Brooklyn Nets
Way-too-early trade candidate: Collin Sexton
To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure what to make of the Brooklyn Nets. On paper, they're clearly not a team that is in a position to compete for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. However, with how they've played so far this season, the Nets have the look of a team that could hang around in the East with the potential to steal a Play-In Tournament spot. Whether that will end up playing out or not remains to be seen. But, at least with how they've started the season, it remains very much a possibility.
That's why the Nets could be in a complicated spot heading into the NBA Trade Deadline. Logically, the Nets should be big sellers with the veterans they currently have on their roster. However, if they were to make a "buyer" move at the trade deadline, Collin Sexton could be one interesting potential target. With the Utah Jazz taking a step back this season, Sexton could be very much on the trade block. If he is, and the Jazz aren't valuing him, the Nets could take a flier on a player who has shown promise at the league guard position in the past.
Charlotte Hornets
Way-too-early trade candidate: Cam Whitmore
The Charlotte Hornets have continued to show signs of a slow-developing team. Adding more young talent to their core will be a key for the team heading into the NBA Trade Deadline and, eventually, into the offseason. What the Hornets want to do is to give themselves the best shot to find hidden gems. One young player who could be on the team's radar heading into the deadline is Cam Whitmore. Assuming that the team will be in the market for young players and not established veterans, Whitmore could make a ton of sense for the Hornets.
Whitmore did have some impressive flashes last season for the Houston Rockets but he's somewhat fallen out of the regular rotation for the team so far this year. Averaging right around 10 minutes per game, Whitmore's opportunity to break through for the Rockets could be slipping through his fingertips - especially considering how much of a step back he's taken compared to the level of impact he was able to make in spurts a year ago. If the Rockets aren't sure about his future, the Hornets could make sense as a potential landing spot.