NBA Basketball Trade Rumors - Players to Watch This Season

GregoryBroome writes "In the coming NBA season, these players will be worthy of your attention. These are players who have the opportunity to contribute greatly to their team’s success, and in the process improve their individual standing in the league.

Jacque Vaughn, Atlanta Hawks
Vaughn is quickly becoming the NBA’s version of Tom Arnold – nobody seems impressed with his ability, but he somehow always has a job. With Orlando, Vaughn was handed a starting spot, as the team was desperate to save the vastly superior Darrell Armstrong for the playoffs. Unfortunately, Vaughn performed exactly like a player who wasn’t competing for a job - Armstrong logged 29 minutes a night, a mere 5 less than the previous year, and the Magic were forced to sign a third point guard midway through the season. This guy has to be running out of chances.

Tony Battie, Boston Celtics
Unfortunate as it may be for Celtic fans, Battie is a level above every other option the team has down low. Kendrick Perkins and Brandon Hunter are big and talented, but not ready for major roles, Mark Blount is hard working but very limited, and Vin Baker is, well, also on the roster. Battie, then, will be forced to leave his quick-shooting teammates behind and venture unaccompanied into the depths of the NBA paint.

Jamal Crawford, Chicago Bulls
While most teams would be thrilled to have a young point guard with JC’s talent, the Bulls have used their past two lottery picks to bring in potential replacements for him. This year, with Jay Williams out indefinitely and Kirk Hinrich not quite ready for prime time, the job is Crawford’s to lose. There is, however, one other player Crawford might need to worry about – returning hero Scottie Pippen, who was at his best last year running the point for the Blazers.

Carlos Boozer, Cleveland Cavaliers
Boozer finds himself in a perfect situation this year – he’s an athletic power forward on a team with a pass-first point guard and an excellent-passing center. Boozer will make a living off of easy baskets resulting from no-look passes from James and interior dishes from Ilgauskus. While every Cav looks to benefit from the coronation of the team’s new king, Boozer, an excellent running big man, is near the top of that list.

Danny Fortson, Dallas Mavericks
Though he will likely come off the bench, the Mavericks desperately need Fortson’s interior presence and rebounding. Fortson should excel in such a clearly defined role, and could quickly become a fan favorite for his physical play. However, he must put behind him the problems of last year, both personal and professional, and resist the urge to try and do too much offensively.

Rodney White, Denver Nuggets
While White still thinks of himself as a star in the making, the ranks of those who agree with him are getting thin. Yes, Michael Jordan considered drafting him #1 three years ago, but Jordan also is guilty of assembling the Washington Wizards’ roster. The Nuggets are obviously not sold on him, as they spent the summer searching for a starter at the position he plays. White still has a lot to prove.

Tayshaun Prince, Detroit Pistons
Though he showed an impressive all-around game in last year’s playoffs, questions remain about Prince’s durability. His role in the regular season was extremely limited, and in the playoffs he faced opponents who had logged major minutes all year. First-round foe Tracy McGrady, for example, played over 2500 more regular season minutes than Prince – that’s 62 games at 40 minutes a night. Having traded away most of their other options at the position, Detroit is counting on him to pull it off.

Troy Murphy, Golden State Warriors
Though Mike Dunleavy is the direct beneficiary of Antwan Jamison’s exit this summer, expectations for Murphy will also increase significantly. Despite his excellent season, he remains arguably the sixth-best PF in the Pacific Division alone. Murphy will also face tougher competition for his job this year in veteran Cliff Robinson.

Eddie Griffin, Houston Rockets
It wasn’t a great sign last year when Griffin’s minutes decreased from his rookie year. His minutes will likely drop again if he can’t take advantage of double teams to Francis and Yao by hitting shots (he shot a ridiculous 40% from the field last year). He must also become a stronger defensive rebounder to compensate for Yao’s struggles in that department.

Jonathan Bender, Indiana Pacers
Bender has long since passed the point where most teams stop accepting mere potential and start looking at on-court results. Luckily for Bender, the Pacers are not one of those teams. Bender is that rare player to not only get drafted based on pure talent, but to get a lucrative contract extension on the same basis. With Larry Bird taking over, the team’s patience is likely to expire if significant improvement isn’t made.

Quentin Richardson, LA Clippers
Q-Rich finally gets his wish this year. With Lamar Odom and Eric Piatkowski relocating, he and Corey Maggette are the favorites to man the swing positions for the Clippers this year. Richardson now must show that he deserves the job he lobbied for. With a new coach and a new contract to play for, his destiny rests solely in his own hands.

Devean George, LA Lakers
With superstars at the other four positions, nearly any small forward in the world would be the weak link in this lineup. Rick Fox is expected to miss games early in the year, George will need to identify his role and play it effectively to keep his spot when Fox returns. Jackson will be tempted to go with the veteran Fox as the playoffs near; George must find a way to change his mind.

Stromile Swift, Memphis Grizzlies
Exceptionally talented and athletic, Swift has managed to play three seasons without establishing a clear role in Memphis. Nevertheless, the Grizzlies seem to believe that he is a part of their future. Last year they traded Drew Gooden, his primary competition down low, for a swingman, and this summer, Stro survived constant trade rumors and is reportedly close to signing an extension. All that’s left is for Swift is to assert himself more frequently on the court and become a consistent low-post scoring threat.

Marcus Haislip, Milwaukee Bucks
With power forwards Joe Smith, Anthony Mason, and Jason Caffey all on the roster, one might think that Haislip should expect very limited minutes this season. Were this a playoff team, that might be true, but the Bucks are not a playoff team, and none of the above three veterans are a part of the team’s future. Milwaukee will be looking for Haislip to justify the lottery pick the team used to get him, and they won’t let the old guys’ egos stand in his way.

Troy Hudson, Minnesota Timberwolves
The Wolves rewarded Hudson’s outstanding playoff performance by trading for his replacement, Sam Cassell. Hudson played a similar role with Orlando two years ago, and did it so well that he earned a nice contract from Minnesota. Ideally, Hudson will be a top contender for 6th man of the year. The question is, does Hudson consider himself a bench player anymore?

Dikembe Mutumbo, New Jersey Nets
In three short years, Mt. Mutumbo has devolved from the most intimidating defensive presence on the planet to the player most likely to be dunked on. Dikembe, as many predicted, is lost in New Jersey’s motion offense and consistently late on defensive rotations. Still, Mutumbo is an extremely proud player, and the arrival of close friend Alonzo Mourning may be enough to inspire him to recapture his past glory. Alongside 10-year veterans Jason Kidd and Zo, it may be Deke who determines whether the Nets are a championship team or the team that would have been champions 5 years ago.

Jamaal Magloire, New Orleans Hornets
Magloire is talented enough to be an All-Star, especially in the center-deprived East. For the Hornets to make any noise in the playoffs, he’s going to have to play like one. New Orleans lost center Elden Campbell to a midseason trade and emerging power forward Jerome Moiso to free agency, leaving Magloire and PJ Brown as the team’s only proven power players. Solid low-post play from Magloire will open things up for the team’s perimeter scorers.

Frank Williams, New York Knicks
The Knicks plan on handing over their perennially captain-less ship to the inexperienced Williams, a move that speaks as much to the team’s lack of options as it does to Williams’ ability. Nevertheless, they drafted him for a reason, and he’ll get his shot this year. If he can play solid defense, minimize turnovers, and get the ball to Houston and Van Horn, the Knicks should be satisfied.

Pat Garrity, Orlando Magic
Given Orlando’s perennial lack of legitimate power players, the team has always asked Garrity to play way over his head. Though he always gave a respectable effort, when the Magic started Garrity at power forward, even the most casual of basketball fans would quickly notice that he was hopelessly overmatched down low. For the first time in years, this season’s Magic will feature enough capable big men to spare Garrity from his nightly pounding, freeing him to roam the perimeter and knock down jumpers.

Marc Jackson, Philadelphia 76ers
Two years removed from his ridiculous free-agency situation in Golden State, this is the season for Jackson to establish himself as a starting NBA center. He certainly has the talent; he was a top contender for Rookie of the Year in 2001, and often out-played Rasho Nesterovic in last year’s first round loss to the Lakers. The Sixers are desperate for a true center, and Jackson will be given every opportunity to succeed.

Jake Voskuhl, Phoenix Suns
Last year’s first round loss to the Spurs established several things for the Suns – Stephon Marbury is a franchise player, Amare Stoudemire is a monster down low, and Phoenix is a much better team with Voskuhl at center. In his second season with the Suns, the frenetic Voskuhl presented an appealing alternative to the lumbering Jake Tsakalidis. With a young, energetic core of Marbury, Stoudemire, and Shawn Marion, Voskuhl’s on-court mayhem may make Tsakalidis obsolete.

Qyntel Woods, Portland
Woods should get a chance to play this year with the departure of Scottie Pippen. Though his role will still be limited, both by the players in front of him and his own inexperience, he will see enough time to start showing the skills he put on display this summer at the Rocky Mountain Revue. The Blazers are in desperate need of a positive story, and a breakout year by their young prodigy would help immensely.

Gerald Wallace, Sacramento Kings
The Kings sacrificed a lot of their depth this summer, leaving Wallace and Anthony Peeler as the team’s only backups at the swing positions. Wallace’s defensive ability and athleticism should prove valuable for the Kings off the bench. Should he make the most out of his minutes, it is not out of the question that Wallace supplants the fading Doug Christie in the starting lineup by season’s end.

Anthony Carter, San Antonio Spurs
Despite their impressive off-season, in which the Spurs improved their overall depth and adequately replaced the retired David Robinson, a huge question mark remains at point guard. As good as Tony Parker is, he is still capable of extended periods of ineffective play. Departed playoff hero Speedy Claxton was able to step in last year and keep the team productive during these stretches. Carter must prove early that he can do the same, or the Spurs won’t hesitate to bring in a veteran point to take his job.

Calvin Booth, Seattle
For fiscal-minded Sonics fans, Booth’s stint with the team has conjured unpleasant memories of Jim McIlvaine. As the latest marginally talented center to accept Seattle’s stack of money, Booth will be among the league’s vastly overpaid until his contract expires in 2007. That being said, if he can stay healthy and avoid trying to justify his paycheck, he should be able to contribute rebounding and shot blocking to the perimeter-oriented Sonics.

Morris Peterson, Toronto Raptors
Though Peterson has been one of the more consistent, dependable Raptors in his three-year career, it is worth noting that his playoff scoring average is barely half that of his regular-season production. While the playoffs won’t be a concern this year, that alarming statistic points out that MoPete still has room to improve. For all his talent, Peterson still has the aura of a replaceable player; this year will be his chance to transcend that perception and solidify his place on the team.

Matt Harpring, Utah Jazz
Harpring is the latest in the line of solid players whose games and reputation were elevated by playing with Karl Malone and John Stockton. While Howard Eisley, Shandon Anderson, and Bryon Russell have failed to prove themselves without the benefit of the two superstars, Harpring will be expected to succeed. For some added pressure, he will have to do it without the luxury of changing teams afforded his predecessors.

Larry Hughes, Washington Wizards
New Wizards point guard Gilbert Arenas is the player three teams have tried to turn Hughes into – a tall, quick, and ultra-athletic scorer with the control and court vision of a traditional point guard. With the arrival of Arenas, this should be the first year of his career in which Hughes will not be forced to be a player that he simply cannot be. Expect Hughes to flourish as a backup to Arenas and Jerry Stackhouse, giving the Wizards a real scoring threat off the bench.

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