NBA Trade Watch: Centers

Our Trade Watch series at Basketball Insiders concludes this weekend with our final installment. Throughout the week, we discussed the point guards, shooting guards, small forwards, and power forwards who might possibly be on the move come the NBA Trade Deadline. Our final piece will examine the centers who could hear their names being mentioned with more frequency as trade chatter starts heating up. Here are some of the top names that could find themselves with a different team in the coming weeks.

1. DeAndre Jordan – $22,624,350

DeAndre Jordan is perhaps the biggest name being mentioned in trade talks in regards to centers on the market. The Clippers have started to turn things around recently, but that hasn’t stopped the steady stream of rumors from circulating. One of the more recent reports from Ian Begley of ESPN was about discussions between the Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets regarding a deal centered around Jordan and Clint Capela. In any case, should Jordan truly be on the market, he probably will have a decent number of suitors.

Jordan remains one of the best defensive anchors in the league. He’s averaging a double-double with 11.8 points per game and 14.8 rebounds while shooting 66.3 percent from the field. He’s also been one of the most durable players in the NBA. This season, he missed his first game due to injury in the ten years he’s been in the league. He’s a borderline All-Star caliber player and one who can definitely turn around a team’s fortunes. He’s still valuable to the Clippers, however, if they’re content to stay the course and not blow it all up midseason. But should they make the decision to move on, he will surely help a playoff contender get close to getting over the hump.

2. Derrick Favors – $12,000,000

Derrick Favors is an interesting name that’s come up recently in trade rumors. He’s an expiring contract, and he’s still somewhat young, albeit having been in the league for eight years now. He’s played in 45 of the Jazz’ 48 games and been a starter for each of them. He’s always been a rather solid defensive player, and his offense has certainly developed over time. During a stretch earlier this season when Rudy Gobert was out, Favors assumed the role of primary scorer and thrived in that situation.

He’s putting up solid production overall with 12.2 points per game and 7.1 rebounds while shooting 54.3 percent from the field. He’s shooting a career-high 72.3 percent from the free throw line. Favors had an injury-plagued season last year that saw him limited to only 50 games and a drop in production to numbers resembling his first couple of years in the NBA. He’s bounced back this season, though, showing no lingering effects. He was, at one point, considered one of Utah’s brightest young stars with All-Star potential. Regardless, he’s a starting caliber center and a productive veteran that could help solidify a playoff team’s front court.

3. Julius Randle – $4,149,242

A bit more of a power forward, Julius Randle has played the majority of his minutes this season as the Lakers’ backup center. Randle’s name has appeared in trade rumors since the offseason. It’s been no secret, the Lakers’ desire to add one or two maximum salary stars this coming summer, and Randle is seemingly in line for a bigger pay day. The Lakers can tender him a qualifying offer, thus making him a restricted free agent, but it’s unlikely they’d be able to retain him on a deal he’s probably going to get offered while simultaneously going after max level guys.

Despite a decrease in minutes, (23.3 this year from 28+ the past two years), he’s maintained starter level production while mostly coming off the bench. He’s averaging 13.6 points per game on 55.1 percent shooting, both career-highs. He was moved into the starting lineup at the end of December and he’s had some of his best performances of the season. The Lakers are currently on a four-game win streak, during which he’s put up 17.3 points on 57.2 percent shooting, 9.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. This is really his third year in the NBA as he missed his entire rookie year due to injury. If the Lakers do decide to move him at the deadline, he will help a team, and he has his best years ahead of him.

4. Greg Monroe – $17,844,176

Greg Monroe probably wasn’t supposed to still be a Phoenix Sun. When he arrived in Phoenix as part of the Eric Bledsoe trade, talk was that Monroe was not long for the Valley of the Sun as the team would try to accommodate him to a playoff team. As January ends, he’s still in a Suns uniform. He’s still a productive enough player to be able to help a team off the bench. Just last season he played a crucial role for the Milwaukee Bucks as their primary scorer off the bench.

Monroe’s role in Phoenix hasn’t quite been what it was in Milwaukee. He’s played very sparingly, although he’s been productive when he was received playing time. Overall, he’s putting up 11.5 points per game on 62.0 percent shooting, with 8.4 rebounds. Against the Indiana Pacers on Jan. 24, he had what was probably his best game of the season with 16 points and 17 rebounds. As an older veteran, he doesn’t really fit into the Suns’ rebuilding plans. Just like he did for the Bucks last year, he’s best suited to fortifying a playoff team’s second unit.

5. Willy Hernangomez – $1,435,750

As a rookie, Willy Hernangomez showed a bit of promise and potential. With the New York Knicks seemingly headed for a rebuild at the start of the season, it was assumed that Hernangomez would see quality minutes necessary for development. That hasn’t happened, however. In between DNP’s, he’s seen his playing time essentially cut in half to 9.9 minutes per game from 18.4 last season. His name has come up quite often in trade rumors as he’s seemingly drawing interest from a few teams.

He’s definitely worth taking a chance on. He showed enough in his rookie year to warrant that. Even this year, when he’s been given an opportunity, he’s played well. On Jan. 23 against the Golden State Warriors, he had eight points, three rebounds, and five assists. It’s becoming evident that his future is probably not in New York. He’s on his rookie contract which is very team-friendly for anyone looking to acquire him. It probably wouldn’t take much to pry him away from the Knicks.

6. Kyle O’Quinn – $4,087,500

Kyle O’Quinn has been the backup center for the Knicks for most of the season. Although not much of a household name, he’s been mentioned quite often recently in trade chatter. One of the better backup centers in the league, he’s also on a very nice contract. He has a player option he can pick up this summer. The Warriors have been mentioned as a team registering interest in him.

He’s actually putting up career-highs across the board with 6.9 points per game on 59.6 percent shooting, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. Even if the Knicks end up moving his teammate Hernangomez, O’Quinn still doesn’t seem to fit with the rebuilding Knicks. He’s a good veteran to have around to mentor some of the young guys, but he’s best suited contributing to a playoff team as one of their main big men in the second unit.

That wraps up our Trade Watch series here at Basketball Insiders. With the Trade Deadline rapidly approaching on Feb. 8, trade talks and rumors are just going to accelerate from here. Again, it’s not very common for big name guys to get moved at the deadline. A lot of those blockbuster deals tend to happen in the offseason. But that doesn’t mean there still aren’t players potentially available who can help teams in the stretch run. As chatter starts to heat up, be sure to check out Basketball Insiders daily for all your trade news and rumors.