ESPN Insider (11 most interesting trade candidates)

The seven-player trade sending Rudy Gay to the Sacramento Kings, expected to be finalized Monday, marked the unofficial beginning of the NBA's holiday shopping season. With most players signed this summer eligible to be traded starting a week from Sunday, expect the market to heat up for teams looking to shake things up a quarter of the way through the season.

Let's take a look at 11 of the most interesting names that could potentially be dealt between now and the Feb. 20 trade deadline.


Paul Millsap | PF | Atlanta Hawks


Millsap
Millsap is the most important player carrying the Dec. 15 restriction. Since the Hawks have the inside track on the third seed in the Eastern Conference, they might hang on to Millsap as half of their underrated frontcourt alongside Al Horford. But with Atlanta also thinking long term, GM Danny Ferry would have to consider a deal that would net the Hawks a quality draft pick or a quality center to pair with Horford. (Omer Asik, perhaps?) Millsap has only enhanced his value by making a career-high 15 3-pointers already this season.

Luol Deng | SF | Chicago Bulls


Deng
The next few months could determine if the Bulls are buyers or sellers at the trade deadline. If they decide to make Deng available, there will be plenty of suitors for a two-time All-Star who doubles as an expiring contract. The Cleveland Cavaliers, for example, might see Deng as a low-risk option who allows them to compete for a playoff spot this season while maintaining the ability to change directions next summer.

Dion Waiters | SG | Cleveland Cavaliers


Waiters
Speaking of the Cavaliers, their second-year shooting guard could be on the move after a locker room argument with Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson, as reported by Insider's Chris Broussard. The Cavaliers would be selling low on Waiters, who lost his starting job around the same time as the incident. He's been more effective as a reserve, improving his scoring average from 13.3 PPG to 15.4 in nearly identical minutes, which might foretell his future as a volume scorer off the bench.

Greg Monroe | F/C | Detroit Pistons


Monroe
Sunday's loss to the Miami Heat snapped a four-game Detroit win streak, which included a victory at Miami last week. During the winning streak, the Pistons' starting frontcourt of Monroe, Andre Drummond and Josh Smith was plus-37 together in 78 minutes, a big change from getting outscored by 4.6 points per 48 minutes through November according to NBA.com/stats. So there are signs the big lineup might be coming together, especially at the defensive end. If not, Monroe appears to be the most likely candidate to be dealt before he hits restricted free agency next summer.

Omer Asik | C | Houston Rockets


Asik
At this point, it's a question of when and not if Asik will be dealt. Our Marc Stein reported Friday that the Rockets are in a hurry to make a trade by Dec. 19 so they can repackage players they acquire before the deadline. I broke down players Houston could get for Asik last month. Since then, Terrence Jones' solid play as a starter (his net rating of plus-11.0 points per 100 possessions on the floor is second to Omri Casspi on the team) has made it more reasonable that the Rockets might target a quality wing defender rather than a stretch 4. Ideally, the player Houston ultimately acquires would be able to fill both roles.

Zach Randolph | PF | Memphis Grizzlies


Randolph
With each loss, the Grizzlies find themselves further out of the West playoff picture. Their point differential now ranks 14th in the conference, ahead of only the lowly Utah Jazz. While that will surely change when Marc Gasol returns from his sprained MCL, Memphis might fall too far behind to have a realistic chance of catching up. Already, the Hollinger Playoff Odds have them reaching the postseason less than 10 percent of the time. If this season is lost, the Grizzlies have to seriously consider moving Randolph, who is 32 and has one season beyond this on his contract. Expect his name to pop up in rumors soon.

Iman Shumpert | G/F | New York Knicks


Shumpert
With this season's Knicks plumbing new depths in Sunday's 41-point loss to the Boston Celtics, a shakeup is a real possibility and Shumpert is the team's most attractive trade asset short of an improbable Carmelo Anthony deal. For all the hand-wringing over Shumpert's disappointing season, his PER is essentially identical to what he posted last season, and similar to his rookie campaign. Most likely, this is what Shumpert is: an above-average wing defender who can make open 3s but shouldn't be asked to do too much on offense.

Spencer Hawes | C | Philadelphia 76ers


Hawes
In an era of big men who can shoot, Hawes has set himself apart this season with his prolific long-range bombing. His 1.8 3-pointers per game (on fine 43.8 percent shooting) would be the second highest average for a 7-footer in NBA history, trailing only Dirk Nowitzki's 2002-03 campaign. (Here's the complete Nowitzki-heavy leaderboard from Basketball-Reference.com.) The Sixers are motivated to move Hawes, who could help a contender as a third big man, but finding a team with the right combination of expiring contracts and first-round picks is tricky.

Evan Turner | SG | Philadelphia 76ers


Turner
My favorite devious theory of the nascent campaign came from a reader in one of my chats who asked if the Sixers were playing at the league's fastest pace in order to boost the per-game stats of players they hoped to trade. In a related story, Turner is averaging 20.5 points per game, putting him 22nd in the league. Turner has been more efficient too, making a career-high 49.7 percent of his 2-point attempts. The fast pace has also translated into more easy opportunities for him. According to Synergy Sports Technology, 18.9 of Turner's shots have come in transition, up from 12.6 percent last season.

DeMar DeRozan | SG | Toronto Raptors

DeRozan
DeRozan's situation is more interesting. Toronto doesn't have to move the 24-year-old, who's in the midst of the best season of his career. But if GM Masai Ujiri finds another team values DeRozan's volume scoring more than he does, the Raptors could move on without any of their perimeter starters from opening night.

Kyle Lowry | PG | Toronto Raptors


Lowry
As Stein reported Sunday night, the Raptors aren't finished dealing after moving Gay. Lowry is likely to be next, now that Toronto has a replacement on hand in newcomer Greivis Vasquez. At $6.2 million in the final season of his contract, Lowry is a cost-effective option for teams looking to solidify the point guard position, and the Raptors can target a late first-round pick or equivalent return.

 

I would love Milsap, Turner, DeRozan, or Monroe.

Milsap should be top priority for us if we have a chance at him, however with how Jones has played recently it is not as vital. Turner is a good wing player who can do a bit of everything. The others are just nice players, I don't know if they would really fit on our team, I just like them.

 

Asik for draft picks please.

 

for a catch and shoot player like millsap..who scores a majority of his points on assists..i wish he'd shoot a better fg%

 

how are you gonna post a new thread and ask someone else to post the link?

 

Great to be a buyer with a deep team of redundant pieces and picks.

MOREY FTW AGAIN !

DD

 

wouldn't Spencer Hawes and Young complete our team?

Full rotation:

Lin/Beverely
Harden/Beverely
Parsons/(Casspi or Garcia)/Young
Jones/Young/Hawes
Howard/Hawes

 

Plethora: a large or excessive amount of ( good players)

I agree! Seems like the Rockets are ALWAYS in the middle of the Merry-go Round now in days. Speaks volumes about what Morey has been able to accomplish. I'm starting to get into the Christmas spirit a little early this year, with anticipation of getting that unknown key player that Morey is going to steal!...
.......
.......
.......

 

I think Hawes and Turner would more than Hawes and Young. Doubtful we would be able to get both though.

 

Hell, work a trade for Hawes and Turner.

 

Hawes is not a bad choice for the backup spot at all.

 

Greg Monroe please!!!

 

Monroe can be used interchangeably at the 4 and the 5 and fits our system perfectly

 

This. Five times!!!

 

A backup 5 with good 3pt range. TT would also work as well. Good choise!

 

I'll take ilyasova, Millsap or Anderson. that's it out of the obvious choices

 

Send lin, asik, and d-mo to new york for melo..it will be more like a rental this year, if it clicks, good otherwise let him walk at da end of the season..that will clear our cap space goin next year.....but if we get melo, then we can keep three or two of our superstars on da court all da time.

 

I would like to add Spencer Hawes, Turner or Young.

Hell, I would like to add all three!

 

How about a 3 way with Rockets getting Zach Randolph, Asik going to some third team, and the third team sending draft and other considerations to Memphis.

Randolph can hit an 18 footer and would immediately become our best low post threat. We would own the boards and likely win a title or two.