The NBA playoffs are in full swing and this summer on the offseason the trade market could heat up and rumors have names like Rajon Rondo, Tyson Chandler, Omer Asik, Jeremy Lin, Amar'e Stoudemire, Iman Shumpert, Kevin Love, Harrison Barnes and Raymond Felton as potential targets for teams and some that could be involved include the Houston Rockets, LA Lakers, NY Knicks, Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves.
The summer could be filled with some drama regarding free agents like Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James and that will trickle down to the trade market, as teams like the Knicks, Rockets and Bulls could be active if they miss on their targets in free agency. Past names like James and Anthony are a number of talented players, including Luol Deng, Kyle Lowry as well as Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh and those teams could chase some of those players if they miss out on the top names. The summer time is about trade talk though and this year there will not be a shortage of options, including Love, Rondo and Tyson Chandler.
The Houston Rockets will be one of the most interesting teams to watch overall, as they are interested in signing Carmelo Anthony as a free agent and they also could be in play for a Rajon Rondo trade if that doesn't work out. The Knicks are going to try and sign back Anthony as a free agent no matter what happens in the offseason and while they feel they have the best chance since they can offer him the most money and years, the way the Knicks played may have a big factor in what Melo does. The Rockets and the Bulls are expected to make runs at Anthony and with the salary cap expected to rise, they could have a chance to compete with the Knicks while trying to sign him.
No matter what the Rockets decide, they will have to move either Jeremy Lin or Omer Asik to get one of those players, as the two have massive contracts that are taking up cap space. With Dwight Howard and James Harden already in the fold, moving Asik and Lin will be a priority for Daryl Morey if he wants to get Rondo or Anthony. Asik signed a three-year, $25 million contract with the Rockets and he asked to be traded multiple times last season and he averaged a double-double of 10.1 points and 11.7 rebounds before losing his starting job last season and that could lead to a deal.
The Celtics almost took Asik last season, but they wanted Chandler Parsons in a deal and the Rockets would not put him in. Lin and Asik are in the last year of their deals so at least that could make teams more willing to take on expiring contracts, but to make that move the Rockets likely will have to put Parsons or a first round pick in with it because it's so much money. Rondo and Harrison Barnes as well as Chandler and Stoudemire are all players that could move this offseason during the summer.
