10. Jermaine O’Neal – Trade rumors have been swirling around Jermaine O’Neal for a couple of years now, but his big contract combined with his injury history usually scares teams away from making a real offer. Still, he can make a difference on most teams in the league, and Indiana is interested in getting younger.

9. The New York Knicks – Until Isiah is fired, there’s always a chance that a NY Knick will be traded. With possibly one or two exceptions, every player on this team is available.

8. Jason Kidd – Even if you disregard the rumors surrounding Kidd’s supposedly “fake” migraine from a couple of weeks ago, he is still likely to be traded. Kidd is an all-star point guard that has a high market value, especially for his age. NJ may want to “get while the gettin’s good” and cash in on Kidd while he’s having a career year. Only his huge contract keeps him from being higher on this list.

7. Ron Artest – If it wasn’t for Artest’s domestic abuse problem back in March, he might have been moved this summer. Despite the possibility that Artest could go off the deep end at any time, he’s a tremendous and desirable talent that’s wasting away in Sacramento. And his contract is so cheap that he can go virtually anywhere…

6. Kwame Brown – Brown’s huge expiring contract is trade bait, and Kobe and Phil Jackson are both expecting the Lakers to make a move that will improve the team. Kwame is the Laker’s most trade-able player, so he’s as good as gone.

5. Jason Williams – Just like the situation in Los Angeles, something has to be done in Miami. Jason Williams has a huge expiring contract that will facilitate just about any trade, and there are more than a few teams looking for a way to reduce salary.

4. Mike Bibby – It’s no secret that Bibby was unhappy in Sacramento last season, and his skill set would be highly valued by a lot of teams looking for a scoring point guard (Cleveland and Miami, among others). Bibby and Artest don’t get along either, making it seem that one of them leaving Sac-Town is a foregone conclusion.

3. Pau Gasol – Chicago desperately needs some inside scoring, and Pau is a back-to-the-basket player that Chicago can probably get for a discount. The ownership in Memphis is trying to sell the team, and they might think that moving Gasol for some younger and less expensive players would make the sale easier. This will be an interesting trade — who will come out ahead? Chicago is desperate, but Memphis has no need for Gasol’s services as they try and structure their team for a sale.

2. Andre Miller – Philly has absolutely nothing to gain by keeping Andre Miller. Granted, the team plays better with him than they will without him, but let’s face it — Philly isn’t going to win anything this season. If they can move Miller for a young player or two and a draft pick/expiring contract, they should pull the trigger. Miller’s a great passer that can run an offense, and Philly will most likely get some solid offers. Just don’t expect Miller to go to Miami (Riley hates pudgy players).

1. The Chicago Bulls – Any one of the Bulls players, and I mean any one of them, are likely to be traded. Chicago has to do something to add a scoring big, and Pau Gasol and Jermaine O’Neal both fit the bill. Which Bulls players are more likely to go? Look for Nocioni and Ben Gordon to leave — they’re the easiest to replace.

So why not trade Nene for Ron Artest?

It’s no secret that Sacramento needs a big man. During the off-season, they overpaid dramatically for the services of Miki Moore, and first round draft pick Spencer Hawes has yet to play a regular season game. Sacramento is absolutely TERRIBLE this year, so trading away one or all their big names (Artest, Bibby, and Brad Miller) would make sense assuming they could get a quality piece in return. Nene provides a back-to-the-basket player that can play inside-out with Kevin Martin. Maybe Denver throws in a 2nd round pick or a protected 1st rounder, and how could Sacramento say no?

Artest can come into Denver and make an immediate impact. The Nuggets desperately need defense, and Artest would be a lock-down defender that provide steals (feeding the transition game), blocks, rebounding, and some scoring punch. Artest is listed as a SF, but he could easily slide over to PF (as he has done in the past in Sacramento). Besides, Carmelo is so good on the block (and so muscular), he could also slide over to PF and allow Artest to play SF. Don’t forget — Carmelo played PF on the U.S. Olympic team this past summer.

With Artest, Anthony, Allen Iverson, Kenyon Martin, and Marcus Camby, Denver would be the most dangerous and talented team in the league.

If the Nuggets win with Artest, they can re-sign him this summer to a long-term deal. If not, an Artest sign-and-trade shouldn’t be too hard to pull off.

Trading Nene for Artest might seem like a bad deal for Denver, but it’s time to take a look at the facts. Nene has come into camp the last two years overweight, is constantly an injury concern, and is going to be out for at least another 6 weeks (Nene could be out as long as 12 weeks — Bibby has the same injury and his prognosis went from 6 weeks to more than 10 after his surgery was completed). It’s possible that by the time Nene comes back from injury and works himself back into game shape, the playoffs will be starting. Denver can’t expect to beat an elite western conference team if they have to work in a new rotation player less than a month before the first round.

Artest gives Denver everything they need to win right now – a shooter, a defender, a rebounder, and a scrappy bully who can give Denver some swagger. San Antonio had a lot of trouble with Artest in the playoffs a couple of years ago, and Ron-Ron could lock down T-Mac, bang with Utah, and give any scorer in the league trouble. Denver would have two of the best scorers in the league in A.I. and Melo, and two of the best defenders in Artest and Camby. What’s not to love about this deal!!

The risk is great — Artest could show up in Denver and ruin whatever chemistry the team has. Somehow, I think the presence of veterans Camby, A.I., and Kenyon Martin might keep Artest in check, but the possibility still exists. Nene could also go on to become one of the best scoring big men in the league, but to me the question facing the Nuggets is simple.

A.I. has one or two years on his contract, then he’s probably gone. Camby isn’t getting any younger. Why not try to win NOW when you have one of the best scorers of all time, and the defensive player of the year?

Note: Nene is slated to make $8.8 million this year, Artest $7.8 million, so the trade will work (it’s within the CBA mandated 25% salary range).

Kevin Martin was in the top 10 of NBA shooting guards in the following categories: Steals, free-throws attempted and free-throws made, and field goal percentage. He’s ranked 11th in points per game behind some of the best scorers in the league — Kobe, D-Wade, Michael Redd, A.I., Vinsanity, T-Mac, etc.

Kevin Martin’s stats from last season and his size make him comparable to Larry Hughes, Rip Hamilton, and Joe Johnson. For the upcoming season, Larry Hughes will earn $12 million, Joe Johnson $13.5, and Rip $9.8. I know that a lot of people would argue Hughes and Johnson are overpaid, but no one can convince me that Rip isn’t worth more than he’s getting. Kevin Martin’s value has got to be somewhere in the same neighborhood as Rip’s current deal.

Last year was only Kevin Martin’s 3rd season — how much better can he be expected to get? If he can find a way to make an extra 2-3 baskets a game, he could become one of the top 10 scorers in the league.

The league isn’t exactly full of 24-year old 6’7″ shooting guards that hit 38% from 3pt line. Even if you think the Kings paid a little more than they should of, it’s not like he could be easily replaced if he left during free agency.

Kevin Martin is, unlike a lot of NBA players, team-oriented and coachable. He’s a hard worker and he has the respect of everyone in the Kings organization. His climb from bench warmer to regular minutes to starter proves he’s a hard worker and worthy of a big contract.

So what’s the bottom line? Comparing one year of stats to the rest of the league, Kevin Martin’s current value is probably about $9 million a year. However, if you assume Martin will continue to improve, then he will undoubtedly join some of the league’s elite scorers. While it might be foolish to pay a premium for potential, clearly the Kings haven’t risked much — an extra $2 million a year is a small amount to risk if you believe a player has the potential to become an all-star. Considering that most of the leagues top 10 scorers enjoy max contracts, and considering that with a little improvement Kevin Martin is close to becoming a top 10 (at least top 15) scorer, $11 million is a steal.