Basketball Insiders Magazine | 2014 NBA Trade Deadline Issue by Basketball Insiders

TRADE DEADLINE EDITION*

OUR EXPERTS SERVE UP THE DEFINITIVE VE

DIGITAL MAGAZINE FEB. 2014 LAUNCH ISSUE

WILL THE KNICKS DEAL

CARMELO ANTHONY

2014

MOCK DRAFT

WE RANK THE TTOP OP PPROSPECTS OP BY POSITION FOR THE DECADE’S MOST MOS COVETED ROOKIE ROO CLASS

UP D A T E S ON A L L

30 TE A M S

+ BUYERS / SELLERS

& ALL THE BIG NAMES

*FORGET

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CONTENTS

TRADE DEADLINE EDITION Launch Issue Get inside the game with basketballinsiders.com @Bballinsiders

/BasketballInsiders

JUMPBALL

ATLANTIC

FEATURE

CENTRAL

FEATURE

SOUTHEAST

Publisher’s Welcome

Boston Celtics

Chicago Bulls

Introduction

Brooklyn Nets

THE DEADLINE FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES

Atlanta Hawks

SHOULD THE KNICKS TRADE CARMELO ANTHONY?

Biggest Names

New York Knicks

Detroit Pistons

Miami Heat

Buyers & Sellers

Philadelphia 76ers

Indiana Pacers

Orlando Magic

Toronto Raptors

Milwaukee Bucks

Washington Wizards

By Moke Hamilton

30 Cleveland Cavaliers

By Alex Kennedy

44 Charlotte Bobcats

Publication Image Credits. EAST. Rajon Rondo. USA Today Sports / Gary M. Cooper... Boston. USA Today Sports / David Butler II... Paul Pierce. USA Today Sports / Brad Penner... Brooklyn. USA Today Sports / Anthony Gruppuso... Raymond Felton. USA Today Sports / Jim O’Connor... New York. USA Today Sports / Brad Penner... Evan Turner. USA Today Sports / Richard Mackson... Philadelphia. USA Today Sports / Howard Smith... DeMar DeRozan. USA Today Sports / Greg M. Cooper... Toronto. USA Today Sports / Tom Szczerbowski... Carlos Boozer. USA Today Sports / Justin Ford... Chicago. USA Today Sports / Kim Klement... Kyrie Ir ving. USA Today Sports / David Richard... Cleveland. USA Today Sports / Jayne Kamin-Oncea... Andre Drummond. USA Today Sports / Evan Habeeb... Detroit. USA Today Sports / Tim Fuller... Paul George. USA Today Sports / Brian Spurlock... Indiana. USA Today Sports / Brian Spurlock... Giannis Antetokounmpo. USA Today Sports / Jeff Hanisch... Milwaukee. USA Today Sports / Tom Szczerbowski... Paul Millsap. USA Today Sports / Winslow Townson... Atlanta. USA Today Sports / Brett Davis... Kemba Walker. USA Today Sports / John E. Sokolowski... Michael Jordan. USA Today Sports / Sam Sharpe... Charlotte. USA Today Sports / Kim Klement... LeBron James. USA Today Sports / Steve Mitchell... Miami. USA Today Sports / Steve Mitchell... Arron Afflalo. USA Today Sports / Howard Smith... Victor Oladipo. USA Today Sports / Rob Foldy... Orlando. USA Today Sports / Jim Klement... John Wall. USA Today Sports / Geoff Burke... Washington. USA Today Sports / Mark Zerof.

Copyright 2014, Basketball Insiders. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including by photocopying, electronically, storing in any medium, transmitting, recording or otherwise, whether or not transiently or incidentally to some other use without the prior written consent of the publisher.

NORTHWEST

FEATURE

PACIFIC

FEATURE

SOUTHWEST

POST GAME

Denver Nuggets

INSIDE LOOK FROM THE FRONTLINES

Golden State Warriors

HOW PLAYERS DEAL WITH TRADES AND RUMORS

Dallas Mavericks

Positional Rankings

Houston Rockets

2014 Mock Draft

56 Minnesota Timberwolves

By Travis Heath

70 Los Angeles Clippers

By Jessica Camerato

Oklahoma City Thunder

Los Angeles Lakers

Memphis Grizzlies

Portland Trail Blazers

Phoenix Suns

New Orleans Pelicans

Utah Jazz

Sacramento Kings

San Antonio Spurs

Publication Image Credits. WEST. Ty Lawson. USA Today Sports / Kyle Terada... Denver. USA Today Sports / Kyle Terada... Kevin Love. USA Today Sports / Jesse Johnson... Minnesota. USA Today Sports / Tom Szczerbowski... Kevin Durant. USA Today Sports / Peter Aiken... Oklahoma City. USA Today Sports / Mark D. Smith... Damian Lillard. USA Today Sports / Kelley L. Cox... Portland. USA Today Sports / Mark D. Smith... Trey Burke. USA Today Sports / Jesse Johnson... Utah. USA Today Sports / Russell Isabella... Stephen Curry. USA Today Sports / Kyle Terada... Golden State. USA Today Sports / Brett Davis... Blake Griffin. USA Today Sports / Geoff Burke... L.A. Clippers. USA Today Sports / Raj Mehta... Kobe Bryant. USA Today Sports / Daniel Shirey... L.A. Lakers. USA Today Sports / David Butler II... Goran Dragic. USA Today Sports / Chris Humphreys... Phoenix. USA Today Sports / Jennifer Stewart... Rudy Gay. USA Today Sports / Kim Klement... Sacramento. USA Today Sports / Kelley L. Cox... Dirk Nowitzki. USA Today Sports / Marilyn Indahi... Dallas. USA Today Sports / Jerome Miron... James Harden. USA Today Sports / Troy Taomina... Houston. USA Today Sports / Raj Mehta... Mike Conley. USA Today Sports / Jeff Hanisch... Marc Gasol. USA Today Sports / Nelson Chenault... Memphis. USA Today Sports / Justin Ford... Anthony Davis. USA Today Sports / Anthony Gruppuso... New Orleans. USA Today Sports / Jerome Miron... Tony Parker. USA Today Sports / Derick E. Hingle... San Antonio. USA Today Sports / Jerome Miron... Publication Image Credits. Additional. Zach Randolph. USA Today Sports / Spruce Derden... Pau Gasol. USA Today Sports / Kelley L. Cox... Kyle Lowry. USA Today Sports / Brad Mills... Eric Gordon. USA Today Sports / Jerome Miron... Deron Williams. USA Today Sports / Jim Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Conner... Omer Asik. USA Today Sports / Kyle Terada... Carmelo Anthony. USA Today Sports / Sam Sharpe... Carmelo Anthony. USA Today Sports / Joe Camporeale... Taj Gibson. USA Today Sports / Kim Klement... JJ Hickson. USA Today Sports / Jennifer Stewart... Pau Gasol. USA Today Sports / Jayne Kamin-Oncea... Jeremy Lin. USA Today Sports / Andrew Richardson... Monta Ellis. USA Today Sports / Kevin Jairaj... Marcus Smart. USA Today Sports / Kevin Jairaj... Andrew Wiggins + Joel Embiid. USA Today Sports / Kevin Jairaj... Jabari Parker. USA Today Sports / Mark Konezny... Julius Randle. USA Today Sports / Mark Zerof... David Mor way. USA Today Sports / Brian Spurlock... Chris Kaman. USA Today Sports / Jayne Kamin-Oncea... Roger Montgomery. Courtesy of Roger Montegomery Management.

NBA Rumor Round-Up Start your morning off with our analysis of the biggest basketball rumors of the day, posted every morning at 5am. http://www.basketballinsiders.com/category/nba-rumors-round-up

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

O T E M O C L WE AUGURAL THE IN N OF EDITIO MAGAZINE THE TRADE DEADLINE ISSUE

I hope that by now you have had a chance to visit the new Basketball Insiders website and have added us on your social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. From there, we will keep you informed and updated on all things basketball throughout the day. From here, we want to give you a deeper, richer, fuller experience that we feel only our staff can deliver. As you flip through the magazine, we hope that you’ll recognize the names of our writers and understand the scope and depth we plan to cover the basketball world with from this platform. Our team loves to do deep-thought features and projects that we can really sink our teeth into and that’s what our digital magazine platform will be about. As we thought about what types of content fit best in this kind of product, we decided that unlike some monthly or bi-monthly magazines, we really wanted to establish these issues as tent poles around the biggest events in basketball. This issue, our complete Trade Deadline Guide, will be the first of many completely comprehensive looks at basketball’s marquee days and events. Our next issue will drop around the 2014 NBA Draft and be a similar look at what could be one of the most coveted NBA draft classes since 2003, which featured LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Our follow-up to the draft will be a comprehensive Free Agency Guide, constructed very similarly to this Trade Deadline Guide. We’ll give you all the names and information that you’ll need to be a true insider when it comes to free agency. We’ll follow up free agency with an in-depth 2014-15 NBA Season Preview and an amazingly detailed and informative Fantasy Basketball Guide. So, sit back and enjoy this issue. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed creating it. Be sure to keep an eye out for the next issue; we guarantee you won’t find anything like it elsewhere.

Steve Kyler Managing Editor and Publisher

INTRODUCTION

THE NBA TRADE DEADLINE IS ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING EVENTS IN ALL OF SPORTS. In other professional sports, the trade deadline comes and goes without much excitement. However, in the NBA, interesting rumors and surprising deals dominate the headlines in the weeks leading up to the deadline. Sure, there are some years that are dull. Last year’s trade deadline was one of the quietest in recent memory. Rudy Gay was traded in late January and then all of the deals that happened at the deadline involved role players, such as J.J. Redick, Tobias Harris, Jordan Crawford and Patrick Patterson. But there are some years when it absolutely lives up to the hype. In 2011, Carmelo Anthony, Deron Williams, Gerald Wallace, Derrick Favors, Goran Dragic and the first-round draft pick that became Kyrie Irving were all traded at the deadline. Only in the NBA can two superstar players (Anthony and Williams) be traded within 48 hours of one another. That’s how things go in the NBA; just about any player can be dealt under the right circumstances. In addition to Anthony and Williams, many stars have been traded leading up the deadline throughout NBA history, including Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O’Neal, Ray Allen, Gary Payton, Clyde Drexler and Pau Gasol among others. Now, as the 2014 trade deadline inches closer, it’s looking like this year could be very exciting. Many notable players have already started to surface in trade rumors such as Carmelo Anthony, Rajon Rondo, Pau Gasol, Kyle Lowry, Greg Monroe, Arron Afflalo, Omer Asik, Eric Gordon, Tyreke Evans, Danny Granger, Thaddeus Young and Evan Turner. And those are just the players whose names have been involved in rumors. Oftentimes, trades come out of nowhere and surprise everyone. Teams are also doing whatever they can to get their hands on first-round draft picks, since the 2014 draft class is shaping up to be one of the best in recent memory. Players like Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Joel Embiid, Julius Randle, Dante Exum and Marcus Smart are viewed as franchise-changing players, so first-round picks will be extremely valuable at this year’s deadline. When we were creating this issue, our goal was to make it as informative as possible so that our readers would be as knowledgeable as anyone as the deadline approaches. This Trade Deadline Guide features 30 team profiles, a list of buyers and sellers, a breakdown of the biggest players potentially on the move and a number of other in-depth features that give you a behind-the-scenes look at the trade deadline. The Basketball Insiders team caught up with players, executives and agents to discuss what the deadline is like for everyone involved, how trade rumors are dealt with and what it’s like to work in an NBA front office. This issue will not only provide you with the latest trade information, it will likely change the way that you look at the deadline. We assembled this issue to provide our readers with the most in-depth coverage of one of the NBA’s biggest days, and we hope you enjoy it.

Alex Kennedy cations Managing Editor of Digital Publications

For more exclusive interviews, breaking news and emerging rumors as the deadline approaches, be sure to swing by

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

TRADE TALK

BIG NAMES

ON THE MOVE By Eric Pincus

W Who ho are some off the the notable players who may be dealt before the Trade Tra Deadline? adline? dli ?

Deron Williams Carmelo Anthony

OMER ASIK >> NBA teams hit the trade deadline with varying goals. Some teams look to add that one piece to bolster their playoff chances. Others hope to cash out on a quality player before they hit free agency in July. It’s not uncommon for a franchise to trigger a trade strictly for financial reasons, especially those facing a hefty luxury tax bill. Heading into the 2014 NBA trade deadline (Feb. 20), a number of big name players could be looking at new homes.

Pau Gasol

KYLE LOWRY

PG | Brooklyn

SF | New York

F / C | L.A. Lakers

PG | Toronto

The Nets banked on this year’s squad as a title contender, but over $100 million in salary and approximately $85 million in luxury taxes have yielded a mediocre squad, even in the weaker Eastern Conference. Williams is under contract through the 2015-16 season, although he can opt out of his final year ($22.3 million). When healthy, Williams is a strong player but he’s been battling injuries through most of his time with the Nets. If there’s a way out that can help the Nets build a brighter future, they should take it.

Anthony is expected to opt out of the final year of his contract, leaving $23.4 million on the table to resign a new, long-term deal. The Knicks are expected to open up their sizable vault to keep Anthony, but should they? If New York decides their future is brighter without Anthony, then they’re going to need to find a home for him before he hits free agency. Don’t be surprised if the Knicks re-up their highscoring forward, even if it’s an investment that doesn’t lead New York to the NBA Finals.

The Lakers have been decimated by injuries this season. Gasol has been in rumors so long, why would he look to re-sign? In the final year of his contract, Gasol would be a get for a team looking to cash in on a postseason run. The Lakers are over the luxury tax line ($71.75 million) by over $7 million. If there’s a deal that can get them under, L.A. should take it seriously. With their lucrative Time Warner Cable television deal, the Lakers can afford the tax. They may not go for a straight-up money grab -- not unless they get some sort of worthwhile future consideration out of it.

After getting out of Rudy Gay’s contract, the Toronto Raptors have improved significantly as a team. Earlier in the season, the Raptors were thinking lottery and considered dealing point guard Lowry, who is in the last year of his deal. While the team may still look to make a move, Lowry has a real chance to finish out his deal in Toronto.

ADDITIONAL PROFILES >>>

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BIG NAMES

ON THE MOVE ZACH RANDOLPH PF | Memphis The Grizzlies were not the Grizzlies when Marc Gasol was out with a knee injury. Memphis highly values point guard Mike Conley and Gasol, but what of Randolph? Like Rondo, the Grizzlies have to decide if they want to ink Randolph beyond the 2014-15 season. The difference is that Randolph can opt out of his final year ($17 million). While Boston can afford to be patient, the Grizzlies may have a shorter window to get value -unless they’re extremely confident Randolph chooses to stay for another season.

OMER ASIK C | Houston The Rockets want to move Asik and Asik wants to go. Complicating matters, the defensive-minded center is owed $15 million for next season, while his salary-cap hit is just $8.4 million (due to the nature of how Asik was acquired via offer sheet as a restricted free agent when with the Chicago Bulls). For some teams, the numbers are appealing -for others, appalling. Note: Jeremy Lin is in the same situation. http://www.basketballinsiders.com

Eric Gordon KEVIN LOVE

SG | New Orleans

PF | Minnesota Will the Wolves trade Love this season? Probably not. But they have a disgruntled All-Star, with an opt-out before the 2015-16 season. Love has one more year before he may decide to leave for greener pastures. Minnesota, and Love, had high hopes this year but the team has underperformed. At some point the Wolves need to start thinking about a return for Love, before he signs somewhere else (like with the Lakers in Los Angeles, which has been rumored). The Utah Jazz traded Deron Williams in 2011 under similar circumstances. The Wolves may already be in a no-win situation with Love.

RAJON RONDO PG | Boston The Celtics are all about the rebuild, as evidenced by their recent trades and effort to stockpile draft picks. Does Rondo have a future in Boston beyond the $12.9 million final season on his contract next year? If not, Boston will get value for him whether it’s at the deadline, near the draft in June or over the summer in July.

Gordon is a good player but he gets hurt a lot and is overpaid. The Pelicans will look around, but they may not find a suitor for the undersized shooting guard making $30.4 million over the next two seasons.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS

VARIOUS

EVAN TURNER

EMEKA OKAFOR

SPENCER HAWES

RICHARD JEFFERSON

THADDDEUS YOUNG

ANDRIS BIEDRINS

The Sixers are well below the league minimum salary at about $47.6 million in payroll, which means they’ll need to pay an additional $5.2 million to the players on their roster at the end of the season, if they don’t add on salary. While Philadelphia can make Turner restricted next summer with an offer of $8.7 million, they may look to move him. Hawes will be a free agent as wel, and would appeal to playoff-bound teams looking for outsideshooting size. Young has had a strong season, but is he part of the team’s future plans? He can opt out of his final year, but could make $19.4 million over the next two seasons.

While none of the names listed are “big names,” they certainly have large, expiring contracts. Do teams actually want Okafor ($14.5 million), Jefferson ($11 million) and Biedrins ($9 million) at those salaries? Certainly not, and Okafor may not even play this season with a neck injury. They would want them for the salary cap relief, while giving the Suns or Jazz assets in return. The Suns have played well above even the most modest expectations. They may shop to add veteran talent to make a playoff push. Utah is rebuilding and another strong destination for a team looking to dump a player – although the Jazz are going to want draft considerations for their troubles.

S R E Y BU SE LLERS 9

AND

By Lang Greene

Potential Trade Chips: Marcus Thornton, The annual NBA Potential Jimmer Fredette and Jason Thompson trade deadline is Trade Chips: arguably the busiest General manager Pete D’Alessandro is determined to return the Kings Ben Gordon to relevance and has taken an aggressive approach since taking the helm time of the year for The Bobcats are on a of the club’s front office. The team acquired forward Rudy Gay from league executives. mission to reach the playoffs Toronto in early December and the overall play of the unit has While the actual amount for just the second time in improved. Not resting on the uptick, D’Alessandro has of deals finalized at the franchise history and after three reportedly been dangling forward Jason Thompson and deadline varies from year to consecutive seasons languishing in guards Marcus Thornton and Jimmer Fredette to year, the level of activity the league’s basement, they have a teams around the league in an effort to gauge among front office personnel legitimate shot. There have been their market values. Thompson and Thornton continues to increase as each numerous reports implying the Bobcats are proven veterans, while Fredette could be looking to deal second-year season goes by. But no market, offers a solid shooting stroke forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, but the of any kind, is viable without buyers for a franchise looking to likely trade chip will be shooting guard Ben and sellers. The sellers, as we approach bolster their attack. Gordon. The tenth-year guard is set to earn the trade deadline, will be looking to $13.2 million this season, but also represents a move off of unfavorable contracts in desirable expiring contract. Charlotte has long KINGS order to acquire young assets and been rumored to be in the market for additional future draft picks. Most of wing depth and with reserve forward the buyers are looking for Jeffery Taylor out for the year, a move the final piece to aid in their BOBCATS on that front is even more plausible. respective team’s rebuilding project or playoff push.

Potential Trade Chips: Omer Asik

BUYERS

ROCKETS

Potential Trade Chips: John RAPTORS Salmons, Chuck Hayes, Kyle Lowry and Tyler Hansbrough

Many believe the addition of a more proven power forward, to pair alongside The Raptors made waves earlier this season All-Stars Dwight Howard and James Harden, by trading high scoring forward Rudy Gay to the SUNS would push the Houston Rockets into the realm of Sacramento Kings back in December. The team the league’s elite. Heading into the trading winds, responded by playing a high level of basketball, the Rockets are armed with a very marketable securing victories against quality opposition The Suns have been the biggest asset in Omer Asik to potentially secure the and is now in the midst of making a strong surprise of the 2013-14 season. forward they desire. Asik, who served as run for the Atlantic Division crown. So it’s Initially, it seemed like Phoenix was the Rockets’ starting center last season, has decision time for president and general going to be one of the worst teams in the seemingly wanted out of Houston since manager Masai Ujiri. Will the veteran NBA, since first-year general manager Ryan the franchise signed Howard in free executive continue to ride the wave McDonough was stockpiling young talent and agency last summer. Rockets of recent success and add a piece first-round draft picks. However, the Suns have been general manager Daryl Morey to strengthen their late season competitive in the first half of the season and are competing has a long history of pulling run or decide to make more for one of the final playoff seeds in the Western Conference off deals at the deadline. moves geared toward the thanks to excellent coaching from Jeff Hornacek and a young This season should be future? We believe the roster that has exceeded expectations. Now, the team wants to no different. Expect Raptors will be active at bolster their roster to ensure a playoff berth, and have the insured the Rockets to be the deadline, but with expiring contract of Emeka Okafor and as many as four 2014 first-round in play. the intention to picks to dangle at the deadline. The Suns have been working the phones and are certainly a team to watch as Feb. 20 approaches. If a significant veteran contributor is available, McDonough will likely pursue them.

secure their first playoff berth since 2008.

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BUYERS & SELLERS Potential Trade Chips: Pau Gasol and Chris Kaman Potential Trade Chips: Arron Afflalo, Jameer Nelson and Glen Davis

The Lakers have struggled mightily all season and appear headed for just their third Potential top 10 draft pick in the last 20 years (Eddie Jones in 1994 and Andrew Bynum Trade Chips: in 2005). If the Lakers are serious about making another title run before Marvin Williams, All-Star guard Kobe Bryant hangs up the laces, an opportunity to Richard Jefferson, stockpile assets at this year’s trade deadline shouldn’t be ignored. Brandon Rush and Gasol, a former All-Star in his own right, is the Lakers’ biggest Andris Biedrins trade chip likely to yield the desired return. If the Lakers The Magic are in rebuilding were to move Gasol, on the books for $19 million this mode, but the franchise is firmly The Jazz are banking on their season, the club would likely have to absorb future sticking to a script deeply rooted solid young core of Derrick Favors, salary in return, which is a road they have been in patience. The team is on pace to Gordon Hayward, Trey Burke, Enes hesitant to travel. Seldom used center Chris net another lottery pick in June to pair Kanter and Alec Burks to lead them into Kaman will be another intriguing piece with an already solid under-25 core of the future. Simply put, there’s a youth for the Lakers come deadline time Nikola Vucevic, Tobias Harris, Victor movement steadily brewing in Utah. with teams always needing a Oladipo and Maurice Harkless. But Orlando However, sticking out like a sore thumb are productive enforcer. has a few veterans on the roster who are sure to four veterans on the roster with a combined attract interest as the deadline approaches. Guard $31 million in expiring salaries – we’ll call them Arron Afflalo is a bona fide 20-point scorer who trade chips. Credit to Marvin Williams, Richard earns less than $8 million per year. Veteran guard LAKERS Jefferson, Brandon Rush and Andris Biedrins for Jameer Nelson’s contract, worth $8 million next being complete professionals for the Jazz, but season, is non-guaranteed, which could opposing general managers looking for provide financial relief for an opposing future salary cap relief will undoubtedly team looking for flexibility. The Magic MAGIC JAZZ be reaching out to the Jazz to discuss aren’t desperate to move these guys, but trade options. will certainly listen to overtures.

Potential Trade Chips: Zach Randolph

SELLERS

GRIZZLIES

WANT MORE

The Grizzlies have remained consistent in their public message that trading All-Star forward Zach Randolph is not in their immediate 76ERS plans. But as the season carries on, there are a Visit the Basketball Insiders’ couple things to note. Memphis has a payroll Rumor Page in lead up to the near $71 million this season, which is a high 2014 Trade Deadline. Potential Trade Chips: cost for a smaller market franchise hovering Don’t forget to follow: Thaddeus Young, Spencer around the .500 mark. The other factor @BballInsiders Hawes and Evan Turner to consider is the fact Randolph has a player option for next season worth The Sixers are in a clear rebuilding mode $16.9 million. There is a high risk the and headed toward a prominent spot in this veteran could decide to opt out of year’s lottery but the team isn’t devoid of talent. the final year of his deal in order Philadelphia has numerous assets that will have their to secure a multi-year pact in front office’s phone lines buzzing all the way to the free agency. Memphis could deadline. The Sixers boast a productive trio in Evan lose a highly productive Turner, Spencer Hawes and Thaddeus Young who could be member of their core available for the right mix of assets to aid in the team’s rebuilding for nothing in return, plans. Hawes and Young will be unrestricted free agents this which is always a summer so there’s a legitimate risk of losing them without netting a return. reason to keep phone Turner, on the other hand, will be a restricted free agent so the team has time to lines open. determine his fate.

BUYERS & SELLERS?

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

ATLANTIC

CENTRAL

S SOUTHEAST

EASTERN 28

CONFERENCE 42

446

448

ATLANTIC

BOSTON By Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer)

IT WAS SIX SUMMERS AGO THAT THE BOSTON CELTICS REVITALIZED their franchise by bringing in Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to join forces with Paul Pierce. For six straight seasons, the Celtics were not only playoff participants, but feared and respected contenders for the crown. However, that window of opportunity finally slammed shut. General manager Danny Ainge decided to hit the reset button in Boston, and the Celtics began the 2013-14 campaign without the familiar faces of Pierce and Garnett on the floor and long-time head coach Doc Rivers roaming the sidelines. As a result, it was widely assumed that their successive string of postseason berths would likely come to end. With the team now well under .500, it seems that eventuality is all but guaranteed, even in the abomination that is the 2013-14 Eastern Conference. Of course, that is not necessarily a bad thing, as each loss increases the number of ping-pong balls in the hopper, and the chances that Boston snags a top pick in the 2014 draft. Many draft experts have claimed this summerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s draft will be one of the best in recent NBA history. The Celtics already got a jump on deadline dealing by sending guards Jordan Crawford and MarShon Brooks to the Golden State Warriors in a three-team deal that yielded two draft picks for Boston. Is Danny Ainge just getting started?

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014 First-round pick. Philadelphia owes a first round pick to Boston (via Miami) protected for selections 1-14 in 2014 or 1-14 in 2015... Brooklyn will convey the less favorable of its 2014 first-round pick and Atlantaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2014 first-round pick to Boston... Boston owes its 2014 secondround pick to Dallas.

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 First-round pick. Clippers owe their 2015 first-round pick to Boston.

2016 First-round pick. Brooklyn owes its 2016 first-round pick to Boston... Miami owes its 2016 second round pick to Boston... Boston owes 2016 second-round pick to Memphis.

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

Avery Bradley | 23 | G

Gerald Wallace | 31 | F

For a team committed to rebuilding, there aren’t really any “untouchable” parts. Bradley could be had at the right price, but considering his affordable salary and solid all-around game, Ainge is certainly not in any rush to trade away one of the league’s more pesky and aggressive perimeter defenders.

Wallace has one of the least desirable contracts in the NBA, as he is owed $10.1 million in each of the next two seasons. That’s $20.2 million tied up in a player averaging just 4.0 points and 3.3 rebounds. The Celtics would obviously love to dump his deal, but no GM would be willing to take back the Celtics’ flotsam unless Ainge and company were willing to take back an equally egregious contract.

Salary: $2,511,432

Salary: $10,105,855

Jared Sullinger | 21 | F/C Salary: $1,365,720

Kris Humprhries | 28 | F

Sullinger has had his up-and-downs since the Celtics drafted him in July of 2012. He showed great promise early on in his rookie season, before a back injury derailed his first professional campaign. This season, Sullinger had struggled a bit with his shot, but has provided the C’s with solid production down low.

Amazingly, Humphries, making a cool $12 million, is the highest paid player on the Celtics’ roster this season. However, Humphries’ contract expires in July, which may make it attractive to a team looking to get under the cap this summer.

Kelly Olynyk | 22 | C

Rajon Rondo | 27 | G

Salary: $1,986,360

Salary: $12,000,000

Salary: $11,954,545

Much like Bradley and Sullinger, Olynyk is a promising young player who has shown flashes of potential in his nascent NBA career. Just like the other two youngsters, he’s locked into a rookie contract that will help Boston maintain the cap space they covet.

Rondo has returned to the Celtics lineup, so the question now is whether Ainge views him as an essential piece and a building block for the future, or attractive trade bait to be used in attempt to stockpile talent and more draft picks. Ainge and company could also decide to build around Rondo, rather than trade away the final piece from their championship squad. If Boston is committed to procuring as many ping-pong balls as possible (and thus maximizing their chances of getting a high lottery pick in the stacked 2014 draft), then parting with their best player may be the preferred course of action.

CHECK BOSTON’S COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE: http://www.basketballinsiders.com/boston-celtics-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... It seems unlikely that Boston would be willing to move Rondo at the deadline. Even if they ultimately felt it was best to trade their stud point guard, they might be able to better maximize his value if they waited until he finished the 2013-14 season healthy, and then potentially look to deal him over the summer. At that point, head coach Brad Stevens will have a better feel whether he would prefer to move forward with Rondo as captain of his ship. If the Celtics do make another move this month, it may be a small deal that results in them moving an expiring contract (Humphries?) to a contender looking for depth or size up front, in exchange for a non-essential draft pick.

ATLANTIC

BROOKLYN By Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer)

WE ARE ONLY IN FEBRUARY, AND JUST PAST THE MIDPOINT, BU T IT’S already been a bizarre season in Brooklyn. The Nets’ 2012-13 campaign ended in bitter disappointment. Brooklyn had plenty of talent on their roster last season, and were able to win 49 games and capture the fourth seed in the East. However, they were knocked out of the playoffs by an under-manned Bulls team missing many of their top players. In that unacceptable first-round defeat, some issues that had been major problems for Brooklyn all season reared their ugly heads – namely, the team’s lack of heart, aggressiveness and intensity. With that as the backdrop, the Nets pulled off a blockbuster trade that resulted in Brooklyn obtaining Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry. Ideally, this influx of veteran leadership would propel the Nets to top of the Eastern Conference. Coming into the 2013-14 season, expectations for the Nets were high. Brooklyn enjoyed arguably the most active and successful offseason of any team in the league – mortgaging their future to add Hall-of-Famers Garnett and Pierce, while also fortifying the bench with top-tier role players such as Andrei Kirilenko, Alan Anderson and Terry. The total cost to owner Mikhail Prokhorov was astronomical. Adding to the intrigue, the man tasked with coaching this juggernaut was the recently-retired Jason Kidd. One of the greatest point guards of all-time, and arguably the greatest player in Nets franchise history, Kidd was going to make his debut as a head coach under unique circumstances. However, making the transition from player to coach appeared to be eased by the fact he was landing one of the NBA’s most talent-rich rosters. Kidd also brought in the experienced Lawrence Frank as his top assistant. In addition, veterans such and Pierce and especially Garnett had long been considered “coaches on the floor.” In the build up to the regular season, the Nets were viewed by many as legit contenders for the Miami HEAT’s crown. However, the Nets looked like anything but championship contenders over the first two months of this season. On New Year’s Eve, the Nets were demolished by the Spurs in San Antonio, dropping Brooklyn’s record to 10-21, an embarrassing 11 games under .500. Kidd had already (unceremoniously) fired Frank, and their best big man, center Brook Lopez, had broken his foot and the team announced he would miss the remainder of the season. It appeared there would be no way to avoid a nightmarish campaign. Somehow, Brooklyn seemed to flip the switch in the New Year. The Nets reeled off win after win to start 2014, and are now one of the hottest teams in the East.

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014 First-round pick. Atlanta has the right to swap its 2014 first-round pick for Brooklyn’s 2014 first-round pick... Brooklyn will convey the less favorable of these two picks to Boston... Brooklyn owes its 2014 second-round pick to Philadelphia.

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 Atlanta has the right to swap its 2015 first-round pick for Brooklyn’s 2015 first-round pick... Brooklyn owes its 2015 second-round pick to Atlanta (via Utah).

2016 Brooklyn’s owes its 2016 first round pick to Boston... Brooklyn owns its second-round pick.

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

Joe Johnson | 32 | G

Brook Lopez | 25 | C

To call Johnson “untouchable” would be inaccurate. However, the reality is he won’t be traded anytime soon because it is extremely unlikely that another team would be willing to take on the $48 million dollars remaining on his contract. Still, Johnson played very well for Brooklyn in January, helping to spark the recent surge. With ankle injuries keeping Deron Williams sidelined, Johnson has provided much-needed offensive production in the backcourt. In addition, he’s established himself as one of the best clutch shooters on planet earth.

Lopez was off to another tremendous start this season. When healthy, he is the best offensive center in the league. The problem, of course, is that he’s been unable to stay healthy. Trading him now would seem imprudent, considering Brooklyn would have to settle for mere pennies on the dollar, but are the Nets desperate enough (or worried enough about his future health) to trade away one of their franchise cornerstones?

Salary: $21,466,718

Salary: $14,693,906

Mason Plumlee | 23 | C Salary: $1,298,640

Kevin Garnett | 37 | F Salary: $12,433,735

Garnett is owed $12 million next season, so it’s unlikely the Nets could move him, even if they wanted to – especially with Garnett enduring arguably the worst season of his career. However, if the Nets want to make a run in the second half and make noise in the postseason, they will need a healthy Garnett leading the way both on the defensive end of the floor and in the locker room.

Plumlee isn’t a major part of the Nets’ playoff push this season. He has shown plenty of promise in limited action this year, and is on a very favorable rookie contract. Would a rebuilding team trade a “win-now” veteran to Brooklyn in exchange for Plumlee?

Mirza Teletovic | 28 | F Salary: $3,229,050

While Teletovic has been playing a more significant role as of late, the same things written about Plumlee can be said of Teletovic. If the right offer came along, Teletovic could be sent packing.

CHECK BROOKLYN’S COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE: http://www.basketballinsiders.com/brooklyn-nets-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... It is unlikely that the Nets make a move this month. They have no first-round draft picks to trade, and very few attractive assets to offer. While they could move one of their youngsters, it is unlikely to bring back much of a return. Brooklyn will likely have to hold the fort and hope their aging veterans remain healthy and can get hot at just the right time.

ATLANTIC

NEW YORK By Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer)

EXPECTATIONS FOR THE NEW YORK KNICKS WERE SKY HIGH COMING into the 2013-14 season. The organization finally tasted success last year, fresh off of a 54-win campaign that saw them capture the Atlantic Division crown for the first time since 1996, and looked ready to make some noise in the East. Unfortunately, the team got off to a terrible start, losing 13 of their first 16 games, digging themselves a massive hole. New York righted the ship a bit, and even strung together five straight wins in early January. Yet, the Knicks quickly fell back into their losing ways following up the fivegame win streak with a three-game losing skid. The tumultuous season has seen an incredible amount of drama both on and off the court. Head coach Mike Woodson has been on the hot seat since December, shooting guard J.R. Smith has followed up the best season of his career (in which he was named Sixth Man of the Year) with the worst season of his career, and injuries have crippled the Knicks at nearly every position. There is plenty of time left in the season, and because the Eastern Conference is so mediocre below the Pacers and HEAT, the Knicks actually still have a decent shot to make the playoffs – and even finish with as high as the third seed.

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014 New York’s 2014 first-round pick will go to Denver... New York’s 2014 second-round pick will go to Houston.

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 First-round pick. New York’s 2015 second-round pick will go to Houston.

2016 Denver has the right to swap its 2016 first-round pick for New York’s 2016 firstround pick (New York will convey the less favorable of these two picks to Toronto)... New York’s 2016 second-round pick to Sacramento (via Portland) protected for selections 31-37.

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

Tim Hardaway Jr. | 21 | G

J.R. Smith | 28 | G

Hardaway Jr. is sometimes referred to as former Knicks GM Glen Grunwald’s going away present, and what a present he’s been. Yes, the Knicks have themselves a keeper in Hardaway, who’s been one of the best rookies in the entire league this season. He entered the league with a reputation as a great shooter, but even the biggest Knicks fans could not have expected him to be this good. Hardaway is among the top three among all rookies in field goal percentage, three-point percentage and free-throw percentage. Because he slid all the way to No. 24 in the draft, the Knicks have him locked into an extremely affordable rookie contract that pays him less than $1.3 million each of the next two seasons. For a team with salary cap issues, players on rookie contracts are worth their weight in gold.

The season has been an outright nightmare for Smith, right from the very start. He signed a threeyear contract with the Knicks before disclosing that he needed knee surgery. Then he was suspended five games by the league for failing a drug test, and from the moment he stepped foot on the floor, he’s been a disaster. He is on pace to become just the second player in the last 30 years to average at least 30 minutes a night, yet shoot below 37 percent from the floor and 61 percent from the charity stripe. Unfortunately, it appears the Knicks are stuck with Smith, as it is extremely unlikely that another team would be willing to trade for him right now.

Salary: $1,196,760

Carmelo Anthony | 29 | F Salary: $21,388,953

You wouldn’t know it by looking at his team’s record, but Anthony has played extremely well this season. He is on pace to become just the second NBA player in the last 10 seasons to average at least 26 points, nine rebounds and three assists per game. Still, despite the fact that Anthony is clearly the Knicks’ best player, might it make sense to trade him at the deadline? This is a question new GM Steve Mills and owner Jim Dolan will have to decide in short order. The reality is that Anthony is going to opt out of his contract on July 1st and become a free agent. If the Knicks believe there is even the slightest chance he might choose to sign elsewhere, the smart move may be to trade him this month and get something in return. Even if it’s far less than his actual market value, it would be better than losing him for nothing if he bolted in the summer.

Salary: $5,565,000

Amar’e Stoudemire | 31 | F Salary: $21,679,893

Stoudemire is another seemingly untradeable Knick, but not for the same reasons as Smith. Stoudemire has been a pleasant surprise for the Knicks this season, shooting 54 percent from the floor and chipping in 9.3 points and over four rebounds despite playing fewer than 20 minutes a night. Still, because he will be paid $23.4 million next season, it is very safe to assume he will play next season in New York.

Iman Shumpert | 23 | G Salary: $1,703,760

Shumpert is an incredibly talented young player, and his athleticism bubbles to the surface intermittently. However, he also goes through long slumps where he seems to disappear on the offensive end for games at a time. In addition, the coaching staff and ownership seem to have soured on him. Earlier this season there was rampant speculation that the Knicks were trying to trade him. The most popular rumor was that New York had offered him to Denver for Kenneth Faried.

CHECK NEW YORK’S COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE: http://www.basketballinsiders.com/new-york-knicks-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... Trading Carmelo Anthony would probably make a lot of sense from a strictly basketball perspective, but owner Jim Dolan has other considerations (such as keeping MSG sold out), so moving Anthony seems unlikely. The Knicks understand that their window of opportunity to win with this team as currently constituted is not very big, which means they will likely be a buyer at the deadline. Still, it is doubtful they will be very active because they have no drafts picks to give away (they can only trade their 2018 first round pick). One thing to keep in mind, the Knicks can use the $3 million in cash each team is allotted to throw into a deal.

ATLANTIC

PHILADELPHIA By Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer)

HEADING INTO THE 2013-14 CAMPAIGN, IT SEEMED PRETT Y CLEAR THAT 76ers fans were in for a long season. In a controversial move on draft day, the Sixers traded their best player, point guard Jrue Holiday, to the New Orleans Pelicans. As a result they drafted center Nerlens Noel, who was recovering from ACL surgery and would be sidelined for most or all of the season. Expectations were extremely low. In fact, many pundits predicted Philadelphia would finish with the league’s worst record, and some even suggested they would be bad enough to challenge the 1973 76ers for the worst record ever. Shockingly, the Sixers stormed out of the gates, winning their first three games, including an opening night upset of the defending champion Miami HEAT. Rookie sensation Michael-Carter Williams played incredibly well in his first foray into the NBA, as did established Sixers Evan Turner and Thaddeus Young. Optimism started to creep into the psyche of Sixers fans, but the enthusiasm would be short-lived. Philadelphia came crashing back down to earth shortly thereafter. Over a 31day span from November 15th to December 16th, the Sixers lost 15 of the 17 games they played, eventually slipping all the way down the standings towards the Eastern Conference basement. Still, this is certainly not all-together bad news in the City of Brotherly Love. Many Philly fans have applauded Sixers management for looking at the bigger picture, and successfully preparing the franchise for a brighter future by sacrificing in the short-term. The Sixers are now in prime position to land a high lottery pick in the 2014 NBA draft, which is considered by most draft experts to be the best draft in recent history, with several elite, top-tier talents available in the first few picks.

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014 New Orleans’ first-round pick to Philadelphia protected for selections 1-5 in 2014, 1-5 in 2015, 1-5 in 2016, 1-5 in 2017, 1-5 in 2018 or 1-5 in 2019; if New Orleans has not conveyed a first-round pick to Philadelphia by 2019, then New Orleans will instead convey its 2019 second-round pick and 2020 second-

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 First-round pick. Second-round pick.

2016 First-round pick to Orlando protected for selections 1-14 in 2016 (only if the Sixers’ conveyed a first-round pick to Miami in ‘14), 1-11 in 2017 or 1-8 in 2018... if Philly has not conveyed a first-round pick to Orlando by 2018, then Philadelphia will instead convey its 2018 second-round pick and 2019 second-round pick to Orlando.

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

M. Carter-Williams | 22 | G

Thaddeus Young | 25 | F

Many in the media second-guessed Sam Hinkie and his decision to take Carter-Williams with the 11th overall pick in the 2013 draft. Of course, the decision now looks like a stroke of genius, as the rookie is a burgeoning star the Sixers will build around in the years to come. Carter-Williams is a long and athletic point guard who, despite some obvious flaws in his game, possesses an undeniable upside. At nearly 6’6, Carter-Williams brings extraordinary length and wingspan to his position. The kid has been better than anyone could have hoped over his first three months in the NBA. Consider this: the immortal Magic Johnson is the only player in NBA History to ever average at least 17 points, seven assists, five rebounds and three steals per game over the course of a full season. Carter-Williams is currently averaging 17.5 points, 7.0 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 2.7 steals. The Sixers clearly have a keeper in Carter-Williams.

Young is the team’s highest paid player, set to earn $9.4 million next season, and has a playeroption at $9.9 million for 2015-16. Trade rumors surrounding Young have been a constant in Philadelphia since the Sixers traded Holiday and clearly embraced a full rebuilding project. In December it was reported that Young had asked the team to trade him, so it will be interesting to see if the 76ers unload Young prior to the trade deadline.

Salary: $2,200,920

Nerlens Noel | 19 | C Salary: $3,172,320

Noel hasn’t had quite the impact of M.C.W this season; in fact he has yet to set foot on the floor in an NBA game. This unimportant fact matters little to Hinkie and the Philadelphia brain trust, who knew full well that their investment in Noel would not bear fruit until much later down the line. Noel was arguably the best prospect in the country coming out of high school back in 2012. During his short time at Kentucky, he exhibited enough of the incredible skill set that has had scouts drooling for years. With Carter-Williams at the point, and Noel protecting the paint at the team’s starting center as soon as next season, Philadelphia has two very important building blocks at two incredibly important positions.

2014

CONT.

Salary: $8,850,000

Spencer Hawes | 25 | C Salary: $6,600,000

Hawes has played well during his time in Philadelphia. However, he is set to become a free agent in July and with Noel considered the “center of the future” the Sixers may not be willing to spend market value in order to keep Hawes in Philly long-term. Would a contender be willing to trade young, affordable talent in exchange for Hawes? Even if just as a “rental” over the secondhalf of the season, Hawes would help plenty of good teams in need of a skilled offensive big man.

Evan Turner | 25 | G Salary: $6,679,867

Turner, the No. 2 pick in the 2010 draft, did not receive an extension on his rookie contract prior at the start of this season, which muddies the water in terms of where Turner will be next season. Philadelphia has until June 30 to offer him an $8.7 million qualifying offer. If the Sixers do extend the qualifying offer, which most expect them to do, Turner will become a restricted free agent, allowing Philadelphia to match any offer he receives from another team. If the Sixers don’t, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st so it definitely makes sense to see if they can get something in return at the deadline.

round pick to Philadelphia. Philadelphia’s first-round pick to Boston (via Miami) protected for selections 1-14 in 2014 or 1-14 in 2015; if Philadelphia has not conveyed a first-round pick to Boston by 2015, then Philadelphia will instead convey its 2015 second-round pick and 2016 second-round pick to Boston. Philadelphia has the rights to Houston and Brooklyn’s second-round picks in 2014.

CHECK PHILADELPHIA’S COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE:

http://www.basketballinsiders.com/philadelphia-76ers-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... In an ideal world, the Sixers would probably like to move Thaddeus Young (and his onerous contract) in exchange for an expiring contract along with draft picks, and/ or a young player locked into an affordable deal. Whether or not they trade Young may come down to their asking price. The situation with Turner is also difficult to decipher. It all comes down to whether Hinkie is willing to pay to keep Turner in a 76ers uniform long-term. If they believe they have an idea of what type of money Turner will be looking for in his contract, and are willing to match that amount, then they won’t pursue trade opportunities. If they feel Turner will bust their budget the Sixers might have to risk losing him with nothing to show for it. At the end of the day, trading Young or Hawes to a contender seems the more plausible scenario.

ATLANTIC

TORONTO By Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer)

THE TORONTO RAP TORS FINISHED THE 2012-13 SEASON IN LAST PLACE IN the Atlantic Division, 14 games below .500 at 34-48. Much of the same was expected as Toronto embarked on the 2013-14 campaign back in October. In fact, most pundits would have argued that the Raptors had a better chance of winning the NBA Draft Lottery, than winning the Atlantic Division. Then, in early December, the Raptors traded their leading scorer and offensive focal point, Rudy Gay, which led to some accusations that they were “tanking.” However, as we reach the midpoint of this season, the Raptors shockingly find themselves in first place, with a big lead over the struggling Knicks and Nets. Toronto is actually one of just four teams in the Eastern Conference with a winning record. Will the Raptors continue to exceed expectations and make a strong push toward the postseason, or will they stick to the script and focus on rebuilding?

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014 First-round pick. Sacramento’s 2014 second-round pick to Toronto protected for selections 56-60. Toronto will convey the less favorable of its 2014 secondround pick protected for selections 31-36 and Sacramento’s 2014 second-round pick protected for selections 56-60 to Milwaukee... Oklahoma City’s 2014 second-round pick to Toronto (via NYK).

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 First-round pick. Second-round pick.

2016 First-round pick. New York will convey the less favorable of its 2016 first-round pick and Denver’s 2016 first-round pick to Toronto (via Denver’s right to swap for New York). Toronto’s 2016 second-round pick to Memphis.

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

DeMar DeRozan | 24 | G

Kyle Lowry | 27 | G

Last summer, the Raptors committed big money to their surging shooting guard and this season DeRozan has rewarded their faith in him by turning in his best season as a pro. DeRozan has seen his scoring average increase in each of the last three seasons, and this year he is averaging careerhighs across the board: 22 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.2 steals per contest. In fact, he is one of just seven players in the NBA averaging at least 21 points, 4.5 boards, 3.5 assists and one steal. The other six players in that exclusive club are LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Paul George, Stephen Curry, James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

It could easily be argued that Lowry has been the team’s MVP this season. He is the driving force behind a surprisingly effective and efficient offense. Lowry has always had a terrific skill set, and this year he has been able to stay healthy. How well has he played? Well, consider this: he and Stephen Curry are the only two players in the entire league averaging at least 16 points, seven assists, four rebounds and two three-pointers per contest. However, Lowry is in the last year of his deal and set to become a free agent in July. Thus, rumors have cropped up involving the Raptors’ floor general. Back in December, it was widely reported that the Knicks, among other teams, had made strong overtures.

Salary: $9,500,000

Salary: $6,210,000

Jonas Valanciunas | 21 | C Salary: $3,172,320

Valanciunas hasn’t come on quite as strongly as many had hoped this season, but he has certainly played well in increased playing time with intermittent flashes of brilliance. More importantly, finding a player with his combination of size, athleticism and quickness is a very difficult task. Just 21 years of age, Valanciunas’ best basketball is clearly ahead of him. Toronto is well aware they have a keeper here.

Steve Novak | 30 | F Salary: $3,750,000

The Raptors had to take on Novak’s onerous contract ($7 million owed over the next two seasons) in order to dump Andrea Bargnani (Toronto also netted a future first-round pick from the Knicks in that deal). However, Novak has been a relative non-factor during his stint with the Raptors. GM Masai Ujiri would love to pawn Novak’s contract off on another team.

Terrance Ross | 22 | G Salary: $2,678,640

He has had some ups-and-downs in his young career, but the high-flying Ross has been playing some of his best basketball over the past couple of months. Ross averaged nearly 12 points per game in December and over 11 points in January, as well. This is the first time Ross has averaged double-digits for a full month in his short NBA career. There are still obvious holes in his game, but if Ross can keep improving, he’ll be one of the building blocks in Toronto.

CHECK TORONTO’S COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE: http://www.basketballinsiders.com/toronto-raptors-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... With the Raptors surging and the rabid fan base excited, it now seems unlikely that the Raptors will trade away talent strictly to acquire draft picks or create cap space. Coming into the season, it was widely assumed Toronto would be a major seller at the deadline. Now, it’s quite possible they will be buyers. If we had to make an educated guess, the smart money says Toronto holds pat and keeps this current unit intact. Not trading Lowry would be a gamble, as they would run the risk of losing him for nothing via free agency next summer. If Ujiri is confident that Lowry wants to stay and his price tag won’t be too prohibitive, then the Raptors could lock him up long-term in July.

cover story

SHOULD THE KNICKS TRADE CARMELO ANTHONY? NYK | No. 7 | SF By Moke Hamilton

23 “I THINK EVERYBODY IN THE NBA DREAMS of being a free agent at least once in their career,” Carmelo Anthony told the New York Observer in October. By declaring his intention to opt out and test the market, Anthony struck fear in New York Knicks fans that bleed orange and blue. Although he went out of his way to state that his opting out does not necessarily mean he is leaving the Knicks the way Dwight Howard left the Los Angeles Lakers in July 2013, Anthony has done little to squash the angst that has engulfed his Knicks since then. With that declaration looming, at various points during the first half of the 2013-14 NBA season, Anthony has looked frustrated, disgusted, tired and disappointed. His seeming despondency has caught everyone’s attention, especially one of his closest teammates, Tyson Chandler. Over the years, Chandler has become a voice of influence among the Knicks. Always aware and very astute, Chandler has seen, firsthand, how the losing has frustrated Anthony. Despite that, Chandler believes that Anthony has grown, both as a leader and a person, and that his heart remains in New York. “He’s been so solid on and off the court,” Chandler told Basketball Insiders. “When I say off the court, I’m talking locker room, film room and that kind of thing, really keeping guys focused. One thing you can really give him credit for is that when things got tough around here, he didn’t shrink, he always stayed positive, he kept it light, kept the team together, kept encouraging guys and that showed a sign. That showed a sign of character.” Character, obviously, is something that Chandler knows a bit about after being the final piece to the Dallas Mavericks’ championship puzzle back in 2011. And if you ask Chandler, Anthony isn’t heading anywhere. “The one thing that I know is he is locked [in], and he is a Knick,” Chandler said. “He showed that. When times were rough, he went out of his way to make sure that every guy was okay and that everyone understood, we’re in it together. If we’re going to sink or go down, we’re going to go down together. At the end of the day, we’re going fight together and I appreciate that.” Yet still, the overall inconsistent play from his team has left Anthony, at times, exhibiting a demeanor awfully reminiscent of Howard’s in the months preceding his departure from Hollywood. The prospect of Anthony fleeing as a free agent is one that would give any Knick-lover nightmares. The franchise must decide whether to keep Anthony and risk

losing him for nothing via free agency or find a team Anthony would be willing to re-sign with and proactively trade him for assets. To a man, Anthony’s current teammates still believe he can be the top player on a championship team, and the “franchise player” tag is one that has grown synonymous with the small forward. “Carmelo means a lot to this team,” Raymond Felton said when asked about the Knicks retaining Anthony. “He’s our number one scorer and he’s our franchise player. That says enough right there. He’s one of our leaders out there on the court and he’s the main guy we run our offense through.” “He’s very important,” Kenyon Martin said. “He’s one of the most important, if not the most important, people on the team.” When asked if the team ever thinks about Anthony’s pending free agency, Martin exploded. “Hell no, we don’t think about no shit like that, man,” Martin said. “During the course of the game, if someone is thinking about something like that, then they’re in the wrong place. No. Why would we think about that? That’s shit that [media] come up with. Ain’t nobody got time to be thinking about that shit, we got lives and family and other shit going on. Nobody got time to be thinking about that shit.” Privately, the belief in the New York front office is that Anthony is far from the problem. As a franchise, the Knicks are certain that they can build around him and are confident that the comfort-level he has in New York and the team’s ability to outbid any competitor in free agency will be enough to retain him. That belief is likely to keep Anthony in New York past the deadline. In the end, it may keep him in New York for the remainder of his career. In all likelihood, the Knicks will not trade Anthony, but it does not mean that they shouldn’t, especially if winning a championship has become the most important thing to the nearing-30-year-old NBA veteran. As is well-documented at this point, the heartstring-approach was unable to keep LeBron James in Cleveland, after all. And since James made the difficult decision to bolt, things have worked out for him, to say the least. So although the Knicks have indicated that they are committed to keeping Anthony, there is at least some anxiety over at New York’s 2 Penn Plaza. Since July 9, 2010, in this Post-Decision Era, this is life as usual. Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

ON THAT DAY, WITH A BLANK STARE DEVOID of emotion, James waltzed into the Greenwich Boys and Girls Club, uncharacteristically cold and distant. And with seven small words, James nervously muttered the sentence that would alter the course of his career. In the process, he simultaneously changed life in the NBA, both for himself and other superstars. It is from there that Anthony has become the epicenter of attention. That announcement led Anthony and the Knicks to this inevitable crossroads. Between then and now, Chris Paul and Dwight Howard decided to change teams and were subjected to the rules of James’ game-changing decision. Now, it is Anthony’s time to play. By teaming up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, James singlehandedly raised the stakes in the NBA’s modern talent arms race, instantly making the Miami HEAT a contender and proving to the rest of the league that it takes three. He left a broken, crumbled and tearyeyed Cavaliers franchise in his wake, sending a shockwave through NBA front offices. Before that day, the idea of trading an in-prime superstar of Anthony’s caliber was absurd. But today, in this Post-Decision era, not contemplating such a trade is irresponsible. A two-time reigning MVP leaving his franchise in search of a championship was unheard of. In many ways, it took an immense amount of courage for James to do what many of his predecessors did not. John Stockton, Patrick Ewing and Reggie Miller never walked away in search of the Larry O’Brien trophy. But in the end, none of them ever held one, either. In this Post-Decision Era, the NBA’s superstars are determined to do all in their power to not go down in history like Miller, Ewing or Stockton or Dominique Wilkins, Vince Carter or Allen Iverson. Though some superstars inevitably will, no player wants to be on the list of greats to never win the ultimate prize. It is here that we find Anthony’s quandary, and his births one even larger for the Knicks. After winning 54 games last season, the Knicks sputtered out of the gates and have struggled to right their sinking ship. As a franchise, they have appeared to take a step backward, while, perhaps ominously, Anthony is beginning to loudly express his desire to play for a championship contender. http://www.basketballinsiders.com

If that is his sole focus, then trading him may be in the best interest of the Knicks, because it is hard to argue that they present Anthony with a better opportunity to win, at least right now, than the Lakers—just one of the teams that are likely to come knocking at Anthony’s door when he’s a free agent. The Lakers are the only team poised to have the cap space required to make him a maximum offer this summer that could both offer the large market he is believed to covet and another superstar to play alongside. With draft picks and a winning tradition, a player who is dedicated to winning at all costs may be hard pressed to turn down such an attractive overture. And if Anthony truly meant what he said after his Knicks defeated those very Lakers back on January 26, he may already have one foot out the door, especially considering his close relationship with the NBA’s biggest winner since Michael Jordan—Kobe Bryant. “[A championship] is the only thing I care about,” Anthony said after scoring 35 points in a 110-103 Knicks victory, his eyes widened as he completed his thought. “In my mind, that’s the only thing I want to accomplish, the only thing I want to achieve and I’m going to do everything I can to get that.” “Everything” presumably includes absconding from New York. And therein lies the immense risk.

THIS RUGGED TERRAIN OF TEA-LEAF reading and pending free agency is one born from James’ 2010 decision, and now, it is time for the Knicks to make up their own minds. Perhaps due to a failure of fully grasping the practical effect of their decision, during the NBA’s last labor dispute in 2011, the league’s owners fought for restrictions on extensions. In doing so, the rules governing extensions in the current collective bargaining agreement have actually discouraged a player in Anthony’s situation from signing an extension during the final year of his contract. The rule itself states that a player who is currently in the final year of his contract may only sign a three-year extension. If that same player, in the final year of his contract, simply plays it out and becomes an unrestricted free agent, he can sign a new five-year contract with his team.

In other words, signing an extension costs a player two years worth of guaranteed money and the league’s superstars will seldom leave that kind of money on the table. That is the impetus behind superstars in the immediate past—like Deron Williams, Chris Paul and Dwight Howard—opting to play out the final year of their contracts and become unrestricted free agents in July 2012 and 2013, respectively. Before the 2011 CBA, if a franchise player knew that he intended to re-sign with his current team, he would forgo free agency all together and sign an extension. Kevin Garnett did multiple times, in both Minnesota and Boston. Today, that is no longer the case, and moving forward, superstars opting to play out the final year of their contracts will become the norm. For teams like the Knicks, that is a problem, because no team wants to be put at risk of losing their superstar to free agency, yet, that risky climate has been created with the current rules. The Lakers lived through this and watched Howard ultimately decide to join the Houston Rockets, leaving approximately $25 million in guaranteed money on the table. If Anthony made the same decision, he would be leaving approximately $30 million in guaranteed money behind in New York. But after 11 years and $135 million in career earnings, Anthony has just two trips past the first round of the playoffs and zero championships to show for it. Money may simply no longer be the priority. If it is not, and if winning truly is, there is cause for concern for the Knicks, because the prospect of Anthony fleeing and the Knicks receiving nothing in return is disconcerting, to say the least. That is especially true after the Knicks sacrificed so much in trading for Anthony back in February 2011. Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Anthony Randolph, Timofey Mozgov and the Knicks’ 2014 first round draft pick were all sent to the Denver Nuggets in the blockbuster transaction. As the Nuggets prepare to exercise that 2014 pick, the road diverges for the Knicks. The road to the left leads to completely avoiding the possibility of losing Antony for nothing by trading him away, much the same way the Chicago Bulls traded Luol Deng to the Cavaliers in January. The road to the right leads to the Knicks

attempting to persuade Anthony that he can be built around, similar to the way Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson built around Dirk Nowitzki over the course of a long 13-year uphill climb.

FOR THE KNICKS AND ANTHONY ALIKE, Nowitzki is the shining example of an NBA superstar whose front office rewarded his loyalty by trying and trying and trying until they finally got it correct. In 1998, tantalized by his potential, the Mavericks made the decision to trade for a scrawny German kid who eventually became one of the best international players in history. En route to becoming an NBA champion, Nowitzki blossomed into one of the league’s best offensive players, but his defensive deficiencies were believed to be a roadblock that barred the Mavericks’ passage into the Western Conference’s elite. Yet, over the course of 13 long years, as the Mavericks built and razed, Nowitzki was the constant. For 13 difficult years, the Mavericks battled and fought. Nowitzki, to his credit, opted to fight that battle. Back in July 2010, when James, Wade and Bosh were plotting their Miami union, other free agents such as Carlos Boozer and Amar’e Stoudemire decided they would search for greener pastures. Nowitzki, a free agent as well, never seriously considered leaving Dallas and ultimately opted to remain. Eleven months later, with a team that was built specifically to protect the exploitation of his deficiencies, the Mavericks pulled off one of the biggest NBA Finals upsets in history. Rome was not built in a day, and neither was Nowitzki’s title team. Between 1998 and 2010, Nowitzki saw teammate after teammate come and go. In Dallas, the real-life game of musical chairs saw the likes of Steve Nash, A.C. Green, Michael Finley, Hubert Davis, Shawn Bradley, Cedric Ceballos, Dennis Rodman, Wang Zhizhi, Eduardo Najera, Vernon Maxwell, Christian Laettner, Juwan Howard, Nick Van Exel, Danny Manning, Raef LaFrentz, Tim Hardaway, Raja Bell, Antoine Walker, Antawn Jamison, Josh Howard, Danny Fortson, Tony Delk, Erick Dampier, Jerry Stackhouse, Keith Van Horn, Devin Harris, Darrell Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

Armstrong, Doug Christie, Brandon Bass, Eddie Jones, Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood, Kris Humphries and scores of others come and go. For 13 gut-wrenching years, the Mavericks brought players in, shipped players out and always picked up the phone whenever other teams were interested in shuffling their decks. Together, with Nowitzki and Nelson, Cuban left no stone unturned, always believing that Nowitzki was the sun in his galaxy. Finally, after finding J.J. Barea, drafting Rodrigue Beaubois, trading for Tyson Chandler, acquiring Shawn Marion, giving DeShawn Stevenson a second chance, sticking with Jason Terry and revitalizing Peja Stojakovic —the Mavericks finally did it. Like Miller, Stockton and Ewing, Nowitzki opted to stay and fight, and his ownership fought with him and for him. Today, that type of diligence and persistence is rare, especially with the modern generation’s fear of retiring ringless. Obviously, there are differences. The Mavericks had the luxury of acquiring Nowitzki as a spry and patient 20-year-old. Over the years, they were playing under the rules of a less restrictive cap system that made it easier to build around Nowitzki’s ever-escalating salaries. But the fact remains: Dallas stuck with Nowitzki and he stuck with them. They were in it together. Throughout the course of their toiling and their failures, Cuban and Nelson remained steadfast in their belief that with the right players, coach and system, they could succeed with Nowitzki. Nowitzki believed, even when he didn’t have reason to. In the end, winning after such a long push was much more rewarding for Nowitzki than winning elsewhere. In a league where superstars and teams seldom show one another such loyalty, success resulting from it, so beautifully and so mutually, is what legacy is about. Nowitzki’s story is the sales pitch that the Knicks must make to Carmelo Anthony. And the belief in that pitch is why the franchise will not trade him.

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IN THE END, ANTHONY IS THE ONLY person who truly knows whether the risk outweighs the reward. If Anthony helps the franchise win its first championship since 1973, that accomplishment would have him put on a pedestal unlike any other he could have ever imagined, even as a toddler growing up in Brooklyn’s Red Hook projects. If Anthony does decide to leave New York, then the franchise will rue the day it acquired him and, without their own first-round draft picks in 2014 and 2016, the immediate future will be murky. Still, at worst, the Knicks would likely suffer through the 2014-15 season and await the expiration of Amar’e Stoudemire, Andrea Bargnani and Tyson Chandler’s contracts. Armed with a likely lottery pick in the 2015 draft, though, the franchise would begin a new era with younger players and cap space. Losing Anthony for nothing would hurt, but like Anthony, the Knicks have a decision to make. In much the same way, the franchise has its own risk-reward calculation to ponder. At the very least, the Knicks possess an alpha-scorer who, like Nowitzki, can succeed with the right pieces around him. Those pieces are rare and difficult to find, but for now, Anthony is New York’s. And at his peak, in terms of scoring, he is comparable with the best in the league. Despite Anthony’s stated desired to test the market, and despite our existence in this PostDecision Era, it makes sense financially for Anthony to exercise his right to free agency. And despite the fear and risks, the Knicks simply cannot proactively trade a player that they have invested so much in and for, especially not when the Mavericks have already shown that with the right system, coach, players, luck and zeal, the unimaginable is possible. In the end, the Knicks are not at all likely to trade Carmelo Anthony. There are too many reasons not to.

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

CENTRAL

CHICAGO By Joel Brigham (@JoelBrigham)

BEFORE TRADING LUOL DENG, THE CHICAGO BULLS WERE NOT IN AN enviable financial situation. Thanks to Derrick Rose’s monster contract, made even more monstrous because of that MVP award back in 2011, the Bulls are anchored financially to their hometown star. This wouldn’t have been a problem had Rose been healthy and the team competing at least somewhat realistically for a championship, but when Rose went down for the season (again), they lost their shot at a title. Keeping Deng would have required that they pay the luxury tax for the second season in a row, and since he was going to be an unrestricted free agent this summer and could’ve left for nothing anyway, the Bulls managed to get the cap relief they desired and a few draft picks for their trouble. Plus, they avoided that repeater tax, which was the real motivation for the deal. It wasn’t a great trade for Chicago, but it was the trade that they needed. It was also the biggest trade they’re going to make this winter. That doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the last trade they’ll make this season. Teams are likely to show at least passing interest in players like Kirk Hinrich and Mike Dunleavy, Jr., and depending on what’s being offered, the Chicago Bulls could at least consider incoming offers for those guys. Hinrich, for example, is another veteran whose contract expires at the end of the season, and at his age there’s no way John Paxson and Gar Forman consider him an integral part of Chicago’s future. Any kind of asset for Hinrich in a season like this would a coup. But the Bulls aren’t necessarily looking to offload all of their veteran talent and enter fullblown rebuilding mode a la the Philadelphia 76ers or Boston Celtics. In fact, at the time of the Deng trade, Chicago had just started figuring out how to win games, and at press time was within striking distance of the third seed in the Eastern Conference. With Deng off to Cleveland, most assumed the Bulls would wallow eyes-deep in lottery ping pong balls, but that hasn’t been the case. When has that ever been the case with Tom Thibodeau at the helm? In other words, this team isn’t rebuilding; it’s restructuring. The future of this team is built around a core of Rose, Joakim Noah, Jimmy Butler, Taj Gibson and possibly Spanish league stud Nikola Mirotic. That’s not a roster devoid of talent, clearly, and the team will have some money to play with in free agency this summer, as well. As it stands right now, if Chicago uses the amnesty provision on Carlos Boozer after the season as expected, they should have somewhere around $14 million to spend on free agency. That doesn’t get them anywhere near close enough to buying LeBron James or Carmelo Anthony, but another salary dump featuring Noah (not likely) or Gibson (slightly more realistic, but still not likely) could get them close to affording one of those guys.

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014 As many as three first-round picks (their own, Sacramento’s top-12 protected pick and Charlotte’s top-10 protected pick) and a second-round pick.

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 First-round pick (with option to trade picks with Cleveland), two second-round picks (their own and one from Cleveland through Portland).

2016 First-round pick. Second-round pick (x2). Their own and one from Cleveland via Portland.

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

Derrick Rose | 25 | G

Carlos Boozer | 32 | F

While it’s very easy to argue that Chicago should at least consider a trade involving the former MVP, particularly since he makes so much money ($60 million over the next three seasons) and is by no means a lock to return to form, there won’t be a team in the league right now offering market value for an expensive player that may be irreparably broken. Plus, the Bulls still love him and really believe he’s the key to their championship dreams. Whether that ends up proving true or not, Rose isn’t going anywhere right now.

Since the day the amnesty provision was made an option for teams following the latest collective bargaining agreement, everybody knew that Chicago would eventually cut Boozer loose. This summer looks like it will finally be time to use that amnesty provision on Boozer, as he’ll only get paid for one season in which he didn’t play for the team, but if there was an organization interested in trading reasonable assets for him right now, the Bulls would pull the trigger in a heartbeat.

Salary: $17,632,688

Salary: $15,300,000

Kirk Hinrich | 33 | G

Joakim Noah | 28 | C

Salary: $4,059,000

Salary: $11,100,000

Of all the players Chicago is currently holding, Hinrich has the best chance at being moved. His expiring contract (just a shade over $4 million) isn’t entirely prohibitive, and he can still bring some threes and defense even now that he’s 33 years old. Teams have already shown interest in Hinrich, but trading him would leave the Bulls with only D.J. Augustin as the starting point guard for a possible playoff appearance. Still, if there was an asset to be had for him, the Bulls would have to strongly consider it.

Fantasy owners of Noah know that if they draft him, there’s simply no way they’re getting a full season’s worth of games out of Noah, but nobody on the current Chicago roster has played in more games this season than him. That health is encouraging considering his history with plantar fasciitis, but even if he was still ailing, the Bulls wouldn’t be trading the heart and soul of their defense and, frankly, this team. Noah is Chicago’s motor. Losing him would make this team completely unrecognizable.

Mike Dunleavy Jr. | 33 | G/F

Taj Gibson | 28 | F

Salary: $3,183,000

Salary: $7,550,000

While moving Gibson is the way Chicago could eventually afford a max-level free agent, it’s not happening before the deadline. Assuming the Bulls amnesty Boozer this summer, they need Gibson on board, especially since signing Mirotic is no guarantee. He’s in the plans moving forward, at least for now.

It’s not likely the Bulls trade one of only a few players they still have that can actually score the ball, but it’s not as if Dunleavy is an essential piece of the puzzle beyond 2014-15.

Jimmy Butler | 24 | G Salary: $1,112,880

Butler makes a shade over $2 million next year, which is an insane value for a player of his talent. A fair market trade for this young man simply doesn’t exist, which is why he won’t be moved.

CHECK CHICAGO’S COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE: http://www.basketballinsiders.com/chicago-bulls-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... Trading Luol Deng was Chicago’s showstopping move this winter, and since the Bulls aren’t officially rebuilding it doesn’t seem likely that they’ll move any other major pieces before February 20. If any other players are traded, Kirk Hinrich seems most likely, but if the Bulls keep winning they may want to hold onto their vets so that they can at least put up a respectable showing in the Eastern Conference playoffs this spring. In other words, the Chicago Bulls are probably done making moves, especially now that they’re safely beneath the luxury tax threshold.

CENTRAL

CLEVELAND By Joel Brigham (@JoelBrigham)

WITH SEVERAL FIRST-ROUND DRAF T PICKS COMING THEIR WAY OVER the next few years and an excellent non-guaranteed contract in Andrew Bynum, the Cleveland Cavaliers were definitely one of the teams to watch at this year’s trade deadline. The thing is, they already traded Bynum and some of those assets for All-Star small forward Luol Deng, essentially fulfilling their desperate need for help on both ends of the floor at the small forward position. For a team that has been, somewhat surprisingly, pretty dismal in the first half of the season, that Deng trade was a necessary risk. The first-round pick they gave up was the one they acquired from Sacramento once upon a time in the Omri Casspi trade, and it was by no means their most valuable of first-rounders. It’s so heavily protected in favor of a team that plays in the clearly tougher conference with clearly inferior talent that it may end up being just a second-round pick by the time all the protections wear off. Even if Deng does not re-sign with the Cavaliers, which certainly is a possibility, Cleveland wants to make the playoffs this year. Acquiring this particular player for so little gives them a much better chance to do that (especially in the Eastern Conference) than their roster before the trade. With that move in the books, one would assume that Cleveland wouldn’t have any more major moves on the horizon, because a team pulling off multiple major trades within a season isn’t a common occurrence. Despite that, Cleveland’s roster clearly isn’t championship-caliber, and if there’s something they can do to add some frontcourt depth in the wake of losing Bynum, they’ll have to explore that possibility. Anderson Varejao, the team’s uncontended starting center at this point, is world-renowned for his injury-induced partial seasons, and as solid as Tyler Zeller is as a backup, his starting for a hurt Varejao would almost guarantee another trip to the lottery for the Cavs. Tristan Thompson could play a little five if he needed to, but that’s not ideal, either. Acquiring someone like Houston’s Omer Asik would be an excellent addition but Houston has already let it be known that they aren’t accepting lowball offers for their underutilized rebounding machine. To get Asik would mean giving up one of the young, talented players that the organization loves. It’s hard to imagine Cleveland pulling the trigger on any deal that forces them to ship out Anthony Bennett, Dion Waiters or Thompson, but the reality is that any other major deal this team makes before the deadline is probably going to have to include one of those three players. While they will have as many as three first-round picks in 2015 to dangle in a potential blockbuster, a championship hopeful like Houston is going to be looking for players that can help a little more immediately. Whether Cleveland keeps Varejao or trades him, too, this team needs help in the frontcourt, which is why another trade still is possible for the Cavaliers.

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014 First-round pick. Second-round pick (x3) Their own, one from Memphis and one from Orlando.

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 Three first-round picks (their own, though Chicago has the right to swap their own pick for this one if they desire, a top-ten protected pick from Miami and a top-five protected pick from Memphis that is also protected for picks 15-30), and a secondround pick.

2016 First-round pick. Second-round pick.

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

Kyrie Irving | 21 | G

Anderson Varejao | 31 | C

You don’t strike rich on a kid like this and then ship him off, Irving is the player Cleveland is building their team around, so he’s staying.

On the one hand, Andrew Bynum is gone, which means the only thing keeping Cleveland from having to start Tyler Zeller at center is the seemingly inevitable Varejao injury. On the other hand, Varejao is having himself another nice season and, if healthy, is exactly the kind of veteran big man that Cleveland will need if they’re going to have any shot at doing damage in the postseason this year. We know they already turned down an offer involving Varejao for Jeff Green earlier in the season, so the asking price for the big man is clearly higher than a lot of teams are going to be willing to go. Despite that, to say that he’s untouchable would be incorrect, especially considering his contract situation, which includes a significant non-guaranteed chunk for 2014-15.

Salary: $5,607,240

Salary: $9,036,364

Luol Deng | 28 | F Salary: $14,275,000

Obviously, Deng isn’t going anywhere, either. The Cavaliers didn’t acquire him just to turn around and trade him for someone else. He solves their problems at small forward and has playoff pedigree that would be helpful down the road.

Tristan Thompson | 22 | F Salary: $4,062,000

Thompson is someone a team with assets will inquire about, but he’s another player that Cleveland doesn’t seem likely to trade (because he’s essentially averaging a double-double).

Earl Clark | 25 | F Salary: $4,250,000

Anthony Bennett | 20 | F Salary: $5,324,280

Despite being this past year’s No. 1 overall pick, Bennett is probably the player Cleveland would most seriously consider trading if asked. However, while that may be true, the Cavs really don’t have any interest in moving this kid unless the return is something that helps them contend.

Clark, Alonzo Gee and C.J. Miles (both 26) have held down the small forward position for the Cavaliers this season, but now that Deng is in the fold there really isn’t much reason to keep all three. There probably is more of a market for Clark than anyone else, but really any of these three forwards could be had, especially if they were included in a larger deal that returned Cleveland some of that much needed frontcourt size.

CHECK CLEVELAND’S COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE: http://www.basketballinsiders.com/cleveland-cavaliers-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... The firing of Chris Grant changes everything for the Cavaliers. Grant wasn’t interested in trading some of the young players that he drafted in recent years such as Waiters, Thompson and Bennett, but interim general manager David Griffin (or a new regime) may feel differently since they have no attachment to those players. The fact that Grant was fired two weeks before the deadline means that big changes could be coming in Cleveland. The Cavaliers value their young assets, but they also have a desire to win now. With where they sit in the standings, they could be buyers or sellers. However, with owner Dan Gilbert pushing for success sooner than later, don’t be surprised if the Cavaliers are working the phones before the deadline.

CENTRAL

DETROIT By Joel Brigham (@JoelBrigham)

JOE DUMARS IS WITHOU T QUESTION ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING executives of his era, mostly because his successes have typically been very successful (getting Ben Wallace back in the Grant Hill sign-and-trade to Orlando, signing Chauncey Billups and acquiring Rasheed Wallace for practically nothing) and his failures have been bad in the biblical sense of the word (drafting Darko Milicic over Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, trading Billups for Allen Iverson and throwing away $90 million on Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva in free agency). But whether we’re lauding him or criticizing him, the one certainty about Dumars’ tenure as President of Basketball Operations for the Pistons is that he has never been afraid to make a splashy deal if he felt it was in the best interest of his team. It’s that gumption that urged him this past summer to pay near-max money for Josh Smith and to make the trade with Milwaukee for Brandon Jennings. The Jennings deal has worked out about as well as everybody expected, and at $8 million a year he’s getting paid about as appropriately as anybody in the league. Smith, however, has been a square peg, still jacking up the same awful shots, especially from long range, and turning the ball over just as carelessly as he always has. He wants to be an outside shooter, but just doesn’t have the offensive efficiency to actually be counted on to make shots from out there, and that’s the danger of playing him at small forward. With Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe necessarily manning the four and five spots on the floor, Smith has been forced to do more of his work outside of the post. So the Pistons have a couple of choices, either of which would remove the logjam in their frontcourt. Either Dumars finds a taker for Smith and his $56 million, or he packages Monroe—soon to be a restricted free agent—with a moderately-sized expiring contract like Charlie Villanueva or Rodney Stuckey to see if a better fit for this current group of guys can be discovered. The Pistons would rather cash out Smith and get out from under that punishing money, particularly considering how poor a fit he’s been, but the problem is that the rest of the teams in the league would much rather take on Monroe considering his age, cost and potential. He’s younger, safer and more efficient offensively. While certainly not flashy, Monroe is incredibly effective. It’s certainly not a given that Detroit will make either trade this February because if they really wanted to, they could afford both players. Making a move now, though, particularly if that move involves Monroe, ensures the Pistons get something back for a player that could potentially receive an offer higher than they’re willing to pay and leave over the offseason.

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014 Owes first-round pick (top eight protected) to Charlotte, second-round pick.

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 First-round pick. Second-round pick.

2016 First-round pick. Second-round pick.

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

Andre Drummond | 20 | C

Rodney Stuckey | 27 | G

There are a lot of players on this team that could, conceivably, be traded, but Drummond is really the only one Joe Dumars would not, under any circumstances, have a conversation about moving. Outside of his abysmal free-throw shooting, Drummond has absolutely broken out in every possible way during his sophomore campaign and looks every bit the future star Detroit hoped he’d be when they stole him late in the 2012 lottery. Whatever else Detroit does in terms of building for the future, Drummond is a staple. He’s the star around which they’re going to build.

Detroit has not one but two really nice expiring contracts that they can include in their trade deadline negotiations, but teams are much more likely to prefer Stuckey and his $8.5 million contract than Charlie Villanueva and his $8.6 million contract, just because Stuckey is still a reasonably successful, contributing member of an NBA team. Some of that may have to do with the fact that it’s a contract year for Stuckey, but whatever the reason he’s playing just as well as always. For that reason, though, the Pistons have said that they’re not necessarily looking to move him at the deadline. A strong offer would definitely change their minds, but if they were to move an expiring contract, it would probably be Villanueva’s.

Josh Smith | 28 | F

Greg Monroe | 25 | F

Salary: $2,462,400

Salary: $8,500,000

Salary: $13,500,000

Salary: $4,086,454

Covered at length above, Smith is about as expendable a player as the Pistons currently employ. Not only has he been a poor fit in Detroit and a statistical disappointment, but he’s really, really expensive. No team wants to pay a lot of money for a guy that isn’t producing the way they had hoped they would, so clearly this is a player that they’d trade if they could. The market isn’t teeming for Smith at the moment, so it’s very unlikely Dumars finds a taker for him, but if the Pistons could choose only one player to send away, Smith would very likely be the chosen player.

Ideally, Detroit would hold onto Monroe and continue building around him and Drummond, but with Smith making as much as he does, it’s hard to justify paying near-max money for two guys who essentially play the same position. If Dumars wants to get out ahead of that possible financial and positional logjam, he could decide to ship off Monroe right now for someone who’s either toward the end of his deal or won’t require as hefty an extension as Monroe will. Some of those options will still exist in the offseason, which may ultimately be when Detroit decides to settle this, so waiting isn’t necessarily a bad thing in this case. Based on what Detroit coaches and executives have said publicly this season, it doesn’t sound like trading Monroe is a priority. Fans and the media see the logic in it, but it’s not easy letting go of a big man that talented offensively. Detroit could part with Monroe, but he’ll have to be pried from Dumars’ kung-fu grip if that is, in fact, what happens.

CHECK DETROIT’S COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE: http://www.basketballinsiders.com/detroit-pistons-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... Whether they do it before February 20 or over the summer, the Pistons are going to have to make a decision with Greg Monroe, who is likely to command a contract not dissimilar to that of Josh Smith. With all their expiring contracts, Detroit can afford to pay him that extension, and they can even afford to keep Drummond at big money later, too, as long as they structure future salaries carefully. The recent firing of Maurice Cheeks indicates that the Pistons are willing to make serious changes, but John Loyer is getting the chance to be the interim head coach for the rest of the year. The playoffs are still well within reach, and a change at head coach could end up being all that’s needed to get them on the right side of the bubble.

CENTRAL

INDIANA By Joel Brigham (@JoelBrigham)

IT’S HARD TO LOOK AT THE TEAM WITH THE BEST RECORD IN THE entire NBA and make any sort of recommendation that they pull the trigger on a major trade, but that’s precisely what the general fandom in Indianapolis is suggesting Kevin Pritchard and Larry Bird do with Danny Granger and his $14 million expiring contract. Without question the last couple of seasons have been challenging for Granger, a former All-Star that led the Pacers in scoring for half a decade. But he’s finally healthy this season and actually is showing some of the scoring punch that once made him a star in this league, which means his trade value is higher now that it has been in two years. The fact that his contract is an expiring one certainly doesn’t hurt his desirability. There are a lot of problems with trading Granger, however, not the least of which is the tinkering with Indiana’s golden locker room chemistry. Trading away $14 million worth of Granger means taking back $14 million worth of other people, and considering how well this current group of Pacers gets along and how much they all love and look up to Granger, it’s hard to see the front office doing anything to rock the boat. They recently signed Andrew Bynum, but that could be the only movement we see from them prior to the deadline. Another consideration is the cap space Granger’s expiring deal will open up for the Pacers this summer, which they currently have earmarked for Lance Stephenson’s next contract. Stephenson will make at least $8 million a year in his next contract and probably quite a bit more, which is a significant raise from the cool million he’s earning this season. That means any trade involving Granger would have to return other expiring contracts, and that’s a very restrictive kind of deal. Perhaps most importantly, the Pacers themselves are fascinated by what a healthy Granger might do for pushing this team over the hump in terms of beating the Miami HEAT in the playoffs this spring. Granger has looked better in the month of January than he’s looked in a couple of years, so there’s certainly an argument to be made that getting 12-14 points per game out of Granger is actually a lot like making a trade for another scoring rotation player at the deadline. Just getting someone like that back in the lineup is akin to acquiring an entirely new player. For all of these reasons, it’s not likely that Indiana does anything with Granger this February, but if there was a deal that blew them away—Boston gifting them Rajon Rondo for the expiring contract, for example—they’d definitely think long and hard about making Indiana’s transcendent season end on the most positive note possible. Even if acquiring someone of Rondo’s stature means saying goodbye to Lance Stephenson after this year, the whole point of playing basketball in the NBA is to win a championship. The Pacers are in a situation where they could win one right now. Only a trade that dramatically improves their chances to do that will persuade the Pacers to move Granger. With everything rolling, why trade?

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014 Owes first-round pick (lottery protected) to Phoenix. Second-round pick.

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 First-round pick. Second-round pick x2. Their own and one from Golden State

2016 First-round pick. Second-round pick.

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

Paul George | 23 | F

Danny Granger | 30 | F

There are few more untouchable players in the league right now than Paul George, who at only 23 years old already looks he’ll be one of the league’s best players for the next decade. His scoring average has jumped five points a game over last year’s average, and he’s doing that scoring quite a bit more efficiently than last year, as well. He’s seen some ups and downs this season, but his talent, athleticism and leadership at such a young age are the kinds of things teams pray for when they make a draft pick. The fact that George slipped to pick No. 10 back in 2010 was an all-out blessing for Indiana. They wouldn’t trade this guy for anyone short of LeBron James or Kevin Durant.

There is very little chance that Granger is with the Pacers after this season, but it’s very hard to know whether they’ll cut ties with him in the offseason when his contract expires, or sooner than that because a deadline trade offer came in that was too good to refuse. Back in December, which admittedly was a long time ago, Larry Bird said flat-out that he wasn’t actively shopping Granger, but he also admitted it was impossible to know what kinds of offers would come in before February 20. Indiana isn’t likely to make any deals this year, but if they do make one, Granger is far and away the most likely candidate.

Salary: $3,282,003

Salary: $14,021788

Chris Copeland | 29 | F

Roy Hibbert | 27 | C

Salary: $3,000,000

Salary: $14,283,844

For now, Hibbert is the highest-paid player on this team, which is a testament to his restricted free agency a couple of years ago that resulted in a max offer sheet from the Portland Trail Blazers. Indiana is glad they matched it, obviously, as Hibbert and his 2.7 blocks per game this season are pushing him toward a strong finish as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. He anchors that smothering Pacers defense and seems to play even better in the playoffs. Perhaps most importantly, he’s the only clear positional mismatch Indiana has over the Miami HEAT, and he gives LeBron James headaches every time they face each other. He’s an integral part of this team, and he’s worth his lofty paycheck for the defense alone.

It’s starting to look like the Pacers are paying Copeland over $3 million this year to ride the pine, despite the fact that his offseason acquisition was lauded as an incredible bargain for a player that could serve as a real three-point threat for the Pacers. Copeland was an excellent asset for the New York Knicks in the postseason last year but hasn’t found a niche with Indiana through the first half of the season. Assuming it wasn’t to a conference rival, the Pacers would very likely listen to offers for so seldom-used a player, particularly if it helped them clear extra cap space so that they’d have a better chance of offering Lance Stephenson the best deal possible this summer.

Ian Mahinmi | 27 | C Salary: $4,000,000

Playing just 15 minutes per, Mahinmi is set to make $8 million in the two seasons following this current one. He’s a respectable backup to Roy Hibbert, but he and his somewhat bloated contract are certainly expendable, especially now that Andrew Bynum has joined the Pacers.

CHECK INDIANA’S COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE: http://www.basketballinsiders.com/indiana-pacers-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... Once upon a time, Coca-Cola changed the formula to their best-selling soda, and the fallout from that temporary change was disastrous. Almost immediately after making the switch, Coke wished they had just left well-enough alone, and there’s a good chance that Larry Bird and Kevin Pritchard are smart enough to see the writing on the wall with this Pacers team and resist the urge to make any major changes. Granger could return a big piece, but it’s more likely that he just sticks around and the Pacers see how far they can get with his scoring added to the mix for the postseason.

CENTRAL

MILWAUKEE By Joel Brigham (@JoelBrigham)

OVER THE SUMMER, WHEN WE ALL STEPPED BACK AND TOOK AN HONEST look at what the Milwaukee Bucks had done in terms of revamping their roster for the new season, there was a general sense that the moves would probably keep them outside of the playoffs even though owner Herb Kohl swore up and down that he had done everything he could in the offseason to keep his team in the postseason. Kohl, for his part, has decided that for however much time he may have left as owner of this team, he wants them to be playing in the postseason. Trading for Caron Butler and Luke Ridnour and signing O.J. Mayo, Zaza Pachulia, Gary Neal, and Carlos Delfino were all reasonable acquisitions at the time, but everybody kind of knew that the roster was being put together to satisfy Kohl’s desire to make the playoffs, not to build for the future. Somewhere along the way, however, the Bucks accidentally started building for their future, in large part because of the development of promising young players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and John Henson, but more so because the Bucks have the worst record in the league heading into the most celebrated draft of the last decade. In other words, the Bucks tripped and fell into doing what they should’ve planned to do from the outset: tank a meaningless season, rebuild around promising young players and add a potentially franchise-altering draft pick when the year’s worth of misery was all over. Knowing all of this, it wouldn’t be at all unreasonable for the Bucks to stand pat at this year’s trade deadline and just keep on doing what they’re doing. Milwaukee is in decent shape cap-wise next season, with the $11 million owed to Larry Sanders being far and away the most expensive contract currently on the books. The team’s total guaranteed money currently sits below $50 million, which means there’s plenty to work with should they decide to start looking at some young free agents to help with a true rebuild. What could help them out even more moving forward would be to clear themselves of some assets that they obviously no longer need, preferably in exchange for draft picks, cap space or young assets with high ceilings. Nobody is giving away these things right now, but there are situations in which Milwaukee could bump up their cap space and grab a few second-rounders here and there to better prepare for something better down the road. The team is already undeniably bad, with no improvement likely before the end of the season. They’re headed to the lottery—something head coach Larry Drew has clearly accepted by way of playing his younger players a whole lot more often over the course of the last couple of months—so the real question is how good a pick can they end up with? That’s what this season has now become, but making moves before the trade deadline would only improve their ability to start building for the future.

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014 First-round pick. Second-round pick (x3). Their own and one apiece from the L.A. Lakers and Toronto Raptors, the latter of which is protected from picks 31-36.

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 First-round pick. Second-round pick (x2). Their own and one from the L.A. Clippers, which is protected from picks 51-60.

2016 First-round pick. Second-round pick (x2). Their own and the more favorable pick between New Orleans and Sacramento, protected from picks 56-60.

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

G. Antetokounmpo | 19 | F

Ersan Ilyasova | 25 | F

Since the draft, Milwaukee’s talented forward has actually grown an inch and some change, which is something scouts knew was possible back in June. Antetokounmpo has shown some serious flashes of brilliance since becoming a starter for the Bucks, but the league’s youngest player still has a lot of growing up to do. Milwaukee is willing to wait for the growth, though, as well they should, since this unbelievably long and athletic young man looks like a star in the making.

Just because Ilyasova has been massively disappointing for the Bucks doesn’t mean he’d be massively disappointing for a different team, right? That’s the pitch the Bucks are hoping to make this winter as they shop their second-highest-paid player ahead of the deadline. Ilyasova is averaging his fewest rebounds and blocks and is shooting the worst from the field since his rookie year, so considering he makes $7.9 million for this season and the two that follow, Milwaukee would love to cash him out for a friendlier contract. The Bucks have plenty of big guys in their lineup, so filling out the roster at a different position could potentially help the team moving forward.

Salary: $1,792,560

John Henson | 23 | F Salary: $1,905,360

Because he plays for the Bucks, Henson’s excellent sophomore campaign has not really made a lot of headlines, but at press time he was sitting right around 12 points and eight rebounds per game and was fifth in the league with 2.3 blocks per game. He’s only going to get bigger and stronger, and that combined with his work ethic and pedigree should make him into one of Milwaukee’s best players for a long time.

Larry Sanders | 25 | C

Salary: $7,900,000

Ekpe Udoh | 26 | C Salary: $4,469,548

Speaking of too many bodies in the frontcourt, Udoh is another player that will likely be shopped aggressively at the deadline. Not only is there little room for him in the current rotation, but he’ll also be a restricted free agent this summer. Since he’s not likely to stick with the team beyond this year anyway, a second-round pick or other more affordable long-term asset would certainly be preferable for the Bucks.

Gary Neal | 29 | G

Salary: $3,053,368

Salary: $3,250,000

Since signing his $11 million per season extension, Sanders has had a tough run for the Bucks. He started the season by hurting his hand in a bar fight and then had a run-in with new teammate Gary Neal. His numbers are way, way down, which doesn’t help anything, either. Milwaukee still believes in him, which is good because it would be awfully difficult to move him given his new contract and his ongoing struggles. To call him untouchable, however, would be flat-out wrong. Sanders absolutely would be moved if it was possible, but since it isn’t, the Bucks have to continue moving forward with him as a franchise cornerstone.

Gary Neal is very good at one particular thing, and that one thing is spot-up shooting. Unfortunately, the Bucks simply don’t have a dominant low-post threat to create open jumpers for him like the Spurs did and he can’t put the ball on the floor and create his own offense. If the right offer came along, the Bucks would send Neal to a team that can better take advantage of his skill set

CHECK MILWAUKEE’S COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE: http://www.basketballinsiders.com/milwaukee-bucks-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... The Milwaukee Bucks are a team in transition, from the team that snuck into the playoffs a year ago into the team that is completely rebuilding for the future. They were hoping to be competitive this season, but when injuries and other issues conspired to derail that plan, they went into full rebuild mode. A big move is unlikely, especially one that would in any way diminish their cap space going forward. They are squarely focused on keeping their young core on the court and building chemistry leading up to a big draft and offseason.

FEATURE

VANTAGE PO POINTS By Alex Kennedy

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

The NBA trade deadline is an exciting time for fans. You read the latest trade rumors involving your favorite team, search through Twitter for the latest news and watch the clock as the deadline approaches to see if your team makes a move. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a fun day for fans, both diehard and casual. But what is the trade deadline like for the parties that are actually involved? What is that 24-hour period like for players, executives and agents? Basketball Insiders wanted to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the deadline from each perspective so we sat down with a player, executive and agent to pick their brain.

THE

( EXECUTIVE ) PERSPECTIVE

David Morway, who is the

assistant general manager of the Milwaukee Bucks and former general manager of the Indiana Pacers, discussed what a typical trade deadline is like for him and his staff: “It can be very hectic. You always do your homework on every team to make sure there isn’t something you might be missing that could help your roster. You have to be prepared for anything. But as I am sure you are aware, many times, nothing happens. You may even think you are close to something happening, but for myriad reasons, nothing comes to fruition. (The 24 hours before the deadline) are definitely stressful and can be exciting. Whenever you are talking about making a change, there is always stress that goes along with that. You are impacting your franchise, even if it is in a small way, there is an impact there. The exciting part comes after you make a deal – when you see the player or players you acquired helping your team in the way you envisioned. Sometimes, what you think is a casual discussion may be interpreted by the other party as substantive, and vice versa. A lot of it depends on what is going on with not only your team, but other teams as well. What are their needs? What are their problems or areas of concern? Can we address those for them while getting an asset we like? What’s going on with us? Some seasons you may have several legitimate discussions going on while other seasons there may be not a lot to talk about. It just depends on your situation and the market place at that particular time. (The biggest misconception is) probably that all front offices are on their phones 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until midnight every night, trying to hammer out a deal. Don’t get me wrong – we all work extremely hard, make calls, do our due diligence and make sure no stone goes unturned. However, I think some fans believe the phone is just ringing off the hook all day and night for weeks. Sometimes that might be the case, but usually it is not. Sometimes the best move to make is no move at all.”

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

THE

( PLAYER ) PERSPECTIVE

Chris Kaman, who currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, was dealt to New Orleans in 2011 and has heard his name surface in trade rumors countless times. He discussed what it was like being traded and how players deal with the deadline. “It’s just part of the business. There are people trying to save money, people trying to make money, people trying to get draft picks, there’s so many different angles that teams are playing. Each team makes their own decisions based upon that. You see teams trying to dump players right before the deadline and dump money. It’s just a business thing, I think, for the most part. Most times it’s financial, and a few teams it’s probably about getting better. It’s hard to get a good player because most teams that have a good player don’t want to get rid of them. Initially my first few times (being mentioned in trade rumors) it was kind of stressful. I didn’t know all the ropes; I didn’t know how to respond. I just didn’t know anything about it. I was wet behind the ears and didn’t know what to anticipate or what to expect, so I was kind of in a panic all the time until it didn’t happen and then the deadline came. Now it’s like, if you want to trade me, that’s fine, that’s part of the business. I’m kind of ready for it if it happens. Now I don’t think about it anymore, I just play. You can’t worry about that stuff. If you worry about that stuff, you’re going to go insane if you think about it. The first time I ever heard my name in a trade rumor, you never think (it will happen). You think, ‘Oh these guys love you, they want to keep you, they pay you all this money.’ So you’re like, ‘Why would they ever want to get rid of you?’ But it’s not even that. It doesn’t come down to how you’re playing; it comes down to what works financially. If your team comes right before the deadline and you’re 10 or 15 games under .500 in the West, it’s going to be a tough crawl to get back to .500 and get into the playoffs. So I think teams look at it like, not necessarily tank is the word you would use, but we’re going to not push hard to get guys we want to win right now, we’re going to go in the other direction. So they’re like let’s dump some money to get under the tax or get under the cap and that’s just kind of how it goes sometimes. Most of the time it’s financial, I think, and a business decision. It’s hard because as players, we have emotions like humans have emotions. It’s not emotions for them, it’s more financial. Does this make sense for them financially? And that’s all it is to them. You’re like a commodity or like a stock. ‘He’s down, let’s trade him.’ Or, ‘He’s up, let’s trade him and get our money out of him.’ Or whatever it is, it’s a business. The hard part is looking at it with emotions and as a person, trying not to get your feelings involved because that’s the worst way to do it. But still you have a vested interest a lot of times and it’s not easy to just be numb to it and be like a robot. I understand it and I guess guys should understand it more, but these young guys don’t understand it. You don’t want to taint them and say, ‘It’s just a business, don’t worry about it’ but it really boils down to money. It’s the bottom line. It’s about money. If you’re doing a good job and they like you, then they’re going to keep you and they’re going to pay you. If you’re up and down, then they might get rid of you. There are so many things that come into play.” http://www.basketballinsiders.com

THE

( AGENT ) PERSPECTIVE

For more exclusive interviews with players, executives and coaches,

visit the Basketball Insiders video page. For the latest trade rumors leading up the deadline,

check out the Basketball Insiders’ rumor page.

Roger Montgomery of Montgomery Sports Group has represented NBA players for over a decade. Several of his clients have been traded at the deadline, such as Desmond Mason and Maurice Evans. “Around the trade deadline, I’m monitoring the wire services and making phone calls. We all have allies in front offices so we’re talking to those executives to see if there’s any chatter about our guys. But generally it gets really quiet right around the deadline. It’s sometimes difficult to get the pulse from a GM because they’re really busy and have potential deals lined up. A lot of times you really don’t have a lot of dialogue (with teams). That’s been my experience. You’re kind of at their mercy, waiting to see what may or may not happen. Unless, of course, you’re in a situation where you know your player is going to get moved and you’ve been working with the team to get him moved. Otherwise, you’re really just waiting. You’re waiting for that deadline to pass to see whether or not you’re going to get a call. Whether it’s exciting or stressful really depends on if the player wants to be moved or not. It’s a time of anxiety for players because this is their livelihood and they want to know where they may be going. I’m always talking to my players, especially around this time of year. I’m telling them what I’m hearing, reassuring them about rumors, going over whether a trade rumor they heard even works salary cap wise and things like that. Really, I’m just trying to help them maintain their composure and get through this period of time the best that I can. I represented Desmond Mason and Mo Evans when they were moved before the trade deadline. Both moves were surprising, they were trades that you didn’t hear about leading up to them. When they happened, it was kind of difficult. For example, when Desmond got traded he was playing in Seattle, and he liked Seattle. He got traded with Gary Payton to Milwaukee for Ray Allen, it was a major trade. When it happened, he was really disappointed and unsure of what was next. That’s when I start digging to find out what’s next for my guy and what the future looks like. After a trade, you try to reassure your guy and tell him that if you got traded it means someone wants you. I know people don’t think that NBA players have to deal with rejection like normal people do, but they have to deal with it too. First and foremost, I’m reassuring my client. Then, I try to find out what the new situation is going to be like for my client, from a playing standpoint and from a living standpoint. From a playing standpoint, I’m trying to help them get integrated into the new system, finding out what their role is going to be and talking to the new team. From a living standpoint, it’s a little bit tougher if your player has kids and a family. That’s a little bit more added stress because you’re trying to figure out what to do with your family in terms of moving them and all of that. If it’s just a player who doesn’t have family, it isn’t as a difficult. But they still have to get accustomed to the new situation, just like any of us would if we got moved to a new job in a new city. If that happened to anyone, they’d immediately wonder who they’re going to be working with, what their role is going to be, whether their workload is going to increase or decrease, if they’re going to like the city and if they know anyone there. Those are the first things that anyone would think about. I’m trying to help them through all of that.” Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

SOUTHEAST

ATLANTA By Lang Greene (@LangGreene)

THE ATLANTA HAWKS HAVE CONTINUED TO RESHAPE THEIR MAINSTREAM perception under the leadership of Danny Ferry, the team’s president of basketball operations and general manager. Since arriving in Atlanta, the veteran executive has created financial flexibility through an assortment of trades, pursued international talent aggressively, utilized the D-League to develop young assets and found a few bargains in free agency. While the Hawks have managed to remain in the top four of the Eastern Conference standings for the majority of the season, the loss of two-time All-Star center Al Horford has dampened the overall outlook for the 2013-14 campaign. This isn’t to say the projection for Atlanta is bleak because the team will in all likelihood reach the playoffs for the seventh straight season. But the loss of Horford, for the rest of the campaign, undoubtedly puts a ceiling on how far this particular unit can go in the near future. Atlanta will certainly evaluate the market and weigh their respective options as the trade deadline approaches. Ferry has consistently demonstrated the knack for working the angles behind the scenes as a measure of due diligence – whether the discussions materialize into a deal or not. In a world of buyers and sellers at the deadline, the Hawks have the capability to play both roles. As a potential seller, the team is armed with numerous attractive assets with favorable contracts. From a buyer’s standpoint, the team has a plethora of draft picks and future cap room to play that side of the market as well. However, the Hawks have shown zero signs of wanting to fold up the tent in order to focus on the future and with Horford out, it’s also unlikely the team becomes a strong buyer at the deadline. If the team does make a trade, the move will likely be minor in nature. The Hawks are loaded at the guard position but could use additional rebounding in the frontcourt with Horford out of the rotation. Veteran Elton Brand, Gustavo Ayon and rookie Pero Antic have been serviceable as replacements on the interior, but there’s no question more help will be needed as the season progresses. Free agent signee DeMarre Carroll has maximized his opportunity by earning the team’s starting small forward spot, but the three has long been one of the areas the Hawks could stand to improve depth. Despite the recent run of postseason appearances, fans of the franchise are starting to grow impatient with the process of building a legit title contender. But don’t expect the team to make a major splash at the trade deadline this season with a solid first-round draft pick looming in June and salary cap room to target free agents in July at the ready.

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 First-round pick. Second-round pick. Team has right to swap its first-round pick for Brooklyn’s 2015 first-round draft pick.

2016 First-round pick. Second-round pick. Owed second-round pick from Brooklyn.

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

Al Horford | 27 | C

Jared Cunningham | 22 | G

Horford is the centerpiece of what Ferry is attempting to build in Atlanta – a culture of quality basketball and high character. The former All-Star possesses strong basketball acumen and is exactly what the franchise desires both on and off the court. From a finance perspective, Horford is on the books for just $12 million per season through 2016, which is a relative bargain considering the production he brings to the nightly rotation, when healthy.

The Hawks have a logjam at guard and Cunningham won’t break into the rotation anytime soon. Cunningham, a free agent this summer, has played well during his stints in the D-League, which shows he may have a future in the league. But it’s unlikely that the opportunity will come with the Hawks.

Jeff Teague | 25 | G

Jenkins was expected to play a larger role in the team’s framework this season, but nagging injuries and struggling to adjust to first-year head coach Mike Budenholzer’s system relegated Jenkins to an end of the bench role. Now, back surgery will cause him to miss the remainder of the season. The presence of veteran guards Kyle Korver and Lou Williams ahead of him on the depth chart likely would’ve made it tough for Jenkins to break into the rotation anyway had he been healthy. Jenkins is expendable, but his injury will likely keep him in Atlanta for at least one more year.

Salary: $12,00,000

Salary: $1,208,400

Salary: $8,000,000

After a very slow start to his career, Teague has developed into an All-Star-caliber floor general for the Hawks. The fifth-year guard continues to make strides each season to align with the increase of responsibility needed for the team’s overall success. Teague has improved his scoring and assist averages each season since entering the league and his ceiling hasn’t been reached, which is one of the reasons he won’t be dealt.

John Jenkins | 22 | G Salary: $1,258,800

Paul Millsap | 28 | F Salary: $9,500,000

The Hawks signed Millsap last summer to a twoyear, $19 million deal in free agency. The move has paid immediate dividends as Millsap has made a strong case for All-Star consideration during his first season in Atlanta. Millsap’s name has been tossed around in rumors at varying points during the season but unless a deal significantly moves the needle for Atlanta, expect Millsap to remain on the roster when the smoke clears.

CHECK ATLANTA’S COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE: http://www.basketballinsiders.com/atlanta-hawks-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... The Hawks have enough talented assets and draft picks in their arsenal to be in the thick of things leading up to the trade deadline. But if the Hawks make a move, expect the deal to be minor in nature and to serve as bolstering depth. The Hawks will have a solid first-round pick in this year’s draft and some cap room to get involved in free agency this summer. For the team to make a move at the trade deadline, the deal will need to be too substantial for Ferry to pass up.

SOUTHEAST

CHARLOTTE By Lang Greene (@LangGreene)

THE CHARLOTTE BOBCATS HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE LEAGUE’S GO-TO punch lines over the last three seasons, but heading into the trade deadline the franchise is in the middle of the Eastern Conference playoff race. The team’s success is in large part due to the presence of new head coach Steve Clifford, the addition of free agent signee Al Jefferson and the continued development of Kemba Walker. While the Bobcats’ rebuilding project has experienced strong returns this season, the team is still far from being considered a finished package and miles from where they ultimately want to be in the standings. But the arrival of Jefferson, who signed a three-year deal in free agency, has finally given the team a veteran building block to complement its youthful foundation. With a playoff berth clearly in focus for the first time in years, the Bobcats are most certainly going to take an aggressive stance within the trade market. Charlotte will be looking to strengthen their current roster in order to make a late season run and the team does have pieces to potentially get a deal done. However, taking an aggressive approach at the trade deadline could be a bit risky for Charlotte. The franchise could be putting all of their chips into the playoff bucket and sacrificing draft position in a year that promises to have an absolutely loaded rookie class in June. If the Bobcats decide to deal, look for the team to attempt to secure a veteran backup center or additional depth at small forward to aid in their playoff quest. Reserve forward Jeffery Taylor is out for the season, which creates a need to solidify the second unit. At center, Jefferson plays the lion’s share of the minutes with Bismack Biyombo and rookie Cody Zeller as the main backups. Charlotte could opt to bring in a more experienced option for Clifford to utilize during second half of the season. On a positive note the team doesn’t have a long-term unfavorable contract weighing down their books as in years past, so the team has flexibility. While the road back to respectability has been tough for Charlotte over the past three years, there is a legitimate reason for the club’s fan base to be excited about the future direction of the organization.

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014 First-round pick to Chicago protected for selections 1-10 in 2014, 1-8 in 2015 or unprotected in 2016. Second-round pick. Portland owes Charlotte a first-round pick protected for selections 1-12 in 2014, 1-12 in 2015 or unprotected in 2016. Secondround pick.

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 First-round pick. Second-round pick.

2016 First-round pick. Second-round pick.

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

Al Jefferson | 29 | C

Ben Gordon | 30 | G

The Bobcats shocked many by aggressively pursuing, and ultimately signing, Jefferson in free agency last summer. The veteran center has been known for putting up gaudy nightly stat lines, but the wins for his former teams haven’t matched the production. But Jefferson has gotten off to a great start in Charlotte and he is one of the key reasons the team is eyeing the second playoff berth in franchise history.

The former Sixth Man of the Year is in the final year of his current deal and on the books for $13.2 million this season, which makes him an attractive expiring contract for an opposing team looking for flexibility. While Gordon’s production has fallen off the deep end in recent years, the veteran guard is still more than capable of providing scoring in bunches if given the opportunity. However, Gordon’s time in Charlotte will likely come to an end after the season and the Bobcats may look to secure an asset instead of letting him walk in free agency this summer.

Salary: $13,500,000

Salary: $13,200,000

Kemba Walker | 23 | G Salary: $2,568,360

Walker is considered the heart and soul of the Bobcats, according to many of his teammates, and you could even make the argument that he is truly Charlotte’s franchise player. Walker has improved his point and assist production each season in the league and the guard has looked very good in Clifford’s system this season.

Brandon Haywood | 34 | C Salary: $2,050,000

Haywood hasn’t played for the Bobcats this season due to a fractured foot, but will struggle to find rotation minutes with the presence of Jefferson, Biyombo and Zeller on the interior. While Haywood’s production has dropped in recent years, the veteran has a favorable cap number ($2 million) and still is respectable on the glass.

CHECK CHARLOTTE’S COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE: http://www.basketballinsiders.com/charlotte-bobcats-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... Expect Bobcats president of basketball operations Rod Higgins and general manager Rich Cho to take on the role of buyers at the trade deadline. Making the playoffs this season, especially with the upcoming team name change, would be huge for the forward momentum of the franchise. The Bobcats have just $37 million in guaranteed salaries on the books for next season, so fans should also expect the team to be very active in free agency this summer. With a youthful core of Gerald Henderson, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Walker and Zeller paired with a solid veteran in Jefferson, the Bobcats are on the rise.

SOUTHEAST

MIAMI

[ ]

By Alex Kennedy

Title holders

(@AlexKennedyNBA)

THE MIAMI HEAT HAVEN’T RELIED ON TRADES TO BUILD THEIR STARstudded team and it’s unlikely that they’ll start making significant deals now. Most of their notable additions have been through free agent signings, inking players like LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Ray Allen, Shane Battier, Chris Andersen, Rashard Lewis and Greg Oden among others. Expect another quiet deadline in Miami, especially since the team already completed one minor trade this season, moving Joel Anthony in exchange for Toney Douglas. Even if Miami wanted to make an additional trade, they don’t have many assets. Outside of James, Wade and Bosh, who are considered untouchable within the organization, the HEAT don’t have the players or picks to make a splashy trade. Their role players don’t have much trade value and their draft picks aren’t worth much since their first-round picks have essentially been second-round picks due to their success. Miami has some pieces that they’re willing to part ways with, but those assets aren’t very attractive to other teams. Miami will weigh their options as the trade deadline approaches, seeing what’s out there and gauging value in their role players, but don’t expect them to be very active. In recent years, they’ve been more likely to make a midseason free agent signing than a trade. Another reason why Miami will likely sit out the trade deadline is the excellent chemistry that exists within their locker room. They are a very close-knit team and it’s unlikely that the HEAT would make any kind of move that would disrupt their chemistry. Miami has won the last two championships and appeared in the last three NBA Finals, and they’re a favorite to win the title once again this year. The organization will likely stick with the core that has done so well in recent years rather than making a midseason move. The players that Miami would be willing to part ways with are veterans like James Jones or Rashard Lewis. But those players are worth more to Miami than to other teams; they have little to no trade value and they’ve been with the HEAT organization for awhile (and have been model citizens in the locker room, leading their teammates and staying prepared even when their minutes have decreased). While fans sometimes ponder trade scenarios involving members of the Big Three, it’s safe to say that James, Wade and Bosh aren’t going anywhere. While all three can opt for free agency this summer, the HEAT want to make a run at a three-peat this postseason and feel confident that they can re-sign their trio of stars. From day one, it has been unlikely that the HEAT would trade any member of the Big Three, since they came to Miami as a package deal so any trade would potentially upset the remaining stars and lessen the chance that they would re-sign when they inevitably test the free agent market.

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014 First-round pick. Second-round pick.

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 Owes first-round pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers (1-10 protected in 2015 or 1-10 in 2016 or unprotected in 2017). Secondround pick.

2016 First-round pick.

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

LeBron James | 29 | F

James Jones | 33 | G

James is the best basketball player on the planet and there’s no scenario where Miami would part ways with the four-time Most Valuable Player. Even though he’s potentially approaching free agency and could walk away as early as this summer, the HEAT are going to hold onto James as long as they can. They know that James is the key to winning their third straight title and, if James does choose to test the market, the HEAT are confident that they can re-sign the superstar.

Jones is expendable for Miami, but it’s more likely that he retires as a member of the HEAT than be traded elsewhere at this point in his career. While he doesn’t do much for Miami on the court, he’s a strong veteran presence in the locker room and the players respond to him. He’s worth more to the HEAT at this point than he is to any team that, for whatever reason, would inquire.

Salary: $19,067,500

Salary: $1,500,000

Norris Cole | 25 | G Salary: $1,129,200

Dwyane Wade | 31 | G Injuries have limited Wade in recent years, but he’s still a focal point of Miami’s attack. He’s also a big reason James and Bosh came to Miami and he remains very close with the duo. Trading Wade could lead to the departure of James and Bosh and it would certainly upset the masses since he’s a fan favorite. Everyone involved wants Wade play his entire career with the HEAT.

Cole’s name came up in trade rumors earlier this season, but the HEAT decided not to move him. It’s possible that Miami could shop Cole prior to February 20, but he has emerged as a significant contributor for the HEAT, playing well during last year’s playoffs and throughout the course of this season. Cole’s name will likely continue to pop up in rumors but, as is the case with Iman Shumpert of the New York Knicks, it’s largely because he’s the lone young asset that the team has to shop.

Chris Bosh | 29 | C

Chris Andersen | 35 | C

Even though HEAT fans like to dream up trade scenarios for Bosh and often downplay his importance to the team, those within the organization understand that Bosh is a vital part of the team. Bosh is the best frontcourt player that Miami has and their attack wouldn’t work nearly as well without his unique skill set and ability to stretch the defense. Erik Spoelstra has repeatedly referred to Bosh as Miami’s most important player, so he isn’t going anywhere.

While Andersen’s name may seem strange on this list, he’s untouchable due to a contract technicality. Because he was signed to a one-year deal over the offseason and will have Bird or Early Bird Rights next summer, he has the right to block any trade this season. Essentially, Andersen has an implicit no-trade clause this season – one of just 12 players in the NBA that fit this description. Andersen could allow himself to be traded if he wanted to, but that’s unlikely given he plays on South Beach.

Salary: $18,673,000

Salary: $19,067,500

Salary: $1,388,507

CHECK MIAMI’S COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE: http://www.basketballinsiders.com/miami-heat-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... It’s unlikely that the defending champions will make a move. They already made one trade this season, and they don’t really have attractive assets to make another. Expect Miami to stand pat at the deadline and keep the same team intact as they try to win their third consecutive championship. This summer could bring an offseason of change for Miami, but it will likely be an uneventful trade deadline for them.

SOUTHEAST

ORLANDO By Lang Greene (@LangGreene)

WHILE THE YOUNG CORE ORLANDO HAS ASSEMBLED CONTINUES TO show glimpses of future success, the franchise is headed toward another high lottery pick in June. The Magic are firmly entrenched in a rebuilding project that is deeply rooted at its foundation in patience. The Magic are sticking to the script and following a process with the full intent to make their move when they’re ready. General manager Rob Hennigan has steadily cleared salary cap room and accumulated a solid portfolio of future draft picks in the post-Dwight Howard era for the franchise. The Magic’s under-25 core of Nikola Vucevic, Tobias Harris, Victor Oladipo and Maurice Harkless is a solid group of productive young players still on their rookie deals. Head coach Jacque Vaughn has secured trust from the front office and figures to be the guy calling the shots once the team finally emerges from rebuilding mode. Orlando figures to be very active leading up to the trade deadline, but not because the team is intent on making a move. The club will be listening to overtures and following protocol. No one on the current roster should be considered truly untouchable and the team has a few veteran players who are sure to attract interest around the league. Arron Afflalo will likely be the most sought after Magic player at the trade deadline. The seventh-year guard has increased his scoring production every season he’s been in the league and is averaging north of 20 points per contest. Veteran guard Jameer Nelson may draw interest from teams looking for a seasoned floor general. Nelson’s contract, on the books for $8 million next season, may turn off some suitors, but only $4 million of it is guaranteed. The Magic are one of the rare teams in the league approaching the deadline with the flexibility to play both buyer and seller in the market this season. The franchise has solid veterans on cap friendly deals as well as a host of young players and draft picks to package should Hennigan and his staff choose to do so. Fans are excited about the direction of the franchise, but any talk about reaching the playoffs or making a splashy trade or signing to enter the realm of the elite in the short-term isn’t realistic at this point.

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014 First-round pick. Owed first-rounder from Denver Nuggets or New York Knicks (whichever is lesser).

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 First-round pick. Second-round pick. Owed second-rounder (top-40 protected) from Los Angeles Lakers .

2016 First-round pick. Second-round pick. Owed first-rounder (lottery-protected through 2016, top-11 protected in 2017, top-eight protected in 2018, otherwise converts to second-rounders in 2018 and 2019) from Philadelphia 76ers.

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

Nikola Vucevic | 23 | C

Arron Afflalo | 28 | G

Vucevic has yet to reach his ceiling, but has established himself as a bona fide nightly doubledouble threat. Finding a productive center capable of scoring and rebounding is becoming a rarity in today’s game and the Magic have one on the roster who has yet to reach the age of 25. You can expect Vucevic to be on the roster post deadline.

Afflalo is a stabilizing veteran presence in the youth-filled locker room and a highly productive scorer on a favorable contract in today’s NBA economy. But the Magic will listen to teams expressing interest in Afflalo at the deadline. Hennigan may want to trade Afflalo for assets while his value is at its all-time high. However, Orlando is in no rush to trade the shooting guard; they could always wait until the offseason or later.

Salary: $1,793,520

Salary: $7,500,000

Victor Oladipo | 21 | G Salary: $4,763,760

The rookie guard has quickly become an integral member of this year’s unit. The No. 2 overall pick of the 2013 draft has showed a knack for scoring and distributing the rock, posting multiple 20-plus point scoring outings and games with 10 or more assists. Oladipo is a hard-working guy who doesn’t create waves. While he likely won’t trend out to be a franchise player, Oladipo figures to be exactly the type of character guy the Magic want involved in their program long-term.

Jameer Nelson | 32 | C Salary: $8,600,000

Nelson has played his entire career with the Magic, but the team is going with a youth movement that may soon lead to his exit from Orlando. The team loves his leadership and values the work he’s put in on and off the court, but it is hard to envision a scenario in which he’s a part of the Magic’s next great team.

Glen Davis | 28 | F Salary: $6,400,000

The Magic have reportedly gauged the market for Davis in the past, but found little interest around the league. While Davis is productive, he’ll be the toughest of the veterans to move. Davis is on the books for $6.4 million this season and owed an additional $6.6 million in 2015.

CHECK ORLANDO’S COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE: http://www.basketballinsiders.com/orlando-magic-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... Expect the Magic to explore all of their options as the trade deadline approaches. The time may be now, while market values are high, to move some of their veteran pieces in order to secure assets for the future. Overall, the veterans have cap friendly contracts, so don’t expect the team to make a rushed move.

SOUTHEAST

WASHINGTON By Lang Greene (@LangGreene)

THE LAST TIME THE WASHINGTON WIZARDS REACHED THE PLAYOFFS, back in 2008, Antawn Jamison was the team’s leading scorer, LeBron James was still in Cleveland and Allen Iverson led the league in minutes played with the Denver Nuggets. After years of a seemingly endless rebuilding project, the Wizards are finally primed to reach the playoffs this season behind the play of point guard John Wall. While the Wizards are likely playoff bound, the team is still hovering close to .500 and far from being considered one of the league’s elite units. The Wizards’ long-term success depends on their catalyst Wall. The fourth-year guard is averaging a career-high in points, assists, steals and free throw percentage. Wall’s production this season continues to silence critics who questioned why Washington gave him a max contract last summer. All indications point to Washington being buyers at the trade deadline, looking to bolster their depth for the upcoming playoff run. President of basketball operations Ernie Grunfeld already pulled the trigger on a deal earlier this season by acquiring center Marcin Gortat from Phoenix and reports continue to emerge implying the veteran executive isn’t content to rest on his laurels with the deadline looming. The Wizards may be looking to acquire some additional point guard depth to support Wall off the bench. To start the season, free agent signee Eric Maynor has been a shell of his former self, which could force the Wizards to explore guard options available on the market. There have also been numerous reports indicating the team will be looking to further strengthen its frontcourt at the deadline. The team’s front office also have decisions to make on the long-term futures of veteran forward Trevor Ariza and Gortat since both players will be unrestricted free agents this summer. Both would also attract interest in the trade market. Washington has a few younger players, still on rookie deals, who are struggling to secure consistent minutes behind established veterans on the depth chart. Given the team’s salary cap situation for next season, just $41 million on the books guaranteed, the Wizards could be one of the few teams in play to make a major move. To be clear, this won’t be the season where the Wizards make a run for a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals. The 2013-14 campaign is a journey more about learning for the franchise. Gaining playoff experience this season will give the young core a taste of success and have them craving for even more in the future. Compared to years past, the future is looking brighter for the Wizards.

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014 Second-round pick. First-round pick owed to Phoenix (protected for selections 1-12 in 2014, 1-10 in 2015, 1-10 in 2016, 1-10 in 2017, 1-10 in 2018, 1-10 in 2019 or unprotected in 2020).

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 First-round pick. Second-round pick. Owed second-rounder from New Orleans Pelicans.

2016 First-round pick. Second-round pick.

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

John Wall | 23 | G

Jan Vesely | 23 | F

There were some who criticized the Wizards for extending a max contract to Wall last summer based on the guard’s up and down play in his first three seasons. But the fourth-year guard has come out playing with a vengeance and has the Wizards rising in the standings and gaining respectability by the day. Entering the season, one of the biggest questions surrounding Wall was whether the guard could play at an All-Star-caliber level. This year, Wall will make his first All-Star appearance and is on pace for a career-year, answering that question with a resounding yes.

The Wizards drafted Vesely with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2011 draft. Safe to say his career has failed to live up to the lofty expectations of being such a high pick. Earlier this season, the Wizards declined to pick up Vesely’s option for the 2014-15 campaign so the third-year forward is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Despite the slow start to his career, it’s important to note Vesely is just 23 years old, which may make him an intriguing option for a team looking to acquire youth.

Salary: $7,459,925

Salary: $3,340,920

Chris Singleton | 24 | F

Bradley Beal | 20 | G

Salary: $1,618,680

Salary: $4,319,280

It is rare for a second-year player to be deemed untouchable, but Beal is the perfect complement to Wall in the backcourt. Beal’s outside shooting stretches the floor and allows Wall to do what he does best - penetrate and create havoc in the lane. Beal has the potential to record multiple 20-plus point scoring campaigns in his career and the Wizards will have one of the better backcourts in the league in due time.

The presence of Ariza, Martell Webster and rookie forward Otto Porter has made Singleton, a former first-round pick, expendable in Washington’s longterm vision. Like Vesely, the Wizards opted not to exercise their option on Singleton for next season and the former Florida State product is headed to unrestricted free agency in July.

Eric Maynor | 24 | F Salary: $2,016,000

On paper, the Wizards signed one of the best backup point guards in the game last summer in Eric Maynor. In reality, Maynor hasn’t panned out as a backup to Wall and has recently started losing minutes to the unheralded Garrett Temple.

CHECK WASHINGTON’S COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE:

http://www.basketballinsiders.com/washington-wizards-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... As currently constructed, the Wizards have enough firepower to reach the playoffs in the struggling Eastern Conference. However, expect the Wizards’ front office to be active in their approach in looking for additional talent leading up to the deadline. Washington could use additional frontcourt depth, specifically at center, and a stronger lead guard off the bench. If one of those players becomes available, the Wizards will at the very least explore it.

NORTHWEST

PACIFIC

S SOUTHWEST

WESTERN 68

CONFERENCE 82

NORTHWEST

DENVER By Yannis Koutroupis (@YannisNBA)

THE DENVER NUGGETS SET A FRANCHISE RECORD FOR REGULAR SEASON wins last year with 57. For their roles in that effort, Masai Ujiri won Executive of the Year and George Karl won Head Coach of the Year. The regular season success didn’t translate to the postseason, though, where they were eliminated in disappointing fashion in the first round. Still, with a young roster and a clearly productive formula in place, there didn’t appear to be much reason for major changes. Yet, that’s exactly what followed. Ujiri was plucked away by the Toronto Raptors. Karl’s relationship with ownership reached a breaking point. Andre Iguodala got lured away by the Golden State Warriors and suddenly three positions that were strengths became voids that needed to be filled. In light of their youth, team president Josh Kroenke opted to go with a first-year general manager in Tim Connelly to replace Ujiri and a first-year head coach in Brian Shaw to replace Karl. Meanwhile, Randy Foye was acquired in the three-team deal that sent Iguodala to Golden State, but the hope was that collectively guys would step up and take advantage of the opportunity created by his departure. Those three left big shoes to fill, and as expected the Nuggets have taken a step back this season. Their struggles have been amplified by the absence of JaVale McGee and Danilo Gallinari, and now they’re also going to be without Nate Robinson for the remainder of the season. Under these circumstances, it’s extremely difficult to evaluate the team properly and assess what changes are necessary. They’ve still managed to play .500 basketball despite the major changes and serious injuries they’ve suffered to core rotation players. It’s not unreasonable to assume that when healthy, the potential to be a playoff team is there. Combine that with the fact that the Nuggets have no expiring contracts above $1.1 million and there doesn’t appear to be a lot of potential for major movement. This team is set to improve by default over the offseason as McGee, Gallinari and Robinson (assuming he exercises his $2.1 million player option) recover from their serious injuries. The Nuggets have an average age of just 26; in theory every player outside of Randy Foye and Andre Milller, the elder statesmen of the team, has their best basketball ahead of them. In order to see just how well everyone meshes together and plays off of each other, though, management is going to have to wait until next season. It’s hard to get proper value for your players in a trade and know what weaknesses to address when you don’t even know who you are. Every franchise goes through seasons like this, where injuries just won’t allow them to compete at the level they’d like to or are capable of. All they can do is develop habits prone to winning basketball games and give everyone who is healthy a chance to show what they can do. The Nuggets have done the latter; we won’t know about the former until Coach Shaw has his entire arsenal at his disposal.

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014 Second-round pick. First-round draft pick from New York. Second-round pick from Portland.

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 First-round pick. Second-round pick (x2). Second-round picks from L.A. Clippers and Memphis.

2016 First-round pick. (Denver has right to swap its pick with New York). Second-round pick.

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

Ty Lawson | 26 | G

Kenneth Faried | 24 | F

Lawson has shined in his leadership role, averaging career bests in points (17.9), rebounds (3.4) and assists (8.9). He’s making it hard to say that the Nuggets are a team without a star, especially after garnering serious consideration to be selected as a Western Conference All-Star reserve. In a league where having great point guard play is a necessity, the Nuggets are fortunate to have Lawson locked up on a very reasonable contract over the next four years (including this season) that will pay him $47.8 million total.

The Nuggets lack attractive assets, the kind that can get them something of note in return, outside of Faried. While they may not be eager to trade Faried, there is the possibility that his value on the trade market is greater than what he means to the Nuggets. With J.J. Hickson, Timofey Mozgov, Darrell Arthur, Anthony Randolph, Quincy Miller and McGee on the roster, the Nuggets are more than equipped to replace his production. Faried is still on his rookie contract, though, so he’d either have to be packaged with Andre Miller or traded for another young player who is still on their first contract. If the opportunity to turn Faried into an upgrade at shooting guard presents itself, the Nuggets have to consider it because the logjam has to get cleared up at some point. Moving Faried is one of the few ways they can do so while actually improving at the same time.

Salary: $10,786,517

Salary: $1,367,640

JaVale McGee | 26 | C Salary: $10,750,000

Coach Shaw didn’t come in looking to make wholesale changes to the foundation Coach Karl had in place. One of the few things he did want to do differently though was be more post oriented. McGee stood to benefit from this, but he’s been limited to just five games this season due to a stress fracture in his left tibia. Still quite young at just 26 years of age, McGee has flashes of brilliance and as much athletic ability as anyone playing the center position today. The Nuggets have invested a lot in him to ensure that when everything does click for him, they’ll be the beneficiaries.

Andre Miller | 37 | G Salary: $5,000,000

As well as Lawson has handled the transition from Karl to Shaw, Miller has handled it as poorly. He’s been away from the team for over a month due to anger over his role that culminated in an outburst at the start of the New Year. Miller was producing well in limited minutes and is a pass-first point guard who anyone would love to play with, so the team should have no trouble finding a new home for him should they decide that the relationship between he and Shaw is irreparable. Miller’s contract is for $5 million this year and $4.6 million next, only $2 million of which is guaranteed.

CHECK DENVER’S COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE: http://www.basketballinsiders.com/denver-nuggets-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... Prior to Robinson’s injury, a Miller trade seemed inevitable. Now in light of it, the possibility for both sides to come to some sort of a resolution seems plausible at least. Gallinari’s seasonending setback makes it hard to cash in on Chandler’s high-value contract, especially without knowing whether he’ll be able to recapture his previous form. While there’s some logic behind moving Faried, it’s only if the right deal comes along. His value isn’t going to plummet anytime soon and with McGee’s return this season far from a lock, they may want to hold onto him in case they are able to go on a second half run and get into the playoffs. He’ll be just as easy to move this summer as he would be at the deadline.

NORTHWEST

MINNESOTA By Jesse Blancarte (@JBlancarteNBA)

THE MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES FEATURE A YOUNG, SOLID STARTING unit that is headlined by superstar Kevin Love. With the exception of shooting guard Kevin Martin, each starter is under 30 years old. However, the Timberwolves have not experienced the level of success they expected coming into this season so far, and may be looking to make a deal to solidify their bench. The Timberwolves have shown some willingness to make moves where they see fit. Derrick Williams was traded to the Sacramento Kings earlier this season in exchange for the defenseminded Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. Williams, selected No. 2 in the 2011 draft by Minnesota, never developed into the player the team had hoped, and struggled to find consistent minutes behind Love. So far Mbah a Moute has been inconsistent and the team is currently out of the playoff race in the deep Western Conference. So what is the problem? Well, there are a couple of answers to that. First, once the starters exit the game, especially Love, the team’s production drops off significantly. While players like Corey Brewer are effective at getting points in transition, the second unit collectively struggles to score. However, head coach Rick Adelman has addressed this by generally leaving at least one starter on the floor at all times. Second, and most importantly, the Timberwolves have failed to close out opponents late in games. Minnesota has even been unlucky at the end of these games, such as the one against Dallas when the NBA admitted the referees missed a foul committed by Shawn Marion that would have sent Love to the free throw line to potentially tie the game. The team is 1-13 in games decided by five points or less. The Timberwolves are aiming to reach the playoffs and make some noise when they get there. The Timberwolves have too much talent to tank for a higher draft pick, and another year in the lottery may cause Love to turn his attention to teams like the Lakers and Knicks, who are reportedly eyeing him as their superstar of tomorrow. Love’s free agency comes up in 2015-16 if he chooses to opt out of his contract, a consequence of former GM David Kahn’s reluctance to give Love a five-year extension. The team has already experienced some locker room disconnect this season, which are the kind of issues that will likely continue until the Timberwolves achieve sustained success. Fortunately for Minnesota, they have the rest of this year and next year to see if they can turn this group into a winning product.

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014 Second-round pick. Owe first-rounder (top-13 protected through 2014, top-12 protected through 2016 else converts to 2016 and 2017 second-rounders) to Phoenix Suns (Wesley Johnson). Owed second-rounders from New Orleans and Golden State.

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 First-round pick. Owed second-rounder from Denver.

2016 First-round pick. Second-round pick.

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

Kevin Love | 26 | G

Shabazz Muhammad | 21 | G

Love is arguably the best power forward in the league, posting 25.6 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists nightly. There is outside speculation that Love may be unhappy with the Timberwolves, stemming back to his contract negotiations, which is cause for concern in Minnesota. In spite of this, Love is still locked up long enough for the Timberwolves to convince him that they can compete at a high level, and will not move him until he says definitively that he will not re-sign. Flip Saunders says he is confident that Love is committed to Minnesota and that he will stay if the team comes together and wins at a high level.

Once thought to be a potential No. 1 pick, Muhammad’s stock fell while at UCLA. Muhammad was selected No. 14 in the draft by the Utah Jazz and subsequently traded to Minnesota along with Gorgui Dieng (the No. 21 pick) for Trey Burke. Muhammad has only appeared in a handful of games this year, and spent some time in the D-League with the Iowa Energy. Getting on the court will be difficult moving forward for Muhammad as he is slotted behind veteran players like Martin, Brewer, Mbah a Moute, Alexey Shved, Chase Budinger and Dante Cunningham. It is unclear if he will ever be the impact player scouts once imagined, but he could be attractive to teams willing to take a flier on a young talent on a rookie contract.

Salary: $14,693,906

Salary: $1,887,120

Nikola Pekovic | 26 | G Salary: $12,100,000

The massive and skilled center received a new contract this summer, netting $60 million over five years. He is a force on offense, though far from a dominant defensive anchor in the paint. The front court combo of Pekovic and Love is one of the best in the league, though they allow opponents to shoot nearly 65 percent within five feet of the rim and block only 3.4 shots a game, ranking last in the NBA in both categories. If Minnesota is unable to put together a winning team with its core players, and loses Love in free agency, Pekovic will become expendable. For now, Pekovic remains a major piece, and is not likely to be moved.

Alexey Shved | 25 | G Salary: $3,150,000

Last season, Shved looked like a valuable asset for the Timberwolves moving forward. However, Minnesota acquired Kevin Martin during the offseason, adding a veteran presence who could provide scoring on the wing. While Martin has done well in filling that role, Shved is seeing less minutes, and no longer looks like a player that Minnesota would be reluctant to part with. If a team is convinced that Shved would benefit in a new setting with more opportunity, perhaps they would take a chance on acquiring his services.

Ricky Rubio | 26 | G Salary: $3,678, 358

Once considered a rising superstar whose only major flaw was his shooting mechanics, Rubio still suffers from a broken shot (thus J.J. Barea often finishes games at the point guard spot). In spite of this, Minnesota has not given up on its young point guard. The Timberwolves are hoping that Rubio will rediscover the joy he once played with that made him so fun to watch. Rubio recently admitted the game has not been fun for him, and that it has affected his play. The Timberwolves are reluctant to move him considering his potential and contract.

CHECK MINNESOTA’S COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE: http://www.basketballinsiders.com/minnesota-timberwolves-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... Unlike most teams outside of the playoff picture, Minnesota has significant talent, but has failed to close out tight games. Rather than disrupting the core of the team, the Timberwolves will likely opt to push forward with this group and hope that they can figure out how to execute late in games. Any trades will likely be smaller ones involving role players. Don’t expect the Timberwolves to make any major moves until next season when Kevin Love’s free agency becomes a more pressing issue.

NORTHWEST

OKLAHOMA CITY By Susan Bible (@SusanBible)

THE OKLAHOMA CIT Y THUNDER’S DECISION TO BUILD THEIR TEAM primarily through the draft has paid off in spades. The Kevin Durant pick was a no-brainer, and smart scouting led to the Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and Reggie Jackson picks. Add a few trades and free agent signings along the way, and it didn’t take long for the Thunder to evolve into a contending team. Save for the Kendrick Perkins-for-Jeff Green trade in February 2011, the Thunder have traditionally kept quiet at the trade deadline. With the Ryan Gomes trade earlier this season, Sam Presti, the team’s general manager and executive vice president, may be planning a move. In early January, little-used Gomes was part of a three-team trade that netted the Thunder a pair of second-round draft picks, one of them a certain phantom pick. Yet this under-the-radar move accomplished something significant. First, it’s important to remember the Thunder have a $2.3 million trade exception (from the 2013 Eric Maynor trade) that expires Feb. 21. By trading Gomes instead of waiving him, they wiped his salary off the books, avoided a cap hold and now sit conveniently around $2.3 million below the luxury tax threshold. They could acquire a player with a matching salary using the trade exception in exchange for the phantom pick. Second, the Thunder now have two open roster spots. Presti, never one to give insight on possible moves, recently shared he would perform due diligence and start conversations with other teams (noting other teams would start conversations with him, as well). He did add, however, that the organization feels pretty good about the current roster. Westbrook’s health must be considered, of course. He’s scheduled to return around the AllStar Break, but will his knee hold up? The 25-year-old point guard – once lauded for appearing in 394 consecutive regular season games – has undergone three knee surgeries since last April. He first had surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus suffered in the first round of the playoffs; he had surgery to repair a loose stitch in October; and finally, another surgery in December to address persistent swelling. This situation is unsettling and worrisome, but clearly the Thunder support him. This season has revealed the obvious improvement of Reggie Jackson and Jeremy Lamb. The Thunder’s 2013 first-round draft pick, seven-foot Steven Adams, is progressing at a rate much quicker than anticipated. Derek Fisher continues to lift this team when he steps on the floor, and countless wins have been attributed to his boundless energy and leadership. Durant is hearing his name mentioned in Most Valuable Player discussions with greater frequency of late. The team was nearly unstoppable this season until news broke the day after Christmas that Westbrook would have yet another procedure. Perhaps the only good thing to result from his injury is the silencing of critics.

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014 First-round pick. First-round pick from Dallas protected for selections 1-20 in 2014, 1-20 in 2015, 1-20 in 2016 or 1-20 in 2017 or unprotected in 2018.

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 First-round pick. Second-round pick.

2016 First-round pick. Second-round pick.

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

Kevin Durant | 25 | F

Thabo Sefolosha | 29 | G

It’s difficult to fathom how Durant can improve his game, but he does exactly that with each passing season. He’s on track to capture his fourth scoring title in five seasons, and he leads the league in Player Efficiency Rating (PER) and Win Shares. Their best title hopes depend on Durant doing what he does so well on the floor. His contract runs through the 2015-16 season; with all of his weapons on display night in and night out, there’s no need to worry about any scenario that involves the Thunder moving him.

Sefolosha still contains the league’s top shooters at a high level; however, he’s in the final year of his contract ($3.9 million), and the Thunder are limited in what they can offer in a re-signing situation. Rookie Andre Roberson is also quietly sitting in the wings as perhaps the heir apparent to Sefolosha. The Thunder favor developing young talent, and Roberson appears to possess many of the same defensive capabilities.

Salary: $17,832627

Salary: $3,900,000

Nick Collison | 33 | F Salary: $2,585,668

Russell Westbrook | 25 | G Salary: $14,693,906

Westbrook and Durant are the faces of the franchise, and they have grown into the ultimate on-court duo. This new era of an injured Westbrook is quite foreign; nonetheless, it’s their reality. Supporters can only hope he returns as the same fearless and explosive player he’s demonstrated himself to be for five seasons now. Few doubt his ability to come back and lead the Thunder to a successful postseason. His contract runs a bit longer than Durant’s (through the 201617 season) and the Thunder wouldn’t dare think of trading him.

Serge Ibaka | 24 | F Salary: $12,350,000

Ibaka is a classic example of a player who improves every year in nearly every statistical category, and it’s scary to think how good he’ll be when he reaches his prime. There aren’t a plethora of 6’10 players with his athleticism and skillset. He’s obviously important to the team, which is why they locked him into a four-year contract in 2012.

Presti put together one of the most creative and cap-friendly deals in league history when Collison’s contract was extended in 2010. It totaled just over $11 million, paying out big in 2011 and decreasing each year to a reasonable $2.2 million in 2014-15. It would be difficult to give up fanfavorite Collison, who is the consummate glue guy. However, he is somewhat expendable.

Kendrick Perkins | 29 | C Salary: $8,727,437

Though he receives significant criticism from all directions, Perkins provides value when going up against opponents’ formidable big men. Against smaller teams, he’s not nearly as effective. Surely Presti would look at any offers of a trade. If not, they may use the amnesty provision.

Hasheem Thabeet | 26 | C Salary: $1,200,000

The Thunder’s biggest cheerleader has only appeared in a handful of games with Adams’ unexpected rise rendering him “garbage time only”.

CHECK OKLAHOMA CITY’S COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE:

http://www.basketballinsiders.com/oklahoma-city-thunder-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... The Thunder are too close to vying for an NBA title to upset the established chemistry in a big way. That said, they do have assets and a very crafty general manger to get something either big or small done. They could go big and pursue a player such as Evan Turner or Iman Shumpert. With the Finals on the line – and defensive prowess of chief importance Collison and Sefolosha should stick around. A more realistic picture includes using the expiring trade exception, with perhaps Perry Jones or Thabeet, to acquire a perimeter shooter such as Gary Neal or C.J. Miles.

NORTHWEST

PORTLAND By Nate Duncan (@NateDuncanNBA)

WHAT A DIFFERENCE HALF A SEASON HAS MADE FOR THE PORTLAND Trail Blazers. After a mediocre 2012-13 season in which they never really contended for the playoffs, the Blazers spent much of the offseason deflecting trade rumors about franchise power forward LaMarcus Aldridge. If things went awry this season, the Blazers could well have had to move Aldridge at the upcoming trade deadline for fear of losing him as a free agent after 2015. Instead, Portland has been the league’s most pleasant surprise and they’ve sat near the top of the Western Conference all season. The Blazers’ status as contenders should make them buyers at the deadline. Buying makes even more sense considering the age of the Blazers’ core. Some ahead of schedule contenders, such as the Oklahoma City Thunder a few years ago, don’t want to give up future assets because they know they are young enough to contend for a long time to come. By contrast, the Blazers’ core is generally in its prime. Aldridge, shooting guard Wesley Matthews, small forward Nicolas Batum and center Robin Lopez are all between 25 and 28, prime ages for NBA players and all are having career years. Even second-year point guard Damian Lillard is relatively old for his experience, set to turn 24 in July. With each player in the starting five playing the best ball of his career, the time to go for it is now. Another reason to acquire players now is that the team has very discernible weaknesses that could be upgraded via trade. The Blazers’ success has been built almost entirely on their unstoppable offense, which is tied for the league lead in points per 100 possessions. On the other hand, the defense ranks a pedestrian 22nd in the league by that metric. And while the starters have been very good together in outscoring opponents by 8.1 points/100, that too has been entirely on the strength of their offense. The Blazers’ biggest need is an elite rim-protecting center. While Lopez has been a massive upgrade and performed adequately in that role, he still is not among the upper echelon of defensive centers. Acquiring a great post defender could make a world of difference for Portland. Failing a massive upgrade at the starting center position, the Blazers still need a big man off the bench. Joel Freeland has been the third big man, but is really better suited as a fourth. Thomas Robinson and Meyers Leonard have split time as the third big man, but the team has been atrocious with either on the court, being outscored by 6.7 points/100 when Robinson plays and 7.4 points/100 with Leonard on the floor. Acquiring a versatile third big man would do wonders for the Blazers’ bench, as the backup wing and point guard positions are solid.

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014 Owes first-round draft pick to Charlotte protected for selections 1-12 in 2014 or 1-12 in 2015 or unprotected in 2016. Owes second-round pick to Denver.

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 First-round pick. Owes second-round pick to Chicago.

2016 First-round pick. Owes second-round pick to Chicago.

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

Damian Lillard | 23 | G

Robin Lopez | 25 | C

One of the league’s best cold-blooded shot-makers, Lillard has two years left on his rookie contract after this one. So he will be in Portland for years.

Expendable is probably too harsh to describe Lopez, as he has been a massive upgrade on both ends at center this year. If he were to be injured, the Blazers would be in a lot of trouble. Nevertheless, he is still the most likely player to be upgraded, and if Portland trades for a center he would probably be included in the deal.

Salary: $3,202920

Salary: $5,904,261

LaMarcus Aldridge | 28 | F Salary: $14,878,000

With an expiring contract in 2015, it appeared that the Blazers might trade Aldridge if they could not contend before then. The team’s performance this year has changed all that. Aldridge is having a career year and is the key component of the Blazers’ unstoppable offense. There is no chance he will be moved this year.

Wesley Matthews | 27 | G Salary: $6,875,480

Until this season, Matthews appeared to be slightly overpaid as essentially an average starter. Now he ranks fourth in the NBA with a .626 True Shooting Percentage, a metric that accounts for the efficiency provided by threes and free throws. He also provides solid, if unspectacular, defense on the perimeter on what is now a very fair contract.

Nicolas Batum | 25 | F Salary: $11,295,250

Meyers Leonard | 21 | C Salary: $2,222,160

A lottery choice in 2012, Leonard has struggled mightily since being drafted. While he is young, the Blazers cannot expect him to contribute to a playoff run this year. He could be included in a deal for a more established player with a team that is willing to wait for him to develop.

Thomas Robinson | 22 | F Salary: $3,526,440

Robinson has improved his individual statistics this season, logging a PER just below the league average. He has accomplished this by scaling back his usage while rebounding like crazy, slashing his turnovers and improving his inside shooting by taking easier shots. However, the Blazers have been awful with him on the court so Robinson may be traded in a deal for a veteran.

Batum is now in the third year of a five-year contract that expires in 2016. While he is perhaps a bit overpaid, the Blazers’ books are relatively clean and he is a solid starter at small forward. He is locked up through his prime years, so it is difficult to envision why Portland would want to trade him.

Future Draft Picks The Blazers owe a top-12 protected first rounder to Charlotte dating back to the Gerald Wallace trade in 2011. That pick will certainly be conveyed this year, so the Blazers cannot trade another firstround pick until 2016. The Blazers would likely require an absolute home run trade to sacrifice their future to such an extent.

C.J. McCollum | 22 | G Salary: $2,316,720

The Lehigh product and No. 10 overall pick in 2013 is just now getting comfortable in Portland. While the Blazers would like to develop him as a bench scorer, if a trade for a good defensive big man comes along, he could be sacrificed.

CHECK PORTLAND’S COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE: http://www.basketballinsiders.com/portland-trail-blazers-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... To become a prime contender this year, Olshey must upgrade the defense and the frontcourt rotation. He will likely be aggressive in seeking an elite rim-protector, but outside of Houston’s Omer Asik none appear to be available. Houston may not want to trade Asik to another West contender, especially considering the fact that Portland has little in the way of tradable assets to help Houston this year. Thus, the most likely scenario is Portland looking to upgrade at the third big man position. Whether they will include McCollum in such a trade would seem to be the likely sticking point to determine whether Olshey can acquire a player who will really move the needle for the Blazers’ chances this year.

NORTHWEST

UTAH By Nate Duncan (@NateDuncanNBA)

THE 2013-14 SEASON IS WHAT SOME AROUND THE U TAH JAZZ HAVE CALLED the “Season of Discovery.” Subtext: The Jazz were not expected to make the playoffs this year. The Jazz made an organizational decision to take what would likely be a step back after deciding against re-signing veteran stalwarts Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson, but this was a very defensible decision. After trading up to select point guard Trey Burke with the ninth pick in the draft, the Jazz had young potential starters at every position in Burke, shooting guard Alec Burks, small forward Gordon Hayward, and big men Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter. Rather than overpay for additional talent to maintain fringe playoff status, the Jazz traded for Richard Jefferson, Brandon Rush and Andris Biedrins in a salary dump from Golden State, a deal that netted first-round picks in 2014 and 2017. The hope was that the team could remain somewhat competitive as they determined which of its young players would be a part of the next Jazz contender. When the Jazz began the season with a Murphy’s Law 1-14 start, that hope appeared farfetched. Well into November, the team ranked last in the league in offense and defense per 100 possessions. But since that start, the Jazz have gone 15-17 thanks to three key factors. First, Rookie of the Year candidate Burke returned to the lineup and stabilized a position that had been by far the worst in the league. Second, Ty Corbin began starting Marvin Williams over Kanter as a stretch four, opening up the spacing on offense. With Williams starting, the Jazz are now 15-13. Third, the Jazz coaching staff adjusted the pick-and-roll defense to a more conservative style in which the big man hangs back in the paint, improving the defense from horrendous to merely below average. All five of the Jazz’s core pieces have shown considerable promise since their return to respectability. While Kanter and Burks have largely come off the bench, each has begun to play well enough to stave off any calls for them to be traded. Both have improved their defense while flashing considerable scoring prowess. They are not scheduled to be restricted free agents until the summer of 2015, so there is no expectation they will be moved. Favors is signed to what is looking like a teamfriendly four-year, $49 million contract and Burke is under team control for three more years after this one. That leaves Gordon Hayward, with whom the Jazz were unable to agree on an extension before the season. He, too, has played well after a slump at the start of the season, and all indications are the Jazz hope to retain him despite his restricted free agent status this summer. However, if the Jazz were to come to the conclusion that they would be unwilling to match a maximum offer this summer, there is some possibility they could entertain trades for him. It seems unlikely Hayward would be moved unless it was for a very high pick in this year’s draft.

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014 First-round pick. Second-round pick. Additional first-round pick via Golden State

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 First-round pick. Second-round pick.

2016 First-round pick. Second-round pick. Additional second-round pick via Golden State

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

Trey Burke | 21 | G

Richard Jefferson | 33 | F

Already a solid starter in his first season, the ninth pick in the 2013 draft projects to be one of the better value contracts in the league throughout the length of his four-year rookie deal, which averages less than $3 million per season. Although he likely lacks superstar upside due to his poor finishing at the rim, Burke can operate in the pick-androll, shoot threes and never turns the ball over. Productive players at the beginning of their rookie deals are solid gold for small-market teams like Utah that generally are not regarded as free agent destinations. The Jazz will hang onto him.

Jefferson and his $11 million expiring salary were acquired almost entirely as a salary dump. However, the veteran has surprised with his threepoint stroke so far, shooting 43.4 percent from deep. He might be able to help a contender as a reserve wing for 15 minutes a night, and obviously is not a major part of the Jazz’s plan going forward. He could conceivably be back as a low-salaried end-of-the-bench locker room mentor type.

Derrick Favors | 22 | F / C

Amazingly for a once-promising player who has completely fallen off the map, Biedrins should still be in his prime right now. Instead, he is at best a third center due to his complete inability to shoot or score. He will likely be out of the NBA next year after his $9 million per season contract expires.

Salary: $2,438,760

Salary: $11,046,000

Salary: $6,008,196

Favors has exceeded expectations offensively since signing a four-year, $49 million contract extension of his rookie deal in October. That deal does not even kick in until next season, so he is under team control until 2018. He has shown the ability to post up effectively while also improving his shooting from midrange. In doing so, Favors is up to a solid 51 percent from the field this year. He also provides solid rim protection, although he has been below the elite level that some hoped for this year. Approximately $12 million a year for a player who is already a solid starting center at age 22 is excellent value that will only improve as he enters his prime years.

Andris Biedrins | 27 | C Salary: $9,000,000

Brandon Rush | 28 | G / F Salary: $4,000,000

Rush’s return from a torn ACL has been relatively slow, but he could help a contender if he returns to form. He is unlikely to be part of the Jazz’s plans going forward with Burks and Hayward on the roster.

Cap Space | various Salary: $2,400,000

This is the asset the Jazz will most likely use. It could net them a middling draft pick in exchange for taking a superfluous player from a team seeking to cut costs for the remainder of the season.

CHECK UTAH’S COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE: http://www.basketballinsiders.com/utah-jazz-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... Despite a number of choice assets, the Jazz are unlikely to participate in a blockbuster due to the lack of superstar fish in the sea and justifiable fears about whether such a player would stay in Utah long-term. Players like Jefferson, Rush and Williams could help a contender, but matching their salaries could prove difficult unless the Jazz take on longterm money. They are unlikely to do this at the expense of future salary cap space unless significant assets are included in the deal. That leaves a smaller deal using cap space to save money for another team as the most likely outcome for the Jazz this trade deadline.

FEATURE

AN INSIDE LOOK FROM THE FRONTLINES

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by Travis Heath spent several years working as a front office consultant for an NBA team. Here is what a typical trade deadline was like for him and his team... - Dinner 8pm - Buy milk - Follow @bballinsiders http://www.basketballinsiders.com

Call Agent. - Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to visit basketballinsiders.com

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

“

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF J.J. HICKSON?

”

The question was asked without even an exchange of pleasantries to precede it. “He rebounds the ball well on both ends,” I responded. “He is a bit raw on offense, but I think he’ll be fine on that end with time. He’s not good on the defensive end, though. He will really be a liability on more nights than not because of it.” “Okay, thanks Travis.” And with that, the call was over even though I had more to say. Welcome to the days leading up to the NBA trade deadline. This is a time of information gathering and confirmation. It is a time of ideas and creative energy. It is a time of great distrust, with everyone fearing their hand might be tipped. It is also a time so busy and filled with so much chatter that the executive vice president of basketball operations often does not have time to say hello or goodbye when inquiring about potential trade targets. I would posit that it must have been much more fun to work for an NBA team a couple of decades ago. Friends of mine who worked in the league at that time have only confirmed my suspicion. Back then trades were constructed almost exclusively around talent. Of course, in the modern NBA trades have much more to do with contracts and the luxury tax. The new buzzword is “flexibility.” Often, I was just asked for my opinion on a player. However, to provide the most value feedback possible, I had to clearly understand how that player would fit into our current team in terms of talent, culture and salary structure. http://www.basketballinsiders.com

It wasn’t as though the trade deadline brought about a lot of additional research. I knew every player in the NBA and I knew them well. I had (and still have) a database with my scouting reports on every player. If I knew our team was really interested in potentially acquiring a player I might watch a little more film on that player looking for something really specific, but for the most part, I already knew what I thought about the player. It can be easy to forget that people who work for NBA teams were once fans of the league. We all start as fans. What is interesting though, is how working in the league changes the way one watches a game. Most fans dread “garbage time” when players at the end of the bench play extended minutes. I have come to love that time. It gives me an opportunity to evaluate young players who I might not otherwise see. Prior to the trade deadline this can be particularly valuable because if you can identify a young player you like, it’s quite possible you might be able to get that team to add him as part of a larger trade package since these players often have very friendly contracts. I would suggest that acquiring these kinds of players as “throw-ins” is even more important in the modern NBA with the more punitive luxury tax system. Helping unearth that “diamond in the rough” was probably my favorite part of the scouting process. Sometimes this happens in college or the D-League, but sometimes it happens by seeing something in a player on another NBA roster that his current team does not see. I would follow the guys I really liked whether we acquired them or not just to see if they would pan out. If they did,

it provided a brief “I told you so” kind of satisfaction. I also very much enjoyed trying to project how various pieces might fit together. The trade deadline was a great time for this. If a team can acquire LeBron James and Chris Bosh with the intent to team them up with Dwyane Wade, then sure, worrying about how the pieces will fit together on the fly is a prudent strategy just because of the sheer amount of elite talent such a package provides. But for everyone else in the league, thinking about how a player will fit with the coaching staff and his teammates is essential. This requires more than just guessing. It mandates much background research and conversation with anyone who might know something about the player. The challenge, though, is to do this without letting folks know the team you work for might be interested in acquiring the player. Perhaps the surreptitious aspect of the trade deadline is the most fascinating. It is obvious that teams wish to keep their plans secret from other teams and most especially the media. What might not be so obvious to many fans is how secrecy can be handled within a single organization. The politics are fascinating. The GM might have “his guys” who he trusts within the organization and is likely to share his ideas with. However, this means there is any number of people in the organization outside the circle who have virtually no idea what the organization might be pondering even though they might have fairly significant titles within it. The way the media is used in trade negotiations is sometimes very calculated. Certain organizations like

the San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz have historically refrained from using the media at all. It is expected that all information stays in house, and the consequences for breaking this policy can mean one’s job. On the other hand, there are teams that strategically and tactically leak information to the media. It takes a lot of discipline to do this effectively. Too often members of an organization go a bit rogue and talk to the media for the benefit of their own ego as opposed to doing so as a part of the organization’s broader strategy. I still chuckle when I read on Twitter that Team X and Team Y have discussed a certain player or that two general managers have had conversations. I can confirm that every GM speaks to every other GM in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, usually multiple times. This is their job, and it’s befuddling how this is news. I guess the media needs something to talk about, too, during this very busy time. And in truth, most trade deadlines turn out to be a whole lot of talking and not much action. For what it is worth, the team I was working for did not trade for J.J. Hickson. I guess this makes me feel better than if they had since I didn’t exactly give him a ringing endorsement. But who knows if my voice was even truly listened to? It was just one of hundreds throughout the NBA. Only the 30 executives who make the final call know exactly what’s going on and why, and during a period of much noise, theirs are the only voices that really matter.

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

PACIFIC

GOLDEN STATE By Jabari Davis (@JabariDavisNBA)

AF TER A SLOWER START THAN MANY ANTICIPATED THAT RESULTED IN just a 14-13 record by late December, the Warriors have suddenly gotten healthier and appear to be every bit of the contender in the Western Conference some analysts predicted. The recent acquisition of Jordan Crawford only bolstered those thoughts, as the fourth-year guard had been very productive (13.7 PPG, 5.7 APG, 3.1 RPG) through 39 games for Boston. The Warriors may very well not be done making moves, as there have also been several rumors surrounding teams calling in order to inquire about the availability of both Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes. Must be quite the luxury, but head coach Mark Jackson could actually have too many viable swingman options to satisfy in a rotation. While Thompson is highly unlikely to be moved, it is believed that Barnes could potentially be available if the Warriors were presented with a favorable offer. A recent report by Grantland seemed to allude to a rising amount of internal frustration with Barnes’ development. Barnes’ versatility and poise during an impressive second-half and postseason run during his rookie season left many people speculating about whether he might eventually usurp Thompson in the starting lineup as the pair continued to develop. Even though the versatility and potential are still obvious with Barnes, Thompson’s continued development into a better-than-league-average shooting guard paired with Andre Iguodala’s return to the lineup seem to make the question of redundancy a valid one. Thompson is in year three of a four-year deal, and would be expected to garner plenty of suitors if he were to hit the open market. It is believed the Warriors could feel the pressure of an eventual extension on the horizon, which is likely why opposing general managers would consider now an opportune time to inquire about Barnes’ availability as well. Health can be a significant factor to any team’s success, and that definitely remains the case for these Warriors. While benefiting from that very deep and talented roster, there are still key positions where the Warriors can ill-afford to have anyone miss significant time. Between Stephen Curry, Andrew Bogut and David Lee, healthy ankles, and bodies in general, around March and April (and beyond) are an absolute must. Curry’s health is particularly important, as he has not only continued his progression into one of the league’s best scoring guards (24.5PPG), but also as a playmaker (9.0 APG) and leader of the offense in Jarrett Jack’s absence through the first half ’s schedule. Ideally, Crawford’s addition to the rotation will offer some relief for Curry’s workload, and even permit Coach Jackson to utilize Curry as a catch-and-shoot weapon when playing the two of them in the same lineup.

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014 No Picks. Their first-round pick was traded to Utah and a second-round pick was traded to Minnesota.

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 First-round pick. Second-round pick traded to Indiana.

2016 First-round pick. Second-round pick traded to Utah.

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

Stephen Curry | 25 | G

Harrison Barnes | 21 | F

If ever there were an appropriate place for a “next question” response, this would be the case. Curry isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon. The Warriors are hoping the only place he takes them is deeper into the postseason than the previous year, and it appears they are poised to do so.

To be clear, a move should not be expected unless a team absolutely makes an offer Golden State cannot refuse. With two years remaining on his deal, they aren’t exactly backed into a corner just yet. That doesn’t mean teams won’t still call to inquire.

Andre Iguodala | 29 | G / F

Draymond Green | 23 | F

Iguodala remains one of the league’s most versatile perimeter players. He still has the ability to effectively defend at least three positions, and continues to provide the little things that don’t always show up on the stat sheet like routinely being assigned to defend the opposing team’s strongest perimeter scoring threats or making the extra pass to find an open teammate. Iguodala is the epitome of a “glue guy” for his team, and the Warriors are reaping the benefits of his signing.

Green also finds himself battling for minutes and opportunities with the glut of swingmen on the roster. As a player that generally provides energy and effort off the bench with another year of his salary-controlled rookie contract, his name could also begin to surface in discussions.

Salary: $9,887,642

Salary: $2,923,920

Salary: $12,868,632

Salary: $875,500

Andrew Bogut | 29 | C Salary: $14,000,000

Place Bogut into the same category as Iguodala, as he is also a player you cannot merely assess by the raw statistics. He provides exactly the type of leadership a young roster needs, and truly fosters the type of camaraderie within the locker room that winning teams must have. He also provides the presence and interior toughness on both ends of the court that are absolutely vital to postseason play. This is why Golden State signed him to a threeyear extension in October.

Marreese Speights | 26 | F Salary: $3,500,000

Speights can be a very productive player off the bench, which is why the Warriors will likely want to hold on to him. He tends to make positive things happen when given playing time, but the speculation isn’t a result of anything he’s doing or currently not doing. The thinking is actually related to whether the team is confident that Jermaine O’Neal will eventual be available. If he is unable to fully recover from a nagging wrist injury, they could keep Speights for additional big-man insurance.

David Lee | 30 | F Salary: $13,878,000

Aside from also being an all-around good guy and teammate, Lee remains one of the league’s most consistently productive power forwards. The refreshing thing about Lee is that he seemingly couldn’t care less about personal accolades.

CHECK GOLDEN STATE’S COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE:

http://www.basketballinsiders.com/golden-state-warriors-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... Having acquired Crawford already, chances are they end up standing pat at the deadline unless completely blown away by an offer. Barring additional injuries or concerns over frontcourt depth, this appears to be a team geared for a postseason run. Having traded away their picks in the 2014 draft in various deals, they could also be in the market for draft picks.

PACIFIC

L.A. CLIPPERS By Jabari Davis (@JabariDavisNBA)

AF TER COMPLETING ONE OF THE MORE SURPRISING, YET WELCOMED, organizational turnarounds in recent sports memory, the Clippers came into this season with the highest level of expectations in the franchise’s history. While Blake Griffin and Chris Paul marked the decided on-court difference, you don’t go out and hire Doc Rivers to be your head coach and VP of Basketball Operations without serious championship aspirations in mind. Rumors of a potential Carmelo Anthony for Griffin trade, while convenient for the social media and sports talk radio discussions, have been vehemently denied by the Clippers, especially since Griffin has shown the type of growth and overall development this season many fans and analysts were expecting to see last year. Those that still refer to Griffin as “just a dunker” either don’t watch very many of his games, or simply have an inexplicable dislike for him as a person. The biggest question heading into this year was whether the Clippers could develop and maintain enough of an interior presence on both ends of the court. Both Griffin and his frontcourt mate DeAndre Jordan have each shown remarkable progress on that front, and appear to be getting more comfortable with the roles Coach Rivers has designated for them. Another area of concern with this roster was just how much they would miss having the luxury of such a dynamic player in Eric Bledsoe to back Paul up. Not only has Darren Collison been solid, but he’s actually excelled and reminded everyone that he was a productive starter earlier in his career, especially since stepping into the starting lineup in replacement of the injured Paul. Jamal Crawford remains one of the league’s most lethal bench scorers, and is a candidate for Sixth Man of the Year. The team did seem to hit a few rough patches when J.J. Redick was out of the starting lineup. Roster balance is a key to any team’s success, as is definitely the case with this team. While they have plenty of scoring threats and shooters, an additional playmaker off the bench wouldn’t hurt. Playoff basketball, by and large, is generally determined by which team has the most players that can make plays and execute most effectively, most often. As the deadline nears, the Clippers could be in the market for both additional interior insurance and a veteran playmaker like Andre Miller, who is reportedly available.

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014 First-round pick. No second-round pick, as it was traded to San Antonio (via New Orleans), but it’s protected for selections 31-55.

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 No first-round pick, as it was traded to Boston. No second- round picks, as they were traded to Houston (31-50 and 56-60 protected), Denver (31- 55 protected), and Milwaukee (51-60 protected).

2016 -

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

Chris Paul | 28 | G

DeAndre Jordan | 25 | C

Paul is currently out due to the separated shoulder he suffered against the Spurs ( Jan. 4), but the only place he’s going is to the postseason along with the rest of this talented bunch. Paul was putting up MVP-like numbers prior to the injury, but the Clippers would be best served in making certain he doesn’t rush his return. As with other great players, the team’s effectiveness in his absence could very well influence this process.

The only reason Jordan is on this list is in the event the Clippers are offered the type of transcendent player they simply could not pass on. While Griffin’s name has surfaced in several rumors, it seems more likely the team would consider a move involving Jordan, especially considering how much his stock has risen this year. Otherwise, Jordan has been phenomenal this year, having embraced Rivers’ defensive philosophy. He’ll never be “Hakeem” in the post, but frankly the Clippers don’t necessarily need him to be in order to be successful. If he can continue providing the energy and rim-protection while cleaning up anything and everything on the offensive glass, a goal of becoming an improved version of, say, Tyson Chandler circa 2011 is well within reach.

Salary: $18,688,431

Salary: $10,986,550

Blake Griffin | 24 | F Salary: $16,441,500

It is difficult to determine exactly why his name continues to surface in trade rumors, but one can only presume it is more of a compliment toward Griffin that opposing general managers and savvy fans alike would love to see him in their team’s uniform. That said, Griffin shouldn’t be on the move, nor do we think he will be. Beyond expanding his offensive arsenal, he’s also improved his attention to detail on the defensive end and is over 70 percent from the free throw line. Their best bet is to stay the course, and reap the benefits of his continued progression as a player.

J.J Redick | 29 | G Salary: $6,500,000

The offense simply looks much better, far more fluid, and more balanced when Redick is in the lineup. For those that questioned his signing, we think he’s answered any and all concerns over whether he “fit” with this roster or was worthy of the deal he received. Part of that could be attributed to Paul simply making the game easier for everyone, but credit is absolutely due to Redick. He’s done a great job of transforming his game over his eight years in the league, and appears to be on his way toward a career season.

Jared Dudley | 28 | F Salary: $4,250,000

For the record, Dudley probably isn’t going anywhere, either. Acquired in the deal that sent Bledsoe to the Suns, the seventh-year swingman played in the Clippers’ starting lineup throughout the first half of the season to mixed reviews. While he isn’t likely to be moved, there is some roster redundancy at his position. If the front office determined they needed to use an asset to further solidify the rotation down the stretch, they could look to move Dudley.

Willie Green | 32 | G Salary: $1,399,507

Green is a solid veteran option for teams in need of a steady on-court and locker room presence. After posting somewhat ‘pedestrian’ numbers as a starter last season, 2013-14 hasn’t been much more kind, as his productivity and efficiency rates have dipped even further. At this point, the Clippers could determine they are in need of a more dynamic skill set off the bench.

CHECK THE CLIPPERS’ COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE:

http://www.basketballinsiders.com/los-angeles-clippers-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... Neither Griffin nor Jordan is likely to go anywhere, nor should they. While it is easy to get caught within the “we want it now” mentality, the Clippers would be better served attempting to tinker and strengthen their roster for a postseason run with a smaller deal rather than jeopardizing the positive momentum and team chemistry they’ve developed.

PACIFIC

L.A. LAKERS By Jabari Davis (@JabariDavisNBA)

WHEN INJURY UPDATES AND TRADE RUMORS ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF the first half of an NBA’s team’s season, it is more than safe to say the organization is in a state of flux. For these 2013-14 Los Angeles Lakers, the first few months of the season must have seemed like a blur for fans and supporters whose eyes may have simply glossed over out of frustration at this point. Pau Gasol’s name continues to be rumored in trade discussions, Steve Nash had been unavailable until recently and Kobe Bryant is determined to disprove his critics while working his way back from injury. So, what exactly is new in LA-LA land? Well, at 15 games beneath .500 and clearly out of any playoff race, certainly in the Western Conference, things are heading in a different direction than what is generally expected out of the Lakers. Reserve scorer Nick Young has arguably been the Lakers’ best and most consistent player, so it shouldn’t necessarily come as a surprise the team has struggled through the first half of basketball. For the record, Young has been great (16.9 PPG, 34.9 percent from beyond the arc), and would likely receive some serious consideration for the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award if the Lakers were in the playoff mix. But on a roster with so many established stars, the thought of a journeyman swingman leading the purple-and-gold from the bench (of all places) probably wasn’t quite what Lakers fans had in mind at the start of the year. Aside from Young, Jodie Meeks and a cast of other overachieving role players on the final year of deals, the most consistent “name” on the Lakers’ stat sheet has been “DNP” (Did Not Play) due to the myriad injuries suffered by this group. Beyond veterans like Nash and Bryant, even fourth-year small forward Xavier Henry has been forced to miss several weeks worth of games as a result of the lingering effects of a bone bruise in his right knee. Bryant, currently working himself back from yet another near-catastrophic injury following the Achilles tear from April, is expected to return from the fracture of the lateral tibial plateau in his left knee. Prior to their injuries, both Jordan Farmar (torn hamstring) and Steve Blake (torn ulnar collateral ligament, elbow) were playing quality basketball, and were a major part of the team’s earlyseason success. They were the primary ball handlers and playmakers, and each looked like the better options at lead guard even during Nash’s brief availability for about five games early on. The frontcourt crew has been solid at times, but hasn’t been able to defend many of the younger, more athletic big men. In fact, they went through a period in December where the team seemed to give up a career-high performance to an opposing big man on a near-nightly basis. Gasol, in particular, has been solid on the offensive end, and is a willing defender, but simply cannot stay with the more mobile power forwards and centers at this point in his career.

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014 First-round pick. Second-round pick traded to Milwaukee (via Phoenix to Minnesota).

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 No picks, currently. First-round pick traded to Phoenix (1-5 protected). Second-round pick traded to Orlando (31-40 protected).

2016 -

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

Kobe Bryant | 35 | G

Pau Gasol | 33 | F / C

While Bryant, Nash, and reserve center Robert Sacre are the only players with guaranteed contracts for next season, it is actually believed that Bryant is the only player considered to be entirely safe. Clearly, following that extension, Bryant isn’t going anywhere; nor should he for that matter. You don’t commit that type of money to a player that has been the ‘face of the franchise’ for so long, only to turn around and look to move him in the following offseason. While there has somewhat shockingly been a small percentage of the fan base actually in favor of turning the page entirely as the team heads into the future, a majority of their supporters understood the necessity of locking Bryant down for the last couple years of his career, even if they did question the strategy and reasoning behind offering him so much of next year’s oft-mentioned salary cap space.

This is nothing new to Gasol, as the two-time champion has found his name in seemingly every trade rumor or discussion involving the Lakers over the past few seasons. That said, with a $19 million expiring deal and plenty of offensive game left in the tank, expect several teams to express interest as the deadline approaches.

Salary: $30,453,805

Salary: $19,285,850

Jordan Hill | 26 | F / C Salary: $3,500,000

Hill is the type of player that is generally a coach’s “best friend” as he provides energy and effort on a consistent basis, without concern for his nightly shot totals. While there should be a way to find a spot for him in just about any rotation, it isn’t certain whether he is in the team’s future plans.

Chris Kaman | 31 | C Salary: $3,183,000

Although a multi-skilled option at either frontcourt position, Kaman has found himself riding the “rotation wave” at various points this season. He’s fully capable of contributing to a team in need of size in the middle, so it would come as no shock to also hear his name attached to rumored deals as we approach the NBA’s trade deadline on February 20th.

Steve Nash | 40 | G Salary: $9,300,500

Unfortunately, for both parties, things never quite seemed to work out for Nash and the Lakers. In what can only be described as a terrible way to end what has been a Hall of Fame career, Nash’s days in Los Angeles have been marred by injuries that haven’t even permitted him to suit up for half of his eligible games. Iit is believed the organization has plans to invoke the CBA’s stretch provision, which would permit the organization to essentially waive the 40-year-old point guard in the offseason, and “stretch” his salary out over the next three seasons in the process.

Jodie Meeks | 26 | G Salary: $1,550,000

Meeks is currently in the midst of his finest season in the NBA, and has already seen his name surface in early season trade rumors. The five-year NBA veteran is either near or above career numbers in FG and three-point percentage, rebounds, assists and steals, and could be a very productive reserve piece as a scorer for several teams currently in contention.

CHECK THE LAKERS’ COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE: http://www.basketballinsiders.com/los-angeles-lakers-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... Clearly, the team has a ton of options as to which direction to go. Even though a deal involving Gasol hasn’t worked (for various reasons) in the past, it truly appears that Gasol could be the biggest piece moved by the trade deadline. It is uncertain whether any of the other potential free agents might be included in any such deal or utilized in other deals, but fans should definitely expect these Lakers to be very active in deadline negotiations with several teams looking to solidify their rosters with contributors. Absolutely no guarantees, but we expect at least a deal involving Gasol to be discussed, if not agreed upon by the time of the deadline.

PACIFIC

PHOENIX By Jabari Davis (@JabariDavisNBA)

THE FAST START OF THE PHOENIX SUNS LIKELY SURPRISED EVEN THEIR most ardent of fans, as the team has responded extremely well to the offseason additions and the hiring of first-year head coach Jeff Hornacek. From the outside looking in, if we’re being honest, most of the basketball-loving population either wrote this team off entirely, or actually insinuated the organization would essentially enact a self-imposed “tanking” process in order to capitalize on what is expected to be a talented 2014 NBA draft class. In fairness, given the outcome of 2012-13 (25-57 record), what was expected to be an understandable transitional period given the coaching change, not to mention the fact that the Western Conference (somehow) seems to get stronger each year, you’ll forgive those of us that questioned the team’s chances heading into the season. Whether this has merely been a case of catching lightning in a bottle or this progress is merely a sign of things to come, the first half of 2013-14 must be seen as a testament not only to the effort of the players and coaches, but to their professionalism and trust within their common goal. Even though they’ve battled injuries to key players, the Suns remain in the Western Conference playoff mix and have even been reported to have interest in some of the bigger names rumored to be on the market: Pau Gasol (Lakers), Thaddeus Young and Evan Turner (Sixers), and Dion Waiters (Cavs). Offseason signee Eric Bledsoe, out indefinitely following meniscus surgery, has been nothing short of phenomenal, as has his backcourt mate Goran Dragic. Prior to Bledsoe’s injury, the tandem averaged about 37 points, 12 assists, seven rebounds and 3.7 steals per contest, and had developed into the perfectly complementary backcourt for Hornacek’s uptempo offense. After the team struggled to score just 95.2 points per game last season, the new and improved high-paced offense has actually performed at a top 10 level at 104.9 points a night in 2013-14. While absolutely deserved, the praise does not stop at just the backcourt when it comes to positive developments for these Suns. Journeyman swingman Gerald Green has continued his basketball metamorphosis from being labeled as “just a leaper” when he entered the league into the all-around player he’s transformed into in his seventh season in the league. Apparently, “seven” is the magic number for the seventh year-veteran, as he appears to have found the right system and situation with his seventh NBA team. It has been great to see Channing Frye return after he missed the entire 2012-13 season due to an enlarged heart. Alongside Frye, the team’s prototypical stretch-four, Miles Plumlee is another who has surprised this season and could actually be in the discussion for this season’s Most Improved Player award when all is said and done.

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014 First-round pick via Minnesota (protected for selections 1-13 in 2014, 1-12 in 2015 or 1-12 in 2016), first-round pick via Washington ( protected for selections 1-12 in 2014), first-round pick via Indiana (protected for selections 1-14 in 2014).

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 First-round pick via L.A. Lakers (protected for selections 1-5 in 2015).

2016 -

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

Goran Dragic | 27 | G

Emeka Okafor | 31 | C

There were plenty that may have considered Dragic as expendable once the team made the move for his backcourt mate, but the two of them have proven to be such a formidable tandem it would be hard to imagine a desire to break them up. Dragic is in the midst of a career year, and only appears to be improving as he settles into the role as a full-time lead guard.

Even though Okafor has yet to even suit up for a single game as a result of the herniated disk in his neck, teams with the interest of clearing cap space or continuing to position themselves for the 2014 NBA Draft could view his expiring $14.5 million contract as an asset. The Suns are certainly open to moving Okafor in order to land a player that will help them win now.

Alex Len | 24 | C

Channing Frye | 30 | G

Although calling his playing time “limited” might actually be a kind way of describing the start of his career, the organization is still high on him as a prospect. The team was well aware of his ankle issues prior to the draft, so it would be shocking to see them reverse course and look to move the 7’1 center from the Ukraine.

Through no fault of his own, as Frye has been very solid for this team in his return, it is possible he could ultimately be viewed as expendable due simply to the roster circumstances. With Plumlee and Len as the future at the center position, and the Morris twins each contributing behind him, Frye could be an attractive player for several teams in search of a veteran stretch-four with postseason experience.

Salary: $7,500,000

Salary: $14,487,500

Salary: $3,492,720

Salary: $6,400,000

Miles Plumlee | 25 | C Salary: $1,121,520

Plumlee’s productivity, while a welcomed surprised, is also what makes it easier to work Len in at his pace, rather than expecting the former fifth overall pick to contribute immediately. A 2012 first-round pick, Plumlee’s blend of athleticism, energy and agility make him the perfect candidate to split time, or even serve as a change-of-pace player in reserve if Len develops as expected.

CHECK PHOENIX’S COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE: http://www.basketballinsiders.com/phoenix-suns-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... With the interest in obtaining “impact players” and their reported willingness to part ways with one of their four first-round picks for the right deal, there is a realistic chance we could see the Suns active in bringing in additional talent by the deadline. The Suns have already been mentioned in a number of rumors and all eyes will be on them as Feb. 20 approaches.

PACIFIC

SACRAMENTO By Jabari Davis (@JabariDavisNBA)

MUCH LIKE MANY OTHER SMALL MARKET TEAMS, THE SACRAMENTO Kings tend to acquire a majority of their talent through the NBA Draft and via the trade market. Having already swung the deal for Rudy Gay, it doesn’t appear the Kings have finished searching for answers. They’ve been rumored to have interest in everyone from Rajon Rondo to Klay Thompson to Andre Miller. The Kings’ new ownership group and front office have been very aggressive, having acquired (and subsequently traded) point guard Greivis Vasquez, power forward Carl Landry, former lottery pick Derrick Williams and small forward Rudy Gay all within the first few months of taking over. In a seemingly rare case where both teams visibly improve following a blockbuster deal, the Gay trade appears to have helped both the Raptors and Kings. For a franchise that hasn’t won more than 38 games since 2005-06 and is working on its seventh head coach (Mike Malone) since that season as well, it must come as a welcome surprise to the fan base to see GM Pete D’Alessandro and the front office acting so aggressively in an effort to produce a winning product. After maintaining the lengthy legal battle to keep the Kings in Sacramento, longtime fans and supporters of the organization finally have a developing team worthy of breaking out the old cowbells over. DeMarcus Cousins, fairly criticized in the past for a lack of maturity, is actually living up to the expectations that have surrounded him since his days at Kentucky. The 23-year-old has not only progressed from a professionalism standpoint, but he’s elevated himself into the discussion of the league’s top centers. They’ve also done a good job of surrounding Cousins with complementary pieces like Gay, Isaiah Thomas and lottery pick Ben McLemore. But this team is still one piece away from truly establishing itself, and perhaps surprising some teams, in an ever-competitive Western Conference. Gay has another year on his deal, but it is a player option and it is believed he will test free agency in the offseason. For a franchise that was unable to sign Andre Iguodala despite a $56 million offer, it would mean a great deal if they were able to retain a free agent like Gay. The reality is, if they can continue to show signs of improvement while staying aggressive in building the roster, it could incentivize Gay to stick around and continue on as a veteran leader of an up-and-coming group. Teams like the Clippers, Nuggets and Blazers have shown over the last few seasons just how quickly a turnaround can take place with a combination of the right personnel decisions, fortuitous drafts and a little luck. With a new ownership group that also includes Shaquille O’Neal in a minority capacity, and a front office/developmental staff littered with ex-players and bright basketball minds, the Kings really could be just a couple transactions and a bit more continuity away from legitimacy.

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014 First-round pick to Chicago, unless it is a 1-12 selection. Second-round pick traded to the Knicks (via Boston) unless it falls between 31-55. Second-round pick traded to Toronto unless pick falls between 56-60.

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 First-round pick. Second-round pick traded to Boston unless pick falls between 31-55.

2016 Second-round pick from New York, unless a 31-37 selection.

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

DeMarcus Cousins | 23 | C

Marcus Thornton | 26 | G

Not only was Cousins extended for another four years, but he’s backed up the signing with a career year in nearly every major statistical category. He’s even continued to develop on the defensive end under the tutelage of Malone and his staff, leaving the burgeoning big man with few holes left in his game. They were wise to build around him as one of the league’s most complete big men.

It is difficult to tell exactly what the plans for Thornton might be, as his role has been significantly reduced over the last couple seasons. Thornton was one of the team’s top scoring options when first acquired from New Orleans about midway through 2010-11, and even followed that up with a respectable 18.7 PPG for the Kings in 2011-12. Trouble is, since being relegated to a diminished role last season his productivity and playing time have all continued to diminish. There are plenty of teams, aside from the Kings, that also play that uptempo brand of basketball Thornton really seems to enjoy.

Salary: $4,916,974

Rudy Gay | 27 | F Salary: $17,888,932

Even though the narrative around the league was that of Gay’s poor shooting percentage and ball-stopping tactics, he’s been nothing short of spectacular for these Kings. The offense runs through Cousins (as it should), but this hasn’t been an issue since he is such a willing and capable passer from the post. While they may have missed out on Iguodala, they actually got a bigger and younger version of the skill-set they desired in Gay. If they can convince him to take the extra year and stay in Sacramento, he could truly flourish playing opposite Cousins and whatever combination of talent they place around them.

Isaiah Thomas | 24 | G Salary: $884,293

While he may have been the NBA’s version of “Mr. Irrelevant” as the final pick (60) of the 2011 draft, Thomas has done nothing but continue to prove his doubters wrong. Not that draft analysts and other GMs weren’t justified in their hesitance to take a chance on the diminutive (5’9”) Thomas. His success should be credited not only to Thomas’ dedication and confidence in his own capabilities, but also to the organization’s willingness to do what other teams would not. Thomas has found his niche in the NBA, as sometimes it really is about finding the right system and fit.

Salary: $8,050,000

Derrick Williams | 22 | F Salary: $5,016,960

Although listed as a power forward, Williams remains the near prototypical definition of a “tweener” in today’s NBA. That shouldn’t, necessarily, always be seen as a bad thing, as we’ve seen plenty of situations and systems that actually call for a player with his skill set. Much like the case with Thomas, locating the right “fit” for a particular player is nearly as important as anything else. Williams has been a decent contributor off Sacramento’s bench, but the former second-overall pick could also be utilized as an asset in a larger deal.

Jason Thompson | 27 | F Salary: $5,643,750

With Carl Landry reportedly set to return to action within the next few weeks, and the organization’s desire to bring in a reserve playmaker, Thompson is in the expendable mix as one of their better trade assets (to make any such deal possible).

CHECK SACRAMENTO’S COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE:

http://www.basketballinsiders.com/sacramento-kings-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... As difficult as it is to predict the outcome of NBA negotiations, it definitely appears the Kings are in the market for additional talent. Whether in the playoff mix or not, which they clearly aren’t, they have bigger and brighter days ahead in mind, and need to show pending free agents (including their own) a plan and desire to continue building a winner.

FEATURE

HOW PLAYERS DEAL WITH TRADE “ RUMORS By Jessica Camerato (@JCameratoNBA)

Change is one of the few certainties in professional sports. Each season, players around the NBA watch the clock tick as the trade deadline creeps closer. For some, they are braced for a move because they’ve been hearing rumors for weeks. For others, they are caught off guard by a deal they never saw coming. And for those who stay put, they deal with losing teammates, welcoming new ones and knowing the following season they could be the next one on the go. As these players shared, trades have a significant impact on those directly and indirectly involved.

[ FRANCISCO GARCIA ]

[ STEVE NOVAK ]

“

I’ be honest, getting traded in the summer is a pain. You have to relocate, figuree I’ll ou ings out all the moving, you’ve got to get your family, got to get your car, all those things shipped. You’ve got to break rent, make those payments, and all those things that go ure, so along with moving, to be honest. Then, obviously, you have to get into a new culture, it’s a pain in the butt. But, at least you have the luxury of time. You have a month at least to ou have like take the time and set that all up. When it happens in season or at the deadline, you two days to pack a bag and be in that city regardless of your family or housing situation or where that team is at the time. … When I was with the Clippers we made some big trades. We traded Cuttino Mobley and brought in Zach Randolph. It’s usually your friends that get traded, for whatever reason. This time it was. Everybody says it’s a business, and we like to say that. But the truth is, it doesn’t change the day to day, the real friendships that you have. Just think about what you do for work – the workplace and the friendships that you build. One day, usually very unexpectedly, three people just get shipped out to another state and they have two days to get there. It’s not like they’re going to hang for a while and say goodbye. It’s never easy. It’s the guys you go to dinner with on the road. It’s the guys you literally spend 10, 12 hours a day with and then they’re gone. The guys that come, in you never know how they’re going to be. The truth is, this time the new guys ended up beingg the ones I go to ys. dinner with. Sometimes it works out great, other times it’s hard on guys.

“

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

I was traded from Memphis his to Houston (at the 2009 trade deadline). 200 It was an interesting experience. When I got traded, Hakim Warrick called me and told me because it happened right on a deadline special. I knew something was going to happen. Actually, earlier in the day they said nothing was going to happen, and then when it happened it was like (claps hands). It was tough because I had my boys and I had a nice little house there. It’s hard because you literally have to pack a couple big bags and get on a plane that night. You pack up clothes, shoes and a laptop, everything else you get somebody in your family to get for you. When it’s first done and it’s in the middle of the season, it’s one of those things where you don’t know what to expect. You’re going to a new team, a new situation, not knowing anybody. You just hope that guys accept you and help you get up to speed quickly. I had a guy in (Brent) ‘Bones’ Barry who really took me under his wing as soon as I got there and made sure I knew what was going on in every single play and every situation. It isn’t easy. On that day you sit around and wait for the deadline. Hopefully if you’re traded and you get the call, it’s a situation that you like. If not, then the next day, hey, this is who we are, this is who we’ve got. (Being traded early in my career) makes you see it as a business. It makes your mindset realize anything can happen at any time and you can’t get too comfortable in a situation. Hopefully you find a home in a place where they accept you and want you for your career, but the likelihood of that is very slim. You go to your next city, do yo your best and move on..

“

Yo You can’t worry about that ki kind of stuff. You’ve still gott tle to be professional. It’s a little stressful if you’re already settled with a team and you like your teammates. But that’s the thing you’ve got to deal with when you have this kind of job. Most of the time when guys got traded (from the Sacramento Kings), before it happened they knew so it was never a surprise. But when Mike Bibby left I was kind of bummed because he spent so many years there so I didn’t expect that. My last two years I was involved in rumors, but nothing really hard. The first time it happened it was like, ‘Ok I’ve got to experience this.’ I was in Sacramento for eight years but it was fun while it ed. lasted.

[ KYLE LOWRY ]

“

F me, I think it was different For f from a lot of players. A lot of attention was on me and what teams were going to do that day. It’s tough. You have everybody asking what’s going to happen, what you’re going to do, all that stuff. I had a big headache and I was just happy when it was over with. ... You can’t help but look at the clock. It’s a tough situation for anybody. Some guys have talked to me about what has happened to them in the past. They’ve been on a plane, got off and they’ve been traded to a new team. It’s tough. … I thought the Brooklyn (Nets) thing was going to come through at the end of the season. It was something that was promised but it didn’t happen. Once it didn’t happen I figured everything happens for a p reason. I just let it go. I was upset for a while but I just let it go..

[ Dwight Howard ]

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

“

I actually been traded one minute before the deadline (in 2011). I’ve I was actually kind of crazy for me because of the simple fact that It you go through it all day, you hear about the trades, you hear about your name being mentioned in trade talks. I actually was talking to my agent on the way to practice (for the Charlotte Bobcats). I got to the gym, talked to the coaches and the general manager. Everybody assured me, ‘You’re good. You’re not going to be traded and everything was going to be fine.’ Then I went home after practice that day and took a nap. I woke up out of my nap and the trade deadline was 5 p.m Eastern Time. When I woke up, it was like 4:45, 4:50 and my agent was like, ‘You’re traded to Portland.’ I was like, ‘Wow.’ It was basically right at the deadline. ... They never did (tell me what happened). I couldn’t even get an explanation for why the trade went down. They wouldn’t tell me, they wouldn’t talk to me. … I was pissed. Like, I’m still pissed about it. I didn’t want to be traded. I liked Charlotte, being there. I was frustrated and pissed because I wasn’t expecting it. The fact that I had just sat in there and they looked me in my eye and they told me the deal wasn’t going to go through, all that. There was a lot more to it. We had just come off our first playoff appearance in franchise history. I had just come from the All-Star team. And all of a sudden, it’s like you’re tearing the team apart and starting all over again. You don’t get an explanation for it in this league so it’s kind of hard to take. … It makes you realize this is a business. You have to take it for what it is and understand that regardless of what situation you’re in, or the best situation you think you’re in, things could change in a matter of time. e..

“

[ Gerald Wallace ]

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

[ GREIVIS VASQUEZ ]

“

[ JERRYD BAYLESS ]

“

I don’t do think it’s necessarily stressful, but it’s a little bit of pressure re relief when you make it past it. I think people take it a little too seriously. Even though you sometimes get traded, there could be a lot worse things. You go from one NBA team to another. It’s not like you go from one team to not playing something you enjoy and love doing. I’ve had a good experience on the deadline and one of the worst on the trade deadline. One time (in 2010) I was on the Utah Jazz and we were about to take off and I had to make them stop the plane. I was on the phone with the GM and he was like if I didn’t stop the plane I would have to fly to Golden State, get off the plane, get right on another plane and fly to Memphis because [the Grizzlies] wanted me to play that next day. I had to wait there until all of my bags were off. It took 45 minutes to an hour and everybody was texting me. That was pretty bad. Another time, last year I was in New York and it’s never good to get traded, but I had a chance to say goodbye to my teammates and spend some time with them, talk to them, and then go to a good potential contender in Oklahoma City and be around that organization. That was a great experience. It’s important to be able to say goodbye to your teammates because you go through so much with them, they’re almost like family because you travel with them day in and day out. They spend birthdays with you on the road, holidays with you on the road. They go through blood, sweat and tears with you. You go through joys by winning, you go through sadness from losing. When you see one of your teammates get traded or get hurt, you feel ay about it. t. some type of way

[ Ronnie Brewer ]

Yo don’t really react (to trade rumors) because the You am amount of rumors out there versus the actual trades is so little that it’s not even worth giving too much thought to. That’s how you handle it. Nobody knows what’s going to happen (at the deadline). … We all stay focused on (playing) and we’re not really worried about the off-court stuff. … Everybody is different (when being traded), some guys are disappointed and some guys are excited. For everybody there is an adjustment, because you literally have to pack your bags, get to the new city, get acclimated to new teammates and new surroundings and you have to find a place to live. There’s a lot of logistical things that go into it. But basketball is really the one thing that kind of makes the transition smoother. You jump in with a new team, new teammates are usually pretty accepting and then you uy get refocused. Good advice is to rent instead of buying g t. a house. Most of the guys in the NBA rent.

“

I’ve never been traded at the deadline, but I think any player in this I’ le league is subject to a trade at any given point. You can’t really get too comfortable. That’s why you always have to consistently get better and bring something new to your game. Getting traded is part of this business. Nobody said getting traded is easy but you’ve got to continue to perform and produce in the right way. … You have to adjust quickly. My trades all have been really good. I’ve been able to play right away and the last two I’ve been able to start. I’ve been fortunate enough to go to teams that are going to give me a chance to raise my game. But at the same time, it’s hard because you have family, your clothes, your cars, your kids might be going to school, that’s just hard, that’s the toughest part. But it’s still a business. You’ve still got to be tough minded. I never feel comfortable. I feel like I have to do my job and eventually it’ll work out for me pretty well. I’m still in my rookie contract so hopefully by next year I’ll bee more in a settled situation so I can establish myself with one team. m.

“

I don’t think about it too much. If something happens, it happens. It’s just part of it so you’ve got to go with it. (When you get traded) it’s tough. You have to find a place to live and I think that’s the toughest part, honestly. Then you have to get accustomed to everything the new organization does. Other than that, basketball is basketball. Depending on how you have your lease or if you buy a place, it depends on what you want to do with (your home in your former city). (After I got traded from the Grizzlies to the Boston Celtics) my place in Memphis got cleaned out; I had a moving company do it. I shipped my car up here too. In off days, you have to meet with a real estate agent. I found a place and it was pretty easy. It worked out. Learning the new streets, they’re a little confusing here. The organization does a great job of helping you get through everything you need so it’s been a pretty easy yt transition. on.

[ MIKE DUNLEAVY JR. ]

As the Feb. 20 trade deadline approaches, more and more players will be mentioned in trade rumors (with some inevitably dealt to new teams). If players around the league listen to what these veterans have to say, maybe they’ll be more prepared when that time comes.

For more exclusive interviews with players, executives and coaches, visit the Basketball Insiders’ video page.

SOUTHWEST

DALLAS By Bill Ingram (@TheRocketGuy)

IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT TWO YEARS AGO THE DALLAS MAVERICKS were the reigning NBA champions after stunning the world by taking out the Miami HEAT in the Finals. What happened after that has, of course, been the subject of protracted discussion. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban decided to let the vast majority of that championship team walk away in favor of creating cap space for what he hoped would be two key free agents over the next two summers. The master plan was to lure Deron Williams home to Dallas and then show Dwight Howard that his best shot at a title was with the Mavericks alongside Williams and Dirk Nowitzki. Obviously, that plan was a failure. Williams opted to re-sign with the Brooklyn Nets, Dwight Howard chose the Houston Rockets over Dallas, and tertiary target Chris Paul never even considered leaving the Los Angeles Clippers. In the wake of those crushing blows, the Mavericks have done the best they could with what was left. After signing a bunch of one-year rentals for the 2012-13 season and subsequently missing the playoffs, Cuban and company has committed to a couple of significant players long-term. Jose Calderon is one of the more underrated point guards in the NBA and he has already proven to be a solid leader for Dallas. Next to him, the Mavericks added Monta Ellis, who has lived up to his wellestablished reputation as a volume scorer in helping Dallas stay respectable this season. The issue, of course, is that the trio of Nowitzki, Calderon and Ellis is hardly one that strikes fear in the hearts of opponents. They are certainly not championship contenders as constructed and there is a reasonable chance that they could miss the playoffs again. One big issue facing the Mavericks is that they don’t have a strong presence in the paint, cleaning the glass and intimidating opposing guards. After missing out on both Howard and then Andrew Bynum in free agency, Dallas settled for Samuel Dalembert, and that decision has played out the way back-up plans usually play out. Dalembert has been in head coach Rick Carlisle’s doghouse for various reasons, and even when he’s been on the court he has struggled to justify much of a role. Some nights he is a game-changer on the defensive end, but on far too many nights he does a fair impression of the Invisible Man. As things stand, the Mavericks are, at best, a middle-of-the-pack team in the ever-tougher Western Conference. Strictly speaking, it’s not their fault that they missed out on their prime free agent targets, but the team is certainly feeling the impact of both letting the championship core go and missing out on the hoped-for replacements. The sad reality is that Nowitzki, one of the greatest players of all-time, has most likely played in his last NBA Finals game.

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014 Owes first-round draft pick to Oklahoma City protected for selections 1-20 in 2014, 1-20 in 2015, 1-20 in 2016 or 1-20 in 2017 or unprotected in 2018. Secondround pick. Second-round pick from Boston.

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 First-round pick. Second-round pick.

2016 First-round pick. Second-round pick (from Memphis).

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

Dirk Nowitzki | 35 | F

Shawn Marion | 35 | F

In the wake of the demise of the Mavericks’ championship team, it has been quite common to hear pundits and fans alike talk about Dirk Nowitzki finding a new home with a team that would give him a legitimate title shot while he’s still in his prime. However, you won’t hear much of that talk in Dallas, as Mavericks fans know that the bond of loyalty between the franchise and the best player to ever wear its jersey is all but unbreakable. To his credit, Nowitzki approaches each game like his team is still at the top, and he has bounced back nicely from a sub-par 2011-12 season that started with knee surgery and a recovery process. He’s back over 21 points per game, shooting just under 50 percent from the field and better than 40 percent from three-point range. Despite the growing feeling outside of Dallas that Nowitzki could use a change of scenery and another title shot, don’t expect any actual talks about making such a move.

Shawn Marion is in the final year of his contract with the Mavericks, and his name has come up from time to time. When the Mavericks were looking to add size in the middle, they offered a package including Marion to the Houston Rockets for Omer Asik. Houston was looking for more than what Dallas was offering, however, so those talks didn’t get far. Marion was being shopped in multiple scenarios over the summer, but Dallas may now feel that his expiring deal is as valuable as anything they could get for him.

Salary: $22,721,381

Salary: $9,316,796

Jose Calderon | 22 | F / C

Shane Larkin | 21 | G Salary: $1,536,960

Shane Larkin’s name surfaced over the summer as someone the Mavericks might package with Marion in a trade, but he is not being actively shopped at this time despite the glut of point guards in Dallas.

Monta Ellis | 28 | G

Salary: $6,791, 570

As mentioned previously, Dallas had their sights set on two superstar point guards when they allowed Jason Kidd to walk after leading the Mavericks to their lone championship. Jose Calderon is no Chris Paul or Deron Williams, but he is one of the better floor leaders in the NBA among those who are not All-Stars. He’s averaging better than 12 points per game as a Maverick after managing that feat just once before in his NBA career and is remarkably efficient. Don’t expect to hear Calderon’s name come up in trade talks. He may have found a home in Dallas for the rest of his career.

Salary: $8,000,000

When the Mavericks signed Monta Ellis as a free agent they knew exactly what they were getting, and he has been just that. The reason he wasn’t seeing a lot of interest on the free agency market is that he has a reputation as a ball hog who shoots his team out of games. He also isn’t the most attentive defender, though he does have a knack for picking off passes that initiate dazzling fast breaks. He’s doing what he does for Dallas, putting plenty of points on the board, having nice assist nights from time to time and keeping them competitive.

Vince Carter | 37 | G Salary: $3,180,000

Once upon a time Vince Carter was the headline act every time his team took the floor; now you hardly know he’s still in the league. Don’t take that to mean that he has lost his competitive edge, as Carter brings it every night. More so, it’s very possible he finishes his career in Dallas.

CHECK DALLAS’ COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE: http://www.basketballinsiders.com/dallas-mavericks-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... Cuban has conditioned us to believe that his team will always be in the hunt for blockbuster deals whenever the trade deadline rolls around, but this season it seems unlikely that Dallas will look to make that kind of move. There is a very real sense that the Mavericks want to see how their new longterm core evolves over the course of the season and will then look to see what they can add next summer after expiring deals give them some maneuverability under the salary cap. They have a little over $28 million committed for next season, provided they don’t extend Dirk before season’s end.

SOUTHWEST

HOUSTON By Bill Ingram (@TheRocketGuy)

WHEN THE CURTAIN WENT UP ON THE 2013-14 NBA SEASON, MANY basketball fans in Houston believed it would be the year of the Rockets. Having finally rebuilt the team around James Harden and Dwight Howard, it would be time for the Rockets to once again rule the Western Conference, something they hadn’t done since the decline and retirement of Hakeem Olajuwon. Unfortunately for Houston fans, that hasn’t been the case. The Rockets are better, for sure, and their record reflects the addition of a potentially dominant low-post force to go along with the league’s best shooting guard. Still, Houston is a middle-of the-pack team in the Western Conference and the Rockets still have some work to do before they can realistically expect to return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1995. The really glaring issue facing the Rockets is that they lack a true playmaker. Sure, Harden is a capable facilitator, but his propensity for turning the ball over creates a lot of unforced errors for the Rockets and negates a lot of what they do on the offensive end. Houston has one of the most potent offenses in the league, so if they could put the ball in the hands of a true point guard who sees the floor well and can hit open jumpers, they would be absolutely unstoppable. It would be interesting to see the Rockets land Andre Miller, who will be available at the deadline. Very quickly, however, it becomes difficult for the Rockets to have conversations with the Denver Nuggets about him. Houston had to jettison most of their substantial contracts in their effort to clear cap space for Howard, so what’s left is a roster of assets that don’t make much money and therefore can’t return much in a trade. Beyond the Rockets’ top four contracts – those of Howard, Harden, Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik – they don’t have anyone making more than $1.5 million this season, and most of their players make less than a million. The only way Houston can make a deal for someone like Miller ($5 million) is to package three or four contracts together or persuade a team to take Lin or Asik. The Rockets have already worked the phone lines trying to find takers, especially for Asik, to no avail. They both have balloon payments that make their contracts hard to swallow next season. Unless Houston can find a taker for Lin or Asik, they are very likely to be much the same team post-deadline that they are today. That doesn’t mean all is lost for the Rockets, as they are an exciting team with two of the best players at their positions taking the court every night. What it does mean, however, is that they are still a player away from being an elite team.

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014 First-round pick. Second-round picks (x2) From New York and Philadelphia.

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 First-round pick. Second-round pick (x3). From L.A. Clippers, New York and Minnesota.

2016 First-round pick. Second-round pick.

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

James Harden | 24 | G

Omer Asik | 27 | C

Dwight Howard may be the face on the billboards and the one who gets a lot of the hype surrounding the Rockets, but there is absolutely no question that James Harden is the team’s franchise player. Simply put, Harden is the best shooting guard in the NBA, capable of dropping 30 points on any given night and able to destroy defenders with his ability to get to the rim or simply stop and pop from anywhere on the court. Harden made the Rockets a playoff team, now it’s up to management to surround him with the pieces to compete for a championship.

As previously mentioned, the Rockets have been actively seeking to move last year’s starting center, Omer Asik. It’s not that he isn’t a very capable big man; Asik proved he was a solid starting center during his time in that role with Houston last season. The issue is that Asik’s camp understandably wants him to be a starter and his starting spot is gone as long as Dwight Howard is healthy. Of course, Asik’s public trade demand made it more difficult for the Rockets to move him and the $15 million balloon payment due on his contract next season has discouraged more than a few teams. Still, Asik is a quality starting center and if the Rockets are going to improve this season their best bet is to hope a team with complementary pieces decides to step up to the bargaining table.

Salary: $13,701,250

Salary: $8,374,646

Dwight Howard | 28 | C Salary: $20,513,178

The Rockets spent several seasons trying to find a way to land Dwight Howard, and in July they finally did it. He’s fully healthy, he’s left the drama of free agency behind and he’s back to playing like one of the best big men in the game. He’s always a threat on the offensive end, changes the face of the game on the defensive end and he has blended in perfectly with a Rockets locker room that was ready to embrace him. He has not and will not singlehandedly make the Rockets contenders, and his free throw shooting continues to be an issue, but Howard might just be a Rocket for the rest of his career.

Chandler Parsons | 25 | F Salary: $926,500

The only other completely unattainable player on Houston’s roster is third-year swingman Chandler Parsons, one of the genuine surprises of the 2011 NBA draft, having been selected 38th overall by the Rockets. Howard and Harden are the stars of the team, but often the Rockets go as Parsons goes. He’s made significant strides over each of his three seasons and is putting up career numbers across the board for Houston. Parsons is going nowhere.

Jeremy Lin | 27 | C Salary: $8,374,646

When the Rockets structured their contract offer to Jeremy Lin in such a way that the New York Knicks were unwilling to match it, they were making a calculated gamble that Lin would be their floor leader of the future. Unfortunately, that gamble has not paid off. Lin is a capable starter and can put points on the board, but he is not someone who is going to reliably lead the Rockets to postseason success. They have explored moving him, but without much luck, and his time as a starter for the Rockets has shown the rest of the NBA that he really is not going to be “Linsanity” full-time. Lin can be had for the right price.

Donatas Motiejunas | 23 | F Salary: $1,422,720

The Rockets have also explored moving Donatas Motiejunas, who is unhappy with his limited role in Houston, and if the team is going to settle for a tweak, Motiejunas’ contract might be that tweak.

CHECK HOUSTON’S COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE: http://www.basketballinsiders.com/houston-rockets-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... Expect to hear the Houston Rockets come up frequently as the trade deadline nears, and expect to hear Omer Asik’s and Jeremy Lin’s names come up frequently as people talk about who the Rockets might move to improve their roster. Don’t be surprised, however, if the post-deadline team looks very much like the team that is taking the court nightly right now. They simply lack the assets to make a major move unless someone will take Asik or Lin off their hands, which seems unlikely.

SOUTHWEST

MEMPHIS By Kyle Cape-Lindelin (@KCapeLindelin)

AS THE TRADE DEADLINE APPROACHES, DON’T EXPECT THE MEMPHIS Grizzlies to be major buyers or sellers. The Grizzlies have already shown they are keeping their ears open if any trade scenario opens up where they can gain cheap, young talent or draft picks, but they aren’t guaranteed to make a move. We’ve already seen them complete a deal like this by sending Jerryd Bayless to the Boston Celtics for Courtney Lee and a 2016 second-round draft pick. The Bayless-Lee trade is an example of the Grizzlies adding cheap value without affecting their cap space or making major changes to the team’s chemistry. Even though the Grizzlies struggled early in the season, they’re playing much better lately and the team is still very much a threat in the postseason if healthy with their physical defense and dominating post play. At this point in the season, the Grizzlies are trying to see what they have in young players like Jamaal Franklin, Jon Leuer and Nick Calathes. The team is also closely monitoring the development of Ed Davis. The Grizzlies will soon have to make a decision on Davis, who will become a free agent this summer. He has played well at times, but he still struggles with consistency as he has his whole career, which may make the Grizzlies hesitant to sign him to a long-term deal. The Grizzlies could absolutely trade Davis by the deadline if it returns assets, and avoid having to decide whether to resign Davis altogether. While there are surely teams intrigued by Davis’ talent, his inconsistency may keep teams from offering significant assets for the 24-year-old. The Grizzlies also have to make a decision on Zach Randolph, who can opt out and become an unrestricted free agent after this season. Memphis may not be willing commit to giving Randolph another lucrative contract over the offseason, considering he’s turning 33 years old over the summer. This season, however, expect the Grizzlies to consider minor trades that would bolster their roster for another run in the playoffs. Also, look for the Grizzlies to take advantage of acquiring any draft assets as their youth movement will start to take shape in the years to come.

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014 First-round pick. Owes second-round pick to Cleveland.

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 Owes first-round pick to Cleveland protected for selections 1-5 and 15-30 in 2015, 1-5 and 15-30 in 2016, 1-5 in 2017 or 1-5 in 2018 or unprotected in 2019. Owes second-round pick to Denver or Memphis has the right to send cash instead.

2016 First-round pick. Receives aecond-round picks from Toronto and Boston.

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

Marc Gasol | 28 | C

Ed Davis | 24 | F

Gasol is the closest thing to untouchable on this team. When healthy he is a top-three center in the NBA and possesses a skill set that is not found in many other centers. Gasol is this team’s catalyst and the front office isn’t going to part ways with him. The team would love to see Gasol stay in Memphis for many years to come.

As said before, the Grizzlies will need to decide if Davis is a part of their long-term future. Is he their starting power forward if the Grizzlies decide to trade Randolph or let him walk? Can they get a first-round draft pick or another young talent for Davis? Are they willing to pay him big money on a long-term deal? These are the questions the Grizzlies must answer. Despite these questions, Davis is still just 24 years old with a lot of potential, which teams are always willing to take a chance on in the NBA.

Salary: $14,860,523

Salary: $3,153,860

Mike Conley | 26 | G Salary: $8,600,001

Conley has made an absolutely phenomenal transformation as a player. Once considered a mediocre player, he is now one of the best, most consistent point guards in the entire NBA. Conley is the leader of the team and he balances keeping his teammates involved and taking over when needed. The Grizzlies have been committed to Conley from day one, despite constant criticism in the past, and will continue to view him as a franchise building block going forward.

CHECK MEMPHIS’ COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE: http://www.basketballinsiders.com/memphis-grizzlies-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... Despite the Grizzlies feeling out potential trades, it is very unlikely any major deals will be made involving Memphis at the trade deadline. The Grizzlies are still a contender in the playoffs with everybody healthy and it’s more likely that they stand pat this deadline and try to make one last run with the veteran core they have. If any deals are made involving the Grizzlies, it should be a minor deal like the Bayless-Lee trade. The Grizzlies are very unlikely to trade away valued pieces or shake up the team chemistry before the playoffs begin.

southwest

NEW ORLEANS By Cody Taylor (@theeCodyTaylor)

THE NEW ORLEANS PELICANS ENTERED THE 2013-14 SEASON AS A TEAM expected to make a playoff run after having a very busy offseason. The team completed a sign-and-trade with the Sacramento Kings for Tyreke Evans, a deal that saw Evans land a four-year contract worth $44 million. Then, two days later, the Pelicans traded the draft rights of Nerlens Noel to the Philadelphia 76ers for Jrue Holiday, who brought a four-year contract worth $41 million with him. Fast forward to February and the team’s offseason plan hasn’t exactly panned out. The Pelicans have struggled with injuries and, as a result, haven’t been consistent on the court. Anthony Davis, Ryan Anderson, Tyreke Evans and Jrue Holiday have all missed time due to injuries, and Anderson and Holiday are expected to be out indefinitely. In addition to their key players, Jason Smith is also out indefinitely after suffering cartilage damage in his right knee. They say injuries are a part of the game, but at this point the absurd amount of injuries the Pelicans have suffered can really only be considered bad luck. Holiday, Evans and Anderson have been relatively reliable throughout their careers, until now. How strange has this campaign been for the Pelicans? The player known for his injury history – Eric Gordon – has missed only three games this season. With the trade deadline coming on Feb. 20, many executives around the league are expecting the Pelicans to be players at the deadline. The problem, however, is the Pelicans don’t have many assets and cap-friendly contracts to work with. During the trade that sent Noel to the 76ers in exchange for Holiday, the Pelicans also sent their 2014 first-round draft pick with him, but managed to make it top-five protected. Even with their struggles, the Pelicans are not quite bad enough for a top-five pick. Given how badly the teams in the Eastern Conference are playing, the top-five picks in the draft may all come from the East, so the Pelicans may be a hair too good to retain their draft pick. The Pelicans have been hurt this season without a small forward that can put points on the board. Starter Al-Farouq Aminu is averaging just seven points per game this season, and has shot just 26 percent from beyond the arc. The Pelicans could also look to add some more depth to their front court, given the injuries to Anderson and Smith.

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014 Owes first-round pick to Philadelphia protected for selections 1-5 in 2014, 1-5 in 2015, 1-5 in 2016, 1-5 in 2017, 1-5 in 2018 or 1-5 in 2019; if New Orleans has not conveyed a 1st round pick to Philadelphia by 2019, then New Orleans will instead convey its 2019 2nd round pick and 2020 2nd round pick to Philadelphia

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 First-round pick.

2016 First-round pick. Second-round pick (from Sacramento).

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

Jrue Holiday | 23 | G

Pierre Jackson | 22 | G

When the Pelicans traded away the draft rights of Nerlens Noel, who at one point was considered a top pick candidate, they showed that they wanted to compete right now. The Pelicans recognized that Holiday is a player that is better suited with a supporting cast around him, which is why they brought him in to join Eric Gordon, Ryan Anderson, Anthony Davis and Tyreke Evans. They know that their players will eventually be healthy, and they’re still somewhat optimistic about their future with this core.

Jackson may be one of the Pelicans’ top assets, and he isn’t even playing in the NBA. Jackson is currently playing in the Development League for the Idaho Stampede, but the Pelicans own his draft rights and have been reluctant to call him up due to their logjam at guard. New Orleans has been working with Jackson’s agent to find a trade, as the guard is averaging 30 points per game for the Stampede and wants a shot in the league. The Pelicans have been shopping him, but haven’t been able to find a trade partner yet.

Anthony Davis | 20 | F / C

Eric Gordon | 25 | G

It’s really no surprise that the Pelicans won’t be moving Davis at the deadline. In his second season, Davis has seen his stats rise in nearly every category, including an additional seven points per game. Players and coaches around the league are beginning to recognize Davis as a force, and his best basketball is likely still ahead of him.

Gordon is another name that has been floating around as a possible trade candidate. Gordon could be owed as much as $30.4 million over the next two years and hasn’t lived up to his contract. However, trying to find a team that will take on his contract in exchange for significant assets is an obstacle. Gordon’s heath has also lowered his trade value, since he hasn’t played more than 50 games in a season since 2010-11. While he has only missed three games this season, teams are aware of his past. The Pelicans are definitely listening to offers for Gordon right now.

Salary: $9,713,484

NBA D-League

Salary: $5,375,760

Salary: $14,283,844

Austin Rivers | 21 | G Salary: $2,339,040

Rivers was the Pelicans’ first-round draft pick two years ago, and hasn’t fulfilled high expectations. Prior to the Holiday injury, Rivers was seeing about 12-14 minutes a night and was said to have been unhappy with his playing time. A change of scenery might prove beneficial to Rivers’ young career, which is already garnering “bust” labels, but convincing a team he is worth trading for may be easier said than done.

CHECK NEW ORLEANS’ COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE:

http://www.basketballinsiders.com/new-orleans-pelicans-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... It’s becoming more and more clear that the Pelicans will likely miss the playoffs this season. Now, the Pelicans should shift their attention to the deadline and focus on acquiring the players or draft picks that will put them in position to make a run next season.

SOUTHWEST

SAN ANTONIO By Yannis Koutroupis (@YannisNBA)

SINCE THE SAN ANTONIO SPURS WON THEIR LAST CHAMPIONSHIP IN 2007, they’ve endured a couple of stretches that would have made other teams change their makeup. For example, when they were dropped in the first round twice in a three-year stretch, with a secondround exit in between, from 2009-2011; or when they were seemingly in control of the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder with a 2-0 series advantage, only to be eliminated in six games. However, they always maintained faith in the foundation legendary head coach Gregg Popovich built to produce the necessary internal development to get back to that championship level. Last year, they were a defensive stop away from defeating the Miami HEAT in the NBA Finals, which was confirmation that they made the right decision in keeping their core together. So, of course, last offseason with Tiago Splitter and Manu Ginobili hitting free agency, they quickly locked up both to new deals (Splitter four years, $36 million; Ginobili two years, $14.5 million). Going into February, the Spurs were just a couple of games off last year’s pace and that’s despite dealing with a wide array of injuries. Before this recent streak where Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green and Ginobili have all gone down at the same time, the Spurs were firmly in the mix for the top seed in the Western Conference and homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs. Even as they near the end of the Parker-Duncan-Ginobili era and prepare for the eventual retirement of the latter two, which could come anytime in the next two years (Duncan has a $10.3 million player option for next year), they’re highly unlikely to try and fix what isn’t broken. Yes, they’ve had their struggles against most of the league’s elite, as they’re winless against the Portland Trail Blazers (0-2), Oklahoma City Thunder (0-3), Houston Rockets (0-3), Indiana Pacers (0-1) and Miami Heat (0-1), but regular season wins don’t always translate to the postseason. When healthy, the Spurs still have the ability to be as tough of an out as anyone.

DRAFT ASSESTS

2014 First-round pick. Second-round pick. Second-round pick from L.A. Clippers.

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

2015 First-round pick. Second-round pick.

2016 First-round pick. Second-round pick. Second-round pick from Charlotte.

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WHO’S EXPENDABLE?

WHO’S UNTOUCHABLE?

Tony Parker | 31 | G

Matt Bonner | 33 | F

Set to make his sixth All-Star appearance this year, Parker’s status as one of the league’s premier point guards is undeniable. His value far exceeds his salary as he’s in the third year of a four-year, $50 million extension that has paid him $12.5 million annually, and next year isn’t even fully guaranteed. Few contracts in the league are as favorable. The Spurs take care of their players, as evident with their treatment of David Robinson, Duncan and Ginobili late in their careers, and Parker will receive the same treatment. The chances of him ever wearing another team’s jersey are very slim.

All of the Spurs’ minimum contract players are expendable, but the only chance they’ll net anything of value is if they’re packaged with Bonner’s $3.9 million expiring contract and probably their first-round pick. Bonner is a dangerous three-point shooter and he always plays with a lot of energy. However, based on the injuries they’ve suffered out on the perimeter, trying to flip Bonner to a team wanting to trim some salary for a nice wing prospect would make a lot of sense.

Tim Duncan | 37 | F / C

Manu Ginobili | 36 | G

Salary: $12,500,000

Salary: $3,945,000

Salary: $10,361,446

Salary: $7,500,000

Seventeen years in and Duncan is still one of the most productive big men in the league. He became the best power forward to ever play the game years ago, yet his hunger and competitiveness have never faltered. There will never be another one like him. The Spurs will have a spot for him for as long as he has the desire to play.

Kwahi Leonard | 22 | F Salary: $1,887,840

The Spurs liked Leonard enough coming out of San Diego State to trade George Hill, who Popovich deemed his favorite player of all-time at one point, but even they have been surprised with how rapidly he has developed. Popovich has anointed Leonard the Spurs’ next star and in last year’s Finals, while matched up against LeBron James, he more than lived up to the high praise. He was arguably the Spurs’ best player in the entire series. He’s not going anywhere anytime soon, maybe even for the rest of his career.

His future with the team was momentarily in doubt going into free agency after a rocky postseason and a particularly nightmarish Finals, but rather than looking to replace Ginobili they’ve just become less reliant on him. Keeping him has turned out to be the right choice as he was having a strong year before injuring his hamstring. If Ginobili was ever going to play for another team, he would have already

Tiago Splitter | 29 | C Salary: $10,000,000

Like Ginobili, Splitter didn’t play his best basketball in the Finals. Last season as a whole, though, was a career year for him. The Spurs were so encouraged by his development that they didn’t hesitate to let the Portland Trail Blazers, who had Splitter as one of their top priorities in free agency, know it wasn’t even worth trying to sign him to an offer sheet because they were definitely going to match. While he has his faults, he plays the role they need him to perfectly.

CHECK SAN ANTONIO’S COMPLETE

SALARY CAP STATUS HERE:

http://www.basketballinsiders.com/san-antonio-spurs-team-salary/

WHAT WE THINK WILL HAPPEN... It’s important to note that the Spurs don’t just go out looking to improve their talent. They value the character of a player and their team’s chemistry more than anything. They’ve shown the willingness to pull off deadline deals in the past, but they’re unlikely to do anything beyond shopping the combination of expiring contracts and their 2014 first-round pick and rotating in a different 15th man on 10-day contracts until they find one they want to keep. Even if it costs them homecourt advantage beyond the second round, the Spurs are more likely to weather the storm and wait for the guys they’ve won with in the past to get healthy rather than do anything major.

POSITIONAL RANKINGS NBA DRAFT

2014

BREAKDOWNS OF ALL THE TOP PROSPECTS By Yannis Koutroupis

KEY POINT GUARDS

STRENGTHS

COMPARISON

HEIGHT / WEIGHT

WEAKNESSES

COLLEGE

POSITION

DANTE EXUM

Australia || - || 6’6 || 188 || Michael Carter-Williams Natural point guard. Eligible this year without having to play college hoops. Long and quick. Can break down a defense with ball handling. Thrived against age group.

Needs to grow into his frame. Needs to be more consistent with jump shot.

MARCUS SMART

Oklahoma State || So. || 6’4 || 220 || Kyle Lowry An intense competitor. Possesses NBA-caliber strength and athleticism. Could play either guard spot at the next level.

Inconsistent shooting the basketball. Can be turnover prone at times. Has just average lateral movement for a point guard. Anger issues?

ZACH LaVINE

UCLA || Fr. || 6’5 || 180 || Russell Westbrook A standout athlete with the potential to play both guard positions at the NBA level. Jump shot has extended range. Fast.

Not a natural point guard. Slight in frame. Needs to improve as a free throw shooter, both in attempts and percentage.

TYLER ENNIS

Syracuse || Fr. || 6’2 || 180 || Mike Conley A pure point guard in every sense. Great speed. Can shoot with distance.

Just an average athlete. Will need to get stronger and prove himself as a man-toman defender after playing exclusively in a zone defense in college.

JAHII CARSON

Arizona State || So. || 5’10 || 180 || Isaish Thomas A quick and athletic guard who plays bigger than 5’10. A capable playmaker. Difficult to stay in front of. Has improved his three point shooting significantly.

Undersized, something a lot of teams will not be able to look past. Turns it over in excess. A volume shooter at times.

Next five: Semaj Christon (Xavier), Vasilije Micic (Serbia), Shabazz Napier (UConn), Elfrid Payton (Louisiana-Lafayette), Russ Smith (Louisville).

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KEY SMALL FORWARDS

SHOOTING GUARDS

ANDREW WIGGINS

Kansas || Fr. || 6’8 || 195 || Paul George Has all the tools and gifts to be a franchise player in the NBA. Long and extremely athletic. Explosive offensively. Plays his best against the best.

Has to continue to improve in all areas to live up to immense expectations. Needs to grow into frame. There’s a general consensus that he doesn’t always play hard.

GARY HARRIS

Michigan State || So. || 6’4 || 210 || Dion Waiters A well-rounded guard who is strong for his age. Aggressive offensively. Can score in a variety of ways. Tough.

Efficiency has dropped as his PPG has risen. Three-point shot isn’t a reliable weapon yet, although he’s shooting over seven a game. On the smaller size for a SG.

NIK STAUSKAS

Michigan State || So. || 6’6 || 205 || Kevin Martin Has made huge strides as a sophomore. Can shoot with range. Capable of scoring off of the dribble. Deceptively quick. Gets to the free throw line regularly.

Average explosiveness. Needs to add muscle to frame that can support it.

WAYNE SELDON

Kansas || Fr. || 6’5 || 230 || Lance Stephenson A strong, athletic guard with the ability to create for both himself and others. Physically ready for the NBA.

Turnovers. Shooting in general, both from the line and beyond the arc.

MARIO HEZONJA

Croatia || - || 6’6 || 200 || J.R. Smith Has good size for his position. A natural scorer with deep range. Athletic.

A volume shooter. Rarely looks to set up teammates. Ability to defend own position in question.

Next five: C.J. Wilcox (Washington), P.J. Hairston (D-League), Bogdan Bogdanovic (Serbia), Jordan Adams (UCLA), Spencer Dinwiddie (Colorado).

STRENGTHS

COMPARISON

HEIGHT / WEIGHT

WEAKNESSES

COLLEGE

POSITION

JABARI PARKER

Duke || Fr. || 6’8 || 235 || Paul Pierce Needs to settle into a position. Possesses average lateral quickness. Defenders with NBA traits (superior length, athleticism) have had success slowing him.

Mature beyond his years. A natural leader. Has a complete skill set offensively, including a reliable jump shot with extended range.

DARIO SARIC

Croatia || - || 6’10 || 223 || Hedo Turkoglu Unknown at this point what position he will play at the next level. Speed and athleticism doesn’t standout. Will have to get stronger.

A smooth forward with a good feel for the game. A gifted and willing passer. Can play inside and out. Jump shot is developing.

DOUG McDERMOTT

Creighton || Sr. || 6’8 || 225 || Ryan Anderson No certainty over what position he’ll play in the NBA. Has sub-par athleticism. Concerns over whether he’ll be able to hold his own defensively.

One of the most efficient and potent offensive threats in the NCAA. Can really shoot the basketball and has limitless range. Takes what the defense gives him.

RODNEY HOOD

Duke || So. || 6’8 || 180 || Gordon Hayward Defense. Needs to add some strength. Ball handling. Could be more of a force on the glass.

A smooth forward with a good feel for the game. A gifted and willing passer. Can play inside and out. Jump shot is developing.

JAMES YOUNG

Kentucky || Fr. || 6’6 || 215 || Michael Redd Has a pure stroke with deep range. Aggressive scorer. Solid defensively. Rebounds well.

A volume shooter who can be inconsistent at times, even at the free throw line. Decision making. Ball handling.

Next five: Jerami Grant (Syracuse), Sam Dekker (Wisconsin), Chris Walker (Florida), Glenn Robinson III (Michigan), T.J. Warren (North Carolina State)

Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

KEY POWER FORWARDS

JULIUS RANDLE

Doesn’t always make the most of his gifts on the defensive end. Settles for difficult shots offensively at times. Still inconsistent.

AARON GORDON

Arizona || Fr. || 6’9 || 225 || Amar’e Stoudemire An elite-level athlete. Physically mature for his age. Plays hard. Versatile defensively.

Actual skill set not up to par with his athleticism. Needs to settle into a position, there’s talk that he wants to eventually be a small forward. Jump shot not reliable yet.

NOAH VONLEH

Indiana || Fr. || 6’10 || 204 || Tristan Thompson Athletic big man who has developed quickly physically. Active on the boards. Has ideal length and size for his position.

Unpolished offensively with lots of room to improve. Inconsistent. Doesn’t always play to his strengths, leading to turnovers.

MONTREZL HARRELL

Louisville || So. || 6’8 || 235 || Kenneth Faried Long and very athletic. Active on the defensive end. A finisher around the rim. Plays hard.

Slightly undersized. Individual offensive skill set still developing. Misses nearly half his free throws.

ADREIAN PAYNE

Michigan State || Sr. || 6’10 || 225 || Taj Gibson Long and athletic. Solid defensively. Moves well for his size. A capable shooter all the way out to the three point line.

Slight in frame. Rebounding.

Next five: Kyle Anderson (UCLA), Clint Capela (Switzerland), Isaiah Austin (Baylor), James McAdoo (North Carolina), Dwight Powell (Stanford).

http://www.basketballinsiders.com

COMPARISON

HEIGHT / WEIGHT

WEAKNESSES

COLLEGE

Year

CENTERS

Kentucky || Fr. || 6’9 || 250 || Zach Randolph A physical marvel with the ability to play both inside and out. Very athletic. A threat all over the floor offensively. A real force on the glass when he wants to be.

STRENGTHS

JOEL EMBIID

Kansas || Fr. || 7’0 || 250 || Hakeem Olajuwon A young, rapidly developing big man with immense potential. Very athletic and mobile for his size. Protects the rim and rebounds well.

Inexperienced. Lacking polish offensively. Foul prone.

WILLIE CAULEY-STEIN

Kentucky || So. || 7’0 || 244 || Tyson Chandler Long and athletic big man full of potential. Hits the glass hard and protects the rim well. Gets up and down the floor with ease. Finishes inside of the paint.

Offensive skill set still developing. Needs to add a little strength. Improving at the charity stripe, but still has a long way to go.

JUSUF NURKIC

Bosnia || - || 6’11 || 280 || Roy Hibbert A mammoth of a young man who is physically ready for the NBA. Surprisingly mobile. Can score around the rim and does a good job protecting it defensively.

Foul prone. Inexperienced. Not a great athlete.

MITCH McGARY

Michigan || So. || 6’10 || 250 || Glen Davis Strong and physical. Agile for his size. Has good hands. An active rebounder.

Consistency. Old for his class. Still somewhat raw in the low post. Body of work in sophomore season limited due to season-ending back surgery.

PATRIC YOUNG

F lorida || Sr. || 6’9 || 240 || Kwame Brown Built like he plays football for the Florida, not basketball. Active, especially on the defense end where he is a willing helper. Athletic with a high finishing rate.

Very limited offensively. Misses half of his free throw attempts. Not a force on the glass. Undersized. Has produced at the same underwhelming rate for years.

Next five: Dakari Johnson (Kentucky), Kaleb Tarczewski (Arizona), Walter Tavares (Cape Verde), Ilimane Diop (Senegal), Alex Kirk (New Mexico).

MOCK DRAFT 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30.

Orlando Philadelphia Sacramento Boston Utah L.A Lakers Cleveland Denver Charlotte Philadelphia Orlando Minnesota Dallas Chicago Atlanta Chicago Phoenix Toronto Boston Memphis Utah Phoenix Houston L.A Clippers Miami Charlotte San Antonio Oklahoma City Phoenix

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FOR UPDATED MOCK DRAF TS, VISIT: http://www.basketballinsiders.com/full-2014-nba-mock-draft-13114 htt

]

Joel Brigham

Yannis Koutroupis

Steve Kyler

Alex Kennedy

Andrew Wiggins

Julius Randle

Joel Embiid

Jabari Parker

Joel Embiid

Andrew Wiggins

Julius Randle

Jabari Parker

Andrew Wiggins

Jabari Parker

Dante Exum

Jabari Parker

Dante Exum

Joel Embiid

Marcus Smart

Dante Exum

Marcus Smart

Noah Vonleh

Gary Harris

Noah Vonleh

Julius Randle

Marcus Smart

Julius Randle

Marcus Smart

Dario Saric

Aaron Gordon

Dario Saric

Aaron Gordon

Noah Vonleh

Dario Saric

Rodney Hood

Gary Harris

Aaron Gordon

Willie Cauley-Stein

James Young

Willie Cauley-Stein

Rodney Hood

Gary Harris

Aaron Gordon

Adreian Payne

Gary Harris

Tyler Ennis

James Young

Noah Vonleh

Dario Saric

Doug McDermott

James Young

Willie Cauley-Stein

Jerami Grant

Zach LaVine

Doug McDermott

James Young

Montrezl Harrell

Willie Cauley-Stein

Rodney Hood

Jerami Grant

Nik Stauskas

Adreian Payne

Jerami Grant

Clint Capela

P.J. Hairston

Jerami Grant

P.J. Hairston

Zach LaVine

Rodney Hood

Sam Dekker

Nik Stauskas

Chris Walker

Wayne Selden

P.J. Hairston

Wayne Selden

P.J. Hairston

Clint Capela

T.J. Warren

Zach LaVine

K.J. McDaniels

Zach LaVine

Jusuf Nurkic

Clint Capela

Sam Dekker

Adreian Payne

Nik Stauskas

T.J. Warren

Adreian Payne

THE INSIDERS’ WEIGH IN

1. Milwaukee

POST GAME

Sam Dekker

Semaj Christon

Montrezl Harrell

Kyle Anderson

Chris Walker

Jusuf Nurkic

T.J. Warren

Mario Hezonja

K.J. McDaniels

Nik Stauskas

K.J. McDaniels

Kyle Anderson

Mario Hezonja

Wayne Selden

Mario Hezonja

Clint Capela

C.J. Wilcox

Mario Hezonja

Mitch McGary

Montrezl Harrell

Sam Dekker

Kyle Anderson

Glenn Robinson

Walter Tavares

Mitch McGary

Elfrid Payton

THE DRAFT ORDER REFLECTS THE FOLLOWING TRANSACTIONS: Atlanta’s right to swap first-round picks with the Brooklyn Nets via

round pick (Gerald Wallace trade, 2/24/11) and Detroit’s first-round

Anthony trade. Orlando receiving the less fa-

round pick via the Marcin Gortat trade (8/25/13).

Joe Johnson trade (7/11/12). Boston receiving the less favorable of the Hawks / Nets first-round

pick (Ben Gordon trade, 6/26/12). Chicago receiving the Bobcats’ first-round pick via the Tyrus

vorable of the Nuggets / Knicks first round picks via the Dwight Howard trade (8/10/12).

Utah receiving the Golden State Warriors first-round pick via the Andre Iguodala trade (7/10/13).

pick via the Kevin Garnett trade (7/10/13). Charlotte receiving Portland’s first-

Thomas trade (2/18/10). Denver receiving New York’s first-round pick via the Carmelo

Phoenix receiving Indiana’s first round pick via the Luis Scola trade (7/8/13) and Washington’s first-

Philadelphia receiving New Orleans’ first-round pick via the Jrue Holiday trade (7/10/13). Join the conversation: @BBallInsiders

TRADE WORKERS

20 08

New Jersey Nets receive...

Dallas Mavericks receive...

Devin Harris DeSagana Diop Maurice Ager Keith Van Horn Trenton Hassell first-round draft picks in 2008 and 2010, cash considerations

Jason Kidd Malik Allen Antoine Wright

Miami Heat receive...

Phoenix Suns receive...

Shawn Marion Marcus Banks

Shaquille Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neal

Atlanta Hawks receive...

TRADE DEADLINE RETROSPECTIVE

Mike Bibby

One of the most exciting trade deadlines in recent memory occurred during the 2007-08 NBA season. In the first few weeks of February, a number of notable trades went down including...

Seattle Supersonics receive... Donyell Marshall Ira Newble Adrian Griffin

Sacramento Kings receive... Shelden Williams Lorenzen Wright Anthony Johnson 2008 second-round draft pick

Cleveland Cavaliers receive...

Chicago Bulls receive...

Ben Wallace Joe Smith Wally Szczerbiak Delonte West

Larry Hughes Drew Gooden Cedric Simmons Shannon Brown

Los Angeles Lakers receives...

<< Pau Gasol

2010 second-round draft pick

Memphis Grizzlies receives... Kwame Brown Javaris Crittenton Aaron McKie the draft rights to Marc Gasol first-round draft picks in 2008 and 2010

Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hope the 2014 NBA trade deadline is just as fun!

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BE SURE TO ALSO VISIT...

Draft pick debt section

http://www.basketballinsiders.com/nba-draft-picks-owed

The history of the NBA draft by team

http://www.basketballinsiders.com/history-of-the-nba-draft-by-team

History of the NBA Draft by pick

http://www.basketballinsiders.com/history-of-the-nba-draft-by-pick

TRIPLE THREAT

basketballinsiders.com

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