Trade Candidate

Trade Candidate: Tyreke Evans

January 11th, 2013 at 1:01pm CST by Luke Adams

The draft class of 2009 was eligible for rookie scale extensions heading into this season, and more of those players (eight) were extended than in any offseason since 2008. That figure is a little surprising when recalling the top few players selected in the 2009 draft — Blake Griffin and James Harden were no-brainer extension candidates, and were locked up to max deals by their respective teams. However, Hasheem Thabeet and Jonny Flynn didn't even play out their rookie contracts, and Ricky Rubio isn't for a new deal until 2014, having remained overseas for a couple years.

The other guy at the top of the 2009 draft class not to receive an extension was fourth overall pick Tyreke Evans, who represents perhaps the most interesting case of the bunch. The Kings' ownership and uncertain financial situation, which has been making headlines over the last couple days, could be partially blamed for Sacramento not ponying up the money to extend Evans. But it's not as if the 23-year-old was entirely deserving of that extension. Since his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2009/10, Evans has never matched the PPG and PER rates he posted in year one, and has struggled to find an optimal role in Sacramento.

With reports suggesting that the Kings franchise could be changing hands (and cities) by next season, it's hard to assess exactly what Evans' future holds. New ownership and/or management may value the young scorer more or less than the current group, and if the franchise is in flux when the trade deadline approaches, the Kings may simply choose to stand pat, rather than being active on the trade market. For now, though Grantland's Zach Lowe writes that the Kings are "open for business," and Evans appears to be a more likely trade candidate than teammate DeMarcus Cousins.

Evans hasn't always been on the same page with the front office, and recently told Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee that he'd be neither shocked nor devastated if he were dealt next month. Voisin's report suggested that the Grizzlies had inquired on Evans, and that the Lakers, Celtics, and Nuggets had also shown interest in the past. Memphis makes a little sense as a trade partner to me, considering the Grizzlies are shopping Rudy Gay. A package that includes Evans and Francisco Garcia's expiring contract could be a starting point for a conversation between the two sides, with the Kings landing the small forward they've long coveted and the Grizzlies gaining some cap flexibility. But I have my doubts that Sacramento would take on a pricey, long-term deal like Gay's at this point, and the Grizzlies, faced with the prospect of losing Evans in a matter of months, would likely also be wary about making such a move.

It's hard to see an ideal fit with the Lakers, whose roster is made up primarily of aging, expensive assets, or the Nuggets, who probably don't have the future cap flexibility to extend Evans unless they dump one or two long-term contracts on the Kings. The Celtics make a little more sense, but I'd have to think Boston would balk at including Avery Bradley, and I'm not sure Sacramento does a deal without him.

There are a few other teams who could find Evans' expiring deal attractive, such as the Mavericks — if the Mavs could put together a package for Evans, they'd hold his Bird Rights, giving them the option of re-signing him in the summer if they don't land one of their bigger free agent targets. However, Dallas already has a wing scorer in O.J. Mayo, who may ultimately be a better value next summer than Evans. The Suns, expected to be active prior to the trade deadline, could be another potential suitor, though with Goran Dragic and Kendall Marshall already manning the point in Phoenix, it might turn into a repeat of the situation in Sacramento, with Evans struggling to find a position.

Because Evans' value isn't exactly at its peak right now, and the Kings' future as a franchise is up in the air, it wouldn't surprise me at all to see the former Rookie of the Year to remain in Sacramento through this year's deadline. That would leave the team a couple decisions this summer — whether to issue Evans a qualifying offer (worth about $6.93MM), and then whether to match any offer sheet he signs elsewhere. Still, it's certainly worth keeping an eye on the situation as February 21st approaches. Even though Evans hasn't lived up to his potential so far in Sacramento, a change of scenery and a new coaching staff may help the fourth-year player recapture some of that promise he showed when he first entered the league.

Trade Candidate: Derrick Williams

January 7th, 2013 at 10:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

It has been a little more than 18 months since the Timberwolves took Derrick Williams second overall in the 2011 draft, but it appears the team is already close to cutting its losses on the 6'8" tweener forward. Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio wrote today that it would be surprising if Williams were still in Minnesota after the deadline, and it's certainly not the first time his name has been mentioned in connection with trades.

Williams figures to see more minutes while Kevin Love is out for "a number of weeks" after breaking his hand again. It may represent one more chance for Williams to show his worth to the Wolves, and an opportunity for Minnesota to showcase him for other teams. So far, we haven't seen much of the Arizona product on the floor, as he's averaged just 20.3 minutes per game for his career, and is seeing even less time this year than he did as a rookie. Agent Rob Pelinka, stopping short of a trade request, has "voiced his displeasure" about Williams' limited role on the team, as Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN reported last month.

His lack of minutes persists despite more efficient play this season, as most of his per-36 minute numbers are up, and he's once more showing hints of the three-point accuracy he displayed in college, knocking down 38% of his attempts from behind the arc. His PER has jumped to 15.6 from 12.9 in 2011/12, indicating that he's performing at a slightly above-average level. Still, slightly above average is not the caliber of play anyone expects from someone drafted No. 2 overall.

That's why he's largely regarded as a secondary figure in the trade rumors he's been a part of. Though Wolves GM David Kahn denies having spoken to the Lakers since the summer, Minnesota has reportedly has been offering Williams and Nikola Pekovic to L.A. since last season in an effort to land Pau Gasol. The Wolves would like to make Williams the centerpiece of a deal for Anderson Varejao, but the Cavs predictably have little interest in that. He's been linked to the Magic as part of a J.J. Redick deal, but the Magic apparently aren't as high on Williams as other teams are.

It isn't clear which teams, if any, are willing to give Kahn and company what they want for Williams. He makes some sense as a stretch four in Mike D'Antoni's system with the Lakers, who might be more intrigued if the Wolves offered Williams in tandem with someone other than the ground-bound, soon-to-be free agent Pekovic, a poor fit with Dwight Howard. The Raptors may be open to parting with Andrea Bargnani for Williams and Pekovic, but I'm not sure Kahn would want to absorb Bargnani's eight-figure salary through 2015. The Suns figure to be an active participant in deadline deals and already traded for Wesley Johnson, another of Minnesota's highly drafted disappointments, but Phoenix appears set at power forward with Markieff Morris and Luis Scola's cap-friendly, post-amnesty deal.

Kevin Love, when healthy, has a stranglehold on the power forward position in Minnesota, so if Williams has any future with the team, it will be at small forward. For now, he's blocked there by Andrei Kirilenko, who has a $10.2MM player option for next season. If he exercises it, there's little chance Williams would become a starter until 2014/15 at the earliest, and by then the deadline for the Wolves to decide whether to extend his rookie deal will have already passed. Even if Williams shows a degree of improvement while Love is out, Minnesota is probably better off trading him, unless he suddenly turns into a nightly 20 and 10 threat over the next few weeks. Williams' value decreases when he idles on the bench, so as long as there's a reasonable offer on the table when Love returns, the Wolves should take it.

Trade Candidate: Andrei Kirilenko

January 5th, 2013 at 8:21pm CST by Michael Pina

When the Minnesota Timberwolves signed Andrei Kirilenko to a two-year, $20MM contract last summer, they figured they would be adding him as a complimentary sidekick for Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio (upon his return from a knee injury).

Instead, Kirilenko has emerged as perhaps the team's best overall player, defending the opposition's best perimeter threat on a nightly basis while facilitating Rick Adelman's cut-and-move happy offense with fortuitous passing and a masterful understanding of angles and spacing.

He's averaging 13.1PPG (his most since 2005/06) on a career best 51.5% shooting from the floor, and his blocks, steals, and assists are all around his career averages.

But even though he's playing so well, Kirilenko is 31 years old with a $10.2MM player option on his contract next season. It's probable he seeks a long term deal, and it wouldn't surprise anyone to see him opt out of his current contract and force the Timberwolves to either sign him to a multiple year deal (not likely) or lose him for nothing.

Kirilenko wouldn't be on the hypothetical trading block if it weren't for the recent news that Love broke his right hand for the second time this season. With Minnesota's All-Star out of the lineup for who knows how long (Love will see a hand doctor in New York City next week to determine if surgery is necessary) the Timberwolves could seriously struggle.

It could potentially turn them from a buyer into a seller, as they fall from the playoff picture (as of January 5, the Lakers, Jazz, and Mavericks all trail Minnesota in the Western Conference standings).

One possible suitor might be the Oklahoma City Thunder, who could dangle Toronto's top three protected lottery pick in Minnesota general manager David Kahn's face. It would allow the Timberwolves to get a high draft pick and give them more flexibility moving forward. Kirilenko is playing some of the best basketball of his career right now, but moving him when his value is high might be the smartest options the Timberwolves have.

Trade Candidate: Andrea Bargnani

January 2nd, 2013 at 3:27pm CST by Luke Adams

A list of the players picked first overall in the NBA draft over the last 15 years would include some of the league's best players, such as LeBron James, Dwight Howard, and Derrick Rose. It would also feature a few duds, like Greg Oden and Kwame Brown. Somewhere in between those two extremes lies the No. 1 pick in 2006, Andrea Bargnani.

Bargnani, 27, is playing in his seventh NBA season, and while he has never developed into the sort of franchise player you'd hope to get with the first overall pick, he hasn't been a total bust either. He's averaged 15.5 PPG in his career, including 19.9 PPG since Chris Bosh headed to Miami in the summer of 2010, and he's an excellent shooter for a seven-footer, with a .362 career 3PT%.

Still, Bargnani's career 14.5 PER is below average, he appears miscast as the go-to scorer in Toronto, he's not a strong defender, and his performance so far in 2012/13 (.398 FG%, 12.5 PER) has been especially disappointing. Throw in the fact that he's currently sidelined with an elbow injury and will earn an eight-digit annual salary through 2015, and it's obvious that the Italian's trade stock isn't exactly through the roof at the moment.

Even if the Raptors wouldn't be selling high on Bargnani, however, it seems clear that they will be selling. ESPN.com's Marc Stein heard last week that Bargnani is a "lock" to be dealt, and Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld echoed that sentiment, writing that a trade appears ineveitable. With seven weeks until this season's trade deadline, there should be plenty of time for Bargnani to return to the court and at least prove that he's healthy, whether or not he improves on his early-season production.

Although Bargnani's aforementioned long-term contract complicates matters when it comes to finding a trade partner, it isn't a major albatross. At a price of $10-11MM per season, Bargnani is overpaid, but not massively so — over the next three seasons, he'll make less than half of what Amare Stoudemire and Joe Johnson will earn, for instance. Nonetheless, that third year on Bargnani's deal is problematic. With the free agent class of 2014 looking to be especially star-studded, teams may be reluctant to take on pricey contracts that extend past that summer.

The Lakers have been frequently mentioned as a potential destination for the former No. 1 pick, perhaps in some sort of Bargnani/Jose Calderon (another trade candidate) for Pau Gasol swap. While I think there's some potential in that idea, I'm skeptical that the Lakers would significantly shake up their roster once again, considering how many changes the team has already undergone in the last few months.

The Nuggets represent another intriguing possibility. The Raptors have pursued Wilson Chandler in the past, and are still lacking a real solution at small forward, given Landry Fields' struggles. Denver could use some outside shooting, and it's not inconceivable that Bargnani could thrive in a complementary role. Chandler isn't currently healthy either, and the salaries don't quite work, but it could be an option worth exploring.

In his seventh year in the NBA, it's unlikely that Bargnani suddenly breaks out and becomes the player the Raptors hoped they were drafting. However, he seems like a strong candidate to benefit from a change of scenery. In a Sixth Man sort of role, Bargnani could be a worthwhile addition for a club in need of outside shooting and scoring. Given Bargnani's contract situation, Toronto may not be able to extract as much value as it would like, but I still expect 2006's top pick to be wearing a different uniform after this February's trade deadline.

Trade Candidate: Jose Calderon

January 1st, 2013 at 6:29pm CST by Chuck Myron

Jose Calderon might have played his way off the trade block for the moment, but his $10.56MM expiring contract is one of the most intriguing assets that could be up for grabs this year. The team acquiring Calderon has the choice of clearing a significant chunk of cap space, or re-signing a point guard who has finished four out of the last five seasons among the top five players in assists per game. That flexibility may pique interest from a wide selection of teams, and the Raptors wisely appear to be trying to package Calderon with another, less palatable asset, like Andrea Bargnani.

Calderon is by no means a game-changing player. While he has consistently proven his worth as a distributor, which makes him popular figure in the locker room, he's proven incapable of carrying the Raptors on his shoulders, as Toronto has only been a better-than-.500 team once during Calderon's tenure. The eighth-year veteran has never averaged more than 12.8 points per game. His career scoring average sits a hair below double figures at 9.9 PPG. At 6'3", he doesn't provide any help on the boards, having grabbed 2.5 rebounds per game for his career. This year his 44.1% shooting is off from the 48.2% form he displayed over his first seven seasons. That decline, however, is likely a product of the fact he's taking significantly more three pointers than ever, at 4.8 attempts per game compared to his career average of 2.1 coming into the season, and nailing 42.9% of them, a rate that would tie the personal best he set back in 2007/08. His PER, at 18.2 this season and 17.4 for his career, helps show his relatively high value to a team.

Nonetheless, the Raptors have shown consistent reluctance to commit to him as the starter over his career, in spite of the five-year, $45MM deal he received in 2008. He's competed over the years with Jalen Rose, T.J. Ford, Jarrett Jack and now Kyle Lowry for the point guard job, and while he may have nosed in front of Lowry for the moment, history suggests he shouldn't get too comfortable in that role. GM Bryan Colangelo has been in charge of the front office for the vast majority of Calderon's time in Toronto, and he was in place when the Spaniard got his lucrative five-year deal. Yet with uncertainty about Colangelo's future with the Raptors, much less Calderon's, there's no telling whether the Raptors would re-sign Calderon next summer even if he were interested in coming back.

Even with Calderon's contract coming off the books, the Raptors figure to be at or near the salary cap in the offseason, so they'd receive virtually no benefit from letting him walk. Unless the Raptors intend to re-sign him, they're much better off trading him. While there are a number of possible fits, there's been little chatter about any specific team other than the Lakers, for whom Calderon was the "top target" a few weeks ago, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. That might have changed, however, as the return of Steve Nash appears to have reinvigorated the team just as L.A. hoped. The Lakers are standing pat for now, with Steve Blake coming back from his abdominal surgery, their need for Calderon lessens by the day. A more intriguing possibility might be the Mavs, though that's just my speculation. Point guard Darren Collison has been a significant disappointment for Dallas this year, and the Mavs have made no secret of their affinity for contracts that expire next summer. They wouldn't want Bargnani or another of Toronto's long-term contracts, but if GM Donnie Nelson is patient and willing to part with two of the team's three draft picks from 2012, he might force the Raptors into moving Calderon without pairing him with a more burdensome contract close to the trade deadline, when Toronto is left to consider the possibility of losing the point guard for nothing over the summer.

Calderon acknowledges and seems to be at peace with the notion that he could be on his way out of the only NBA city he's ever known. Such a stance also hints that he's ready to move on as a free agent next summer. His contract includes a 10% trade kicker that any club acquiring him will have to pay, but I think eventually Toronto will make it worth a team's while to do so. Lowry is five years younger and is on a better deal. He, and not Calderon, represents the future of the point guard position in Toronto, even if he's been benched for the present time.

Trade Candidate: Anderson Varejao

December 29th, 2012 at 4:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

On the surface, it's hard to imagine why the Cavaliers would trade Anderson Varejao. He's having the best season of his career, is in the middle of a deal that keeps him on the books for less than $10MM a year through 2015, and provides an inside complement to star point guard Kyrie Irving. Still, the 7-24 Cavs are a long way from contention, and there's motivation to sell high, particularly with a player who's 30 years old and has a history of injury such that he's missed 97 of his team's 179 games since 2009/10. One league executive told Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal that he believes Anderson Varejao will be the top target on the market this year if Cleveland puts him on the block, so it's reasonable to suspect that Varejao's trade value will never be higher.

Even if he is the best player who'll be made available, Varejao doesn't fit the profile of the No. 1 trade candidates from years past, like Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard. Varejao's 14.1 points per game this season have him on track to smash the career high of 10.8 PPG he set last year. He's shooting just 47.8%, his lowest mark since 2007/08. This year's 0.6 blocks per game is right in line with his career number of 0.7, despite the fact he stands 6'10" and plays near the basket. His only elite skill appears to be rebounding, as he leads the league with 14.4 boards per contest, which is significantly more than the 12.6 RPG of the league's second-leading rebounder, Zach Randolph.

The Thunder have been frequently mentioned as a potential partner in a Varejao deal. Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal reported that the teams have discussed a proposal that would send Perry J one s III, Jeremy Lamb and the Raptors' 2013 first-rounder that Oklahoma City owns to Cleveland for Varejao. The Thunder would have to give up more to make the salaries match for that deal, though. They could accomplish that by throwing in Hasheem Thabeet, Eric Maynor and DeAndre Liggins, but a five-for-one trade would seriously compromise the Thunder's depth if anyone got hurt, and I don't think such a package would be intriguing enough for Cleveland to bite. Lloyd wrote earlier in the month that the Cavs could have their eyes on Serge Ibaka, and Marc Stein of ESPN.com said two weeks ago that rival executives are skeptical Varejao will be dealt because Cleveland's price for Varejao keeps going up.

More recently, HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy said the consensus around the league is that Varejao will be dealt, and Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio pegged Cleveland's asking price as a big man and multiple first-round draft picks. That suggests a three- or four-team deal may be most likely, since a single club may be unable to part with too many first-rounders.

It also points again to the Thunder, since they're owed first-rounders from the Raptors and Mavs and still possess all their own first-round picks. I don't think they'd be willing to part with Ibaka, but GM Sam Presti might try to talk Chris Grant, his Cleveland counterpart, into Kendrick Perkins. If the Cavs are truly focused on the future, they wouldn't mind enduring Perkins' nonexistant offense for the time being if it meant getting the multiple first-rounders they covet. In the short term, Perkins would provide a defensive force to offset the shortcomings Irving and Dion Waiters have on that end, and also serve as a championship-tested mentor to the team's youngsters. Perkins and Varejao have nearly identical contracts, with the most significant difference being that the final year of Varejao's deal is only guaranteed for $4MM, while Perkins' $9.654MM in 2014/15 is fully guaranteed.

The Cavs would stand to gain plenty of cap space when Perkins' deal comes off the books, but that wouldn't be until a year after 2014, the first time LeBron James can get out of his contract with the Heat. A league executive speculated to Aldridge that the Cavs might want to hang on to Varejao to make a more attractive pitch to James that summer, and keeping Varejao would also give Cleveland the option of waiving him and absorbing the $4MM partial guarantee if they need more cap space in 2014.

If the Cavs want to trade Varejao, Oklahoma City is far from their only option. The Wolves and Spurs have recently been reported to have interest, and there are probably many other teams who would welcome the high-energy big man. The key is just how willing the Cavs are to move him. A small complication is that Varejao has a 5% trade kicker on his deal, and since the contract was signed before the current CBA took effect, the team that takes on Varejao would have to come up with the small measure of extra cash. Of greater concern is likely Varejao's health, as he's currently on the shelf for a week with a bruised right knee. If he sustains a more significant injury, the Cavs probably wouldn't be able to move him, and his value could take a hit for future seasons. Given Varejao's fragility, the looming specter of injury is probably the greatest motivation Cleveland has to sell high, and sell soon.

Trade Candidate Series

December 26th, 2012 at 7:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2012/13 trade deadline is less than two months away, which means it's time to start exploring in earnest which players could be on the move this season. Leading up to the deadline, Hoops Rumors will take an in-depth look at a number of players we consider to be trade candidates. These aren't players who necessarily will be traded by February 21st, but front offices figure to at least listen to offers on these guys, and perhaps even shop them in the coming weeks.

Our Trade Candidate pieces explore why a trade might happen, the likelihood of a deal going down, and potential suitors, along with other relevant details. Last season, we profiled guys who were moved by the deadline, such as Leandro Barbosa and Stephen Jackson, along with plenty more players who were eventually dealt over the summer, including Andre Iguodala, Devin Harris, and Kevin Martin.

A complete list of the players we've examined so far during the 2012/13 season is below, in alphabetical order. This list can be found in our right sidebar under "Hoops Rumors Features" and will continue to be updated until the deadline:

Andrea Bargnani (Raptors)
Leandro Barbosa (Celtics)
DeJuan Blair (Spurs)
Carlos Boozer (Bulls)
Jose Calderon (Raptors)
Jared Dudley (Suns)
Tyreke Evans (Kings)
Pau Gasol (Lakers)
Marcin Gortat (Suns)
Richard Hamilton (Bulls)
Kris Humphries (Nets)
Andrei Kirilenko (Timberwolves)
Timofey Mozgov (Nuggets)
J.J. Redick (Magic)
Josh Smith (Hawks)
Anderson Varejao (Cavaliers)
Derrick Williams (Timberwolves)

Categories:
Trade Candidate

Trade Candidate: Richard Hamilton

December 26th, 2012 at 12:04pm CST by Chuck Myron

Richard Hamilton seemed like the missing piece for a contending Bulls team in need of some scoring punch at shooting guard when he signed before last season, but the fit hasn't been as comfortable as many foresaw. Injuries have limited the 34-year-old to playing in just 43 of Chicago's 93 regular season games the past two seasons, and he's currently on the shelf with a torn plantar fascia in his left foot. When Hamilton has been in the lineup, he's averaged just 25.7 minutes a night over this year and last. Some of that has to do with coach Tom Thibodeau's desire to shield Hamilton from further injury, but Thibodeau has also gone with others down the stretch for defensive purposes. Defense has always been Thibodeau's calling card, and it's tough to find minutes on the Bulls if the coach doesn't like the way you defend.

Many of Hamilton's stats are down from his days with the Pistons, but his 45.3% shooting percentage as a Bull is slightly above his career mark, while most of his per-36-minutes stats indicate little drop off in performance. He's become a more consistent long-range shooter with age, having shot better than 37% from behind the arc in 2010/11 and 2011/12, the first time he's done so in consecutive seasons. Hamilton has kept it up this year, shooting threes at a 37.5% clip.

Chicago reportedly tried to trade Hamilton over the summer, but found no takers. He's still on the block, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, and as more teams look toward next year, Hamilton's contract may become an attractive trade chip. He's set to make $5MM this season and another $5MM in 2013/14, but only $1MM of next year's salary is guaranteed. That could make him an option for a team in need of a veteran with championship experience in the short-term but with plans to clear cap space for the future. The Hawks and Mavs fit that profile, though Hamilton would probably have to come off the bench for both teams. Hamilton would have a better shot at starting in Minnesota, where the Wolves have had a hole at shooting guard for a while. With the team's final roster spot in flux as it searches for a wing player, Minnesota might make the perfect landing spot for Rip. The Wolves could take on Hamilton in exchange for a draft pick, allowing the hard-capped Bulls flexibility and the chance to avoid paying the luxury tax, something that Johnson points out the franchise has never done. Chicago could sign someone for the minimum salary to get back up to the minimum 13 players on the roster. Still, there are complications. If Minnesota GM David Kahn insists on trying to move Derrick Williams as part of any deal, that would probably scuttle any movement between them and the Bulls.

Plus, the Bulls may insist that they not take any player in exchange for Hamilton, preferring instead a draft pick and the $5.1MM trade exception such a move would create. That would make it harder to deal Hamilton to a team like the Hornets or the Suns, teams focused firmly on the future who might be reluctant to give up picks. In his mailbag yesterday, Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago identified Phoenix as a team with interest, but cautioned that Hamilton may not want to play for a team without a title shot. Hamilton clashed with coach John Kuester on the moribund Pistons in 2010/11, reportedly organizing a locker-room revolt. Teams that would otherwise be attracted to his veteran presence might be wary.

There won't be any call for Hamilton until he returns from his latest injury, so no move appears imminent. I think if he's to be dealt this year, it will be close to the deadline, unless the T-Wolves or another team looking for a wing player gets antsy and gives the Bulls what they want. Chicago is a half-game out of fourth place in the Eastern Conference even without Derrick Rose, so if Thibodeau still thinks Hamilton can help them continue to stay within hailing distance of a high playoff seed, the Bulls will probably be inclined to keep him, at least until Rose gets back. If Hamilton comes back healthy and sees an even greater reduction in minutes, however, I believe he'll finish the season elsewhere.

Trade Candidate: Kris Humphries

December 25th, 2012 at 2:03pm CST by Luke Adams

No team spent more lavishly this offseason than the Brooklyn Nets, who committed over $240MM on free agent signings, a figure that doesn't even include the $89MM+ contract the club took on when it acquired Joe Johnson from the Hawks. However, it wasn't as if the Nets were going out and pursuing all the best outside free agents on the market. The team never officially cleared any cap space, instead electing to re-sign its own free agents, such as Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, and Gerald Wallace.

With the Nets well over the cap, it only made sense for the team to bring back another player whose Bird rights it held: Kris Humphries. Having no cap room or exception money remaining after their spending spree, the Nets could only sign minimum-salary deals, which likely wouldn't be enough to lure in another player capable of averaging a double-double, as Humphries did last season. So the team inked Humphries to a two-year contract worth $24MM, ensuring that the big man was around to help Lopez on the glass.

The price to retain Humphries was high, but there was some logic to overpaying — Dwight Howard was still on the trade market at the time, and if D12 had remained available into the regular season, the Nets could have re-entered the mix to acquire him. The more salary the Nets sent out in a hypothetical Howard deal, the more bad contracts they could take on from the Magic (or whichever team held Howard), so paying Humphries $12MM annually rather than $8MM could have actually helped facilitate a deal. Additionally, giving him two years at a higher annual average value, rather than three years, meant avoiding a long-term commitment, and getting the chance to clear him from the books in 2014.

Of course, mere weeks after the Nets re-signed Humphries, the Lakers acquired Howard, and it's unlikely that the All-Star center will be back on the trade market this season. Making matters worse, Humphries hasn't exactly fit in with the new-look Nets, falling out of favor with coach Avery Johnson, and seeing reduced minutes in recent weeks. After averaging nearly 35 minutes per contest last season, the 27-year-old is playing just over 23 per game this year.

According to Howard Beck of the New York Times, the Nets were never particularly enamored of Humphries, and his sudden demotion "practically screams buyer's remorse." There's some reason to believe that injuries have slowed Humphries recently, as a mild abdominal strain kept him out of action today vs. the Celtics and will sideline him tomorrow against the Bucks (Twitter link). Still, the former reality-TV star doesn't appear to be a core piece in Brooklyn, and when we asked earlier this week whether the Nets will try to trade him, approximately 85% of you predicted they would.

Deciding to move Humphries is one thing, but finding a logical deal is quite another. With a $12MM annual salary, nagging injuries, and a fairly one-dimensional game, Humphries may be a decent complimentary piece for a team, but he's hardly a tantalizing trade chip. He would likely have to be packaged with more attractive assets, such as MarShon Brooks or a collection of future draft picks, to draw a whole lot of interest.

Even paired with Brooks or a draft pick, it's hard to envision a perfect match for Humphries and the Nets. Brooklyn certainly has no qualms about taking on big-money contracts, making them a candidate to take on a player like Pau Gasol, who is owed $19MM annually. But Humphries likely isn't the sort of player the Lakers are looking for, and the Nets themselves may prefer to acquire a forward more suited for small-ball, with Wallace seeing major minutes at power forward lately.

Wilson Chandler may be a decent fit for the Nets, but his salary isn't significant enough to match up with Humphries'. Danny Granger is a big name that may be available at the trade deadline, and the Pacers could use backcourt help, but I'm skeptical that Brooks and a couple draft picks would be enough to entice Indiana to part with its top scorer. One name that has re-surfaced recently in connection with the Nets is Ersan Ilyasova, who the team reportedly eyed over the summer. Brooks could interest Milwaukee, if the team expects to lose either Monta Ellis or Brandon Jennings next summer, but the Nets would probably have to take on a bad salary like Drew Gooden's to make any sort of Humphries/Ilyasova swap a realistic possibility.

Even if there's not a perfect match out there for Humphries on the trade market, I expect the Nets to explore their options in earnest once he becomes trade-eligible in January. The team re-signed Humphries in order to retain a solid asset they would've otherwise lost for nothing, but the veteran forward hasn't been a fit in Brooklyn, and it may be time for the team to cut its losses. If a Humphries package can bring back another piece that would be of more use to the Nets, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him on the move on or before February 21st.

Trade Candidate: Pau Gasol

December 22nd, 2012 at 2:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

Over the next two months as the trade deadline approaches, Hoops Rumors will be examining several players rumored to be on the block, and we'll begin with the most prominent name in discussions. Pau Gasol is off to a career-worst start in terms of scoring and shooting percentage, and his poor fit alongside Dwight Howard in the up-tempo offense of new Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni has many believing he'll soon be gone from L.A.

The Lakers are about a year removed from the short-circuited deal to acquire Chris Paul, a trade that appeared to send Gasol to the Rockets. Houston would have given up Kevin Martin, Goran Dragic, Luis Scola and a 2012 first-round pick. No one's going to offer nearly as much to acquire Gasol these days. The Rockets, for their part, are reportedly no longer interested, and the Lakers are apparently coming up empty in their search for a package of two players on cheaper contracts who would fit better in D'Antoni's offense. L.A. wants to wait until Gasol and Nash have played together under the new coach before making any moves, and the point guard has made it clear he wants to play with Gasol. Yet with Nash nearing a return, the Lakers will soon come to a point of reckoning, when they realize their team as constituted is either capable of winning a title or not.

For as much trouble as Gasol is having putting the ball in the basket, the rest of his game appears intact. He's averaging only 8.8 rebounds per game this season after grabbing 10.4 a year ago, but Gasol notched just 7.8 RPG with the Lakers in 2007/08 after coming over from the Grizzlies. This season's decline is less significant in terms of rebounds per 36 minutes, where Gasol's average of 9.2 is off from last year's 10.0 mark. Gasol's assists and blocks per game are in line with last year's numbers. Even so, his 15.1 PER and .096 win shares per 48 minutes are career lows by a long shot, so that could deflate his value with teams that put a great deal of stock in advanced metrics.

The greatest impediment to a Gasol trade is likely his inflated contract, which pays him $19MM this season and close to $19.3MM in its final season next year. It also includes a 15% trade kicker, but because Gasol already bumps up against the maximum salary, a team that trades for Gasol would only have to give him another $136K. Regardless, Gasol's deal would occupy 35% of the salary cap for whichever team acquires him, quite an investment no matter who the player is, and the money wouldn't come off the books until 2014.

A team that's targeting players in the free agent market next summer wouldn't make sense for Gasol, which would seem to eliminate the Hawks, who don't appear to have any interest. The Wolves might be a more intriguing possibility, since their commitments for next season have them close to the salary cap anyway. Minnesota denies interest, but rumors persist. The Lakers supposedly haven't been moved by offers built around Derrick Williams and Nikola Pekovic, perhaps in part because Pekovic, a restricted free agent at season's end, doesn't seem like a fit for D'Antoni's offense, either. The Wolves would have to include much more than just Williams and Pekovic to make the salaries match anyway, and I suspect Andrei Kirilenko would have to be a part of that deal. He's a versatile, athletic forward of the sort that makes D'Antoni smile, and his contract, like Gasol's, ends in 2014, when the Lakers want to have cap space to pursue free agents.

The Raptors look like they're in the mix for Gasol, too, with Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon and Linas Kleiza among the players who could wind up in L.A. Just like the Lakers, the Raptors need to get healthy before making a deal. When that happens, it might just come down to whether the Lakers are sold on Bargnani, whose trade value is at an all-time low, much in the same way Gasol has taken a hit in the eyes of executives around the league. Some teams are apparently higher on Bargnani than others and willing to take a risk to bring him on board, so perhaps the Lakers are among the teams more inclined to take him.

In recent years, the most prominent trade candidate has been dealt at or near the deadline, but if the Lakers continue to struggle once Nash is back in the lineup, I don't think they'll wait to make a move. As many of his numbers show, Gasol is still a productive player, and even if he isn't the star he used to be, he can help a team. He's probably of greater value to another team than he is to the Lakers in D'Antoni's scheme, so I think at some point a team will step forward with a deal that L.A. will take.

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