NBA Players Draft Round 1 -- All Players Eligible

Every year kids from college are drafted into the NBA. Here's what the draft order would look like if GM's got to draft anyone in the NBA, not just college players. (These teams would be drafting these players to their team for many years to come, not just this year)
1. LeBron James (SF) -- Some question how clutch he is, some question his competitiveness, but no one questions that LeBron is the best overall player in the NBA. He's more valuable to a team than anyone else.
2. Dwight Howard (C) -- Dwight Howard single handedly makes his team one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. He also has eight 20 point 20 rebound games this season. He's tough to turn down.
3. Kevin Durant (SF) -- Kevin Durant is the best scorer in the NBA. He's won the scoring title the last two years, and is just 23. The only reason he's third and not first in this draft is that the two players above him are much better defenders than he is.
4. Derrick Rose (PG) -- Derrick Rose has not peaked yet, which is unbelievable for a player that has already won an MVP. He may not be the best point guard in the NBA right now (Chris Paul) but he's just 23 and is still improving. Imagine how good he's gonna be when he peaks...
5. Chris Paul (PG) -- As mentioned Chris Paul is arguably the best point guard in the NBA right now. He's behind Rose though because he's three years older and isn't going to improve as much as Rose will in the future. Paul does have a huge impact on a team though, a perfect example is the LA Clippers.
6. Blake Griffin (PF) -- Blake Griffin's upside is enormous. His offensive game is currently very raw, yet he still averages 21.2 ppg this year. When Griffin learns learns how some good post moves and gets his jumper more consistent, NBA watch out. Also no one sells tickets quite like Blake Griffin which is very important to some struggling franchises.
7. Dwayne Wade (SG) -- Wade falls back to no. 7 because of age and injuries. He's been struggling with a number of injuries this season, which has resulted in inconsistent play. Also Wade is 7 years older than Griffin Rose and Durant, so why pick Wade over those guys?
8. Kobe Bryant (SG) -- Sadly the great Kobe Bryant is getting old (well... basketball old). At 33 no one know how many more great seasons he's going to have. He may be getting old, but it doesn't seem to be affecting his scoring. He's a great scorer and shooter, and will likely be able to put up the amazing numbers he's currently putting up for at least the next 3 years. Kobe is a great leader, and when crunch time comes there's no one in the NBA who's I'd rather have.
9. Russel Westbrook (PG) -- Russel Westbrook is insanely athletic, and can do things at the point guard position that no one else can. The downside is that he's often criticized for shooting too much and not passing to the other star his team, Kevin Durant. If Westbrook is on a team that fits his playing style, he could become a point guard very similar to Derrick Rose.
10. John Wall (PG) -- Similar to Blake Griffin, John Wall has incredible upside. A change of scenery and a new system could turn this much hyped no.1 overall pick into the best point guard in the NBA.
11. Demarcus Cousins (PF) 
12. Andrew Bynum (C)
13. Deron Williams (PG) 
14 Kevin Love (PF)
15. Carmelo Anthony (SF)
16. Al Jefferson (C)
17. Rajon Rondo (PG)
18. Roy Hibbert (C)
19. Ricky Rubio (PG)

20. Kyrie Irving (PG)
21. Rudy Gay (SF)
22. Pau Gasol (PF)
23. Tony Parker (PG)
24. Brandon Jennings (PG)
25. Tyreke Evans (PG/SG)
26. LaMarcus Aldridge (PF)
27. Steve Nash (PG)
28. Paul Pierce (SF)
29. Dirk Nowitski (PF)
30. Monta Ellis (PG/SG)

Why Nash Could End Up in Orlando Next Season

According to CBS sports and Sports Illustrated during Dwight Howard's weeks of indecision about whether to re-sign in Orlando or not he asked the Orlando Magic front office to pursue 38 year old 2 time MVP Steve Nash.

Both Nash and Howard stayed with their respective teams, but a Nash to Orlando move could be in the horizon. This summer Nash is a free-agent. He has stated that he wants to win a title right now, and that he won't be returning to the Suns if their isn't significant improvement to their roster (which isn't likely). Nash would be a very good fit in Orlando, with a team similar to Phoenix just many, many times better. Just like phoenix the Magic are a team of sharp shooters, and have a dominant center. Nash would fit in right away, and would likely take this team from a mediocre playoff team to a serious title contender. 

Nash has averaged the most assists per game in the NBA thus far, and has made guys like Jared Dudley and Marcin Gortat look spectacular (though Gortat is pretty good). Nash's passing ability and Howards finishing ability would make them a 1-2 punch no defense would want to play against.

The team Nash ends up with will be a big part of this years off season, and Orlando seems like the best possible fit for the future hall of famer. 

Thunder Wrong to Decline Trade for Dwight Howard

Brian K. Schmit, a Magic insider recently tweeted that the Oklahoma City Thunder have recently turned down a trade that would send Dwight to OKC and James Harden and Ibaka to the Magic. There may have been other players or cash involved in the trade to bring the Thunder below the salary cap, but if a trade involving mainly these players was purposed and declined by the Thunder as Schmit suggested, than the Thunder may be regretting this decision for a long time. There are lots of positives and negatives for the Thunder about this trade, here they are.

Positives: Dwight Howard is much better than any other center in the NBA. His incredible size and shot blocking ability makes it very difficult to drive the lane, and Howard's defensive ability is shown by his 3 defensive player of the year awards in the last 3 years. Dwight also has incredible scoring and rebounding abilities. That has been shown by his seven 20 rebound 20 point games this year, and his incredible 23 rebound 45 point game against the Warriors. Dwight would give the Thunder what no other contender has, a consistent offensive presence inside. Dwight would give them the very important edge inside over most teams, especially the Heat and Bulls.

Negatives: Right now the Thunder have a great core of players with Durant, Westbrook, Harden and Ibaka. They have some nice depth as well with Thabo Sefaolosha, Nick Collison, and Eric Maynor. This team has been one of the best this year, and has the looks of a being contenders for the next decade. This trade would send two of their talented young pieces to the Thunder for a Dwight Howard. This would give the Thunder three superstars who demand the ball and who demand to get their fair share of shots. That isn't always always a bad thing, but adding Howard to the mix could mess up the chemistry in Oklahoma City.

Analysis: Adding Howard would turn the Thunder from contenders for many years to come into favorites for many years to come. Harden is likely to leave Oklahoma City when his contract expires (because he's too good to be a career 6th man), and Ibaka's shot blocking wouldn't be missed because of Dwights inside presence. This trade could result in the Thunder to struggle with chemistry in the short term, but in the long run this Thunder team would figure out how to play together and would become a multiple championship winning team.

Overall: The Thunder definitely should have accepted this trade, and will likely be regretting declining this trade in the future.

What was Expected vs. What Really Happened on Deadline Day

I wrote an article days before the trade deadline about what the active trade deadline teams were expected to do by most NBA analysts. That article is below and the trades these teams actually made is also included.
With the NBA trade deadline coming up there are tons of different rumours about what trades that could happen. The Celtics, Lakers, Clippers, Timberwolves, Nets and Magic are the teams that will be the most active as the trade deadline emerges. Here are the players that those teams are looking to trade away and looking to receive through trades.
(All this information has come from espn.com, nba.com, bleacherreport.com and deadspin.com)

Boston Celtics: 
Willing to trade away: Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett
Looking to receive: Michael Beasley Josh Smith, Chris Kaman
Analysis: Rondo has been told he won't be traded, and after his montrous game against the Knicks the odds of him being traded are very low. It seems the Celtics are willing to break up their big three though. Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen have both been in many trade rumours, with the most likely to be traded being Ray Allen. The Celtics were looking to receive Josh Smith for the likes of Ray Allen, but the Hawks were not liking the idea. The Celtics are trying to land a talented young big man but are struggling to make a deal.
What really happened: Nothing.

Los Angeles Lakers: 
Willing to trade away: Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Draft Picks
Looking to receive: Michael Beasley, Raymond Felton, Kirk Hinrich, Ramon Session, Dwight Howard, Steve Nash
Analysis: The Lakers need a point guard. Of the names above Sessions is the most likely to land in LA and is actually a very good player who's stuck behind Kyrie Irving in Cleveland. Also a Beasley for a first rounder deal was offered and declined, but LA may still end up with Beasley by the trade deadline.
What really happened: Received: Jordan Hill, Ramon Sessions Traded away: Derrick Fisher, 1st round pick (Dallas), and a protected 1st round pick.

Los Angeles Clippers:

Willing to trade away: Randy Foye, Eric Bledsoe, Ryan Gomes, Draft Picks
Looking to receive: Ray Allen, Jamal Crawford, virtually any solid SG available
Analysis: Chauncey Billups' injury left a gaping whole in the SG position for the Clippers. Ray Allen and Jamal Crawford are two guys who the Clips looking to trade for, and they might need to trade away Randy Foye and some draft picks to get either of those guys.
What really happened: Received: Nick Young Traded Away: Brian Cook and "possible draft pick"

Minnesota Timberwolves:

Willing to trade away: Michael Beasley
Looking to receive: Pau Gasol, Draft Picks
Analysis: Michael Beasley and his huge contract just doesn't fit in Minnesota. The Timberwolves are aggresively trying to shop Beasley, and could get draft picks in return. Minnesota is also looking to receive Gasol in a larger deal with the Lakers.
What really happened: Nothing

New Jersey Nets:

Willing to trade away: Anyone but Deron Williams
Looking to receive: Dwight Howard
Analysis: The Nets really want Dwight Howard. They will trade away anyone on their team except for their exceptional point guard Deron Williams, for the big Howard. The Nets are the current front-runner in the Dwight Howard Sweepstakes.
What really happened: Received: Gerald Wallace Traded Away: Mehmet Okur, Shawne Williams, future first round pick
Orlando Magic: 

Willing to trade away: Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson, Hedo Turkoglu
Looking to receive: Monta Ellis, Draft Picks
Analysis: The situation for the Magic is a complicated one. They are trying to get good players in Orlando to play with Dwight so that when the summer comes Dwight will want to stay. The problem is that most teams don't want to trade any good players to Orlando because they want to receive Dwight back in return. Orlando doesn't have good enough players outside of Dwight to trade for another good player, so Orlando might end up trading Dwight to a team like the Nets, Warriors or Rockets for a number of good young players.
What really happened: Dwight decided to stay in Orlando for another year. 

The Dwight Trade That Will See Nash in Toronto

Firstly I would like to say if you have a reason why this trade couldn't or wouldn't happen, please comment and tell me. The above is a trade that I think could, and should be done before the trade deadline. Most of the players involved in this trade have been involved in trade rumors and are unhappy in their current surroundings. This four team trade would really affect all these teams, but all in a good way. Each team is recieving 3 players, and each team is recieving players they need to be a contender in the future. This trade would work with the salary cap, and is a trade these teams should all consider to make them better. Here's how the trade would go down:

LA Lakers Receive: Dwight Howard (C) Andrea Bargnani (C/PF) Jamal Magloire (C)
LA Lakers Trade Away: Pau Gasol (PF) Andrew Bynum (C)

Analysis: This trade would instantly make the Lakers one of the main contenders in the West. Kobe's scoring ability matched with Howards inside presence and Bargnani's amazing shooting would be absolutely lethal. Howard and Bargnani would be an upgrade from Bynum and Gasol, which is mainly why the deal would be done. Also although the Lakers would not receive one of their main needs, a point guard, this trade would still make their team a lot better.

Orlando Magic Receive: Andrew Bynum (C) Jose Calderon (PG) Michael Redd (SG)
Orlando Magic Trade Away: Dwight Howard (C) Jameer Nelson (PG) J.J. Redick (SG)

Analysis: This deal is a dream come true for the Magic. They get an upgrade at the point guard spot going from Nelson to Calderon, and although they trade away the best center in the league they get the second best center in the league in return. The Magic would mainly do this deal because they know if they don't trade Dwight now he would most likely sign somewhere else during the summer and the Magic would get nothing in return.

Phoenix Suns Receive: Pau Gasol (PF) Jameer Nelson (PG) Justin Harper (C/PF)
Phoenix Suns Trade Away: Steve Nash (PG) Marcin Gortat (C) Michael Redd (SG)

Analysis: It's no secret that the Suns are looking to rebuild after this season. Pheonix has actually done pretty well this year, but it's all thanks to Steve Nash. Nash is getting old and there is currently no good option at backup point guard (Sebastian Telfair is not a good option) which is a large worry for the Suns. This trade would bring in a point guard who could be a solid player for many years to come, and also brings in Pau Gasol who could really thrive if given more touches then he currently gets with the Lakers.

Toronto Raptors Receive: Steve Nash (PG) Marcin Gortat (C) J.J. Redick (SG)
Toronto Raptors Trade Away: Andrea Bargnani (C/PF) Jose Calderon (PG) Jamal Magloire (C)


Analysis: The team that would be the most hesitant to pull the trigger on this trade would be the Raptors. They would be giving up their two best players, and receiving a 38 year old Nash as the main prize in return. I think this deal would be very smart for the Raptors though. This trade would turn the Raptors into a much younger and more skilled version of the current Suns, which could be a contender. Also Nash would be a perfect mentor for Jerryd Bayless, who is a great scorer just struggles at sharing the ball, and who would eventually turn into the Raptors starting point guard. This trade would turn the Raptors into an instant playoff team, and would give them a lot of hope for the future. Also Nash might want to be part of the Raptors to end his carer because he's from Canada, and because the Raptors have a good upcoming team.

New Starting Fives: In my opinion all these starting fives are improved from the current starting fives.

Orlando Magic:
PG: Jose Calderon
SG: Jason Richardson
SF: Hedo Turkoglu
PF: Ryan Anderson
C: Andrew Bynum

Los Angelas Lakers:
PG: Derrick Fisher
SG: Kobe Bryant
SF: Metta World Peace
PF: Andrea Bargnani
C: Dwight Howard

Phoenix Suns:
PG: Jameer Nelson
SG: Grant Hill
SF: Jared Dudley
PF: Pau Gasol
C: Channing Frye

Toronto Raptors:
PG: Steve Nash
SG: J.J. Redick
SF: Demar Derozan
PF: Amir Johnson
C: Marcin Gortat