c/o Rick Bowmer

This Thursday marks the NBA Trade Deadline, after which no trading can occur. The fast-approaching deadline will mark the solidification of rosters around the NBA and the fulcrum point at which teams weigh whether they should push their chips in or cash out for a spot in the lottery. The disappointing 2024 NBA draft class (before next year’s Cooper Flagg sweepstakes) makes tanking this season much less fruitful than in years past, lending greater urgency to most teams’ efforts to improve. Although some franchises may be looking to pick up cheap players on the buyout market throughout February, the last hand has been dealt for most teams as of this week, leaving general managers in a frenzy of re-evaluation as they get ready to pounce on a growing talent market bred by dysfunction. 

The last few years in the NBA have seen a parity seldom found in professional sports. During last year’s playoffs, for the first time, a No. 8 seed (the Miami Heat) and a No. 7 seed (the Los Angeles Lakers) both made it to the Conference Finals. With the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy arguably within reaching distance for a third of the league, this NBA trade deadline may determine which franchise gets to raise the championship banner. The six most threatening teams for the title this season are generating little trade buzz, especially the Boston Celtics, which surprises no one, as their roster seems to have few to no faults both on paper and on the floor. Their main Eastern Conference competitors, the Milwaukee Bucks, have been reported to be disinterested in moving any core pieces. However, their below-average defensive rating has left some analysts wondering whether their front office may be able to find a defensive boost for cheap. 

In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves are tied for the No. 1 seed, but the Timberwolves seem to be much more aggressive in the trade market than the Thunder. Minnesota is hoping to strengthen their backcourt by pursuing Washington Wizards guard Tyus Jones, who would improve their ball protection and greatly strengthen the Timberwolves’ second unit as a backup point guard. Lastly, the Los Angeles Clippers and defending champion Denver Nuggets also seem to be marginally present in the trade market, as financial constraints limit the trade capabilities of both franchises. However, there is buzz that the all-in Clippers may be seeking a center backup to starter Ivica Zubac and a replacement for guard Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland before they chase a title come April.

Among franchises that could enter serious title contention with the right moves are the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks. It may seem disrespectful to discount the Knicks, as they are certainly one of the best teams in the league after acquiring O.G. Anunoby and jumping to the No. 4 seed in the East. However, the Knicks may be looking to go all in and become an even greater threat, as they have reportedly turned their attention to a group of coveted guards including the Utah Jazz’s Jordan Clarkson, the Portland Trailblazers’ Malcolm Brogdon, and the Toronto Raptors’ Bruce Brown. It is clear that the Jazz are looking to sell at the deadline, and for the Blazers, Brogdon remains one of their most valuable assets. It would be surprising if he remained in Portland, who will be looking to allocate more minutes for No. 2 pick Scoot Henderson. Following a massive trade between Toronto and the Indiana Pacers that sent all-star Pascal Siakam in exchange for Bruce Brown, Jordan Nwora, Kira Lewis Jr., and three first-round picks, the Pacers seem like a real threat as long as guard Tyrese Haliburton can make a healthy return. In Toronto, Brown appears to still be on the market, as both the Knicks and Lakers are reported to be actively pursuing him.

Despite having two of the best players in the league in LeBron James and Anthony Davis—plus a great supporting cast led by Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura—the Lakers still clearly need an added element of defensive presence and are interested in Brown as well as Dejounte Murray, Royce O’Neale, and Dorian Finney-Smith. However, Brown is a highly coveted asset on the market, and the Lakers appear unable to make a compelling offer for Murray, considering D’Angelo Russell’s disappointing season. Additionally, the Brooklyn Nets seem unwilling to accept any trade offer, no matter how good, as they recently turned down a Finney-Smith trade for two first-round picks, leaving most NBA fans scratching their heads as to what their front office thinks this Mikal Bridges team is.

On the lower end of the totem pole, the Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls, Memphis Grizzlies, and Miami Heat appear to be floundering, with rosters that continue to fall short of expectations. Despite a career year for Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins is having the worst season of his career, and the continuous decline of Draymond Green and Klay Thompson has left the future of the Dubs in question. As the trade deadline approaches, the Warriors have been unable to make a splash in the trade market, failing to grab Alex Caruso from the Bulls and attempting to make a player-for-player trade with Wiggins. The Heat appear to be sputtering this season as well, as they remain one of the smaller teams in the league and continue to struggle offensively as a result. Although stars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo have largely kept up their high-level play, the Heat don’t seem like the dangerous contender this year that they have been in seasons past. Even with the acquisition of Terry Rozier and a rising rookie talent in Jaime Jaquez Jr., the Heat’s lack of size leaves us wondering if this may be the last quiet trade deadline we see in Miami for years to come. 

The Chicago Bulls have one of the grimmest roster situations in the league, with Zach LaVine undergoing season-ending surgery and DeMar DeRozan on an expiring contract. Without a real shot at title contention without LaVine, it appears that this would be the season for the Bulls to make some last-effort moves or start a rebuild. Lastly, the Memphis Grizzlies purely seem to be stalling this season, as they are caught in a flux state between last year’s No. 2 seed placement and a hopeful title contention next season with a healthy Ja Morant. In the interest of such a title run, the Grizzlies recently traded strongman Steven Adams for Victor Oladipo and extra draft assets, while also rejecting trade offers for former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart. While the loss of Adams weakens the Grizzlies’ pick-and-roll offense and offensive rebounding talent, they have cleared up needed cap space with this trade and set their eyes on a potential lottery pick in the draft.

Although this trade deadline is unlikely to see any blockbuster deals considering the strength and stability of the league’s best teams, there is a highly competitive trade market amongst the second-tier franchises hoping to make a serious title run. It is unclear what the NBA will look like a week from today, but whatever squad makes the biggest splash by the deadline will be a team to watch come this year’s playoffs.

Brodie Zeigler can be reached at bzeigler@wesleyan.edu.