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There is just about a month to go ahead of the deadline for NBA trade rumors to turn to realities, and now is about the time that the fuzzy speculation will need to turn to concrete talks and deal-building. The real business of the trade deadline generally waits until the week before the day strikes—it’s February 5 this year—but now’s the time to lay groundwork.
There has been speculation that this will be a slow NBA trade deadline, but that should always be taken with a grain of salt. We were told last year that new NBA rules would stifle the deadline altogether and we still got Luka Doncic-to-the-Lakers, one of the biggest in-season blockbusters in NBA history.
So who’s on the clock here? Let’s see …
Playoff Contenders Celtics, Warriors Weighing Moves
Boston Celtics. Despite his recent good play, if the Celtics could move off of guard $26.6 million guard Anfernee Simons and bring in a quality replacement who shaves $12 million off their payroll and gets them under the luxury tax, they would. There have been reports that Boston, No. 2 in the East, wants to stick with what they have and be a contender, but that’s only because they really have no other options. “It is too difficult a needle to thread, sending out a big salary and getting back a good player who makes half as much money. They’ll try, but …” said a Western Conference executive.
Golden State Warriors. The list of teams tabbed as interested in Jonathan Kuminga goes: Kings, Suns, Bulls, and Mavericks, with Yahoo’s Kevin O’Connor adding the Blazers, Pelicans and Wizards to the mix. The Warriors can begin considering trading Kuminga on January 15. “There will be teams no one is expecting getting involved with him,” one GM said. “Everyone has known he is going to be traded. If you have not already called (the Warriors), it does not mean you’re not interested. It just means you’re going to wait until the 15th and call them.”
Desperation Fueling Bucks, Mavericks NBA Trade Rumors
Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo should part ways, but Milwaukee is not going to enter trade talks on their franchise icon until he demands it—and he has not done that. Now, it looks like the Bucks will compound the mistake they made in waiving Damian Lillard and signing Myles Turner by taking a swing at another bloated contract for a flawed player, whether it’s Michael Porter Jr., Zach LaVine or Jerami Grant.
Dallas Mavericks. Maybe trading Anthony Davis is the right move, shifting Dallas’ focus to budding teenage superstar Cooper Flagg. But Davis is 32 and has been his usual injury-prone self this season, playing in 19 of 37 games, so the Mavericks will get pennies on the dollar in moving him—and they’re worried about the optics of dumping their main return in the Luka Doncic deal for expiring contracts and heavily protected draft picks. Angst might ultimately foil a Davis deal. Rival execs tab the Mavs as an organization without a direction just yet, which makes them hard to engage on deals.
GettyAnthony Davis #3 of the Dallas Mavericks
Bottom-Feeders Fueling NBA Trade Rumors
Brooklyn Nets. We reported back on December 27 that Michael Porter Jr. was finally “getting buzz” as an NBA trade rumor fixture. This week, the Bucks, Warriors and Pistons were tabbed as potential landing spots. MPJ was viewed as untradeable because of his contract, but that changed quickly. “Teams are engaging on him, teams have some interest, so there is still the hope that something can get done there,” a GM told me in late December.
Sacramento Kings. The Kings have been riddled with injuries and effort issues from talented stars who have not formed any semblance of chemistry—they’re 8-29. They’re willing to sell off most pieces, and moving Zach LaVine and the two years, $97 million on his contract would be Job 1. Said LaVine on the subject: “I think that there’s been trade talks with a lot of teams. I don’t think I worry about that. I think that’s your guys’ job to try to put some storylines out there. You can run with them.”
Indiana Pacers. Keep an eye on them as the deadline approaches. They’re a league-worst 6-31 but are thinking about next year’s roster, with Tyrese Haliburton back and healthy. They want to bring in a center and are open trading Bennedict Mathurin, who still has a market despite an ongoing thumb injury.