With numerous trade rumors swirling, below are my five predictions for which ones will actually come true before the February deadline.
Rajon Rondo
While Rondo and the Boston Celtics are saying all the right things, Rondo will be gone before the deadline passes. I see him being moved for three reasons: 1) Boston drafted his heir apparent in Marcus Smart, 2) Boston won't take the risk of letting Rondo walk for nothing as an unrestricted free agent in July, and 3) Boston seems equally as unlikely to sign the 28-year-old to a max contract this summer.
Goran Dragic
Phoenix already has a crowded backcourt. With the recent five-year deal for Eric Bledsoe and the steady production from Isaiah Thomas, Dragic is expendable. Dragic can opt out of his contract in July, and the hefty deal he'll likely ask for is money Phoenix can spend for talent in the frontcourt, an area the team is lacking in.
Gerald Green
Green is on an expiring contract, and there'll be a market for him if Phoenix decides to shop him. He's proven so far that last season wasn't a fluke, which helps to bolster his value. I see Green going to a playoff-bound team who needs firepower from the wing.
David West
Indiana isn't going anywhere this season, and don't be surprised if some names - like West, Roy Hibbert and George Hill - get slung around closer to the deadline. Out of everybody on the team, West is the most likely to go. He's an aging veteran who has a $12.6 million player option next season, but he's still productive enough - 14 points and 6.8 rebounds per game - to catch the eye of a playoff-caliber team needing experience in the frontcourt.
Paul Millsap
I think Millsap will get traded if the Hawks have a new owner before February. Moving him makes sense for Atlanta because of the assets they'd receive in return. He also becomes an unrestricted free agent in the summer - if the team has any doubt he'll re-sign, why risk losing him for nothing?
