There are plenty of interesting dates to keep in mind throughout the NBA betting season; opening day, the All-Star game, and the start of the playoffs. The start of the postseason might arguably be the most important out of all the dates, but instrumental in determining the playoff lineup is a date that draws nearer and nearer every day. As diehard online sportsbook fans already know, the NBA trade deadline will be on February 23rd at 3 pm ET.
Now that we’re in the New Year, franchises are starting to shop around the league and eye up the biggest talents clubs are willing to part with. Naturally, rumors leak out about the most anticipated moves and it’s important for fans to stay up to date with the latest news in order to more accurately predict how the NBA season will unfold. With that in mind, let’s take a gander at the biggest trade rumors currently floating round the league.
The biggest news currently circulating the NBA wire involves the Atlanta Hawks and their All-Star player Paul Millsap, as well as veteran shooter Kyle Korver. The timing – just hours into the New Year – certainly favors Atlanta since Millsap just delivered a bedazzling performance against the San Antonio Spurs this past Sunday night.
Most basketball betting sites had Atlanta pegged as a heavy underdog against the Spurs, but Millsap’s brilliant performance let the Hawks snap their putrid 11-game losing streak and will indubitably help Atlanta get more value on the market for Millsap.
ESPN.com reports that Atlanta is becoming increasingly more anxious of losing Millsap during the NBA betting free agency, much like how the Thunder lost Durant last season and much like how Atlanta lost Al Horford. Reportedly the Hawks are not shopping around the 31-year old Millsap, but rather are gladly accepting calls on him as well as other pending free agents; like the aforementioned Korver and swingman Thabo Sefolosha.
What sportsbook fans should know is that the Hawks are gauging the trade market for all three players but are reportedly asking too much for Millsap, so much so that any trade involving the All-Star is unlikely to happen before the deadline.
Another big trade rumor involves Rajon Rondo and the Chicago Bulls but this one seems to be less of a rumor and more of an anticipation. Rondo, who signed a 2-year $27.4 million contract with the Bulls this past offseason, has recently been watching Chicago’s games courtside not because of an injury but rather because of a decision in the management. At 16-18 the Bulls aren’t having the season they were expecting and Rondo’s lack of shooting ability certainly isn’t helping them.
In the past Rondo has been no stranger to lashing out to organizations as he’s had incidents in Boston, Dallas, and Sacramento. However, it seems the veteran is handling the bench with poise and is more interested in meeting with the management to weigh his options rather than a media outburst. Although Rondo isn’t quite the player NBA betting fans remember from the Celtics’ championship run, his addition will certainly impact a team’s sportsbook odds.