NBA Trade Rumors: Post All-Star Game Buzz Surrounding Top Targets

If the NBA trade market is going to heat up, then it had better get started soon.

With the All-Star Game in the rearview mirror, time's ticking for Thursday's Feb. 20 trade deadline, and the rumor mill is eerily quiet with days remaining.

Ken Berger of CBS Sports elaborates:

Trade talk at All-Star weekend has been 'as slow as it's been in a long time,' said one executive who has not received a single phone call. A lot of teams have made it known which players they are open to moving, but the problem is finding trade partners. Very few teams are willing to part with premium draft picks or take on future salary, which are the two key drivers for trades.

However, that doesn't mean there aren't a few precious scraps of rumor floating around. Here's a look at the latest buzz heading down the home stretch.


Championship Contender Searching for That Final Piece to the Puzzle

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been agonizingly close to winning an NBA championship the past few years, but ultimately, the franchise has fallen short of that goal.

As good as Kevin Durant has been since Michael Westbrook's injury, he's not going to be able to do it all by himself once the playoffs roll around. Teams can really focus on game-planning once the postseason arrives, which makes life difficult for stars without proper support.

For this reason, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports the Thunder are looking to add a shooter before the deadline:

Armed with trade exceptions, OKC has been active in search for a shooter to fortify them for title run, league sources tell Yahoo.

 Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) February 13, 2014
One player that makes plenty of sense for the Thunder is Chicago Bulls forward Mike Dunleavy, who is more of a perimeter shooter offensively than a guy who operates inside. He's averaging 11.1 points per game this season and has a history of shooting well behind the arc.


Potential Playoff Contender Dreams of Evan Turner

The Charlotte Bobcats are currently hanging on to the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 23-30, but it's by a mere thread. The Detroit Pistons are just one-half game behind, and the New York Knicks are 2.5 games behind.

Charlotte has never before made it into the postseason, so it's not surprising that the team is reportedly interested in acquiring a key addition to assist its playoff push, per Berger:

The Charlotte Bobcats, clinging to the eighth playoff spot in the East, will be aggressive buyers at the deadline, league sources say. The team's interest in Sixers guard Evan Turner is real. Philadelphia GM Sam Hinkie wants a first-round pick for Turner (and the same for Spencer Hawes). The Bobcats can offer their Detroit pick if they're serious about making a push.

This is a deal Philadelphia would love to make, as Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer recently reported, "The 76ers' focus in the days leading up to Thursday's NBA trade deadline is acquiring draft picks, according to an Eastern Conference executive."

The second overall pick of the 2010 NBA draft, Evans has been slow to develop, but he's having his finest campaign as a pro in his fourth season. He's averaging 17.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and one steal per contest.

Adding a player of his caliber to Charlotte's roster would significantly improve the team's chances of finally breaking through with a playoff appearance.


Conflicting Reports on Veteran Guard Andre Miller and the Denver Nuggets

Andre Miller hasn't played for the Denver Nuggets since Dec. 30, 2013, when he got into an argument with coach Brian Shaw, but there's a rumor that the team could bring him back.

Berger has the scoop:

Facing a difficult trade market and a glaring hole at the point guard position, Nuggets officials worked out the banished Andre Miller this week and are considering bringing him back, league sources told CBSSports.com.

Shaw appears ready to bury the hatchet.

"I've always said I can coach any player who is willing to play and do what's best for the team overall," Shaw said, via Terry Frei of The Denver Post. "So if he's willing to do what's best for the team overall, I'm willing to coach him."

However, while Denver could certainly use the help with Ty Lawson and Nate Robinson both out with injuries Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports paints a different picture:

'The vibe is delusional,' the source said. 'It's a burned bridge. No reconciliation. He's waiting by the door with his bag already packed. The relationship is irreparable. Under no circumstances does he want to come back to Denver.'

Fractured relationships are never easy to deal with, and it seems this one is turning into a complicated mess. In this situation, it appears Miller holds the advantage. Per Berger, he's lost 12 pounds since late December and looks to be in terrific shape.

Rather than try to sign a player who doesn't want to play, the Nuggets might be better off looking elsewhere for their point guard help.

Source: Bleacherreport
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Do the Miami Heat Need a Trade Before the Deadline?

The Miami Heat are a team with blemishes. It shows its age like Al Pacino and could make a Denny's waitress cringe with its lack of effort sometimes.

To fill in the cracks, the Heat are in the market to make a move, as Grantland's Zach Lowe reports.

And should be.

Miami is prepared to waive either Roger Mason Jr. or Toney Douglas to open up a roster spot. The Heat had real interest in Andrew Bynum before Indiana struck, and if they can’t find anything via trade, they’ll monitor the buyout market for guys like [Emeka] Okafor (unlikely to play at all this season, sadly) and Caron Butler.

Partly due to its lack of size and nagging injuries, the Heat won last season's NBA Finals by the brown of their guacamole.

This season, the injury palmetto bug could play a factor again and a monster is threatening in Indiana.

Defense has been the primary concern for Miami and the Heat admittedly have not been up to snuff, with Shane Battier going as far to say "the other team has a full menu of what they want to get—paint shots, three's, transition” after a January loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

Miami ranks 16th in the NBA in points allowed per possession but rank first in the NBA in points per possession on offense. They lead (by far) in many shooting categories, including field-goal percentage, true shooting and effective field-goal percentage.

But they have to score like that because they aren't winning as often on defense. On the spectrum of NBA teams, the Heat are closer to the Portland Trail Blazers than the Oklahoma City Thunder. If you go by the stats, that is.

So let's get back to those cracks.

Power forward? More like...

If you subscribe to the theory that teams should have three solid big men in the rotation, then you see that Miami has a sink hole at power forward.

Udonis Haslem is getting the Juwan Howard treatment. The dude barely plays and, when he does, could be mistaken for a zombie extra on The Walking Dead.

Miami may not have been expecting Haslem's almost-overnight decline from respectable rotation guy to absolute liability (although he seemed overmatched at times during last season's title run).

Haslem's decline
Season MPG REB  PPG Net Rating
2011-12 24.8          7.3  6.0     4.3
2012-13 18.8          5.4  3.9    11.9
2013-14 12.6          2.8  2.7  -13.2
NBA.com

The Chris Bosh-Chris Andersen-Haslem trio worked out nicely enough to win two championships, each piece crucial to the limited front-court rotation.

Yes, the Heat play small for the most part, but Battier shouldn't be guarding 4's all season long or else we could see a repeat of his shivering performance in last season's playoffs.

Greg Oden is a work in progress with the emphasis on "progress" but should be more of a plumber's wrench than a screwdriver (translation: he should be used in certain circumstances, but isn't always the go-to option) as he continues to get back in playing shape.

So a neo-Haslem becomes Miami's biggest need. Having a legitimate 4 who can hit a mid-range shot and attack the boards for 10-15 minutes a game would do wonders for the Heat's rotation. It would let them move Battier around a bit more, sit Andersen when he gets in foul trouble and fatten up the roster.

What’s the move?

One problem is that the Heat don't have much to offer on the trading floor. Miami has already dealt away future picks and doesn’t have many trade-friendly contracts.

For Miami to add someone, they will likely have to piggyback on another trade like the deal between the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics for Toney Douglas or dig up some treasure on the buyout market like they did with Andersen.

As Lowe wrote, the Heat could go with Okafor should he become available. Glen Davis in Orlando, Brandon Bass in Boston, Cleveland's Anderson Varejao and any of the power forwards buried on Sacramento's roster are some names to watch, too.

The Philadelphia 76ers also seem open for business, and Spencer Hawes or Thaddeus Young would look nice in a Heat uniform. Although both of those are a stretch since Miami doesn’t have the contracts to match up.

One option could be in Denver if the Nuggets are open to dealing the “Manimal," Kenneth Faried, who is still working on a rookie-scale contract.

Via David Aldridge of NBA.com: “There's been a lot of smoke around the league that Denver's made Faried available in trade talk. The Nuggets, of course, deny it, which means it's likely true.”

The Nuggets could use a point guard with Nate Robinson out for the season with a torn ACL. However, Miami's only tradable point guard is Mason (since Douglas can't be dealt until two months after being traded). Even if they throw in some trade exception and a future pick, that probably isn't enough to get the Nuggets to bite. The more likely way Pat Riley gets Faried is in a three-team deal.

It looks like Miami's best bet is to wait and see who gets bought out after other teams do some dealing.

The Heat have a void at power forward that widens in direct relationship to how well the Pacers play. Finding a third big man is paramount, as both teams seem to be on a crash course for the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Heat needed everything they could get from their bigs against Indiana in last year's conference finals, including 17 points from Haslem in Game 3 of that series, and may need even more in this year's playoffs against an even stouter Pacers team.

Adding a third big at the deadline, either by trade or the buyout market, could help stamp Miami’s ticket back to the NBA Finals.

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Orlando Magic's 2014 Trade Deadline Shopping List

Since Dwight Howard forced his way out, the Orlando Magic have been reformatting their roster like a savvy investor accumulating assets of potential and buying power.

However, the Magic still have some leftovers from those competitive Howard teams, specifically Jameer Nelson and Glen Davis. If Orlando can get the right returns, those players should be moved.

Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reports that the Magic are not actively shopping right now but would be willing to trade for a first-round pick or rookie-scale players:

The Magic could and likely will change course as the deadline and the offers get real, but don't be surprised if Orlando sits out the trade deadline and makes their moves around the draft to jockey for better position or to swap veterans for better fitting rookie scale players. Magic guard Arron Afflalo is the top incoming request; however, it seems unless moving Afflalo yields another lottery pick or a means to thin out the roster, the Magic may pass.

Kyler adds that this was the approach the Magic took last season in dealing J.J. Redick less talking, more listening.

Redick left a void for a three-point shooting specialist on the Magic roster. A young one could entice general manager Rob Hennigan.

Also on the shopping list for Hennigan should be a young point guard to swap Nelson for, a power forward who can stand out among the Magic's crowded position and more draft picks for Hennigan to (I apologize in advance for this next one) "work his Magic" with.

Let's take a more in-depth look at these needs and some potential deals that could be made by the trade deadline on February 20.

 

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The 1 Trade Deadline Deal the Los Angeles Lakers Have to Make

The 2013-14 NBA season has been a lost year for the Los Angeles Lakers, but with the trade deadline looming, the organization has one deal it simply must make work.
According to ESPN's Marc Stein, the Phoenix Suns have become serious suitors for Pau Gasol:
Sources told ESPN.com that the Suns, among the options being weighed as part of their well-chronicled desire to acquire an established player as they make an unexpected playoff push this season, have been exploring the feasibility of trading for the Lakers' four-time All-Star.
Stein goes on to explain how this fantasy in the desert could become a reality for both franchises:
One option for the Suns, by virtue of their $5.6 million in available salary-cap space, is swapping the expiring contract of injured big man Emeka Okafor for Gasol, even though Okafor's $14.5 million salary this season falls well shy of Gasol's $19.3 million.
In theory, the trade makes sense for both parties, but unfortunately for L.A., recent events have shut down communication between the two sides.

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Atlanta Hawks' 2014 Trade Deadline Shopping List

The 2014 NBA trade deadline, scheduled on February 20, is rapidly approaching. The Atlanta Hawks, like every team in the league, will be making phone calls these next couple of weeks in search of potential moves that will improve their squad.
The Hawks have played surprisingly well since the loss of Al Horford, thanks mainly to the strong play of first-time All-Star Paul Millsap.
Currently, the Hawks are 25-21, good enough for third in the Eastern Conference. They have made it clear that they still want to contend for a title even after the loss of Horford, given that most of the conference seems committed to tanking for the 2014 NBA draft.
There are a few possible trades that could benefit the team if they want to remain committed to this winning path.

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