NBA Trade Rumors: Top Teams to Watch as Deadline Approaches
The NBA rumor mill is alight brighter than any LeBron James Miami Heat jersey one fateful day not too long ago, mostly thanks to a number of sellers and one panicked buyer.
Some of the sellers are obvious. The Philadelphia 76ers want to host a sale in order to better prepare for the future—of course, only on their terms.
Some of the buyers are not so obvious. The Los Angeles Clippers need a spark, so keep a close eye out. Rebuilding notables such as the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers may make an appearance, too.
More so than most years, the deadline deserves anticipation this time around. As contenders and pretenders alike look to prepare for a pair of upcoming free-agent frenzies when major names such as Kevin Durant hit the open market, this deadline is the appetizer that may spur a major domino effect.
Philadelphia 76ers
Shocker—the 76ers want expiring contracts.
The franchise continues to stick to its guns, meaning it relies on the fateful, controversial bouncing of lottery balls to build its roster. It makes sense and is a brave thought, really, as a team that does not land a superstar had better build a great all-around roster to stand a chance in today's league.
To nobody's surprise, Philadelphia does not just yet, touting all of 12 wins so far. The long-term outlook is solid, though, especially now that it sounds as if the front office is standing strong in its strategy, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer:
"The Sixers are not interested in parting ways with their core players, Michael Carter-Williams, Nerlens Noel or Joel Embiid, at this time. ...
The Sixers are believed to be among the most active teams in trade talks. They've had discussions with all 29 other franchises. Yet, they are unlikely to have any serious talks until the 36 hours leading up to the deadline. They won't make any moves until the final hours.
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The objective is as much cap space as possible to build around young pieces.
In other words, the hunt for expirings is quite real, per Pompey:
"With the most salary-cap space in the league and roster flexibility, the Sixers are, once again, in the market to acquire an expiring contract from a team looking to dump a salary. If the price is right, they also will take in unheralded players on opposing teams' rosters who they believe can contribute in their system.
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The core is in place. Michael Carter-Williams is a superb floor general who averages a 15.0/7.4/6.2 slash line. Nerlens Noel is a 6'11", 228-pound force who averages 8.2/7.2/1.7. Rounding out the talent beneath the rim is the 7'0", 250-pound Joel Embiid.
At this pace, when the 76ers hit the button and enforce a turnaround, it will be swift and felt around the league.
For now, things are boring around the 76ers and will be at the deadline. When they hit the button, though, a bevy of the league's top talent will mesh with smart free-agent acquisitions and birth a contender in the Eastern Conference.
Denver Nuggets
In the grand scheme of things, the Denver Nuggets are not doing much better than the 76ers at this point thanks to just 20 wins.
In a much tougher conference, they're probably doing worse.
This helps to explain why the front office looks to both buy and sell at the deadline. Buy, as in land a player who is both a bit of a salary dump by another team but is a strong fit and key to the rebuild in Denver.
A prize goes out to those who immediately thought of Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez. ESPN's Marc Stein provides the details:
Lopez is a smart pursuit for a number of reasons. In theory, the Nets should be willing to move on from his contract—one of three max deals on the roster—for a cheaper price than normal. He's a strong fit in Denver, where his 15.3/6.2/1.7 slash line would mesh well with Ty Lawson and others.
This relies on the Nets taking the bait, though, which seems yet to come to fruition. If it happens, the JaVale McGee experiment ends, and the Nuggets land a proven producer—although one who needs to average more minutes (27.1) and stay healthy.
The Nuggets also seem to be sellers, as Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders points out:
The 29-year-old Arron Afflalo is a superb value for a contender in need of a scorer given his 14.5 points-per-game average. Wilson Chandler is much of a similar value considering he posts a slash line of 13.9/1.5/6.0. Don't expect much movement on either of those fronts until right at the deadline, though, as contenders are usually hesitant to surrender a first-round pick until they know it is a move that must happen.
In that same vein, keep an eye on the Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers. Both are contenders in the Western Conference that could make any number of moves and are clearly on the market as buyers in the thick of the playoff race.
The on-court competition bleeds into the market, so sellers such as Denver will be happy to play teams against one another to their benefit.
In a way, that sounds like what a certain someone, or any number of big names, do on the open market as free agents.
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
