NBA Trade Rumors: Philadelphia Sixers, L.A. Lakers, New York Knicks
In light of the trade deadline, NBA trade rumors are now reaching finalization. The latest teams that are still cramming to push a trade are the Sixers, the Lakers, and the Knicks. Will they close a deal before today’s deadline?
Philadelphia 76ers closes a deal, still looking into more
In the latest Sixers news, Ersan Ilyasova has been traded off to Atlanta Hawks for Tiago Splitter and two second-round picks. Sources of Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical say that both NBA teams are now finalizing the trade.
Source: Atlanta's sending a 2017 second-round pick (via Miami) in the Sixers trade. Hawks/Sixers swapping other 2017 second-rounders.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 23, 2017
Another player that might be shipped off before the deadline is Jahlil Okafor, who has been a subject of much NBA trade talks. According to Philly, several NBA teams that have reached out to the Sixers for the player include Denver Nuggets, the Portland Trail Blazers, the New Orleans Pelicans, and the Chicago Bulls.
The last two are reportedly no longer interested in a deal, while the Blazers are now unlikely to push through a trade considering that Portland has just acquired Jusuf Nurkic from the Denver Nuggets, Fansided reports.
However, about 10 or 11 NBA teams have expressed interest in Okafor. The Indiana Pacers, Lakers, and Kings are also reportedly involved in trade talks with the Sixers for the NBA player, but it’s unknown as to which team Okafor will end up in.
But he most certainly will be traded off by the NBA trade deadline, David Aldridge says.
L.A. Lakers trades off shooting guard, waits for Paul George
ESPN sources claim that the L.A. Lakers have recently closed a deal with the Houston Rockets. In exchange for Lou Williams, Los Angeles is getting Corey Brewer and an unprotected first-round pick. The sources say that the Lakers received numerous offers for the shooting guard but ultimately decided on the Rockets.
The 30-year-old NBA player thanked and bid goodbye to L.A. in a tweet.
Thanx for the love L.A, I've enjoyed my stay.
— Lou Williams (@TeamLou23) February 22, 2017
Lakers’ new president of basketball operations, Magic Johnson, is also apparently eyeing Paul George. The NBA Hall of Famer is on the move to fill in the void that Kobe Bryant left behind and is trying to acquire George, USA Today reports.
However, it seems that the Lakers are not going for an NBA trade with the Indiana Pacers. Mark Medina of L.A. Daily News says that they may rather wait for George to be a free agent than to close a trade deal.
For both Lakers/Paul George's sake, it seems more likely they'll wait for George in free agency than try to get him in trade
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) February 22, 2017
Paul George will enter free agency in summer 2018, so don’t expect the All-Star forward to wear a different uniform past the NBA trade deadline or even this year.
New York Knicks
All-Star player Carmelo Anthony is likely to be staying in New York despite rumors of several NBA teams courting him. According to the 32-year-old forward, his team hasn’t talked to him about any deal at all.
“I haven’t heard anything. I haven’t seen anything other than what’s on social media. But other than that nobody has reached out to me, nobody has called me, nobody has called my team. That’s why I’m not too concerned about it.”
Per the NBA website, Anthony also said that he should know once a trade is being discussed, but as of now, nothing has come to the table. The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Clippers are rumored to have been talking to the Knicks over a trade, though nothing has come out of the said discussions.
Derrick Rose is also involved in New York Knicks’ trade talks. The Minnesota Timberwolves have reportedly reached out to the Knicks for a deal, which may also involve point guard Ricky Rubio. The point guard swap may end up as a good deal for both sides, but not for Rose.
Wolves Reach Out To Knicks On Ricky Rubio For Derrick Rose Trade: https://t.co/yv52uHZ8mh pic.twitter.com/MoImIgLoPB
— RealGM (@RealGM) February 21, 2017
The NBA rookie Kris Dunn will reportedly take over the Timberwolves once Rubio is out to be a better point guard for the Knicks. Where does that leave the former NBA MVP Derrick Rose?
With only a few hours left until the NBA trade deadline, let’s see who’s going to which team and who stays after all.
[Featured Image by Matt Slocum/AP Images]
