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The 2021 NBA trade deadline is less than 48 hours away, meaning vying teams look to bolster their rosters for a playoff push while teams heading for a lottery landing look to offload assets to better position themselves for the future. The addition of play-in games for the playoffs has kept more teams in the game, so there are more buyers than usual. While the timeline is expected to be relatively calm, that hasn’t stopped the rumors from flying. There’s a lot to watch before March 25, so here’s a look at the latest rumors surrounding the trade deadline.
If there’s anyone in the NBA who knows what it’s like to be traded, it’s Houston Rockets guard Victor Oladipo. Oladipo has only been in the league since 2013, but he has already been traded three times, and a fourth trade could be on the horizon. After acquiring him in January, the Rockets are expected to move Oladipo before the deadline, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Oladipo will become a free agent during the offseason, which likely limits the return the Rockets will get, as teams are generally reluctant to trade too much for a player they could lose after the season. On the other hand, Oladipo would benefit from joining both the Heat and the Knicks, and so these two teams are also reluctant to trade too much for a player who could potentially land in free agency. Still, the Rockets are increasingly comfortable with away offers for Oladipo, per Wojnarowski. So it seems very possible, probably even, that Oladipo will be part of a new squad by the end of the week.
Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins is available for the right price, and the Boston Celtics are a team that is interested in the multi-faceted forward. However, the two parties might not be able to agree on a deal. According to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, the Hawks wanted to expand a potential deal with Collins to include Jaylen Brown. He was a non-starter for the Celtics unless the Hawks were willing to part ways with Trae Young and De’Andre Hunter, and there is no indication that the Hawks want to part ways with either, or both, or these young players. Things could change, but at this point it doesn’t look like a deal between the Celtics and Hawks is coming to fruition.
The Indiana Pacers could be sellers by the deadline, and one of the players they could potentially part ways with is former Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon. The Pacers are listening to offers on Brogdon – and they’re also apparently watching Domantas Sabonis – according to Yahoo Sports’ Vincent Goodwill. As for Brogdon, the Pacers feel he might be redundant following the team’s addition of Caris LeVert, who is capable of playing the point position. The Pacers aren’t necessarily shopping at Brogdon, who is in the second year of a four-year, $ 85 million contract. However, if the right offer comes up, expect them to act on it.
The Denver Nuggets want to fortify their frontcourt ahead of the playoff game. One player in particular they’re interested in is Kings forward Harrison Barnes, according to Denver Post’s Mike Singer. Barnes, who started in 40 games for Sacramento this season, has two more years on his current contract. Along with Barnes, the Nuggets also have their sights set on Magic forward Aaron Gordon. Either player plans to team up well alongside MVP candidate Nikola Jokic and either would provide Denver with additional firepower on the offensive side. The Nuggets will likely have to face some competition when it comes to landing either player as they are far from the only team looking to improve up front.
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