Loose Talk: The Editors’ Take
The day is upon us. A day that is talked about for months in advance, but usually never amounts to much. A day that causes some franchises rejoice and others only to look back several years later and question every aspect of the deal, more often the latter than the former. It’s…the NBA trade deadline!
As truly uneventful as the trade deadline usually is, with most mid-February headlines reading “[insert non-impact/role player] dealt for cash and future second round draft picks,” the occasional blockbuster deal comes along that changes the landscape of the NBA. Some of the more memorable trade deadline deals of recent memory featured the likes of Carmelo Anthony to the, Deron Williams and Monta Ellis. Several years later, the Knicks are the worst team in the league, the Nets are fighting to be considered mediocre and Monta is not even on the Bucks anymore and was disappointing as a member of the team during his time there.
Now, after expressing my disdain for this completely overhyped event, we can proceed to talk about today’s deadline which comes at 3 p.m. EST. One minor deal has already been made: the Minnesota Timberwolves traded point guard Mo Williams to the Charlotte Hornets for Gary Neal, Troy Daniels and a 2019 second round pick (see what I was talking about with the second round picks?).
The prize of this season’s players firmly on the trade block is Goran Dragic. The Suns claimed that Dragic would still be with the team after the trade deadline, but Dragic recently told the team he will not resign this offseason after his contract expires. With Isaiah Thomas and Eric Bledsoe also in the backcourt, there’s no reason for the Suns to not trade Dragic. If they could acquire a player who fills an actual need, like a quality wing, to strengthen their playoff push, they should absolutely pull the trigger. Even if the Suns got 75 cents on the dollar for Dragic due to his contract situation, it would still be worth it. They still have two star guards on the roster and getting something for Dragic rather than letting him walk for nothing in the offseason is preferable. The Celtics and Rajon Rondo faced a similar situation earlier this season. While the Celtics clearly did not get an equal return for Rondo, at least they got something for him that aided their rebuilding process.
A large number of teams have expressed interest in Dragic. Dragic told the Suns that Los Angeles, New York and Miami were his preferred destinations. However, the Suns have had the most serious talks with the Celtics, Rockets and Knicks. The Pacers have also shown interest in Dragic.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have also put shooting guard Kevin Martin and forward Thaddeus Young on the trading block. The ‘wolves are going all in on their youth movement, and neither Martin nor Young fits into their long term plan. The Timberwolves would rather give these minutes to Andrew Wiggins who is showing serious promise, Shabazz Muhammad who is emerging as a quality player, and holding out that Zach Lavine and Anthony Bennett will turn into serviceable players. Both Martin and Young could play big roles if traded to a contender.
The Brooklyn Nets are looking to trade pretty much the whole team not named Mason Plumlee. In all seriousness, though, their three best players, Deron Williams, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez, are all on the block. The Nets have finally acknowledged that their experiment of the last few years has failed. They are lucky that Brook Lopez has legitimate trade value because the Nets future looks dim. They traded most of their picks over the next few years to the Celtics in the Paul Pierce-Kevin Garnett trade. Joe Johnson has some value to a contender as he has still demonstrated scoring ability, and several teams have expressed interest in his services. Deron Williams, however, looks washed up. Brooklyn will have to hope a team comes along that thinks Williams can turn it around and return to his old form. Right now, the man they traded the very talented Derrick Favors and two first round draft picks for just a few years ago looks to yield little return on the trade market.
Similar to the Nets, almost everyone on the Denver Nuggets has been made available. Unlike the Nets, however, the Nuggets have a plethora of valuable assets, as well as a star in Ty Lawson. Many teams are looking to acquire Lawson, but surprisingly, even more teams are interested in Arron Afflalo. A capable shooter and scorer who can also handle the ball, the Nuggets have received plenty of phone calls regarding Afflalo.
Other available players include the Thunder’s Reggie Jackson and Utah’s Enes Kanter. Players that are likely to be bought out and picked up after the trade deadline include the Bucks’ Larry Sanders and the Celtics’ Tayshaun Prince.
Of course, we will be lucky to see one or two of these players actually be moved at some point today as the trade deadline is always disappointing.