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Dion Waiters denies rumors, unlikely to be traded for Evan Turner

The recent rumors that the Sixers are going to ship Evan Turner's talents to Cleveland for former-lottery-pick-turned-struggling second-year-shooting-guard Dion Waiters have yet to die down, but that doesn't mean there's much merit to them.

Yesterday, Bleacher Report's Jared Zwerling reported that Waiters wanted to be traded, and that he would prefer to end up in Philadelphia, not because it's his hometown, but because he feels as though he would be the best player on the team.

First of all, that statement in itself shows the issues with Waiters. At this point in his career his seems more concerned with his own success and superstardom than that of his team. His perceived attitude wouldn't mix well with all the young, developing talent that has been/will be infused in the organization.

Additionally, Waiters isn't the most efficient or analytics-friendly player either. That would make him an odd addition with Hinkie at the helm.

The truth is, this swap scenario hasn't made too much sense since it surfaced, and a source close to the situation told me that the acquisition of Waiters was 'unlikely.'

There is tons of trade talk floating around at this time now that deals could get done, and not all of them are tied to the truth. In many situations, although I don't know about the Turner/Waiters rumor specifically, such rumors stem from agents of team personnel purposely letting information leak in order to stir up interest or increase perceived value.

On Wednesday, Waiters denied the rumors of the report.

"At the end of the day, I know what I said and didn't say, and that's one of those things I absolutely never said," Waiters told the Akron Beacon Journal. "They can keep talking. I never said it."

"I'm asleep and my phone is blowing up," he continued. "The way my phone was going crazy, I thought I got traded already... It is what it is. They come up with these stories that aren't true. Let them keep writing."

With both sides rebuking the rumor, it doesn't seem like a swap between the teams is imminent.

A player like Evan Turner will likely net more value towards the trade deadline, when teams are looking to add additional offensive output for the playoff push.

Movement from the Sixers on the trade front by deadline day should certainly be expected, but seeing Waiters suit up as a Sixer shouldn't be.