NBA Trade Rumors: Playing Fact or Fiction With Latest Trade Rumors

Kevin Garnett has been the talk of the NBA lately. (Photo Credit: Mark Runyon, Basketball Schedule)

NBA trade rumors, are, well, rumors. With the trade deadline less than a week away, the rumor mill is starting to overflow. Of course, not all of these rumors will materialize past speculation, but there are some interesting ones out there.

Let’s take a look:

Dwight Howard Headed to Boston Celtics, Rajon Rondo To Los Angeles Lakers?

On Friday night, Ken Berger of CBS Sports leaked a rumor that the Celtics and Lakers could engage in the ultimate swapping of superstars–Rajon Rondo for Dwight Howard. Two superstars, two rivals and two teams who have underachieved swapping one of their main players. It doesn’t get much more interesting.

The question is, why would the Lakers trade Howard just a couple days after telling him he’s staying in Los Angeles beyond the February 21st deadline? Well, that’s where this whole idea blows up in flames. Lakers’ general manager Mitch Kupchak has stated numerous times that Howard isn’t going anywhere, and there’s no reason to think that he’s deceiving us.

From the Celtics’ perspective, acquiring Howard for roughly half a season doesn’t make a whole lot of sense either. Sure, Boston would attempt to retain him beyond 2013, but the ball is in Howard’s court this summer, and it doesn’t seem like Boston is one of his preferable destinations.

Verdict: Fiction

Los Angeles Clippers Looking to Acquire Kevin Garnett?

The Clippers have been in talks with the Celtics about Kevin Garnett for a couple weeks, but talks had died down until they picked back up on Friday. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the Clippers are looking to trade Eric Bledsoe and DeAndre Jordan in exchange for Garnett.

The big obstacle that both teams will have to overcome is Garnett’s no-trade clause. One would think that Garnett would waive his no-trade clause if Boston wanted to trade him to the Clippers, a team equipped for a championship run. It’s not like he would be going to the Charlotte Bobcats, for instance. But, Garnett is being very stubborn.

Let’s forget about Garnett’s comments for a second.

What’s interesting is where the Clippers stand on this rumor. Head coach Vinny Del Negro would welcome this particular trade, whereas Los Angeles’ front office isn’t jumping with joy at the thought of trading Bledsoe and Jordan. It’s not difficult to see why when we look at the particulars.

Bledsoe and Jordan are both under the age 25, and Garnett is approaching retirement. He hinted at that specific idea the other day, too.

Moreover, athletic centers such as Jordan don’t come around all too often, and Bledsoe is a luxury coming off the bench. Eventually, Bledsoe will seek a bigger role–probably with another team–but for now, he doesn’t have much of a choice.

Ideally, the Clips would prefer to trade some of their veterans, such as Caron Butler or Willie Green. This probably wouldn’t suffice. Bledsoe or Jordan would likely have to be included.

Regardless, the Clippers are sending a message–they want to win the championship this year, and are willing to sacrifice young prospects to do so. Could Garnett realize that the Clippers could be championship contenders with him and waive his no-trade clause? It’s not out of the question.

Verdict: Fact

Milwaukee Bucks Looking to Trade Brandon Jennings or Monta Ellis for Josh Smith?

Photo Credit: Pablo Gamez, IsoSports

A multitude of teams have expressed some level of interest in Josh Smith, and the Bucks have joined that list. According to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal-Times, the Bucks are mulling over the idea of making an offer to the Hawks for Smith.

The Hawks probably won’t find a more appealing trading partner than the Bucks, who could offer someone that would be a near-perfect fit–Monta Ellis.

Ellis could fill the scoring void that Louis Williams left after suffering a season-ending ACL tear in late January, and comes with a flexible contract, which includes an early termination clause for the 2013-2014 campaign. He would become a free-agent after that season if he doesn’t end his contract early.

As for what Smith would bring to the Bucks, it’s simple–more defense. According to mysynergysports, Milwaukee is the seventh best isolation defense in the league and fourth-best overall defense. Fittingly, Smith is the 11th best isolation defender, and 54th best overall defender. A front-line of Larry Sanders (Defensive Player of the Year Candidate) and Smith would be hard to penetrate.

By dealing Ellis, the Bucks would be subtracting their second-best scorer, but Smith could replace that production, and also add to an already excellent defensive unit.

Verdict: Fact

Thanks for visiting HoopsHabit.com! We’d love to hear your opinion in the comments section below!

Please visit our sponsors and like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, subscribe to our Youtube feed and tell your friends!

Need great NBA seats at the best prices? Check out HoopsHabit’s NBA Tickets!

HoopsHabit’s Regular Column Schedule:

Monday – NBA Awards Watch
Wednesday – NBA Power Rankings
Friday – NBA Stat Central
Sunday – Your NBA Fix Podcast