The NBA trade deadline isn't until February 19, 2016, but there are already several big names surfacing who could be included in potential deals.David Lee has yet to find his niche with the Boston Celtics and may not fit in well with the team's future plans. The Chicago Bulls are in the thick of a crowded playoff picture in the East but are still considering moving marquee players such as Pau Gasol, among others.Check out a more detailed breakdown of the trade buzz circulating about two of the Association's most notable franchises.David Lee Not Fitting in With CelticsDue to the fact Lee has an expiring contract, NBA.com's David Aldridge reports he is being shopped.That Lee hasn't managed to carve out a considerable role for what might be the NBA's second-worst roster may hinder his value on the trade market. The 32-year-old is also banged up at the moment with a sore lower back.The comment about Boston's roster isn't a shot at the team. It's a testament to how well the Celtics execute and play together under coach Brad Stevens. Their success is predicated largely on an uptempo style of basketball and excellent spacing.Lee is more of a post player who can crash the glass, post up and is best suited to bang away on the lower block. That's part of the reason why he didn't fit with the Golden State Warriors and landed in Boston in the first place.In that context, it comes as little surprise to learn the Warriors and Celticsrank first and fourth, respectively, in pace, per NBA.com.Celtics.com's Marc D'Amico passed along some recent comments from Lee to hint he wants to see his stint through:Defense has never been his strong suit, but Lee can definitely provide a scoring spark off the bench for a team seeking a plug-and-play veteran to bolster frontcourt depth. The Celtics have opted to deploy younger players like Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk over Lee more often than not.It will be fascinating to see what Stevens can do with just one elite player at his disposal. Such a stud may come along in the 2016 NBA draft, but until then general manager Danny Ainge should continue to collect young assets and unload players like Lee who have little use in the present or future.Pau Gasol Among Bulls Big Men On BlockIn addition to Gasol, past All-Star Joakim Noah and longtime stalwart reserve Taj Gibson apparently aren't a lock to be in the Windy City for the remainder of this season. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports the Bulls are "taking calls" on all three as the trade deadline approaches.There's tremendous uncertainty with regard to the future of Chicago's frontcourt. Gasol is 36 in July but has still played at quite a high level, averaging 16.1 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per contest this season.With enough spring in his step to likely put together at least one more productive season, which also marks the end of his contract, Gasol is a valuable trade chip. His contract also doesn't move with the impending salary cap increase, only making him an even more attractive target in a potential deal.Noah is hitting the open market this summer and simply isn't the player he once was. He's fought through injuries, and that has caught up to him. A recent sprained left shoulder further clouds Noah's future with the organization.New coach Fred Hoiberg is morphing the Bulls into more of an offensive team. Noah is an awkward fit in such a philosophy, so he may well be the easiest player to move.Nick Friedell of ESPN.com alluded to a key factor to suggest Chicago's new-look core, featuring Noah on the bench, hasn't yet had the chance to get rolling:Moving Noah would come at a cost of leadership, though, as Gasol acknowledged recently in speaking of Noah when he said, per Friedell. "He's an important player...Brings a lot of energy to what we do, which is one of the things we lack of a lot times. So if he has to miss games obviously it will be harder without him."But Gibson's skill set better suits Hoiberg's vision. The former has decent shooting range, can fill in as a spot starter and provides Chicago with critical defense to help the second unit.The Bulls would be wise to keep Gibson as opposed to the less productive, more expensive Noah. Since Gasol isn't "over the hill" in NBA years of yet, it'd seem illogical to move him unless someone offers a king's ransom.
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