February Prediction – Non-LA/MIL teams who don’t make trade deadline moves get left behind
Most things that I’ve read and listened to would suggest that this trade deadline is going to come and go without any huge moves – that doesn’t mean teams should do nothing though.
Assuming health and rosters stay the same, the NBA really only has three championship contenders: Lakers, Clippers, and Bucks. There are a lot of good teams out there, but even in a year with more parody than we’ve seen in a long time, those three times have risen to a tier above the rest.
The teams looking up at them – the other teams in the top 6 of each conference, are all at risk of getting left behind if they don’t improve their roster before the February 6th trading deadline.
It’s not about trading for a player that will completely swing the race, but can those teams add frontcourt depth? A secondary playmaker? A quality shooter? Perimeter defense? Each team knows what they’re missing and those weaknesses will become even more apparent when they are attacked in a playoff series.
It’s all about finding players that can contribute in the playoffs, even if that is in a limited role or just for a specific matchup. Small moves turn into big moves – just ask the 2019 Raptors. Their Marc Gasol trade wasn’t groundbreaking, but they probably don’t win the finals without him last season.
The clock is ticking.