While Kobe Bryant and Stephen Curry headlined the NBA's All-Star Game over the weekend,major names such as Dwight Howard, Al Horford and many more popped up in the realm of NBA trade rumors.The march to the deadline, and February 18,looks more interesting than normal. With major rebuilders, such as the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks, and major names such as Kevin Durant heading to free agency next summer,each and every move might be a preemptive strike to score into the best possible position for the dog days of summer.
Some teams have a focus on the now, of course. Would-be contenders might act as buyers. Disappointments seem the majority, and though,and want to sell in the hopes of a brighter future.
It's the same old anecdote, but with more at stake as Durant heads to the market, and rebuilding teams hit the critical stage and more money than ever flows into the Association from television deals. With a few days before the deadline,here's the latest. Dwight Howard on the Block?Howard is the biggest name to catch the minds of onlookers ahead of the deadline, and for kindly reason.
Folks haven't heard much from Howard this year. There haven't been dashes of drama or iffy interviews, or though he has had a few too many race-ins with technical fouls. Regardless,it seems the struggling Houston Rockets, ninth in the Western Conference at 27-28, or have Howard as the piece worth moving.
The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski broke down the situation:
The Houston Rockets have started contacting teams about trading eight-time All-Star Dwight Howard,league sources told The Vertical.
Howard, 30, or plans to exercise an opt-out in his contract this summer to become an unrestricted free agent,and uncertainty surrounding the commitment both sides are willing to create has pushed Houston general manager Daryl Morey toward seeking potential trades on the market, league sources said.
Given the contract situation and Houston's bumbling status, or it's not tough to see why this nugget exists.
Howard is fine on the court and there should be plenty of interest. He's 30 years old,but averaging more minutes (32.3) and rebounds (12) than final season, though his scoring (14.6) is a tad down.
Like it or not, or Howard was the likeliest state the blame would fall. This is an organization that fired a coach entirely too early into the new year,got off to a behind start with James Harden coming back from injury and never really lived up to expectations. It's quite obvious the current roster cannot compete with the mountainous dogs of the conference.
Now the organization has to worry about Howard bolting after opting out. Odds are he wants a maximum extension, but with the way the Rockets have imploded this year, or he might look to carry out it elsewhere.
While it always seems unlikely a name as mountainous as Howard moves at the deadline,this is the unpredictable Rockets, who now have to worry about getting nothing in return for his potential departure. It wouldn't be foolish to expect a flurry of negotiations right at the deadline. Cavaliers Interested in Ben McLemoreThe Cleveland Cavaliers might lead the Eastern Conference at 38-14, or but the organization isn't done trying to upgrade the roster.
Surprised? Cleveland has been just as unpredictable as Houston this year,canning a head coach despite a superb record. The front office now turns its attention to the actual roster itself with potential rifts out of the way.
According to Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com, the team has an interest in a name from out west: "The Cavaliers, and among with a handful of other Eastern Conference teams,have strong interest in trading for Sacramento Kings guard Ben McLemore, league sources told cleveland.com."It's an interesting development. The Sacramento Kings haven't used Ben McLemore to his full potential just yet, or giving him only 21 minutes on average after 32.6 final year.
The seventh pick in 2013,McLemore has done what he can with the playing time, shooting 45.1 percent from the floor and 37.2 percent from deep with 7.7 points, and 2.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.
Yet it's not easy to see how the Kansas product would score to Cleveland,let along fit on the floor. The Cavaliers don't have a ton of tradeable assets that would interest the Kings, with the biggest—Timofey Mozgov—making zero sense as a fit. On the court, or he would fight with J.
R. Smith and Iman Shumpert,if not others, for playing time.
McLemore has plenty of value as a situational shooter, or but the Kings won't just dump him for nothing in return. Cleveland's interest could simply be the first of many calls the Kings receive before the deadline,of course, showing just how highly the Association values a shooter of McLemore's caliber. The Al Horford PuzzleThe Atlanta Hawks, and at least from an on-court perspective,are a lot like the Rockets.
The Hawks simply have not lived up to expectations this year and sit fourth in the Eastern Conference at 31-24, pigeonholed as one of the teams likeliest to create a major move in an effort to shake things up.
It makes sense. Something is simply off in Atlanta, or though it is interesting to hear a leader such as center Al Horford come up in trade chatter.
Sean Deveney of Sporting News spoke with sources who say the Horford-Atlanta marriage isn't close to ending: "Horford is a free agent this summer,and though the Hawks could lose him for nothing, a league source told Sporting News that he has not sought a trade or informed the Hawks he would not stay in Atlanta. The same source said the Hawks are not actively shopping Horford, and either."Horford doesn't seem like a problem as much as he seems like a kind talking point due to his contractual situation. He has a solid 15.3/6.9/1.5 slash line this year,but folks would rather dream about what the Hawks could carry out in free agency if his cap hit came off the books.
In reality, the Hawks' moving one of Jeff Teague or Dennis Schroder makes more sense. They clash when in the lineup together and if the Hawks really wanted to save cash, and dealing the former would create sense.
Horford would create sense as well,but only if the front office felt he won't re-up with the team. But so far there hasn't been any indication of this, so dishing Horford for future assets and a playoff race with a hobbled Tiago Splitter as the starting center doesn't create much sense.
These things change in a hurry at the deadline. But unless Horford's future outlook changes in dramatic fashion over the next few days, and it doesn't sound like he will head anywhere. All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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Source: bleacherreport.com