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Two weeks away from the NBA trade deadline, it’s unclear how aggressive teams are going to be with trying to move some of the marquee names on the market.
Per The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie, the feeling within the league right now is that players like Karl-Anthony Towns, Ja Morant and LaMelo Ball “are not actively” being shopped “at this point” by their current teams:
“But it’s possible that this could change before the deadline, and not listing them now doesn’t mean that their incumbent teams won’t decide to make them available. The players listed here are those that league sources are watching intently for multiple reasons as serious trade candidates.”
Morant is the one member of that group who would seem to have the best chance of being moved. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Jan. 9 that the Memphis Grizzlies were “entertaining offers to potentially move” the two-time All-Star.
Vecenie did point out that Morant’s trade value is “all over the place” right now. He has already missed 22 games this season and hasn’t played more than 62 games in a season since 2020-21.
When you combine that with Morant still being owed $87.1 million after this season, it’s easy to see why teams might be hesitant about making a move for him.
However, Vecenie did note there are some executives who view Morant “as a terrific buy-low candidate” who can be a “serious difference-maker” at his best. He has shown that ability with back-to-back double-doubles since returning from a calf injury.
Towns’ status with the New York Knicks is becoming a big focal point. He acknowledged right before the start of the season that he was unsure of his fit in head coach Mike Brown’s system, though things seemed to cool after the team got off to a 23-9 start.
The Knicks went on to lose nine of their next 11 games before Wednesday’s 120-66 drubbing of the Brooklyn Nets quieted some of the noise for at least one day.
Towns’ contract is still an issue hovering over the Knicks because he could potentially extend his deal for up to four years and $260 million after this season. It would seem unlikely the Knicks take a drastic step to break up the core that led them to an NBA Cup title and a 23-9 record through their first 32 games, but this recent cold streak does raise plenty of questions about the actual ceiling of this group.
Ball is in a difficult spot because he would seem like the No. 3 point guard on the trade market this season after Trae Young, who was already dealt, and Morant. Young and Morant aren’t as cost-prohibitive going forward as Ball.
The 24-year-old has three more guaranteed years and $130.7 million left on his contract after this season. He is younger than both Young and Morant, so there is an argument that a better environment could bring out a new level to his game that the Hornets haven’t been able to unlock.
All signs right now point to a fairly quiet deadline, but history shows that things can change quickly in the NBA as teams continue to get more information about their current rosters and what the best path forward is.