While megastar Anthony Davis looms over the NBA’s upcoming trade deadline, brace yourself for a quieter year than most on the trade front, as teams look ahead to the firework display in store for the summer, when another loaded free agent class hits the market.
Any clarity on Davis’ situation could serve as a domino as the deadline nears. The all-world big man has one more year left on his deal after this season and neither he nor the New Orleans Pelicans have indicated they want a trade despite signs that Davis will hit the free agent market the first chance he gets.
There are other big names that could be dealt, like Kemba Walker and Nic Vucevic, on expiring deals playing like all-stars for losing teams, or Bradley Beal, who has been lighting it up for the otherwise forgettable Wizards.
But for now, all is quiet on the trade front, with a few notable exceptions. With the Feb. 7 trade deadline just three weeks away, here are the latest rumours and rumblings:
The Aftershock of Luka-mania
Dennis Smith Jr., the seventh-overall pick in 2017, was going to be the Dallas Mavericks’ point guard of the future. A potential-laden, highlight reel player, he was given near-full reign under head coach Rick Carlisle last season and, through the usual speed bumps, managed to average over 15 points and five assists and crack the All-NBA team.
But then came Luka Doncic, the Mavs’ sudden superstar of the present-and-future who is on pace to become the first rookie to play in the all-star game in a decade. Left in the wake of Luka-mania, Smith Jr. missed some time to injury and, when healthy, has struggled this season in a newfound role.
With a future MVP-calibre player to build around, the Mavericks are now in search of pieces to fit alongside Doncic as they rebuild on the fly. And it doesn’t appear that Smith Jr. is a part of that puzzle.
On Monday it was reported that Smith Jr. could be traded prior to the deadline. Note the cryptic language and insinuation regarding Smith’s injury status.
It would make sense for Dallas to be exploring trades for their 21-year-old point guard, who still holds value and has the potential to be a part of a team’s rebuild elsewhere. The Suns and Magic are both desperate for answers at point guard, particularly Orlando, who has suffered in that department for almost two decades. It’s also been reported that the Pistons could be in the mix.
Late on Tuesday afternoon, it appeared that all of the ingredients for an imminent trade were in place, according to Dallas reporter Mike Fisher:
Stay tuned.
Linstanity 8.0?
While it remains to be seen how valid rumours and potential deals surrounding top tier talents are, there’s a stronger chance that we’ll see useful rotation players be dealt in lower risk moves at this year’s deadline.
There’s a long list of veterans being traded from bottom-feeders to contenders mid-season to deepen rosters, and the handful of teams already eyeing the lottery — or looking to enter that conversation — will be trying to swap vets for draft picks and future assets.
The Atlanta Hawks have three players who fit the bill and all three are reportedly on the trading block. Kent Bazemore, a talented two-way wing player currently sidelined with an ankle sprain, 29-year-old centre Dewayne Dedmon, and Jeremy Lin, who is in the final year of a three-year deal.
Lin could be moving to his eighth team in nine seasons. If the 30 year-old point guard is dealt, it’ll be the third time he’s been traded in his career so far after being acquired by the Hawks last summer from the Brooklyn Nets.
The Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers have both reportedly expressed interest in acquiring Lin.
Lin’s a decent reserve guard — currently averaging 11 points in just under 20 minutes per game this season while shooting a career-high 47.8 per cent from the floor— and would be a boost to a team like the Kings in need of point guard depth, but at this point it’s hard to imagine him making a dramatic difference to whatever team acquires him.
Fair game
On Tuesday the restriction placed on a number of players who recently signed contracts was lifted, making them technically available on the trade market for the first time this season. Per ESPN’s Bobby Marks:
The signing restrictions for Marcus Smart, Joe Harris, Zach LaVine, Rodney Hood, Nikola Jokic, Will Barton, Chris Paul, Clint Capela, Avery Bradley, Montrezl Harrell, Paul George, Jerami Grant, Aaron Gordon, Jusuf Nurkic, Davis Bertans, Bryn Forbes, Fred VanVleet, Derrick Favors, Raul Neto and Dante Exum will be lifted on Tuesday, Jan. 15. Hood and LaVine have veto power on any trade. The restriction was based on the 20 players signing with the early or bird exception and the first season of their new contract greater than 120 per cent from the previous season.
We could see some of those players change addresses by the deadline, like Utah’s Derrick Favors who has appeared in trade rumours lately as the Jazz, winners of four straight, look for ways to continue to turn their so-so season around. One rumour from December had Favours’ name included in a potential trade for Chicago Bulls forward Jabari Parker, who has been benched for 11 of his last 13 games.
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