NBA Roundtable: Deadline sellers, slumping squads
With the first three months of the 2023-24 campaign in the books and the Feb. 8 trade deadline fast approaching, theScore’s NBA editors answer some of the biggest questions around the league.
Which team needs to be sellers at the deadline?
All the talk of the Pistons supposedly trying to add to whatever it is they have now suggests they’re on the cusp of a massive mistake. Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, and Ausar Thompson should be the only pieces of the roster moving forward, and any future acquisitions should be made, first and foremost, with the goal of complementing that trio. Trading Bojan Bogdanovic for the best offer is arguably their best recourse for the deadline. But under no circumstances should it be the front office’s priority to keep together a team that has lost 35 of its last 36 games. – Jonathan Soveta
The Trae Young-Dejounte Murray experiment appears to have run its course. In parts of two seasons together, the Atlanta Hawks have been a sub-.500 team and are fighting tooth and nail just to make the play-in tournament. While a complete rebuild isn’t necessary, it’s clear something needs to change, and the Hawks would be wise to turn a few rotational players into financial flexibility down the line. Offloading the contracts of Murray or Bogdan Bogdanovic would allow the front office to build a better team around Young and Jalen Johnson. Atlanta isn’t winning a championship as currently constructed, and the sooner the team breaks things apart the better.
– Chicco Nacion
The Chicago Bulls are playing much better basketball of late after a very poor start to the season, but don’t let that mask the fact that this core must be split apart. DeMar DeRozan is a free agent after this season and will likely seek a situation that gives him the best chance at winning his first title. Meanwhile, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic are owed $60 million combined over each of the next two seasons. In an Eastern Conference where they are multiple tiers below the top contenders, the Bulls would be wise to get whatever assets they can out of their expiring or expensive pieces, and hand the keys over to red-hot Coby White to begin their rebuild. – Matthew Winick
Who will be the biggest player moved by the deadline?
Dejounte Murray’s tenure with the Atlanta Hawks could be over in the coming weeks. The team has not lived up to expectations since acquiring the one-time All-Star. After some offseason changes to the roster, the Hawks seem to have taken a step back, going 15-23 over the first half of the season. They sit on the outside looking in for the play-in tournament, and their pairing of Murray and Young has a negative-4.9 net rating in over 800 minutes played this campaign. The 27-year-old is still a valuable player, averaging over 20 points for the third straight season, but he might not be the right fit for the Hawks any longer. – Donald Higney
Pascal Siakam’s cloudy future needs to be addressed by the Raptors, who still appear set to jettison their star forward despite encouraging early signs after trading away OG Anunoby. The duo of Immanuel Quickley and Scottie Barnes now seems to be the focus in Toronto, and it feels like the club is simply holding out for the best offer ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline rather than letting Siakam walk for nothing after the season. Momentum toward an extension or re-signing appears non-existent. Whichever team he ends up joining will definitely benefit from his addition. The Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, and Indiana Pacers have been some of the most strongly linked teams to the 29-year-old, who would arguably fit like a glove with either of the three. – Soveta
The emergence of White should spell the end of LaVine’s time in the Windy City. During LaVine’s 17-game absence, White proved more than capable of taking an increased offensive load, averaging 22.4 points, 5.9 boards, and 5.8 assists to go along with a 40.1% clip from deep. For White to continue his growth, the Bulls need to move on from LaVine. The two-time All-Star has some durability concerns, but his offensive abilities can certainly help a contender. LaVine remains an effective shot-creator, 3-point shooter, and playmaker. His 17.3% assist percentage ranks in the 86th percentile among wings, according to Cleaning the Glass. – Nacion
Which top-6 team is at risk of falling into the play-in?
In an absolutely star-studded Western Conference, it’s only natural to wonder whether the Sacramento Kings can keep up another full season of serious contention at the top of the standings. Even though De’Aaron Fox’s career-best shooting is likely to fade somewhat over time, this prediction is more about the teams behind the Kings in the standings than Sacramento itself. The Phoenix Suns may have finally turned a corner with their Big Three healthy, and availability is also the name of the game for the New Orleans Pelicans. It’s impossible to count out Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks or LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. It should be considered another underdog story if the Kings finish this season in the West’s top six once again. – Winick
Without Tyrese Haliburton in the lineup, the Indiana Pacers’ chances of avoiding the play-in tournament will be slim to none. Haliburton suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain and is slated to miss at least another week with the injury, leaving the team without its leading scorer and playmaker. Another factor is the Pacers’ lack of defensive presence. They rank 26th in defensive rating and allow opponents to score 123.2 points per game. With other Eastern Conference opponents starting to pick up steam as the league gets closer to the halfway mark, the Pacers need to shore themselves up on both ends to make sure they maintain playoff positioning. – Higney
While they have four straight wins, we probably can’t take too much from the Cleveland Cavaliers’ current streak, which includes back-to-back blowouts of the Washington Wizards and a narrow win over the last-place San Antonio Spurs. In fact, Cleveland is still only a half-game clear of the play-in range, with the rugged Miami Heat and Orlando Magic in close proximity. To make matters worse, the Cavaliers, who are still without Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, have a gauntlet of a schedule for the rest of January, with three matchups against the Bucks, plus games against the Magic and Los Angeles Clippers. A loss of momentum here could be all Miami or Orlando need to overtake them ahead of the All-Star break. – Soveta
Where will Klay Thompson play next season?
Klay Thompson is set to become a free agent this summer. The Golden State Warriors guard has spent his entire 11-year career in the Bay Area, and it’s hard to imagine him in any other jersey. Despite his struggles this season, Thompson remains a key cog in the club’s 13th-ranked offense. The five-time All-Star trails only backcourt mate Stephen Curry and Jonathan Kuminga in usage rate. With Thompson on the floor, the Warriors are scoring 6.9 more points per 100 possessions. That difference is higher than any other player on the roster. Golden State’s front office didn’t hesitate last offseason to hand Draymond Green a four-year, $100-million contract. It’d be a surprise if the Warriors allowed Thompson to walk, even if it means increasing their steep luxury-tax bill. – Nacion
From a basketball standpoint, there may not be a team that can use Thompson’s services more than the Philadelphia 76ers. He’d be a prime candidate to fill the Danny Green role that was a fixture on some of Joel Embiid’s best teams. As a third or fourth option on offense with the elite ability to space the floor and defend quality scorers, Thompson would make Embiid’s life significantly easier and lighten the scoring burden from rising star Tyrese Maxey. The cost would work, too. Almost all of the 76ers’ money will be off the books this offseason, allowing them to make a handful of blockbuster moves. – Winick
If Thompson were to leave in free agency, the Los Angeles Lakers would be an ideal destination for the veteran guard. Evolving into a role player beside LeBron James and Anthony Davis could alleviate the pressure that Thompson feels as a former All-Star trying to live up to expectations. With a simpler role based on his shooting prowess, letting his teammates create for him more often could bring his percentages up. He also has family ties to the franchise, with his dad, Mychal, winning two championships with the Lakers in the 1980’s and serving as the team’s color commentator. Time is seemingly running out for both the Lakers and Thompson to win another ring, so Klay should sail his boat down to Los Angeles. – Higney
