The NBA trade deadline is almost here, so let’s have a look at some players who could be moved before 3 p.m. ET on Thursday. Last time we did this, the list was 25 names long. Now, we’re up to 40. No one knows exactly how crazy this deadline will be, but there are certainly lots of teams looking to make changes.
Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks: The safe bet now is that the star forward will not waive his no-trade clause, meaning he’ll stay in New York the rest of this season. Knicks president Phil Jackson was reportedly “determined” to move him less than a month ago, so it would be unwise to completely dismiss the possibility. If Jackson can somehow put together a deal that sends him to the Clippers or Cavaliers, then he would surely consider it.
Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls: It seem nuts for the Bulls to even consider trading Butler, a franchise player they drafted with the No. 30 pick in 2011, and reportedly Chicago is informing teams that Butler will not be moved . Keep in mind that there have also been reports that the front office is not sold on building around him. If they do decide to move him and do a full tear-down, expect a bidding war and expect the Celtics to be involved. If Boston would give up one of its Brooklyn picks for anybody, you would think it would be for a player of Butler’s caliber.
Paul George, Indiana Pacers: A few hours before the DeMarcus Cousins trade, ESPN’s Justin Verrier reported the Pelicans had made calls about Cousins and George. In an interview on ESPN Radio this past Friday, George said he wants to bring a title to Indiana, but stopped short of saying he would sign an extension this summer. He’ll be a free agent in 2018, but if the Pacers think they might lose him, maybe they’ll see what they can get before he becomes an expiring contract. If I were Larry Bird, I’d call the Celtics.
Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks: As the Cousins trade proved, you can’t always trust the executive who publicly proclaims his star isn’t going anywhere. The Hawks, however, are much more trustworthy than the Kings, so it would be surprising if Millsap were traded … unless he tells the front office he’s probably not going to re-sign.
Jahlil Okafor, Philadelphia 76ers: The Sixers benched him for a couple of games because they were close to completing a trade. While the Pelicans presumably no longer are an option, Okafor has also been linked to the Bulls, Mavericks and Celtics. There’s no guarantee his defense and rebounding will ever be even average for a center, but his footwork and touch aren’t easy to find. His tenure in Philadelphia has been forgettable, but he could develop into an Enes Kanter-like contributor elsewhere.
Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers: With all the noise about Okafor, the Noel talk has quieted lately. He is still headed into restricted free agency, though, and if the Sixers aren’t willing to give him a big payday, they should at least listen to trade offers. Unlike Okafor, Noel does not need to make huge strides in any area to be a net-positive player. He has room to grow, but he is already the kind of mobile, defense-first modern big man most teams want.
Brook Lopez, Brooklyn Nets: The Nets reportedly want two first-round picks for Lopez, though the Kings got less than that for Cousins. Lopez quietly has had an excellent season (became the first player in NBA history to record eight blocks and six 3-pointers in a game last week), but there might just not be much of a market for him.
Jrue Holiday, New Orleans Pelicans: New Orleans reportedly was worried Holiday would walk in free agency this summer, but perhaps the Cousins acquisition changes that. If the Pelicans are willing to give him major money, a Big 3 of Boogie, Brow and Holiday looks like a pretty solid core. If they’re not, the front office needs to get something back for him so the two frontcourt stars don’t have to do everything themselves.
Nikola Vucevic, Orlando Magic: Of the low-post bigs on this list, the 26-year-old Vucevic might be the most intriguing. He has made progress as a passer and defender in the past couple of seasons, and he always has been an excellent rebounder. He not knocking down 3s like Lopez, but he has at least started to attempt them this season. The Serge Ibaka trade could mean that he is off the market, though you never know with the Magic.
Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic: The point guard has been shuffled in and out of the lineup and his name has been in trade rumors almost the entire time. While this has been his best season, opponents routinely ignore him behind the 3-point line and Orlando does not appear committed to him as its point guard of the future.
Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves: It’s somewhat surprising he still hasn’t been traded, given how long the Timberwolves reportedly have been shopping him. Rubio is not their point guard of the future — Kris Dunn is — and could be a bargain for a team willing to overlook his poor shooting, because he’s good at just about everything else.
Reggie Jackson, Detroit Pistons: The Pistons regressed as soon as he returned from his knee injury, and now they have to figure out how much of that was because he wasn’t ready to come back. Jackson and Andre Drummond were supposed to be the two pillars of Stan Van Gundy’s program in Detroit, but now the front office has “quietly explored” the trade market for both, per ESPN. The Pistons probably can’t get fair value right now because they’re dealing from a position of weakness, but the rumors haven’t completely died down.
Derrick Rose, New York Knicks: A recent report indicates Minnesota reached out about Rose, and that’s fascinating. He has been better than some expected as a scorer this season, showcasing an ability to get to the rim and put pressure on defenses in transition, but his poor defense and reluctance to shoot from deep limits his value. It seems unlikely that New York would be able to get a first-round pick in exchange for a few months of Rose, who will be a free agent in July.
Brandon Jennings, New York Knicks: Like Rose, Jennings would be a rental. Also like Rose, he has not exactly played his best basketball in New York. He might be better in a different system, though, and if the Knicks think he’s going elsewhere in free agency, he could come cheap.
Lou Williams, Los Angeles Lakers: (UPDATE: Lakers traded Williams to the Rockets Tuesday ) As effective as he’s been for the Lakers (he’s scoring 27.7 points per 36 minutes with a 60.9 percent true shooting percentage), his age means he’s not a part of their long-term plans. Teams like the Wizards and Cavs, who are looking for extra playmaking, have been mentioned as possible destinations.
Brandon Knight, Phoenix Suns: It’s hard to think of another youngish player whose value has declined as much as Knight’s the past couple of seasons. The 25-year-old no longer is part of this core, and in his sixth year, he’s still more of a combo guard than the cerebral point guard he has always wanted to be. The trouble is that he’ll be making $15.6 million in 2019-20, so there’s risk involved for any team acquiring him, regardless of Phoenix’s asking price.
Taj Gibson, Chicago Bulls: The longest-tenured Bull was linked to the Raptors before the Ibaka deal, and if he gets traded, it’s through no fault of his own. A full-time starter for the first season of his eight-year career, Gibson has been one of the few consistent positives on a mediocre team. He’ll be a free agent for the first time in July, and the Bulls don’t want to lose him for nothing.
Rajon Rondo, Chicago Bulls: He didn’t sign with Chicago to be a backup, but does anybody see him as anything more these days? Rondo is ineffective off the ball and needs to play with multiple shooters to thrive. The Bulls never made sense for him, and it’s difficult to pinpoint other teams that do.
Robin Lopez, Chicago Bulls: If — and this is a big if — the Bulls decide to blow things up, it would make sense to try to extract a first-round pick from a team in search of a solid big man. Lopez is one of my favorite role players, and he’s on a good contract, but this organization might be better off with a pick.
Nikola Mirotic, Chicago Bulls: A streaky shooter, Mirotic has made only 29.9 percent of his 3s this season. Chicago has been “aggressive” in shopping him, per the Chicago Tribune.
Danilo Gallinari, Denver Nuggets: The Nuggets want a first-rounder and swap rights on another pick for Gallinari and the next guy on this list, according to ESPN. It’s unclear if they’ll get that, but the versatile forward could be a nice rental for a playoff team’s stretch run. He will likely decline his player option and ask for a big contract in a few months, though.
Wilson Chandler, Denver Nuggets: The Rockets, Clippers and Thunder have been linked to Chandler, who is averaging 31 minutes but sometimes plays 20 one night, 40 the next. If he’s available, he should have a bunch of suitors — he is on a below-market-value contract through 2019.
Greg Monroe, Milwaukee Bucks: Quietly, Monroe has excelled in his sixth-man role this season, and he’s second on the team in real plus-minus. He’s reportedly likely to decline his player option, though, so the Bucks would have to listen if other teams were interested.
Nick Young, Los Angeles Lakers: Rejuvenated under Luke Walton, Swaggy P has shot a career-high 41.3 percent from 3-point range. That makes him an attractive trade target on a rebuilding team, which is remarkable when you consider there were reports that the Lakers might waive him last off-season.
Andrew Bogut, Dallas Mavericks: Still one of the league’s best defensive centers, Bogut can also help on the other end with passing and screening. Contenders should be calling Dallas about him if they think he can be fully healthy by the postseason.
Deron Williams, Dallas Mavericks: Another Maverick on an expiring contract, the once-great point guard would be a useful role player in a winning situation.
Bojan Bogdanovic, Brooklyn Nets: There are some playoff teams in need of wing depth, and Bogdanovic could be a nice, cheaper option if Brooklyn is willing to accept a second-round pick.
Iman Shumpert, Cleveland Cavaliers: The Cavaliers won’t just give away a guy shooting 40.3 percent from 3-point range, but ESPN reported that Shumpert is available and everybody knows they want more playmaking.
Tyson Chandler, Phoenix Suns: There are two more years on the 34-year-old’s contract, and it’s hard to imagine him spending both in Phoenix. He has definitely lost a step, but he’s still pulling down 11.4 rebounds per game.
P.J. Tucker, Phoenix Suns: The vet is superfluous on a rebuilding Suns team, but could provide toughness, defensive versatility and the occasional 3-pointer to a team like Boston, Toronto or Washington.
Ersan Ilyasova, Philadelphia 76ers: Perhaps the emergence of Dario Saric has made Ilyasova expendable — he serves a purpose in Philly as a stretch 4, but does the front office want to invest in him with a new contract in July?
Kosta Koufos, Sacramento Kings: The Kings are essentially tanking, and Koufos and the following three names on this list reflect that. Koufos is a solid center, but it’s probably time to give Willie Cauley-Stein the starting spot and see what Skal Labissiere and Georgios Papagiannis have to offer.
Darren Collison, Sacramento Kings: If Sacramento can just get a second-round pick for him, that seems like a win. Might be an interesting rental for Cleveland.
Ben McLemore, Sacramento Kings: Inconsistent as ever in his fourth season, his skill set is still intriguing for teams with confidence in their player development coaches.
Arron Afflalo, Sacramento Kings: There’s just no point in Afflalo being a King anymore, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he wound up on his sixth team in four seasons.
Terrence Jones, New Orleans Pelicans: He’s one of the Pels’ better players, but there’s not much room for him on this roster now. ESPN reported that the team and his camp have decided it’s best to find a deal.
Omer Asik, New Orleans Pelicans: The Pelicans were trying to trade his contract before the Cousins deal, but now it’s hard to see how they’d get that done without packaging him with Holiday or a first-round pick.
Alexis Ajinca, New Orleans Pelicans: Same deal as Asik, except New Orleans shouldn’t be quite as desperate — Ajinca is making about half as much money as the team’s other marginalized big man.
K.J. McDaniels, Houston Rockets: Lost in the shuffle, McDaniels might be on the move because the Rockets are looking to make an upgrade, per ESPN. He hasn’t had much of a chance in Houston, but I love his potential as an athletic, two-way wing player.
Shelvin Mack, Utah Jazz: The Cavs have discussed trading for the the 26-year-old point guard, according to cleveland.com, and Mack is out of the rotation in Utah behind George Hill and Dante Exum.
Source: CBSsports