NBA Trade Rumors: Ranking the Most Likely In-Season Trades

With only a few days left before the season starts on Christmas Day, it's that time to take note of which teams could possibly end up looking plenty different at the end of the year when compared to what they were at beginning of the season.

Thankfully for us, Chris Paul has already been traded and is now well-situated on a Los Angeles Clippers team that is already showing signs of improvement despite not even having the season start. Since Paul is traded, we no longer have to speculate on that matter and we can instead focus all of our attention on a few other stars that could end up somewhere else by the end of the year.

Whether the team doesn't need their services or the player is demanding a trade, these five players should see themselves on the move within the year if all pans out correctly. There usually has been a great deal of speculation surrounding these players and they should see it come to an end if their organizations are willing enough to send them to a different location.

These five players could be on the move, so don't get too used to their teams' current rosters.

Kevin Martin

With the Houston Rockets having already attempted to move him in a deal involving bringing in Pau Gasol, Kevin Martin still might be a trade chip in order for them to obtain an All-Star that's capable of putting the team over the top.

Martin averaged 24 points, three boards and three assists per while converting two three-pointers per game on 38 percent shooting, but he lacks a number of key intangibles that could have brought Houston an eighth seed last year. Aside from scoring inside and out, Martin lacks any sort of strengths elsewhere as he's been mostly recognized as a pure scorer.

Despite playing in 33 minutes worth of game time, the team having no post presence to grab boards, and playing at a position that also bears the responsibility of facilitating an offense, Martin managed to only average a little less than three boards and three assists per. It just goes to show how one-dimensional of a player he is, especially when you consider how weak of a defender he is.

Martin isn't meant to be the leader of the Houston Rockets. The team needs another Yao Ming or Tracy McGrady, not a player who can score a lot and then do nothing else. Teams that lack a scorer would love to have a player like Martin on their team, and they might be willing to give up pieces that are capable of leading a team like the Rockets out of mediocrity.

Monta Ellis

Always at the center of trade rumors, Golden State Warriors shooting guard Monta Ellis may have actually seen his trade stock drop before the 2011-12 season has even started.

This isn't as insignificant as a mo-ped accident; Ellis is now facing potential jail time after being accused of sexual harassment by a former Golden State Warriors employee. The employee, Erika Ross Smith, is accusing Ellis of sending her lewd texts as well as plain harassing her over the duration of her time with the club.

Smith has done previous work with the Washington Wizards and Phoenix Suns with no complaints or comments from either franchise.

It was difficult enough for the Warriors to move Ellis in order to find a solid defender, but this latest case may be too much for interested teams to handle.

Even though he's averaged 25 and 24 points per game over the past two seasons and emerged as one of the league's top scorers, Monta may find himself on the Warriors for the rest of the season depending on how these allegations transpire.

Chris Kaman

Acquired in the trade that sent Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers, center Chris Kaman joins the New Orleans Hornets alongside other former Clippers in Eric Gordon and Al-Farouq Aminu.

Kaman was a member of the historic 2003 NBA draft that featured the likes of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh going in the top five. Chris was the sixth pick of that draft and has failed to live up to the expectations due to persistent and nagging injuries that have continued to hamper him as recent as last season.

Last year, the 28-year-old Kaman played in only 35 games and averaged 12 points and seven boards in the short time he played. With DeAndre Jordan filling in for him and playing terrific defense while showing off his athleticism, the Clippers immediately cut their losses and traded Kaman in order to pair Jordan up with Chris Paul.

Kaman's injuries have caused him to never achieve the heights that he could have reached. He's played in fewer than 57 games in three of the past four years and has played in 32 games or less in two of the past three seasons. The one year he was healthy, the 2009-10 campaign, Kaman had a career year where he averaged 19 points to go along with nine boards per.

He has the capability to be a terrific presence on both sides of the ball, but with injury concerns, the team already possessing Emeka Okafor as their starting center, and Kaman having a contract that expires in July, the Hornets may attempt to trade him before he becomes a free agent in order to secure some more pieces to build around.

Brook Lopez

Involved in trade rumors with a player that we will soon mention, the New Jersey Nets are highly interested in the idea of moving center Brook Lopez.

Since being taken 10th in the 2008 draft, Lopez has been a formidable offensive threat that just recently averaged a career high of 20 points per game on 49 percent shooting. While the shooting percentage is a tad low for a center that stands at 7' and weighs in at 260 pounds, take note that he finds a large number of his points from the mid-range as well as in the post.

Perhaps the best sight to see is the fact that Lopez has played in all 82 games in every season thus far, including starting in all 82 for the past two years.

However, there are obvious reasons as to why Lopez is being shopped. Take a look at his rebounding numbers from last season and you'll see why. At only six boards per, Lopez rivaled Toronto Raptors big man Andrea Bargnani as the league's worst rebounding starting center. Unlike Bargnani, however, Lopez doesn't even spend his time on the perimeter.

In other words, Lopez is fearful of being physical and it explains why he only averaged six rebounds per game.

Lopez will be valued for his offense and his health, but his defense and rebounding will definitely come into question for any team that's looking to possibly trade for him.

Dwight Howard

Of course Dwight Howard is at the top of this list—he's been tied at number one with Chris Paul since the lockout ended.

With Chris Paul actually moved, Howard can now assume the role as the most talked about trade chip on the block. Dwight has been linked to a number of teams, including the New Jersey Nets, Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers.

So far, the Nets have been the only team to actively go after Howard as a deal that was proposed actually went through up until it reached Magic ownership where it was denied. The deal would have involved the Portland Trail Blazers as well, and would have sent Brook Lopez, Gerald Wallace and a few other players to the Magic, while Dwight Howard goes to New Jersey.

The deal was rejected, but that doesn't mean the trade rumors won't stop. Howard has already announced that he's ready to listen to any trade offer and that his name is definitely not off of the trade block.

Dwight has become one of the league's most dominant players thanks in part to his size and athleticism. At 6'11" and 240 pounds of solid muscle, Howard is one of the most intimidating post presences and players in the league. He can shut down the paint on defense and could just as easily control it on offense if the Magic attempted to run the ball through him.

Howard has grown frustrated with the way the team has been run and is frustrated that the organization has not improved since he led the squad to the 2009 NBA Finals. With little improvements being made, Howard is looking to go the route of Chris Paul by being traded. Since he becomes a free agent next offseason, it may be in the best interest for Otis Smith to trade him now while he can still be compensated.

Smith was asked in the Magic's preseason against the Miami Heat about the prospect of trading Howard. He responded that he's "not entertaining anything at the moment, we like our team, we like the team we have on the floor, and we'd like to have Dwight in a Magic uniform for a long time."

Trust me, I think all of Orlando wants to have Dwight Howard in a Magic uniform for the long term. It just might be in the best interest to either trade him or find some pieces that can make the Magic championship ready.