5 Bold Predictions About NBA Trade Deadline
With the NBA just over a month away from its trade deadline (March 25), there is bound to be a plethora of moves both big and small.
Andre Drummond will be a Brooklyn Net
It’s not much of a prediction to say Andre Drummond will be moved out of Cleveland this year. According to multiple reports, the 27-year-old will not play for the Cavaliers until they can figure out a trade or buyout. However, figuring out a trade or buyout is where the challenge lies.
It’s important to note that Drummond is a free agent this summer, so any offer that does get thrown Cleveland’s way will probably not be very lucrative. Such was the case last season, when Cleveland gave up Brandon Knight, John Henson and a second round pick for his services. With the market being so dry and with his impending free agency, if Drummond does get moved, it’ll likely be for salary relief for the receiving team, to then chase other free agents in the summer. Taking all of this into account, a buyout seems more likely.
It has been reported that the Toronto Raptors have shown interest in Drummond, and with them struggling to start the year (12–15 through 27 games), perhaps a shake up is on the cards. However, there isn’t much on the Raptors roster that should intrigue a young and rebuilding Cleveland team, so if Drummond were to be moved to Toronto/Tampa, again a buyout seems more likely.
If Drummond does get bought out, then the Brooklyn Nets become an interesting team. Clearly crying out for any form of rim protection, 32-year-old Deandre Jordan is definitely not cutting it. Being able to sign Drummond on a small deal compared to his gargantuan $29 million salary makes it more worth it. On top of this, Drummond may also be swayed to join a team that very clearly is going all in on a title, after spending his whole career on teams that have made the playoffs a combined 2 times and never won a game.
The Jazz Will Regret Not Making a Move
The Utah Jazz are flying high right now. Going 20–3 in its last 23 games, and boasting a top 5 offense and top 2 defense, things could not be going better for the team who blew a 3–1 lead in the first round of last years’ playoffs. However, all good things must come to an end eventually, and with seemingly everyone on the team catching fire right now, players will start to cool off, and so will its incredible record as of late.
The eye test suggests that the Jazz should just continue to ride things out into the playoffs, where they should surely make it further than last year. But this Jazz group has been together ever since 2018, and they’ve won a combined one playoff series in that time (against the Thunder in 2018). And while there has been an improvement from 2018 until now, this Jazz team still has the same fatal flaws.
For one, Rudy Gobert still gets exposed on the perimeter, and with his Shaq- esque free throw shooting getting worse (56% this year compared to 62% in his career), can it even be guaranteed that he can stay on the floor during close playoff games? Secondly, the Jazz’s second highest scorer is Jordan Clarkson, who while being a serviceable backup guard, is punching way above his belt in terms of efficiency, shooting 97% from the line, and 56% from 2, totaling an effective field goal percentage of 56%. Finally, there are some other minor issues on this team such as the regression of Bojdan Bogdanovic, Mike Conley’s health and the depth of this team. This prediction is two fold; the Jazz will continue to run with this team past the deadline and that they won’t make it past the second round of the playoffs because of it.
Victor Oladipo will not be Moved
Victor Oladipo has had a roller coaster of a year. From injuries, to being traded, to more injuries, there hasn’t been a shred of stability for the 28-year-old. Despite being dealt once already this year, Oladipo has publicly stated that he would like to play for the Miami Heat, according to SLAM online.
However with that being said, Miami has been known for wanting to chase free agents in the summer of 2021, a free agency class that does include Oladipo. In that case, it would seem bizarre for the Heat to move pieces to go get a player who will be made available in the summer. On top of this, it would also feel weird for other teams to try and get Oladipo when he most likely will not stay past this season. While it could act as salary filler, Oladipo possesses near All-Star level talent, so it would take more to get him than just the conventional “pick + young piece” trade package most associated with those types of deals. Combining all of this, it also seems highly unlikely Houston can find a trade partner fast enough, which may not be a bad thing. The Oladipo-Wall backcourt in Houston does have the potential to sneak Houston into a playoff position. And if they can’t, shutting down two injury prone stars before the year ends is not the worst option.
Devonte’ Graham will be Traded
After enjoying a breakout season last year, Devonte’ Graham has been brought back down to Earth. His scoring, assist and rebounding numbers are all down, and he is shooting a terrible 35% from the field and 34% from three. Couple this with the resurgence of Terry Rozier and meteoric rise of rookie LaMelo Ball, and suddenly the backcourt in Charlotte might be too crowded for Graham. The Hornets have tried incorporating all three into the same starting lineup, but moving Gordon Hayward out of his preferred small forward position felt awkward and forced. The defense was awful between the four of them, and it should be something that should never be tried again.
On top of this, Graham has been going through a slew of injuries, and as the injuries continue to increase, so do his chances of leaving this roster. While Graham could slot into a sixth man role quite easily, his value would be higher on a contender who’s looking for a bench boost, compared to a team looking to mold a roster around it’s new found backcourt.
With any trade that could involve Graham, the aim for Charlotte should be to get younger pieces that fit better around Hayward, Rozier and Ball, while also getting picks back in return. Despite sitting 6th in the East right now, they still have a losing record (13–15), and this team is clearly still rebuilding. There is almost little hope of them making it past the first round, making it possibly better for them to sit outside the playoffs and get a lottery pick. However, if they do make the playoffs and give its young core some needed experience, getting picks from other teams helps ensure its future is in even safer hands.
Nikola Vučević will not finish the year in Orlando
This feels inevitable. Despite putting up All-Star level numbers once again this year (23.7 points and 11.7 rebounds per game), Nikola Vučević is now 30 years old, and does not fit into the Magic’s rebuild timeline at all. With both Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac both out for the whole year, there also just does not seem to be enough fire power to squeeze this Magic team into the playoffs. With a 10–18 record, and three years left on his current deal, it might finally be time for the Magic to move on and allow younger bigs Khem Birch and Mo Bamba develop in that center spot. With his value being seemingly higher than it will ever be, they could get a massive haul. If the Pelicans could get 3 first rounders for Jrue Holiday, the Magic could 100% get close (if not more) than that value.
The Celtics feel like a prime target for Vucevic. With that massive $26 million trade exception they received from the Gordon Hayward sign and trade, plus a treasure chest of young pieces and picks, they have more than enough to get the big. On top of this, Boston has been yearning for a high quality big ever since Al Horford left, and this would solve this issue. The Celtics are on the cusp of having a championship roster, and with Kemba Walker’s knees losing strength as he ages, they may feel like now is the time to go all in before Jayson Tatum’s massive extension kicks in. It’s bold to say the Magic will move on from a staple of its franchise, but the fit just makes too much sense.
*all stats were found on basketballreference.com unless stated otherwise
*game footage and photos used are not owned by me, they are property of the NBA is used for educational purposes
