NBA - 5 players who could be traded before 21 Feb

Trades in the NBA are so much fun that there was a time when I’d play NBA video games just to wrangling my way into a winning team through trades. There’s something about the promise of new potential and the relief of dumping the old guard, which always gets a basketball fan’s blood pressure off the charts with excitement at the possibilities. Offload a tantalizing prospect for a proven impact player who will help you win now, do a fire sale to get up in the lottery order, get that one piece which will make all the difference, one salivates at the possibilities. With the NBA trade deadline looming on February 21st, here’s a look at five players who are likely to be traded.

Rudy Gay

This season Gay has averaged 17.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals while shooting 41.7 percent from the field and 31.2 from beyond the arc. His numbers are the worst in the last two seasons. I firmly believe that if Rudy Gay had not been injured and out of action during the Memphis Grizzlies‘ run in the playoffs last year, Rudy Gay would be untouchable when it came to trade talks. But in his absence the Grizzlies proved that they have what it takes regardless to make it. The Grizzlies have been shopping him around if rumours are true, but there’s a precedent here. Last season OJ Mayo was also shopped around, but it seems that the Grizzlies have been asking for too much. Rudy Gay is one of those players whom you can venture to call a star while stopping short of labelling him a franchise player. He’s a formidable athletic force and can make an immediate impact on any squad, but unless the Grizzlies lower the asking price, he will probably be a Grizzly. Besides, if they were that good without him last year, imagine how good they can be with him?

“It’s hard to talk to [Rondo] because he is always saying, ‘We need you over here. We need you over here. So it’s not easy talking to him. But he’s being a friend, just telling me about keeping everything together and he makes you feel like you are still valuable.”

- Rudy Gay

The Celtics are teetering on the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Its no surprise that Rondo is recruiting. If Rudy Gay is traded with equal value, it’s more likely that he goes for Josh Smith of the Hawks, Pau Gasol of the Lakers or Al Jefferson of the Jazz. The Grizzlies’ payroll currently is $74,127,785, and with the league’s luxury tax threshold at just over $70 million, Memphis is in danger of having to pay the tax. So they will be looking to offload rather than take on. Rudy Gay is owed $16,460,532 this season and then $17,888,932 and $19,317,326 over the next two seasons.

Pau Gasol

I can’t believe I’m even typing this. As recent as 2010, the Lakers won the championship on the back of Pau Gasol, and now with Mike D’Antoni’s system it seems that the versatile forward has been reduced to an anchor dragging down the Lakers. The Lakers seemingly have all the pieces to win a title, but they can’t seem to utilize them at all. Gasol hasn’t been playing to his potential, and it’s more about him being underutilized than him being incompetent. I wish someone kept a stat of all the games where Kobe Bryant took more shots than Gasol, Howard and Nash combined. That could be the problem here. Pau is averaging 12.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game with 3.7 assists. Those are excellent numbers, but by his standards he can do so much better.

“We don’t have many options. It’s not like we’re going to be active or overly active in the trade market. I think Pau continues to struggle to figure out how he’s going to play with his group. Our coaches are struggling as well. We’re not going to succeed as a team until we figure that out.”

- Mitch Kupchak, Lakers GM

If Gasol is traded, its likely that he goes to the Hawks for Smith and Korver, or to the Jazz for Big Al, to Memphis for Rudy or maybe, just maybe to the Heat for Chris Bosh. Bosh is a big man who can space the floor better than Gasol. That would put Ray Allen’s betrayal to the Heat pale in comparison.

Leandro Barbosa

“I think it’s been hard for [Barbosa] not to get an opportunity to play as much as he’s wanted, but we have said from the beginning, even before he signed here, that minutes might be difficult to come by, because we were deep at that position, and he still chose to come here.”

- Danny Ainge.

That doesn’t sound good. Danny shrugging off any responsibility for Barbosa not getting his due minutes by saying that he came here by choice and wasn’t forced. “I want to play. I want to be here. That’s it,” Barbosa said. “I knew it was going to be like this when I came here.” The speedster could be a valuable trade piece if the Celtics decide to move him. He has $1.23 million contract for this year, making it easy to move him. The Celtics surprised everyone last year when they moved Perkins for Green, so they aren’t one to shy away from team shaking trades. Expect some movement in Boston.

Chris Bosh

The Miami Heat have just signed Chris Anderson to a 10 day contract. Perhaps the first of the moves to move Chris Bosh? If Bosh is traded, it will probably be for a frontline player. Maybe Al Jefferson or Pau Gasol. If the Dallas Mavericks can”We’re letting everybody know that the ‘Bank of Cuban’ is open. If it’s the right deal, we don’t mind taking back money. But we’re not going to do a trade just to do a trade. It’s got to be worthwhile.”- Marc Cuban. The Mavericks could make a push for Bosh in exchange for Beaubois and pieces, the Heat could use someone like Beaubois, and Bosh and Nowitzki could make for an intriguing frontline on offense. Bosh is making $17.55 million this year, so teams would have to use some ingenuity to trade for that much.

Amare Stoudemire

The Knicks big man has three-years and $65 million on his contract and in the wake of how well the Knicks got along without him, it makes sense for them to try and see what value they can get in return for him. Amare had another knee surgery in the offseason and he’s not the same force on the boards and on defense as he is on offense. Rumours linked him to Pau Gasol but the Lakers have not reciprocated any interest in Amare. Rumour has it that the Knicks did try to ship him around in the off-season but nothing came out of it. Amare is making $19.9 million this season and is locked in for two more, making teams reluctant to move for him.