NBA Trade Rumors: 5 Players Who Didn't Get Dealt on Draft Night, but May Be Soon

The 2011 NBA draft has come and gone, and it was an epic night despite a weak draft pool. 

Two major trades occurred.

In one deal, the Charlotte Bobcats traded guard Stephen Jackson to the Milwaukee Bucks, setting off the controversial star's wrath as he was none too thrilled about the prospect of joining his seventh team for his upcoming 12th season.

In another trade, the Portland Trail Blazers sent point guard Andre Miller to the Denver Nuggets for Raymond Felton while also sending shooting guard Rudy Fernandez to the Dallas Mavericks.

Yet, there were trade rumors surrounding many more players on draft night.  As the night went on, fans kept waiting for them to be dealt to new teams.  It appeared more and more likely that players like Monta Ellis (pictured) of the Golden State Warriors and Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs would be playing in different uniforms next season. 

At this point, there is no reason to believe that they still won't be dealt.

That all being said, here are five players who were not dealt on the night of the draft, but may be in the very near future.

No. 5: Tony Parker

For 10 seasons, Tony Parker has been the starting point guard for the San Antonio Spurs.  He has led the team to three NBA championships and is a fine team leader along with Tim Duncan. 

Team management found him so valuable that they signed him to a four-year, $50 million extension early this season.

Despite all of this, ESPN reported the Spurs made Parker available for a lottery pick in the days leading up to the draft.  The team did end up making a trade on draft night, but it did not involve Parker.  Instead, they sent guard George Hill to the Indiana Pacers for No. 15 pick Kawhi Leonard.

Thus, at least at this point, it looks as though the potential trading of Tony Parker is a two-way deal.  The front office wants to dump some salary, but only if it means getting some top young talent in return.

Combine that desire with the fact that the Spurs looked old and sluggish in the playoffs, and the possibility of Parker getting traded grows even stronger.

No. 4: Josh Smith

The day before the draft, Yahoo! Sports reported that the Atlanta Hawks were looking to deal star forward Josh Smith to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the No. 2 pick. 

The reasoning behind it was that the Hawks would dump Smith's heavy contract (he is owed $13 million next season) and use the draft pick to draft a top big man in Turkey's Enes Kanter.

Timberwolves GM David Kahn stuck to his guns, and at the end of the draft, Smith was still a Hawk.  Despite the fact that he is a threat on both ends of the floor, it is obvious that the team will still try to trade Smith, or at least listen to offers for him.

Yes, Smith's contract is heavy, but there are many teams out there that could use his talents.  With the Hawks obviously looking to dump some salary, it's still very possible that come next season, Josh Smith will have a new team.

No. 3: Monta Ellis

The Golden State Warriors had the No. 11 pick in the draft.  They used it to select guard Klay Thompson out of Washington State.  This gave them three great shooters on the team: Thompson, Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis.

Shortly after the pick was made, Ellis asked to be traded.

The talented shooter was the subject of trade speculation all season long, but his salary was probably proved too high for any suitors.  He currently has three years left on a six-year, $67 million contract he signed in July 2008. 

In any case, moving Ellis will prove to be a tough task.

Still, Ellis is an electrifying shooter who would be welcome on any team.  If the right players fell into place between the Warriors and another team, then the trigger would be pulled on a deal involving Ellis.

No. 2: Andre Iguodala

After posting his lowest points average since his second season in the league, Andre Iguodala has been the subject of trade rumors since season's end. 

Philadelphia 76ers coach Doug Collins has stated that Iguodala is not being shopped, but the fans' cries for a shooter who averages 20-plus points a game could force the front office's hand.

Iguodala is a fine guard who still has a long and prosperous NBA career ahead of him, but he just isn't the dynamic and electrifying leader that the Sixers need at guard.  That being said, perhaps trading him for Monta Ellis, as the two teams discussed a few weeks ago, is in order.

No. 1: Dwight Howard

This should probably be established now.  Dwight Howard wants to remain with the Orlando Magic, according to the New York Post.

However, he also plans to test the free-agent market.

With that fear in team management's mind, Magic GM Otis Smith could definitely trade the powerful center and thus save himself and the fans some disappointment of next offseason. 

Not surprisingly, there are teams who would move mountains to acquire Howard.

As early as last week, it was reported that the Los Angeles Lakers were interested in sending underachieving and immature center Andrew Bynum to Orlando in exchange for Howard.  This trade makes perfect sense for both teams.

Howard would play on a team that regularly contends for a championship and actually has a shot, as he would have Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant helping him shoulder the scoring load.  At the same time, Orlando would get a talented center who would be under their control for at least one season.

On top of that, it's a perfectly safe bet that Bynum could become a breakout star with the Magic.  He would have talented guards in Gilbert Arenas and Jameer Nelson as well as a top forward in Hedo Turkoglu to help him out.

The odds of this trade happening are slim at this point, but keep your eyes peeled this summer as both teams look to improve.