Now past the halfway point in the 2022-23 NBA season, all 30 teams in the NBA are preparing for the trade deadline on February 9.
With how close things have been standings-wise in the league this season and given how both conferences seem wide open right now, we could very well see quite a bit of action at the trade deadline this season.
Whether or not this means star players being on the move though is a whole separate conversation, as anything can happen, especially with the first domino yet to fall.
There truly are no “sellers” ahead of the trade deadline this year and as a result, just a few losses or wins over the next couple of weeks could completely change the direction of many franchises in the NBA.
From John Collins to Kyle Kuzma to Jae Crowder to both the Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors, there is so much to talk about in regards to what could happen at the trade deadline this season.
With this said, let’s take a look at some of the latest rumors around the league and do a little “buy/sell” action.
Hawks Will Trade John Collins
As a franchise, the Atlanta Hawks have a lot to figure out.
Dating back to last season, John Collins was frustrated with the way things were going and there was talk about the Hawks possibly looking to deal him ahead of the trade deadline. Ultimately, they held onto Collins and trade speculation involving the Hawks’ forward continued into the summer.
Now, the Hawks are once again struggling and various reports have suggested that Atlanta is interested in moving John Collins.
It is no secret that the Hawks will move Collins for the right price and it is not hard to believe that he will be one of the first dominos to fall in trade talks over the next month or so.
Recently, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the Utah Jazz have been the “most engaged team” in regards to trade talks centered around John Collins and this is no surprise, as Collins has been mentioned as a target for the Jazz for quite some time now .
Having both Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley, the Jazz could easily put together a lucrative offer for John Collins, giving the Hawks two key secondary talents to make a playoff push with.
With the way things have gone in Atlanta this season and with this franchise being on the verge of having to start over, holding onto Collins and not capitalizing on his value does not make much sense.
The only way the Hawks can truly turn themselves into a competitive threat in terms of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference is if they can settle the conflict between their locker room and front-office, but this is not something that has an end in sight.
I would fully expect John Collins to be on the move either at the trade deadline this season or in the offseason.
Verdict: BUY
Chicago Preparing To Rebuild
As mentioned earlier, teams around the league have circled the Chicago Bulls as a team to watch ahead of the trade deadline due to their struggles over the first half of the 2022-23 season.
The Bulls are currently 20-24 and if they decide to “sell” at the trade deadline, they will hold the biggest market and audience due to the fact that Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic and DeMar DeRozan could all become available.
Not to mention, Alex Caruso is a key defensive target for many playoff teams around the league and he is a player that could immediately make an impact off-the-bench for others.
It definitely makes sense for many to believe that the Bulls will enter the trade deadline with the idea of ”blowing things up,” but as of right now, Chicago believes that they have what it takes to get back into the playoff picture and they are not prepared to make their stars available at the trade deadline, sources told Fastbreak on FanNation.
Over the last few weeks, the Bulls have been discussing all of their options internally and right now, the belief is that LaVine, DeRozan and Vucevic will not be on the move in the near future.
With this said though, others like Alex Caruso, Coby White and Patrick Williams could very much hit the trade market should Chicago look to add another key presence to their roster.
Any thoughts of a potential rebuild for the Bulls though is beginning to fade across the league.
Verdict: SELL (for now)
Gary Trent Jr. And/Or OG Anunoby Will Be On The Move From Toronto
Like the Chicago Bulls, the Toronto Raptors are another team in the Eastern Conference that many around the league are watching closely.
Maybe they will not be going through a “full-scale rebuild,” but change is on the horizon for the Raptors, as their struggles this season are very concerning.
Toronto’s bench is still one of the worst in the league despite the team making moves this offseason to try and add depth and the Raptors are currently outside the playoff picture and Play-In Tournament picture in the Eastern Conference ahead of the deadline.
Some sort of “reboot” needs to happen within this franchise in order for them to get back to their championship ways and it only makes sense for them to explore trade opportunities involving OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr.
Anunoby holds more value league-wide right now, as several teams have expressed trade interest in him dating back to the offseason, but Toronto seems more willing to deal Trent Jr. instead.
Making $17.2 million this season and then having an $18.6 million player option for next season, it makes the most sense for Toronto to capitalize on Trent’s value while they can, especially since he could opt out and become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.
Both the New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns are two teams sources have told Fastbreak about having internal interest in Gary Trent Jr. and there are quite a few other teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards who could look to swing a deal for Toronto’s sharpshooting wing.
Who knows, maybe Toronto will put second-year forward Scottie Barnes at the center of their long-term plans by dealing one of their stars in Fred VanVleet and/or Pascal Siakam, but it is much more likely that either Anunoby or Trent will be on the move in the coming weeks in order for the Raptors to add future assets, as well as cap space to re-sign VanVleet to a new long-term deal in the offseason.
Verdict: BUY
Wizards And Kyle Kuzma Long-Term Deal?
A lot of discussion approaching the trade deadline has been centered around the Washington Wizards and what their plans are with Kyle Kuzma.
In a similar position to that of Gary Trent Jr., Kyle Kuzma has just one more year left on his contract, but it is a $13 million player option that many are expecting him to opt out of and become an unrestricted free agent.
Should this happen, the Wizards will be fighting with some other teams around the league to try and sign Kuzma in free agency, which is why there is a thought that Washington could look to trade him right now for value.
The Wizards are currently 18-26 this season and while they are struggling, they have a lot of internal interest in keeping Kyle Kuzma long-term.
He is still only 27-years-old and has fit in nicely next to Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis as a second and third scoring option at times.
Kuzma has been having a career year to this point in the season and he is nowhere near the root of this team’s problems, which is why trading him really would not positively impact this franchise.
There is a market out there for Kuzma right now and the Wizards could land a young player on a rookie contract, plus one or two first-round picks for him, but all indications point towards the Wizards looking to keep Kyle Kuzma past the trade deadline and ink him to a new long-term deal.
Verdict: BUY
Los Angeles Lakers Make A Big Move
Of course, you cannot talk about potential trades ahead of the trade deadline without bringing up the Los Angeles Lakers.
LeBron James and Co. are just 20-24 on the season and while they are just about a game behind the 10-seed in the West, Los Angeles still has a lot of work to do if they are to be a real threat this year.
Obviously getting Anthony Davis back and healthy ahead of the All-Star break will be key, but he and LeBron James cannot carry this franchise alone.
The Russell Westbrook experiment has not turned out how the Lakers had hoped and now, they are a franchise with no cap space and virtually no valuable trade assets.
Of course, there is always the possibility of a Westbrook trade, but he has played well in his new role coming off-the-bench and sources say that the Lakers are comfortable with the idea of keeping him through the end of his contract this season. , especially since he is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer.
The idea of making a monumental move for a player like DeMar DeRozan or Bradley Beal just is not feasible for the Lakers right now, especially since they have been extremely hesitant to discuss deals involving their first-round picks in 2027 and 2029, the only first -round picks they are able to trade at this time due to previous transactions.
Deals involving the likes of Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn and/or Lonnie Walker IV are much more likely for this franchise right now, yet a deal involving any of these three players would not return a star-like player.
If the Lakers do make a move at the trade deadline, it will most likely involve Beverley and Nunn being shipped out in exchange for a key shooting option on the wing that is near the end of their contract.
Verdict: SELL
Be sure to catch up on the newest episode of The Fast Break Podcast hosted by Fastbreak’s own Brett Siegel!
Streaming on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, The Fast Break Podcast takes you inside the league with the latest news, intel, rumors and interviews from those close to the action for all 30 teams. Be on the lookout for a new episode every Friday.
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