Golden State Warriors
Will the Warriors trade Harrison Barnes? Publicly they've been telling teams that they don't want to move him. But like the Knicks, the Warriors are another team that badly wants a playoff run and are trying to find ways to upgrade their roster. Stephen Curry isn't going anywhere. Neither is Andre Iguodala nor Andrew Bogut. Klay Thompson isn't untouchable, but the Warriors really love him. David Lee is available, but the market is pretty soft for him. So while the Warriors are telling everyone that Barnes is not available, they have been listening and even countering offers that have come from other teams, leading several GMs to believe he's available for the right price.
What's the price? A young player who can help contribute to the team right now -- especially someone who can give them some much-needed depth on their front line. They'd love to get their hands on Kevin Love. But the Wolves would want much more than Barnes. The Pistons' Greg Monroe, the Sixers' Thaddeus Young, the Cavs' Tristan Thompson, the Nuggets Kenneth Faried, the Bucks' John Henson and the Raptors' Amir Johnson all intrigue the Warriors. Whether any of those teams are willing to give up that much to acquire Barnes remains to be seen.
Phoenix Suns
The Suns have some of the most coveted assets of any team: draft picks, and lots of them. They have their own pick, the Pacers' selection, the Wolves' pick (if it falls between No. 14 and No. 30) and the Wizards' slot (if it falls between No. 13 and No. 30).
With a number of lottery teams looking to add another asset (the Bucks and Sixers in particular are in the hunt for more picks), it is possible the Suns can snag a veteran for their playoff push. Plus, they have a huge expiring contract (Emeka Okafor) to facilitate a deal. The Suns won't give these away; but if they believe they can acquire a player who could put them in a better playoff position this year, they'll do it.
The player to watch is the Cavs' Luol Deng. As I wrote on Tuesday, new interim GM David Griffin believes the Cavs might be better off dumping Deng now while they still can get something in return for him. If the Suns give up a couple of picks, will that be enough to encourage the Cavs to make a deal? Deng would be a great fit in Phoenix.
