NBA Latest Trade Rumors for NBA 2016-17 Season: Kwame Brown Returns, Rudy Gay to Timberwolves, Lance Stephenson to Knicks
At this stage in the NBA off-season, the league is quiet. Teams are polishing their rosters; most teams have 14 or 15 names already on their team, while some are still negotiating trades and looking to add a few more players off free agency. Here are the latest trade rumors still buzzing the NBA.
1. Kwame Brown to Return to NBA
Former NBA players have expressed their desire to return to the league, either from retirement or from playing overseas. The latest NBA player who was rumored to have expressed his desire to return in the league is Kwame Brown.
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Brown was the number 1 overall draft pick back in 2001. He was touted as a talented and dominant big man out of high school. In fact, he made NBA history by being the first high school player to be drafted number 1 overall in the league.
Unfortunately, Brown has been dubbed as a bust, as he was unable to live up to the hype surrounding him. In fact, he struggled to be a productive player on the court. He has played for 7 different teams. In his last season, 2012-13, he played for the Philadelphia 76ers, where he averaged 1.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 0.5 blocks per game.
Rumors say that Brown actually signed up with Interperformances, which is a "full service sports agency providing strategic and tactical solutions to today's professional athletes."
If anything, this is an indication that Brown is serious about coming back physically healthy, with a more mature approach to the game. Unfortunately, he will probably have a hard time finding teams who will sign him for two reasons. First, most teams right now have already completed their rosters. Second, true centers are not as in-demand in today's NBA as it was in the past; now, centers who can stretch the floor by being three-point shooters seem to have more value.
2. Rudy Gay and Ricky Rubio trade
It's been quite some time now since Gay was in the rumor mill for a potential trade. Now, the Sacramento Kings may have found the right team to trade him for: the Minnesota Timberwolves and their starting point guard Ricky Rubio.
Rudy Gay is a 10-year veteran. Last season, he averaged 17.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. Rubio, on the other hand, averaged 11.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 10.2 assists per game last season.
Rubio's trade rumors heightened when the Timberwolves used their 5th overall pick to get another point guard in Kris Dunn. The Kings would be glad to get a solid point guard in Rubio and have a strong point guard-center combo with DeMarcus Cousins.
However, some analysts believe that it would take more than just Gay for the Kings to get Rubio. Perhaps another player, or a draft spot, will do the trick.
3. Lance Stephenson to Knicks
There aren't too many marquee names in the free agency remaining, but Lance Stephenson is one of them. But that might change soon as it has been rumored that the New York Knicks are interested in acquiring him.
Stephenson is a 6-year NBA player who averaged 14.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game last season with the Memphis Grizzlies. He spent his first four years in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers.
According to Chat Sports, Stephenson is a great pick because he can be signed with the veteran's minimum, plus he is a talented scorer, rebounder and passer who hasn't made much progress in the NBA in the last 5 years. That implies that Stephenson is as driven as he ever was to regain his glorious days back in Indiana.
Aside from the Knicks, other teams are rumored to be interested in Stephenson, including the Nets, Lakers and Timberwolves. For the Knicks, adding Stephenson will deepen the team's wing position, already occupied by star Carmelo Anthony and Courtney Lee.
