Last week has already produced several due-caliber transactions in the NBA, with CJ McCollum about to become a Pelican, Norman Powell and Robert Covington heading to the Clippers, and Caris LeVert heading to the Cavaliers. But there are still many actors who are able to make the deadline and postpone the balance of power beyond it.
Here, the players are always on the board and the teams are always on the stopwatch as Thursday afternoon approaches.
The saga of Ben Simmons
It’s hard to remember another season with so much ink and oxygen spent on a player who hasn’t played a single second of NBA basketball. But how to avoid the topic? We’re talking about one of Max’s players-on a competing team led by a top-three MVP title contender-in a one-season dispute with the front office that saw him waive It is difficult to overestimate how wild this situation was and is.
Simmons remains a 76er, and Daryl Morey’s stubbornness and grandiose ambitions seem to keep him beyond the deadline. That could change if the Wizards return to sanity and realize it’s time to leave Bradley Beal, or if the Nets decide it’s in their best interest to treat James Harden before he reaches free agency. Unless the Sixers seem willing to overcome this, even if it means avoiding a significant boost, their championship chances at a time when Joel Embiid is reaching one of the greatest modern center seasons of all time in a conference is largely open.
Despite the offers of the Kings, Hawks and Timberwolves, Morey seems convinced that better options will be available in the summer. It also seems to be hoped that Simmons will capitulate and report to the team if there is no exchange, which would probably be the best outcome for the Sixers (assuming that neither Beal nor Harden can be brought), as they desperately need passes, rebounds and perimeter defense.
As beautiful as these possibilities sound in theory, they are far from certainties. And if none is realized, the chance to turn Simmons’ unnecessary training/salary location into one or more very productive spin players this season will prove to be a missed opportunity of all time. – Jean-Luc Godard
Jerome Grant
Grant could be the most intriguing trade target this week.
It is a long striker with great defensive versatility, who can also support the ground and create a shot for himself if necessary. And he is under contract for another year so interested teams can acquire him as part of their core for at least a year and a half (he is eligible to sign a lucrative extension this summer).
All of these things make Grant a perfect fit for contenders like Jazz, Mavericks or Bulls – but there’s a catch. The 27-year-old left a competing team (the Nuggets) in search of more keys and money in Detroit, and he wants to remain a primary offensive option.
The problem here is that Grant’s contributions are best suited for a team in the race, and he is at his best as a super role player. For a player as versatile as he is – and as simple as he is on almost every list- he’s not good enough to be a prime option for a competitor.
In his final season with the Nuggets, Grant posted an effective field-goal percentage of 55.5%, but uses only 18% of Denver’s possessions when he’s on the field. In two seasons as a Piston, his utilization rate approached 28%, but his effective field goal percentage dropped to 48.3% and his defense dropped after an increased offensive load. Among the 43 players this season who have played at least 900 minutes and have a load of more than 26%, Grant’s assist percentage is in 41st place.
If he’s willing to take on a less offensive role to be a competitor’s Swiss army knife in both directions, Grant should be the most desirable and realistic business target this week. If he is not ready to fulfill this role, the contenders may fall behind at the prospect of parting with players and decisions, only to land a dissatisfied one. – Joseph, Casciaro
Turbonis
Despite the earlier hints that something of a fire sale might be in the offing, it’s also likely that the Pacers have ended their important transactions after getting a good harvest (a protected first round and a second round almost guaranteed to finish in the top 35) in exchange for Caris LeVert. They will probably be able to move Justin Holiday for another second round, but the big move – eventually separating from their front tandem, consisting of Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner-may have to wait. This certainly seemed more likely before Turner reached the shelf with a stress reaction on his foot.
That said, Indiana is clearly willing to do business, and with a high demand for centers around the league, a team with two big 25-year-old high-end players is apparently well positioned to cash out. Although Sabonis is undoubtedly the best player, there has been more buzz about Turner as he represents a cleaner fit and a smoother transition into the mid-season for most of the competing teams. If he were healthy, it’s easy to imagine a team hosting the first two players (or a first plus a good young player) that the Pacers would have listed as their prize, but his uncertain availability for the rest of this season changes that calculation.
Turner is under contract for another season after this season, and a competitor could certainly bombard several high-end commercial tokens in exchange for two healthy playoffs with one of the league’s top rim protectors. Getting a season more bird rights at that price would be a difficult sell. This is especially difficult because the teams in the market for a center upgrade are either short on assets (Lakers, Mavs) or not close enough to the real competition for such a big boost at the moment (Raptors, Wolves, Hornets, Knicks). Given its age, however, each of the last teams could consider it a rent of more than two years. You could aim to renew it or re-sign it, and consider the initial cost of a coin to be worth it in the long run.
All this also applies to Sabonis, who has an extra year of control over the team and is in the middle of a monster offensive season. Again, due to his defensive limitations and offensive centrality, it is a little more difficult to find an adaptation for him, but he offers a lot of things (lookup, play, bounce) that Turner does not. The Celtics or the Warriors would be fascinating landing points for Sabonis, especially since the former requires a presence of color in strike. Even Washington, a rumored (and ill-advised) admirer, could be a fun adaptation.
Sabonis is also the closest thing the Pacers have to a franchise player at the moment, so they’re probably driving a difficult affair that will scare most contenders. Because of the big return they’ve already gotten for LeVert, they may feel good about keeping Sabonis and Turner for the rest of the season and reevaluating their options over the summer. – Wolf
Half of the Kings
In a depressing race for play-in in the Western Conference with wounds teams and tanking teams, the Kings should be in pole position. In the midst of a 16-year playoff disette, Sacramento now wants to be competitive, has the talent to be at least semi-competent and just needs to play.400 basketball, to take the driver’s place for a top-10 series header.
This dysfunctional group could not even cope with this, and the season should now be open to rival teams.
The Kings would love to build around de’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton but Harrison Barnes, Buddy Hield and Marvin Bagley should definitely be on the table.
Barnes and Hield would bring the shooting and the creation of shots that are often necessary for their next strike, although Barnes’ economies of scale, a more reliable defense and a shorter contract should make him the most sought-after king. Bagley, on the other hand, still needs a fresh start given the difficult opening of his career in Sacramento.
Richaun Holmes is a good, big man under team control in the long run at a bargain price, so the Kings would like to keep him, but given the abundance of competitive teams looking for centers this week, he could also represent Sacramento’s best commercial performance. Casciaro