This is about the quietest time on the calendar for NBA trade rumors — November deals are very rare (and tend to have been percolating for a long time). Generally, trade talk doesn't start to fully move into gear until around Dec. 15, when most of the players who signed new contracts or extensions this summer can be included in a trade.
That said, the trade speculation never stops around the league, so let's talk about some of the latest rumors. , it's not new so much as the talk is getting louder because the Lakers have started 10-5 and sit in the top four in the West. Anthony Davis is happier playing more at the four, which has the Lakers looking for the right player to step into the role JaVale McGee played during the 2020 championship season — they want a true five, .
The name that comes up the most is the Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas, who is a big body, sets a strong screen and can space the floor. Nikola Vucevic with the Bulls could be another possible target, same with Nick Claxton in Brooklyn, Robert Williams III has looked sharp since returning to the Portland lineup, and the long shot — if things really fall apart in Milwaukee — would the Bucks moving on from Brook Lopez (that seems unlikely). That's just the tip of the iceberg.
Lakers rumors will be flying around, as always. Whether they do anything about it is another issue. The Lakers are right up against the second tax apron (less than $1 million below it), and reports are they will not go over that line,.