NBA Trade Rumors: 5 Stars Guaranteed To Stay Put At Deadline
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Despite all of the NBA trade rumors, you can rest easy knowing these five stars won’t be sent packing before the 2017 deadline.
The NBA trade rumors are running wild as we’re now within a month of the 2017 trade deadline. While the rumor mill may be busy, it’s safe to temper expectations for many of the stars who are being mentioned as “on the block.”
In terms of the aforementioned stars supposedly being shopped, there are quite a few names on that list. Some of the league’s best have been caught up in the pre-deadline madness. While there are obviously some big names likely be traded this season, chances are the majority of them will stay put.
That’s what we’re here to discuss–the stars who will be staying put for one reason or another.
Most of them were unrealistic trade options from the get-go–their respective teams simply aren’t going to make that deal right now. Others won’t be moved because they’re unappealing trade candidates or the asking price is too high.
Either way, I can guarantee these five NBA stars won’t be traded before the 2017 deadline.
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Rajon Rondo, PG – Chicago Bulls
At this point in his career, Rajon Rondo just can’t seem to find a long-term home. After eight seasons with the Boston Celtics, he spent one year apiece with the Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings before landing with the Chicago Bulls this offseason.
Now, as it turns out, Rondo may not even last the full season in the Windy City.
The latest from the Chicago-Sun confirms the Bulls are actively shopping Rondo after a disappointing first half of the 2016-17 campaign. Not only has Chicago struggled in the win-loss columns, but the bipolar point guard also appears to be going through somewhat of a meltdown.
Since heading to the bench, Rondo has become an afterthought for the Bulls. Head coach Fred Hoiberg appears hesitant to give him significant minutes, and the veteran is doing little when he does actually see the court. In January, Rondo has averaged 3.9 points, 4.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 34 percent from the field.
So why won’t Rondo be traded before the deadline? Because no one is going to give the Bulls a decent offer for a wildly inconsistent 30-year-old point guard. Rondo’s trade value is so low right now, there’s simply no reasonable market for him.
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Brook Lopez, C – Brooklyn Nets
This season, the Brooklyn Nets have been plain bad. Currently, they’re the only team that has yet to notch double-digit wins. That miserable showing, however, is to no fault of Brook Lopez.
The seven-footer has reached new heights in 2016-17, suddenly adding a surprisingly efficient three-point game. Especially with the Nets’ struggles and Lopez’ emergence as a capable stretch five, it only makes sense for contenders to be interested in acquiring his services.
And yet, I don’t see a trade happening for one simple reason–Brooklyn is asking for two first-round picks in return (via ESPN’s Marc Stein). Even for a 28-year-old center having a career year, that’s too steep a price to pay.
No matter how desperate a contender gets for a prominent post presence with range, forking over two first-round picks for Lopez seems unrealistic. While there’s a belief that general manager Sean Marks will lower his asking price as the losses continue to rack up, a team desperate for young talent is only going to bend so far.
Of the players on this list, Lopez has the best odds of being traded before the deadline. With that being said, I don’t see the Nets getting what they want in return for their big man. The asking price is too high, even if Lopez has proven to be a star this season.
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Hassan Whiteside, C – Miami Heat
Not long ago, ESPN’s Zach Lowe claimed that no one, including Hassan Whiteside, was untouchable on the Miami Heat roster. While reports have since come out stating otherwise, it certainly got people talking about a potential Whiteside deal.
The Heat recently handed Whiteside a massive contract to be their face of the franchise. The move forced the team to move on from Dwyane Wade, and has since watched them fall into NBA irrelevance. With a rebuild obviously on the horizon, a Whiteside trade didn’t seem completely unfeasible.
However, according to Basketball Insiders’ Steve Kyler, it’s “highly unlikely” the Heat trade away Whiteside.
As I opined following Lowe’s initial comments, moving Whiteside this early simply doesn’t make sense. The Heat didn’t pay him all that money to ship him off less than a year later. It’s not like he’s been a disappointment this season. In fact, he’s easily been one of the best big men throughout the NBA in 2016-17.
When it comes down to it, this was way more smoke than fire. Lowe certainly got people talking, but it appears it was nothing more than speculation. All signs point to Whiteside staying in South Beach for a long time.
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DeMarcus Cousins, C – Sacramento Kings
The potential for a DeMarcus Cousins trade has been talked about for some time — like nonstop for the last two or three seasons. And yet, nothing has happened up to this point. So why would something suddenly happen now?
Despite all of the chatter this season, it appears Cousins is prepared to stick around in Sacramento. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Kings are determined to keep their star big man around, and will likely offer him a massive deal this offseason.
The only way Stein sees a trade happening is if Sacramento is offered a “monster” deal, which seems unlikely at this point. Especially with the Kings still trying to stay in playoff contention, moving Boogie would seem ill-advised.
Based on the new CBA, re-signing with the Kings could net Cousins more than $200 million over five years. While that seems like a crazy figure for such a hot-headed player, it would be relatively well-warranted from a talent standpoint. There’s no denying Cousins is arguably the best offensive center in the game right now.
So to recap, it’s going to take a king’s ransom to pry Cousins away from Sacramento. Since I don’t see that happening, it appears Boogie is staying–potentially for the long-term.
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Blake Griffin, PF – Los Angeles Clippers
Earlier this year, there was talk of a potential Blake Griffin-for-Carmelo Anthony swap. Obviously it never came to fruition, but rumblings continued on throughout the year. With Griffin now healthy and things quickly deteriorating in New York, the murmurs have turned into a dull roar.
For folks hoping this will happen, don’t hold your breath.
With Chris Paul now injured as well, the Clippers can’t afford to further shake up their 2016-17 season. Griffin is back and just starting to get back into the swing of things. With the Western Conference being so top heavy this season, Los Angeles would be insane to mess with the chemistry of this roster right now.
Obviously there’s some concern within the Clippers organization that they could simply lose out on Griffin, who is scheduled to hit free agency this upcoming offseason. However, with the way the CBA is structured, chances are high he stays where the most money is.
As interesting as it is to speculate on Griffin playing elsewhere, it’s not going to happen. The Clippers have too much on the line this season. Especially if they are going to convince their athletic big man to re-sign, they need to make sure they enjoy as much postseason success as possible. The only way to do that is to have Griffin on the roster.
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