NBA Trade Rumors: Breaking Down Hottest NBA Buzz Ahead of Lockout

The NBA is Still Abuzz with Rumors Ahead of Lingering Lockout 

NBA fans have one last day to take in the sights and sounds before rumors and buzz are quelled by the nefarious lockout. 

That does not mean we cannot savor every last second of the NBA as we know it. Greed and legalize will soon deprive us of the best part of the summer months, NBA trade rumors. 

This is about the time that I plunk down in front of my computer and hit refresh on the rumor mill for hours at a time. It may explain my awkwardly pasty complexion. 

The sad part in all this is the loss of momentum. The NBA had one of the most exciting and drama-filled seasons I can remember. We had the bad guys in the Miami Heat taken down by the knights in Mavericks armor. 

Underneath that, we had a handful of annual contenders that showed far too much white in their whiskers to make the final push in the playoffs. 

That saw perennial powerhouses scramble as soon as they were ousted from their usual pedestal. The LA Lakers were ready to trade just about anyone not named Kobe Bryant. The San Antonio Spurs may be quite ready to part ways with Tony Parker, and the Celtics, well, they are just getting older.

A lone tear now comes down my very plum cheek. This could very well have been an offseason to end all offseasons. The buzz ahead of tomorrow's lockout was insane.

With the Heat rising in Miami, and the Mavericks getting stronger with one quiet trade for Rudy Fernandez, there was no way the marquee teams would stand pat.

Here is a breakdown on the hottest rumors and rumblings ahead of the darkness we will soon have to suffer through.

Take it all in fans, this will be the last good news we have for quite some time.  

5. Players Taking Flight to Europe

This is hardly a trade rumor, but it is a juicy as one. There are two players that are rumored to be taking their talents overseas. 

Ron Artest was rumored to have a deal with a team in Finland, a rumor his agent has squashed. The other player is JJ Barea, who is thinking of playing in Spain if there is a lockout.

Artest is locked up in a three-year deal. That fact will keep him home unless FIBA backtracks on their policy of a player being under contract for two teams. 

As a free agent, Barea can enjoy doing what ever his heart desires, until the NBA season gets underway. Then he will have a bunch of teams clamoring for his talents. 

4. Los Angeles Lakers Fire Sale

The LA Lakers were ghosts of their former sturdy selves at the end of the year. The chemistry was off and the team cohesion was wobbled. 

It ended in this back-to-back championship roster getting bounced in four games by the Dallas Mavericks. This is a franchise that is used to grander finishes, which left them scrambling. 

It didn't surprise me when rumors surfaced about the team shopping various players ahead of the draft. We heard names such as Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom, Shannon Brown and Pau Gasol. General Manager Mitch Kupchak came out and said that was all hogwash on June 24, the rumors fueled by agents. 

I will take the man at half his word. I am sure that the Lakers were indeed shopping around for some fresh young faces. 

However, this team will look just like this after the lockout. There is no team that is about to take on some of their huge contracts. 

3. Tony Parker Shows Up in Rumors

The San Antonio Spurs showed that they shared equal mind with their star point guard. Parker stated that the window had shut on the Spurs in their current form. 

Rumors that San Antonio was ready to trade him prior to the draft illustrated that the team was on the same page. 

The talks have all but died down, which has more to do with the lockout than anything. Once the NBA opens back up, the Spurs will field offers from any team that might improve the Spurs, making them younger and more spry. 

2. Monta Ellis To Leave Golden State Warriors

When you have an athlete that really should be a perennial All-Star wanting out of his current digs, you can bet that it is news. 

The New York Post reported ahead of the draft that Monta Ellis wanted out. He does have a caveat of sorts. It is one that we hear from every single player that demands a trade. 

If the team is committed to winning, he will stay. It's as if a winning franchise has some switch they throw when they feel like winning a title. 

The biggest rumor had Ellis going to the Orlando Magic, but it is unclear why Golden State would take back some of the horrid contracts employed by Orlando. 

The most sane switch had Ellis to the 76ers for Andre Iguodala. That was the one that really had legs. The fact that it hasn't happened troubles me. The Sixers would have wanted to rid themselves on Iggy before the lockout. 

There is no certainty as to how movable he will be after. 

1. Dwight Howard To Pull a LeBron James

The biggest rumor revolves around the best big man in the business. For months, fans in Orlando have been biting their nails in anticipation of their own "Decision."

Dwight Howard is adamant that he will be opting to test the waters of free agency. In doing so, it is near certain that he will leave the messy roster in Orlando for a team that can actually win a title. 

The Magic in turn have remained steadfast that they will be holding on to Howard in the hopes of him signing that lengthy extension, as reported by Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel.

I give them kudos for their confidence, but Howard will leave them like the first Superman did, high and dry. 

Rumors Before the Lockout

Here is a brief rundown of all the noise before the silence of the lockout: 

1. After his best season, Tyson Chandler is set to be courted by a handful of teams. It is likely that the Mavericks will retain him, but the Nuggets and Pacers will be sure to offer him lucrative deals. 

2. Glen Davis is making demands that his talents can't keep up with, according to ESPN Boston. He wants increased minutes and a larger role with whichever team he lands with next. You may have seen the last days of him in Celtic green.

3. Nene will opt out of his contract, making him one of the biggest names in the 2011 market. Whenever that market opens up, that is.