Last season, the NBA experienced a carousel of player movement that seems to only happen once per decade.
I can't recall another season where so many former All-Stars changed teams. Antoine Walker, Wally Szczerbiak, Ben Wallace, Shaquille O'Neal, Shawn Marion, Pau Gasol, and Jason Kidd all packed their bags mid-season. Other notables like Joe Smith, Kurt Thomas, Mike Bibby, and Larry Hughes changed addresses as well.
Most pundits attributed the sudden surge in trades to a domino effect that began when the Lakers made a play for Pau Gasol. The minority opinion was that the premature emergence of the Lakers and Hornets forced the Suns and Mavericks to make the type of "all-in" moves which acknowledged that their respective windows were closing.
With so many teams jockeying to have cap space in 2010, I would be shocked if we saw the same number of deals or the same number of big names traded. With only two years left until 2010, it's also unlikely that you'll see teams within the same division try to help each other out the way the Cavs and Bulls did last season.
The wonderful thing about trades, though, is that it only takes two teams to make a deal go down. As long as there are teams looking to shake things up and teams looking to create more cap space, it's all but guaranteed that at least a few deals will go down by the deadline.
All that being said, here are 10 players who might want to consider hiring a real estate agent now:
1) Allen Iverson, Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets were eliminated in the first-round of the playoffs for the fifth year in a row. In an attempt to trim payroll, the front office traded Marcus Camby to the Clippers for the right to swap second-round picks in 2010, and allowed it's only other decent defender, Eduardo Najera, to flee to New Jersey.
If the Nuggets don't look like they're headed to the playoffs you can expect Iverson's name to be floated in trade rumors before the end of the year. He's entering the final year of his contract and has already said he'd be willing to take a pay cut to stay in the Mile High City. But even if he takes a pay cut, the Nuggets might still feel as if his price tag is too high to commit long-term dollars.
The Nuggets could trade him to a team that is looking to free up cap space for 2010, or to a team that thinks he could be the missing piece.
For example, the Pacers could offer the Nuggets Jarrett Jack, a first-round pick, and the expiring contracts of Rasho Nesterovic and Marquis Daniels to get Iverson.
2) Shawn Marion, Miami Heat
The Suns decided to trade Marion to Miami because they were afraid that Marion was going to opt out of his deal and they'd be left with nothing if they lost him. So they traded him to the Heat for Shaq. Marion didn't opt out. Nor did he raise a fuss when the Heat gave no indication that they were willing to give him the type of extension that he craved from Phoenix.
It doesn't seem like Marion fits in with the Heat's long-term plans, so they could move him again if he could net them the type of player who better fits in with their big-picture plans.
Someone like...
3) Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Lakers
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3 months ago
bobcats are defenitly not in financial trouble...they probably have the most money under the cap than any other team...
from 3 months ago
nope you wrong. the only team that has cap room is Memphis. they are 14 million dollars under the salary cap.
from 3 months ago
Then why did they lay off 35 employees last week? They're in great shape as far as the cap is concerned but the team is losing a lot of money. Check it out:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3612580
from 3 months ago
That article doesn't indicate the company is in financial trouble. This was "non-basketball operations staff" due to "overstaffing". It seems like they were trimming the fat.
from 3 months ago
ok so were both kinda right i think...for some reason i still thought the bobcats were still like 15 mill under but i guess not after some players signings...but im pretty sure the bobcats are sitll one of the few teams under the cap...i think they fired those poeple just becasue they were useless...does anyone have a good site that tells each teams salary situation...thanks...
3 months ago
Hinrich #1, they have too many guards in Chi-Town. While we're at it lets put Ben Gordon on the list. Someone has to go up there.
I doubt Cuban would have unloaded his future PG if he's not going to keep Kidd around for a few years.
Also Law would have to show a lot of improvement before the Hawks dump him. he had a perfect 1 to 1 A/TO ratio in the playoffs.
from 3 months ago
That whole "non-basketball operations" story is just spin. The Bobcats have yet to finish higher than 22nd in the league in attendance in four seasons. From a PR perspective it's much better to say that that it's overstaffing than it is to admit that 35 people lost their jobs because the organization is cheap and losing money.
The problem with trading Gordon is that he can now veto a trade because he accepted the qualifying offer. He would have to relinquish his Bird rights which he's unlikely to do because he thinks he's worth $12 million a year and there won't be a lot of teams looking to spend that kind of money next summer. I've only seen it happen once before where a player agreed to give up his Bird rights and that was when the Sonics and Clippers traded Radmanovic for Wilcox. Both of those guys got mid-level type deals so it's unlikely that Gordon would go for it. He's better off hoping for a sign-and-trade next summer.
Of course Cuban made the trade with the intention of re-signing Kidd. But why would he re-sign him if the team isn't any good and Kidd asks for $15 million a year? He's better off using Kidd's expiring deal to get himself a few more pieces. Letting him walk would save luxury tax money but it wouldn't help the Mavs get under the cap.
With Bibby it's all about whether or not the Hawks are good enough to warrant extending Bibby. It doesn't matter how good Law is if the team is ten games under .500 at the deadline. If they're no good then they won't want to commit big dollars to him. They also have to re-sign Marvin Williams so they'll take a long hard look at it. The Hawks, unlike the Mavs, would be fine just letting Bibby go. But if they know they're going to let him walk they need to decide if it's better to let him walk or use his salary to get someone else.
3 months ago
gordon wont be moved, and i dont see hinrich going anywhere either. the bulls are trying to deal larry hughes, but that isnt so easy. nocioni is also very expendible due to the bulls crowded frontcourt, but i cant see hinrich moving. the team wants to see how he and rose compliment one another, great article
3 months ago
Maybe Vince Carter with the Nets trying to rebuild and make room for LeBron James. They already let go of Kidd and Jefferson.
Carter thinks these Nets can make the playoffs and it seems like Carter is integrated into the system. I don't think the Nets can make the playoffs but even if they do they're not going to accomplish anything except getting knocked out in the first round. If the Nets can get a young developing two-guard I think they should trade him.
from 3 months ago
Carter could definitely be on the list. I think the only thing holding the Nets back right now is that they want to sell tickets and VC is still a draw--although not nearly the draw he once was.
3 months ago
True, Waleed, Carter is a top candidate on this list. I think Iverson has a good chance of getting dealt, but the one trade I disagree with Andrew is Marion for Odom. Miami may not really want him, but they are not dumb. They can get more for Marion.
from 3 months ago
You kind of made my point. Miami would be willing to take less than Marion's worth to get a player they could afford to re-sign and still have some money left over in 2010. Odom could be that guy. Miami only has $21 million committed in payroll for 2010 and that's only if Wade elects to wait a year for free agency (unlikely).
Even if they maxed out Wade and exercised their options on Cook, Beasley, James Jones and Chalmers they would still have a lot of money to spend. If they give Marion a max-type deal then they'll have no other significant cap space. If they give Odom 4 years and $40 million they would still have enough to sign a top-10 free agent.
3 months ago
They could just let him walk, couldn't they? They could sign another superstar and get another good player in 2010.
from 3 months ago
They could let him walk but then they'd be worse next year without Marion than they'd be this year with Marion or Odom since they won't have nearly as much cap space in 2009 as they will in 2010.
I don't know how much better they could do for Marion when you consider that all Phoenix got was a washed-up Shaq. Sure Marion's now an expiring contract but the teams that want expiring contracts are going to be teams like Dallas and Denver trying to dump contracts that the Heat won't want like Kenyon Martin or Jason Terry. There are teams like Memphis that might be willing to trade for Marion with the intention of re-signing him.
If you're the Miami would you rather get back Odom or trade with Memphis and get back Darko, Walker and either Javaris Crittenton or Kyle Lowry? I guess if you can get Memphis to take back Marcus Banks then the Memphis deal could turn out to be perfect for them.
Riley has never been afraid to just let a contract expire. Just ask James Posey, Jason Kapono, Jason Williams, Ricky Davis or Gary Payton.
3 months ago
Yeah, I guess Odom for Marion could work for Miami, but the reason I don't want it too go down is because then, the Lakers would be TOO good. A starting lineup of Fisher, Kobe, Marion, Gasol and Bynum? My God.
3 months ago
Where is Kobe? Kobe will always be in trade talks, his opinion of his team changes in a blink of an eye. One day he hates his team and his bashing Bynum in the media. The next minute he loves his team.
Nothing is ever a for sure thing with Kobe.
from 3 months ago
I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that Kobe isn't going to get traded from the Western Conference Champions this year. The Lakers would rather he walk and keep the $20 million in cap space if Kobe asked to be traded.
Then they could go after LeBron in 2010.
One name I did forget was Raef LaFrentz. He's got a huge expiring contract and the Blazers are two years away from three consecutive summers filled with re-signing at least five guys who will want the max.
Although they may want to hang onto LaFrentz for when Gred Oden suffers his next inevitable knee injury.
3 months ago
Hedo Turkoglu may be on this list too, unfortunately. After announcing that he'll likely opt out next offseason and with Orlando already giving max money to Dwight and Rashard, the Magic may move Hedo if the right deal comes along.
from 3 months ago
I thought about Hedo but the Magic would be better off signing and trading him because they can get a better player for him in the off-season. If they trade him now then they can only get $7 million in contracts back. There won't be a lot of teams wanting to use their cap space in 2009. It's better to take the chance that he decides to stay one more year and if not then they can sign and trade him the same way they got Lewis.
2 months ago
first of all how can you even talk trades when the season hasnt started yet? All these players can have great seasons and others can get hurt you never know. Its the NBA the Bobcats can have a breakout season and felton could have a mvp like season you never know so how can you talk trade deadline moves when that is about four months away. The season opener isnt even untill the 28th six days from now. Any rookie can come in and change everything about the season so this article holds no weight untill about 10 days before the deadline
from 2 months ago
Kevin-
Almost all the guys on this list are on here because of their contract situations. Iverson, Marion, Odom, Kidd, Walker, Wilcox, Crawford, Bibby and Felton are all potential free agents at the end of the season. Their likely candidates because their teams will have the options to either re-sign them, let them go for nothing or trade them before losing them for nothing.
Kirk Hinrich and Felton are on the list because their respective teams drafted point guard with top-ten picks in the draft so they might be considered expendable.
I wrote this article on October 2. Chad Ford of ESPN.com wrote a similar article 13 days later. I think our lists are 50% identical. You're welcome to read it here:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=ford_chad&page=TradeTalk-081015
I take it that you think I made a list made up of guys who might get traded because they aren't any good. Maybe you should read the article instead of just reading the names in bold.
If you're feelings were hurt because I debunked your ridiculous article on Ray Allen going to the Hall of Fame then you could have just kept the conversation going on your own article.
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