The gap is a bit wider in the Western Conference, but only the Thunder and Rockets have truly ruled themselves out of the postseason.
There are going to be teams in the middle of the standings that see a gap in the market and decide to pivot, which, in turn, could affect how the market plays out for the predetermined sellers.
As versatile as he’s become defensively, there’s just not enough of a track record to trust his 3-point shot yet.
They almost certainly won’t be after the deadline, so any team that wants to get below the tax line, make an unbalanced trade in terms of salary or get off of some long-term money is going to come Sam Presti’s way.
He may not shoot 44 percent from behind the arc the rest of the way, but his strength and low center of gravity make him a valuable defender for switch-heavy schemes and his ability to scale up or down as a ball-handler cannot be overstated.
He’s a stellar all-around offensive big on a reasonable contract, and he’d likely look far better playing alongside experienced guards, but he’s a poor defender on his best days and this season hasn’t been a glowing advertisement of his fit in a locker room.
That likely rules out packages based on draft picks, so as badly as the Pacers might want to reshape their roster, they seem to be overvaluing their own players to such a degree that a trade might not be possible.
He’s clearly not affecting their ability to tank, and given his desire to play a major offensive role, he’d likely be amenable to an extension if Detroit offered him one.
The decision Detroit essentially needs to make, here and now, is whether it views Grant as a core part of its next winner, or as a trade chip to help the Pistons get a player — or players — who will be, even if that’s done indirectly by trading Grant for picks.
The Magic are devoting major minutes to Gary Harris and Terrence Ross, and while there’s nothing inherently wrong with that, they’ll have to find minutes for Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac when they return, and getting rid of the veterans is the easiest way to do that.
If Philadelphia believes it can acquire James Harden through either a sign-and-trade or an opt-in-and-trade, Daryl Morey likely has an uneventful deadline.
The Kings are reportedly out of the Simmons sweepstakes, for instance, but if they could be roped back in, they have $20 million in expiring salaries between Marvin Bagley and Tristan Thompson along with another $45 million or so in non-expiring salaries that other teams reportedly want in Harrison Barnes and Buddy Hield.
It’s surprising that he’s available at all given his offensive chemistry with Trae Young, but rarely do contenders pay what the Hawks are asking for big men who aren’t elite defensively.
Do the Hawks really plan to pay both Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kevin Huerter starter money for the long haul? Has Onyeka Okongwu done enough to dislodge Collins or Clint Capela? The Hawks have starting-caliber players all over the roster.
Getting under it is critical, not only due to Boston’s long-term tax potential and the ticking repeater tax clock, but because the tax pool this season is enormous thanks to wild expenditures from teams like the Warriors and Nets.
Washington could be considered if it had the assets, but if we assume Kyle Kuzma and Deni Avdija are keepers and Rui Hachimura’s value is too much of a mystery for him to be credibly dealt, there just isn’t much to work with here.
If a move makes him likelier to stay, they’ll try to make it, and if he indicates that he wants to leave, they’d be best served by acting quickly and positioning themselves for a rebuild.
Sending Serge Ibaka into Oklahoma City’s cap space would save Clippers owner Steve Ballmer over $40 million in salary and taxes.
The question really boils down to how comfortable the Clippers are with their ability to compete for the 2023 championship with a healthy version of the roster they currently have.
We covered the Blazers in the buyers guide, and to some extent, Portland will seek upgrades for a possible playoff push next season.
Portland can get below the tax this season by trading either Nurkic or Covington, and there will surely be offers built around draft picks aimed at solving that exact problem.