NBA Trade Speculation: 10 Players Likely to Be Moved After the Lockout Ends

A new collective bargaining agreement has yet to be agreed upon, and there is a lot of impatience amongst NBA fans. But part of this impatience is because we all know that we have a great offseason to look forward to. Many players are expected to be either signed or traded.

And it is trades that usually make headlines and perks interest around the league even more so than free agency (save the famous one-hour ESPN special a year ago). Here are 10 players, in no particular order, who are most likely to be traded once the NBA season is once again underway. 

10) Dwight Howard

Rumors all appear to point towards Dwight Howard leaving. It appears that he is frustrated with the Orlando Magic and wants to seek another franchise to contend with.

Howard is arguably the most dominant player in the NBA today. Combine that with the lack of good centers in the league, and there will be league-wide interest in Howard. It will remain to be seen if he will indeed leave Orlando for another home.

9) Andre Iguodala

Despite being the best player on his team, it appears that the Philadelphia 76ers are set on trading Andre Iguodala once they get a chance to do so.

Trading Iguodala would give a rebuilding 76ers team much needed cap space and allow for their young stars Evan Turner, Thaddeus Young, and Jrue Holiday to see increased playing time and develop more.

Iguodala is a lockdown defender, can drive hard to the basket, and has fairly good passing skills. He may not be accustomed to taking a No. 2 role after being the No. 1 on the 76ers, but it will be interesting to see who picks Iggy up.

8) Chris Kaman

With the Los Angeles Clippers now rebuilding around Blake Griffin, they have little need for a 29 year old injury-prone center. They will likely trade him for younger talent or equal talent at another position.

Despite Kaman’s inconsistent career, Kaman has shown that he can be a productive player when healthy, averaging 18.5 points per game in 2010-2011 when he started 76 games.

In a center-needy league, some team will welcome him with open arms onto their roster. 

7) Lamar Odom

In the last year of his contract, and at 31 years of age, it would appear reasonable for the Los Angeles Lakers to trade Lamar Odom. This is even more true if we consider that they are soon to have a new head coach in Mike Brown who may want to retool the roster to his liking.

And if the Lakers are truly considering taking Dwight Howard, they will need to cut some players and Odom may be the one to go.

Odom will have a great deal of interest around the league, as he is perhaps the league’s most versatile player. He can play virtually any position, save perhaps point guard. A team will certainly be willing to trade for Odom.

6) Rudy Gay

While he is one of the best players on the Memphis Grizzlies, after his injury the Grizzlies went on a surprising postseason run, which saw them knocking off the first-seeded San Antonio Spurs.

With that in mind, the Grizzlies may be interested in trading Gay to make room to fill another need, possibly at point guard.

Gay is a good small forward, there will surely be a great deal of interest in his skills. A trade for Gay would be very likely to go down.

5) Andrew Bynum

Many pundits expect the Lakers to make a big move sometime soon, and with Bynum’s injury history, it is likely that he will have to be moved to make room for another big player, such as Howard.

But Bynum is still one of the best centers in the league. Any team would be lucky to have him. And at only 23 years of age, he has a bright future ahead of him and may develop into a truly fine player.

4) Anderson Varejao

Anderson Varejao is a much underrated player, being solid defensively, improved offensively, and one of the best hustle players in the league.

But a hustle player is not a good fit on a Cleveland Cavaliers team that is in desperate need for rebuilding. With Mo Williams and Delonte West getting the axe, Varejao will likely be next.

A player of his energy and high effort would be a valuable addition to any team, especially a contending team, and it would make a lot of sense for Varejao to be moved once the NBA season is underway. 

3) Steve Nash

The Phoenix Suns are clearly rebuilding, and there is no real need for Steve Nash to remain with the Suns, except perhaps to appease the fans and to allow him to retire with the franchise.

But if the Suns are smart, they will trade Nash. Nash is still one of the best point guards in the NBA and he deserves to play for a contender and try to get a ring before his career ends.

Many teams could use a player of his incredible skill. While this talk comes up every season, this may finally be the year that the Suns cut their ties with the future Hall of Fame point guard. 

2) Monta Ellis

The Golden State Warriors are among the worst teams in the NBA and have holes all over their roster. Similar to the Cavs, it is in their best interest to enter a full rebuilding mode.

With that in mind, they will likely be doing without their franchise player in the future.

Monta Ellis is a poor defender, but few players have his incredible offensive talent, which can be very useful.

At only 25 years old, Ellis has a lot of developing and growing to do. He can be a franchise player elsewhere and will spark a great deal of interest throughout the NBA. 

1) Chris Paul

The New Orleans Hornets are a mess, and would also do better to trade their star player for young talent and/or draft picks. And with such a star player in Chris Paul, they will receive several calls of interest for the young player.

Paul is arguably the best point guard in the league, and his presence would make any team better. Rumors have been circulating for years about Paul being traded.

But this may finally be the season that New Orleans parts with their franchise player in favor of starting over.