NBA Rumors Roundup: Dwight Howard to Lakers, Tyson Chandler to Nets and More

There are a number of NBA trade rumors involving Chris Paul and Dwight Howard, but free agency is also around the corner and a plethora of teams will be looking to improve the roster prior to the season getting underway.

While the crop of talent this offseason doesn't match the star-studded class lined up for 2012, there are still plenty of players who can add talent to the right group and really make a bigger impact than some might imagine.

Which veteran pickup will help a contending team get over the hump?

Will an under the radar player wind up looking like a huge bargain?

Nick Young

Young is going to be one the most attractive targets for teams looking to upgrade the shooting guard position this offseason, but as a restricted free agent, the Wizards have the chance to match any offer.

Although Washington's "first priority" is to re-sign Young, there are several other teams in the hunt for his services: Chicago, New Orleans and Denver.

If the Nuggets can re-sign Arron Afflalo (also a restricted free agent), Denver might drop out of the running, but Young makes a ton of sense for the Hornets.

He would also fit with the Bulls if and only if the team can find a way not to jeopardize future cap flexibility in the process.

Marc Gasol

There might be a long list of teams that could all certainly use an upgrade in the middle in the form of Gasol, but it was a remote possibility to begin with, and the odds of him leaving the Grizzlies just aren't strong.

As a restricted free agent, Memphis has the right to match any offer he receives, and team owner Michael Heisley made it rather clear that he's "committed" to Gasol for the future.

The Grizzlies have a ton of cap space and will not have any issue fitting Gasol's next contract under the cap. This is a team that should continue from where it left off last season.

Michael Redd

Redd has torn his ACL in the same knee twice over the last two seasons, and there's almost no doubt that he's going to have to settle for a one-year, incentive-laden contract.

That makes him an ideal target for competitive teams looking to shop in the bargain bin and need scoring help in the second unit, so it makes sense that he's drawn interest from Boston, Miami, Chicago and New York.

He was rumored to be contemplating signing a deal with an "Eastern Conference contender" back in August, and all four of the listed clubs fit that description to varying degrees.

Ersan Ilaysova

Ilyasova didn't wait long during the lockout to take his game overseas, and upon arriving with his new club was fairly adamant that he didn't want to return to Milwaukee.

However, barring an "unforeseen development," the forward is expected to be with the Bucks for the upcoming season as he is still under contract through 2012.

The Bucks could definitely look to use him as trade bait should the team feel he doesn't fit into this season's plans, as his price tag comes at a low cost of $2.5 million.

Caron Butler

Butler had a tough season as he had to watch his team win a championship while he was sidelined with a knee injury for the year, and there's every reason to believe he's looking to return to the court extremely motivated.

Although a return to Dallas hasn't been distinctly ruled out, six teams have already expressed interest in Butler, and among those clubs listed, the Clippers stick out as a particularly intriguing destination.

The club definitely has interest in bringing him onto the roster as Al-Farouq Aminu doesn't seem ready to take over the starting job quite yet, and Butler would add an element of toughness to the starting five that the team could definitely use.

One team not listed within the group of six is Milwaukee, and although the Bucks reached out to his agent, he doesn't fit as well on the roster as he does in other locations.

UPDATE: Butler's "preferred destinations" include the Bulls and Clippers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

Shawne Williams

Williams had a surprisingly good season for the Knicks last year, and that has led to a variety of teams showing some thought about bringing him aboard.

In addition to New York; Miami, Chicago and New Jersey could all use the former first-round pick, but Williams has already said on several occasions that he'd like to return to the Knicks.

There is believed to be "mutual interest" between the two parties, so if Williams is only looking for a return to New York, it shouldn't take long to get something done.

Jamal Crawford

Crawford is a really intriguing free agent because of how volatile his stock is around the league, and there are a number of teams that have a higher grade on him than others.

Eight teams contacted Crawford's camp already: the Lakers, Nets, Hornets, Bulls, Heat, Mavs, Suns and Trail Blazers.

While not all of those teams will be able to afford Crawford as he is one of the more attractive scoring options, it would certainly appear as if he'll have a long list of options to choose from.

Josh Smith

The lockout didn't change much for Smith, who reportedly would still like a deal out of Atlanta after the team had gauged interest in him around the league prior to the 2011 draft.

The Hawks have been between a rock and a hard place in an effort to get over the hump, and it certainly seems like the club is ticketed for another early exit out of the postseason without the ability to do much on the free-agent market this offseason.

With two seasons and about $25 million left on his deal, Smith could appeal to a variety of teams looking for help along the front line and also possess both available cap space and real assets in return.

Dwight Howard

The Howard rumors just aren't going to subside. Period.

This is a once in a generation type of center, and it's not a surprise whatsoever to see a long list of teams willing to part with a bounty in order to bring him onto the team.

However, it's long been thought that Howard would prefer to go to Los Angeles, but the team didn't feel comfortable trading Andrew Bynum in return.

Now, the Lakers are willing to include Bynum in the "right deal," and make no mistake about it: that deal is for Howard.

DeAndre Jordan

Jordan is a really promising 23-year-old center prospect for a team willing to bank on his potential, and the Clippers seem willing to do exactly that.

He flashed legitimate signs of contributing last year when Chris Kaman was sidelined by averaging 7.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks as a starter in less than 30 minutes of playing time per game. It's not surprising to uncover that the team is prepared to match any offer sheet he might receive.

Kaman's contract expires after the season, so the team could definitely look to deal him to another club looking for a short-term solution in the middle.

Tyson Chandler

Chandler is doing his best to enter the offseason by posturing himself for a serious payday, and he's been on the record a couple of times now saying that he's far from a certainty to return to Dallas.

He said that he wouldn't commit to staying following the team's championship run back in June, and now with less than a month to go until the regular season gets underway, Chandler said that he's expecting to enter training camp with a new team.

It's clear that Chandler is doing his best to capitalize on a career year and force Mark Cuban's hand into paying him in the manner which he's seeking, and with New Jersey set to court him as well, he won't have an issue finding a multi-year deal to his liking.