Fire up the trade machines and get ready for an unhealthy amount of slop, trade season is here!
Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday found new homes in Milwaukee and Boston, respectively, before the season started. Since, two big dominos fell in-season with James Harden joining the Los Angeles Clippers and OG Anunoby going to the New York Knicks
The next four weeks now look like a last chance saloon opportunity for the teams desperately trying to keep up. With the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, and Phoenix Suns all struggling to stay afloat, shake ups seem more on the cards than not.
But who will these teams target? While there likely won’t be a Kevin Durant-level player moved this deadline, there are several all-star and starter-level players who could reshape the landscape if moved by the end of the trade deadline at 3 p.m. ET on Feb. 8. Here are the 10 best players that have been consistently mentioned in trade rumours and all the context you need:
PASCAL SIAKAM (TORONTO RAPTORS)
2023-24 stats: 37 GP, 22.2 PTS, 6.4 REB, 5.0 AST, 0.8 STL, 2.2 TO.
2023-24 percentages: 58.8% 2PT, 30.8% 3PT, 75.4% FT.
Contract status: $37.9M expiring. Unrestricted free agent July 1, 2024.
Age: 29 (turns 30 on Apr. 2).
Possible destinations: Pacers, Hawks, Warriors, Mavericks, Kings, Pistons.
What Raptors want: The franchise showed its hand with the OG Anunoby trade, preferring young players on the rise but also ready for serious rotation minutes instead of draft compensation. It’ll be a similar ask with Siakam, but the front office really dropped the ball by ghosting Siakam this past summer and not getting an extension done then. Teams looking to trade for him now face a worst case scenario of a rental who only plays out the remainder of the season after reports that he will refuse to sign a two-year extension – the maximum length he’d be allowed to sign for at this point in the season with another team before free agency.
What Siakam wants: A max extension or thereabouts with the Raptors, and failing that, the opportunity to test free agency waters in the summer.
Likely result: Toronto actually resembles a good basketball team again after the additions of Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett and offers are reportedly nowhere near what a two-time All-NBA player in the prime of his career should demand due to his contract status. With that in mind, the Raptors front office re-signing Siakam to a long-term extension seems the most plausible scenario.
DEJOUNTE MURRAY (ATLANTA HAWKS)
2023-24 stats: 36 GP, 21.1 PTS, 4.6 REB, 5.0 AST, 1.4 STL, 2.1 TO.
2023-24 percentages: 50.5% 2PT, 39.4% 3PT, 81.4% FT.
Contract status: 4-year, $120M extension begins July 1, 2024.
Age: 27.
Possible destinations: Lakers, Knicks, Sixers, Heat, Pistons.
What Hawks want: The Hawks are loudly entertaining offers for Murray, preferring to find another piece that better fits alongside Trae Young and rising star forward Jalen Johnson.
What Murray wants: With the Hawks feeling like the writing’s on the wall as far as what Young and Murray can accomplish as a backcourt pairing as well as an extension already in place, Murray may as well have The Rock a.k.a Dwayne Johnson tell him it doesn’t matter what he thinks.
Likely result: The sticking point in negotiations between the Lakers and Hawks to this point is reportedly Los Angeles’ unwillingness to include Austin Reaves in any deal. Reaves is a good player, but if he can net Murray back, that’s a legitimate two-way upgrade for a team that’s in ultra-win-now mode with a 39-year-old LeBron James. D’Angelo Rusell isn’t exactly whetting anyone’s appetite.
MARCUS SMART (MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES)
2023-24 stats: 20 GP, 14.5 PTS, 2.7 REB, 4.3 AST, 2.1 STL, 3.1 TO.
2023-24 percentages: 58.3% 2PT, 31.3% 3PT, 76.8% FT.
Contract status: 2 years, $41M remaining after this season.
Age: 29 (turns 30 on March 6).
Possible destinations: Bucks, Thunder, Kings.
What Grizzlies want: The potential availability of Smart is only made possible by the season-ending injury suffered by Ja Morant. Memphis could indeed do nothing but go into “Prove ‘Em” mode and look to soldier on despite the absence of its best player, but draft capital in exchange for a player championship contenders will covet should be worth considering.
What Smart wants: Smart would love nothing more than to promote a Memphis versus the world mentality and inspire this team to the post-season. There’s a reason he was the heart and soul of the Boston Celtics during his time there and that’s also why a contending team will want to secure his services.
Likely result: With the emergence of Vince Williams Jr. – newly signed to a three-year $7.9M deal – the Grizzlies could be tempted to cash in on a first-round pick and salary filler to move Smart. The Bucks have the chance to do something hilarious by bringing in the former Celtics guard as their premier perimeter defender to counter the Celtics trading for former Buck Jrue Holiday. Oklahoma City and Sacramento should also consider circling in on Smart.
JERAMI GRANT (PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS)
2023-24 stats: 32 GP, 21.8 PTS, 3.6 REB, 2.5 AST, 0.7 STL, 0.7 BLK
2023-24 percentages: 48.5% 2PT, 41.7% 3PT, 79.9% FT
Contract status: 4 years, $132M remaining after this season.
Age: 29 (turns 30 on March 12).
Possible destinations: Thunder, Kings, Mavericks, Pacers, Warriors, Pistons
What Blazers want: There were some suggestions that the veteran presence of players like Grant and Malcolm Brogdon was vital for a very young team looking to emerge in the post-Lillard era. Their last five losses have been by a deficit of 21, 29, 36, 28, and 62 points, respectively. The veteran presence clearly isn’t counting for much so it’s time to cash in. Grant becomes trade eligible on Jan. 15.
What Grant wants: Having had an opportunity to flex his muscles as a primary scoring option in Detroit and secured the bag twice over now, Grant may be happy to settle back into the 3-and-D role he became renowned for in Denver.
Likely result: Sacramento has been linked quite heavily to Siakam until The Athletic’s Shams Charania recently reported that talks hit a dead-end, and it may be wise for the Kings to pivot to a player they don’t need to have reservations about whether or not he’ll be around long term. Heck, Grant may be a decent Plan B for most teams that have been in the Siakam hunt.
ZACH LAVINE (CHICAGO BULLS)
2023-24 stats: 21 GP, 20.3 PTS, 5.2 REB, 3.7 AST, 1.0 STL, 2.1 TO.
2023-24 percentages: 53.0% 2PT, 34.0% 3PT, 85.3% FT.
Contract status: 3 years, $138M remaining after this season.
Age: 28
Possible destinations: Lakers.
What Bulls want: A trade.
What LaVine wants: A trade.
Likely result: LaVine wants out. The Bulls want him out. Unfortunately, his wonky knee and albatross of a contract leave LaVine well short of serious suitors. Chicago has looked to move him since last summer and it appears Feb. 8 will pass without a team willing to accept that level of desperation.
DEMAR DEROZAN (CHICAGO BULLS)
2023-24 stats: 37 GP, 22.0 PTS, 3.8 REB, 5.4 AST, 1.1 STL, 1.5 TO
2023-24 percentages: 48.8% 2PT, 35.3% 3PT, 84.7% FT
Contract status: $28.6M expiring. Unrestricted free agent July 1, 2024.
Age: 34.
Possible destinations: Heat, Lakers.
What the Bulls want: With trading LaVine seeming impossible, it becomes imperative that Chicago try and secure some type of return on pending free agent DeRozan.
What DeRozan wants: A team firmly in the playoff mix, and preferably the Heat or Knicks per reports.
Likely result: With DeRozan set to become an unrestricted free agent, the Bulls should try to find a suitable fit that can offer satisfactory compensation. Just imagine if Lowry and DeRozan were exchanged in a trade.
ALEX CARUSO (CHICAGO BULLS)
2023-24 stats: 32 GP, 9.9 PTS, 3.5 REB, 2.5 AST, 1.3 STL, 0.8 BLK.
2023-24 percentages: 60% 2PT, 40.9% 3PT, 75.9% FT.
Contract status: 1 year, $9.9M (partially guaranteed) after this season.
Age: 29 (turns 30 on Feb. 28).
Possible destinations: Lakers, Thunder, Bucks, Warriors
What the Bulls want: If you haven’t caught on by now, yes, this is a crucial trade deadline for Chicago. While LaVine is the one the franchise would like to move off the books, teams are more interested in either DeRozan or Caruso.
What Caruso wants: Caruso has had his injury issues so he probably would like an extended stretch of health more than anything but his all-world defence would look tremendous on a contender.
Likely result: The Bulls make bad decisions so it’s likely the indecision of the past two trade deadlines that went by without a Chicago trade carries over for another season.
TYUS JONES (WASHINGTON WIZARDS)
2023-24 averages: 37 GP, 12.6 PTS, 2.8 REB, 5.5 AST, 1.2 STL, 0.9 TO.
2023-24 percentages: 58.1% 2PT, 43.1% 3PT, 73.1% FT.
Contract status: $14M expiring. Unrestricted free agent July 1, 2024.
Age: 27
Possible destinations: Timberwolves, Heat, Spurs.
What Wizards want: The Wizards are headed for another lottery pick while Jordan Poole clowns around. Receiving even middling draft compensation for an expiring contract should suit Washington just fine.
What Jones wants: Jones has wanted the opportunity to be the starting point guard for an NBA team after primarily serving as a backup his first eight seasons. Is a taste enough or does he want more?
Likely result: The Wolves have pinned their point guard hopes on 36-year-old Mike Conley. While the veteran has done an admirable job in helping Minnesota to the top seed in the West to this point, acquiring Jones would go a long way in shoring up the team’s point guard depth.
BUDDY HIELD (INDIANA PACERS)
2023-24 averages: 37 GP, 12.5 PTS, 3.2 REB, 2.5 AST, 0.8 STL, 1.4 TO.
2023-24 percentages: 55.8% 2PT, 37.5% 3PT, 84% FT.
Contract status: $18.6M expiring. Unrestricted free agent July 1, 2024.
Age: 31
Possible destinations: Magic, Lakers, Sixers
What Pacers want: The Pacers need a star power forward which is why the franchise has been persistently linked with Siakam. Either way, the threat of Hield leaving with no return is real and Indiana would be wise to consider netting some kind of return before Feb. 8.
What Hield wants: Buddy wants to shoot, shoot, and shoot some more. Whatever uniform he’s wearing, one of the best volume three-point shooters of the past half-decade just wants to let it fly.
Likely result: After an eye-catching 16-7 start, Orlando is just 5-9 with a tough four-game road trip ahead. That might just be the impetus needed to bolster the league’s fifth-worst three-point shooting team.
ANDREW WIGGINS (GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS)
2023-24 averages: 33 GP, 11.7 PTS, 4.1 REB, 1.3 AST, 0.3 STL, 0.4 BLK
2023-24 percentages: 46.8% 2PT, 29.8% 3PT, 68.9% FT
Contract status: 3 years, $84.5M remaining after this season.
Age: 28 (turns 29 on Feb. 23).
Possible destinations: Bulls, Blazers.
What Warriors want: Golden State is in desperate territory with the season disintegrating as we speak. Wiggins’ struggles are a big reason why but none bigger than Draymond Green’s rage. The Warriors need to improve defensively while size and athleticism is lacking.
What Wiggins wants: This is honestly a million-dollar question. Wiggins seemed to have turned the narrative of his career around when he looked like the second-best Warriors player in the 2022 NBA Finals and arguably the entire championship run. Since then, after missing a significant portion of last season due to a personal matter, Wiggins has looked a shadow of himself this season with career-low numbers across the board. A change of scenery, perhaps?
Likely result: The vibes are decidedly not good with Golden State and a trade seems inevitable. Jonathan Kuminga is beloved by those above the front office and so moving Wiggins to open up more playing time for him seems a necessary roll of the dice at this point.
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