We are just a little over a month away from the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline and we’ve had one significant trade done — OG Anunoby to the Knicks — and talks on more are ramping up. Here is a roundup of some of the latest buzz.
• Nets are not looking to trade Mikal Bridges. The Nets have looked as bad as any team (except maybe the Pistons) over the past few weeks, which has sparked speculation the Nets will make a move to shake things up. A lot of teams covet Mikal Bridges so those trade rumors pop up, but during a Q&A session on Threads, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Nets are not looking to move Bridges but instead want to build around him. This could be true, it’s also what the Nets would leak if they were trying to up offers on Bridges. That said, the smart money is on Bridges being a Net come March.
Woj on Mikal Bridges: "I believe Brooklyn's intent remains to build and add talent around Mikal Bridges." pic.twitter.com/L6UF5ngwj3
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) January 3, 2024
• Lots of buyers, not many sellers at what may be a quiet deadline. Wojnarowski also said this during his threads Q&A.
“Part of that is the Play-In tournament, which has kept more teams trying to reach the postseason instead of dropping down into the lottery. Also, this isn’t considered a strong draft class at the very top, so there’s even less motivation to trade a postseason berth vs a few extra ping-pong balls in the lottery.”
Trades will happen, but this may be a bit of a flat trade deadline.
• Atlanta Hawks open for business. In that same Threads Q&A, Wojnarowski confirmed the multiple reports that the Atlanta Hawks are open for business and looking to make trades. Trae Young will stay as the anchor in Atlanta but players such as Dejounte Murray, De’Andre Hunter and Clint Capela are absolutely available at the right price. Teams will ask about Jalen Johnson but the Hawks aren’t moving the breakout star without a massive return.
Atlanta has long been linked to Pascal Siakam. The Raptors have made him available in the wake of the Anunoby trade as Toronto builds around Scottie Barnes and now Immanuel Quickley.
•Lakers and Zach LaVine linked again. Another report that the Lakers are interested in Zach LaVine comes from Jeff Zillgitt at USA Today. As reported before, league sources have told NBC Sports that LaVine to the Lakers is unlikely, and that has not changed. However, with the Lakers’ run of flat play since the In-Season Touramet (3-8), pressure could mount on GM Rob Pelinka to do something.
Teams are still calling the Bulls about DeMar DeRozan (the most likely Bull to be traded), Alex Caruso and Nikola Vucevic as well.
• Thunder not looking to add at trade deadline, like what they have. After beating the Nuggets, Timberwolves and Celtics all within the space of a week — moving to the top of the NBC Sports NBA Power Rankings — the Thunder look every bit the contender right now and are not likely to make any significant moves at the trade deadline, Shams Charnia of The Athletic said on Run It Back. Why should they? If the goal is to build a contender it looks like OKC already has one with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren as the core. The Thunder have a plethora of draft picks over the next seven years but can use those to keep a supply of young, affordable talent around their stars, or trade for a role player if needed. This year, expect the Thunder to roll with what they’ve got and see how far that gets them in the playoffs.
• The Knicks are still looking for a superstar. Part of the reason the Anunoby trade was a win for the Knicks right now is because they kept their first-round draft picks and plenty of young talent that lets them chase a superstar should one come available, reports Ian Begley at SNY.TV.
New York has eight tradable first-round picks, including four of its own. The four picks from other teams are protected. Some have significant protections. As far as players, Evan Fournier (expiring $18 million deal), Randle, Quentin Grimes, Donte DiVincenzo, Mitchell Robinson, Jericho Sims and Isaiah Hartenstein are all trade-eligible. Josh Hart and Miles McBride cannot be traded prior to the 2024 deadline.
There are two names worth mentioning here. One is Karl-Anthony Towns — the Timberwolves are approaching a financial cliff starting next season and the sense around the league is that Towns will be the guy without a chair when the music stops. As Begley notes, there are extensive connections between the Knicks front office and Towns, although New York needs to ask itself: Is putting Towns next to Julius Randle really the big move that makes New York a threat to Boston and Milwaukee?
The other is Donovan Mitchell, the New York native who has long been linked to the franchise as well. Cleveland is not making him available at the trade deadline, according to multiple reports. The plan for the Cavaliers is to get Evan Mobley and Darius Garland healthy, see what kind of playoff run they can make with this core, and then see if Mitchell will sign an extension with the team next summer. The answer to those questions informs the next moves for the Cavaliers. However, the Knicks need to ask themselves the same thing they would with Towns, “Is this the player that puts us over the top?” Mitchell is a top 15 player in the league (give or take, depending on your personal rankings) and an elite scorer, but he is not the Joel Embiid/Luka Doncic-level superstar the Knicks reportedly hope to land.
(Also, Knicks fans, you are not getting Mitchell as a free agent in 2025, unless you want to gut the roster. Assuming the team re-signs Anunoby and plans to extend Randle and Jalen Brunson — both of whom can opt out before the summer of 2025 when Mitchell is a free agent — then there isn’t the cap space to get a major free agent. To be clear, New York simply cannot keep the core it has and add Mitchell as a free agent. It can only happen via a trade.)
