The NBA trade deadline is coming up and that means rumors coming from all over the league and some names that have been mentioned include Ben Gordon, Shawn Marion, Danny Granger, Goran Dragic, Emeka Okafor, Jameer Nelson and Glen Davis and they are getting buzz as the trading deadline nears in February, just a few weeks away.
There are a number of deals that have been rumored and reported on and one player that is likely to move is Okafor, as his contract is a favorable one due to an injury and some insurance and the Suns are in a position where they want to make deals at the deadline. Phoenix has been one of the most surprising teams in the league this season and after making the move for Eric Bledsoe in the offseason, the team said they would be open to making deals at the deadline as they rebuild, but they also have a chance to make the playoffs in the tough and deep western conference.
Ben Gordon has been mentioned as a possible trading chip for some teams and ones making the playoffs may want to snag someone like him for some bench scoring or depth as they get down the stretch. The Suns likely will not deal Goran Dragic with the way he is playing this season and the fact that he was one of the most glaring All-Star snubs means he probably will remain with the Suns. Okafor is the most likely player to move from the team and the Suns feel they are in a good position to make moves, as they have extra draft picks from the offseason after making the Luis Scola deal with the Pacers.
Okafor came over in the Marcin Gortat trade in the offseason and now he is one of the most likely players to get traded due to his contract and in that deal the Suns also snagged a first round pick that is top-12 protected. The Suns are in an even better position now since the team is looking like it will make the playoffs and since Okafor has been injured all season, his contract is what's attractive and it's because 80 percent of his contract for this season and his salary are under an insurance claim, meaning the Suns only have to pay him the difference.
Names like Kris Humphries and Pau Gasol have been mentioned as possible deals and both Shawn Marion and Danny Granger could be in play as well. The Mavericks were close to moving Marion in the offseason, but that didn't go down, while the Pacers are one of the deepest teams in the league and they could afford to part with their former All-Star if it brings them something valuable in return. The Pacers are first in the east and are looking like the only challenger to Miami and with depth at most positions, the team could deal Granger to another team to bring back someone that could contribute to a championship run.
