The New York Knicks pulled off one of the biggest moves on trade deadline day when they acquired Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks from the Detroit Pistons. The Knicks sent the Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier, two second-round picks and salary filler to the Pistons in the deal.

This move sets Detroit up to actually increase their 2024 cap space, and they get to incorporate Grimes with their young team. For New York, the move took on increased importance with an injury update that came out later in the day on Thursday.

Here are the particulars:

New York Knicks acquire: Bojan Bogdanovic, Alec Burks

Detroit Pistons acquire: Ryan Arcidiacono, Malachi Flynn, Evan Fournier, Quentin Grimes, two future second-round picks

Note: Detroit also waived Killian Hayes and Danuel House Jr. to complete this trade.

Let’s dive in!

New York Knicks

Incoming salary: $30.5 million in 2023-24

• Bojan Bogdanovic (SF/PF, two years, $39 million, $2 million guaranteed in 2024-25), Alec Burks (SG, one year, $10.5 million)

Outgoing salary: 27.1 million in 2023-24

• Ryan Arcidiacono (PG, one year, $2.0 million), Malachi Flynn (PG, one year, $3.9 million), Evan Fournier (SG/SF, two years, $37.8 million, team option for 2024-25), Quentin Grimes (SG, two years, $6.7 million, restricted free agent in 2025)

Whew, boy!

The Knicks went big in trade season. They traded for OG Anunoby in an earlier deal, and then swung arguably the day’s biggest trade in terms of players and impact. And New York didn’t sacrifice much draft capital, while still retaining some salary flexibility too. That’s good work.

This trade took on a whole other meaning when news broke that OG Anunoby is out at least the next three weeks after undergoing surgery on his right elbow. That’s on top of Julius Randle, who is in the midst of a multi-week absence after dislocating his right shoulder.

Instead of Bogdanovic coming in as a fill-in starter and then a key reserve, he’ll become a key starter as soon as he’s ready to play. And that’s a good thing. Bogdanovic is still a very good offensive player. He’ll help lessen the burden on Jalen Brunson to create everything for New York while Randle is out.

The 35-year-old remains equally adept at creating his own looks, as he is as a spot-up shooter. That kind of versatility should fit in nicely with Brunson right away, and then with Randle when he returns. Bogdanovic is shooting 41.5% on a career-high 7.4 three-point attempts per game. That’ll help boost a Knicks team that is middle-of-the-pack in terms of shooting.

Defensively, Bogdanovic is competitive. He’s better against bigger forwards now, because he’s fairly strong and a solid positional defender. When he draws a quicker player, he’ll need some help. But the Knicks have enough good defenders to cover for Bogdanovic when necessary.

As for Burks, think of him as the Immanuel Quickley replacement. He’s not as good as Quickley, but that’s the role the Knicks will ask him to play. New York is going to want Burks to provide the sort of instant offense they’ve been missing since trading Quickley.

After a really rough start, Burks has bounced back as a shooter. He’s up to 40.1% on 5.7 three-point attempts per game. He’s also a pretty good creator off the dribble. Burks isn’t nearly the defender Quickley could be, nor the passer, but as a bench scorer, he’ll help New York a lot.

On the cap sheet, things stayed relatively neutral. Bogdanovic is only guaranteed $2 million out of his $19 million deal, but expect the Knicks to guarantee the whole thing. If nothing else, that rolls over a big expiring contract into next year’s trade market for New York.

Giving up Quentin Grimes had to be hard for a Knicks front office that prized the young guard. However, he had struggled to adapt to a backup role this season. Grimes needs consistent minutes and a role. He’ll get that in Detroit, and he wasn’t likely to in a crowded Knicks backcourt.

Detroit Pistons

Incoming salary: 27.1 million in 2023-24

• Ryan Arcidiacono (PG, one year, $2.0 million), Malachi Flynn (PG, one year, $3.9 million), Evan Fournier (SG/SF, two years, $37.8 million, team option for 2024-25), Quentin Grimes (SG, two years, $6.7 million, restricted free agent in 2025)

Outgoing salary: $30.5 million in 2023-24

• Bojan Bogdanovic (SF/PF, two years, $39 million, $2 million guaranteed in 2024-25), Alec Burks (SG, one year, $10.5 million)

So…there is a lot going on here. First, this is a 4-for-2 trade. That meant the Pistons had to waive two players. They did that by waiving Killian Hayes and recently-acquired Danuel House Jr.

Let’s start with the Hayes part, as it’s fascinating how quickly he fell out of favor. In his fourth season, Hayes has only shown incremental progress from the flawed prospect he was as the 7th overall pick at the 2020 NBA Draft.

Hayes can’t shoot. He’s never become the defender he looked like he might. His playmaking has been solid enough, but the utter lack of scoring ability sunk Hayes as starting point guard. The good news? Hayes is only 22 years old. He’s a nice “second draft” flyer for team with a good player development staff and available minutes to let Hayes figure things out.

As for the trade, the Pistons main gets in this deal were Quentin Grimes and two future second picks. Even if we consider Grimes a pseudo first-round pick substitute, this is still a bit off the two firsts and two seconds that Detroit insisted they needed for Bogdanovic and Burks.

That said…this is more realistic value.

Grimes is a nice player who should fit in nicely with the Pistons young core. He’ll be able to play with Cade Cunningham, Jade Ivey, Ausar Thompson and Marcus Sasser in versatile guard/wing groupings. Detroit should also have the ability to give Grimes plenty of minutes, which is something he was seeing less and less of in New York.

The two second-round picks, combined with Grimes, are more reasonable value for Bogdanovic and Burks. Both players are still good, but they are aging and they both are coming to end of their contracts.

Detroit also acquired Evan Fournier in this deal. It’s not clear if Fournier will get a chance to play much. Given Monty Williams’ fondness for having vets on the floor, don’t bet against it. If he does get to play, Fournier will have a chance to show he can still shoot and score. He didn’t forget how to play basketball, despite the Knicks shelving him for the better part of the last two years. Fournier will be motivated to show he can still play, given his contract status for next season.

Detroit will likely decline Fournier’s $19 million team option for next season, as they pursue max cap space. It’s unclear if Ryan Arcidiacono or Malachi Flynn will make it to next week, never mind next season. They aren’t likely to be part of the Pistons beyond this season either.

That means the only long-term money Detroit took on was the $4.3 million for Quentin Grimes. The Pistons weren’t going to just waive Bojan Bogdanovic next year, so they actually created almost $15 million more in cap space next summer. Look for the Pistons to have north of $60 million in cap room come July.

In a move that helped the Philadelphia 76ers dodge the luxury tax, the Detroit Pistons picked up an additional 2024 second-round pick.

Here are the particulars:

Detroit Pistons acquire: Danuel House Jr., 2024 Knicks second-round pick

Philadelphia 76ers acquire: 2028 Pistons second-round pick (top-55 protected)

Let’s dive in!

Detroit Pistons

Incoming salary: $4.3 million in 2023-24

• Danuel House Jr. (SF, one year, $4.3 million)
• Detroit also waived Joe Harris to create the roster space to bring in House. House was acquired via the Marvin Bagley TPE that the Pistons had available.

Outgoing salary: None

• None

This is pretty simple on the Pistons side. Detroit gets a second-round pick for taking on some money for House. The pick won’t be a great one, as the Knicks are playing well, but it’s something Troy Weaver can add to his draft capital stash.

The Pistons pick is top-55 protected in 2028. If that conveys, Detroit will be thrilled as it means they are one of the best teams in the NBA.

As for House the player: the Pistons waived him to be able to complete another trade they made with the Knicks. Detroit also waived Joe Harris to create space to acquire House. Harris was out of the rotation for the Pistons and will count as $19.9 million dead money for the rest of this season.

Philadelphia 76ers

Incoming salary: None

• None

Outgoing salary: $4.3 million in 2023-24

• Danuel House Jr. (SF, one year, $4.3 million)

Combining this trade with the Sixers sending Marcus Morris Sr. and Furkan Korkmaz to the Indiana Pacers for Buddy Hield, Philadelphia is out of the luxury tax. That’s the motivation behind giving up a pick to dump House.

The 76ers now have the ability to play in the buyout market. Because they are well under the apron, Philadelphia has no restrictions on who they can sign after a buyout. And the Sixers have a lot of roster spots to fill, so Daryl Morey has a busy couple of weeks ahead of him.

The Dallas Mavericks wanted to upgrade their frontcourt. They got that done by trading for one of the more underrated centers in the NBA. In exchange, the Washington Wizards added some additional draft capital as they continue their rebuild.

Here are the particulars:

Dallas Mavericks acquire: Daniel Gafford

Washington Wizards acquire: Richaun Holmes, 2024 first-round pick via the Thunder

Let’s dive in!

Dallas Mavericks

Incoming salary: $12.4 million in 2023-24

• Daniel Gafford (C, three years, $40.2 million)

Outgoing salary: $12.0 million in 2023-24

• Richaun Holmes (C, two years, $24.9 million, player option for 2024-25)

Dallas was motivated to build up their frontcourt. They accomplished that in a pair of trade deadline moves that saw the team acquire Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington. We’re going to focus on the Gafford acquisition now, and we’ll hit on the Washington in a separate piece.

Gafford is in the midst of the best year of his career. He’s started in 45 games he’s played, and Gafford has averaged 10.9 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.

It’s the latter two stats that are particularly encouraging for Gafford. He’s been an improved defender, even if that gets lost somewhat in the overall sloppiness of the Wizards team defense. The 25-year-old big man is also a solid rebounder. That’s been a weakness for Dallas this season and one Gafford should help shore up.

For the Mavericks, Gafford is probably coming off the bench. He’ll replace Dwight Powell as the primary backup for Dereck Lively II. That gives Dallas three very capable centers that they can use at any time. That’s important because Lively has had some issues staying on the floor. The Mavs can now make sure he’s fully ready to play, because they have Gafford in the fold.

Dallas took on an extra year of salary in this deal, but it was only $14.4 million in 2025-26. That’ll be roughly equivalent to the Non-Taxpayer MLE. Gafford should return that much value with ease.

As for the draft pick compensation, the Mavs had to get a little creative. Dallas worked with the Oklahoma City Thunder to send a 2028 first-round pick swap to the Thunder for a 2024 first-round pick. That allowed the Mavs to route the draft compensation that the Wizards needed for Gafford.

Washington Wizards

Incoming salary: $12.0 million in 2023-24

• Richaun Holmes (C, two years, $24.9 million, player option for 2024-25)

Outgoing salary: $12.4 million in 2023-24

• Daniel Gafford (C, three years, $40.2 million)

The Wizards were able to get a first-round pick for Daniel Gafford. That’s something they couldn’t do in the Bradley Beal or Kristaps Porzingis trades.

Washington also got off an additional year of salary for Gafford in 2025-26 in this trade. As the Wizards continue along with the rebuild, additional draft capital and cap flexibility are desirable commodities.

There’s also a chance that Richaun Holmes could rehab his value as a member of the Wizards. The last two years have been mostly lost campaigns for the 30-year-old big man, but there’s still talent there.

As recently as 2021-22, Holmes averaged 10.4 points and 7.0 rebounds. He should get a chance to play for the Wizards. If Holmes can rebuild his value, it will help him, and it will help the Wizards by virtue of a potential re-trade down the line.

The Toronto Raptors are continuing to reshape their roster, after trading OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam earlier this season. In a deal with the Utah Jazz, the Raptors added a young wing with some upside and a veteran center in exchange for two non-rotation players and a 2024 first-round pick.

Here are the particulars:

Toronto Raptors acquire: Ochai Agbaji, Kelly Olynyk

Utah Jazz acquire: Kira Lewis Jr., Otto Porter Jr., 2024 first-round pick (likely from the Thunder or Clippers)

(Note: This will functionally be two separate trades, since Lewis can’t be aggregated in this deal.)

Let’s dive in!

Toronto Raptors

Incoming salary: $16.3 million in 2023-24

• Ochai Agbaji (SF/SG, three years, $14.8 million, rookie scale team option in 2025-26), Kelly Olynyk (C/PF, one year, $12.2 million)

Outgoing salary: $12.2 million in 2023-24

• Kira Lewis Jr. (PG, one year, $5.7 million, restricted free agent in 2024), Otto Porter Jr. (PF/SF, one year, $6.3 million)

Masai Ujiri said he wasn’t tearing the Raptors roster down to rebuild after the OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam trades. Instead, Ujiri is resetting things in Toronto. This trade furthers that strategy.

Effectively, Toronto gave up a very late (probably in the 25-30 range) first-round pick in what is considered a weak 2024 NBA Draft for Agbaji. Considering Agbaji was just the 14th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, that’s not a bad upgrade.

Agbaji is seen as a potential 3&D starting wing. As of right now, the “D” part is well ahead the “3” part of that equation. After an encouraging 36% as a rookie, Agbaji has slipped to 33% this season. If he’s going to make it as a regular starter, he’ll need to bring that up considerably.

As it stands, Agbaji is a good defender and a nice bench player. He fits in the new-look Raptors rotation in that sense. He’s a bit older for a second-year player, as he’s already 23 years old, but Agbaji still has some upside left to discover.

And all of that is before we get to Olynyk.

Adding a veteran center on an expiring contract feels like an odd move for Toronto, but they did this a year ago with Jakob Poeltl. The idea may simply be to get Olynyk, and his Bird Rights, and to re-sign him this summer. That would match the path the Raptors took with Poeltl.

Olynyk brings a dimension that no other Raptors big does. He’s a good perimeter player, as Olynyk can shoot and pass. He’s also a solid roll-man, which Toronto has been lacking this season. He’s a good changeup from Poeltl as a center combo.

If the Raptors retain Olynyk, or turn him into another long-term fit down the line, they’ve done well in this trade. If not, then it’s probably more of a neutral value.

Finally, it’s worth noting that Toronto took on very little future money in this trade. They’re still set up to be a major free agency player with north of $30 million cap space this summer.

Utah Jazz

Incoming salary: $12.2 million in 2023-24

• Kira Lewis Jr. (PG, one year, $5.7 million, restricted free agent in 2024), Otto Porter Jr. (PF/SF, one year, $6.3 million)

Outgoing salary: $16.3 million in 2023-24

• Ochai Agbaji (SF/SG, three years, $14.8 million, rookie scale team option in 2025-26), Kelly Olynyk (C/PF, one year, $12.2 million)

We’ve written and said repeatedly that Danny Ainge won’t be seduced by the allure of the Play-In Tournament. If there is a good deal to be made, he’ll make it and let the standings fall where they may. Ainge did it last season, and he’s done it again here.

For Ainge, he acquired another first-round pick for an expiring contract at a position where the Jazz have depth and a player who was blocking a younger player with more upside. In addition, Ainge cleared about $4.3 million in salary off next year’s books.

That’s pretty solid work, even if it potentially weakens Utah’s rotation for the rest of this season.

After trading Simone Fontecchio, and now Agbaji, the runway is clear for Taylor Hendricks to play significant minutes. He’s played well in the G League and is brimming with potential. The Jazz can use the rest of this season to see how he fits in with Lauri Markkanen and others.

Up front, barring further trades, Utah still has Markkanen, John Collins and Walker Kessler in the rotation. They also like Omer Yurtseven and Luka Samanic, who could see some increased minutes too.

It’s unlikely that either Lewis or Porter will play much of a role for the Jazz. In fact, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see either of them waived and allowed to catch on elsewhere.

Keep an eye on Utah continuing to try to clear even more cap space for next summer. They’d like to renegotiate-and-extend Markkanen’s deal, plus have some left over to make other moves. This is a multi-year rebuilding process for the Jazz. Their two (so far!) deadline moves signal that the work is far from complete.

After earlier making a trade for Simone Fontecchio from the Utah Jazz, the Detroit Pistons continued the process of reshaping the roster. This time, the Pistons sent Monte Morris to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have been looking for additional backcourt depth.

Here are the particulars:

Minnesota Timberwolves acquire: Monte Morris

Detroit Pistons acquire: Troy Brown Jr., Shake Milton, 2030 Minnesota Timberwolves second-round pick

(Note: Detroit will need to waive or trade another player to be in roster compliance. That additional transaction was not known at the time of this writing.)

Let’s dive in!

Minnesota Timberwolves

Incoming salary: $9.8 million in 2023-24

• Monte Morris (PG, one year, $9.8 million)

Outgoing salary: $9 million in 2023-24

• Troy Brown Jr. (SF/SG, two years, $8.0 million, team option for 2024-25), Shake Milton (PG/SG, two years, $10 million, team option for 2024-25)

The Timberwolves entered trade deadline eve in a four-way tie atop the Western Conference. That’s pretty rarified air for Minnesota. And they got there despite a pretty glaring hole in their rotation at backup point guard.

Mike Conley is having an outstanding and efficient season for the Wolves. When he’s on the court, Minnesota is +9.0 in offensive rating compared to when he’s off the court. Now, offensive rating isn’t an individual stat, but it does paint a picture that matches the eye test: The Timberwolves offense gets really messy whenever Conley isn’t on the floor.

That made it a major goal to find a quality backup point guard. Minnesota front office leader Tim Connelly did so by returning to a familiar face in Morris. Connelly originally drafted Morris in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft.

We can basically disregard Morris’ stats for this season, as he’s only recently returned from injury for the Pistons to play just six games. If we focus on his previous seasons with the Washington Wizards and Denver Nuggets, we see one of the very best backup point guards in the NBA. And Morris is a guy who can perform well as a fill-in starter too.

With the Wizards last season, Morris put up 10.3 points and 5.3 assists. In his last year in Denver, Morris started for Jamal Murray (who was out after a torn ACL) and he averaged 12.6 points and 4.4 assists. The veteran guard also never turns the ball over. Seriously. His assist/turnover ratio is so stark, that it’s earned Morris the nickname “Count of Monte Assist/TO”.

Now, when Conley has to sit, whether it’s for in-game rest or to take a night off, Chris Finch can turn the offense over to the more-than-capable Morris. Outside of maybe finding one more wing with some size, Minnesota’s playoff rotation is as deep and solid as there is in the entire league.

On the cap sheet, the Timberwolves edged ever closer to the tax like. They’ll be about $1.5 million under the tax, but they also have two open roster spots. One of those spots will have to filled within 14 days. Look for the Wolves to do what they can to stay under the tax line, which might mean another trade or some signing gymnastics with 10-day deals and the like.

The reason dodging the tax this season is important is that Minnesota already has over $165 million committed to just five players (Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid and Karl-Anthony Towns) for next season. That’s against a projected tax line of just over $171 million, a first apron of $178.6 million and a second apron of $189.5 million.

When you factor in the team’s smaller guaranteed salaries and filling out the roster, the Timberwolves project to be over the first apron. And that’s before you account for the potential re-signing of Conley and/or Morris. And if the Wolves project to be a multi-year luxury tax team, keeping the repeater clock at bay for a year makes it imperative to stay under the tax this season.

But those are tomorrow’s problems. Today, Minnesota shored up a major weak spot and further solidified themselves as an 2024 NBA Finals contender. That’s great work at a fairly minimal cost.

Detroit Pistons

Incoming salary: $9 million in 2023-24

• Troy Brown Jr. (SF/SG, two years, $8.0 million, team option for 2024-25), Shake Milton (PG/SG, two years, $10 million, team option for 2024-25)

Outgoing salary: $9.8 million in 2023-24

• Monte Morris (PG, one year, $9.8 million)

In Detroit they can say “Monte, we hardly knew ye!”. Morris played just six games for the Pistons after he was acquired in a salary-clearing move from the Washington Wizards this past summer.

So, the Pistons aren’t really losing much here. Yes, they gave up a 2027 second-round pick to get Morris in the first place, but they made that back here. That’s basically a wash.

On the court, we’ll see what Milton and Brown can do for Detroit. Both could play roles on a Pistons team that is rapidly reshaping itself. Milton could plug right into Morris’ role in the backup point guard rotation behind Cade Cunningham. Milton has historically been a pretty good shooter and scorer, even if he’s struggled with his shot this season.

Brown has bounced around a lot in his six-year NBA career. The Pistons will be his fifth team already. But Brown is still only 24 years old. He might still have some of that late-bloomer shine left on him. He’s actually shot the ball better over the last two seasons, which is encouraging. He could get some run the rest of this year to show Detroit what he can do.

Neither Milton nor Brown should take away any minutes from players on rookie deals like Ausar Thompson and Marcus Sasser, who might be a big part of Detroit’s future. However, Monty Williams has made some curious playing time decisions this season. If nothing else, the Pistons front office can control what happens with both Milton and Brown following this season.

Milton has a $5 million team option for 2024-25, while Brown has a $4 million team option. That means this trade doesn’t do anything to impact the Pistons league-leading $46.6 million in projected cap space for this summer.

If Milton or Brown pops, their salaries are low enough that Detroit could keep them without overly hurting their cap space plans. Most likely, Milton and Brown will play out the year, and the Pistons will decline their options for next season. Detroit will then remain open to re-signing either player after they’ve used their cap space.

Finally, getting a 2030 Wolves second-rounder is a nice return for a guy who wasn’t a part of the long-term future. 2030 is so far off that Minnesota could be rebuilding their team following retirements and departures of several players, as all of their current contracts will have expired by then. If nothing else, Detroit has a future asset to use at currency in another future trade.

The Boston Celtics have the NBA’s best record, but have been searching to fill out their bench. An area of concern has been frontcourt depth. Boston filled that need by acquiring Xavier Tillman Sr. from the Memphis Grizzlies.

Here are the particulars:

Boston Celtics acquire: Xavier Tillman Sr.

Memphis Grizzlies acquire: Lamar Stevens, 2027 Atlanta Hawks second-round pick, 2030 Dallas Mavericks second-round pick

Let’s dive in!

Boston Celtics

Incoming salary: $1.9 million in 2023-24

• Xavier Tillman Sr. (C, one year, $1.9 million)

Outgoing salary: $2.0 million in 2023-24

• Lamar Stevens (SF/PF, one year, $2.0 million)

Boston has been looking to fill out their bench with quality depth. It’s been termed as looking to add emergency players. That’s what Tillman will likely be for the Celtics, with some potential upside.

Tillman is an undersized five, but he’s strong and a rugged defender. He’s got decent length and athleticism too. That allows him to compete with bigger players and to hold up defensively. He can be used in a number of different schemes, which is important with how often Boston changes their coverages.

On offense, Tillman has been all over the place. As a rookie in 2020-21, Tillman shot a promising 34% on three-pointers. Since then, the outside shot has all but disappeared. This season, Tillman has broken it back out, but he’s hitting only 23% on 1.6 three-point attempts per game.

More worrisome? Tillman’s finishing around the rim has fallen way off too. After hitting a career-high 75% in shots at the rim last season, Tillman has dropped to 57% this season. The hope is that’s because Tillman has been playing in talent-deficient lineups for the incredibly banged-up Grizzlies. With others to attract some attention, Tillman’s efficiency should return.

Beyond his defense and scoring, Tillman is a pretty good rebounder and passer. His per-minute rebounding stats show a guy who is a plus on the glass. Tillman is an underrated passer too. Look for the Celtics to use him in some of the top-of-the-key and elbow actions where Al Horford and Rob Williams have excelled as playmakers.

Boston likely sees Tillman as their fourth-big man. Kristaps Porzingis is the lone starting big, while Horford plays what is essentially a starter’s role off the bench. Luke Kornet has been the third big, with two-way player Neemias Queta filling in when someone is out.

Tillman will bump Queta, who is closing in on maxing out the 50 NBA games he’s allowed to be active for as a two-way player. If Tillman is healthy, and assimilates quickly to the Celtics, he could eventually supplant Kornet in the rotation too.

One interesting and important piece of cap minutiae: Because Boston was able to send Stevens to Memphis in this deal, they were able to retain the entirety of the $6.2 million traded player exception they have from last summer’s sign-and-trade of Grant Williams. Boston also retained an open roster spot. That TPE and the open roster spot are good tools and flexibility for Brad Stevens to have, as he continues to fill out the Celtics bench.

Memphis Grizzlies

Incoming salary: $2.0 million in 2023-24

• Lamar Stevens (SF/PF, one year, $2.0 million)

Outgoing salary: $1.9 million in 2023-24

• Xavier Tillman Sr. (C, one year, $1.9 million)

The Grizzlies are continuing the reshape their roster in what’s become a lost season due to injuries. Trading Tillman doesn’t actually save Memphis any money this season, but they do clear up an open free agent question for the summer.

The Grizzlies might have felt some pressure to re-sign Tillman, who was a draft-and-develop find. Now, they can move in a different direction without feeling a need to potentially overpay Tillman in unrestricted free agency.

Memphis gets to add a couple of additional second-round picks to their coffers. As we covered in the breakdown of the Steven Adams trade, these picks are valuable currency for the Grizzlies. They can use them to backfill open roster spots (standard or two-way), or they can use them in future trades.

It’s somewhat unlikely that Lamar Stevens will play a role for Memphis. He may not even stick past the trade deadline. The Grizzlies would like to clear an open roster spot to sign two-way player GG Jackson to a standard deal. Waiving, or re-trading, Stevens seems to be a path toward getting that done.

The Grizzlies may not be done reworking their roster either. They still have several role players that could interest teams. Memphis is setting themselves up to rebound in a big way with a healthy roster next season. Continuing to clear room around the tax and the aprons could lead to additional summertime moves to aid in a major turnaround for next season.

The Detroit Pistons have been adamant that they aren’t bottoming out their roster, despite the team sitting at the bottom of the NBA’s standings. Detroit has been termed as an opportunistic buyer, and that seemingly led the Pistons to a trade with the Utah Jazz.

Here are the particulars:

Detroit Pistons acquire: Simone Fontecchio

Utah Jazz acquire: Kevin Knox, 2024 second-round pick (more favorable of Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Wizards), draft rights to Gabriele Procida

Let’s dive in!

Detroit Pistons

Incoming salary: $3.0 million in 2023-24

• Simone Fontecchio (SF, one year, $3.0 million, restricted free agent in 2024)

Outgoing salary: $1.8 million in 2023-24

• Kevin Knox (SF/PF, one year, $1.8 million)

The Pistons have been sending signals for weeks, if not months, that they have no intention of staying a bad team. They aren’t in fire-sale mode with their veterans. They’ve pursued players who are on long-term contracts, or under team control, over the past few weeks. Hence: the Zach LaVine rumors.

In Fontecchio, Detroit gets to make a fairly minimal investment to get a player who could really help them now, and moving forward.

Fontecchio has good size for the small forward position. He’s a good shooter and a capable ball-mover. Fontecchio isn’t a great halfcourt scorer, but he’s capable of attacking a closeout or making a move in transition to create a shot.

On defense, Fontecchio is competitive. He’s not going to shut down opposing wings, but he knows how to work within a scheme to shade his man toward help. He’s got pretty good hands, which help him get rebounds and deflections.

Contractually, Detroit will have a pretty immediate decision to make on Fontecchio. They’ll have him for 30ish games before Fontecchio is eligible for restricted free agency this summer. Even though he’s 28 years old, Fontecchio has only been in the NBA for two seasons. Most players with three or fewer years of service are eligible for restricted free agency.

In order to make Fontecchio a restricted free agent, the Pistons will have to tender him a qualifying offer worth $3.8 million. Doing that will allow Detroit to match any offer sheets that Fontecchio might sign as a restricted free agent. It will come at the cost of about $3.9 million in cap space, as that’s the cap hold that will land on Detroit’s books.

Even with Fontecchio’s cap hold on the books, the Pistons project to have an NBA-high $46.6 million in cap space come July.

This trade also opens up Detroit to potentially listen to trade offers for Bojan Bogdanovic or Alec Burks. Fontecchio overlaps positionally with both players. The Pistons could keep all three guys and move into next season with a solid veteran wing group around a lot of young players. Or Detroit could explore moving either Bogdanovic or Burks with Fontecchio in the fold as a replacement.

Knox had played well for Detroit this year, after being signed a few weeks into the season. He’s a replacement level guy though, and he wasn’t assured of having a long-term future with the Pistons.

The draft pick the Pistons are giving up is perhaps a bit steep. However, it’s unlikely Detroit would have drafted a player better than Fontecchio, even with an early second-round pick. And the Pistons are clearly done with building around more young players. They want to add veterans around their youthful core.

The draft rights to Procida are nothing to sneeze at either. We’ll cover him more in the Jazz section. But, like we said above with the draft pick, there isn’t a lot of room to add even more kids to the Pistons roster.

Utah Jazz

Incoming salary: $1.8 million in 2023-24

• Kevin Knox (SF/PF, one year, $1.8 million)

Outgoing salary: $3.0 million in 2023-24

• Simone Fontecchio (SF, one year, $3.0 million, restricted free agent in 2024)
• The Jazz will likely bring Kevin Knox in via the Minimum Exception. That will allow Utah to create a $3 million traded player exception for Simone Fontecchio.
• All signs pointed to the Jazz making at least one trade, if not a few, before Thursday’s deadline. Utah did something similar last season, while sitting in a similar spot in the standings. Danny Ainge will not allow the allure of the Play-In Tournament to seduce him. If he feels there is a good deal to be made, Ainge will make it.

That said, this seems like pretty value for Utah.

Fontecchio has played well, and he’s started for most of the season at small forward for the Jazz. But Utah needs to free up some playing time for younger players, namely 2023 lottery pick Taylor Hendricks. Hendricks has flashed in limited NBA moments, but he’s looked pretty good in the G League. He’s ready to take on a rotation role, either for the rest of this season or at the start of next season.

It’s next season that this was about for Utah as much as it was about any kind of 2024 postseason push.

The Jazz have a chance to create over $40 million in cap space next summer. Trading Fontecchio removes the question of whether or not to tender him a qualifying offer. Now, Utah can move forward with maximizing cap space without Fontecchio’s fate hanging over them.

Adding a high second-round pick is pretty good value. Ainge can add it to his stash of picks and use it as currency in a move that’s to come down the line. At worst, Utah will draft a cost-controlled young player to backfill free agents that move off the roster this offseason.

Adding Gabriele Procida is a smart, no-cost, upside play for the Jazz. The 6-foot-6 wing has good size for his position. Procida has also taken a path somewhat similar to Fontecchio’s. He started his professional career in his native Italy, before moving to ALBA Berlin in Germany. That’s the same move Fontecchio made, before spending a season in Spain ahead of moving to the NBA.

Procida played mostly as a reserve in Italy’s top league. He showed off a nice outside shot, as well as capable defense. In Germany, the 21-year-old has continued his development. Procida hasn’t shot it as well, but he’s been a solid enough defender. ALBA Berlin has struggled in the EuroLeague this season, but they remain one of the better clubs in the German Bundesliga. That means Procida is getting high-level experience at a young age.

Only time will tell if Kevin Knox sticks on the Jazz roster. Utah can keep him for depth purposes for now, as they see how things develop through both the trade deadline and during buyout season.

Don’t be surprised if the Jazz aren’t quite done tweaking their roster. Ainge will keep working as he looks to add talent to solid foundation built around Lauri Markkanen (who will like renegotiate-and-extend his contract this summer) and a promising core of young players. But veterans like Kelly Olynyk, Jordan Clarkson, Kris Dunn and Talen Horton-Tucker, and possibly John Collins and Collin Sexton, have drawn trade interest. It wouldn’t be a shock to see a couple more rotation players on the move from Utah before Thursday’s deadline.

The Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies hooked up on a deal that will have no impact on the current season, but could have a major impact down the line.

Here are the particulars:

Houston Rockets acquire: Steven Adams

Memphis Grizzlies acquire: Victor Oladipo, three future second-round picks.

Fun little trade between two division rivals. Let’s dive in!

Houston Rockets

Incoming salary: $12.6 million in 2023-24

• Steven Adams (C, two years, $25.2 million, $12.6 million in 2023-24)

Outgoing salary: $9.5 million in 2023-24

• Victor Oladipo (SG, one year, $9.5 million)

It’s important to note from the jump that Steven Adams is injured and will miss the remainder of the 2023-24 season. So, the on-court impact for this trade won’t be felt until next season. But when it is, it should be a big one for the Rockets.

When we last saw Adams, he was in the midst of the best rebounding season of his career at 11.5 rebounds per game. In fact, Adams run with the Grizzlies saw him average double-digit rebounds for the first two times in his career.

When we next see Adams, he’ll be a 31-year-old coming off having missed an entire season. Will he still be a rebounding, defending, screen-setting force? Or will Adams be unable to stay healthy and slowed enough that his impact is negligible.

Clearly, the Rockets are betting on the former.

Even if he is healthy, Adams probably isn’t a starting center anymore. His offensive impact is setting screens, keeping the ball moving and cleaning up on the offensive glass. Those are all great skills, but Adams isn’t someone teams gameplan around on offense.

On defense, Adams is still pretty rugged. He gets on the defensive glass and he’ll block the occasional shot. He’s also a good backline defender, because he can set and call out coverages for his teammates.

Coming off a right knee injury, and subsequent surgery, that cost him the latter half of last season and all of this season, the veteran center is probably going to see his minutes limited. He’d already dipped under 30 minutes per game the last few years, but that number may now fall below 20 minutes per game.

For Houston, that’s actually fine. The Rockets starting center is burgeoning star Alperen Sengun. Houston had been looking for weeks to find a physical veteran to pair with Sengun. That’s now Adams.

Ime Udoka can now go into next season knowing he has 48 minutes of center play covered most nights between Sengun, Adams and various small-ball options. And Adams’ $12.6 million for 2024-25 is of minimal concern, since Houston should still be well below the luxury tax. The Rockets can also create even more distance under the tax line if they waive Jock Landale or, less likely, Jeff Green.

The three second-round picks are a steep cost for the Rockets. However, there needs to be a bit of context factored in. Two picks are reportedly coming in 2024 and one in 2025. In 2024, the Rockets have picks from the Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder. None of those are projected to be particularly juicy, meaning near the top of the second-round. In 2025, the Rockets only have the Thunder’s pick. Again, that’s likely to be in the back half of the round, if not deep into the 50s.

In addition to the picks being potentially less-then-stellar, Houston is kind of running out of roster spots, especially ones for developmental prospects. The Rockets seem committed to making a run at the playoffs in 2025. They’d rather use their end-of-the-bench spots on veterans who could play a real role in a playoff run.

Memphis Grizzlies

Incoming salary: $9.5 million in 2023-24

• Victor Oladipo (SG, one year, $9.5 million)

Outgoing salary: $12.6 million in 2023-24

• Steven Adams (C, two years, $25.2 million, $12.6 million in 2023-24)
• The Grizzlies will likely create a $12.6 million Traded Player Exception (TPE) for Steven Adams in this deal. They’ll do this by bringing Victor Oladipo into the Disabled Player Exception (DPE) that they have for Ja Morant. Memphis will also forfeit the DPE they currently have for Adams, once the deal is completed.

This trade is all about flexibility for Memphis. With Adams on the books for next season, the Grizzlies were facing being a potential second apron team. With Adams off the books, and Oladipo on an expiring contract, Memphis projects to be only $2 million over the tax line. That’s close enough that another move or two could see the Grizzlies get out of the tax entirely.

And that’s what this trade is all about: Flexibility.

Memphis was previously in a tough spot, as second apron teams will have the full boat of restrictions placed upon them next season. Making trades is more difficult, as the second apron teams can’t aggregate salaries and they have to match salary dollar for dollar. They also don’t have any of the better signing exceptions. Essentially, second apron teams are limited to signing their own draft picks and signing players to minimum contracts.

Before making this deal, Memphis would likely have been making a difficult decision on picking up their $14.8 million team option for Luke Kennard for 2024-25. Now, the Grizzlies can pick up Kennard’s option and make only a smaller move or two to dip under the tax line next season.

That’s big for a team that is hoping to bounce back in a major way next season, when Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and others will hopefully return to full health.

One of those “others” is Brandon Clarke. He’ll now take on a bigger role than ever with Adams out of the mix. Memphis should be in a position where they have enough to get by at the center position, even without the veteran center. Jaren Jackson Jr. has held down that spot for long stretches this season, and Clarke can also play the five. Santi Aldama has shown he’s ready for a bigger role too.

The increased flexibility around the tax should also give Memphis greater leeway to re-sign Xavier Tillman Sr. The Grizzlies love Tillman’s game and would be happy to keep him, especially with an increased role lined up in place of Adams.

Acquiring Oladipo won’t have any sort of on-court impact, even if the Grizzlies continue to be banged up and undermanned. It’s unlikely Oladipo will even play in a game for Memphis. The Grizzlies may retain Oladipo through the trade deadline, while they see if another deal emerges. If no other deal develops, Memphis may either work a buyout with Oladipo or could simply waive him.

Waiving Oladipo would free up a roster spot for the Grizzlies. That’s crucial because two-way player G.G. Jackson is looking increasingly like someone Memphis should get signed to a long-term deal.

Getting three second-round picks is also good the Grizzlies. They have been one of the league’s better draft-and-develop teams in the league. Even if none of the picks come in at the top part of the second-round, Memphis can use these picks to fill two-way spots, or to select draft-and-stash players.

Related:

NBA Trade Machine

NBA Trade Tracker

We’re about a week-and-a-half out from the NBA trade deadline on February 8. Unlike the past couple of seasons, NBA teams are in more defined tiers this year. However, those tiers are a little different from the traditional ones of title contender, playoff team and tanking team.

What the Play-In Tournament has done is create a handful of different races. There are a handful of teams in each conference that are still competing for the top seed. But from there, we have a couple of other races to watch. Teams compete for homecourt advantage, but are also competing to simply be in the top-six in their conference to snag one of the assured playoff spots.

From there, several teams are fighting for positioning, or even just spots, in the Play-In Tournament in each conference. And then, of course, you have teams that are prioritizing ping-pong balls, if we put it kindly.

That makes each team’s approach to the trade deadline endlessly more fascinating. Today, we’ll cover where each Western Conference team seems to stand as far as being a buyer or seller, or either or neither, at the deadline. We’ll also give some thoughts on where we think each team should be at.

(You can find the Eastern Conference teams here.)

Dallas Mavericks

Approach at the deadline: Buyers

Dallas has slipped over the past couple of weeks into Play-In Tournament range. But the Mavs aren’t packing it in. A top-six spot is still very in play. Expect Dallas to continue to look for upgrades.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

A team led by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving shouldn’t be satisfied with just making the playoffs. The Mavs have the ability to go make a deal. If they can find another wing, or another playable big, Dallas should be on it.

Denver Nuggets

Approach at the deadline: Neither

Denver doesn’t really have the ability to do a lot. All of their tradable salary is attached to key rotation players. Maybe the Nuggets decide to move a couple of their kids, but that seems unlikely.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Neither

The Nuggets are fine. They have what they need. If a big shakes free on the buyout market, it could be worth looking in to. Beyond that, Denver should just defend their title with what they have.

Golden State Warriors

Approach at the deadline: Either

It feels weird to even suggest the Warriors could be sellers. Yet, here we are. Golden State is looking at a lot of options. None of the long-time core is going anywhere, but they’re open to a conversation on everyone else.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Sellers

The Warriors are three games behind the Lakers and Jazz for a spot in the Play-In Tournament. And they’d have to climb the Rockets to get there too. They shouldn’t trade Stephen Curry, Draymond Green or Klay Thompson, unless the former asks for one or they get blown away with an offer for the latter two. They should also hang onto Jonathan Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski. If a deal is there to rebalance the cap sheet or the rotation, Golden State should jump on it.

Houston Rockets

Approach at the deadline: Buyers

The Rockets are still looking to add to their roster. They have some draft capital that they can move, courtesy of the Brooklyn Nets. But Houston isn’t making short-term moves. They want players who can help now and moving forward.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

Let’s call the Rockets long-term investors. They’re rumored to be interested in Robert Williams III of the Trail Blazers. That’s the kind of move that makes sense, because he won’t cost too much, and he can help next year and beyond. As long as they are careful, Houston is in great shape to keep moving this rebuild forward.

LA Clippers

Approach at the deadline: Buyers

This one is somewhere between buying and doing nothing. The Clippers already made their big trade when they got James Harden. Adding Daniel Theis after his buyout shored up the frontcourt. They’re look at moving P.J. Tucker, especially if they can add a true power forward, but LA may just sit this one out.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

If there is a deal to send Tucker somewhere and bring back a ready-to-play 4/5, the Clippers should do it. That’s really all this roster needs. They’ve got everything else.

Los Angeles Lakers

Approach at the deadline: Buyers

The Lakers are kind of in the same spot as last season, only not nearly as desperate. Last year, Los Angeles had to make a deal to save their season. This time around, the Lakers are looking for players who can aid in a playoff push, while also being long-term pieces.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

When you have LeBron James and Anthony Davis playing this well, you owe it to them and yourselves to make your roster better. But the Lakers have to be smart about how they do this. They aren’t close enough to a title to make an all-in move for just the rest of this season. If something comes along that can have an impact for a few seasons, Los Angeles should pursue it.

Memphis Grizzlies

Approach at the deadline: Neither

Memphis knows this is a lost season. They aren’t chasing any more upgrades. And the Grizzlies don’t like to trade players they’ve invested time in. It looks like a quiet deadline in Memphis.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Sellers

No, the Grizzlies shouldn’t be moving any of their big-name guys. Let them recover and get back at making a run next season. But Memphis has a logjam on the roster. It’s probably time to cut bait on a few of the guys they’ve drafted. If nothing else, the Grizzlies should clear a roster spot to sign G.G. Jackson to a long-term deal off his two-way contract.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Approach at the deadline: Neither

Minnesota doesn’t have a lot to trade. Their draft picks are tied up from the Rudy Gobert trade. The bigger salaries all belong to rotation players. And the team is looking like it will be wildly expensive next season, when extensions kick in for Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards and Jaden McDaniels. That impacts taking on salary beyond this season.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

This might be Minnesota’s last window to add talent. And they are contenders to come out of the West. Adding a veteran guard that can keep things moving when Mike Conley is off the floor should be a priority. And it shouldn’t be cost prohibitive to get that done, either.

New Orleans Pelicans

Approach at the deadline: Neither

The Pelicans goal was to get out of the luxury tax before the deadline, and they did that by sending Kira Lewis Jr. out in the Pascal Siakam series of deals. Maybe New Orleans could look for a long-term answer at center, but it doesn’t seem likely they’ll find an upgrade on Jonas Valanciunas in-season.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Neither

The thing the Pels need most is health, and they can’t trade for that. If a smaller deal comes up to add some extra draft capital for Naji Marshall or Jose Alvarado, it’s worth pursuing. Beyond that, let’s see how a playoff run goes before deciding the fate of this roster over the summer.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Approach at the deadline: Neither

The Thunder aren’t out on making deals, but they don’t seem overly active either. This isn’t a “Dump your bad contracts here!” situation anymore. The Thunder are good, and they are deep. They don’t seem quite ready to make that big move quite yet, though.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

OKC could win the West. They’re that good. They could use another big. One that could play with and behind Chet Holmgren would be ideal. Windows feel like they’ll be open forever for young teams, but things happen to cause them to close quicker than you expect. When you are this close, and you have all the assets the Thunder do, why not go for it?

Phoenix Suns

Approach at the deadline: Buyers

Phoenix is still looking to add to their roster, but they are about out of tradable assets. Any player, aside from Nassir Little, that is on a non-minimum deal, is starting. The Suns are dangling Little and the handful of second-round picks they’ve acquired, but it’s unclear if that will get them anything.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

It’s worth trying to make another deal for Phoenix, because this team still has some holes, especially in the frontcourt. But the lack of assets is going to be a problem.

Portland Trail Blazers

Approach at the deadline: Sellers

The Blazers are listening on Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams III. They don’t seem inclined to move Jerami Grant at this point. Moving Brogdon would have the double benefit of adding back some draft capital and/or young players, and freeing up minutes in a crowded backcourt.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Sellers

Portland should move at least Brogdon at the deadline. He’s played well for them, but the team isn’t going anywhere, and they’ve got younger guards who need to play. If they can trade Williams for a decent return, that’s worth exploring too. He’s not a good fit with Deandre Ayton, and Ayton seems entrenched up front for now. If a team called with a huge offer for Anfernee Simons, that’s worth listening to too.

Sacramento Kings

Approach at the deadline: Buyers

The Kings know they are a good team, and they want to stay out of the Play-In Tournament. They’ve also got some tradable assets. But don’t expect Sacramento to get silly. The all-in move might not be there yet.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

Adding another wing, ideally one who can really defend, would be huge for Sacramento. Beyond that, the Kings can afford to be patient and look for bigger moves this summer.

San Antonio Spurs

Approach at the deadline: Sellers

This Spurs section used to be the easiest to write. They never did in-season trades. That’s changed over the last few seasons. San Antonio is open to moving several of their vets, including Doug McDermott, Cedi Osman and Devonte’ Graham.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Sellers

If the Spurs can add young talent or draft picks by trading any of the vets mentioned above, they should do it. Also, keep an eye on Keldon Johnson. He’s been in primarily a bench role this season, and some have suggested he’s available via trade too.

Utah Jazz

Approach at the deadline: Either

This one might actually go both ways for Utah. Danny Ainge has run deadlines in the past where he’s moved off some players, while bringing in others to strengthen the team. The Jazz are looking for upgrades, but are open to moving some veterans too.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Either

Expect Utah to be increasingly involved in trade talks over the next week or so. They could move Jordan Clarkson, John Collins, Kelly Olynyk or Talen Horton-Tucker in deals. Those deals won’t be giveaways though. Look for the Jazz to try to upgrade in terms of players who could help push them forward. But if Ainge has deals that are more future focused, he won’t let the allure of Play-In Tournament move him off his long-term plan.

We’re two weeks out from the NBA trade deadline on February 8. Unlike the past couple of seasons, NBA teams are in more defined tiers this year. However, those tiers are a little different from the traditional ones of title contender, playoff team and tanking team.

What the Play-In Tournament has done is create a handful of different races. There are a handful of teams in each conference that are still competing for the top seed. But from there, we have a couple of other races to watch. Teams compete for homecourt advantage, but are also competing to simply be in the top-six in their conference to snag one of the assured playoff spots.

From there, several teams are fighting for positioning, or even just spots, in the Play-In Tournament in each conference. And then, of course, you have teams that are prioritizing ping-pong balls, if we put it kindly.

That makes each team’s approach to the trade deadline endlessly more fascinating. Today, we’ll cover where each team seems to stand as far as being a buyer or seller, or either or neither, at the deadline. We’ll also give some thoughts on where we think each team should be at.

Atlanta Hawks

Approach at the deadline: Sellers

The Hawks are sellers, but not in the “Everything must go!” sense. Instead, Atlanta is looking to rebalance their roster, but more importantly their cap sheet.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Sellers 

Atlanta has too many good players on long-term contracts to completely blow things up at the deadline. Instead, if they can shuttle out some of their bigger long-term deals for players who fit better, they’ll come out ahead in the long run.

Boston Celtics

Approach at the deadline: Buyers

This one comes with a caveat. The Celtics buyers like Bob Cratchit at Harrods of London. They might want to get someone great, but they don’t have much to work with. Such is life when your playoff rotation seems mostly set and all the big salaries are tied up in rotation players.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

Boston should be looking to buy. Maybe they could snag a regular season (and maybe postseason) rotation player on the cheap (both in terms of contract and trade cost) from someone. Maybe they use their $6.2 million TPE to get a player. The Celtics do have a few tradable picks to work with. Ideally, they’d get someone who can help now and has a contract that carries another year or two. Otherwise, this is the same spot Boston will also be in next season. And probably the season after that too.

Brooklyn Nets

Approach at the deadline: Either

It doesn’t seem like the Nets are done fighting for a spot in the Play-In Tournament. But Brooklyn could pivot and try to move off some players to bring in future assets. Or they could try to bring in help to chase a postseason spot.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Sellers

The Nets don’t have to go crazy. Mikal Bridges, Nic Claxton and Cam Johnson should all be considered in the “you have to blow us away with an offer” category. But everyone else should be up for grabs. Sure, the Nets own picks are gone, but that’s a sunk cost. It’s not like Sean Marks hasn’t sailed these troubled waters before and come out just fine on the other side.

Charlotte Hornets

Approach at the deadline: Sellers

Charlotte already moved Terry Rozier III and that feels like it’s just the start. Keeping LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and Mark Williams is smart. They are your building blocks. Everyone else is tradable.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Sellers

Charlotte is going to keep trying, but moving some other players is harder than it seems. Miles Bridges can block any trade, because he’ll lose his Bird Rights if he’s dealt. And losing his Bird Rights might matter, because his salary is so low this season. Gordon Hayward is very available, but his contract is tough to move at $31.5 million. Kyle Lowry can be flipped, but only by himself. P.J. Washington should have good trade value, as he’s on a fair-value contract. Same with Nick Richards, but even more so. The real question: Will Ish Smith find his way to a 14th NBA team?

Chicago Bulls

Approach at the deadline: Either

Chicago might move Zach LaVine, but it won’t be in a “blowing it up” move. The Bulls will be looking to get back players who can help them in their eternal quest for the eighth seed.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Sellers

The Bulls should be selling. Where is this team going with this core this year and next? The Play-In Tournament? The eighth seed? Is any of that exciting anyone? Chicago should blow it up, but they won’t.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Approach at the deadline: Buyers

The Cavs created some wiggle room under the luxury tax when Ricky Rubio took a buyout. But that also removed one of Cleveland’s more tradable salaries. They’re also just about out of draft picks to trade. Unless there is a surprise move coming with a core rotation player, the Cavaliers might more or less sit out the deadline.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Neither 

As stated above, the Cavaliers most tradable player now is probably Isaac Okoro, who has an expiring $8.9 million contract. He’s also Cleveland’s best perimeter defender. So, this is a tough spot to find workable trades. The buyout market is probably more of a thing for the Cavs.

Detroit Pistons

Approach at the deadline: Either

Let’s call Detroit short-term sellers and long-term buyers. The Pistons might move a few vets, but they’d also like to add players who can help them move things forward next season.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Sellers

Let’s be clear: If the Pistons can find a deal for a guy who can help them be a better team next season and beyond, they should do it. We’re just a little doubtful that deal is coming by the trade deadline. Feels more like a summertime thing. Because of that, it’s time to move some of the veterans for draft picks and young players. Then, maximize the cap space this offseason, and not by eating bad contracts for middling draft picks.

Indiana Pacers

Approach at the deadline: Either

Indiana is in a good place. They don’t really need a whole lot, beyond Tyrese Haliburton getting healthy. If only they could trade for that! Otherwise, maybe Buddy Hield gets dealt, but he seems to be in a pretty good spot as a key player on a good team. And that means that the capital to buy with is less than ideal.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

Presumably, the Pascal Siakam deal was done with an understanding that he’d re-sign this summer. That means Indiana is pretty well set with their core for the next few years. It’s time to supplement that group. If moving a handful of their mid-range contracts (T.J. McConnell, Jalen Smith, Obi Toppin) can bring in another rotation player for this year and beyond, the Pacers should jump on it.

Miami Heat

Approach at the deadline: Neither

The Heat made their move with the Kyle Lowry for Terry Rozier III swap. They don’t have the tradable draft picks, nor the tradable salary to do much else.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Neither

Maybe Miami could find another deal, but at what cost? All of their meaningful salary is tied up in key rotation guys. If there’s a shakeup coming, it’ll come in July, not February.

Milwaukee Bucks

Approach at the deadline: Buyers

The Bucks want another perimeter player, ideally a 3&D option. But they don’t have much to trade. They are out of tradable draft capital, and their best matching salary belongs to rotation players.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

This is similar to the Celtics situation, but without the draft picks to trade. If Milwaukee does anything “big”, it’ll probably involve Pat Connaughton. And that’s only going to get the Bucks so much.

New York Knicks

Approach at the deadline: Buyers

The Knicks are still looking for upgrades to their rotation. They’ve been linked to guards and wings, even after the OG Anunoby deal. The Knicks could also use another center, given injury issues. With the Evan Fournier contract and some drafts picks to dangle, New York could still make another big move.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

This isn’t the final window for New York to do something big. If they have a sense that a better deal might be there in the summer, they could pick up Fournier’s option and roll him over to an expiring contract asset through next season. Don’t expect any other big deals by the deadline, but don’t rule it out either.

Orlando Magic

Approach at the deadline: Buyers

The Magic are best termed as cautious buyers. Their history tells us they will do something. It could be a small move or it could be something big. Jeff Weltman has done something at each deadline that he’s run the team. This time, it’s starting to feel like a bigger upgrade could come, as this team is close to a playoff spot.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

Orlando should be looking to buy. They have sizable expiring contracts in Markelle Fultz and Gary Harris, and a pseudo-expiring deal in Jonathan Isaac. Fultz and Isaac are health risks, and Harris is entrenched as a backup. If the Magic can make a move to solidify the rotation, especially at the guard spot, they should do it. This team is good, but not so good that a playoff spot is guaranteed. Now is the time to make a bigger move to lift the young kids onto the big stage.

Philadelphia 76ers

Approach at the deadline: Buyers

Daryl Morey is going to try to thread a difficult needle at the deadline: Add to the roster, while keeping some flexibility for the summer. Morey has been cautious to maintain the Sixers flexibility. He’s not going to let that go for a marginal upgrade. If there isn’t a big move to made, he’ll stay patient and do his work this offseason.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Buyers

Philadelphia is a title contender. Joel Embiid is playing at an incredible level. Tyrese Maxey is really good too. And the 76ers have a bunch of tradable contracts and a few draft picks to trade too. The real question is if Morey can find a deal that makes sense for next few months, but also the next few years. Otherwise, don’t rule out a shuffle of expiring deals for expiring deals that brings the Sixers a rotation upgrade on the wing.

Toronto Raptors

Approach at the deadline: Sellers

The Raptors finally started the resetting process by trading OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam. They won’t give away guys like Bruce Brown, Dennis Schroder, Gary Trent Jr., or a host of big men. But Masai Ujiri isn’t done resetting this roster either. Note: resetting vs rebuilding. There isn’t a full-scale teardown job. It’s a rest around Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and Jakob Poeltl.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Sellers

Toronto is finally on a path. They aren’t out of the running for the Play-In Tournament, but they shouldn’t be chasing it either. In fact, if trading some of the vets listed above causes the Raptors to fall down around sixth in the draft order, they’d get to keep their pick this year. That shouldn’t be considered a priority, but let’s call it a happy circumstance.

Washington Wizards

Approach at the deadline: Sellers

Washington finally kicked off a rebuild last offseason. They can keep that moving forward by trading more of their veteran players and leaning even further into a youth movement. That seems to be the Wizards approach.

Ideal approach at the deadline: Sellers

It’s been a long time coming, but the Wizards are finally here. No more chasing the eighth seed. If they can find the right moves for guys like Kyle Kuzma, Tyus Jones, Daniel Gafford and maybe even Jordan Poole, Washington should jump on them. Taking on Marvin Bagley’s contract for a couple of second-round picks signaled this is a multi-year rebuild. Lean into that and keep churning the roster in Washington.