The December 15th deadline has passed now, teams are free to trade players they signed during the offseason. Jrue Holiday is perhaps the biggest name among current NBA trade rumors as of today.
Multiple teams will want to move for a key piece to put them back in the hunt with the playoff picture starting to take shape. There are stars as well in struggling teams who are looking for a move to a contender.
Trade Rumors from Around the NBA
Jrue Holiday to the Denver Nuggets
The New Orleans Pelicans are struggling at 7-22 and 14th in the Western Conference. The Pelicans have made Jrue Holiday available in trade talks this season after their poor start according to Marc Stein. The Pelicans are looking to build around their young assets in Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and Lonzo Ball so it would make sense to trade the former All-Star. Holiday is averaging 15.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 6.4 assists a game on 45 percent field-goal shooting.
The combo guard will be a great fit for any of the playoff contenders looking for his services. The Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat, and the Milwaukee Bucks are reportedly interested in his services. The combo three-and-D guard will not come cheap though as the Pelicans are looking for a combination of draft picks and assets.
Yet what that also means is Jrue Holiday is indeed available via trade, league sources say. It would surely cost a significant amount to pry him away from the Pels, but this is a notable change in status given how unavailable Holiday was to interested teams last season
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) December 17, 2019
Minnesota Timberwolves Veterans on the Trade Block
The Minnesota Timberwolves have explored the possibility of moving Robert Covington and Jeff Teague according to Eric Pincus from Bleacher Report. Covington has averaged 28.2 minutes a game which is five minutes less than his average last season. Teague, on the other hand, is averaging 14 points, 6.9 assists, and 0.9 steals a game this season. As Andrew Wiggins and Jarrett Culver are taking minutes away from these veterans, their services will be handy for a contender looking to get over the hump this season.
Jeff Teague’s expiring contract will be enticing for playoff teams to take on if it means having an experienced playmaker on their bench. As of late, the Timberwolves are scouring the market for Teague’s value as the trade deadline looms.
Covington, on the other hand, will need a higher valued offer if the Timberwolves were to let the forward go. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets are teams who are interested in the services of the 29-year-old forward. He can provide much-needed length, scoring, and defensive prowess for these championship contenders.
The New York Knicks Already Willing to Move Julius Randle
In the midst of the hiring of David Blatt as a consultant, the New York Knicks are reportedly open to trading forward Julius Randle according to Steve Popper of Yahoo! Sports. The Knicks’ marquee signing in the offseason is averaging 17.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game this season. As the Knicks gave the big man a $40.9 million for two years deal, it will be hard for the Knicks to find any takers.
The Knicks are currently 7-21 and searching for their direction as a franchise. Randle is arguably their best-valued piece on their roster right now thus want to move him. Randle’s ballhandling, scoring, and rebounding ability will intrigue other teams to move for him. They will just have to take the good with the bad in his turnovers, poor percentages, and being undersized.
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