NBA AM: The Latest Trade Deadline Chatter

Expect Trade Talks to Heat Up

With the NBA Trade Deadline set for Thursday, February 19 at 3 p.m. EST, you can be sure to expect a lot of trade activity and rumors over the coming hours. Teams are working feverishly behind the scenes to improve their rosters and/or financial situations for the future. The amount of actual deals pale in comparison to the number of conversations teams have with opposing front offices each year, but make no mistake – general managers around the league are on the prowl looking to make moves. Let’s take a look at the latest chatter.

Goran Dragic in high demand

While the Phoenix Suns cling to the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, their starting point guard has become a highly discussed asset. Dragic holds a $7.5 million player option for next season and word is the veteran will opt out and use free agency as a means to seek a more lucrative deal.

But here’s the deal.

The Suns invested $80 million in guard Eric Bledsoe before the season, drafted point guard Tyler Ennis in the first round last June and signed talented floor general Isaiah Thomas in free agency last July. The guard position is stacked in Phoenix and with Dragic potentially looking to cash in this summer, the Suns must evaluate their options to get an early return.

According to Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports, the Sacramento Kings are heavily looking at ways to acquire Dragic before the deadline.

Kings want Goran Dragic “bad,” source said.Sac could move Jason Thompson & Nik Stauskas to clear salary cap space for max offer in offseason

— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) February 18, 2015

Ken Berger of CBS Sports reports that the Houston Rockets are also in the hunt for Dragic, but there are still questions on if the guard would sign long term with the franchise. Dragic is said to prefer a deal to the L.A. Lakers, New York Knicks or Miami HEAT among others.

Los Angeles Clippers seeking help on the wing

This comes as no surprise. One of the Clippers’ major weaknesses this season has been getting consistent production from the wing – offensively and defensively.

The Denver Nuggets are shopping small forward Wilson Chandler (and looking for first-round picks) as the franchise looks to retool.

Our Alex Kennedy has linked the Clippers to Chandler. Chandler is averaging 13.9 points and six rebounds on the season and on paper appears to be what the Clippers need in their rotation on the wing. What makes Chandler more attractive is that he doesn’t come with a long term price tag. The veteran is on the books for $7.2 million next season but the deal isn’t fully guaranteed, which minimizes some risk.

The Clippers have also been linked to Suns guard Gerald Green, who has recently fallen out of favor in Phoenix.

This is season two of head coach Doc Rivers’ tenure in Los Angeles. The team is still looking to make a Western Conference Finals appearance under his lead so expect the Clippers to be active up until the deadline evaluating their options.

Veteran guard Jamal Crawford on the move?

Perhaps one of the biggest surprises about Adrian Wojnarowski’s recent trade deadline report is the fact Clippers shooting guard Jamal Crawford was mentioned as being a trade chip as the team looks to acquire more wing depth.

This is somewhat surprising as guard J.J. Redick has been a bit banged up in recent weeks and Crawford is currently the team’s third leading scorer (16 ppg) on the season. But again, what makes Crawford an attractive asset, outside the fact he’s still an extremely productive player, is his $5.7 million salary isn’t fully guaranteed next season. For teams looking to trim payroll and create financial flexibility, these are the types of deals that could help them get there relatively quickly.

Minnesota Timberwolves looking to deal their veteran assets?

The Timberwolves have one of the most attractive young cores in the league right now with Andrew Wiggins, Gorgui Dieng, Shabazz Muhammad, Anthony Bennett and Zach LaVine all locked up for the foreseeable future. The team is also headed back to the lottery in June where they’ll likely add another young piece to their growing core.

Sooner or later the team will need to create more playing time for the youngsters and allow them to earn their lumps at the pro level. To aid in this process, the Timberwolves are reportedly open to dealing veteran guard Kevin Martin and veteran forward Thaddeus Young for the right return, according to our Alex Kennedy and confirmed by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

There’s no question Martin and Young are two of the most talented players on Minnesota’s roster, but it’s abundantly clear there’s a youth movement going on with the Timberwolves – sooner or later.

The curious case of Thunder guard Reggie Jackson

The Oklahoma City Thunder have made it a goal to stay off of luxury tax lane in the past. The team currently has $79.1 million in guaranteed salary on the books this season. So if the team wants to truly stay under the tax line this season they’ll need to make a move in order to do so.

Another tidbit from Ken Berger of CBS Sports is that the Thunder are indeed working hard to find a taker for talented guard Reggie Jackson before the deadline in order to avoid paying a luxury tax penalty.

The math works almost perfect if that’s the Thunder’s true goal.

2014-15 Thunder salary $79,097,610
Reggie Jackson salary (-$2,204,369)

OKC potential new cap number $76,893,241
2014-15 NBA luxury tax line $76,800,00

Jackson is headed to (restricted) free agency this summer and is reportedly seeking a deal that pays eight figures annually. It’s unlikely the Thunder open up their wallets for that type of money and there are plenty of suitors around the league who may jump at a chance to acquire the talented guard before the deadline.

Milwaukee Bucks pursuing Utah Jazz big man Enes Kanter?

The relationship between the Utah Jazz and Enes Kanter has been rocky over the past few months – to say the least. Kanter wants out and the Jazz aren’t likely to part ways without receiving a suitable asset for their rebuilding plan.

According to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today Sports, while Kanter may want to pursue greener pastures the likelihood of it happening before Thursday’s deadline is very slim.

But one team who has expressed interest in Kanter’s services is the emerging Milwaukee Bucks who are unexpectedly heading toward the playoffs.

The Bucks are in the market for a big man with troubled center Larry Sanders’ role with the team going forward still unclear.

Kanter is headed to (restricted) free agency this summer and will command a decent salary due to a steady stat line for a big man. As is the case with restricted free agents the team that holds the player’s rights are in the driver’s seat, so the risk is minimized for Milwaukee should the talks with Utah get serious.