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0 out of 5
Brett Davis / Associated Press
The 2021 NBA trade deadline is now less than two months away, although a successful four-team James Harden trade has already caused ripples throughout the league.
Harden joining the Brooklyn Nets means other title contenders may now be forced to upgrade their roster as the Nets themselves seek to regain depth.
Bradley Beal has become the name to watch as the league’s top scorer is wasted on the 3-9 Washington Wizards. He is far from the only big name that can be moved, however.
With activity already underway, here are a few more deals to watch out for as the deadline approaches.
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Tony Dejak / Associated Press
Pairing James Harden with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving appears to be a cheat code on offense, although the withdrawal from the squad of Jarrett Allen, Taurean Prince and Caris LeVert has seriously damaged Brooklyn’s defense and depth.
Since their negotiation for Harden, the Nets have a defensive rating of 119.2, which ranks second-to-last in the NBA over that span.
While one of those meetings was against a strong Milwaukee Bucks team, the Nets gave up two games to the Cleveland Cavaliers (who lacked Kevin Love), gave up 124 points to a Miami Heat team without Jimmy Butler or Tyler Herro and allowed Nikola Vucevic of the Orlando Magic to light them up for 34 points on 63.6% shooting.
Starting center DeAndre Jordan (5.8 points, 6.8 rebounds per game) hasn’t been so ineffective for nearly a decade and will be destroyed if called upon to defend Joel Embiid, Bam Adebayo or Giannis Antetokounmpo in a playoff series.
The Nets can’t trade a first-round pick for the next eight drafts, which means they’re limited on leveling opportunities.
But JaVale McGee is an option. The 33-year-old averages 8.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in just 16.8 minutes per game for the Cavaliers, but he fell out of the rotation behind Andre Drummond and Allen.
The nets got a Exception of $ 5.7 million for disabled players of Spencer Dinwiddie’s season-ending ACL tear, and they could use it to soak up McGee’s $ 4.2 million salary. Sam friend of FortyEightMinutes reported that the Nets and Cavs have already met twice to discuss a trade for the big man.
Brooklyn could also use its exception to trade against other veteran centers like Ed Davis, Nerlens Noel or Bismack Biyombo.
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Eric Gay / Associated press
With the Houston Rockets in the midst of a full makeover, PJ Tucker is probably the next veteran out the door.
Houston was in no rush to trade the 35-year-old, however, even offering him a contract extension, through the Athletic’s Kelly Iko and Sam Amick. They also noted that “the teams have already made a number of phone calls to Houston regarding the potential acquisition of Tucker.”
The power in three and D with an expiring contract of $ 8 million should be one of the easiest-to-move veterans in the league. He has played a key role in the Houston and Toronto playoff teams for the past five years, able to start as a great ground player or serve as a main reserve.
Since Tucker has refused to sign any extension Houston offered, a trade seems inevitable.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have “maintained contact” with the Rockets over Tucker, according to Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski. While they need a power forward, they are also the last in the West with a 4-11 record. Giving up anything of value to Tucker with the season slipping away seems questionable.
Expect a candidate to end up winning the Tucker raffle instead.
The Boston Celtics have needed a real power forward for years. The Brooklyn Nets, Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets also need some defensive help.
With Russell Westbrook and James Harden both out of Houston, expect Tucker to be next.
3 out of 5
Rick Scuteri / Associated press
The Dallas Mavericks are good enough to have a deep playoff run now, but should also be closely 2021 free agent class monitoring.
With Kristaps Porzingis on a max deal and Luka Doncic eligible to sign his own extension this offseason, the Mavs’ last chance to make a big splash in free agency could be this summer.
While some of the best potential free agents already have expansions inked that took them off the table, there will still be plenty of talent available. Victor Oladipo, DeMar DeRozan, John Collins, Lauri Markkanen, Kyle Lowry and Andre Drummond will all be free agents, and each could help create a Big Three in Dallas.
However, the Mavericks are not yet guaranteed to have room for maximum pay.
Josh Richardson is offering an $ 11.6 million player option, and the Mavericks can choose whether they want to pay Willie Cauley-Stein $ 4.1 million next season.
Dallas is expected to look for list upgrades now while getting extra pay off the books for 2021-2022.
Drummond is on an expiring $ 28.8 million deal and is expected to be available after the Cleveland Cavaliers trade for Jarrett Allen. The Mavs could strike a deal around James Johnson and Dwight Powell, wiping out the last two years and $ 22.8 million from the latter. Dallas is only 24th in rebound this season (48.4 percent rebound), while Drummond almost leads the NBA in cleaning the glass for the fourth straight season.
Otto Porter Jr. ($ 28.5 million) and LaMarcus Aldridge ($ 24.0 million) could also work as plays on expiring deals that are able to help now.
4 out of 5
Charles Rex Arbogast / Associated Press
While a handful of young players (Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell, Bam Adebayo, De’Aaron Fox, OG Anunoby, etc.) have avoided free will by signing extensions before the season, other young stars have failed. failed to find an agreement with their current clubs. .
John Collins, Lauri Markkanen and Lonzo Ball will now become restricted free agents over the summer, leaving their future with their current squads in doubt.
Jarrett Allen was another player in the 2017 class who was not extended. By not signing any additional contracts with the Brooklyn Nets, he was eligible to be traded under the James Harden deal and will almost certainly reconnect with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Nets are already deeply involved in the luxury tax, so a new deal for Allen would have put even more financial pressure on the franchise.
A difference in money is probably the reason why Collins, Markkanen, and Ball aren’t on long-term deals either. It could also be the reason that at least one of them is traded before the deadline.
John Collins wanted as much money as possible from the Atlanta Hawks, but only got an offer exceeding $ 90 million, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. The Chicago Bulls and Markkanen were roughly $ 4 million apart in terms of starting salary, according to KC Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Ball probably should have accepted any reasonable offer the New Orleans Pelicans had presented to him given his huge drop in play last season.
While Ball and Markkanen could still be moved, Collins appears to be the most likely candidate.
As a big combo, Collins faces a crowded Hawks frontcourt with Clint Capela, Danilo Gallinari, Onyeka Okongwu and De’Andre Hunter, who overtook Collins as the team’s second-highest scorer behind Trae Young.
Given that the Hawks might need to give the 23-year-old maximum deal or lose him for nothing this offseason, expect him to be traded – and possibly Markkanen or Ball as well.
5 out of 5
Andy Clayton-King / Associated Press
A 6-9 record to start the season has the Miami Heat near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, largely due to injuries and players missing games due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
While it’s still relatively early, the East is getting a lot tougher than the version Miami finished leading the last campaign.
The Philadelphia 76ers start at 12-5 to lead the conference, the Brooklyn Nets could now have the best offense in the NBA with James Harden, and the Milwaukee Bucks should be better suited for the playoffs with Jrue Holiday on board.
Miami should definitely feel the pressure to do something, and a trade for Bradley Beal would be the ultimate answer.
the Miami heraldBarry Jackson noted that the Heat had a “high” level of interest in trading Beal if the 3-9 Washington Wizards made him available.
With Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo reportedly off the table, a deal centering on Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson, and the first-round picks in 2025 and 2027 should be enough to pique Washington’s interest. Miami should be all-in for a title, especially as Butler, 31, racked up plenty of miles early in his career playing under Tom Thibodeau on the Chicago Bulls.
The Wizards won’t want to trade Beal, but the 27-year-old could certainly ask for his exit. With a 21-year-old star in the making on Herro’s table, they could get a good comeback for their established star.
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