With the NBA Trade Deadline approaching, now is the time for teams to decide their fate for the rest of the season. Some teams will stand pat at the deadline, hoping that they team they currently have assembled will be enough to accomplish what that team has set out to do. Others will operate in the trade market, with some teams making bigger moves than others. others. Either way, trades will and already have begun to go down.
The teams that are looking to make moves have two directions that they could go in. They will either buy, meaning they will move young players and/or picks to acquire talent that will help them win now. The other direction a team could go is to sell. Some teams will make deals to move whatever assets they have to secure young talent or future draft picks, as they look to retool their franchise.
With only a handful of teams out of the playoff picture in each conference, there should be a lot of movement this year at the deadline. The question is which teams, primarily teams outside of the Cavaliers, Warriors, and Spurs, are going to make moves that will impact their playoff chances and potential.
New Orleans Pelicans
Keep Buying
The New Orleans Pelicans got away with a heist on Sunday night when they traded a lowly package built around Buddy Hield for DeMarcus Cousins. Now with the two best big men in the league in Anthony Davis and Cousins, the Pelicans are piecing together a scary roster.
Where New Orleans needs the most help now, is on the wing. After parting with Hield and Tyreke Evans in the deal, the Pelicans are left with E’twaun Moore and Solomon Hill as their top wings. Ideally, both of these veterans would be role players that come off the bench. With few moveable assets left the Pelicans may not be able to add a top tier swingman, but they need to do something to improve their talent on the wing.
New Orleans should be checking on the availability of swingmen such as Marcus Morris, Wilson Chandler, or Bojan Bogdanovic.
New York Knicks
Sell, then sell again
The Knicks have made quite the run to best the Kings as the most dysfunctional franchise in the NBA this season, and it starts in the front office with Phil Jackson. How Jackson has messed up so awfully is baffling, but it is time for him to swallow his pride and start the rebuilding process.
The first step has to be moving Carmelo Anthony. The relationship between Melo and New York is unfixable at this point, and it would be best for both sides just to move on. Trading Melo for any young players or picks you can get should be priority number one for the Knicks.
Don’t stop after moving Melo. See what Derrick Rose and Courtney Lee’s value is. New York should be looking to add pieces that they can use to build around Kristaps Porzingis.
It’s time for the Knicks to embrace the rebuilding process.
Detroit Pistons
Buy
Those calling for Detroit to sell the likes of Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond and start rebuilding are not tuned into the situation in the Motor City.
Detroit returned to the playoffs for the first time in six seasons last year and trading key pieces that made that return possible in an attempt to rebuild might set the Pistons fanbase on fire. Detroit has started to play much better basketball as of late and has moved into the eighth seed in the East. Detroit went 6-4 in their last ten games before the All-Star Break.
Recently, the Pistons have gauged the market on Reggie Jackson, and have drawn interest from the Timberwolves, Pelicans, and Magic. There was also a rumor about Detroit possibly throwing their hat in the DeMarcus Cousins mix and offering up Andre Drummond before Boogie was traded to the Pelicans.
The Pistons could move Jackson, but not for a young player or picks. If they were to move Jackson, it would likely be for a player or players that would help the Pistons right away. Detroit could package Jackson with another player or pick in an attempt to upgrade their point guard situation. Whether they stick with Jackson or not, it only makes sense for Detroit to make moves in an effort to improve their roster.
Players such as Eric Bledsoe, Danilo Gallinari, Tim Hardaway Jr, or Kelly Olynk could help the Pistons right away, for the right price.
Denver Nuggets
Sell
The Nuggets are in a very interesting scenario. General Manager Tim Connelly has built a team that has a good mix of experienced veterans such as Wilson Chandler, Kenneth Faried, and Danilo Gallinari, but also has young foundational pieces in Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Emmanuel Mudiay. With other prospects in Gary Harris, Juancho Hernangomez, and Malik Beasley, the Nuggets are poised to have a lot to work with at the deadline.
Denver’s roster construction puts them in a scenario where they can sell but still improve their roster. They have already been active in the trade market this season, trading the disgruntled Jusuf Nurkic to Portland for Mason Plumlee. Denver needs to keep selling their veterans, even if they have to package them with a younger player.
The Nuggets need to finally move the likes of Faried and Gallinari, who have been filtered into trade rumors for multiple seasons. Even Wilson Chandler, who is receiving interest from numerous teams, should be moved.
Who should the Nuggets be trading these players for is a good and tricky question?
It is unclear what type of haul the Nuggets could bring in if they were able to put together a package of their veterans along with a younger player or pick, but with the way the trade market has gone, they could be able to trade for an All-Star level player.
With many teams having moveable assets, it makes sense that this should be a busy trade deadline. The deadline ends on Wednesday at 3 PM EST.
