NBA Trade Rumors: As the NBA Trade Deadline draws near, we predict two surprising buyers and two shocking sellers that will arise over the next few weeks.
The NBA Trade Deadline is approaching. We have already seen some big moves, mainly coming from Toronto, in the form of OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam trades. I guarantee these will not be the only moves made at the deadline.
The midway point in the season is here and is a great time to do some self-reflection and evaluate where each team currently stands. This season is showing as much parity in the league as ever. There are big market teams underperforming and small market teams exceeding all expectations.
The deadline provides an out for those teams who aren't Championship ready and provides an opportunity, for those who are playoff-ready, to prey on the underperforming teams. As noted above, there is a fair amount of parity in the league this season. This means that there will be some surprise buyers and some surprise sellers this February 8th.
Let's take a look at two surprise buyers and two surprise sellers at the deadline this season.
Brooklyn Nets: Surprise buyers
The Brooklyn Nets have seemingly gone with the Toronto Raptors' approach in roster construction, "sign every forward 6-foot-4 - 6-foot-10 that we can and put them in the lineup." It has not worked out for the Raptors, but it can for the Nets.
The Nets are seven games under .500 at 16-24 and sit in 11th place in the Eastern Conference. Neither of these numbers is great, and would probably suggest the Nets should sell come deadline time. I disagree with that notion. The Nets have a good core with Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, and Nic Claxton. They also have good role players in Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O'Neale.
The Nets do not have a superstar, but they do have a superstar salary to match any incoming stud along with a lot of draft assets acquired from the Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and James Harden trades.
Ben Simmons is owed $37.8M this year and $40M next. This means that he is essentially an expiring deal. Expiring salaries are becoming bigger assets in today's NBA, which makes Simmons' short-term money easier to swallow. The Nets also have seven trade exceptions in their arsenal, which will allow them to easily acquire a player, or multiple players without having to match salary for salary.
All of this is to say that the Nets can go all in if they so choose. I believe they should. There are a ton of big names still floating out there and many more to be unearthed. Dejounte Murray, Keldon Johnson, and Terry Rozier are just a few names the Nets could target. They realistically have the means to target multiple of these players.
The Nets are 6.5 games out of the playoffs. Making a big move or two could put this team right back into the playoff and the Championship hunt.
Los Angeles Lakers: Surprise sellers
I cannot wait for the pushback on this selection. "The Lakers have Anthony Davis and LeBron James, why would they sell?" Blah, blah, blah. The Lakers should sell. They are falling further and further away from the play-in tournament even with LeBron still playing out of his mind. AD has been as good as advertised this season too, yet it hasn't really mattered.
Overall, this team is sort of meh. They just don't have much outside of their top two players in James and Davis. Forming a big three with another All-star level player would make this team interesting, but the Lakers would have to sacrifice a lot of critical depth in order to accomplish that. Teams aren't necessarily lining up to throw the kitchen sink at Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt.
What are the Lakers to do? ...I say go nuclear. Blow it up. LeBron has a player option for next season and has already hinted at wanting to play with his son, wherever he ends up. The Lakers currently own the Clippers 2nd round pick this year and that's it. Bronny James will probably have already been taken by then, especially if Pops is coming along with him.
If LeBron leaves for nothing this offseason, the Lakers are in trouble. Austin Reaves is a glorified role player at this point in his career. Rui Hachimura is as well and D'Angelo Russell seems to always be in the crosshairs throughout Lakers media.
This will seem like a hot take, but the Lakers should blow it all up, but honestly I think that they should at least settle for being sellers. Move off of unwanted contracts, hit a minor reset, and look to restructure this roster better in the offseason. They should look to acquire as many picks and good contracts as they can and get ready for next season. This season is a wash.
Utah Jazz: Surprise buyers
The Utah Jazz are winners of 15 of their last 19 games. They are currently on a six-game winning streak. Danny "deals" Ainge has all the assets to make all the moves he wants. He should do it. Go for broke.
Lauri Markkanen is a star and he deserves a proper running mate, or two. The Jazz is in a unique position where they have good salary-matching contracts, several interesting young assets, and a treasure trove of draft assets. Now is the time to make a move.
Would a Dejounte Murray or Keldon Johnson trade entice the Jazz? Would the Heat part ways with Tyler Herro? In theory, the Jazz could make one, two, or all of these moves and still keep Markkanen as the focal point of the team. The reality is that the Jazz can get creative and be a real force this season.
The Jazz shouldn't look to sell this trade deadline. They already have plenty of young talent and draft assets. The team is proving that they can already win with what they have. Instead, they should look to make moves that will better suit this team for a long playoff run. The Western Conference is wide open. Only six games separate first place and seventh.
The Jazz have an opportunity to buy low on impact players who can turn this team from a playoff hopeful into a playoff danger. Danny shouldn't squander this opportunity and should look to put this team back into consistent, deep playoff runs like they were used to in the 1990s.
Golden State Warriors: Surprise sellers
Could Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and Brandin Podziemski be the next "Big 3" for the Golden State Warriors? They have all shown great flashes this season, particularly Kuminga as of recently. I'm by no means suggesting the team trade Steph Curry off the team. Everyone else though, send 'em.
The Warriors are due for a change. The Warriors remind me a lot of the New England Patriots dynastic run from 2000-2019. Eventually, the way things used to work, doesn't anymore. Steve Kerr is a phenomenal coach, but I think that his time is near. The Warriors need a changing of the guard.
Draymond is out here practicing for his WWE debut, Klay is all sorts of out-of-whack and Andrew Wiggins looks like he's lost all motivation to play basketball. Some winners eventually get complacent and I believe that is what's happening to this Warriors team and a big shakeup might just wake up some of these dormant stars.
It's never fun to think about the ending of a great run, but all great runs must come to an end. I think the Warriors understand this. I think this is why Bob Myers left in the offseason. I believe this is why Klay Thompson doesn't have a contract extension and this is why Draymond Green has been subject to trade rumors.
It isn't working this year, and unlike in years past where the Warriors may have been struggling for a stretch, this feels final. It feels like the end is near. The Warriors should rip off the bandaid and start retooling for next season with a bunch of new, fresh faces leading the charge. It's time for new beginnings in Golden State, whether the fans are ready for it or not.