NBA Trades that Need to Take Place Before the Deadline

The NBA trade deadline is quickly approaching, Thursday February 18 at 3:00 PM EST to be exact. Rumors are flying about like moths around a porch light. Now most of these rumors will die and be forgotten, but some will hang around for a couple of days, and then a rare few will actually get done. Getting a trade done in the NBA is probably harder than in any of the other three major sports just because the contracts need to match up. Often times extra players need to be thrown in or worse yet a third and sometimes a fourth team needs to get involved. With all that said here are three deals that need to take place to keep the teams involved in the mix in 2010 and in at least one case beyond.

The Phoenix Suns need to keep Amar'e Stoudemire. It seems like Stoudemire trade rumors are becoming an annual thing, but the Suns need to keep him. The Suns will never get back in trade what Stoudemire can do for them when he is playing well. The Suns currently stand in seventh place in the Western Conference, but if they move Stoudemire they likely won't make the playoffs. The one drawback for the Suns is that Stoudemire could opt out of his contract at the end of this season, and they could end up with nothing but cap room. A cure for that could be a decent run in the playoffs, which could convince Amare to hang around for another year. There is probably about a 60% chance that Stoudemire stays put.

The Boston Celtics need to make a move. In the last few weeks the Celtics have looked less like a championship-caliber team and more like a team fighting just to get in the playoffs. The Celtics are currently in fourth place in the Eastern Conference and will almost certainly make the playoffs, but this team was supposed to contend for a title. The Celtics have battled injuries this season, but something else seems to be amiss with the team. There have been rumors buzzing around about Ray Allen heading out of town, but I don't think that is the answer. The solution may just be sending Glen "Big Baby" Davis away and getting back in return a useful part. This move would be addition by subtraction in my mind. Davis has come up big in the past, but his head doesn't always appear to be screwed on just right. Davis trade probability is around 30%.

The Cleveland Cavaliers need to make a move to keep LeBron James happy. This is by far the biggest thing happening around the trade deadline in the NBA. Cleveland need to show James that they are serious about contending for a title this year and beyond. James is a free agent at the end of this season, and Cleveland needs to convince him to resign or the franchise will undoubtedly take a huge step backwards. The Cavalier's brass needs to get input on what LeBron wants and try their hardest to get it done. James is the present and the future of the NBA, and if Cleveland wants to remain relevant, they need him back next season and defending an NBA Championship is as good a reason to return as any. Probability of a Cleveland move 95%.