Who the Hell is Buying and Selling?

In most seasons, there is a clear sense of which teams are trying to buy and acquire more talent or sell to get a return on their current talent across the league.  This year, there seems to be a few teams that are guaranteed to either try to buy or sell, but most of them are either uncertain while only a few seem likely to be staying put.  In this post, I rank them into 6 groups:  likely buying, possibly buying, likely staying put, possibly selling, likely selling, and unsure.  I also included a rating of how likely I think each team is to make trades.  The ranking is a scale from -2 to +2, where -2 is most likely to sell and +2 is most likely to buy.  There are 3 teams I consider likely buying (~+2), 8 teams possibly buying (~+1), 5 teams likely staying put (~+0), 4 teams likely selling (~-1), 3 teams likely selling (~-2), and 7 teams I am unsure about (too large of a range for me to feel confident).  I first listed the teams in the categories and then discussed them team by team.

 

Likely buying (~+2)

• Miami Heat (+1.8)
• Boston Celtics (+1.8)
• Dallas Mavericks (+1.6)

Possibly buying (~+1)

• Brooklyn Nets (+1.4)
• Golden State Warriors (+1.2)
• Denver Nuggets (+0.8)
• Philadelphia 76ers (+0.7)
• Phoenix Suns (+0.7)
• Portland Trail Blazers (+0.6)
• Atlanta Hawks (+0.6)

Likely staying put (or making minor moves) (~+0)

• Los Angeles Clippers (+0.4)
• Memphis Grizzlies (+0.3)
• Milwaukee Bucks (+0.2)
• Los Angeles Lakers (+0.1)
• Utah Jazz (+0.0)
• Indiana Pacers (-0.1)

Possibly selling (~-1)

• Minnesota Timberwolves (-0.5)
• Chicago Bulls (-0.6)
• Detroit Pistons (-0.9)

Likely selling (~-2)

• Cleveland Cavaliers (-1.6)
• Oklahoma City Thunder (-1.8)
• Houston Rockets (-1.9)

Unsure (Range of ranking)

• New York Knicks (Between -1.0 and +1.2, likely +0.5)
• Charlotte Hornets (Between -0.5 and +1.1, likely -0.2)
• Washington Wizards (Between -2.0 and +0.8, like -0.3)
• San Antonio Spurs (Between -1.8 and +0.5, likely -0.3)
• Toronto Raptors (Between -1.4 and +1.7, likely -0.5)
• New Orleans Pelicans (Between -1.5 and +0.0, likely -0.5)
• Orlando Magic (Between -2.0 and +0.0, likely -0.7)
• Sacramento Kings (Between -1.8 and -0.2, likely -1.0)

 

Breakdown

Miami Heat (+1.8)

Miami has been one of the most frequently rumored trade options due to their early season struggles, but they have played well as of late and are hovering around .500 right now.  That said, expect Pat Riley to make a move to improve the reigning Eastern Conference Champions.  While everybody outside of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are likely available for the right price, their most likely tradable players include Kelly Olynyk, Andre Iguodala, Meyers Leonard, Avery Bradley, Duncan Robinson, Kendrick Nunn, Chris Silva, and KZ Okpala.  They also have a trade exception for around $7.5M (from their trade with Minnesota last year that involved James Johnson), their tradeable 1^st round picks from 2025-2027, their 2027 2^nd round pick, and the less favorable 2022 2^nd round pick between Philadelphia and Denver (that likely won’t be a good pick).  They will likely try to obtain a stretch-4 and a switchable wing; while the best-case scenario would be acquiring John Collins and Victor Oladipo, the stretch-4 could likely be filled by P.J. Tucker, Nemanja Bjelica, or Rudy Gay (if he is available).  Update:  The Heat are receiving Trevor Ariza in a trade with the Thunder for Meyers Leonard (who is expected to be waived) and a 2027 2^nd round pick.  They likely will not be trying as hard for another power forward at this point.

 

Boston Celtics (+1.8)

Boston’s struggles thus far have been especially public, which, coupled with their $28.5M trade exception from the Gordon Hayward sign-and-trade, makes them extremely likely to make a move at the deadline.  What players are included really depends on who they are targeting; if it is somebody less expensive, they might try to include Carsen Edwards or Javonte Green.  Unless a player like the status of Victor Oladipo or Harrison Barnes becomes tradeable for them, I don’t see them using the big trade exception at this time; it is good during free agency, in which case it could be enticing in a sign-and-trade for a free agent, which could include Victor Oladipo, Mike Conley, DeMar DeRozan, Andre Drummond, John Collins (RFA), Evan Fournier, Norman Powell, Lauri Markkanen (RFA), Lonzo Ball (RFA), Tim Hardaway Jr., Duncan Robinson (RFA) and several others.  They also have trade exceptions for around $4.8M (from the Enes Kanter trade) and $2.5M (from the Vincent Poirier trade) and almost all their draft picks along with other 2^nd rounders.  Expect them to target an additional ballhandler, shooting, and a bigger shooter.  While Oladipo and Collins would be best-case for them, expect them to also target P.J. Tucker, Harrison Barnes, and Nemanja Bjelica for the bigger shooter, Rajon Rondo and Elfrid Payton for a backup point guard, and J.J. Redick and Buddy Hield for additional shooting.

 

Dallas Mavericks (+1.6)

Dallas got off to a slow start and, while they’re now around .500, don’t be surprised if they make a trade to try to improve their offense.  They’re limited on 1^st rounders prior to 2025, but they could try to include 2^nd rounders (they have most of theirs).  James Johnson is their most likely player to be included in a deal, but they could include someone like Maxi Kleber or Dwight Powell.  I expect their most likely trade target would be anyone who is strong offensively; expect them to push hard for players such as Victor Oladipo or Andre Drummond in particular.

 

Brooklyn Nets (+1.4)

It makes sense to expect the Nets to trade for an additional defender at any position, but the big question related to that is who/what would they trade?  Spencer Dinwiddie is their only player making over $10M that they would trade and is injured, Landry Shamet only makes $2M and hasn’t played particularly well this year, Tyler Johnson only makes $2M, Nic Claxon only make $1.5M, and they have no 1^st round picks available for trade in the foreseeable future.  That said, they do have 2^nd rounders they can add to deals.  While the buyout market might be a more realistic option in some regards, expect them to do their due diligence on JaVale McGee, P.J. Tucker, Rajon Rondo, Elfrid Payton, Ricky Rubio, Lonzo Ball, Danuel House, and Trevor Ariza.  They could also scout the buyout market instead.

 

Golden State Warriors (+1.2)

I expect the Warriors will look into trades for less expensive veteran players; it’s also possible that they look into trades for upcoming restricted free agents if the price is right for them.  I’m not entirely sure what players they would trade; there were rumors regarding Kelly Oubre, but he’s played well since those occurred.  They have several smaller trade exceptions that could be used, but I’m not sure what player they could get for them.  Unless a superstar becomes available, they will not be giving up Minnesota’s 1^st rounder.  I could see them trying to acquire someone like Wayne Ellington, Danuel House, Alec Burks, or Reggie Bullock; Ellington seems most likely to be traded out of this group.

 

Denver Nuggets (+0.8)

After being the Western Conference runner-up’s last season, the Nuggets have underwhelmed so far this season.  While Nikola Jokic has looked amazing, Jamal Murray started inconsistently; while Murray has played better lately, I wonder if he is young enough that he is best used as the number 3 option while he develops a little more.  While Michael Porter Jr. was a third star in the Bubble, he is only taking 10.8 attempts per game and averaging 14.2 PPG.  The rest of the team has been largely underwhelming on the offensive end, and I would compare this team to a Celtics team with a deeper bench.  That said, their bench is deep enough that their best bet would probably be acquiring a star wing player.  I don’t expect Bradley Beal or Zach LaVine to be available, but maybe Victor Oladipo would be available for the right price.  I could also see them trying to go for an improvement at 4 or as a backup 5.  I expect that the only players that will be untradeable are Jokic, Murray, and Porter (unless Beal is available).

 

Philadelphia 76ers (+0.7)

There is a case to be made that they have a lineup that can win the championship, they likely could use another piece to compete against teams such as Brooklyn, the L.A. teams, and even Utah.  I love how Doc Rivers has used the trio of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Tobias Harris, but I’m not as high on the rest of the team as a lot of people seem to be.  Seth Curry has always been an ideal sixth man and Danny Green is best suited for a bench role at this point, but they are starting both.  The bench has been inconsistent, and I think moving Curry to a bench role would immensely help this unit.  J.J. Redick has been rumored as a possible target, and I love the fit based on the need.  They could also go for someone like George Hill, Evan Fournier, Rudy Gay, or Aaron Gordon.  The prized rumored target is Kyle Lowry; he would fit, but I don’t expect Toronto to give him up.  They have multiple bench players that could be expendable as well as an $8.2M trade exception from the Al Horford trade and most of their picks.

 

Phoenix Suns (+0.7)

The Suns are currently surging and are near the top of the West and have 2 All-Stars in Devin Booker and Chris Paul, but they still feel like they are one more piece away.  In addition to Booker and Paul, Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, Cam Johnson, and Dario Saric are all averaging over 10 PPG, but I think it would be nice if they were able to get an additional backup guard or big man.  While Cameron Payne and Frank Kaminsky have been solid in their roles, I think adding someone like Lonzo Ball would be a phenomenal fit due to his defensive skills and what he can do off the ball; that said, someone that might be more in line with what they want to give up (ideally not the players with more than 10 PPG) would be Elfrid Payton.  If they want another big man, while the buyout market could be littered with them, they could also try to trade for JaVale McGee or even P.J. Tucker.  Update:  The Suns acquired Torey Craig from the Bucks for cash considerations in the P.J. Tucker deal.  That might wind up being their only move, but he will likely help out with their depth defensively.

 

Portland Trail Blazers (+0.6)

It’s a miracle that the Trail Blazers are as high in the playoff race as they are given substantial injuries to Jusuf Nurkic and C.J. McCollum, but that could also be written off as Damian Lillard having another MVP season.  The most important thing they could use is healthy bodies, but McCollum should be re-evaluated soon, and Gary Trent has filled in the vacant starting guard role pretty well.  I really think they could use another center behind Enes Kanter who is more defensive minded.  While the easiest player to imagine would be JaVale McGee, I think Ed Davis would be a better fit if Nurkic comes back healthy.  They could also try for Hassan Whiteside (I wouldn’t recommend it though) or Nemanja Bjelica.  While they might try to trade Rodney Hood, I expect Anfernee Simons will be a more likely target from others .

 

Atlanta Hawks (+0.6)

I wasn’t sure what direction this team would take for most of their awful recent run (starting 10-9 before going 4-11 before coach Lloyd Pierce was fired), but now that Pierce has been fired, I figure they will try to make at least one move.  While it isn’t intuitive to think this, I think it’s clear that management is expecting to win now.  The issue from this comes down to what they need is and what management thinks they need is.  I think it’s clear they need De’Andre Hunter to be healthy again; the team’s 10-9 run coincided with when he was healthy, as he got injured in the team’s 19^th game.  If he is out for a long time, I think anyone who can take the scoring load off Trae Young will help, as he has been wildly inconsistent this year contrary to popular belief; he shot under 40% from the floor in 13 of his 34 games (in which they went 2-11), he scored under 20 points 8 times (in which they went 0-8), and 11 games where he made fewer than a third of his threes (where they went 1-10).  They rely too much on him and he isn’t consistent enough to lead them to a playoff birth the rest of the way.  While John Collins has helped and the return of Bogdan Bogdanovic will be useful as well, look for them to try to acquire somebody a role player who can defend decent (since they still give up a lot of point) and can score; I think of someone like Harrison Barnes or Aaron Gordon.

 

Los Angeles Clippers (+0.4)

Theoretically, the Clippers would be a guarantee to make a trade given their need to upgrade their roster; while there are positives like Paul George playing well thus far, the team still struggles in the clutch and could still use a point guard.  The issue is how they would acquire this player; they likely would get a worse return by trading Marcus Morris, Patrick Beverly, Ivaca Zubac, Serge Ibaka, Luke Kennard, or Lou Williams.  While George Hill, Lonzo Ball, or Ricky Rubio would be ideal fits, I don’t see them acquiring any of them.  The one that keeps coming to mind is Elfrid Payton; not a flashy name by any means, but he is on a smaller contract and can run an offense when Reggie Jackson isn’t able to.  That said, they might opt for the buyout market instead since they have an open roster spot.

 

Memphis Grizzlies (+0.3)

While Memphis have hovered around .500 and are in a good spot for a play-in game, they are also in a position where they are still developing their young talent.  At this point, their only players above 25 are Jonas Valanciunas, Kyle Anderson, and Gorgui Dieng; I don’t see any of them being traded due to how well they’ve played for the team this season.  Could they try to get a disgruntled player to create a big three with Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. (when he returns)?  Dillon Brooks hasn’t been the right man for the role thus far, so maybe a team is really high on Justise Winslow.  That said, I don’t expect them to make a move unless somebody that fits their timeline becomes available and they don’t have to overpay too much for them.

 

Milwaukee Bucks (+0.2)

The Bucks are in an interesting situation because they theoretically would be buying but don’t have a ton to give up in order to buy.  The fact that they have 10 players who have played more than 20 games and Thanasis Antetokounmpo has played in 26 says something about their depth.  In order to get someone else, they would either need to give up one of their players and not get back someone as valuable, give up multiple players and lose more depth, or trade a 2^nd rounder and a player to get back someone.  They likely could use either shooting or backup defenders, but I’m not exactly sure what the perfect players in that role are that have a chance of being acquired.  Could they get P.J. Tucker?  Update:  The Bucks acquired P.J. Tucker from the Rockets.  The Bucks acquired Tucker, Rodions Kurucs, and reacquired their 2022 1^st round pick for D.J. Augustin, D.J. Wilson, the Bucks 2023 1^st rounder, and the right to swap Houston’s 2^nd round pick for Milwaukee’s 1^st round pick (top 9 protected).  The Bucks will also be sending Torey Craig to the Suns for cash.

 

Los Angeles Lakers (+0.1)

Ideally, the Lakers are just the team who should be buying given that they likely could use some more depth, but they are likely stuck due to not being able to give up much.  If they want to get a guy who is an upgrade, they wouldn’t want to give up Dennis Schröder, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, or Alex Caruso and likely wouldn’t get much back for Marc Gasol, Markieff Morris, or Wesley Matthews.  That leaves Talen Horton-Tucker, who I think they like so far.  Expect them to utilize the buyout market instead.

 

Utah Jazz (+0.0)

Some might say the Jazz should trade for someone else to get some more depth, but why fix something that isn’t broken?  They have a star scorer in Donovan Mitchell, elite defender in Rudy Gobert, and great complementary scorer and playmaker in Mike Conley, all of whom were All-Stars.  They also have Bojan Bogdanovic, who has thrived in a complementary role, Royce O’Neale playing so well defensively that he might be the second excellent defender on the team, Joe Ingles, who can do everything well, and Jordan Clarkson, who is a Sixth Man of the Year frontrunner.  Could they use a better backup big man?  Well, Derrick Favors has thrived defensively, and Georges Niang is a better shooter than most players that would replace him.  This team will likely stand pat at the deadline.

 

Indiana Pacers (-0.1)

Maybe they will trade a player on an expiring deal like Doug McDermott or T.J. McConnell, but there likely isn’t much motivation to do so; both have played well for them and the team is still in the playoff hunt despite dealing with injuries all year.  While T.J. Warren is likely out for a while still, Jeremy Lamb has played very well upon returning from his injury and Caris LeVert has looked better than I expected upon returning from cancer surgery.  Myles Turner seems to have totally bought into the mindset of being more of a defensive star for them than one of the top offensive players for them, so the fit of him and Domantas Sabonis is working out better than usual.  Sabonis was an All-Star, Malcolm Brogdon had a shot to be named one, Turner could be in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation if he keeps it up, Justin Holiday has looked good, McDermott has been a valuable shooter, and Aaron Holiday has improved lately.  This current lineup looks like it will slide into the playoffs.

 

Minnesota Timberwolves (-0.5)

I personally think the Timberwolves should be selling since they are the worst team in the NBA and are going nowhere at this rate.  That said, what do they have to trade?  Ricky Rubio makes the most sense, but he has struggled mightily so far this year.  They could try trading Ed Davis, but what value does a player who isn’t consistently in the rotation of the worst team in the league have?  Juan Hernangomez has forgotten how to shoot, Jarrett Culver has been underwhelming again, Josh Okogie can’t seem to do anything offensively right now, and Jaden McDaniels will likely be (and should be) off the table.  Is Jake Layman really their best trade asset right now?  It also depends on what the future holds for the team.  The trio of Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, and Malik Beasley has barely played together so far, but it likely doesn’t make sense to trade one of them at this time.  On top of that, Anthony Edwards has (dare I say) shot better over the last few games, so if this is more of a trend, he might be a good player to build around.  I think they’re stuck with Russell at least another year and I think trading Towns is a last resort option, but if they decide Beasley isn’t part of the future, he could net a big return…but wait for the offseason for them to consider that.  That said, they might trade what they can.

 

Chicago Bulls (-0.6)

The Bulls are in the playoff race, so they will not be dive totally into selling.  As a result, Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen will not be traded during the season, especially since LaVine has taken the jump from great offensive player to star player and Markkanen has had a comeback year.  That said, they could trade other players who are likely not key rotation players if it makes sense.  Don’t be surprised if they listen to offers for Thaddeus Young and Garrett Temple.  They could get offers for Tomas Satoransky and Denzel Valentine.  While it might be nice to be able to trade Otto Porter or Cristiano Felicio, they won’t get any worthwhile offers for either of them.  Even though they are contending, I have also seen reports that they would consider Markkanen if they got an offer that blew them away as he will be a restricted free agent; I’m not sure if that offer is out there unless a contending team is desperate.

 

Detroit Pistons (-0.9)

The Pistons have been horrible so far, have cut Blake Griffin, and have traded Derrick Rose for a Dennis Smith Jr. and a 2^nd rounder and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk for Hamidou Diallo and a 2^nd rounder.  They will likely look into some trades; I expect Wayne Ellington will be traded as well.  Despite that, why do I not expect them to go all in trading?  They have several players signed this past offseason who are unlikely to be traded yet; the team is clearly rebuilding and would likely only trade Jerami Grant, Mason Plumlee, or Delon Wright if they thought that they were preventing some of their prospects from developing.  Unless you think that Isaiah Stewart or Sekou Doumbouya are ready for more playing time already (I don’t), then it doesn’t make sense to get rid of them.  If Killian Hayes were healthy, Wright might be a different story.  That said, they might trade Grant, Plumlee, or Wright in the offseason given the sudden lack of star free agents.  I only expect Rodney McGruder or Jahlil Okafor to be in any sort of notable trade if hell freezes over…or if a team deals with a lot of injuries and gets a bit too desperate.

 

Cleveland Cavaliers (-1.6)

The Cavs will absolutely attempt to sell and have several useful players, but I’m not sure all their players will go.  I’m not even considering Kevin Love in this one; his salary is large enough that they will need to wait until the offseason before they try to trade him and he has been bad upon returning from injury, so rule him out of being traded.  I expect JaVale McGee will be sought after due to his value on the defensive end and his image as a champion.  We could also see Taurean Prince and Cedi Osman traded, but those aren’t guarantees.  I don’t expect them to trade Larry Nance Jr. considering how well he has played.  The big wrench in this is Andre Drummond; he is likely too expensive to trade, but would there be a team that doesn’t want to risk not getting him after being bought out?  I expect the answer to that is no and the Cavs will be forced to buy him out instead.

 

Oklahoma City Thunder (-1.8)

After making it clear the Thunder were entering a rebuild, the team is actually close to a play-in spot.  While I predicted them finishing last prior to the season, I said that it wouldn’t surprise me if they did not finish last, but I mentioned that I didn’t feel as though I could justify them finishing any higher.  They recently traded Hamidou Diallo and a 2027 2^nd round pick for Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk.  While they Thunder gave up a young, athletic wing in Diallo, they got back a young, good shooter in Mykhailiuk; I felt like they would have difficulties long term with Diallo, Luguentz Dort, and Darius Bazley, none of whom are good shooters, playing together, so I thought it made sense to do this.  As for their other tradeable players, I expect George Hill, Trevor Ariza, and Mike Muscala to be traded.  They will likely need to wait until the offseason before Al Horford can be traded given his salary.  Maybe they explore trading Justin Jackson, but I think they’ll find the return will likely not be worthwhile.  Update:  The Thunder are trading Trevor Ariza to the Heat for Meyers Leonard (who is expected to be waived) and a 2027 2^nd round pick.

 

Houston Rockets (-1.9)

It seemed promising for the Houston Rockets after the James Harden trade as of February 4^th, but then they didn’t win again…or at least they hadn’t by the time of posting (3/17).  Expect them to at least attempt to trade everybody that they can and stick with young players or reclamation projects.  I expect Victor Oladipo and P.J. Tucker will be traded; it also wouldn’t surprise me if Ben McLemore, David Nwaba, and Sterling Brown are traded as well.  There is a chance that they trade Danuel House.  While there is a chance that Eric Gordon is traded, I expect they will have better odds of moving him during the offseason, when they will likely have to trade John Wall as well (if they can).  While there is a good chance their pick is going to Oklahoma City this year (top 4 protected) and several of their future picks are as well, I think it is better to try to get what they can to help alleviate the rebuild process.  Update:  The Rockets have traded P.J. Tucker, Rodions Kurucs, and the Bucks 2022 1^st round pick for D.J. Augustin, D.J. Wilson, the Bucks’ 2023 1^st round pick, and a pick swap where the Rockets can swap their 2^nd rounder with the Bucks’ 1^st rounder (top 9 protected).  They might try to move Augustin, but I don’t see a prosperous market for him.

 

New York Knicks (Between -1.0 and +1.2, likely +0.5)

The Knicks could either sell on a few of their players, trade multiple picks and prospects, or sit somewhere in between.  Considering they traded for Derrick Rose earlier this season, I expect them to make one more move that could help them but won’t cause them to implode in the future.  While I think an upgrade at the starting point guard or shooting guard over Elfrid Payton and Reggie Bullock (I would love Bullock off the bench for them though) respectively would be nice, a center might be more essential if Mitchell Robinson will be out for substantial time.  They have a lot of players that would be great for salary cap, but acquiring another player depends on who (or what) they would give up.  I believe they realize they can’t lose sight of rebuilding despite their early successes, especially considering they had an easier first half.

 

Charlotte Hornets (Between -0.8 and +1.1, likely -0.2)

Realistically, the Hornets could sell a few players, or they could go all in buying, but I don’t think they do much of anything this year.  I expect the only player they might trade is Malik Monk and the only thing they might look for is a center to improve on the Cody Zeller/Bismack Biyombo duo (for when they don’t have 6’7 P.J. Washington finish the game at center).  Outside of that, they have Gordon Hayward who has been incredible for them, Terry Rozier who is having a career year, LaMelo Ball who looks like a star of the future for them, and quality role players in P.J. Washington, Miles Bridges, and Devonte’ Graham.  The one I wonder is what will happen with Graham; he is a free agent after this year and, after an exceptional season last year, hasn’t been as good this year.  That said, I don’t expect him to be traded though.

 

Washington Wizards (Between -2.0 and +0.8, likely -0.3)

The Wizards could totally rebuild by trading Bradley Beal, Davis Bertans, and anyone on expiring deals, or they could try to make an upgrade or two.  That said, do not expect Beal to be traded during the season; I’d be surprised if he is on the team to start next season though.  I would also be surprised if Bertans is traded anytime soon.  They are likely stuck with Russell Westbrook until the end of his contract (through 2023), which will likely limit their options to obtain any free agents.  They could try to trade Jerome Robinson, Mo Wagner, or Isaac Bonga, as their rookie deals are all expiring, but I’m not sure if any of them would net any kind of worthwhile return.  I have also heard Troy Brown rumored, but he has not been good this year either.  I think it would be wise to look into trading Ish Smith; his injury might hamper that plan.

 

San Antonio Spurs (Between -1.8 and +0.5, likely -0.3)

I don’t expect the Spurs to try to add a piece to their currently playoff-bound roster, but I also don’t expect them to go crazy with selling.  They have made it clear they will be parting ways with LaMarcus Aldridge, but I expect the market for him will be a little underwhelming and they’ll be forced to waive him.  While DeMar DeRozan, Rudy Gay, and Patty Mills could likely net a return, I think they’ll stand pat and continue with this lineup unless an offer blows them away, similar to how the Thunder acted last year.  They might be able to trade Trey Lyles, but it might not be worth much considering how he has been inconsistent this year.  I have no idea what they’ll do this offseason, but I could see them trying to resign DeRozan to play the role he has been around all the developing players they have.

 

Toronto Raptors (Between -1.4 and +1.7, likely -0.5)

I have no idea what the Raptors are planning on doing this trade deadline; I have heard anything between trading Kyle Lowry and trading for Andre Drummond (or better), but I expect the result will be somewhere in between unless Lowry requests a trade.  It wouldn’t surprise me if they listen to offers for Norm Powell, but I don’t expect them to make any other moves.  If they do trade Lowry, expect them to have Fred VanVleet play more of a role and try to edge Malachi Flynn into a role like VanVleet had to start his career.  While they seemed to pick up again after struggling to start the season, the Raptors have been hit by Health and Safety Protocols again and have struggled recently, currently out of the play-in game.

 

New Orleans Pelicans (Between -1.5 and 0.0, likely -0.5)

I expect the Pelicans to make some moves with trading guys on expiring deals, but not as many as they should or might like.  The most likely to be traded is J.J. Redick, but with his salary and inconsistent season, that might not be a guarantee.  While there were early rumors regarding Lonzo Ball, he has played well lately so I think there will be a disconnect with how much he is worth.  Maybe Nicolo Melli gets traded, but I honestly don’t think this is highly likely unless Redick is traded early.  I expect they will want to trade Eric Bledsoe to clear up playing time at the guard spots, but they will probably have to wait until the offseason.  The ones to watch this offseason are Steven Adams and Brandon Ingram; I don’t expect either will be traded yet, but I expect it at some point in the next season or two.

 

Orlando Magic (Between -2.0 and 0.0, likely -0.7)

The Magic are in a weird spot this season:  they have been horrible, but also have been dealing with likely the most injuries of any team this season.  They could trade anyone that is a veteran and won’t help a rebuild, make no moves, or somewhere in between; I expect it will be in between those extremes.  Evan Fournier is on an expiring deal and has value, so expect him to be moved.  Do not expect Nikola Vucevic to be moved until the offseason at the earliest (it probably won’t be until the following offseason).  Terrence Ross probably will not be moved unless a big offer comes in; unless a team gets desperate, I doubt that happens.  Aaron Gordon is possible to be moved, but there seems to be polarizing opinions about him; I think if you’re a team that would be looking for him to be your 4^th best option (like Boston or Miami), then it would likely work if you’re willing to take the salary.  James Ennis and Khem Birch are also on expiring deals and are worth watching.  The underrated one to watch is Mo Bamba.  As long as Vucevic is on the Magic, Bamba will only be a limited-minute backup, but he is young and looks to have potential as an athletic shot-blocking/3-point shooting center; he reminds me of Myles Turner from Indiana in a lot of ways.

 

Sacramento Kings (Between -1.8 and -0.2, likely -1.0)

I have heard varying reports about Sacramento:  I have heard that everyone except De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton is available for trade and that they have pushed back regarding trade offers for Harrison Barnes, who might be their best asset of the remaining players.  One thing that feels certain is that Nemanja Bjelica will likely be traded; he hasn’t found a home in their rotation this year but has previously showed he is a good shooting power forward who is good enough defensively.  I also expect Hassan Whiteside will be traded by a team looking for some depth of big men (think the Lakers).  Barnes has been sought after this season; while they seem to have pushed back on offers, I think he will be traded due to his value.  Cory Joseph might be traded if a team like the Clippers get desperate enough for a point guard and the Kings push hard to start over.  It isn’t looking like Marvin Bagley III is part of their future, but whose future would he be a part of?  Still, there’s bound to be a team that would be willing to trade for him.  Buddy Hield will likely be traded by the offseason, but I don’t think he is traded before then.  Jabari Parker will likely get no offers and they’ll be stuck with him.  One that hasn’t been talked about as much that I would watch is Richaun Holmes; while he is a talented player and has played well for them, he is on an expiring deal and Sacramento has not appeared to value the 27-year-old big man as a part of their future.

 

 

What are you most looking forward to this trade deadline?  Any players or teams you are eyeing?  Let me know in the comments!