The 10 Most Interesting Teams at the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline
The closer we get to the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline, the harder it is to limit the list of intriguing teams to just 10. With the rumor mill redlining and the urgency rising, every organization has at least a few tantalizing options to explore.
Here, we're focused on the clubs with multiple pathways available. That could include teams with the ability to pivot between buying and selling, as well as those that could field multiple offers for multiple players. In some cases, there's little doubt as to what a team should do (hi, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks!), but plenty of questions about when those moves should happen.
There's nothing better than knowing seismic change is coming but having no idea when it'll arrive or what it'll look like when it does.
With a week to go, let's assess the teams that have the best combination of optionality and uncertainty. That's where the true deadline intrigue lies.
Atlanta Hawks
1 of 10
The Atlanta Hawks are going to be sellers at the deadline, with the real question centered on the extent of their offloading. Do they limit themselves to moving Dejounte Murray, who might be the most prized of the players likely to change teams, or do they get more extreme by considering deals involving Clint Capela, De'Andre Hunter, Bogdan Bogdanović, AJ Griffin and soon-to-be restricted free agent Saddiq Bey?
Since arriving as brash conference finalists in 2021, the Hawks have played roughly .500 ball and suffered two first-round eliminations. New head coach Quin Snyder hasn't effected the change many expected, which means the next lever to pull is the one that'll shake up the roster.
Intrigue persists even if we limit the Hawks discussion to Murray, whom ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Marc Stein (and basically everyone else with a line into Atlanta) reported was a part of active trade talks.
It's hard to gauge the strength of Atlanta's negotiating position in discussions on Murray. On the one hand, he's a cheaper alternative and a more universal fit than, say, Zach LaVine. That should create multiple offers and give the Hawks leverage to ask for a big return. On the other, interested teams know Atlanta wants to sell and might only make low-ball offers.
It wouldn't make sense to trade Murray ahead of the deadline if better packages could be available this summer. His four-year extension doesn't even begin until next year, which means the Hawks aren't facing any real urgency to deal him this week.
The most extreme of the Hawks' options, trading Trae Young to kick off a major overhaul, doesn't seem to be on the table. But just about everything else is, and it seems likely that one way or another, Atlanta is going to be a significant player at the deadline.
Brooklyn Nets
2 of 10
If you can get five first-round picks for Mikal Bridges, whose diminished scoring efficiency and rising turnover rate suggest he's not the first option he resembled across 27 games with the Brooklyn Nets last year, are you obligated to trade him?
We're dealing in hypotheticals here. ESPN's Bobby Marks noted his made-up swap sending Bridges to the New York Knicks for five firsts, Evan Fournier and Quentin Grimes was unlikely. But New York could legitimately make such an offer, and this isn't the first time pick-heavy packages have been mentioned in conjunction with a Bridges deal. From Brooklyn's perspective, it could make sense to send out an excellent sub-All-Star-level piece for a haul that would replenish its store of picks.
On a smaller scale, the Nets can also move Dorian Finney-Smith, Royce O'Neale and Spencer Dinwiddie's expiring contract. Nic Claxton, who's due to hit free agency this summer and could command an outsized deal in a shallow market, could also be among the Nets to go if the franchise isn't sure he's worth what he'll get on his next contract. Contenders in search of three-and-D wings and mobile bigs will have the Nets high on their call lists.
A complicating factor: Brooklyn owes its unprotected 2024 first-round pick to the Houston Rockets, which means tanking after a sell-off won't be as beneficial as it otherwise might be. What's more, the Nets have several first-rounders from other teams (unprotected firsts in 2025, 2027 and 2029 from the Phoenix Suns, plus future firsts from the Sixers and Mavs) that they could use in a package with expiring deals to finally fill their point guard void.
Brooklyn could be a market-beating Dejounte Murray suitor, a pick-hoarding seller or anything in between.
Dallas Mavericks
3 of 10
The Dallas Mavericks' trade deadline will be a battle between urgency and patience.
Despite Kyrie Irving missing most of December and several other rotation pieces losing time to injury, they're good enough on offense to foster internal belief that a top-six spot in the West is possible. Lineups featuring Irving, Luka Dončić and Dereck Lively II are outscoring opponents by 6.1 points per 100 possessions, which offers proof of concept that this core can compete with anyone.
With Dončić on pace to set career highs in scoring and true shooting percentage, the Mavs almost have to operate in win-now mode by targeting rangy forwards to boost that bottom-10 defensive rating.
That said, Dallas can only trade one first-round pick at the moment, which probably won't be enough to headline a package for a real difference-maker like Jerami Grant from the Portland Trail Blazers. If the Mavs keep their powder dry until draft night, they could have the ability to trade up to three future first-rounders.
Does the fact that Dončić is playing at levels even he's never reached while Irving has been as well behaved as anyone could have imagined mean this is a "go for it" situation? Or should Dallas exercise restraint and take its last big swing after the season?
Hanging over all of this is an ownership change, as Mark Cuban sold his majority stake in the team to the Adelson and Dumont families for $4 billion in December. Based on the sale price and the deep pockets of the new casino-mogul owners, one would assume Dallas intends to think big and play for championships. But you never know what the priorities of new management will be.
Golden State Warriors
4 of 10
Ultimately, the answer to one question will dictate what the Golden State Warriors do at the trade deadline: Is there a deal out there that can restore this group to championship contention?
At the moment, the answer appears to be "probably not."
Zach LaVine, Dejounte Murray, Jerami Grant and others could improve a floundering Golden State squad that keeps finding ways to lose close games. But none elevate the currently 12th-seeded Dubs to the league's elite tier—and that's without even considering what would have to go out in a package for any of those players.
What the Warriors really need is a collective return to form from Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney and Klay Thompson. But unless they find a way to trade for a time machine that can deliver the 2021-22 versions of those vets, their options are limited.
For example, if the Warriors were to move Wiggins, they'd want someone back who resembled the player Wiggins used to be. The shrewder move might be to wait and hope the 28-year-old who was so instrumental in that 2022 championship run rediscovers his form. For what it's worth, he's been much better of late, posting positive plus-minus figures and hitting at least half of his shots in five of his last seven games.
The alternative is trading Wiggins near the nadir of his value, but that's a possibility the Warriors may feel compelled to consider because Stephen Curry is still playing close to peak levels.
Things don't often work out when franchises make rash moves because they "owe it" to a star, but this is Curry we're talking about. Few players have ever meant more to an organization, and you could argue none have been less disruptive or outwardly impatient during down years. If any team was ever obligated to do right by its best player, it's the Warriors.
Golden State should absolutely look to move Chris Paul's contract, which comes with a non-guarantee for 2024-25, and smaller moves involving Moses Moody could be worth considering. But Jonathan Kuminga firmly established himself as a keeper over the last month, and a team with veterans aging out should not be in the business of giving up its most promising young player.
Los Angeles Clippers
5 of 10
The Los Angeles Clippers could operate patiently, make no roster changes at all and still profile as a short-list title threat. They've been that good since acquiring James Harden, rocketing up the standings and currently trailing only the Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder in net rating on the season.
Since when have the Clips done anything quietly?
L.A. is bound to be a second-apron tax team next season if it brings back Harden and Paul George. That means this could be the final season (for a while) in which the Clippers get to operate free of the various restrictions that apply to such high-spending teams. So if they want to aggregate salary in a trade, and if they want to do something before their distant future first-rounders get frozen, this could be their last chance.
The only first-round pick L.A. can trade is way out in 2030, but several players on the roster have movable contracts that could package nicely with that draft asset. P.J. Tucker is out of the rotation but making $11 million ($11.5 million player option for 2024-25), Norman Powell's $18 million salary is easily tradable, and including Terance Mann ($10.6 million; $11.4 million in 2024-25) could even give L.A. the ability to match a near max-level dollar figure.
You'd normally rule out a big swing for a franchise with so few draft assets to trade—especially one playing this well. But L.A. fell short of massive expectations in the first four seasons of the Leonard-George partnership and might feel compelled to push every last chip in if it thinks the fifth year is the charm.
Los Angeles Lakers
6 of 10
The surest buyer we've covered so far, the Los Angeles Lakers also come with another simplifying element ahead of the deadline: There's no doubt about what they need.
Ranked 28th in three-point-attempt frequency and 14th in accuracy, the Lakers have to target players who'll hoist from distance at high volume. L.A. can rely on Anthony Davis and the roster's collective length to produce consistent defense and interior scoring, but snipers are in short supply. Add one or two, ideally without compromising the D too much, and it wouldn't be so difficult to imagine another deep playoff run.
Timing is an issue here, much like it is in Dallas. The Lakers can trade just one first-rounder (and three swaps) right now, but they'll have access to three first-rounders and those three swaps if they wait until this summer to transact.
This is the point at which we obligatorily mention LeBron James is 39, a fact that strongly influences the Lakers' level of patience.
Can L.A. afford to postpone a talent infusion when James is operating on borrowed time? The upside of waiting until after this season could be huge. Suppose Donovan Mitchell, Trae Young or any of several other big names become available in the offseason. The Lakers don't have the assets to make a competitive offer for a high-end player now, but three firsts and three swaps could get them in the conversation in July.
Of the players presently available, Murray makes some sense. He'd give the Lakers their best two-way guard in years. LaVine's market is so frigid that even he might be gettable for the lone first-rounder L.A. can trade. But considering the assets the Lakers have coming in a few months, settling for Murray or LaVine might not be the right move.
New York Knicks
7 of 10
It seems strange that a New York Knicks team that already made one of the most significant trades of the season still has the assets to do almost anything it wants. OG Anunoby fits New York perfectly on both ends, but it didn't cost even a single first-rounder to get him. That's why the Knicks have up to eight future first-round picks available to trade, plus seven swaps.
Package some of those with Evan Fournier's essentially expiring $18.9 million (team option for 2024-25) and another mid-tier contract, and there's almost no bidding war New York can't win.
When ESPN's Bobby Marks cooked up a hypothetical trade sending Mikal Bridges to New York for a package that included five first-rounders, it illustrated just how asset-rich these Knicks are. They could exit that deal still armed with more available firsts to trade than the Clippers, Lakers, Bucks, Mavs and several other potential buyers.
Maybe some of New York's assets are earmarked for Donovan Mitchell, but it's no longer clear the oft-rumored future Knick is an ideal fit next to Jalen Brunson. Plus, if Mitchell's arrival in New York is such a foregone conclusion, and if this team is going to continue to threaten for a top-four spot in the East without him, why not just wait until he can sign outright in 2025 free agency?
Julius Randle's shoulder injury may only cost him weeks rather than months, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, but his absence could still spark some action. We should anticipate the Knicks at least moving Fournier, who hasn't been part of the rotation in years.
Beyond that, the deadline is a choose-your-own-adventure exercise for the Knicks—one in which virtually all of the outcomes are promising.
Oklahoma City Thunder
8 of 10
Perhaps the NBA's most asset-rich potential power broker, the Oklahoma City Thunder are going to land in "intriguing team" exercises like this one for the foreseeable future. They have more moveable draft picks and roster flexibility than anyone else, and their rise to the top of the West means they can always negotiate from a powerful position.
When you don't need to make a trade because your extremely young team is already good enough to profile as a Finals entrant, it's easy to be picky.
Then again, when you've got a group playing this well, maybe the age factor loses relevance. Tomorrow is never guaranteed, so if Oklahoma City believes it can contend with a bunch of guys in their early and mid-20s right now, well...why not go for it?
OKC could make a godfather offer for the Utah Jazz's Lauri Markkanen, exceeding even the five-firsts asking price floated by The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor. With 11 first-rounders and 21 seconds available to trade, the Thunder might not even notice those picks are gone.
Oklahoma City could think a little smaller, sending out middling salary with a protected pick for the bruising big man it lacks. Andre Drummond or Daniel Gafford would be relatively affordable if somewhat disappointing fallback options. Bolder moves that don't involve massive pick outlays are also available. If OKC doesn't view Josh Giddey as a core piece, it could easily move him ahead of his extension eligibility and get back a legitimate rotation piece...or more picks.
The Thunder could stand pat and contend, level up, consolidate, dump bad money, take on bad money with picks attached or any combination of those available options. That's life when you've been hoarding picks, nailing the draft and quietly building a superpower over the last few seasons.
Philadelphia 76ers
9 of 10
The league should be glad there's a dearth of difference-making talent available at the deadline. If more star-level players were on the market, the already contending Philadelphia 76ers, armed with reigning MVP Joel Embiid and a leveled-up Tyrese Maxey, would be positioned to make a massive improvement.
The James Harden trade returned two first-round picks, giving the Sixers up to three to use in a trade. Add to that almost $100 million in expiring contracts, and Philly is flush with exactly the types of assets that could fetch a star.
Unfortunately, the available options (LaVine, Murray, Grant, Chris Paul et al.) are either something less than franchise-altering, sop up too much of Philadelphia's prized 2024-25 cap space or both. Marginal moves are still available, with players like Miles Bridges, Malcolm Brogdon and Bojan or Bogdan Bogdanović profiling as strong fits. But you have to believe the Sixers are feeling a little unlucky to have all these assets to use at what seems like the wrong time.
Waiting wouldn't be such a problematic plan if Embiid weren't smack in his prime. Never a safe bet to hold up physically, the league's scoring leader might not have a better chance to lead his team to a title than he has right now. That could lead to some aggressive moves, especially if new names populate the rumor mill in the final days before the deadline.
Hanging over everything is the Daryl Morey of it all. One of the league's boldest and most creative trade orchestrators, the Sixers' top executive tends to make splashes. Even if it seems like there's no home run move available, Morey often finds a way to knock one over the fence.
Utah Jazz
10 of 10
Think of the Utah Jazz as "OKC Lite."
Still early in the rebuilding process yet pleasantly surprising for the second straight year on the floor, the Jazz and their 14 first-round picks over the next seven years are well-positioned to add or subtract at the deadline.
They could accept a ridiculous offer for Lauri Markkanen to go full Thunder with respect to their trove of picks, get involved in the Dejounte Murray sweepstakes or sell off veterans for draft capital and young players.
Logic suggests Utah should play the deadline conservatively, retaining Markkanen while looking to offload the likes of John Collins and Kelly Olynyk—the latter of which could fill a need as a floor-spacing big on virtually any contender. Depending on the Jazz's faith in Collin Sexton sustaining his recently hot stretch, they could also look to move the combo guard and his $17 million salary for either a purer point guard or a worse salary with a pick attached.
Jordan Clarkson, Kris Dunn, Simone Fontecchio and Talen Horton-Tucker could all be on the block.
Even if restraint seems like the play, we have to remember Danny Ainge is making decisions for this team. That means the only guiding principle is opportunism. If there's a blow-it-up deal to make like the ones Ainge swung to send out Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, he'll do it. And if there's a chance to buy the right player at the right price, Ainge will make that call just as quickly.
Stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference and Cleaning the Glass. Accurate entering games played Wednesday. Salary info via Spotrac.
Grant Hughes covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter (@gt_hughes), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, where he appears with Bleacher Report's Dan Favale.
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