If Melo stays, so will Billups. I don't see any team blowing Denver out of the water with an offer just for Billups.
Raymond Felton
2 of 10
Felton is enjoying a breakout season in New York, where Coach Mike D'Antoni's speedball offense fits in nicely with his repertoire. However, with the Knicks intent on bringing in Carmelo (though don't ask me why), Felton may be on his way out of town only after a half of a season.
If the Knicks bring in Melo, Felton's gone. If they don't, expect Felton to be wearing blue and orange the rest of this season and all of next season.
Devin Harris
3 of 10
Boy does Carmelo Anthony influence a lot. Harris is one of the big pieces in the Nets' offer for Melo, and has seen his name in trade rumors all season.
Just like Felton, if Melo heads to the Nets, Harris is on his way out. But if the Nets can't convince Melo to sign the 3-year/$65 million extension, then Harris will still be showing his skills in New Jersey, er, Brooklyn.
Andre Miller
4 of 10
I wrote a few months ago that LaMarcus Aldridge was a legitimate MVP contender. I was laughed at. Since then, he's basically singlehandedly brought the Trail Blazers from the brink of the playoffs to the fifth seed, thanks to the league's longest winning streak heading into the All-Star break (six games).
And while Aldridge deserves a lot of the credit, the consistent play of Miller definitely deserves mention. With Marcus Camby and Brandon Roy appearing on the verge of coming back, it seems that the Trail Blazers are no longer in "sell" mode, meaning there's a good chance that Miller stays put.
Mo Williams
5 of 10
The Cavs stink. Historically stink. But Mo Williams is still a talented veteran, who could bring back a couple nice young pieces for Cleveland. If the Cavs are able to find a playoff team looking for scoring, I'd be shocked if they didn't pull the trigger on a deal involving Mo.
Kirk Hinrich
6 of 10
With the emergence of rookie John Wall, and the Wizards all but officially out of the playoff race, there's not much of a point to keep Hinrich around. He's a nice role player on a good team, but not a guy who's going to carry a team. A lot of teams could use Hinrich's depth and on-court smarts, and the Wizards would like the cap flexibility and a late first-round pick.
Jose Calderon
7 of 10
The biggest problem with Calderon is his age (30). The Raptors, outside of Bargnani and DeRozan (and even that's a stretch), don't have a ton of promising young players. Calderon, while talented and a fan favorite, is averaging less than 10 points/game for the first time since the 2006-2007 season, and putting up his worst field goal percentage since his rookie year.
Even his free throw percentage, which was at a ridiculous 98.1 percent two seasons ago, has plummeted to 80 percent.
If the Raptors can find a team willing to give up a pick or a couple young pieces for Calderon, they'd be smart to make the move. By the time this team is ready to compete again, Calderon will be well out of his prime.
T.J. Ford
8 of 10
Ford has been relegated to back up duty with Darren Collison in town, and it seems that the Pacers would take back almost anything to trade the point guard. Ford is a talented veteran who's dealt with injuries throughout his career. Any team looking for depth from the point guard position would be wise to give up a second-round pick to get Ford, a player the Pacers are trying hard to unload.
Toney Douglas
9 of 10
The funny thing about Douglas is that the Knicks would be trading him to find another point guard. They believe Douglas is more suited to play the two and were trying to move him for a point guard who would better fit D'Antoni's system. As a Knicks fan who's watched Douglas the last couple of seasons, he is one of the team's best defenders, and there only true depth at point guard. But realistically, he seems to have a shoot-first mentality that may fit better as a shooting guard.
His name was included early in the Melo discussions, but he no longer seems to be involved. Expect him to stay put.
Steve Nash/Deron Williams
10 of 10
I am putting these two on the list just in case all hell breaks loose. Nash seemed like a likely candidate to be switching teams earlier in the season, but with the Suns playing better as of late, coupled with the Jazz falling apart and Rudy Gay's month-long injury, the Suns are right in the thick of the playoff race.
Nash is the biggest draw the Suns have, and without him, I'd have trouble seeing them putting fans in the stands, or making the playoffs.
Without Jerry Sloan in Utah, I'd be shocked if they gave up on Deron Williams so quickly thereafter. But Williams is a free agent after 2012, has stated that he hopes to join Amar'e in New York, and isn't happy in Utah. While Sloan's departure has definitely alleviated some of his frustration, the Jazz are 0-3 since Sloan resigned, and the public pressure on Williams has only intensified.
I don't expect to see either traded, though if the Jazz miss the playoffs this season, I wouldn't be surprised to see Williams being shopped during the offseason.
