The more I see these trade scenarios and rumors, the more I'm coming to a certain conclusion - There's no point in trading for anybody who isn't an instant game-changer. You can't trade for a guy who patches our holes and expect it to work. You have to get a guy who, when he goes to the scorers table, the opposing coach makes substitutions, and the opposing players mutter curses under their breath.
And that thought led me to try to list who the guys are who are actually game-changers, who's available, who's not, and what it would take.
I present my completely arbitrary list of game-changing players:
| Name | Available? | What it would take / Why Not? |
| Amare Stoudemire | yes | Eating too much Crow + Cap Relief |
| Andre Bargnani | no | Brian Colangelo isn't that smart |
| Andre Iguodala | maybe | Nash, Dudley, and a pick |
| Andre Miller | maybe | Nash plus taking on a bad contract |
| Andrew Bogut | maybe | Nash, Gortat, and take back a bad contract |
| Blake Griffin | no | Franchise star for a contender |
| Chris Bosh | maybe | Nash, Gortat, and take back a bad contract |
| Chris Paul | no | Franchise star for a contender |
| Danilo Gallinari | no | Just signed to an extension |
| DeMarcus Cousins | no | Kings rebuilding around this player |
| Deron Williams | no | Nets still dreaming of Dwight |
| Derrick Rose | no | Bulls contending with team built around him |
| Dirk Nowitzki | no | Mavs contending with team built around him |
| Dwight Howard | yes | Nash, Gortat, Morris, Dudley & 2 1st rounders |
| Dwyane Wade | no | Heat contending with team build around him |
| Greg Monroe | no | Pistons rebuilding around this player |
| Greg Oden | yes | Dudley Gortat and take back a bad contract |
| James Harden | no | Thunder contending, part of core |
| Javale McGee | maybe | Gortat, Dudley, and take back another knucklehead |
| Jeremy Lin | no | Perfect media star in the Big Apple |
| Joakim Noah | no | Bulls contending, part of core |
| John Wall | no | Bullets rebuilding around this player |
| Josh Smith | yes | Nash Dudley and take back a bad contract |
| Kevin Durant | no | Thunder contending, part of core |
| Kevin Garnett | maybe | Gortat, Dudley, and Nash |
| Kevin Love | no | Just signed to an extension |
| Kobe Bryant | no | Has a no-trade clause and hates us |
| Kyle Lowry | no | Daryl Morey is that smart |
| LaMarcus Aldridge | no | Think they're contending with a team built around him |
| Lebron James | no | Heat contending with team build around him |
| Lou Amundson | no | Best overall player in the league according to BsotS |
| Luol Deng | no | Bulls contending with team built around him |
| Manu Ginobili | no | Just signed to an extension |
| Monta Ellis | yes | Dudley Gortat Morris and a draft pick |
| Pau Gasol | yes | Enough cap room to sign Dwight Howard |
| Ray Allen | yes | Gortat Dudley and filler |
| Roy Hibbert | maybe | Nash Gortat Morris and a 1st |
| Russell Westbrook | no | Thunder contending, part of core |
| Tony Parker | maybe | Nash, Dudley, and a pick |
| Tyson Chandler | maybe | Convince them Amare can't be traded + Enough cap room to re-sign Jeremy Lin |
| Zach Randolph | maybe | A 3rd team trading them a star frontline player that allows them to contend this year |
And that's just the way it is.
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