One of the most common names heard in trade rumours over the last month, Serge Ibaka, is off the market after being acquired by the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday.
But that doesn’t mean that NBA teams— Raptors included— are anywhere close to being done. With the trade deadline a little over a week away expect a flurry of activity as contenders add to their war chest and bottom-feeders look to shore up for the long-term. Here’s a look at the latest rumours from around the Association:
PISTONS STARS UP FOR GRABS
This Zach Lowe piece suggests that with frustrations mounting between head coach Stan Van Gundy and his star players, the Detroit Pistons could be exploring trade options for one or both of Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson.
Drummond is a rebounding machine and bruising force down low. Yet his development has been somewhat static this season and it’s becoming increasingly unclear whether or not he’s capable of being the centrepiece of a winning franchise. The asking price will be justifiably steep, but any team looking to solidify the centre position should be taking a hard look at the 23 year-old big man.
Jackson is a talented scorer at the point guard position, though he may never be a true floor general. Still, the Pistons leads guard would also be coveted by teams looking to address the position, and the New Orleans Pelicans, whose star PG Jrue Holiday becomes a free agent this summer, are said to have explored what it would take to bring Jackson to the Big Easy.
It’s more likely that the Pistons play out the season and revisit trade possibilities prior to the draft, Lowe reports, but in the immortal words of Ted DiBiase: Everybody’s got a price.
RAPTORS PROVE TIMING IS EVERYTHING…AND MAY NOT BE FINISHED DEALING
It’s been no secret that Masai Ujiri has been gunning for Serge Ibaka for quite some time. Turns out the Raptors President cashed in at the right time— yesterday numerous sources revealed that just before the 2016 Draft last summer the Raps and Oklahoma City Thunder were in talks for an Ibaka trade. What were the Thunder asking for in return for their star big man? Patrick Patterson, Norman Powell, and the No.9 overall pick.
[relatedlinks]
And are the Raptors done wheeling and dealing now that they’ve (finally) landed the starter-quality power forward they’ve coveted since, basically, Chris Bosh left for Miami in 2010? Not likely. At his season ending press conference, Ujiri noted that as long as he has a phone, the Raptors will remain engaged in trade talks. Having moved their most valuable tradeable asset in Terrence Ross don’t expect any more big name players to join the team, but with another first rounder up for grabs and a fairly deep pool of prospects to deal from the Raptors can still explore trades for veterans like the Suns P.J. Tucker, who is believed to be on the move prior to the Feb. 23 deadline.
MUDIAY ON THE MOVE?
As noted in the last trade rumour roundup, expect the Denver Nuggets to be extremely active at the deadline. They’ve already dealt centre Jusuf Nurkic to Portland, and rumours have been swirling around Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, and Will Barton. Now you can add Emmanuel Mudiay’s name to the list. Mudiay was a high school phenom who forwent his collegiate career to play in China and came to the NBA with plenty of hyped. The seventh overall pick in 2015 hasn’t exactly lived up to the billing so far, and with the emergence of Jamal Murray, Mudiay may not be considered a part of the Nuggets’ core moving forward.
He’s still only 20 years old and, once he develops a consistent jumper, has the tools to be an effective NBA point guard. For teams looking to address the position, Mudiay would come at a far cheaper price than the likes of Jackson or Holiday. Unfortunately for Denver, the 2017 draft class is stacked with impressive point guard prospects, which could lead teams to wait until June to select their project guard.
LOU-WILL SET TO CHANGE ADDRESSES
Lou Williams has played very well this season, leading the Los Angeles Lakers in scoring while coming off the bench. Raptors fans know Williams’ act all-too well, and there’s no doubting that with his scoring touch and shooting ability he can be a meaningful contributor to the right team.
Given that the Lakers season is quickly unravelling, the team is rightfully looking ahead to the future and focusing on getting as much playing time for young prospects like D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson, leaving the 30 year-old Williams as the odd man out. Williams is one of the more likely players to be playing on a new team this time next month.
NO MORE MILLSAP
One of the most coveted players connected to the Raps in trade talks since the calendar turned was Atlanta Hawks all-star forward Paul Millsap. Once the best player rumoured to be available on the trade market, Hawks GM Wes Wilcox has reportedly stated that Millsap is no longer up for grabs, which makes sense given how well Atlanta has been playing of late, edging past the Raptors to secure the fourth seed in the East.
