The Western Conference title picture has just changed dramatically, with Memphis Grizzlies small forward Rudy Gay being traded Wednesday to the Toronto Raptors.
The Associated Press, which broke the story, reported that the Grizzlies dealt Gay, their leading scorer this season with 17.2 points and 5.9 rebounds for Toronto point guard Jose Calderon and forward Ed Davis in the deal. However, Calderon will be headed to Detroit as part of the trade in exchange while the Pistons sent Austin Daye and Tayshaun Prince to Memphis.
With new Grizzlies owner Robert Pera taking over last November, the Grizzlies have been trying to trim down on their salary cap situation. Gay was under contract for 16.5 million this season and $37 million over the next two seasons, which put the small-market Grizzlies in a financial bind, even though the team has been competitive in the Western Conference for years.
With the loss of their best scorer, it has yet to be determined how this will affect the Grizzlies' chances of making a run at the Southwest Division title. Currently, the Grizzles, with a 29-15 win-loss record, are six games behind the division-leading San Antonio Spurs (37-11.)
For a basketball fan, the NBA trading deadline can be one of the most fun-or most tense-times of the season, awaiting to hear on the fate of some prime basketball talent in potentially seismic, title-race-altering trade.
And as of late, such talks have surrounded three other superstar NBA players this season leading up to the Feb. 21 trading deadline.
The latest reports are indicating that the Atlanta Hawks are aggressively shopping star player Josh Smith.
Smith, who has been averaging 16.8 points this season, has perennially been involved in trade rumors for years, but with the forward saying last week that he felt he warranted a max contract, which could be as high as $94 million, the Hawks may just decide to shop their leading scorer, who has been with the organization since his rookie season in 2004-05.
Meanwhile, as the trials and tribulations of the Los Angeles Lakers continue, so do the trade rumors regarding one half of their four key players in Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard.
Gasol, who was relegated to the bench permanently by Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni earlier in January, has been in the eye of trade rumors for much of the season. The four-time NBA All-Star has been having trouble fitting into D'Antoni's fast-break offense, and was vocal about his displeasure towards being benched Tuesday after a 111-106 win over the New Orleans Hornets.
"I'm a competitor, I'm a guy that thinks I bring a lot to the table, and not being on the floor is something that I don't like, I don't appreciate," said Gasol.
But Gasol isn't the only Lakers player rumored to be on the move these days, as NBA All-Star starter Dwight Howard, whose contract expires at the end of this season, has been rumored to be unhappy with D'Antoni's offensive system.
As a result, ESPN reported, the Lakers may be forced into a position where they would have to trade Howard rather than potentially lose him to free agency for nothing the way that Cleveland lost LeBron James in 2010.
While Howard comes with his share of issues, having nursed a bad back and shoulder this season and coming off lower back surgery last offseason, the Lakers would have no trouble finding any number of suitors that would be willing to take the dominant center off their hands.
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