What big names could be moved at NBA trade deadline?

Photo Credit: SportsWorldReport.com

The NBA trade deadline is just two days away, and the trade rumors are heating up as we get closer to the deadline. There are some big names who could potentially be on the move, so let’s take a look at some of these rumors.

Goran Dragic: The Phoenix Suns want to keep Dragic, although there are concerns that he’ll leave after this season for a gig that pays him big money and allows him to be the man at point guard. The Suns have had some trade discussions regarding Dragic and haven’t ruled anything out, but it’s looking more and more unlikely a trade will be made, according to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski. The return would have to be extremely high, and the belief is Phoenix would prefer to unload Isaiah Thomas in order to appease Dragic.

Brook Lopez: Lopez was reportedly almost dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder last month, and although those trade talks died down, there was a belief that a deal could be worked out before the deadline. However, it’s all quiet on the Lopez front for now, according to Sean Deveney of Sporting News. Brooklyn Nets general manager Billy King isn’t thrilled with any of the trade options — which have included Kendrick Perkins and Jeremy Lamb, as well as Lance Stephenson — and King appears to be fine keeping Lopez for the rest of the season. But that could obviously change.

Wilson Chandler and Arron Afflalo: I’m lumping these two Denver Nuggets together. The Nuggets are in fire sale mode, and both Chandler and Afflalo are on the block, albeit for a pretty hefty price at the moment. Grantland’s Zach Lowe has Denver looking for multiple first-rounders for each of them, although it’s unlikely any deal would actually fetch that. Jabari Young of CSN Northwest says the Portland Trail Blazers are looking hard at both players, with Chandler the more coveted target. Wojnarowski mentions the Blazers as the most likely contender to nab Afflalo, because the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Clippers don’t have the assets to make a deal work.

Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried: Two other Nuggets potentially on the block, although it’s unlikely Lawson and Faried go anywhere. Still, the right offer could get a deal done, and Lowe says the Boston Celtics have had conversations with Denver about Lawson. Again, it would take a massive offer, but don’t rule anything out with Denver.

Enes Kanter: Kanter publicly asked for a trade last week, but the Utah Jazz don’t plan on moving him unless there’s a big offer, according to Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. Wojnarowski says the Jazz would want at least a good young player and a first-round pick in return, which would be a stiff price for the soon-to-be restricted free agent. The emergence of Rudy Gobert has made Kanter somewhat expendable, but Utah still likes Kanter and may be willing to match a big offer sheet in the summer.

Joe Johnson: The Detroit Pistons have reached out to the Nets about Johnson, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN New York. It seems unlikely the Pistons would make this kind of move after getting the toxic contract of Josh Smith off the books, but Johnson could help the team this season during a possible playoff push.

David Lee: With Draymond Green set for a huge raise, the Golden State Warriors could look to trade Lee, who is set to make over $15 million on an expiring contract next year. The Warriors plan to match any offer sheet Green gets as a restricted free agent and pay the luxury tax, but if Golden State decides they’d rather avoid the tax, Wojnarowski says there are teams with interest in Lee if they receive a draft pick or picks for taking on his contract. Even so, don’t expect the Warriors to mess with their roster this season.

There’s a bunch of other names in the trade conversation, and hopefully there will be some surprises along the way. Buckle up.