The NBA trade deadline is around the corner and there hasn’t been much action yet…
The only two notable deals this season have been the Hawks sending Cam Reddish to New York and the Cavs trading for Rajon Rondo.
The trade deadline is February 10th.
Here are three teams that should be actively looking to make a deal this week.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers have been quite the disappointment this season.
Pre-season the Lakers were THE championship favorites with +270 odds.
Fast forward to now – and they are a +1700 and are on the outskirts of playoff contention (9th seed).
There are countless reasons why the Lakers have not played as well as expected.
It simply has not worked out between LeBron and Russell Westbrook. After trading for Russ, the Lakers lost most of their depth. The Lakers are the oldest team in the NBA. They don’t have any reliable shooters to spread the floor around LeBron. And AD has been shooting career-low percentages and hasn’t been healthy (big surprise).
LeBron has been single handily trying to carry this team into the playoffs.
If LeBron is going to fill out his hand in rings, he’s going to need the Lakers to make a move.
Now you have to look at the Laker’s options when it comes to a trade, and they don’t have many.
The most obvious option at this point is to trade Russell Westbrook for whatever you can get.
I believe Russell Westbrook still has the star power to potentially lift a weak team into the playoffs so he still holds some value. His contract is of course scary to take on (a whopping $44 million a year) but there is only one more year left on it after this season.
To be honest, there is only one team I could see Russell Westbrook going to. The New York Knicks.
The Knicks have struggled this year and are the 12th seed in the East. It doesn’t hurt them very much to take a risk with Russ and give up a few pieces. I believe New York would embrace Russell Westbrook.
In this trade scenario, the Knicks would have to give up a good bit, but I think this deal could benefit both teams.
The Lakers get a point guard who can fit into LeBron’s system much better in Kemba Walker. They also add Evan Fournier to help spread the floor and provide much needed 3 point shooting. And they also get a defensive presence down low with Nerlens Noel.
As for the Knicks, they take on Russell Westbrook. A player that can make or break you. I believe Russ would better version of himself within the Knicks system and he would have a lot more opportunities to play his game.
A lineup of Russ, Alec Burks, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, and Mitchell Robinson sounds like a playoff team to me.
Indiana Pacers
It’s been reported since early December that the Pacers are willing to move on from three of their core players (Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner, and Caris Levert).
Sources: The Indiana Pacers are moving toward rebuild, receptive to trade talks centered on Caris LeVert and either Domantas Sabonis or Myles Turner.
Story with @bkravitz at @TheAthletic: https://t.co/2bGjubFtWe
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 7, 2021
Sabonis has been the front-man in trade rumors because he holds the most value among the three. He is a two-time all-star and puts up Jokic type numbers. Now what the rest of the league thinks of his value is up for interpretation. So far, he has been linked to names like DeAaron Fox, Ben Simmons, and Pascal Siakam.
The Pacers have been in the same spot for what seems like 5 years now. A bottom-level playoff team that usually gets swept in the first round. So they’ve finally decided to just opt toward a rebuild or try and get a solid return for an all-star level player.
A deal that seems to make the most sense right now is a deal to Washington.
Sabonis would be the perfect fit alongside Bradley Beal providing some playmaking through pick and roll and just to have a big man who can pass the ball. Sabonis would have the ability to fully control the offense in the half-court for the Wizards and could potentially expand his game to the next level.
Adding Sabonis would give Washington that extra push to make it into the playoffs this season.
It may be tough for Washington to come up with an offer that appeases Indiana, but the Wizards should be all in to try and land him.
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics have had a mediocre season so far. They currently sit at the 9th seed with a 27-25 record.
The Celtics should be actively looking to make some form of improvement before the deadline. Looking at the Celtics roster, they have a lot of skilled players and two of the best scorers in the league in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
So you may ask yourself, “what could they change to improve their lineup?”
Tatum and Brown are without a doubt one of the highest-scoring duos in the league, but they haven’t exactly meshed together since they both have that score-first mindset.
With Tatums Kobe-Esque playstyle, he would be a better fit surrounded by a playmaking big like Kobe was in Pau Gasol. The Celtics could go all-in for Sabonis in a Brown deal, but I don’t see the Celtics pulling the trigger on that one.
I can more so see the Celtics making a smaller play and trying to land a player like Harrison Barnes from the Kings. He could be the stretch 4 the Celtics need.
Or going out and searching for a reliable point guard. Spencer Dinwiddie has reportedly been in trade talks.
By the Trade deadline on February 10th, we should certainly see at least one of these teams make a move.
