NBA Trade Speculation: Most Coveted Trade Asset from Every Team

With the NBA lockout keeping teams from doing anything related to player movement this offseason (although it has been a pretty entertaining offseason in terms of basketball-related highlights and streetball games), teams have been sitting on their plans for the future.

However, once the lockout does end, whether it be in a few weeks, a few months or even further down the line, player movement is going to be fast and furious.

Teams looking to contend for next season's title are going to be swiping up free agents like mad, and others will be looking to get the most out of some of their trade assets.

Still, every team has at least one player, contract or draft pick that they covet as an important trade asset, and it's likely that we see quite a bit of player movement in terms of trades this year just based on the volume of teams looking to either win a title, stay elite, become elite or just prepare for the future.

Because of this, I went out and found each team's most coveted trade asset.  This means I found the most valuable player on each team who also has some likelihood of being traded.  Kevin Durant would have the most trade value on the Thunder, but there is about a two percent chance that he gets traded, so he wouldn't be their most valuable trade asset, just their most valuable player.

Atlanta Hawks, Josh Smith

Josh Smith has by far been the most talked about player likely on the way out of Atlanta.

The Hawks are a very good team, and have been for a few years now, but they seem to be treading water at very good, unable to make the leap to great and join the upper-echelon of the Eastern Conference.

That, combined with the fact that Joe Johnson may be on the downside of his peak make it quite likely that Smith is shipped off for some young guns or draft picks in the near future.

Boston Celtics, Rasheed Wallace's Expiring Contract

Rasheed Wallace is like a horror movie monster or herpes, he just won't seem to go away.

Even though he retired at the end of the 2009 season, his contract is still on the Celtics' books because they have yet to buy him out (they don't have to pay him anything this way).

Now, they could keep his contract until the end of next season, at which point it would expire and give them a little wiggle room near the salary cap, but it could be a valuable chip for them.

If they look to grab a big man, something they have been desperately missing since trading away Kendrick Perkins, his expiring contract could be a big part of the deal.

Charlotte Bobcats, Boris Diaw

The Bobcats are in full-on rebuilding mode, and with any kind of respectability at least three years down the road, Boris Diaw could and should be on the move.

It's unlikely that the big Frenchman would re-sign with a team that is going to be spending the near future in the draft lottery, so they might as well get some value out of him beyond salary cap room.

His $9 million contract is cheap when you look at his ability to stretch the floor, pass, rebound and be there for every game.

Chicago Bulls, Charlotte's 2012 First Round Pick (Protected)

The Bulls don't have much in terms of trade bait that a) they would want to get rid of or b) other teams would want to trade for.

Sure, they would probably be happy to find a new home for Carlos Boozer, but there is no way they could get much value out of his hideous contract.

That leaves this measly little draft pick coming from the Bobcats that is lottery protected this year, top-12 protected next year, top-10 protected in 2014, top-eight protected in 2015 and unprotected in 2016.

It will at least pay out a first round pick at some point down the line, and if the Bobcats raise out of the basement, but don't get too good, it could result in a lottery pick before long.

Cleveland Cavaliers, Ramon Sessions

In the past year, Ramon Sessions' value skyrocketed.  Now that could either be because he finally got the playing time to show off what he can do, or he looked great in contrast of the young, unimpressive roster that surrounded him.

Sessions is a likely candidate to get shipped elsewhere, especially now that the Cavs have Kyrie Irving and Baron Davis on their point guard depth chart.

Some have speculated that Sessions could be worth a mid-level first round draft pick to the Cavs, which would help them immensely in their endeavors to get back to the top of the East.

Dallas Mavericks, Rodrique Beaubois

Most of the players that were important to the Mavericks a season ago are free agents right now, so their most important goal is re-signing them.

Then they have Jason Terry and Jason Kidd who are on the last years of their contracts, but it seems highly unlikely that they get shipped out of Dallas in the next year.

So, that leaves the few young guys on Dallas that could make something of themselves on another team where they would get more playing time.

Roddy Beaubois showed flashes of very good play a season ago, that, plus his favorable contract could mean Dallas could ship him on out if given the right offer.

Denver Nuggets, Andre Miller

The Nuggets traded away Raymond Felton for Andre Miller before the lockout shut down league operations, which netted them a higher first round pick and a second round pick in this year's draft.

Denver will likely hold on to Miller until his contract expires to give them some more cap space, but as the trade deadline comes up this season (if we have a season), contenders and borderline teams could be looking to beef up their point guard ranks, and the Nuggets have no real attachment to Miller if teams come kicking his tires.

Detriot Pistons, Ben Wallace

For as bad as the Pistons look, you would think that they have something more to offer than just Ben Wallace and his expiring contract, but they really don't.

Rip Hamilton is still a year away from becoming Rip Hamilton's expiring contract, while their younger players are unlikely to be dealt and their veteran guys are unlikely to be wanted.

That leaves the measly $2 million that Wallace would take off another team's books at the end of next season.

Golden State Warriors, Monta Ellis

This one wasn't hard to figure out, was it folks?

The only person whose name has been bandied about in more trade rumors than Monta Ellis has been Dwight Howard.

Ellis could likely be on the move, as the Warriors move ahead with a new head coach, and potentially a completely new system and mentality, so Ellis might not fit in quite as well as he used to.

Ellis would bring them back plenty in return, as there aren't many guys out there who can average around 25 points a game.

Houston Rockets, Hasheem Thabeet's Expiring Contract

Houston doesn't have much in terms of trade bait, as they have a very delicate team put together, and even the smallest tweak could spell doom, but they do have Hasheem Thabeet.

Teams have overvalued his height ever since he was drafted number two overall two years ago, even though it is plain to see that he can't play physically enough to compete in the NBA (see Blair v. Thabeet).

So, if Houston decides that he isn't worth the time to "wait" for him to develop (he is as skinny as he was two years ago), they could ship him and his $5 million contract out the door.

Indiana Pacers, James Posey's Expiring Contract

James Posey hasn't been worth the paper that his $7 million contract is printed on for the past two seasons, and I'm starting to wonder how he even got a deal worth that much money.

However, now that his deal is expiring, he is actually worth something to a team.

Posey can't shoot very well these days, plus he is becoming a progressively worse defender, so he is basically only valuable as an expiring contract.

Los Angeles Clippers, Chris Kaman

Chris Kaman's career can be boiled down to two highlights, Reggie Evans grabbing on his junk and his subsequent freak out, and his cop-out to play in the Olympics by wriggling his way onto the German team, so I find it funny that he has been valued this high.

Sure, he is a fine center and can block a shot here and there, but he has never really been a special player, and for him to be rumored in a straight up swap for Andre Iguodala shows just how valuable height is in the NBA.

With the Clippers putting their eggs into the DeAndre Jordan basket, Kaman should give them some nice value on the trade market.

Los Angeles Lakers, Andrew Bynum

All three of the Lakers big men, Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol, have been a part of a Dwight Howard trade rumor, along with Ron Artest, but Bynum is the golden goose here.

Bynum has the youth and potential combo, along with the seven-footer tag that is going to get barrels of return if they decide to deal him.

However, it seems like the only way he leaves Los Angeles is if Dwight Howard comes to LA.

Memphis Grizzlies, Rudy Gay

The likelihood that Rudy Gay gets traded isn't high, but it isn't zero either.

Gay's name has been whispered, which is probably about as loud as any trade talks actually got, but then the blogosphere took it and ran with it, turning those whispers into shouts.

If Gay doesn't fit back into the Grizzlies lineup like they had hoped, there is a chance that they start to look for a suitor for the young fellow.

Miami Heat, an Old Man's Expiring Contract

Miami overpaid for Mike Miller, won't be trading any of their big three, Udonis Haslem, Joel Anthony or Mario Chalmers (if they re-sign him), so that leaves pretty slim pickings, especially after they traded away every possible first round draft pick from here until the apes take over our country.

That leaves their tiny veteran minimum contracts that will be expiring at the end of this season, either from Zydrunas Ilgauskas or Eddie House, worth just over a million bucks.

Milwaukee Bucks, Carlos Delfino

Delfino can be a fine forward, he just can't be a starting forward like the Bucks have tried to turn him into.

With the potential that he has of being a part of a good team coming off the bench, and the small amount of commitment needed with his $3.5 million contract expiring at the end of next season, Delfino could be a very good gamble for a contender.

Minnesota Timberwolves, Michael Beasley

Now, you would think the smart thing to do for the Minnesota Timberwovles would be to keep Beasley until the trade deadline while finding out if Derrick Williams is capable of starting, but they have done some crazy things in the past few seasons.

Beasley and Williams are basically the same player, and to have them both on the same team is a bit crazy, so Minnesota would be wise to trade Beasley at the highest his trade value has been since his rookie year, now that he has shown he can behave and now that his contract is expiring.

New Jersey Nets, Houston Rockets' 2012 First Round Pick

Every bit of trade bait that the Nets are likely to deal was already dealt when they swung for the fences getting Deron Williams.

New Jersey could trade away Jordan Farmar or one of their mid-level players, but at this point, it could ruin their chances of re-signing Williams.  Or, they could go ahead and cut their losses and trade Williams himself if they are convinced that they can't re-sign the guy.

That leaves a draft pick that they got from Houston that is lottery protected through 2016, and with the Rockets treading around the bottom of the Western Conference playoff picture, they could get the most possible out of the pick.

New Orleans Hornets, Chris Paul

It goes without saying that the Hornets are going to have difficulties re-signing Chris Paul.

Paul, one of the three best point guards in the league, has had to deal with shaky ownership, and now no ownership, so getting him to stay would almost be divine intervention at this point.

In all likelihood, the Hornets will shop Paul around at the trade deadline, or sometime prior and see what they can get out of him, but they could be stubborn and take him to the offseason with hopes of re-signing him.

New York Knicks, Chauncey Billups' Expiring Contract

If the Knicks end up trying to make a deal for Chris Paul (something that would leave them with no draft picks until 2831 and Spike Lee suiting up as a back-up point guard), Chauncey Billups' $14 million contract will likely be the centerpiece.

Billups is getting old and his future with the Knicks is not a bright one, more likely they will trade him this year or let his deal expire and go for a younger guard in next season's free agent class.

Oklahoma City Thunder, Nate Robinson

Oklahoma City is pretty much set as far as their numbers one through eight players go, and the likelihood of most of them getting drafted is slim.

That leaves a few players on the fringe of their team, especially Nate Robinson and his $4.5 million expiring deal as the most likely guy to be on the move.

Orlando Magic, Dwight Howard

The cream of this year's trade speculation crop, the Dwight Howard saga could get messy in Orlando.

Howard didn't completely pull a LeBron James in last year's playoffs, he still showed up and fought his hardest, but his body language had the same dialect as LeBron's did in the 2010 playoffs.

It seems that Dwight wants to be elsewhere and the Magic may not be built to keep him, so dealing him now could be their best option.

Philadelphia 76ers, Andre Iguodala

Andre Iguodala has been rumored to be involved in more deals in the past two years or so than anyone else in NBA history in the same time span.

Iggy turned himself into an elite defender in the past year, and his trade value has gone up with that, so Philly should end up getting either a very good starter or a young guy and a high draft pick out of dealing him.

Phoenix Suns, Steve Nash

I have heard Suns fans talk endlessly about how Phoenix is going to re-sign Steve Nash when the season ends, and I believe that they can do it, but I'm not sure why they would want to.

In basketball, the most dangerous thing to do is stay in the middle of the pack, just ask the Pistons.  It hurts attendance because it is pointless to watch and it hurts the team because the best you can ask for is a mid-level draft pick unless you get lucky in the lottery.

Keeping Steve Nash on this team for another three years keeps the Suns in the middle of the pack, and worse, it makes us basketball fans have to watch Nash wallow away his final years of greatness on a mediocre team.

I like Nash and I like the Suns, but it's just time for the two to part ways.

Portland Trail Blazers, Nicolas Batum

The Portland Trail Blazers have a very interesting team.  They don't have a clear-cut superstar (although LaMarcus Aldridge is getting there), they play nine, sometimes 10 guys deep, and if it weren't for two guys with knees made out of eggshells, they would be the best team in the West.

They are unlikely to deal any of their players that play regularly because of how injury-prone they have been, but if there is one guy to go, it could be Batum.

Nicolas Batum has gotten buckets of love from the media, probably because his name is fun to say, and he may be a bit overrated at this point (not at all an attack on Batum, he's a great young talent, just not as good as the attention he gets would assume), and they could sell on him high right now.

Sacramento Kings, Jason Thompson

A guy that kind of gets lost in the fray that is the Sacramento Kings, Jason Thompson is a promising young big man.

Thompson has been used less and less over the past three years with the Kings, and now that they have JJ Hickson on their roster, he suddenly becomes expendable.

A good team could look at Thompson and the rookie contract that he is still on and see him as quite the bargain, and the Kings could look at him and see him as a way to pick up another draft pick or a young player to aid their rebuilding process.

San Antonio Spurs, Antonio McDyess

The big Tommy Davidson doppelganger is starting to get past being old, and is getting closer to over the hill in basketball years.

After starting only 16 games last season and playing only 19 minutes a contest, the Spurs could look at McDyess and his expiring contract, pair it with one of their younger players and flip it for someone who would give them immediate help.

Toronto Raptors, Jose Calderon

Toronto has done themselves a disservice by keeping Jose Calderon as long as they have.

Two years ago, you would look at Calderon and see his eye-popping assist numbers and his ability to shoot the ball and think he could grow out of this whole "no defense" thing.

Now after he has embarrassed himself on the defensive end of the floor at least once or twice a game for two seasons, it seems unlikely.

Still, Jose has some trade value as he plays one of the most important positions on the floor and plays it well (at least on one end of the game).  Hell, not being able to play defense never hurt Steve Nash.

Utah Jazz, Devin Harris

It seems like for the past two years Devin Harris has been the popular pick to be one of the comeback players, it just hasn't happened.  And maybe it won't.

Maybe Harris thrived on terrible Nets teams because there was little pressure on him to get them to win, and he was able to pick and choose his shots, as he was the best thing his team had to offer.

Now that his stats have fallen, it seems that people's opinion of him have done the same, and it doesn't seem like Utah sees him as their point guard of the future.

Washington Wizards, Andray Blatche

Andray Blatche puts up stats, that's about all you can say about this waste of basketball talent.

Blatche doesn't have a good head on his shoulders (he is not a team guy, he's more of a me-first type player) and he plain doesn't care on defense.

Still, teams can look at the 15 points and eight rebounds that he puts up and think he's worth something to them.  Not much, but still, something.

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