NBA Trade Rumors: Stars Who Will Be Moved Next Year During NBA's Budget Crunch

NBA trade rumors have halted with the lockout, but as soon as a new CBA is agreed upon, get ready.

Building through the draft just isn't the way NBA teams rebuild.  The most effective way to build a contender quickly is through free agency and trades.

Plenty of stars will swap jerseys during the 2011-2012 season.  Players who have been the face of a franchise for years will be the new guy in town.  Around the trade deadline, rumors are going to turn into breaking news fast.

Here 10 stars that will be moved next season.

10. Michael Beasley

Michael Beasley may not be the first name that pops up into your head when you hear the word “star," but any player that averages 19.2 points a game is worthy of being called a star in the NBA.

Beasley is one of the best scoring power forwards in the entire league.  He has range all the way out to the three-point line.  Playing out of position in Minnesota, he still put up big numbers on offense, but struggled defensively.

The former No. 2 overall pick has never had the chance to start next to a strong defensive center.  If given that opportunity, he could turn into an All-Star.

After selecting Derrick Williams, Beasley will be on his way out of Minnesota no matter what David Kahn tells the media.  They have too many of the same type of player in Beasley, Williams and Anthony Randolph.

Possible Destinations: Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers

9. Josh Smith

Like Beasley, Josh Smith’s major weakness isn’t his game; it’s his head.  If he is traded to the right coach who can teach him to play within his role, he’ll become a special player.

Smith is the most athletic four in the game, yes, over Blake Griffin.  The soon to be former Atlanta Hawk does indeed fly like a bird and is a highlight waiting to happen.  Dunks and blocks are his specialty, but he can shoot; he just shoots way too much.

Atlanta isn’t a fan of Smith’s contract that’ll pay him 12.5 million this season and 13.3 the next.  Those numbers actually aren’t too bad; it’s just that the Hawks are going to eventually have to pay Joe Johnson over 20 million a year, so every penny to them counts.  Plus, Al Horford is much better suited at power forward then at center.

Possible Destinations: New Orleans Hornets, Charlotte Bobcats

8. Andre Iguodala

From one great athlete to the next, Iguodala, like Smith, doesn’t have Beasley’s natural scoring ability, but he can play above the rim.  Iguodala has been knocked for not being able to lead a team, but he’s just not a number one scoring option.  What he is, though, is the perfect role player.

Iggy is very strong for a wing and is one of the top perimeter defenders in the entire league.  He may not be a lights out shooter from downtown, but he’s very well-rounded, averaging 5.8 boards and 6.3 assists last season.

The 76ers don’t need Iguodala; they have plenty of solid role players.  What they need is a player that can handle the scoring load either at shooting guard or center.  Philadelphia would trade Iguodala for an athletic center in a heartbeat.

Possible Destinations: Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors

7. Rudy Gay

Rudy Gay is one of the best young players in the league.  He averaged 19.8 points and 6.2 rebounds last season before it was ended by an injury.  Gay is a freak athlete who can drain threes; his talent would be welcome on any NBA roster.

At just 24 years old, Gay could be the difference between a team being a playoff contender and a championship contender.  He is that good, but because he’s played his entire career in such a small market, his name is never mentioned among the NBA elite.

The only reason why he’s on the block is because the Grizzlies proved they could win without him last season.  They took out the first-seeded San Antonio Spurs in the first round and nearly shocked the Oklahoma City Thunder in the semis.  Memphis will pull the trigger on a deal that would give them some much needed frontcourt depth.

Possible Destinations: Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Clippers

6. Andrea Bargnani

Andrea Bargnani is one of the most skilled scorers among big men in the NBA, but you may have never even heard of him because he plays in Canada.  Bargnani averaged 21.6 points a game in 2011.  He is definitely good enough to be a second scoring option for a team, if not the first.

He was the leading scorer on the Raptors last season, but they’re never going to get back to the playoffs with a frontcourt of Bargnani and Ed Davis.  Neither player is a skilled defender.  They are basically in the same situation as Golden State with Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis: both players are talented, but ineffective playing together.

Bargnani is much more suited to defend the four defensively and would benefit from playing next to a defensive minded center.

Possible Destinations: Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks

5. Monta Ellis

Monta Ellis is one of the best scorers in the entire league.  He can hit threes and has the explosiveness to get to the rim at will.

Fans that knock Ellis’ defense just don’t get it.  The man is 6’3”, 185 pounds and is being forced to defend shooting guards in Golden State two to three inches and 20 to 30 pounds heavier than him.  At the two-guard, he’s physically outmatched.

Teams that have a big point guard will be able to start Ellis at shooting guard without his size hurting their defense.  If a squad has a serious need at point guard, Ellis can just start there even if he’s a shoot first, pass second player.

The Warriors can’t win with Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis in the same backcourt.  Ellis will be gone by midseason.

Possible Destinations: Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers

4. Russell Westbrook

In the 2011 NBA Playoffs, Russell Westbrook showed why he’s one of the most explosive players in the NBA.  He also showed why he isn’t a good fit for the Thunder offense.

Westbrook averaged 21.9 points and 8.2 assists during the regular season, but in the postseason, the assists dropped and the turnovers skyrocketed. 

He can create his own shot anytime he wants to because of his tremendous athletic ability, but let’s just say he gets open a little too much.  Westbrook can’t coexist with a top scorer like Kevin Durant because he takes away Durant’s touches.  A team in need of a point guard that needs a number one scoring option as well would be the perfect fit for Westbrook.

It may seem unlikely that the Thunder would trade their young point guard, but if Westbrook continues to play reckless like in the playoffs, he’ll be gone before the trade deadline in Oklahoma City.

Possible Destinations: New Orleans Hornets, Philadelphia 76ers

3. Deron Williams

Deron Williams won’t be technically moved during the budget crunch, but he’ll leave via free agency in 2012.

The only chance the Nets have at re-signing Williams is if they add Dwight Howard as well.  They don’t have the pieces to assemble a trade, so they’d have to wait until next summer to sign him.  If the Orlando Magic front office has any intelligence at all, they’ll trade Howard before the trade deadline this year.

With no Howard, there goes New Jersey’s chance at convincing Deron Williams to stay.  Williams is a talented veteran who’s hungry for a ring just like Howard and Chris Paul.  He isn’t going to stay with the Nets just because they traded for him.

Williams is a superstar player that can without a doubt be the missing piece in a team’s championship puzzle.  Not many point guards in the history of the league can say they averaged 20 points and 10 assists a game, but Deron Williams can.

Possible Destinations: New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers

2. Chris Paul

There is a zero percent chance Chris Paul doesn’t end up on a contender by the summer of 2012.  Sorry, New Orleans; there’s absolutely no way he’s re-signing.  He is too fiery a competitor to stick around; besides, loyalty in the NBA in terms of free agency is dead after The Decision.

Paul is an elite player on both ends of the court, averaging a double-double and finishing near the top of the league in steals every single year.  He is talented enough to be the best player on a championship team.

The Hornets have to trade Paul or they’ll be left empty-handed in 2012.  David West, Carl Landry and Aaron Gray are already gone.  They need to use Paul to rebuild like the Nuggets did with Carmelo Anthony.

New York is praying they’re dumb enough to let him walk.

Possible Destinations: Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks

1. Dwight Howard

The Orlando Magic aren’t stupid.  They remember exactly what happened in the summer of 1996.  The best center in the league, Shaquille O’Neal, flew to LA from Orlando, leaving them empty-handed.

They aren’t going to let that happen again.  Dwight Howard has told the media about 100 times that he wants to play for a contender.  Orlando isn’t a contender and they aren’t going to get there because they made one too many bad trades.

Every team in the NBA is going to at least consider trading for Howard, but only a few teams will have a legit shot.  New York doesn’t have the trading pieces after dealing for Carmelo Anthony, and New Jersey doesn’t after acquiring Deron Williams.

Unfortunately for the rest of the league, Howard isn’t going to turn an up and coming team into a contender because he’s going to a team that actually has talent to offer for him, someone who is already a contender.

Possible Destinations: Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks

David Daniels is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and a Syndicated Writer. Follow  him on Twitter.