Portland Trail Blazers
Way-too-early trade candidate: Jarace Walker
Still relatively in the early stages of their rebuild, the Portland Trail Blazers are likely going to be considered sellers heading into the NBA Trade Deadline. However, if they do end up shopping for an addition or two, they should be looking for young players who perhaps haven't hit their ceiling yet (for whatever reason). As the Indiana Pacers continue to look to retool their roster into win-now form, I can't help but wonder if a player like Jarace Walker would be available. Even though he's shown signs of promise this season, his timeline may be a little behind Indiana's.
If the Pacers are entering the trade deadline season looking for a veteran big, there's a chance they could look to move Walker in the process. If so, the Blazers are one team who should be looking to jump into that equation. Through the first two years of his career, Walker hasn't gotten the opportunity to show his complete talent. On a team that will be competing at a high level in the playoffs, there's a chance he may never get the opportunity to do so with Indiana. Maybe Portland can give him a platform that the Pacers simply can't.
Sacramento Kings
Way-too-early trade candidate: Isaiah Stewart
The Sacramento Kings have certainly had their ups and downs to start the season. And while there remains hope that they could emerge as a potential dark horse contender in the Western Conference once the playoffs roll around, you'd have to think that they may need to make an upgrade at some point before the NBA Trade Deadline to accomplish that. One area of need for the Kings could come in the frontcourt. Finding some consistent depth behind Domantas Sabonis could be a priority for the team at the deadline.
One potential target that could make sense for the Kings is Isaiah Stewart, a young big whose role with the Detroit Pistons has changed significantly from last season to this year. And if the Pistons aren't that high on him anymore, it could open the door for a team like the Kings to swoop in and take a flier on the backup center. Stewart could benefit from a fresh start and adding him as the team's primary backup center behind Sabonis could do wonders for the Kings.