Kevin Garnett isn’t going to Boston — he supposedly hates the cream pie — so he could be headed to Phoenix or the Los Angeles Lakers.
But the Suns won’t give up Amare Stoudemire. And the Lakers may get Jermaine O’Neal from the Pacers first, or Jason Kidd.
What if Kobe Bryant gets himself traded from the Lakers? But he’s lobbying for O’Neal or Garnett before that would happen. And then there’s the question of potential destinations for Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis, Zach Randolph, Shawn Marion, Andrei Kirilenko and others.
You want an NBA star? We have NBA stars for you. Just not so cheap.
The big talk since the end of the NBA Finals (yes, they were played) is the general discontent of many of the game’s stars. This could be because they were forced to watch the Cavaliers play for a championship. In any case, there perhaps never have been so many All-Star-level players being talked about in trades.
One general manager said he never has heard as much postseason trade talk in two decades. Still, with all the talk, the most certain changes for teams will come Thursday. Yes, by the way, that’s when the NBA draft takes place, in case anyone is paying attention. For those who are, here’s a look at the best.
Point guard
1. Mike Conley Jr., Ohio State, 6-1, 180: Great quickness to beat his man and push the ball, but a poor shooter. Perhaps a T.J. Ford, but more of a leader.
2. Acie Law, Texas A&M, 6-3, 195: High-caliber, mature guard who will be a good defender and No. 1 on some boards.
3. Javaris Crittenton, Georgia Tech, 6-5, 198: The boom-or-bust guy. Some questions about his character, but good size and great talent.
4. Taurean Green, Florida, 6-0, 177: Defensive-oriented player and winner with an NBA pedigree in former Bulls first-round pick Sidney, his father.
5. Ramon Sessions, Nevada, 6-3, 190: A good defender who can run a team, but his shooting is questionable. Finland’s Petteri Koponen, the Finnish Chauncey Billups, is said to be coming on.
Shooting guard
1. Corey Brewer, Florida, 6-9, 185: Not a classic shooter, but a gym rat who competes and plays defense.
2. Nick Young, USC, 6-6, 200: Good shooter and athlete with size; likened to Ricky Davis without the baggage.
3. Morris Almond, Rice, 6-6, 215: Big-time shooter and scorer with a good midrange game.
4. Rodney Stuckey, Eastern Washington, 6-5, 205: A combo guard who is more of a slasher; weak shooter with questionable motor.
5. Marco Belinelli, Italy, 6-5, 225: Brent Barry with thicker build; terrific shooter. Spain’s Rudy Fernandez could jump in as better ballhandler.
Power forward
1. Al Horford, Florida, 6-10, 245: Considered a can’t-miss prospect as a hard-working power forward with good character who can do a little bit of everything.
2. Brandan Wright, North Carolina, 6-9, 205: The classic prospect with size and workout strengths but skinny and nowhere near ready.
3. Yi Jianlian, China, 6-11, 238: Another potentially great, intriguing prospect. A terrific shooter who is fast and runs the floor well. He has all the skills and terrific size, though he’s more of a face-up player.
4. Jason Smith, Colorado State, 7-0, 240: Athletic big man who will run the floor and eventually could develop three-point range. A little raw and there are questions about how hard he will compete.
5. Sean Williams, Boston College. 6-10, 235: Big-time shot-blocker, but more the blockhead. He was kicked off the team and was often an indifferent player when he did play. Perhaps it’s better to go with LSU’s Glen Davis, a good passer who will create space to score with his girth (6-9, 280), or Duke’s Josh McRoberts, who can handle the ball and pass.
Center
1. Greg Oden, Ohio State, 7-0, 258: Perhaps not one of the great scoring centers, but a defender and all-around player who comes off as a winner. Will compete and has good character and personality.
2. Joakim Noah, Florida, 7-0, 232: A hot dog, though the question will be whether there’s any beef or just too much mustard. Not a scorer or shooter, but a good passer, solid rebounder and energetic player who will run the floor and bother centers. Sometimes comes off as too much a spoiled brat.
3. Spencer Hawes, Washington, 7-0, 230: Big-time prospect with NBA post skills who is projected perhaps to be a 20-point scorer one day. But he has a weak and ill-defined body now and won’t contribute much for a few years.
4. Aaron Gray, Pittsburgh, 7-0, 270: Came on some this season from the generally lumbering big man he mostly has been. Could crack a roster somewhere.
5. Marc Gasol, Spain, 7-0, 280: Pau’s brother, but not much like him. More below the rim player who scores around the basket. Doesn’t have Pau’s slash-and-spin game.
Tiago Splitter should draw interest for his size (about 7-0) and defense. Also coming on some teams’ radar is Kyrylo Fesenko of Ukraine, who mostly likes to dunk and could be the next Dalibor Bagaric. Another big man, though mostly a perimeter shooter, is Nevada’s Nick Fazekas.
Small forward
1. Kevin Durant, Texas, 6-9, 225: Amazing perimeter potential. Terrific shooter with the size of many centers. Eventually could play shooting guard or power forward.
2. Jeff Green, Georgetown, 6-9, 235: Big, and can guard power forwards as well. A good passer who can play inside, he’s smart player but a weak shooter.
3. Julian Wright, Kansas, 6-8, 225: Not much of a scorer, but he will affect the game with his ballhanding, passing and defense.
4. Al Thornton, Florida State, 6-8, 220: Tremendous athlete and physical specimen who’s a good shooter; there are questions about his feel for the game.
5. Thaddeus Young, Georgia Tech, 6-8, 220: Another of those athletes with upside potential. He can shoot, but he doesn’t handle the ball well; questionable defense.
———-
sasmith@tribune.com
