6 NBA Teams with the Most at Stake Heading into the 2015 NBA Trade Deadline
The 2015 NBA trade deadline will be make-or-break time for a number of teams across the Association.
For would-be title contenders, this represents the last real chance to make a major upgrade, outside of the buyout market. Squads that feel they're one or two pieces short of making a deep run in the postseason need to do their due diligence over the next week-and-a-half, exploring all possible trade avenues.
Some other franchises, meanwhile, need to embrace reality and begin a fire sale, recognizing a possible playoff berth won't be nearly as beneficial to their long-term future as selling off their best players to the highest bidder. For teams spiraling out of the postseason race, the trade deadline represents their best chance to start building toward something greater in seasons to come.
Which teams have the most at stake heading into the Feb. 19 trade deadline? Based on short-term need, long-term roster construction and current place in the league standings, six stand out in particular.
Honorable Mentions
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If the following three teams don't make a move by the trade deadline, it won't be the end of the world for any of them. However, they all could stand to improve their long-term futures by selling off certain parts.
Los Angeles Lakers
Now that Kobe Bryant is done for the year with a torn rotator cuff, the Los Angeles Lakers should only have two priorities: developing young talent and protecting their 2015 first-round pick. That goes to the Phoenix Suns if it falls outside the top five, so these two goals actually go hand-in-hand.
As Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com wrote, the Lakers "do not need Carlos Boozer. They do not need Jeremy Lin. … If they can get a second-round pick for either of those players, they'd do it, as both are on expiring contracts and both are just good enough to make the difference in the one or two wins/losses that could decide the franchise's draft fate."
Boozer in particular has been hot of late, averaging 17.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists over his past five contests. Since he doesn't figure to factor into the Lakers' long-term future, flipping him for a draft pick would be a best-case scenario for the franchise.
Minnesota Timberwolves
With Andrew Wiggins, Gorgui Dieng, Shabazz Muhammad, Zach LaVine and Ricky Rubio in tow, the Minnesota Timberwolves' long-term future is looking brighter by the day. If they're able to flip one or more of their veteran players for additional prospects or draft picks in the next week-and-a-half, they'll only be better off in the long run.
According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, the Wolves "are willing to move Thaddeus Young as part of [their] ongoing rebuild," while 1500ESPN's Darren Wolfson floated Mo Williams' name as a possible trade candidate, too. Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix also advised keeping an eye on Kevin Martin, naming the Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards as possible landing spots.
The Wolves are in line for a top-five pick this June to pair with Rubio, Wiggins and the rest of their talented young core, so they don't need to flip their veterans just for the sake of making a move. If they're able to land a draft pick or prospect for one, though, it would only further brighten their future in a post-Kevin Love world.
New York Knicks
Like their counterparts in L.A., the New York Knicks find themselves trudging their way through a lost season. They currently have the NBA's worst record at 10-41, causing team president Phil Jackson to tell Harvey Araton of The New York Times, "So far, my experiment has fallen flat on its face."
With nothing left to play for this season aside from additional lottery combinations, Jackson should be striving to move some of his higher-paid players to free up cap space for a free-agent spending spree this summer. According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein and Ian Begley, the Knicks are "actively trying to trade veterans Jose Calderon and Andrea Bargnani as part of their ongoing roster clear-out."
New York already shipped out Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith to Cleveland and waived center Samuel Dalembert, and Amar'e Stoudemire could be a buyout candidate, per Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears, if the Knicks can't find a taker for him. Expect Jackson and Co. to remain active on the trade market in the next week-and-a-half, looking to move whichever veteran players attract interest.
Brooklyn Nets
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Somehow, despite losing 12 of their 15 games in January, the Brooklyn Nets remain in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race. At 21-29, they're tied with the Miami Heat for the East's No. 8 seed and sit just a half game behind the seventh-seeded Charlotte Hornets.
Accordingly, general manager Billy King seems to be in no hurry to shake up his roster. In a pregame broadcast on the team's website before Brooklyn's 102-100 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 2, King expressed his desire to "see this group play," per ESPNNewYork.com's Mike Mazzeo:
"I still have confidence in this group that they can get the job done, get us in the playoffs. So right now we're going to see how we can finish up going into the All-Star break, and then go in and we have a week after that to the deadline, and if a deal makes sense we'll do it, but we're not going to just make a trade to make a trade.
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It's worth noting, however, that King didn't necessarily rule out a trade; he simply shot down the idea of making a move before the All-Star break. With back-to-back road tilts against the Milwaukee Bucks and Memphis Grizzlies on Monday and Tuesday, respectively, it's entirely feasible Brooklyn will enter the break on a three-game losing streak, which could spur the front office into action.
Back in December, ESPN.com's Marc Stein and Ohm Youngmisuk reported the Nets had begun shopping their three highest-paid players: swingman Joe Johnson, point guard Deron Williams and center Brook Lopez. Brooklyn engaged in "serious talks" to send Lopez to the Oklahoma City Thunder in mid-January, per Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, before ultimately opting to keep him for the time being.
As NBC Sports' Brett Pollakoff wrote, King "wants assets in return that will begin to help the franchise rebuild," especially given the Nets' dearth of first-round draft picks in the coming years. Though the team shouldn't necessarily sell off Johnson, Williams or Lopez strictly for salary-cap relief, acquiring assets for the future should be a far greater priority for King than chasing an ultimately meaningless playoff berth.
Charlotte Hornets
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With starting point guard Kemba Walker sidelined by a torn meniscus at least for the next month, the Charlotte Hornets may have no choice but to shake up their roster by the trade deadline.
Basketball Insiders' Alex Kennedy told Bleacher Report's Adam Lefkoe the Hornets are "definitely buyers right now," saying they're "looking for a point guard that could replace [Walker]." Kennedy also suggested they want to "add a player that would help put them over the top and bolster their roster," as they're in win-now mode and want to keep center Al Jefferson happy.
It's not rocket science: No team in the hunt for a playoff spot wants to start Brian Roberts at the point, which is what Charlotte must do in the wake of Walker's injury. Kennedy mentioned Ramon Sessions of the Sacramento Kings or Norris Cole of the Miami Heat as two potential stop-gap options for the Hornets until the UConn product is healthy enough to return.
Charlotte doesn't just need a replacement floor general, however, as Bleacher Report's Adam Fromal explained:
"This team already needed more shooting, and now it's without one of the few players on offense who was actually comfortable creating his own shot. Charlotte can survive Walker's absence, one that should end sometime in March, but it would feel far more comfortable if the team made a big move, ideally by using [Lance] Stephenson as the primary trade chip.
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According to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, Charlotte engaged Brooklyn in trade talks surrounding Joe Johnson and Lance Stephenson during late January, the latter of whom has struggled to fit into the Hornets' culture since signing a three-year, $27 million contract this past summer. Given their desire to lock up a playoff spot and Walker's injury, the Hornets have little choice but to make a move by Feb. 19.
Denver Nuggets
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With the Denver Nuggets spiraling into a complete free fall as of late, losing 12 of their past 13 games, general manager Tim Connelly knows he has some serious work to do between now and the trade deadline.
"We're very, very aggressive right now," Connelly told The Denver Post's Benjamin Hochman on Feb. 3, in regard to making roster moves.
Hochman described the team as "a bunch of overpaid secondary players who have reached their ceilings," writing, "There's no way this current nucleus can ever crack the top four in the Western Conference." Accordingly, all options seem to be on the table for Denver in the trade market, per Basketball Insiders' Alex Kennedy:
"While landing a star player seems to be a priority for Denver, that’s obviously easier said than done. If they can’t bring in a top-notch player that they can build around, league sources say Denver seems willing to trade off some of their veteran pieces for first-round picks. This lines up with their decision to trade Timofey Mozgov to the Cavaliers in a deal that landed them two first-rounders.
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Kennedy mentioned Wilson Chandler, Arron Afflalo, Danilo Gallinari, J.J. Hickson, JaVale McGee, Randy Foye and Darrell Arthur as potential trade targets, all of whom will be unrestricted free agents following the 2015-16 season (if not sooner). In speaking with Bleacher Report's Adam Lefkoe, Kennedy linked the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers with Chandler in particular.
With this season effectively past the point of no return, Denver has little choice but to revamp its roster, accrue draft picks for some of its veterans and trot out its younger players to gain some valuable experience for the years to come. Failing to act by the trade deadline could condemn the Nuggets to another year or more of mediocrity, as they'd be at risk of losing some of those valuable vets for nothing.
Houston Rockets
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With Most Valuable Player candidate James Harden leading the way, the Houston Rockets have bullied their way to the Western Conference's third-best record at 35-16. Making matters more impressive: They've done so with former All-Star center Dwight Howard having already missed 19 games with an assortment of ailments.
The Rockets shouldn't expect Howard's services anytime soon, either. According to Mark Berman of Houston's Fox 26, the big man expects to miss the next six to eight weeks to recover from a right knee injury, meaning Houston will largely have to jockey for playoff position without him.
Though Howard's nominal replacement, Joey Dorsey, hasn't done much in his stead, Donatas Motiejunas, Josh Smith and Terrence Jones have picked up the frontcourt slack. The same can't be said, however, about starting point guard Patrick Beverley, who's been mired in a brutal slump since mid-January.
Over his past 10 games, Beverley averaged just 7.5 points on 32.9 percent shooting, 3.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.3 treys in just 29.6 minutes per game. Though Harden often appears to be an unstoppable dynamo, he'll need more production from his backcourt partner for the Rockets to be taken seriously as title contenders.
Thus, it should come as no surprise that Houston general manager Daryl Morey is expected "to go hot and heavy after a point guard" over the next week-and-a-half, per Bleacher Report's Ric Bucher. The Rockets "love Patrick Beverley," Bucher said, "but ideally, he is the third guard in that rotation."
With the New York Knicks actively attempting to unload point guard Jose Calderon, per Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears, the Rockets would be wise to engage them, as his pass-first, sharpshooting style of play would fit like a glove next to Harden. Unless Beverley breaks free from his malaise, Houston must make a move for a more offense-minded floor general to stand a chance of surviving the West's playoff gauntlet.
Los Angeles Clippers
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The Los Angeles Clippers received a crushing blow Sunday, as the team announced All-Star forward Blake Griffin would undergo surgery to remove a staph infection in his right elbow and would be sidelined indefinitely. ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne reported an initial projected timetable of four to six weeks, which could be a death knell for the Clippers' chances of snagging a top-four seed in the West.
Making matters worse: Backup big man Glen Davis had to leave Sunday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with back spasms, leaving the Clippers with just three big men—DeAndre Jordan, Spencer Hawes and the seldom-used Ekpe Udoh. Even if Davis returns to the lineup before the All-Star break, Doc Rivers' squad will be desperately low on frontcourt depth until Griffin returns.
Unfortunately, as a result of signing Hawes, the Clippers are severely limited in the moves they can make. They're short on potential trade chips and aren't allowed to exceed the $80.8 million hard cap under any circumstance.
With only $1.2 million in cap space before hitting that hard cap, the Clippers would likely be forced to fork over J.J. Redick, Jamal Crawford or Matt Barnes in any trade that lands them an impact big man. Accordingly, they may simply choose to pray for a miracle on the buyout market, with Kevin Garnett and Amar'e Stoudemire as two potential living-on-a-prayer targets.
The Clippers could also badly use more perimeter defense, as Bleacher Report's Howard Beck told Adam Lefkoe, but Griffin's injury makes frontcourt help a far greater priority. Ideally, they'd find a way to land someone like Denver's Wilson Chandler—a strong perimeter defender who could also play the 4 in small-ball lineups—but their constraints in the trade market could limit their options considerably.
Griffin's absence shouldn't cost them a playoff spot, as ESPN.com's Kevin Pelton suggested, but failing to make a move could greatly diminish their chances of surviving past their first-round series. It's imperative for Rivers and Co. to leave no stones unturned during the All-Star break, barring a miracle recovery from Griffin.
Philadelphia 76ers
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Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie has set his team up to be major buyers at the trade deadline.
At the moment, the Sixers have just $42.5 million in base salary committed this season, leaving them approximately $14 million short of the $56.8 million salary floor, per Basketball Insiders' Larry Coon. Though the penalty isn't severe if they fail to meet the floor—they'd simply have to distribute the shortfall among their players—Hinkie isn't the type of general manager to let that cap space go to waste.
Over the coming week-and-a-half, some team will likely stumble onto a deal it can't complete without dumping a bloated salary elsewhere. Hinkie has the Sixers perfectly positioned to receive one or two such players, so long as they come attached with a future draft pick or an enticing young prospect.
Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com delved further into why you should expect the Sixers to be buyers at the deadline:
"Hinkie also is sitting on 10 future second-round picks over the next five years from other teams, and one would think that if he loaded a bunch of those up in a barrel and took on a bad contract from another team, he could get himself another first-rounder. If not, the minimum he can do is broker just about any trade imaginable because of the amount of cap space he has. At the very least, that is a good way to get that total of future second-rounders somewhere north of a dozen.
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Given the wealth of assets the Sixers have accrued—both in terms of available cap space and future second-round picks—they're almost certain to make some splashes on the trade market between now and Feb. 19. Failing to use that space in a productive manner will have the local media vultures circling around Hinkie, accusing him of shameless tanking once more.
Unless otherwise noted, all statistics via NBA.com or Basketball-Reference.com and are current through games played on Sunday, Feb. 8. All contract information via Spotrac.com.
