In an Insider-only piece, John Hollinger made use of ESPN.com's Trade Machine to create a few potential trades that he'd like to see happen in the coming weeks. Here are Hollinger's ideas:
- Chris Kaman to Houston: Hollinger argues that the Rockets are the best fit for Kaman because of the unwanted expiring contracts Houston owns. He also mentions the Celtics, Pacers, and Blazers as destinations that aren't quite as ideal as the Rockets. I like the Pacers as a fit because of their cap space, but it's unlikely they'd give up anything of real value for Kaman. Here's the latest on the Hornets center.
- Stephen Jackson and Dwight Howard to New Jersey: Building on rumors suggesting Howard would like to play with Jackson, Hollinger creates two separate trades to get the two of them to Jersey. The deal involving Jackson could be consummated prior to March 1st, and sees Jordan Farmar and Anthony Morrow, among others, heading to Milwaukee. The hypothetical Howard blockbuster involves Kris Humphries and therefore can't be made until March. I certainly don't think the Magic will move Howard before March, so this one could be a possibility.
- Steve Nash to Portland: Since Nash isn't extension-eligible, any team trying to acquire him in the next few weeks would do so knowing he'd be a rental. Hollinger proposes a Blazers package of Raymond Felton, Nolan Smith, and Elliot Williams. Personally, I'd be surprised if that was enough for the Suns to give him up. I think their asking price will be very high, even with Nash's contract expiring.
- O.J. Mayo and Ramon Sessions to Indiana: This four-team proposal also involved Tyler Hansborough, Eric Bledsoe, and Randy Foye, among others. It's intriguing, but it's not a direction I'd expect the Pacers to go, and getting all four teams to agree would be a challenge.