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- Adam ParkerThis abbreviated NBA season is gradually picking up pace, and we now sit a few mere weeks from the All-Star break, but most importantly the March 15 trade deadline.
Trade rumors have been swirling like crazy for months, like ravenous vultures circling a dead animal carcass - and with still over a month to go, they're finally coming to a head.
With that being said, we here at the Beard and Stache have decided to break down our top five potential movers before the trade deadline.
#5. Ramon Sessions - Point Guard, Cleveland Cavaliers:
Sessions is an interesting case. Normally, he's the backup point guard behind this year's top overall pick Kyrie Irving. However, Irving is currently out of the lineup while recovering from a concussion, so Sessions has had to step into the starting role.
Regardless, Irving will be back in time, hopefully well before the March 15th trade deadline, and that makes Sessions expendable to the Cavs'.
The best fit for Sessions would obviously be the Los Angeles Lakers or the Miami Heat - two great teams lacking a legitimate starting point guard. Sessions is averaging over five assists this season, whether it be with starter's minutes or coming off the bench. If that doesn't prove that he has a true point guard's mentality and would be a great fit for either of those clubs, I don't know what will.
#4. Chris Kaman - Center, New Orleans Hornets:
Kaman is one of the players on this list most likely to be moved by March. Since coming to the Hornets via the deal that sent Chris Paul to the Clippers, Kaman really hasn't seen much playing time.
That's not Kaman's fault though, as the Hornets know that they won't even be sniffing the playoffs in the foreseeable future while they recover from losing the face of their franchise in Paul. And with no hope for the postseason, the Hornets have rationed Kaman's minutes off to the younger bigs on their roster to find out what they can do.
There are two places where I could see the 30-year-old Kaman being a solid fit. The first is the defending champion Dallas Mavericks, who are in desperate need of a big defensive post presence. Pair Kaman with Dirk Nowitzki and opposing teams will have a thick forest to try and shoot through in Dallas.
The second team would be the Miami Heat. This team has all the star power with the Miami Thrice, but no true point guard or center on their roster. Bringing in Kaman satisfies one of those glaring needs, and, if they work the numbers right, is probably one of the few places he could contribute for the remainder of this season.
#3. Pau Gasol - Power Forward/Center, Los Angeles Lakers:
Gasol's name has been floating around dating back to before the season even began. He's averaging a career-low 16.4 PPG, and with his oft-injured running mate Andrew Bynum finally appearing to be fully healthy, it wouldn't surprise me at all to see Pau packing his bags.
I'm not really sure which teams would target Gasol, but I know the Lakers would definitely be looking to acquire a solid starting point guard in return for him. There have been reports that the Lakers privately worked out free agent point guard Gilbert Arenas, but no signing is imminent, so if they want one, it will likely have to come via trade.
Could Gasol end up in a place like New Jersey for Deron Williams? What about trading Gasol to Beantown for Rajon Rondo? We'll have to wait and see.
#2. Steve Nash - Point Guard, Phoenix Suns:
After the Suns chose to let Amare Stoudemire leave via free agency for the Big Apple, Nash's name has been brought up in countless different potential trade talks as Phoenix is close to entering full-on rebuilding mode.
However, despite his advanced age, the 38-year-old Nash remains the best player on the Suns and the face of the franchise. Because of his importance to Phoenix, I seriously doubt the Suns will actually move him because anything they could get back in return won't be tantalizing enough to blow up the entire roster, give up on the season and start over - something that would occur if Nash were to be moved.
For better or for worse, Nash will at least be in Phoenix until the end of this season.
#1. Dwight Howard - Center, Orlando Magic:
I could go on and on about the reasons that Dwight "Superman 2.0" Howard is the top player on our list. His name has been in the news as the biggest potential mover dating as far back as the invention of the wheel.
The 26-year-old Howard is already leaps and bounds ahead of any other players currently at his position in the NBA, and he's worth more to the Magic than they could ever hope to receive in return for trading him.
That being said, the odds of Orlando trading the defending three-time Defensive Player of the Year before the trade deadline are slim to none.
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