Five Players That Need to be Moved
Monta Ellis
Ellis is probably the most obvious name on this list because he has been linked to a trade since the Golden State Warriors drafted Stephen Curry a couple years ago. Ellis, still only 25, has now been in the league for six seasons and his contract status is absolutely perfect. He has two more years left on his deal and then a player option (likely for Ellis is to say) for a third season. The Warriors will be the first to tell you that Ellis is an amazing player because of his skill set. He is one of the best shooters in the league and gives a team instant offense. The reason behind a likely trade is that a combination of Ellis and Curry doesn’t gel well together. Both are actual shooting guards who like to handle the ball in most situations.
While it’s not certain that Ellis will be traded before the season begins, it’s probably the most likely. The Warriors are a young and really good team, even with a nucleus of Curry and David Lee. In the draft, Golden State drafted Klay Thompson, another pure shooter and the height to play small forward if needed. The possible trade teams with the Warriors include the 76ers, Timberwolves, Lakers, and many more.
Andrew Bynum
It’s not because Bynum is likely to get traded, it’s that the Lakers need and probably will make a big move. The other options include Lamar Odom, who doesn’t have the trade value from other teams, and Pau Gasol, which requires another blockbuster. Bynum has been an interesting name for quite some time because he is a true center, but also very prone to injuries. There’s no denying the amount of talent that Bynum has.
Many teams would love to take a risk and add Bynum to their team. Even very young teams looking for a young veteran would leap out of their seats for a chance at Bynum. It’s risky and it’s a trade that would only happen if the Lakers got the perfect trade. He has a season left on his contract and a team option the following ear for over 16 million dollars.
Andre Iguodala
The best fit for Iguodala is to play as the second best player on the team, which is something the Philadelphia tried to maintain after the departure of Allen Iverson by signing Elton Brand. The Brand signing has not worked out in the slightest, and the 76ers are now stuck eating up the final two years of a bad contract. Iguodala is one of the most underrated players in the league in terms of defense. This season was the first time his stats dipped, but it allowed Philly to get into the playoffs and have a record of .500.
The 76ers are full of young talent including Jrue Holiday running the point guard. The problem with keeping Iguodala is that he plays the same exact position of Evan Turner, one of the top picks from last season’s draft. Turner started off slow but he started to gain more momentum and minutes as the end of the season came. Philly would be looking for a big man in return if Iguodala gets traded.
Jameer Nelson
If you were just hired to be a part of the Orlando Magic front office, run…and run as fast as you possibly can. There is not a team in the league with a bevy full of bad contracts and situations more than Orlando. As next offseason will be the case of Dwight Howard and his free agency, the Magic will need to use some magic to retain the best center in the league. Gilbert Arenas has three years left in his deal as he becomes the highest paid player in the league. Hedo Turkoglu has three seasons left on his deal as well, worth over 10 million dollars per year. The Magic will be well over the cap once the hard cap hits the NBA, so they must begin to make moves.
Nelson might be the only tradable asset on the Magic besides Dwight Howard. Nelson is a solid point guard, who has the ability to score when needed and is a great teammate. While Orlando would love to get of a player like Arenas, it won’t happen unless an amnesty clause is built into the new agreement. Nelson has three more seasons on his deal, making him earn less than eight million dollars a season.
Carlos Boozer
The Bulls might not make a move. Carlos Boozer will probably not be traded. And everyone will leave happily ever after in Chicago. Well, the Bulls should think about trading Boozer because the first season with the addition of Boozer showed some flaws, even though the team had the best record in basketball. The Bulls show a more glaring need in shooting guard rather than power forward. Boozer has four more years on his contract and is the highest paid player on the team. Boozer is used to being the top player on his team, so when he got to Chicago, it was a lot different than what he has been used to in his career. His numbers are not nearly the same, and Chicago has a big power forward that they already love to play in Taj Gibson.
The shooting guard situation in Chicago is one of Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, and Keith Bogans. If they could someone morph into one player, the Bulls would be perfect at the two guard spot. Many teams need a power forward like Boozer, so expect trades to get into the Bulls front office.
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