The NBA season is still young and this year the trade deadline could be very active, as names like Roy Hibbert, David West, Michael Carter-Williams, Zach Randolph, Amar'e Stoudemire, Chris Copeland and Rajon Rondo could be targets this season.
Copeland has recently come up in rumors regarding a trade with the Knicks, while Michael Carter-Williams was mentioned over the summer. Zach Randolph, Amar'e Stoudemire, Rajon Rondo and LaMarcus Aldridge all are heading towards free agency and also could be moved.
The Pacers have West, Roy Hibbert and George Hill as potential trade pieces and that likely will depend on how the team does without Paul George. The team added Rodney Stuckey in the offseason and lost Lance Stephenson and that could lead to a trade for some reinforcements. Hibbert had a terrible postseason and someone could look to buy low on him, while West is older but is a better player right now and could be a target for playoff teams.
The Pacers spoke with the Suns about Goran Dragic and the Pistons about Greg Monroe according to Pro Basketball Talk, but neither of those deals moved past that. Hibbert has plenty of talent, but he lost some of his edge last season and now the Pacers will try and find a way to get that back. The team lost George to that scary injury this summer and now he will be out for the year and this comes as the Pacers are about to enter play in the toughest division in the NBA.
The Celtics will have a decision to make with Rajon Rondo and while he may not be traded, there is a good chance he comes up in rumors. Rondo already did this summer with the Kings and teams like the Lakers, Knicks and Rockets all will be interested in him. According to Pro Basketball Talk, the Celtics want to see if Rondo can stay healthy this season after coming back and playing 30 games last year following his ACL surgery, while Rondo wants to see where the team is at before making a major decision on an extension.
According to Pro Basketball Talk, Carter-Williams was being shopped heavily by the Sixers last summer and that came after he won the rookie of the year award. Grantland writer Zach Lowe reports that the Sixers likely were hoping to get a deal with Williams's value higher than it might ever get. Williams had a strong season with 16.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game, but some wrote that off as a player putting up solid stats with a terrible team, which the Sixers were last season.
The Sixers drafted Joel Embiid with the third overall pick in the draft this year and there is a chance he will miss the year and that was the same thing that happened with Nerlens Noel. Williams was the best player on a very bad team in Philly last season and that is one reason why some have not looked at him as they do at other young players like Kyrie Irving and John Wall. Obviously those players have more experience, but as rookies they were seen as budding superstars, while Williams is not held in that regard.
The Cavaliers have Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson as potential options to trade and this comes as they have built a super team with LeBron James. Thompson is coming up to contract time and that could lead to a deal, while Waiters has potential and could be a target for teams. The Cavs like Timofey Mozgov to shore up their defense and that could be a move down the line for the Cavaliers.
