NBA Trade Rumors: Top Destination for Hottest Players on the Trade Block
With the NBA season set to begin on Christmas Day, here are some of the trade rumors going around during the shortened offseason.
Rajon Rondo
Rondo's name widely circulated yesterday, and today the rumors are being denied by the Celtics. Of course, that doesn't mean he wasn't actually being offered in exchange for Chris Paul. More likely, it just means that the Celtics are trying to protect the fragile ego of their young star point guard.
It actually is in the best interest of the Celtics to move him, but the fact that they thought he would get a Chris Paul return shows they aren't being realistic in what they can get for him. Rondo runs a team nicely, but he can't make shots outside the protected area—not even from the free-throw line.
One team that would be interesting to talk to is the Lakers, who are in dire need of a point guard who can be effective, but that would be kind of like a trade between the Russians and the Americans in 1980.
Rondo will be a Celtic this year.
Josh Smith
Josh Smith is putting his own name out there, and there are apparently talks going on between the Hawks and the Timberwolves. Sometimes the most significant talks are the ones that are actually being kept off the press.
Josh Smith will probably start the season as a Minnesota Timberwolf in one of the most under-the-radar trade talks of the brief Hot Stove season.
He's dropped 30 pounds, and it seems like he's ready to play. He'll likely move to small forward in playing for Minnesota, who would probably send Michael Beasley in return.
Howard will not be with the Magic. He will not be a Laker. He will not be a Knick. He will not be a Net.
He will be a Clipper.
The bottom line is that the Clippers have better assets than any of those teams have to offer. Additionally, they have teams that are able to compete right now with the addition of Howard.
Beyond that, they also have their key players in place that are much younger.
Why would Howard play with Kobe for three years when he could play with Deron Williams or Blake Griffin for six? Both teams seem intent on getting him as well, and the bidding will go up.
Chris Paul
Paul is the hardest one to figure. However, there's a couple of things to figure, and I've been saying this since this summer—the Clippers will land both Chris Paul and Dwight Howard.
They have more assets, between their own first-round picks and Minnesota's and the absolute wealth of young talent.
They have three things to offer in getting the players to extend than no one else does as well. First, they have Blake Griffin.
Second, they have the other, i.e. Chris Paul has Dwight Howard to pass to and Howard has Chris Paul passing him the ball.
Third, they can give both max contracts and have money left to sign a high-caliber small forward like Anrei Kirelenko or Tayshaun Prince.
The Clippers could be running a starting five of Paul, Eric Gordon, Kirilenko, Griffin and Howard. Now I know the words "dynasty" and "Clippers" don't exactly roll off the tongue, but this is a realistic possibility.
