NBA Rumors: There are four teams that need to seriously consider selling hard like the Brooklyn Nets have started to do ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline.
With the 2025 NBA Trade Deadline just a little more than a month away, this is around the time when the sellers begin to truly push their aggressiveness up another notch. If a team wants to make a strong pivot toward retooling their roster ahead of the trade deadline, now is the time when those trade talks need to be intensifying. One team that clearly embraced that stance over the last couple of weeks is the Brooklyn Nets.
After trading Dennis Schroder to the Golden State Warriors, the Nets also decided to trade Dorian Finney-Smith to the Los Angeles Lakers. With a chance they could also move Cameron Johnson before the deadline, it's pretty clear the Nets have identified themselves as strong sellers. Looking at the landscape of the league, the Nets aren't the only team that should be embracing this stance. As we quickly inch closer to the trade deadline, we explore four other teams that need to seriously consider pulling the plug on their roster like the Nets are currently doing.
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings have been borderline disastrous so far this season and it's hard to predict how they're going to tangibly turn their season around at this point. Without much flexibility, it's only natural to believe that the Kings may have to think strongly about blowing up their core - especially considering the speculation already beginning to build around De'Aaron Fox's uncertain future.
The Kings are currently 13-19 and outside the top 10 in the Western Conference standings. If they aren't able to go on a run in the next couple of weeks, big changes can't be completely counted out as we inch closer to the NBA Trade Deadline. Even already at this point, the argument could be made that they should be preparing for some big changes to the roster.
Toronto Raptors
For as much young talent as the Toronto Raptors have on paper, there are a few veterans on the team who probably deserve a fresh start. Even the most optimistic of Raptors fans can envision this team making a strong push toward the playoffs as soon as next season. The Raptors are, at best, maybe 2-3 years away from emerging as a realistic player in the Eastern Conference. And that's not a knock on the team's talent, that's generally the way timelines work for young teams.
Assuming that is indeed the case, I'd strongly suggest the Raptors move forward in moving veterans like Kelly Olynyk, Bruce Brown, and potentially Jakob Poeltl ahead of this year's NBA Trade Deadline. These are the types of moves that could put the Raptors in a prime position to establish an even stronger young core for the future.
New Orleans Pelicans
There isn't a team in the NBA this season that has been decimated by injuries the way the New Orleans Pelicans have been. But even that aside, there were already some concerns about the team's blueprint of their roster. The injuries and struggles this season have only highlighted them even more.
Heading into the NBA Trade Deadline, the Pelicans have to seriously be considering a pivot toward a rebuild. Brandon Ingram is in the final year of his contract, Dejounte Murray hasn't made the impact that perhaps the front office hoped he could, and Zion Williamson continues to prove that he may not be able to remain healthy. At this point, the Pelicans may be better off blowing up this core and starting all over - especially if they're already on pace to finish with a top-3 pick in a loaded 2025 NBA Draft.
Phoenix Suns
There may be many that disagree with this assessment but I do believe that the Phoenix Suns are in a pretty bad spot. They continue to underperform and while injuries have played a factor, I'm not sure if this big 3 is ever going to live up to their billing with the franchise. Because of that, I'd seriously consider making a big franchise-altering move if I were the Suns.
A nearly the midway point of the season, the Suns are under .500 and ranked outside the top 10 in the Western Conference standings. And that's even after a 9-2 start to the season. Since that exceptionally strong start to the year, the Suns are just 6-14. Considering the level of talent the Suns have on their roster, that's unacceptable. The experiment of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal didn't work. It's time for the front office to admit that by embracing a seller's role at the NBA Trade Deadline.