Many players will be eligible for trade by the second week of December and as early as now, several NBA trade rumors are already bugging fans.
Take Los Angeles Clippers for example. The California-based team is inconsistent in this early season. They tried to beef up its roster in the offseason but it is yet to bear fruit for them.
NBA trade rumors have it that they are looking for new quality players in exchange for role players Lance Stephenson and Josh Smith.
"Stephenson can be traded now while Smith is not eligible to be dealt until Dec. 15 after signing as a free agent in the offseason," Yahoo Sports Marc Spears wrote early this month. "Two NBA executives told Yahoo Sports that the Clippers would have hard time trading the struggling newcomers who have not fit in well during the team's slow start."
A Clippers insider said, according to an NBA executive, Stephenson and Smith situation is like a feeler.
"NBA executive said Lance Stephenson/Josh Smith trade calls were exploratory and routine for this time of year as teams feel each other out," Ben Bolch said on Twitter.
LA Clippers are currently at fourth spot with 13-9 win-loss record. The team still get productions from its big three, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, and Chris Paul. The problem is they are not getting much from bench players.
Josh Smith currently averages five points per game, a far cry from his career averages and last season's playoffs stint with Houston Rockets.
Stephenson, meanwhile, barely get minutes from coach Doc Rivers and only hauls 5 points per game along with 2.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists.
While it seems the two cannot get their flow with the Clippers, coach Rivers insists that the latest NBA trade rumors are false.
"That's silly talk. Nothing. No truth," he said according to Los Angeles Clippers beat writer Dan Woike.
