Which players might be on the move this season in the Western Conference?
Our NBA Insiders have seven names to watch.
DeMarcus Cousins | C | Kings
Let's review the six years since Cousins was drafted. Dave Joerger will be his sixth head coach, and Garrett Temple will be his seventh starting point guard (if he gets the job at some point). The Kings haven't won more than 33 games in a season in the Cousins era. That's a lot of roster churning and running in place.
Cousins will be making $17 million this season and $18 million in 2017-18, which makes him one of the most affordable stars in the new cap structure. So why would the Kings want to trade that kind of value? Because another team might see him as more valuable than the Kings do. (After all, the Kings haven't enjoyed a winning season since Steve Nash won an MVP award.)
The Kings have recently loaded up on young big men, which could be a sign that they're increasingly ready to move on. If things don't fly with Joerger and Cousins, look for teams with attractive assets, such as Boston, Denver (reunion with Mike Malone?) or Oklahoma City, to try to land a star under contract before the trade deadline. My growing sense is that Cousins might be playing in the 2017 playoffs -- for another team. -- Tom Haberstroh
Ricky Rubio | G | Timberwolves
We shouldn't make an easy assumption that Rubio won't be a part of the long-term core of the Timberwolves. He's still only 25 years old, and in terms of two-way impact, he's a borderline elite player. And new Minnesota coach/executive Tom Thibodeau values defense more than most.
Still, it's Rubio's weakness as a shooter that marks him as a sell-high candidate. The Wolves project to take and make fewer 3s than any other team, and given the youth of the roster, it's not a short-term problem. Turning the point guard spot over to rookie Kris Dunn -- when he's ready -- would give Thibodeau the option of flipping Rubio in exchange for high-quality shooting.
You could see Rubio fitting with Dallas, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Sacramento and San Antonio, among others. -- Bradford Doolittle
Eric Bledsoe | G | Suns
The Suns essentially have two starting point guards. That was by design. But the rapid development of Devin Booker makes one of them more expendable.
Bledsoe, who is only 26 years old, has the most trade value of the two. When healthy, he is one of the best scoring point guards in the NBA -- and a he's quick, powerful defensive guard, as well. He averaged 20 PPG and 6.1 APG before getting injured last season.
If teams are convinced his injury woes are over (he played just 43 games in 2013-14 and 31 in 2015-16), he should be able to garner the Suns a significant return. -- Chad Ford
Brandon Knight | G | Suns
The Suns might actually prefer to trade Knight who, while younger, bigger and a bit more durable, isn't the decision-maker or dynamic scorer that Bledsoe is.
Knight's contract is also a year longer than Bledsoe's, though in the current contract environment, his $12.5 million per year might actually be a steal.
Either way, expect one of these two Suns guards to be gone by the trade deadline. -- C.F.
Kenneth Faried | F | Nuggets
Faried is part of an older group of Nuggets -- which includes Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari -- getting pushed by the team's crop of young talent.
While Chandler and Gallinari are favorites of the Denver front office who signed extensions in the summer of 2015, Faried's position is a bit more tenuous.
If Juancho Hernangomez proves capable of playing right away or if Jusuf Nurkic and Nikola Jokic play together, Faried could be expendable; and he might move even if none of those things happen, particularly if the Nuggets can find value for him. -- Kevin Pelton
Rudy Gay | F | Kings
Having signed Matt Barnes, and with their depth at power forward potentially pushing Omri Casspi to the 3 spot, the Kings seem to be preparing for life without Gay -- who can opt out of his contract next summer.
Dealing him could get Sacramento the depth at point guard the team currently lacks, which might gain urgency if newcomer Garrett Temple struggles as Darren Collison's backup. -- K.P.
Lou Williams | G | Lakers
There are a few teams that could use an explosive bench option more than the wretched (but building!) Lakers. Williams is consistent, for good or ill, and his skill set carries more value on a team where he would play the instant-offense role.
Williams' contract ($7 million for each of this season and next season) is a bargain, which should enable the Lakers to get a useful return, whether it's a controllable player or a draft pick.
Williams was a great fit in Toronto. The Raptors haven't really replaced his bench scoring, and they have several young players that might get the Lakers to bite.
Another possible destination for Williams is Charlotte, where the Hornets will likely soon figure out that Marco Belinelli will not give them what they got last season from Jeremy Lin. -- B.D.