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Now past the halfway point of the 2022-23 NBA season, all 30 NBA teams are gearing up for the February 9 trade deadline.
Considering how close the league standings are this season and how both conferences seem wide open at the moment, it’s very likely that we’ll see some significant action at this season’s trade deadline. high.
Whether this means the star player is moving is a whole other conversation.
With really no “sellers” ahead of the trade deadline this year, just a few losses and wins over the next few weeks could completely change the course of many NBA franchises.
From John Collins to Kyle Kuzma to Jae Crowder to the Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors, there’s a lot to talk about about what will happen this season’s trade deadline.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the latest rumors around the league and do a little ‘buy and sell’ action.
Hawks trade John Collins
As a franchise, the Atlanta Hawks have a lot to unravel.
Back in the last season, John Collins was frustrated with the way things were going, and there was talk of the Hawks potentially trying to deal with him before the trade deadline. trade speculation about the Hawks forward continued into the summer.
Now, the Hawks are struggling again, with various reports suggesting Atlanta are interested in moving John Collins.
It’s no secret that the Hawks will move Collins at the right price, and it’s not hard to believe he’ll be one of the first dominoes to enter trade talks in the next month or so.
Shams Charania of The Athletic recently reported that the Utah Jazz are the “most involved team” when it comes to trade talks centered on John Collins, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. .
With both Jared Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley, the Jazz were able to easily put together an offer in favor of John Collins, giving the Hawks two key secondary talents to push for the playoffs .
Given what’s been going on in Atlanta this season and how this franchise is in danger of having to start over, it doesn’t make much sense to keep Collins and not capitalize on his value.
The only way the Hawks can be truly competitive in the Eastern Conference playoffs is if they can resolve the conflict between the locker room and the front office, and this is far from endless.
I fully expect John Collins to make a move at this season’s trade deadline or in the offseason.
Verdict: Buy
Chicago prepares to rebuild
As mentioned earlier, teams across the league have struggled in the first half of the 2022-23 season, thus surrounding the Chicago Bulls as a team to watch before the trade deadline.
The Bulls are now 20-24 years old, and Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic and DeMar DeRozan could all be available if they decide to “sell” before the trade deadline, so the biggest It will hold the market and the audience.
Needless to say, Alex Caruso is a key defensive target for many playoff teams across the league, a player who can quickly influence other teams off the bench.
It definitely makes sense for many to believe that the Bulls will enter the trade deadline with the idea of ”blowing things up,” but at this point, Chicago has what it takes to get back into the playoff picture. We believe we have. A source told Fastbreak on FanNation.
The Bulls have been discussing all their options internally in recent weeks, but at this point they don’t believe LaVine, DeRozan and Vucevich will make a move in the near future.
That said, other players like Alex Caruso, Coby White and Patrick Williams could wreak havoc on the trade market if Chicago tries to add another significant presence to their roster. there is.
But thoughts about a possible Bulls rebuild are starting to fade across the league.
Verdict: Sell (for now)
Gary Trent Jr. and/or OG Anunoby Move Out of Toronto
Along with the Chicago Bulls, the Toronto Raptors are another Eastern Conference team on the radar of many across the league.
Maybe they won’t go through a “genuine rebuild,” but change is on the horizon for the Raptors as their struggles this season are so concerning.
Toronto’s bench remains one of the worst in the league despite the team’s move to add depth this offseason, and the Raptors are now in the Eastern Conference playoff picture before the deadline. and are out of play-in tournament photos.
Some sort of “reboot” is needed within this franchise for them to return to championship fashion, and it only makes sense to explore trade opportunities involving OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. .
Anunoby now holds more value across the league, with several teams showing trade interest in him dating back to the offseason, but Toronto chose to trade Trent Jr. instead. seems to want
With $17.2 million in earnings this season and $18.6 million in player options next season, it’s likely Toronto will see Trent’s value, especially since he could opt out in the offseason and become an unrestricted free agent. It makes the most sense to utilize it whenever possible.
The New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns are two teams a source told Fastbreak about having an inside interest in Gary Trent Jr. There are quite a few other teams that might consider trading, such as Wizards. For the Toronto sniper wing.
Toronto may put second-year Scotty Barnes at the center of its long-term plans by dealing with one of the stars of Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam, but it could be either Anunoby or Trent. is much higher. A move will be made in the coming weeks to limit space for the Raptors to add future assets and re-sign VanVleet to a new long-term contract in the offseason.
Verdict: Buy
Wizards sign Kyle Kuzma to long-term deal?
Many discussions with the looming trade deadline have revolved around their plans with the Washington Wizards and Kyle Kuzma.
Kyle Kuzma, who is in a similar position to Gary Trent Jr., has only a year left on his contract, but many are hoping he will opt out and become an unrestricted free agent. is a $13 million player option.
If this happens, the Wizards will try to get Kuzma out of free agency by battling other teams across the league.
While the Wizards are currently 18-26 this season and are struggling, they are very interested in keeping Kyle Kuzma long-term.
He’s only 27 and fits nicely as a second and third scoring option behind Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis.
Kuzma has had a career up to this point in the season and is far from the root of the team’s problems. As such, trading him would not have a positive effect on the franchise.
There is a market for Kuzma right now, and the Wizards could get a young player on a rookie deal and even give him a first or second pick, but all indications are that the Wizards are hoping to get Kyle Kuzma. indicates that you want to cross the trade deadline. and sign him to a new long-term contract.
Verdict: Buy
Los Angeles Lakers make big moves
Of course, we can’t talk about potential trades before the trade deadline without mentioning the Los Angeles Lakers.
LeBron James and company are only 20-24 this season, just one game behind the 10th seed in the West, but Los Angeles still has work to do if they are to become a real threat this year. A lot.
Obviously, getting Anthony Davis back and healthy before the All-Star break will be key, but he and LeBron James alone can’t carry this franchise.
Russell Westbrook’s experiment didn’t yield the results the Lakers had hoped for, and now they’re a franchise with no cap space and virtually no valuable trading assets.
Of course, Westbrook’s trade is always a possibility, but he’s been playing well in his new role off the bench, and sources say the Lakers are happy with the idea of keeping him until the end of his contract this season. , especially since he plans to be an unrestricted free agent in the summer.
The idea of making monumental moves for players like DeMar DeRozan and Bradley Beal just isn’t feasible for the Lakers right now.
Right now, the franchise is very likely to involve players like Patrick Beverly, Kendrick Nunn and Lonnie Walker IV, but a deal involving any of those three players could be a star-like Never return a player.
If the Lakers make a move before the trade deadline, Beverly and Nunn are likely to be sent out in exchange for key shooting options on the wings nearing expiry.
Verdict: sell
Make sure to catch up on the latest episodes of fast break podcast Hosted by Fastbreak itself Brett Siegel!
streaming Apple podcasts When Spotify, fast break podcast takes you inside the league with the latest news, information, rumors, and interviews from those close to the action for all 30 teams. Stay tuned for new episodes every Friday.
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