NBA Trade Rumors: 6 Veteran Players Who Will Be Moved on Draft Day

Veteran players, who are on the trading block, usually get moved on two significant dates on the NBA calendar: the NBA Draft and the NBA trade deadline. The 2011 NBA Draft is upon us, and a number of established players in the league will be moving on to new teams.

Teams usually move entrenched players for draft picks when they are in one of two situations; one being that they have a relatively old roster and are looking to add youth into the mix.

Teams this year that have veterans on the block include the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers, who are looking to get younger as their stars begin to fade. 

The other reason a team will deal a veteran is to continue their rebuilding and allow for an established player to have a chance to compete for a championship. They also could be looking for a veteran that better fits their system. Teams that fit this category include the Phoenix Suns, Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors. 

There are a number of high-profile veterans who are likely to be traded today, so read on to find out which six players will be on the move in the 2011 NBA Draft. 

No. 1: Stephen Jackson, Corey Maggette and John Salmons

This one is a little too easy.

Chad Ford broke the news that a three-team trade went down between the Milwaukee Bucks, Charlotte Bobcats and Sacramento Kings. The tentative deal, as reported, has the Bucks receiving Beno Udrih, Shaun Livingston, Stephen Jackson and the 19th pick. The Bobcats will receive the seventh pick and Corey Magette, and the Kings get the 10th pick and John Salmons. 

This trade basically shuffles a bunch of guaranteed contracts around and changes up the draft order.

The Bucks will no longer be targeting Klay Thompson and instead, will use Stephen Jackson in that role. The Kings should now be able to get Jimmer at a more reasonable position in the draft, and the Bobcats are apparently high on Alec Burks and Chris Singleton with their seventh and ninth selections. 

Credit to Chad Ford for breaking the news. 

No. 2: Monta Ellis

Monta Ellis is being aggressively shopped by the Golden State Warriors. The veteran combo guard, who plays little defense, has fallen out of favor with a team that has reshuffled owners and had a big turnover in the front office.  

Ellis has been partnered with Steph Curry for the past two seasons, and the two are probably the most exciting and dynamic backcourt in the league.

But they simply cannot find a winning formula. 

Golden State would love to add a big, traditional shooting guard in the 2011 NBA Draft to feed off of Curry, such as Klay Thompson. 

Monta Ellis would be a great fit in Minnesota, as they play at the fastest pace in the league, and GM David Kahn wants them to go even faster now that Ricky Rubio is in town. Their weakest position besides center is at the 2 spot, and Ellis would fill in nicely. 

No. 3: Andre Miller

Andre Miller has been a solid point guard for the Trail Blazers, but look for them to part ways with the veteran floor general during the draft tonight. 

Miller has an amazingly valuable contract for teams that need to shed cap space. He is set to make approximately $7 million if a team picks up his extension this season. Plus, his contract is fully non-guaranteed and will come off the cap in July. 

The Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks and numerous other clubs are quite interested in saving themselves a few bucks during the offseason. Look for one of them to strike a deal with Portland. 

The Trail Blazers would like to replace Miller with a serviceable big man or potentially a lottery pick to add to their team. Jameer Nelson is also a possibility, as an upgrade, if the Blazers are willing to package in their 21st pick to get him. 

No. 4: Lamar Odom

Lamar Odom is a new addition to the 2011 NBA Draft trade rumors. Almost all the talk about the Lakers making a deal centered around Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. Odom is now reportedly the most likely to be moved from the team.

Possible landing places for the veteran forward include Minnesota, Golden State and Philadelphia. The Lakers would like to bring back a younger, more athletic player or a high draft pick in exchange for his services. 

The possible haul for Odom includes Andre Iguodala or Monta Ellis, who are both being shopped by their respective teams.

I feel that the Lakers would be unwise to trade him, as he has been the glue of the team and a perennial Sixth Man of the Year award contender. The Lakers have had one bad postseason series in the last three seasons and should not press the panic button until they prove it wasn't a fluke.

No. 5: Chris Kaman

The Chris Kaman rumor mill has quieted down recently, but the veteran big man is very much still on the block. The Clippers still covet a productive small forward to round out a very solid starting five. 

As it stands right now, the Clippers have starting talent and depth at every position except the 3. They also need to grab an excellent wing defender at the same time. They would have one of the best outfits in the league to go to war with and would undoubtedly make the playoffs in a weakening West.

Kaman for Iguodala makes sense for both the 76ers and Clippers. The Clippers need Iggy's defense and scoring, while the 76ers need to dump a contract and add size. The trade is a win-win and has a high chance of going through tonight.

No. 6: Andre Iguodala

Andre Iguodala is a great swingman who can help out any contender. Philadelphia is very open to moving him, as the team is going to be for sale soon. And the lower the salary cap, the more intriguing they become to potential buyers. 

Iguodala may find himself in L.A. with either the Clippers or Lakers. He also might end up in Minneapolis, but who hasn't been rumored to go there in recent days. 

The Philadelphia 76ers would like nothing more than to bring back a cheap big man, in exchange for having a team absorb Iggy's contract. They also already hold the 16th pick in the draft and could either replace Andre Iguodala with a younger, cheaper swingman or go with someone like Nikola Vucevic, a true center that has the size the team needs.

The 76ers managed to grab the seventh seed in the 2011 NBA Playoffs, but with them looking to shed salary and sell, look for them to go into a rebuilding mode, once again, after the 2011 NBA Draft.