The NBA season is almost here, Christmas is just around the corner and we all know what that means.
That’s right, trading season is finally here.
Monday is the day contracts signed by free agents become trade-eligible, meaning team executives will have more flexibility than before.
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As always, there are sellers trying to kick the can down the road, while buyers are trying to speed up the process, presumably to win as quickly as possible.
We’re looking at the teams that should be sellers, noting that teams committed to rebuilding (Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, and Utah Jazz) won’t be included because we already know where they’re going.
Without further ado, let’s get this train rolling.
No, no, no. We’re not calling for a deal or a total teardown with Jaylen Brown. That’s ridiculous, and it doesn’t help when Jayson Tatum returns.
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But the Celtics have an extra $12 million in luxury tax, and being below that limit helps them avoid double taxation. So this should be purely a financially driven motivation.
Of course, teams are aware of Boston’s predicament, and those who can help (Brooklyn) will likely be over the moon.
Oh boy. If Giannis Antetokounmpo is traded midseason, the floodgates will officially open for Milwaukee.
Kyle Kuzma, Myles Turner, Bobby Portis and Kevin Porter Jr. will be heavily involved in trade rumors — and rightfully so. There is simply no reason for established veterans to waste their time on a team that no longer has an MVP candidate.
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The Bucks won’t be selling until Antetokounmpo is actually traded, so it all depends on Milwaukee making a quick decision before the NBA trade deadline on February 5.
If the Bucks trade Giannis Antetokounmpo, they’ll need to tear that up. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
(Associated Press)
We know they’re not going to do anything drastic because they never do, but if there’s one team in the NBA that needs a complete overhaul from top to bottom, it’s the Bulls.
After a 5-0 start, they have gone 4-14 and look lifeless. Most of the players on the roster are unhinged, they have little control over the futures of Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu, and now might actually be the best time to trade Josh Guidy if they hope to get the best possible return.
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Unfortunately, even if the Bulls do begin to rebuild, they’re stuck with an ownership group that doesn’t care about the organization, making this all a moot point.
LaMelo Ball’s performance may be exciting, but that excitement tends to evaporate when he only plays 20-35 games per season.
It’s time for the Hornets to make some sweeping changes, especially to accommodate the arrival of Con Knuempel, the best rookie in the NBA so far who looks like he can be the cornerstone of the team.
Selling Ball right now might seem risky, but when you consider that he’s barely on the floor, it’s not much of a risk. It would be even worse if the option was to stick with him and clog the salary cap due to his nearly $40 million salary.
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With Tyrese Haliburton out for the year and likely trying to regain his rhythm next season, there’s no point in keeping everyone together.
TJ 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’re in no rush to make sweeping changes, especially since they control the majority of their first-round picks. But they should be answering the calls — and lots of them.
The Ja Morant/Jalen Jackson Jr. era in Memphis has been interesting, controversial, and surprisingly effective at times. But now things have changed.
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Morant looks like a quitter, and it’s questionable whether Jackson can be a key cog for the Grizzlies in the playoffs.
Now is the time to cash in, start over, and build around Cedric Coward and Zach Eddy while leaning into the overall trend of teams hitting the ball out of the park in the later stages of the draft.
Cooper Flagg is the future, and everyone except Dallas seems to know it. Giving up on Anthony Davis before the deadline would be the right time as it would minimize the risk of him getting injured again, which has to be a consideration.
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Kyrie Irving, D’Angelo Russell and Klay Thompson also shouldn’t be on this list for too long, even if the front office’s preference to wait until the summer before making some decisions makes sense.
Can the Mavericks acquire enough draft picks or young players to pair with Flagg? It’s a tough sale given the financial commitment of Davis, who has two years left on his contract after this season worth $111 million.
Using the line “It ain’t over till the fat lady sings” isn’t a good idea, so let’s replace it with “It ain’t over till the fat writer sings” Ladies and gentlemen… I’m in the opera.
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These kings are doomed. Just finished. They can’t find any form of consistency, their offense is terrible, they have one of the worst defenses in the NBA, and the roster meshes poorly.
Peel the whole thing off piece by piece until you hit the pipe in the drywall. Then give them a whirl too so the whole house can be repaired. Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis… they all need new addresses — and soon.
Well, that’s embarrassing. Of course, the Clippers can sell some players, but they can’t regain control of their draft picks, so the desire to bottom out is not strong.
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That said, the opportunity to trade players for at least some of the draft losses is better than anything happening right now, so if they want to receive good offers for James Harden and Kawhi Leonard, they should be all ears.
(If the Clippers were playing this smart, they would tell interested teams that they could have these players if the team made a deal that got them back some of their own draft picks. It wouldn’t be easy, but it would be a smart move.)
You know, it’s hard to succeed when you’re constantly working against yourself, like the Pelicans did all summer.
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Of course, you could try building around Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears. It makes perfect sense and you can easily sell this plan to your fan base.
But the broader question is: Does anyone trust current management to get a two-way contract right, let alone the entire process of selling a major product? If you’re shaking your head no right now, that’s fine.
