NBA: 5 players that need to be traded as soon as possible

According to the rules of the NBA, the players that have signed new contracts this past summer which is basically 80% of the league are eligible as of December 15th to be traded. As the days pass on everybody will be available to be shipped till the mid-season trade deadline of February 19th, which coincides with the ending of the unusually long 10 day All-Star break.Since teams generally like to test the waters and weigh their options, it is highly unlikely that teams would pick up or ship players so early in the window. It is usually the last 10 days of the window that are the busiest in the league. There will be more smoke than fire behind every trade rumor because the players that the teams want to trade the most take so much money that it is difficult to find other teams ready to pick up that kind of a contract. The mid-season transfer window is basically an opportunity for the championship contenders to pick up final missing pieces or for other teams to pick up a couple of players that can help the franchise make the post-season.Accessing the performance of the teams and players so far, here are 5 players who must be traded during this mid-season transfer window:

#5 Rajon Rondo - Boston Celtics

Rajon Rondo

Danny Ainge, the President of Basketball Operations for the Boston Celtics has denied making Rajon Rondo available for trades, but many believe the C’s drafting guard Marcus Smart as their sixth pick in the 2014 NBA Draft was an indication of Rondo’s future in Boston.

Offering Rondo in a trade would allow the Celtics to strengthen the weak spots on their roster. His low scoring multidimensional contributions would be extremely valuable to teams such as the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Lakers. It would be foolish on the part of the franchise to trade him before Smart, the guard they intend to groom gets healthy.

Rondo averages 8 points, a league best 10.6 assists and 7 rebounds in 21 games so far. He is one of the best, if not the best low scoring point guards there is in the league today. He averages 8 points on 7.5 attempted field goals attempted, a clear indication that he could score more if he is given the opportunities to shoot more within the system.

#4 Wilson Chandler - Denver Nuggets

Wilson Chandler

Teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Clippers could use the services of Chandler. If sources are to be believed, the Thunder have even inquired about a trade involving Chandler. The Nuggets Small Forward averages 14.6 points and 6.3 rebounds on 44.5 shooting from the field.

His offense which is presently being wasted in Denver can be very useful to teams that are looking for handy production at the 3 spot. Whether the Clippers are interested remains unknown as of now, but their early season struggles have been due to a lack of contribution from the Small Forward position.

They could trust Matt Barnes to step it up or they better grab Chandler before he is already taken. Chandler is on this list not because the Nuggets are waiting to get rid of him, but how valuable his offense could be to contenders at the 3 spot.

#3 Josh Smith - Detroit Pistons

Josh Smith

Andrew Drummond and Greg Monroe are young positive prospects that the Detroit Pistons intend to keep, but for that 10 year NBA veteran Josh Smith has had to move from his natural position to the Small Forward spot. Probably the most under-rated player of the past decade, Smith is clearly struggling playing in his new position for the Pistons.

While his career assists average is at 3.3, through 25 games this season he is averaging 4.7 dimes per game which is a huge leap for a forward. Nevertheless the stats below clearly document Smith's struggles this season with the Pistons:

Shooting percentages	Field Goal Percentage	3-Point Field Goal Percentage	Free Throw Percentage
2014-15 Regular Season	38.8	25.7	47.5

While trying to follow Head Coach Stan Van Gundy’s natural coaching style of outside shooting and a dominant center in the paint, Smith has lost his natural game and is struggling at his new role which is outside the paint. A change in scenery will help him regain his natural game. From the Pistons point of view, a more accomplished shooter can take up his place at the 3 spot.

#2 Dion Waiters - Cleveland Cavaliers

Dion Waiters

When you have players like LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving in a single team, you know offense will not be an issue. So the role of pure scorer Dion Waiters is in huge jeopardy given that the Cavaliers are currently lacking a proven rim protector in the paint.

For defensive reasons, he was relegated to the bench and substituted by Shaun Marion. Now averaging a mere 10 points per game, the 4th overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft is the perfect piece to ship to teams in dire need of offence along with Brendon Haywood’s expiring contract in exchange for a mobile shot blocking big man.

Adding fuel to fire, Waiters has showed discontent over his reduced role in a system that is centered around James. It would take some time to make up for the points that Waiters contributes off the bench, but given the star power the Cavaliers have at their disposal, it would not take the team long to adjust.

#1 Isaiah Thomas - Phoenix Suns

Isaiah Thomas

Not long after the trade window began, Phoenix Suns guard Isaiah Thomas fired his agent Andy Miller and rightfully so. To be honest, it was a surprise to hear during the summer that Thomas had signed with the Suns when the franchise already had two starting guards they had no intentions of moving.

Soon after the signing was announced by the Phoenix franchise, ideas floated around Head Coach Jeff Hornacek leaving a three guard line-up of Thomas, Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic on the floor yet the trio have only played 73 minutes combined.

The Suns need to fix the current situation by shipping one of their top three guards. Dragic and Bledsoe have proven deadly and efficient together leaving Thomas as the odd one out. Although the franchise will receive a better package for Bledsoe, but his play has proven to be more important to the team than that of Thomas’

When players sign new deals as free agents , Thomas signing has neither helped him nor the team. His averages this season are lesser than his career averages and his currently playing time is lesser time than what he received as a rookie in Sacramento for the Kings.