NBA PM: 2017 Trade Deadline Watch Part II

Unlike in years past, the 2017 NBA Trade Deadline has seen its fair share of big-name players being discussed and shopped. From Carmelo Anthony to Jahlil Okafor to Brook Lopez and Andrew Bogut, Basketball Insiders is keeping tabs on the latest trade rumblings as we count down toward the deadline (Thursday at 3 p.m. EST).

Danny Ainge Still Loves Jimmy Butler

As written in this space numerous times, the Boston Celtics are a team that seems to be one or two pieces away from truly turning a corner, and Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls has long been known to be the apple of Danny Ainge’s eye.

Sources recently told Basketball Insiders that the Chicago Bulls have been noncommittal as to whether or not to move Butler, mainly because of questions revolving around where the franchise goes from there. Trading Butler would obviously signify the Bulls are heading into an all-out rebuild, but doing so proactively would require a fairly significant offer. With Ainge continuing to pursue Butler, there does seem to be common ground for a trade to be consummated, but this is one that will likely continue to play itself out right up until the deadline. According to David Aldridge of Turner Sports, the inclusion of Jae Crowder is believed to be a sticking point in the trade. Depending on what kind of picks the Celtics would end up sending over to the Bulls, though, it doesn’t seem that Ainge is ready to pull the plug on acquiring Butler just yet.

Andre Drummond Available?

Things have not gone according to plan in Detroit this season. After winning 44 games last season, the Pistons haven’t taken the step forward that many expected, and it appears that Stan Van Gundy is considering making some changes. Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond have both been mentioned in rumors over the course of the past week. One source familiar with the thinking of the front office in Detroit cited the trade talks involving Jackson to be “absolutely real, but more exploratory than anything else,” with the source believing that Drummond was more likely to be moved. Still, Van Gundy isn’t determined to break the team up, the source cautioned.

Patrick Beverly The Odd Man Out In Houston?

With the Houston Rockets acquiring Lou Williams from the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this week, there has been speculation as to how head coach Mike D’Antoni will handle his newly stocked backcourt. James Harden has done an admirable job running the point all season long while Williams, who won the league’s Sixth Man of the Year Award in 2015, has spent the past few years being one of the league’s more prolific combo guards. Still, as the Rockets continue to attempt to solidify themselves as championship contenders, Patrick Beverley has emerged as a player the franchise may move, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPN

While Beverly remains one of the Rockets better perimeter defenders, he has missed 14 games this season and hasn’t been the hallmark of durability. After identifying the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls as teams interested in Beverley, Watkins subsequently cited a source as saying that the Rockets were not going to trade Beverley, but not before Marc Stein of ESPN reported that the Rockets also registered interest in Iman Shumpert.

Considering that Daryl Morey is renowned for being a general manager willing to shake things up, the Rockets will more than likely to continue to work the phones up until the deadline.

Keep An Eye on the New York Knicks

Phil Jackson and the New York Knicks have been discussed quite a bit during this trade season. Rumors of Carmelo Anthony and his impending trade from New York, while “overblown,” according to some close to the franchise, remain a topic of conversation. Anthony hasn’t publicly wavered on his desire to remain with the Knicks, but even he has intimated that he would consider waiving his no-trade clause if an enticing deal were brought to him by the franchise. That hasn’t happened yet.

Aside from Anthony, the Knicks have been said to have been gauging the trade market for Derrick Rose and Kyle O’Quinn, among others. The prevailing sentiment as it relates to the Knicks is that Jackson would like to add another pick or two, with his sights specifically set on the 2017 draft—believed to be one of the deeper in recent memory.

With less than 24 hours to go before the 2017 NBA Trade deadline, keep abreast of all the latest trade talks over at the 2017 NBA Trade Deadline Diary.