Brooklyn Nets
1 Problem: Trade or pay Cam Thomas
Even as the Brooklyn Nets continue to embrace a seller label heading into the NBA Trade Deadline, this is a team that has to make a pretty big decision on Cam Thomas. Leading to the deadline, they will either have to choose to pay him or trade him. As a player who is going to hit the restricted free-agent market after the season, the Nets need to know what the plan is going to be for him before the offseason arrives. The last thing the Nets need is to lose Thomas for nothing during the offseason. That's why trading him can't be considered completely off the table heading into the deadline.
It's easy to see why it may not be that simple of a decision for the Nets. Even though Thomas has been a breakout player for the past two seasons on the offensive end of the floor, there's still no indication he can be considered a cornerstone player for the franchise. And without that guarantee, you can see why the Nets may be hesitant to pay him the big contract that he's likely going to demand on the open market in free agency. But with the trade deadline quickly approaching, this is a situation that has to be sorted out soon.
Charlotte Hornets
1 Problem: An empty stats virus
I don't want to belittle some of the small accomplishments that the Charlotte Hornets have experienced so far this season but there are some concerning trends. The fact that some of their young developing players have taken steps forward in their individual games and the team overall still is on pace to win fewer games than last season is not a good sign. If anything, that tells me there's a chance this team could be suffering from an empty stats virus. It can be common for young teams but can evolve into rotting foundations if not addressed.
For the Hornets, it's simple. They must figure out which players on their roster don't lead to overall team success. And, simply put, those players need to be moved. For a team that is still trying to set a foundation for the future, the Hornets need to seed out the players on their roster that are never going to lead toward winning situations. To be perfectly honest, there's at least an outside chance that the Hornets have a couple of players currently on their roster. Charlotte could use the trade deadline, if they wanted, to get ahead of those expected decisions.