Sir Charles in Charge
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NBA: 5 most under-the-radar storylines of 2017-18

By Jonathan Macri

BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 24: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the first half against the New York Knicks at TD Garden on October 24, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 24: Kyrie Irving #11 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the first half against the New York Knicks at TD Garden on October 24, 2017 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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DALLAS, TX – OCTOBER 25: Marc Gasol #33 of the Memphis Grizzlies shoots the ball against the Dallas Mavericks in the second half at American Airlines Center on October 25, 2017 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX – OCTOBER 25: Marc Gasol #33 of the Memphis Grizzlies shoots the ball against the Dallas Mavericks in the second half at American Airlines Center on October 25, 2017 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

Who’s making the big trade, and who’s getting moved?

The two biggest names that have surfaced so far are both big men.

Fizdale’s firing in Memphis likely means Marc Gasol is staying put. DeAndre Jordan is a solid candidate to change jerseys, and really anyone in the East’s top seven outside of Detroit and Philly could conceivably talk themselves into a move. After him though, who is the needle-changer that’s making things interesting come February?

In a league where everyone knows you’re going to have to go through two out of three of the Warriors/Rockets/Cavs gauntlet (yes, the playoff Cavs will be a thing), neither Gasol nor Jordan are likely enough to make the difference for any single team.

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Boston might be the exception, but they’re too smart to cash their chips now when a bigger, unibrowier prize lies in waiting.

Teams need versatile wings – players who can switch across two, three, or even four positions on defense. Those guys are rare, and teams like to keep the ones they have.

Typically, we’d look at the league’s bottom-feeders for some interesting names.

Cellar-dwellers usually have vets that can be had without paying a king’s ransom. The problem is that there are slim pickings on those rosters as far as wings go, aside from young players those teams have no desire to trade.

Kent Bazemore’s contract will scare off potential buyers. The same goes for the Nets duo of DeMarre Carroll and Allen Crabbe. Nicolas Batum is making a cool $25 million per through 2021, is still working himself back from injury, and his shot isn’t falling.

Harrison Barnes is a name that several teams could probably talk themselves into despite the cost and suspect jumper, but the logistics of trading a player making that much money make any deal tough to fathom. Dallas has also shown no indications of having a fire sale, so this is probably a dead end.

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Tyreke Evans is someone who can and probably should get dealt. He’s making no money, and even if the shooting has tailed off (how could it not), he’s clearly capable of anchoring a second unit. If the Knicks decide to give up on their playoff chase, Courtney Lee can shoot, toggle between the two and the three, and play credible defense. He’s not young, but his salary isn’t terrible.

Again…not exactly needle-movers.

As always, there will be a surprise move, because this is the NBA, and there always is. Just another thing to keep our eye on.

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