NBA Trade Rumors: Will Mavericks' Andrew Bogut And Pacers' Monta Ellis Be Traded This Season?

The NBA trade rumor mill is getting busy as the February 23 deadline as approaching and now talks are being heard about Dallas Mavericks' Andrew Bogut and Indiana Pacers' Monta Ellis.

The Mavericks are languishing at the bottom of the Western Conference at the moment with just four wins and 16 losses and this could result in the removal of Bogut, the seven-feet-tall center who joined the team earlier this year, according to Bleacher Report's Scott Polacek.

Another rumor has been about the Boston Celtics (12-9 at the moment) likely to add Bogut to their ranks and a first-round pick from the Celtics in return would benefit the Mavericks who have nothing to lose. According to a report in CSNNE.com, the Celtics could offer Amir Johnson to the Mavericks for Bogut but of course there would be other considerations as well.

The Pacers, on the other hand, have a 10-11 record at the moment despite having a number of talented players and could try to improve things by trading Ellis, the 31-year-old point guard.

According to a Basketball Insiders report, the Pacers would be "open to moving" Ellis in a trade which wouldn't affect the team's core. The report picked Orlando Magic as a possible destination but nothing concrete has yet happened on that front.

Ellis has been a prolific performer in the past but he is not considered as equal as asset for the Pacers in times to come, added the NBA report. The man, who joined the Pacers in 2015, will not be an unrestricted agent till 2019, as per Spotrac. The Pacers' interest also lies in the fact that trading Ellis, who is considered to have gone past his prime, would give them an opportunity to build the future. They still have quite a few good players to bank on even while laying the foundation for the future with young bloods obtained in exchange of Ellis.