The NBA trade deadline may be more than two months away (Feb.19), but the league is already buzzing with rumors. A lot of big-name players have been mentioned as candidates to be headed elsewhere making things interesting with no team in the NBA having played 30 games this season.
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According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, trade discussions are running rampant in the NBA right now which is unusual for this early in the season:
No sense of imminent deals, but tremendous volume of trade discussions among teams for only the mid-December benchmark.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) December 16, 2014
Among most active teams on phones: (in no order): Celtics, Pistons, Suns, Timberwolves, Hornets, Clippers, Pacers, Nets, Nuggets, Rockets.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) December 16, 2014
Even though the Los Angeles Lakers aren’t mentioned in the list of 10 teams rumored to be the most active in trade discussions right now, it’s possible GM Mitch Kupchak and company will pick up the phone at some point between now and Feb. 19.
The Lakers seldom stay quiet on the trade front regardless of their roster. Jordan Hill may be a player that receives interest around the league, but there’s no telling what Los Angeles might get in return.
Among the big-name players around the league rumored to be on the trading block, Rajon Rondo could be the most appealing to the Lakers. Rondo will receive considerable interest from the Lakers in free agency along with other soon-to-be free agents like LaMarcus Aldridge and Marc Gasol.
Other notable players that could be dealt before the deadline include Deron Williams, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez of the Brooklyn Nets. Although it’s doubtful the Nets are able to move all three players, one or two could be headed elsewhere before the deadline on Feb. 19.
Josh Smith, Brandon Jennings and Lance Stephenson have also come up in trade rumors recently. Stephenson could be on his way back to the Indiana with the Charlotte Hornets rumored to be working on a deal with the Pacers. The fate of Jennings and Smith remains up in the air with no potential destinations being talked about at this point in time.
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