Trade rumors around the league heat up as Dec. 15 approaches

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Dec. 15 represents a notable date across the NBA landscape.

Free agents (who signed a contract this past summer, think Darrell Arthur and Mike Miller on Nuggets for example) can not be traded until Dec. 15 or three months after their contract is signed, whichever is later. This Thursday, that restriction is lifted and many free agents who signed deals this summer can hit the trade market.

Already there are rumors around the league beginning to surface.

While no stars are reportedly on the market, yet, according to Chris Mannix, who went on the Toucher and Rich Show in Boston to dish on the Celtics’ pursuit of a star via trade, there are some other rumors floating around that deserve attention.

ESPN.com’s Brian Windhorst, on the TrueHoop Podcast reports that the Orlando Magic and Minnesota Timberwolves are already making calls.

“The Magic are calling around looking for point guard help,” Windhorst said. “They need offense just in general.”

At 10-15, Orlando is only two games in the loss column out of the eighth seed in the East but needs to improve their roster if they intend on climbing into the top eight this season, something general manager Rob Hennigan expects to do this year.

The Magic are 29th in Offensive Rating, scoring a dreadful 98.0 points per 100 possessions and currently starting former Nuggets’ point guard D.J. Augustin, a slight offensive upgrade at the one over last year’s starter Elfrid Payton.

Augustin is a capable backup point guard for a lottery team, but the Magic will need to upgrade that position and Augustin’s 9.5 points per game if they want to contend for a playoff spot this year.

Orlando went all-in for the playoffs this offseason and could have sacrificed their future, in Victor Oladipo and Tobias Harris, for the present, in Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo. It’s hard to imagine them standing pat with their roster this winter if they’re not trending towards the playoffs.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are another team that’s already reportedly hot on the dial. The Timberwolves were a trendy pick for the eighth seed in the West coming into this season, but have struggled.

First-year head coach Tom Thibodeau has Minnesota at 6-18, currently, the 15th seed in the West and surprisingly ranked just 27th in Defensive Rating despite Karl-Anthony Towns, Ricky Rubio, Gorgui Dieng and Thibodeau, who’s regarded as one of the brightest defensive minds in the league.

“Minnesota is looking for frontcourt help,” Windhorst said. “They signed Jordan Hill in the offseason, he doesn’t play. Cole Aldrich has not played that much, Nemanja Bjelica has been banged up.”

The Timberwolves have Dieng, a capable starting four-man, but behind him their situation is bleak. Currently, Adreian Payne is playing backup minutes at power forward and center, not an ideal look for a team hoping to go on a run over the next month of the season and climb their way back up the Western Conference standings.

Greg Monroe, Nerlens Noel, Brandon Knight, and Omri Casspi are names that were already floated by ESPN.com’s Marc Stein that could be available but expect that list to grow as Dec. 15 passes and trade winds begin to swirl as January and the Feb. 23 trade deadline draws closer.