With the new hiring of George Karl in Sacramento, reports have been swirling about the possibility of the Kings trading their star center DeMarcus Cousins, with the Boston Celtics rumored to be attempting to broker a deal for the All-Star. It has been speculated that due to the up-tempo style which Coach Karl will employ, much like we saw during his time in Denver, the feeling is he may have no use for a post-up center. Averaging 23 points and 12 rebounds this season, Cousins has established himself as one of the premier players in the league. However, over his tenure with the Kings, Boogie Cousins has shown on several occasions his growing frustrations with the franchise both on and off the court. With rumors of the Kings moving cities the past few seasons as well as constant personnel changes, the Kings have been one of the worst managed franchises in the league. During a recent interview with Bill Simmons over All-Star weekend, Cousins was jokingly asked how many point guards he had played with in his short career with Sacramento, in which Cousins laughed at the fact he had lost count. With the previously mentioned Celtics speculated to make an offer, Danny Ainge has been stock-piling assets and with several first-round picks on hand. He very well could make an offer which to tempt the Kings to make a move.

As the trade deadline gets closer one of the biggest stories unfolding at the moment is the situation between the Phoenix Suns and their versatile point guard Goran Dragic. Recent reports have revealed that Phoenix are now looking to deal Dragic before the deadline, as the Slovenian international has stated he will not be re-signing. Since acquiring Isaiah Thomas through free agency this past offseason, it seemed something had to give for the guard heavy Suns. With a backcourt of Eric Bledsoe, Thomas, and of course Dragic splitting minutes between the three players has seen mixed results. Throughout the season, Phoenix have noticeably had chemistry issues through their constant rotation of the three guards. Worthy of starting on most NBA teams, the 2014 Most Improved Player has let Phoenix management know that he desires to play elsewhere and possibly be given a better opportunity to showcase his skills. The Miami Heat, New York Knicks, and Los Angeles Lakers have been reported to have high interest in acquiring Dragic as well as the Sacramento Kings possibly looking to make a move. With tradable assets, such as Nik Stauskas, Ben McLemore, and possibly frontcourt prospect Jason Thompson, it would seem of the four franchises that Sacramento has the better chance at landing Dragic.

Another big man who looks set to move is Utah Jazz center Enes Kanter. The Turkish prospect has made it clear he wants out and is willing to be dealt before the deadline as he believes his development has been hampered on the struggling Jazz. Averaging 13 points and seven rebounds a game this year, Kanter has certainly shown flashes of what he is capable of. Forced to split time with Rudy Gobert, Derrick Favors, and Trevor Booker, the seven footer has decided he would be better off elsewhere, with the Milwaukee Bucks being a possible destination for Kanter, who could certainly fit in with Jason Kidd’s youth heavy rotation. With troubled Bucks center Larry Sanders discussing a possible buyout with the franchise, Milwaukee could certainly use a replacement.

If you are a Timberwolves fan, All-Star weekend was a great look into what the future holds. With Andrew Wiggins, Gorgui Dieng, Shabazz Muhammad, and Zach LaVine representing the franchise in the Rising Stars Challenge, the latter of course putting on one of the most memorable performances in a dunk contest in years, the Wolves look set for success. This, however, means that veteran Kevin Martin as well as Thaddeus Young and Chase Budinger could be on their way out. There is said to be a lot of speculation that the Brooklyn Nets could inquire about the availability of Young as they look to recover from the ‘Big 5’ disaster. Minnesota General Manager Flip Saunders is said to value veteran leadership around his young players so Kevin Martin could very well stay, but with the developing Andrew Wiggins looking to take the majority of the minutes, Saunders is open to trade talks for Martin.

Reggie Jackson is another player rumored to be on the move before the deadline. Oklahoma City has reportedly been listening to offers for the last two months and are open to trading the 24-year-old point guard. Set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the year, it has been reported Oklahoma City is not interested in re-signing the backup guard. Jackson has reportedly stated he no longer wants to play off the bench and will look elsewhere to start regularly. If the Miami Heat fail in their attempt to land Goran Dragic, they are expected to make a move for Jackson, although several other teams such as the Lakers, Knicks, and Nuggets are all rumored to be interested. The trade for Dion Waiters earlier this year with the Cavaliers has seen Jackson’s role diminish further on the squad, and it would not be surprising to see him in another uniform after the deadline.

The Denver Nuggets are reportedly open to trading anyone on the roster at this point as the franchise is at a cross roads. Denver has a lot of interesting pieces but as a team, it is just not working out. With the Nuggets listening to offers, one name that they are openly shopping around is shooting guard Arron Afflalo. Averaging 14 points and three rebounds, Afflalo is having a solid year, and if put on a contending team, he could contribute in a deep playoff run, with the Bulls, Clippers, and Kings all reportedly interested. Having seen the Cleveland Cavaliers acquire two first-round picks for Timofey Mozgov, the Nuggets are reportedly seeking a similar kind of deal. Chicago has stated they are unwilling to trade a first-round pick but may still be able to broker a deal before the deadline, as they are openly trying to add one more shooter.

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