NBA Trade Speculation: Top Trade Chips That Will Likely Be on the Trade Block

Thanks to the NBA lockout, 2011 has turned out to be quite the opposite of last year’s big free agent/trade summer.

Instead of wondering whether key players would be going to new teams or staying with current ones, fans have had to deal with the potential of players not even playing in this country.

While there is no time table set for when the NBA can see a new deal, trade rumors have still been going on.

Here are the top players who will be on the trade block once the NBA is back in business.

Chris Paul

Whether you believe Chris Paul will end up in New York, Oklahoma City or elsewhere, odds are he will end up on the trade block.

Paul has been the best player for the New Orleans Hornets since he joined the team in 2005. Despite this, it is likely that Paul will be packing his bags at some point over the next year.

The Hornets could do what Denver did a year ago and ship their star player to the Knicks. Like Carmelo Anthony before him, Paul has shown little interest in staying with the Hornets. 

If Paul goes to the Knicks, he would form another "Big 3," with Anthony and Amare Stoudemire

It is only a matter of time before Hornets lose their star. 

Josh Smith

Thanks to his crazy athleticism and defense, Smith is one of the faces of the Atlanta Hawks.

Smith is also a player who has some work to do in order to become great. While the potential is there, the Hawks will be looking to see what they can get for Smith.

Smith is good above the rim, but still needs to work on his range and shot selection. Smith can be great, but may need to go elsewhere in order to do so.

Also trading Smith would give Al Horford a chance to play more power forward.  

One of the Lakers Big Men

After the playoffs, there were rumors that the current Lakers team was going to be split apart.

Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum have been the three names that have come up over and over in trade discussions.

Both Gasol and Odom were looked at as underachievers to some. Bynum, on the other hand, is still improving and was coming back from injuries late last season.

One of the main rumors for the Lakers was bringing the best big man in the game today to their team.

Although it’s looking less and less likely that Dwight Howard is moving anywhere, there is still potential for the Lakers to make moves. 

Steve Nash

If the Knicks don’t get their hands on Chris Paul, Steve Nash could be another option.

At age 37, Nash is on the tail end of his career. Despite this, he is still one of the most competitive point guards in the NBA.

The best thing about Nash is that he can still shoot the lights out and make plays for other players.

Any team in need of a point guard for the short-term should try to make a deal for Nash.

The Phoenix Suns seem to be in more of a rebuilding phase anyway, and it could be time for them and Nash to part ways.