Our NBA insiders are discussing the biggest topics in the league. Sports Illustrated senior writers Chris Mannix and Howard Beck weigh up which teams to watch as the NBA’s trade deadline approaches.
Chris Mannix: So Beck, with less than a month left until the NBA trade deadline, there are a couple of things that I’m sure of. First, it is a seller’s market. There are far fewer teams looking to offload resources (Utah, maybe Toronto) than looking to beef up for the stretched run. Secondly, given how open the playoff field seems, seeing the Warriors in full force be beaten by the skeleton Suns on Tuesday? There will be some facepalms from front-office members of teams that don’t budge. So as we head into February, what’s the best team you’re looking at?
Howard Beck: I’m worried, Mannix. I am concerned about this commercial season, albeit from the most mundane point of view possible. I’m concerned that this trading season will be a disaster due to this sudden new wave of parity, combined with the allure of the play-in tournament and the diminished allure of lottery odds. As you noted, we just don’t have that many obvious sellers. The fans and the media love the swaps! Good trades, bad trades, weird trades, whatever. We just love a good transaction. And we could all be sorely disappointed this year.
That said, I’m looking at an aspiring buyer first. We’ve talked about this a lot, so I won’t go into that much depth here, but I think the entire league is curious to see what, if anything, the Lakers do. Will they go get help for LeBron James and Anthony Davis and try to save this season? Or are they so determined to keep their future draft picks that they’re willing to let this season go down the drain?
Best guess: Do the Lakers make a move? And does it involve a capital project?
Mannix: Short answer: I don’t know. Nobody does. The Lakers have made it clear they are not interested in handing out their first-round picks unless an All-Star player returns. And I don’t see All-Star (right now) being available.
I touched on this in a column on Monday, but I can see both sides of the picks debate. I can see LeBron’s side; he is 38 years old and in the midst of an MVP season. With a little help, and with the health of Anthony Davis, James can imagine pushing the Lakers through a conference field with no superteams. Why does he care about a first player in 2027? I thought our friend Brian Windhorst had a great note on a recent podcast: 20 years into his NBA career and LeBron has been playing with exactly five first-round rookie picks. Internally, I’m sure the Lakers are selling James in the offseason when Bradley Beal or Damian Lillard become available and LA rushes in with its picks to buy them. But it is more fantasy than reality.
However, I also see the Lakers side. Does Bojan Bogdanović make them a title contender? Malik Beasley? Christian Wood? Is it worth spending draft capital — capital LA might need in the post-LeBron era — to bring one? What do you think?
Beck: I think it’s a mistake to view any potential trade as “championship or loss.” If this is the standard for trading your picks, you’ll never make a deal. I don’t think there is a single trade out there, now or in July, that will secure the Lakers in title contention. But the basic formula of LeBron + AD + quality shooters/role players at least gives you the chance of a meaningful playoff run. THIS is what they should be aiming for.
And maybe it will. I hear the Lakers and Pistons have been discussing a deal that would include both Bogdanović and Nerlens Noel. Since the Pistons are asking draft resources in any deal for Bogdanović, it’s kind of a given that the Lakers would have to cede a first-round pick to make a deal. Maybe they make a second deal to further bolster the rotation. Will they be willing to trade both picks that are currently fit for trade? The feeling throughout the league is that they won’t. But we’ll see.
So the Lakers are probably the most attractive (potential) buyer. Who is the most intriguing seller?
Mannix: Easy. Utah. Could the last few months have broken anything more right for Danny Ainge? He receives a flood of draft picks for Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, gets off to the kind of fast start that makes fans forget, at least temporarily, Gobert and Mitchell, develops a (possible) All-Star in Lauri Markkanen and then observes his team sinks in the standings after a (competitive) losing streak, which effectively gives them the license to do what they probably wanted to do in the first place: make as many player trades for picks as they can before the deadline.
And you know what? He’s right to do it. It’s been a good ride for Utah, but it’s over. If the Jazz can get first-round picks for Malik Beasley and Kelly Olynyk, if they can find a buyer for Mike Conley, they have to. This team doesn’t make much money from competing for a play-in, in my opinion. What they have to do is lose, a lot, and put themselves in a position to get a transformative player.
Do you agree? Or are you keeping tabs on someone else?
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Beck: I’m with you at Jazz, for all the reasons you mentioned. Their early success was a good story, but it was never going to be sustainable with an RPG roster. And I say that with all due respect to Markkanen – excuse me, THE FINNISHER – who was a revelation and deserves an All-Star nod. But the whole point of trading your two vital stars is to let your team hit rock bottom and give yourself a shot at a future star in the draft. Hovering around 0.500 is not good for them.
So I will go one step further: they should evaluate the market for Markkanen as well. Its value has never been so high. His stellar play could win Utah too many games in recent months. And as great as he was, I don’t think anyone in the league sees Markkanen as a player you build a contender around. It’s thriving in a small market, with zero expectations and zero pressure. Will he be able to maintain this level when the Jazz become a playoff team again? If the Jazz are in any doubt, they should look to move him now.
But I think the team that generates the most excitement and curiosity is still the Raptors. They got far less results. They showed no signs of recovery. They have a front office known for its audacity and creativity. And they have a wealth of talented players on reasonable contracts who could help a contender. So what do you think? Do they move the OG Anunoby? Fred VanVleet? Gary Trent Jr.?
Mannix: I would definitely put the Raptors in the seller category. Masai Ujiri has never dared to be mediocre, and that’s exactly what Toronto is. Scottie Barnes is untouchable, but other than that they should be – and I think they will be – open to business with anyone else. Anunoby generates the most interest when I talk to front-office people. A rugged two-way player who shoots mid-30s from three-point range? Get at least one unprotected first-round pick for such a player, maybe more. It would be smart for the Raptors and Grizzlies, a team that has a chance to make a run this season with young talent and capital to spare, spend some time on the phone.
Then there’s Atlanta. I assume this is the year the Hawks finally offload John Collins. But what else should they do? Since the conference finals took place in 2021, they have been a disappointment. Nate McMillan will probably leave at the end of the season and this team may have to think about a complete rebuild around Trae Young.
Beck: Oh, the Hawks. What a strange and utterly frustrating team. I liked the exchange for Dejounte Murray. I still like Young, as infuriating as he is. The roster has talent. But the chemistry is clearly off, and they’ve never figured out a way to consistently defend themselves. And yes, Young will likely be his third head coach before long. But is a little jolt enough? How much do they make for Collins? They will probably be sellers, but I don’t know how big of a difference this season.
If there’s another clear seller in my view, it’s the Wizards. They’re going nowhere again. They could lose Kyle Kuzma to free agency this summer if they don’t trade him now. And they have some solid role players (think Monte Morris and Rui Hachimura) who would be much more useful in a good team. Heck, they should explore swaps for Bradley Beal, given how bleak things have been there. But the Wizards are a very conservative operation, and they’ve always been reluctant to blow it up and hit rock bottom. Do they surprise us this time?
Mannix: They are now my team to watch. I expect Kuzma to move. He’s (effectively) in the final year of his contract and seems unlikely to return to Washington next season. And there will be a strong market for a 20-point-per-game scorer who can rebound and has decent three-point shooting. Will Barton, who came out of rotation in recent weeks, is also very helpful.
I don’t expect Beal to move, but the Wizes need to at least start thinking about a post-Beal future. He’s still a heavy scorer, but there’s nothing on this list that makes you believe Beal can back him up on anything more than a lower-level playoff team. The Wizes didn’t find enough draft picks. Beal will turn 30 next season and will have four years, four high-paying years, remaining on his contract. He also has an injury history that Washington needs to be concerned about. Frankly I’d be pricing the market for Beal right now, but with Beal’s no-trade clause, it’s a more suitable process for the off-season.
So put the Wizards on your watch list. And then set your alerts for them this summer when I think the action could really pick up.
What is the biggest NFL trade in history?
On October 13, 1989, the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, and San Diego Chargers were involved in an 18-player trade, the largest trade in NFL history. This may interest you : The £ 1.4bn Music Fund founder rejects new music for old hits.
Is there a trade cap in the NFL? Trade Limitations The rule said: A team could not trade a player with any of the eight teams in the previous season’s divisional playoffs, unless one of those teams lost a player due to unlimited agency.
How many times has the number 1 pick been traded?
Since 1997, the first overall pick has been traded three times before the draft. If we’re counting Eli Manning, who was technically drafted by the San Diego Chargers and traded to the New York Giants, the number is four.
Has there ever been a 3 team trade in the NFL?
One of the largest trades ever in National Football League history occurred on Halloween Day in 1987. This may interest you : The sports world reacted to J.J. Watt’s retirement announcement. Marquis’s name in the three-way deal between the Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo Bills, and Indianapolis Colts was Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson . In all, the deal involved 10 players and draft picks.
What are blockbuster trades?
The “successful trade”. Exchanges happen all the time in professional sports. Some are big, some are minor. Read also : Spring Sports Schedules Announced. Some look great when made, but turn out to be not as massive as originally thought. Others fly under the radar but actually turn into meaningful trades.
Can NFL owners veto a trade?
The ability to veto a trade is available to prevent collusion in a league.
Can a league manager veto a trade? There are two ways to veto a trade, and in League Manager leagues, this setting can be changed by the League Manager at any time during the season – every team manager in your league has the power to cast a vote against a trade once one is accepted if they feel it is unfair.
Can NFL players refuse a trade?
If two teams reach an agreement to trade a player who has a non-trade clause, then that player’s team must have written permission from both the player and his agent. The player can choose to waive his no-trade clause and accept or decline the trade according to the provision.
Does the NFL have to approve trades?
The trade must be accepted within the trade deadline and can be approved/processed later (depending on league settings).
Is the trade deadline over NFL?
The 2022 NFL trade deadline has passed. Track all deals made since the start of the 2022 regular season (Sep.
What is the NFL 2022 trade deadline? Set for November 1, 2022, the NFL’s trade deadline will be one of the last chances for contending teams to add to their rosters before the end of the regular season.
What time is trade deadline over NFL?
The teams have until 4pm. ET to do business. Last year there were three trades on the expiry day, two in 2020, two in 2019 and five in 2018.
When exactly is the trade deadline?
December 15, 2022 marks a special subsection of the trade market when 74 players who signed free agency deals in the offseason are once again eligible for purchase.
Is the NFL trade deadline done?
The NFL 2022 trade deadline is Tuesday, November 1.
