5 NBA Players That Will Be Traded Before Christmas

November 15, 2013 - 10:10 pm by Terrence Watson

Less than a month into the 2013-14 NBA season and trade rumors are buzzing around the league. Talk of teams tanking for draft picks has become the norm and GM’s are making moves to make sure there’s room to rebuild when the time comes. Some players have taken things a step further and let it be known that they’re ready for new surroundings. With so many moves looming in the near NBA future, take a look a the players you can expect to see in different cities soon.

Derrick Williams, Minnesota Timberwolves The former number two overall pick just hans’t developed into the player the T’Wolves thought he would. At 6-7, 240 pounds he’s a tweener with no distinct skills at either the three or four spot. His athleticism was enough to propel him to the top of drat boards back in 2011, but Minnesota has made it clear he’s certainly not a part of their core future plans. His numbers were decent last season (12 points and five rebounds per game) but he’s yet to start in the seven games the T’Wolves have played this season.

Kenneth Faried, Denver Nuggets Denver has played the team ball with no superstars for the past two seasons. It’s been more than a novelty, since they’ve made the playoffs, but come crunch time there’s no one for the Nuggets to turn to for buckets. Other than guard Ty Lawson, Kenneth Faried is Denver’s best player to build around but that also makes him the most valuable trade bait. Team’s will come running for the Manimal and he won’t be in the Mile high for very long.

Iman Shumpert, NYK Sorry Knicks fans, but if there’s anything we can count on the front office at the Garden to do, it’s let a player go who’s primed to be a star. Look at Shump: comes back from career threatening injuries better than before, serves as a young face for one of the biggest athletic brands in the world and even dates hot R&B singers. That’s the kind of star tha fits in with the New York scene, so it’s only logical that the Knicks would let him go as he’s primed to get better. Plenty of teams are ready to sign Young Flattop. Look for the Knicks to let him walk.

Jimmer Fredette, Sacramento Kings It must be tough to go from a near 30 points per game walking Sportscenter highlight to a 7 ppg. bench player who’s most attractive attribute is his expiring contract. Jimmer Fredette was that dude at BYU, but much like JJ Reddick, the star three-point threat at Duke, he hans’t figured out the NBA game. The Kings are deepest at guard, so a change of scenery might be the best option for Fredette at this point. Rumors even point to him returning to Utah, where he’d undoubtedly get love from his college days, and a shot to develop.

Omer Asik, Houston Rockets From the moment Dwight Howard expressed interest in signing with the Rockets, Omer Asik let it be known he wasn’t with the idea of sharing front court responsibilities with him. Feelings turned to actions this week, with Asik reportedly requesting a trade and being moved to the end of the bench by Houston coach Kevin McHale. Of everyone on this list, he’s without a doubt the first player that will call a new city home.

In This Story: