NBA Coach Says He Once Leaked A Completely Fake Trade Rumor To The Press As A Joke

Here's some convincing evidence that you should take every NBA trade rumor you hear with a heaping dose of salt.

In an interview with Jodie Valade of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Denver Nuggets coach George Karl says he once leaked a completely fake trade rumor to the media as a practical joke.

From the Plain Dealer:

"Karl said he tries to avoid media in the days before the trade deadline because 'we tell fibs and lies.' However, he has helped to fan the flame. He admitted he once had a contest with coaching pals to see who could get an outlandish rumor into the newspaper first.

"'We make up some trade that never was proposed in 100 years and suddenly it's on ESPN,' he said, smiling."

Karl says he hasn't done it in years, and we assume this isn't a widespread practice.

But the point is that every NBA trade rumor comes from someone with an agenda — and sometimes the demands of that agenda produce of rumor that's at odds with reality.

The NBA trade deadline is on February 21. We'll keep this Karl anecdote in mind over the next 10 days.