Unlike in the NFLwhose season just ended on a stunning note Sunday nightthe NBA is a league in which in-season trades are not only common but frequent. As teams begin to enter the stretch run toward the playoffs, there are buyers and sellers abound.This is precisely why the NBA posts its trade deadline relatively close to the end of the season. This year's trade deadline is February 23 at 3 p.m. ET. The postseason will begin less than two months later.The trade deadline is still roughly three weeks away. Therefore, there is still plenty of time for the basketball landscape to change before 11th-hour deals begin to materialize. Yet it's definitely not too early to start speculating about what those deals might look likeespecially with a handful of teams already looking to be playing in lost seasons.Today, we'll be examining the latest rumors circulating in the NBA and providing our thoughts. We'll be looking at both team- and player-oriented rumors.Latest BuzzCould Carmelo End Up in Los Angeles'The New York Knicks seem pretty set on trying to move offensive superstar Carmelo Anthony. According to The Vertical's Chris Mannix and Adrian Wojnarowski, team president Phil Jackson is determined to move Anthony before this month's trade deadline."Jackson is determined to rid the roster of Anthony and his contract and start rebuilding around Kristaps Porzingis, league sources said," Mannix and Wojnarowski recently wrote.The problems with Anthony's contract are twofold. For one, it's a hefty deal worth over $124 million in total. Anthony also has two years remaining on the contract and holds a no-trade clause. Therefore, the Knicks would need Anthony to waive the no-trade clause in order to actually move him.According to Mannix and Wojnarowski, though, there is a team that would interest Anthonythe Los Angele Clippers.The Clippers currently hold a record of 31-20 and are looking like a team that will be in the postseason. Adding the offensive boost of a player like Anthony could even make them a team to be reckoned with during the playoffs."This is really a no-brainer from the Clippers perspective, especially if he can be acquired without including [Chris] Paul, Blake Griffin or DeAndre Jordan the trade, as Broderick Turner of The Times has reported the team has insisted upon in talks with the Knicks," Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times recently wrote.The trick here, of course, would be convincing the Clippers to absorb a contract of this size while getting a player who essentially only contributes at one end of the floor.For the Knicks, who appear set to go into full-rebuild mode, the move really is a no-brainer.Cavaliers Still Looking to Make MovesThe Cleveland Cavaliers are still the top team in the East, but they haven't exactly been playing at their highest level. The team has dropped five of its last 10 games and now is in danger of falling out of the No. 1 spot before the postseason.The Knicks have spoken with the Cavaliers brass about dealing Anthony, but Cleveland hasn't shown serious interest in biting. This doesn't, however, mean that the Cavaliers are done toying with the roster.According to Marc Stein of ESPN.com, the Cavaliers are very interested in Los Angeles Lakers guard Jose Calderon, Dallas Mavericks center Andrew Bogut and Mavericks point guard Deron Williams. However, the team doesn't seem as interested in actively acquiring either before the trade deadline."The Cavs know trading for Calderon, Bogut or Williams is highly unlikely given Cleveland's various salary-cap and asset limitations," Stein wrote. "The best they can realistically hope for is that one or more of those three gets bought out after the trade deadline and eventually hits the free-agent market."This seems like a lot of hoping for a team looking to return to the NBA Finals for a third consecutive year. If the Cavaliers want to get serious about altering the roster, they might realistically need to move on from a high-dollar player like Kevin Love.Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com reports that the Cavaliers would trade Love if the right situation arose. However, Vardon also reports that dealing Love for a player like Anthonyor at all, reallyis unlikely.Love doesn't seem too worried about being dealt either."I expect to be here a long time," Love said, per Vardon.At this point, it feels more likely that the Cavaliers will pursue small-scale moves before the trade deadline while keeping an eye on the growing free-agent pool.Cavaliers Not Likely to Bring Back VarejaoWhile the Cavaliers are interested in adding new pieces to their puzzle, it seems unlikely that they will bring back Anderson Varejao.Varejao, who played 12 seasons for Cleveland, was traded to Portland last year. He was recently waived by the Golden State Warriors after averaging just 1.3 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. Because Cleveland traded away Varejao on February 18 of last season, the team wouldn't be able to re-sign him until after the 18th because of league rules.However, Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype reports that Cleveland is unlikely to re-sign the 34-year-old even after that date.It would be fitting to see Varejao make another playoff run with Cleveland, but it would likely require a desperation move on the part of the Cavaliers for it to happen this season.
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