The NBA’s Trade Deadline is just two days away. As part of Sportsnet.ca’s Deadline coverage, here’s a look at 20 names being discussed in trade talks around the league.
The Game Changers
Players who can alter the course of a team’s 2013-14 season and potentially impact the franchise’s long-term path.
Pau Gasol: The biggest name with a realistic shot of being moved, Gasol has been the subject of trade rumours at every deadline for, without any exaggeration, forever. But this year, with the Lakers clearly out of playoff contention and the four-time all star counting the days to free agency, it might be amicable for both sides to finally part ways. Gasol is still a dominant force in the paint, putting up numbers right in line with his career averages (or better as he’s averaged 21 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 blocks per over his last 10 games), and can help suitors in the boardroom as well, as his mammoth $19-million contract comes off the books at seasons’ end.
Kyle Lowry: Earlier in the season, it seemed a near-certainty that the Raptors’ point guard, whose contract also expires at the end of the season, would be moved as part of Masai Ujiri’s rebuilding plan (a reported deal with the New York Knicks shortly following the Rudy Gay trade in December did nothing to dissuade that notion). But given Lowry’s all-star calibre play and his integral role in the Raptors’ resurgence this season, it’s more likely the team rolls the dice and tries to bring him back free agency.
Kevin Love: It’s very unlikely that Love, a first-time all-star starter, will be dealt by Thursday. But another poor season surrounded by sub-par talent in Minnesota could have the big man looking to opt out of his contract as soon as possible and leave the Timberwolves looking to get something for him before he does. With that in mind, you’d have to think first-year GM Milt Newton will have a tough decision to make should the right offer come along.
Rajon Rondo: While Rondo is a current-and-future cornerstone at the point guard position, trading him would undoubtedly land the Celtics a combination of young pieces and draft picks that would help their rebuilding effort considerably. It will take a lot for GM Danny Ainge to give up the one-of-a-kind guard, but if Rondo can return to form after coming back from surgery, he could attract exactly that.
Thaddeus Young: On the right team (read: Phoenix), Young has a real chance at becoming a breakout star this season. That’s not going to happen in Philadelphia and the seventh-year forward, who could provide the 76ers with a lucrative return, has already expressed his disappointment at playing on the NBA’s worst team.
Valuable Pieces
Players in bad situations with the potential to make a meaningful impact—this season and beyond—on the right team.
Greg Monroe: It’s safe to say by now that the Detroit Pistons experiment in stacking bigs was a failure—with the firing of head coach Mo Cheeks as glaring evidence. It’s too soon for GM Joe Dumars to pull the plug on the max deal he handed Josh Smith last summer and Andre Drummond is clearly the NBA’s next dominant big man (after Anthony Davis). That leaves Monroe, still just 23 and with a huge ceiling, as the odd man out.
Jeff Teague: In the weeks before he got hurt earlier this season, it often looked like Teague belonged in the “Game Changers” group above. The 25-year-old point guard may have just signed a long-term deal in Atlanta, but his name has surfaced in trade rumours over the past week, including as part of a three-team trade with the Raptors, according to ESPN.
Eric Gordon: It’s no secret the New Orleans Pelicans are trying to shed Gordon and the $29 million owed to him over the next two seasons. Frankly, since the shooting guard came to New Orleans as part of the Chris Paul trade with the Clippers, the union has been a disaster. In Gordon’s first season, he played only nine games due to injury and openly voiced his hope the then-Hornets wouldn’t match an offer sheet from the Phoneix Suns. They did, which was pretty awkward. Yet, at only 25, Gordon has stayed healthy this season and still has the ability to live up to the flashes of potential he showed in Los Angeles.
Dion Waiters: If I were a GM (and, just so we’re clear, I’m not), I wouldn’t go anywhere near Waiters. Yes, he’s very talented and isn’t afraid to take a big shot—as this weekend’s 31 points in the Rising Stars Challenge showed—but he has been associated with locker-room feuds and clashes with coaches since he was drafted. Still, he’s one of the more attainable players out there, so there’s no doubt that more than a few teams will be willing to wager a change of scenery gets Waiters on the right track.
Luol Deng: The Cavs are a mess right now, and with a new GM in place, you’d expect nearly the whole roster to be in play at the deadline. That includes recently acquired swingman
Luol Deng, whose expiring contract and proven stature as a peripheral star in this league (that’s a compliment) will be as valuable to other teams as they were to Cleveland just last month.
Iman Shumpert: Another player who could benefit from a change of scenery and a more defined role, Shumpert hasn’t developed like New York hoped, and the Knicks will be desperate to do something to help right the ship.
Evan Turner: Turner probably shouldn’t be one of your leading go-to scorers, a role he currently fills in Philadelphia, but he does bring a ton of ability on both ends of the floor.
Harrison Barnes: On All-Star Weekend, Barnes mentioned that he had difficulty adjusting to coming off the bench in Oakland this season. So, naturally, we can all assume that he’s miserable and wants out. The Warriors have reportedly been fielding calls about Barnes, but it would take a king’s ransom to pry the sophomore from them.
Spencer Hawes: A versatile seven-footer, Hawes is enjoying a career year, though he’s unlikely to be a part of the Sixers’ future plans.
The Playoff Pushers
Veterans capable of filling a defined roll and strengthening the rotation of a current playoff contender.
Rodney Stuckey: While it never really worked out in Detroit, Stuckey is perfectly suited for a Jamal Crawford-style role as a scoring flex guard off the bench for a playoff team.
Gary Neal: Playoff-proven with a skill-set—three-point shooting—that never gets old.
Anderson Varejao: Instant defense and energy off the bench.
Brandon Bass: Bass has playoff experience and his mid-range game and ability to crash the boards make him valuable off the bench.
Andre Miller: Miller has been adamant about being moved, citing his undefined role in Denver, and it appears the Nuggets have no choice but to appease him.
Omer Asik: After averaging a double-double in thirty minutes a game for the Houston Rockets last season, Asik has been expendable since the Dwight Howard signing. He’s averaging a paltry four points and 6.5 rebounds in just over 17 minutes a game this season, and he’s owed a hefty $8 million in 2014-15, but a team in need of size up the middle will happily overlook all of that.