The NBA season is approaching Christmas, and we all know what that means. That’s right, trade season will finally be upon us.
Monday is when contracts signed in free agency become trade-eligible, meaning team executives will have much more flexibility than before.
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As always, there are sellers who are trying to kick the can down the road, and buyers who are trying to accelerate their process, presumably to win as soon as possible.
We’re taking a look at the teams that should be sellers, with the note that teams committed to rebuilds (the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz) won’t be included because we already know where they are headed.
Without further ado, let’s get this train moving.
No, no, no. We’re not calling for a Jaylen Brown deal or a full teardown. That’d be ridiculous and wouldn’t help when Jayson Tatum comes back.
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But the Celtics are $12 million over the luxury tax and getting under that limit helps them avoid the repeater tax. So this should be exclusively a financially driven motive.
Of course, teams are aware of Boston’s predicament and those who can help (Brooklyn) will likely ask for the moon.
Oh, boy. If Giannis Antetokounmpo is traded midseason, the floodgates will officially open in Milwaukee.
Kyle Kuzma, Myles Turner, Bobby Portis and Kevin Porter Jr. would be heavily involved in trade rumors — and rightfully so. There is simply no reason for established veterans to waste time on a team that no longer features an MVP candidate.
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The Bucks won’t be sellers before Antetokounmpo is actually traded, so this all hinges on Milwaukee making a quick decision before the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline.
If the Bucks trade Giannis Antetokounmpo, then they’d need to tear it all down.
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
We know they won’t do anything drastic, because they never do, but if there’s a team in the NBA that needs a full top-to-bottom makeover, it’s the Bulls.
After starting 5-0, they’ve gone 4-14 and looked entirely lifeless. Most of the roster has mentally checked out, they have little control over the futures of Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, and now might actually be the best time to trade Josh Giddey if they wish for the best possible return.
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Unfortunately, even if the Bulls do initiate a rebuild, they’re stuck with an ownership group that could not care less about the organization, making it all a moot point.
LaMelo Ball might be exciting to watch, but when he’s available for only 20-35 games per season, that excitement tends to disappear.
It’s time for the Hornets to make some sweeping changes, especially to accommodate the arrival of Kon Knueppel, who has been the NBA’s best rookie so far and looks like someone who can be a foundational piece.
Selling Ball now might seem risky, but not when you consider he’s barely ever on the floor. The alternative of sticking with him and clogging up the cap due to his almost $40 million salary is much worse.
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With Tyrese Haliburton out for this season and presumably spending next season trying to regain his rhythm, there is no point in keeping everyone together.
T.J. McConnell and Obi Toppin could both be interesting options on the trade market to acquire draft picks that could help them align with Haliburton’s timeline.
That said, they aren’t in a rush to make sweeping changes, especially as they control most of their own first-round selections. But they should take calls — and plenty of them.
The Ja Morant/Jaren Jackson Jr. era in Memphis was fun, controversial and at times surprisingly effective. Yet that’s now changed.
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Morant looks like a guy who’s halfway out the door, and it’s debatable whether Jackson can even be a crucial cog for the Grizzlies in a playoff setting.
Now is the time to cash out, start over and build around Cedric Coward and Zach Edey, while leaning into the team’s general tendency to hit the ball out of the park in the later stages of the draft.
Cooper Flagg is the future, and seemingly everyone knows it but Dallas. Pivoting off Anthony Davis before the deadline would be the right time, as that minimizes the risk for him to get injured yet again, which has to be a consideration.
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Kyrie Irving, D’Angelo Russell and Klay Thompson also shouldn’t be long for this roster, even if it’s reasonable that the front office prefers to wait on some decisions until summertime.
Can the Mavericks acquire enough draft equity or young players to pair with Flagg? It’s a tough sell given the financial commitment to Davis, who has another two years and $111 million on his deal after the conclusion of this season.
It’s not very nice to use the phrase “it’s not over until the fat lady sings,” so let’s replace that with “it’s not over until the fat writer sings,” and ladies and gentlemen … I’m in the opera.
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These Kings are done. Just done. They can’t find any form of consistency, their offense is all over the place, they’re among the worst defensive units in the NBA, and the roster fit is abysmal.
Tear the entire thing down, piece by piece, until you hit the pipes in the drywall. Then hit those too, so the whole house can be fixed. Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis … they all need new addresses — and soon.
Well, this is awkward. The Clippers can sell off pieces, sure, but they’re not getting control of their own picks back, so the desire to bottom out isn’t overwhelming.
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That said, trading off players for the chance to replenish at least some of the lost draft equity beats whatever is going on now, so if they’re to receive good offers for James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, they should be all ears.
(If the Clippers play this smart, they will tell interested teams they can have these players if said team facilities a deal wherein they get some of their own picks back. It won’t be easy, but it’ll be a smart approach.)
You know, it’s just tough to succeed when you’re constantly working against yourself, as the Pelicans have done all summer.
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Sure, you can try to build around Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears. That would be entirely justifiable, and you can easily sell that plan to the fan base.
But the broader question is this: Does anyone even trust the current front office to get a two-way contract right, let alone the whole process of selling off major pieces? If you’re currently shaking your head no, good on you.