The NBA trade deadline is coming up; it’s exactly a month away. With that in mind, there’s only so much time left for teams to rush talks and make decisions to try and better themselves in some way, shape or form. It should also be interesting to see if any individual players go searching for new opportunities for success, the big payday, etc. Here are some players that I think must be moved before February 20th, and some possible ways to get it done:
1. Carmelo Anthony- Now, I told everyone 2 years ago the New York Knicks should’ve given Jeremy Lin the contract he wanted, and released Carmelo and Amar’e Stoudamire. And people were right to criticize my proposition and call me a lunatic. But that may not be the case now; Jeremy Lin loved the limelight in the Big Apple, and the Melo and Stoudamire experiment has failed to get the team past the 2nd round in the past few years.
The Knicks must trade Carmelo Anthony before the trade deadline. This has nothing to do with his play (or his average shot selection at times). With 26.1 ppg, 3.0 apg, and 9.1 rpg, Melo is putting up monster numbers (and destroying the hoax that he never passes). The Knicks, however, are absolutely terrible. They’ve lost their last four games in a row, including their most recent: a pitiful 23-point loss to the cross-town rival Brooklyn Nets. The only thing more shocking than the Knicks’ bad play is the fact that they keep getting nationally-televised games. With regards to Melo, his numbers provide immense trade value; he’s a bona fide superstar. Put him with another superstar and you’ve got a potential championship contender.
Melo said he’s going to test the free agency market at the end of the 2014 season; why would he ever come back to New York? If the Knicks are strategic, they’ll get rid of him now for some high picks in this year’s draft, and maybe a guy like Aaron Afflalo and other role players. I don’t see Carmelo coming back, and if he’s not coming back, there’s no way they can lure Kevin Love in 2015.
2. Kevin Love- Speak of the devil. Kevin Love is another bona fide superstar, averaging 25.1 ppg and 13.0 rpg so far. Those are hall of fame numbers. There’s no team in the league that wouldn’t want Kevin Love on their team. Next to LeMarcus Aldridge, you could argue he’s the best power forward in the NBA.
With that being said, the Minnesota Timberwolves have been a failed cause in the past five seasons since Love’s debut in 2008. Nikola Pekovic is playing well, but cannot play a lick of defence. Ricky Rubio knows how to run an offence, but has been struggling shooting and defending lately (well, he’s struggled with defending his whole career). Kevin Martin is averaging 19.2 ppg.
So why are the Timberwolves so awful this year? Well, one, they are in the tougher Western Conference, which is obviously much more competitive than the East. Secondly, they’ve been in a lot of close games, and in games decided by 5 points or less, the T-Wolves are a shocking 0-11. Kevin Love doesn’t appear to be a clutch shooter for them down the stretch, and they have no guy who can pull out close wins. At points, they just don’t seem to be playing like a team, and it’s been going downhill ever since 2008. Sitting at 11th place in the Western Conference, it doesn’t look great for them right now.
Everyone, including those within the T-Wolves organization, knows Kevin Love is leaving when his contract expires in 2015. If the team keeps spiralling downward before mid-February comes, why not trade him this year? His hall-of-fame numbers give him enormous trade value, and they could get some picks for the next year’s highly anticipated draft, which is being compared to the likes of the 2003 draft.
Even though the T-Wolves have screwed up picks in the past (Rubio, Derrick Williams, etc.), there is no possible way to to do it again this year. Add a couple role players behind a Jabari Parker, Marcus Smart, Joel Embiid, or Andrew Wiggins, and you will have a solid playoff team in the Western Conference. But as of now, the T-Wolves have a team that’s only going south. If they want to wait until 2015 to trade Love and risk another year of failure, they might regret it. But if they make a move now, say the for Lakers’ pick next year, they could make a decent playoff run in the 2014-2015 season.
3. Pau Gasol- The Lakers have been bad this year, worse than they were last season. At 16-26, losing seven of their last 10 games, including their most recent heartbreaker to the Bulls thanks to a Taj Gibson overtime buzzer-beater, things are spiraling in LA. An injured Kobe Bryant will probably be done in 2015, and the team will not survive with Nick Young running the show.
Pau Gasol is 33 years old. He’s averaging 16.4 ppg and 10.0 rpg, but still 33 years old. His trade value will be diminishing, even though the Lakers could still get something good out of him right now. Trade Pau for another good player and maybe some picks, and you have a team that could be set in the East, with a hyped rookie learning the ropes from Kobe Bryant himself. All I can say is, trade Pau. You aren’t winning with him, and you’ll be better off without him (not Pau’s fault by any means).
TRADE PROPOSITION:
LAKERS send: Pau Gasol, Kendall Marshall, and a first round pick to Minnesota. T-WOLVES send: Kevin Love and a 2nd round pick to Los Angeles. This is a great trade for both sides. A still efficient Pau Gasol can help the T-Wolves add another hyped player from the draft, in addition to Kendall Marshall, who is averaging 12.0 ppg and 11.8 apg in his last 10 games. Another 1st round pick for Minnesota would provide benefit to them, giving them two high 1st round picks in a stacked draft in 2014.
The Lakers, of course,would get a young, healthy 25-year-old beast in Kevin Love, and possibly attract other good players to LA too (Melo if he doesn’t get traded?). They would also gain a 2nd round pick, despite giving up a 1st rounder. That’s my best bet for a trade for Kevin Love and Pau Gasol.
Be excited for the month ahead. It’ll be one full of trades and historic additions.
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