The NBA offseason is coming and that means trade rumors around the league and names like Omer Asik, Kevin Love, Rajon Rondo, Jeremy Lin, Greg Monroe, David Lee, Josh Smith, Deron Williams, Jeff Green, Kenneth Faried, Arron Afflalo and LaMarcus Aldridge all could be on the trading block in potential deals, as teams like the Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, NY Knicks, LA Lakers, Clippers and Nets could be active with trades this summer.
The big names like Rajon Rondo, Kevin Love and LaMarcus Aldridge will continue to come up until the three sign eventual extensions or new contracts and this year things could get chaotic at the trade deadline if all three are not locked in yet. According to ESPN.com, Love is looking at the Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls as top options, but the Timberwolves have said they do not want to trade Love yet. Either way, Love likely will be hitting the 2015 free agent market.
Greg Monroe could be on his way out in Detroit, as reports from Pro Basketball Talk say that Stan Van Gundy could look to move him and Josh Smith while keeping Andre Drummond. Smith's contract will make things tough and Monroe is about to be a restricted free agent this offseason. Smith is making $13.5 million per season and is an all or nothing player scoring wise and that could make him hard to move. Players like Afflalo, Green and Faried could also be major targets for teams, especially if they miss out on the big names.
The Warriors players have been mentioned as potential destination for Love and they have the assets to make a move if they feel like working one out, as they have Klay Thompson, David Lee and Harrison Barnes along with Draymond Green and that could drastically alter the team for Stephen Curry. Steve Kerr just took over for the fired Mark Jackson and he is excited about his team and he likely would be even more excited if Love gets traded to Oakland. The Timberwolves have said publically that they do not want to trade Love, but Pro Basketball Talk reports that behind closed doors they are getting ready for a move.
The Rockets and the Bulls want to trade for Love as well and if they miss out on him, some other targets include Carmelo Anthony as a free agent and Rajont Rondo for Houston. The Rockets are looking to add Anthony, Love or Rondo this offseason, as they feel they have a chance to make a championship run with their own Big 3 with James Harden, Dwight Howard and whoever they can get. The Rockets need to make moves before any of that can happen, as Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik are each making a ton of money and since they are in the last years of their contracts, they likely will be traded. That will free up some space and the Rockets also have a huge decision on the option for Chandler Parsons and that could affect how the team tries to acquire one of those stars.
