Double Dribbles: NBA trade deadline may come and go with whimper
By SAM AMICO
FOXSportsOhio.com
Feb. 18, 2011
This year's NBA trading deadline is as complicated as it's ever been.
Let's start with that before you get too excited.
The end of the collective bargaining agreement, the Carmelo Anthony situation in Denver and several other factors make the Feb. 24 cut-off date to deal considerably wide open.
For one, nobody knows what will actually happen with the new CBA. Owners are pushing for a hard cap, franchise tags and other concessions to both protect themselves from themselves and improve teams' odds of keeping their star players.
Meanwhile, the players seem uncertain of their stance. All they know is it will be the opposite of any position taken by owners.
Nor is anyone sure what will become of Anthony. According to most accounts, he wants to pull a LeBron James or Chris Bosh, and become a member of some sort of Dream Team, a la the Miami Heat.
Unfortunately for Anthony, he's not viewed as nearly as complete a player as James or Heat guard Dwyane Wade (and rightfully so), enabling the Nuggets to be far from the panicked heights reached by Cleveland or Toronto a year ago.
Nonetheless, Anthony is an All-Star, a top option with an ability to put the ball in basket against anyone, anywhere, anytime. Put him next to Amar'e Stoudemire in New York or a Brook Lopez in New Jersey, and you might have something.
But there's a chance the Nuggets may be unable to move Anthony, and it seems as if the rest of the league is on hold pending the outcome of the decisions made in Denver.
That said, there are clearly a few teams that will be aiming to make a move in spite of all this. While those teams prefer to keep any plans close to the vest, their need to obtain a player or two for a real playoff run is fairly obvious.
Others will be aiming to dump salary in a quest to start over, or prepare for the summer months as a major player in the draft. Those types of maneuvers happen every year.
While it's mostly speculation at this point, there's no denying that a trade would greatly benefit a handful of teams, regardless of what type of bargaining sessions are ahead or new rules put in place.
Here's a look at teams that fit that description:
ATLANTA
The Hawks have needed a top-notch point guard since drafting small forward Marvin Williams with the No. 2 pick, over Chris Paul and Deron Williams, a few years back. Everything else seems to be in place, with talents like Joe Johnson, Al Horford and Josh Smith.
And while Mike Bibby is a nice player, he is hardly a distribute-first type of floor leader who specializes in getting everyone involved. The Hawks, realizing they have likely maxed out and can't overtake teams such as Boston or Miami in the East, would benefit greatly from an athletic ball-handler and passer who can feed the scorers and push the tempo.
Interestingly, Williams is one of the guys they may likely be dangling to find such a player. Streaky backup guard Jamal Crawford is another, as is young point man Jeff Teague.
CLEVELAND
The Cavaliers have struggled mightily, and according to most they are a team full of No. 4 and 5 options. But every team, especially ones with high postseason hopes, needs those types of guys. That makes the Cavs one of the most attractive potential trade partners.
Two of their hottest commodities are two of their oldest players -- forward Antawn Jamison and guard Anthony Parker. Put either of those two on a playoff team (as the Cavs attempted to do last February by trading for Jamison) and suddenly, the lineup looks a little more formidable.
The Cavs are also owners of the league's largest trade exception ($14.5 million), although they are likely to wait until June to exercise it.
L.A. LAKERS
The two-time defending champions seem to be coasting and could use a jolt to energize them back into title-contending form. They say they know that, but it appears the type of vigor they are seeking won't come from anyone on the current roster.
Instead, as GM Mitch Kupchak has implied, it may mean moving one of their key pieces. That includes forward Ron Artest, who entered the All-Star break with a one-shot, one-point and zero-rebound performance in a stunning loss to Cleveland.
But trading Artest won't be easy. Not only has he continued to draw attention for all the wrong reasons, but he's not nearly the all-around player and defensive stalwart he once was. So if the Lakers are serious about making a move, they may have to offer up young center Andrew Bynum or forward Matt Barnes instead.
NEW ORLEANS
The Hornets feel they are close to becoming a Cinderella team in this year's playoffs, and a trade may prove them right. At the very least, it's become clear they are being extremely active, with new GM Dell Demps working the phones and trying to come up with something to turn this into something (more) special.
They mostly seem to be seeking a big man who can help shore up a questionable post (although center Emeka Okafor is having a career year). And unlike a lot of teams, New Orlans has the pieces to make it happen -- from young shooting guard Marcus Thornton to veteran backcourt scorer Willie Green to defensive-minded small forward Trevor Ariza.
And the Hornets appear ready to package any combination of those three, or others such as center Aaron Gray, in order to land a Jamison-type to back up David West and provide a little punch off the bench.
Five Teams Most Likely to Make Major Moves
1. Atlanta; 2. New Orleans; 3. Dallas; 4. Phoenix; 5. New York.
Five Major Players Most Likely to Be Moved
1. Richard Hamilton (Detroit); 2. O.J. Mayo (Memphis); 3. Mike Dunleavy (Indiana); 4. Caron Butler (Dallas); 5. Monta Ellis (Golden State).
Follow Sam Amico on Twitter @SamAmicoFSO
