NBA Trade Rumors: 6 players (and one team) that will dictate deadline day
By Jacob Gries
NBA Trade Rumors: Taking a closer look at the six players (and one team) that will dictate deadline day
This is the calm before the storm, though we haven’t been promised much of a storm this year. Even in quiet years, the week of the trade deadline is fertile ground for reckless speculation, and not just on behalf of fans who have had the trade machine cued up since November.
It feels like players engage in this practice now too. For all of its faults, Twitter has given us unrivaled access to players who once seemed unknowable. The lines are blurred now more than ever before. KD’s not even using his burner anymore!
But in some strange, twisted way, we might owe KD a debt of gratitude. He might not have started this revolution, but it feels like he’s popularized the players-are-just-fans-too line of thinking. They’re constantly refreshing their Twitter feeds and reading everything that pops up on the rumor mill, just like us. They’re monitoring Woj’s every move, just like us.
The only difference (besides, you know, the obvious) is players can initiate the hype cycle. All it takes is one cryptic tweet to send everyone to their respective battle stations, where speculation reigns supreme. It remains both fascinating and incredible how many scenarios we can dream up from emojis alone.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m as guilty of this practice as anyone. The lead-up to the deadline, all the way through to 3:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, and the draft are the two events on the NBA’s calendar that give fans and players alike the opportunity to think about what could be. The mere fact that smart basketball people have speculated that this will be one of the quieter deadlines in recent memory won’t dull excitement in any way. The lack of difference-makers on the market will only intensify our focus on the smaller, seemingly inconsequential deals that teams will inevitably find a way to get done before, or on, Thursday.
That being said, we will still be engaging in the type of rampant – mostly wrong – speculation that has come to define this time of year. Who will be the biggest star to change hands? Which other big names will get dealt? Will contenders operate with more ambition now that the dynastic Warriors are broken up? Will Andre Iguodala emerge from his self-sanctioned exile? Will the Knicks open up cap space to make a run at more superstars who aren’t coming? These are the questions people are asking. (And when I say people, I mean me).
Without further ado, let’s dig into some of the teams, players, and stories that will define this deadline.