NBA Trade Deadline 2015: Identifying the Biggest Buyers and Sellers
With less than 72 hours before the 2015 NBA trade deadline, most of the league's general managers are presumably gearing up for a last-minute salvo.
Trade offers should be flying these next few days, especially with the extended All-Star break giving front-office executives more time to focus on roster alterations. Those in contention for the playoffs could be looking for the final piece to push them over the title hump, while teams far out of the postseason race should be weighing whether to sell off pieces to the highest bidder.
The activity we've already seen this season—from the Dallas Mavericks' acquisition of Rajon Rondo in mid-December to the Cleveland Cavaliers trading for J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Timofey Mozgov in early January—could portend a relatively quiet deadline, as Grantland's Zach Lowe warned Monday.
Still, given the amount of trade chatter over recent weeks, at least one or two big names figure to be on the move before 3 p.m. ET on Thursday. A handful of minor deals should accompany them, too.
Based on recent media rumblings, each team's assets and short- and long-term needs, let's walk through which franchises are poised to be the biggest buyers and sellers heading into the trade deadline.
Honorable Mention Buyer: Los Angeles Clippers
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If the Los Angeles Clippers actually had any enticing assets to move, they'd unquestionably be among the top three buyers heading into the trade deadline.
The Clippers certainly don't lack motivation to broker a deal, especially in the wake of Blake Griffin's elbow surgery that figures to sideline him for the next few weeks. With only DeAndre Jordan, Spencer Hawes, Glen Davis and Ekpe Udoh left to fill out their frontcourt, the squad badly needs a backup big man to stay afloat out West.
Unfortunately, Doc Rivers managed to back L.A. into a dead end with a series of misguided roster moves since July. The Clippers aren't allowed to exceed the NBA's $80.2 million tax apron after signing Hawes to the midlevel exception this past summer, giving them just under $1.2 million in cap space to work with.
They've "been trying very hard to make trades," per Basketball Insiders' Alex Kennedy, but simply don't have the pieces to make a major splash before Thursday's trade deadline. Instead, per Kennedy, they'll "try to sign bought-out players to bolster [their] roster."
The New York Knicks agreed to a buyout with Amar'e Stoudemire on Sunday, which caused the Clippers to spring into gear. Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reported Rivers planned to recruit the big man, although RealGM.com's Shams Charania broke the news Monday that Stoudemire had agreed to sign with the Dallas Mavericks instead.
Per Kennedy, Nate Robinson—whom the Boston Celtics waived in mid-January—would also prefer to sign with the Clippers, and they expressed interest in him, according to Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears. The lack of assets diminishes L.A.'s likelihood of a trade, but it should be one of the most active on the buyout market.
Other Honorable Mention Buyers: Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards
Honorable Mention Sellers: Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic
No. 5 Seller: Boston Celtics
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Knee-deep into their rebuilding effort, the Boston Celtics have little use for veterans who don't figure into their long-term plans. Accordingly, many of their older players could be on the move between now and Thursday, per ESPN.com's Marc Stein:
"Word is the Celtics intend to keep Tayshaun Prince through next week's deadline to see if they can make use of Prince's $7.7 million salary in yet another trade. Only after the deadline passes, sources say, does Boston plan to seriously engage Prince in buyout discussions.
Brandon Bass and Marcus Thornton are two more Celtics who can be made available, as Boston continues to seek to shed salary and stockpile draft picks for the future.
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In speaking with Toucher and Rich on 98.5 The Sports Hub on Feb. 11, team president Danny Ainge described the Celtics as "opportunistic" heading into the trade deadline, per Brian Robb of Boston.com. "We have a lot of bullets in our arsenal right now," he said.
Ainge did warn, however, that Celtics fans shouldn't necessarily get their hopes up for a franchise-altering maneuver, per Robb. "There's not teams that are looking to make those kind of major changes, is my perspective, right now heading into this trade deadline."
Instead, Boston figures to offer up Tayshaun Prince, Brandon Bass and Marcus Thornton to any contender willing to absorb them and cough up a future asset in return. Given the number of future first-round picks the Celtics already possess, however, it wouldn't be the end of the world if Ainge simply chooses to stand pat at the deadline.
No. 5 Buyer: Portland Trail Blazers
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The Portland Trail Blazers don't appear to be a team in need of a major shakeup. They're tied with the Houston Rockets for the Western Conference's third-best record, and their starters average 76.8 points per game, per HoopsStats.com, the league's second-highest mark.
However, Kennedy recently told Bleacher Report's Stephen Nelson that Portland has been "very aggressive" in its pursuit of either an additional wing player or a big man. Kennedy expounded upon the Blazers' desire to upgrade their roster in a recent chat:
"Portland is definitely being aggressive right now. Meyers Leonard and C.J. McCollum have been playing well, but the Blazers’ bench is ranked 28th in the NBA in points per game. They would love to add someone like Wilson Chandler or Arron Afflalo to improve that and have a great sixth man.
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Neil Olshey, the Blazers' vice president of basketball operations, recently discussed the team's approach to the trade deadline with team broadcasters Mike Rice and Mike Barrett (via The Oregonian's Mike Richman):
"We've got a very unique situation because we're looking at right in the middle. It's not a guy that already replicates or duplicates what we have it terms of our rotation guys. It's not going to be a starter. So we've got to find the right fit if we are going to make a move. …We're open to it, we want to get better, we're always looking for ways to improve the roster, but we need to be judicious in these things.
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Olshey shot down the idea of trading any of Portland's starters, but he left the door open on upgrading the team's bench if the right deal comes along. The Blazers seemingly won't conduct a trade just for the sake of making a move, but they're clearly looking to add a reserve capable of helping their championship push.
No. 4 Seller: Sacramento Kings
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Fresh off hiring George Karl as their new head coach, the Sacramento Kings are reportedly looking to make a splash in the trade market, per Sean Deveney of Sporting News:
"Now that new coach George Karl is in place in Sacramento, sources told Sporting News this week that the Kings have stepped up their focus on re-arranging the roster in order to bring in the type of athletic, versatile players that suit Karl’s aggressive and up-tempo style of play.
Even before the hiring of Karl, the team has been shopping big man Jason Thompson, reserve forward Derrick Williams and—in lieu of a first-round pick—rookie Nik Stauskas.
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One general manager told Deveney the Kings have "been as active as anyone" on the trade market. "Obviously they want to make a lot of changes, and they're pushing hard to get something done," he said.
With their season already in the toilet—they're a full 10 games behind the eighth-seeded Phoenix Suns out West—it's not difficult to see why they're already looking toward the future.
According to Deveney, Sacramento has prioritized power forward "as the spot that needs addressing," echoing a mid-January report from CBSSports.com's Ken Berger. Berger reported the Kings wanted to find a frontcourt complement for DeMarcus Cousins "who would fit with his post-up skills—either a stretch 4 or above-the-rim defender."
As Bleacher Report's Adam Fromal recently argued, connecting with Cousins needs to be Karl's top priority if he hopes to bring an end to Sacramento's struggles. Finding an ideal frontcourt partner to pair alongside the Kentucky product could go a long way toward building something formidable for next season, which needs to be the Kings' No. 1 focus heading into Thursday.
No. 4 Buyer: Philadelphia 76ers
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The Philadelphia 76ers figure to be one of the most active teams on the trade market this week, albeit for different reasons than the other top buyers.
Thanks to general manager Sam Hinkie, the Sixers enter deadline week with roughly $16.3 million in salary-cap space, by far the most of any team in the NBA. Accordingly, they figure to use that cap space to their advantage over the next few days, as Tom Moore of Calkins Media wrote:
"An NBA source said he expects the Sixers to make a few relatively minor trades, but that they probably won't happen until closer to Thursday's deadline because that's when teams get serious.
The source said the Sixers could again partner with one of the league's teams that must pay the luxury tax, which is triggered by a 2014-15 payroll above $76.8 million. Those clubs are the Nets, Clippers, Cavaliers, Knicks, Raptors and Thunder, with the Pelicans and Lakers apparently less than a million over it.
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For teams looking to dodge any chance of falling victim to the dreaded "repeater tax" in the coming seasons, Philly could be their salvation. The Sixers have the expiring contracts of Andrei Kirilenko and Jason Richardson to flip, if needed, or they could simply absorb players into their cap space while only giving up a protected second-round pick that they wouldn't actually wind up conveying.
Hinkie and Co. aren't looking to build a contender overnight, so the Sixers aren't likely to make a big splash between now and Thursday. Instead, expect them to dink-and-dunk their way to a few additional second-round picks or cheap prospects by taking on unwanted contracts from cap-strapped teams.
No. 3 Seller: Phoenix Suns
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On the surface, it might appear strange to consider the Phoenix Suns a major seller heading into the trade deadline. They are, after all, currently in possession of the Western Conference's eighth-best record, a half-game ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder and 1.5 games up on the New Orleans Pelicans.
The guard-heavy composition of the roster has general manager Ryan McDonough concerned, though, as he told Burns and Gambo on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM on Feb. 11 (via ArizonaSports.com's Adam Green):
"I think our roster balance is a little off, and that's my fault. We are a little too backcourt-heavy, especially in terms of guys who, you know, I think you'd define primarily as scorers in the backcourt.
So I think at some point we'll need to balance that out, try to get a little more size, a little more frontcourt scoring and rebounding.
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One day later, Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby told Arizona Sports 98.7 FM's Bickley and Marotta that he expects his team to be "active" at the trade deadline, per ArizonaSports.com's Andrew Gilstrap. "It wouldn't surprise me at all if we do something between now and next Thursday," Babby said.
Now, according to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, Goran Dragic has informed the team of his desire to go elsewhere:
"After informing the Phoenix Suns that Goran Dragic won't re-sign an extension this summer, agent Bill Duffy delivered the Phoenix Suns a list of preferred trade destinations that includes the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Miami Heat, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
The Indiana Pacers have maintained a consistent interest with Dragic, and their need for a point guard – and ability to be a contender with the return of Paul George – makes them a destination Dragic could possibly OK, league sources said.
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RealGM's Shams Charania also reports on Twitter, "Suns informed Goran Dragic tonight that they'll accept his request for trade and work to move him by deadline, league source tells RealGM."
At this point, Phoenix is most certainly a seller.
No. 3 Buyer: Charlotte Hornets
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The Charlotte Hornets didn't wait for the trade deadline to jump into action. With Kemba Walker sidelined for the next few weeks due to a torn meniscus, the Hornets flipped Gary Neal and a 2019 second-round pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves for point guard Mo Williams and sharpshooter Troy Daniels on Feb. 10.
Charlotte is "determined to make the Eastern Conference playoffs," per Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, which figures to influence the team's strategy over the coming days. According to Basketball Insiders' Alex Kennedy, the Hornets are still looking to make additional moves between now and Thursday:
"Charlotte is a buyer. They just landed Mo Williams, but they are still being very aggressive. They are looking for ways to bolster their roster because they want to make a postseason run in the East. They’ve also had a lot of conversations because of Lance Stephenson. It remains to be seen if he’ll be traded.
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The Hornets were reportedly interested in acquiring Denver Nuggets 2-guard Arron Afflalo, per Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post, but they weren't willing to meet Denver's asking price of a future first-round pick. Their interest in a sharpshooter like Afflalo makes sense, though, given that they rank dead last in three-point shooting percentage.
The ongoing Lance Stephenson saga also bears monitoring heading into the trade deadline. Wojnarowski doesn't expect him to be on the move, largely because the Hornets can't find a place to send him, but they nearly shipped him and Cody Zeller to the Brooklyn Nets for Brook Lopez in January, per NetsDaily.com.
In late January, Wojnarowski reported Charlotte and Brooklyn were kicking the tires on a deal involving Stephenson, Gerald Henderson and Marvin Williams for Joe Johnson, but nothing came to fruition. If the Hornets can flip Stephenson for a player who helps their playoff push, it sounds as though they won't think twice about it.
No. 2 Seller: Brooklyn Nets
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The Brooklyn Nets certainly haven't been strangers to trade rumors this season. Back in mid-December, ESPN.com's Marc Stein and Ohm Youngmisuk reported Brooklyn had "begun reaching out to teams to let them know that former All-Stars Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson are available via trade."
Things only heated up from there, with the Nets engaging in three-way trade discussions in mid-January that would have sent Lopez to the Oklahoma City Thunder, per ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard. Brooklyn ultimately pulled out of those negotiations, with a team source telling Wojnarowski, "There was nothing we liked."
That hasn't stopped the Nets from trying to broker a deal, however. On Monday, Grantland's Zach Lowe discussed the team's approach to the trade deadline:
"The Nets are as active as ever, but they appear united against dealing just for the sake of dealing. If they’re going to move Lopez or Joe Johnson, they’ll want at least some token future assets and salary relief that could open up the possibility of Brooklyn becoming a free-agency player this summer and in 2016.
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A source conveyed a similar message to Sean Deveney of Sporting News, saying, "Billy King is giving off the vibe that he is fine with keeping [Lopez] and trying to build around him. It is not coming off like they’re having some kind of fire sale out there."
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports claims Brooklyn is "aggressively trying to move" Lopez before the deadline, as "a fire sale could help a future team sale." Given how empty the Nets' cupboards are—they owe two of their next four first-round picks to Boston—it's high time for Brooklyn to start tearing down its overpaid roster and rebuilding from the ground up.
No. 2 Buyer: Houston Rockets
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The Houston Rockets' desire to upgrade at point guard has been one of the league's worst-kept secrets over the past month. Back in January, Bleacher Report's Ric Bucher said Houston general manager Daryl Morey was expected "to go hot and heavy after a point guard" between then and the trade deadline.
According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, the Rockets have their eyes set on Phoenix Suns point guard Goran Dragic heading into the trade deadline. Grantland's Zach Lowe delved into why Houston bears watching this week, especially in regard to Dragic:
"The Rockets are the contender with the most bullets left in the chamber. They’re sitting on a potential lottery pick from the Pelicans, and [Josh] Smith’s improved play of late makes it a bit more palatable to put Terrence Jones in a trade. They also have convenient salary-matching pieces in Jason Terry and Kostas Papanikolaou, plus their own future first-round picks.
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Both Lowe and Bleacher Report's Howard Beck echoed Stein's report by floating Houston as a potential landing spot for Dragic, which would allow the Rockets to slide starting point guard Patrick Beverley into a bench role. According to Bucher, the team loves the defensive-minded Beverley, "but ideally, he is the third guard in that rotation."
It's easy to see why Houston would want to upgrade at the point guard spot. In the final 12 games leading up to the All-Star break, Beverley averaged just 8.3 points on a ghastly 33.3 percent shooting, 4.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.6 treys (while shooting 28.4 percent from deep) and 0.8 steals in 29.8 minutes per game.
James Harden has shouldered a majority of the load for Houston to date, forcing his way toward the top of any Most Valuable Player conversation, but the Rockets can't win a championship with him going at it alone in the backcourt. They desperately need to make a splash by Thursday to bolster their title hopes, ideally involving Dragic.
No. 1 Seller: Denver Nuggets
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It's seemingly just a matter of time before the Denver Nuggets commence their inevitable fire sale.
"We're very, very aggressive right now," Nuggets general manager Tim Connelly told Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post in early February about his stance on making roster moves.
On Feb. 12, Stein wrote Denver is "widely regarded as the team most aggressively trying to clean house." Arron Afflalo, Jameer Nelson and Randy Foye "are all in play," per Stein, though the Nuggets' reported asking price for Afflalo—at least one future first-round pick—could prove prohibitive.
Lowe shared further details about Denver's role as sellers at the trade deadline:
"The Nuggets are at the epicenter. They’ve been seeking multiple first-round picks for both Wilson Chandler and Arron Afflalo, talking with obvious contender types like the Blazers and ambulance-chasing with banged-up playoff teams like the Wizards. Snagging two firsts for Timofey Mozgov emboldened the Denver front office to chase big returns, and the rest of the league is waiting for Denver to step back as the deadline approaches. Anyone could have JaVale McGee for a fruit basket.
The more interesting questions surround Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried. Denver isn’t shopping those guys, but Jusuf Nurkic is the only true untouchable on the roster, per several league sources who have dealt with the Nuggets. The sense around the league is that you could land Lawson or Faried with a Godfather offer. They are gettable. Boston and Denver have had exploratory talks about Lawson, per several sources.
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Dating back to mid-January, the Nuggets have dropped 13 of their past 15 games, causing them to plummet out of playoff contention. With nothing left to play for this season, it's time for Denver to start flipping some of its veteran players for future assets before potentially losing them for nothing in free agency.
No. 1 Buyer: Oklahoma City Thunder
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The Oklahoma City Thunder already landed Dion Waiters in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers a month ago, but they're seemingly unwilling to stand pat. On Sunday, an executive told Basketball Insiders' Alex Kennedy that the Thunder and Brooklyn Nets are the "most aggressive teams in trade talks."
They "progress[ed] in serious talks on a deal" that would have netted them Nets center Brook Lopez in mid-January, per Wojnarowski, but Brooklyn ultimately stood pat at the time. OKC's interest in landing the big man remains, however, per Deveney:
"The Thunder won’t overpay for Lopez, but they would very much like to reignite talks with the Nets. Oklahoma City wants an offensive-minded big man to get them through the stretch run in the Western Conference, and offer them an interior option when the postseason comes.
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The Thunder have the expiring contract of Kendrick Perkins to dangle, along with guard Reggie Jackson, who is set to become a restricted free agent in July. Lowe explained why OKC could be incentivized to move Jackson even while making a push for a playoff spot:
"The Jackson situation means the Thunder could act as both buyers and sellers, unlocking three-team trades in which partners going in different directions all get something they like. Jackson is unhappy in a backup role, losing minutes to Dion Waiters, and set to hit free agency. The Thunder are just $2.2 million over the tax, and when you’re that close, you should at least try to get under—though the need is a bit less urgent given how tough it will be to reach the tax line, and trigger repeater penalties, once the cap spikes.
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Bleacher Report's Howard Beck claims "a lot of teams covet" Jackson, which makes perfect sense given how well he played with Russell Westbrook sidelined by injury early this season. With the clock continuing to tick on Kevin Durant's impending date with free agency in 2016, Oklahoma City can spare no expense in its playoff push, even if it means giving up a potentially valuable young piece like Jackson.
All statistics via NBA.com or Basketball-Reference.com, unless otherwise noted, and are current through Monday, Feb. 16. All contract and salary-cap information via Spotrac.
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