NBA Trade Rumors for 2016-17 Season: McLemore to be Traded, Lowry to Sixers, Smith Finalizes Cavs Contract
Just a few days away from NBA practice camps, yet trade rumors continue to flourish. These days the focus is on a few teams and players who seem to have some more business left to do to sort things out before regular season begins. For example, there is a general consensus that the Sacramento Kings need to do some major roster changes to solve chemistry issues. Here are the latest trade rumors.
1. Ben McLemore to be traded
Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins of the Sacramento Kings players have been involved in many recent NBA trade rumors. The latest rumor adds another Kings player to the list; Ben McLemore, and at least one other rotation player in Kosta Koufus, might be traded to another team before this summer ends or during the regular season before the trade deadline.
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One possible scenario is when Rudy Gay gets traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Due to cap space requirements, Ben McLemore gets added into the trading block with Gay. In exchange, the Kings will get Lou Williams and Nick Young.
Ben McLemore averaged 7.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game last season. He is an athletic slasher who has lots of potential, but he never had the opportunity to excel in his last three years with Sacramento. Maybe a change of scenery is what he needs; getting more minutes in another team that has a higher demand for his skills.
Entering his fourth season, McLemore is as focused about improving his talents as any player could be. In a recent interview, he said, "I've been really focused on myself this summer.. I let my agent, I let my manager handle all the front-office business while I focus on Ben."
2. Kyle Lowry to Philadelphia 76ers
According to a recent rumor, Kyle Lowry will be traded by the Toronto Raptors to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Jahlil Okafor.
Both players are achievers in their own right. Kyle Lowry, who will play in his 11th NBA season, is one of the best point guards in the league today. Lowry averaged 21.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game last season, arguably his best in his entire career.
Last season, Lowry made it to the All NBA 3rd team and played for Team USA in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics held in Brazil. DeMar Derozan and Kyle Lowry made a formidable backcourt duo which gave the Toronto Raptors their best season record in 2014-15, with 56 wins and 26 losses.
If Lowry gets traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, the team will definitely benefit from his veteran experience and high basketball IQ. The younger players of the Sixers will definitely need that knowledge.
Jahlil Okafor was the 3rd overall pick last season. He averaged 17.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game in his rookie season last year. One of his accolades was being included in the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
Okafor will help the Raptors with his rebounding, defense and offense skills around the paint, especially since the team lost Bismack Biyombo in free agency.
3. J.R. Smith Close to Deal with Cavaliers
According to Sportsrageous, J.R. Smith is nearing a deal agreement with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and pretty soon, anxious Cavs fans will no longer worry about losing a crucial player in their roster.
Smith posted a picture on Instagram showing him watching a Cleveland Indians game. He also added the hashtag Meetings on that photo, which may indicate that he or his representatives will meet up with the Cavs organization for contract finalization.
Head coach Tyronn Lue has earlier expressed the importance of having J.R. Smith on the roster, saying that Smith is "the heart and soul of the team."
