NBA Trade Rumors: Exploring 12 marquee players who absolutely deserve to be moved ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline.
It's official, the NBA Trade Deadline is less than a month away. As the February 6 trade deadline quickly approaches, there are naturally a few marquee players who are going to have a shot at finding themselves on the move. While history tells us that not every player will be traded, there is a chance that there could be plenty of action at the deadline. At this point in the year, there are two groups of trade deadline candidates - a group that will likely be moved and one that should be moved.
While we could go back and forth between the players who will likely be traded before the deadline, I'm far more interested in the group of marquee players who deserve to be traded in what could be a fresh start for them at this point in their careers. With trade deadline season officially here, let's explore 12 notable players who absolutely deserve to be moved before February 6.
Jonathan Isaac, Orlando Magic
Let's begin this list with two players who don't appear to be great fits with their current teams. First, I can't help but still be underwhelmed with how Jonathan Isaac has continued to develop as a young player with the Orlando Magic. As the Magic emerge as one of the young dark horse contenders in the Eastern Conference, Isaac is having one of the worst seasons of his career thus far. Despite the injuries that the Magic have had to play through so far this season, Isaac continues to leave much to be desired.
Averaging just six points and five rebounds on 26 percent shooting from 3-point range while playing less than 17 minutes per contest, Issac may have arrived at the point where he deserves a fresh start to his career. I'm not sure if he will be moved ahead of the deadline but he certainly deserves to if he's not going to get a fair shot to prove his worth as a pro.
Marcus Smart, Memphis Grizzlies
For as strong as the move looked at the time, the acquisition of Marcus Smart has not gone as seamlessly as perhaps the Memphis Grizzlies believed that it would. Smart continues to struggle with his overall efficiency and is averaging near career lows across the board. At this point, the argument could be made that he's simply not the best fit for the Grizzlies. Smart might need a fresh start to get his career back on track. And a trade of Smart might not just make sense for the player, it could also end up working out in the long run for Memphis as well.