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Brett Davis / Associated Press
The 2021 NBA trade deadline is now less than two months away, although a four-team blockbuster from James Harden has already caused ripples in the league.
Harden joining the Brooklyn Nets means that other title contenders can now be pressured to upgrade their rosters as the Nets themselves try to build some depth.
Bradley Beal has become the name to keep an eye on as the league’s top scorer is wasted on the 3-9 Washington Wizards. However, he’s far from the only big name that can be moved.
With the activity already underway, here are a few more trades to keep an eye out for as the deadline approaches.
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Tony Dejak / Associated Press
Linking James Harden to Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving seems like a cheat code on violation, although stripping the team of Jarrett Allen, Taurean Prince and Caris LeVert seriously damaged Brooklyn’s defense and depth.
Since trading for Harden, the Nets have a defensive rating of 119.2, which is second to last in the NBA over that period.
While one of those encounters was against a strong Milwaukee Bucks team, the Nets dropped two games to the Cleveland Cavaliers (who missed Kevin Love), gave up 124 points to a Miami Heat squad without Jimmy Butler or Tyler Herro, and left Nikola Vucevic of the Orlando Magic to illuminate them for 34 points on 63.6 percent shooting.
Start center DeAndre Jordan (5.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game) hasn’t been that ineffective in nearly a decade and will be destroyed if asked to defend Joel Embiid, Bam Adebayo or Giannis Antetokounmpo in a playoff series.
The Nets cannot trade a pick from the first round for the following eight concepts, meaning they are limited in upgrade options.
But JaVale McGee is an option. The 33-year-old averages 8.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in just 16.8 minutes per game for the Cavaliers, but has fallen out of rotation behind Andre Drummond and Allen.
The Nets got one Exception for disabled players of $ 5.7 million from Spencer Dinwiddie’s seasonal ACL tear, and they were able to use it to absorb McGee’s $ 4.2 million salary. Sam friend from FortyEightMinutes reported that the Nets and Cavs have already met twice to discuss a trade for the big man.
Brooklyn could also use the exception to trade for fellow veteran centers such as Ed Davis, Nerlens Noel, or Bismack Biyombo.
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Eric Gay / Associated Press
With the Houston Rockets in the midst of a complete makeover, PJ Tucker is likely to be the next veteran to leave the house.
However, Houston has been in no rush to swap the 35-year-old, even offering him a contract extension, according to Kelly Iko and Sam Amick of The Athletic. They also noted that “teams have already made a number of phone calls to Houston regarding the possible acquisition of Tucker.”
The three-and-D force ahead with an expiring $ 8 million contract should be one of the easiest to move veterans of the league. He has played key roles on playoff teams in Houston and Toronto for the past five years, able to start as a major player or serve as a primary reserve.
Since Tucker has declined to sign an extension that Houston has offered, a trade seems inevitable.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have “liaised” with the Rockets about Tucker, according to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski. While in need of momentum, they are also the last in the West with a 4-11 record. It seems questionable to give up anything of value to Tucker as the season slips away.
Expect a contender to eventually win the Tucker sweepstakes.
The Boston Celtics have needed a real power forward for years. The Brooklyn Nets, Portland Trail Blazers, and Denver Nuggets all need defensive help, too.
With Russell Westbrook and James Harden both from Houston, you can expect Tucker to be next.
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Rick Scuteri / Associated Press
The Dallas Mavericks are good enough to hit a deep playoff run now, but they should be narrow monitoring of the 2021 free-agent class.
With Kristaps Porzingis on a max deal and Luka Doncic eligible to sign his own renewal this off-season, the Mavs’ last chance to make a big leap into free agency this summer could be.
While some of the best potential free agents have already inked extensions they’ve taken off the table, there will still be plenty of talent available. Victor Oladipo, DeMar DeRozan, John Collins, Lauri Markkanen, Kyle Lowry, and Andre Drummond will all be free agents, and each could help create a Big Three in Dallas.
However, the Mavericks are not yet guaranteed room for a maximum salary.
Josh Richardson has a player option of $ 11.6 million, and the Mavericks can choose whether to pay Willie Cauley-Stein $ 4.1 million next season.
Dallas should now be looking for roster upgrades while getting some extra pay off the books for 2021-22.
Drummond has a $ 28.8 million deal expiring and should be available after the Cleveland Cavaliers traded for Jarrett Allen. The Mavs could strike a deal around James Johnson and Dwight Powell, scrapping the remaining two years and $ 22.8 million. Dallas is only 24th in recovery this season (48.4 rebound percentage), while Drummond is nearly leading the NBA in glass cleaning for the fourth consecutive season.
Otto Porter Jr. ($ 28.5 million) and LaMarcus Aldridge ($ 24.0 million) could also act as pieces on expiring deals that can help now.
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Charles Rex Arbogast / Associated Press
While a handful of young players (Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell, Bam Adebayo, De’Aaron Fox, OG Anunoby, etc.) avoided free agency by signing extensions for the season, other young stars failed to come to an agreement with their current clubs.
John Collins, Lauri Markkanen and Lonzo Ball will now become limited free agents over the summer, questioning their future with their current teams.
Jarrett Allen was another 2017 class player who was not renewed. By not signing an additional contract with the Brooklyn Nets, he was eligible to be traded as part of the James Harden deal and will almost certainly rejoin the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Nets are already deep in the luxury tax, so a new deal for Allen would have put even more financial strain on the franchise.
A difference in money is probably the reason Collins, Markkanen and Ball don’t have long-term deals either. It could also be the reason that at least one of them is trading before the deadline.
John Collins wanted maximum money from the Atlanta Hawks, but only got a bid of more than $ 90 million, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. According to NBC Sports Chicago’s KC Johnson, the Chicago Bulls and Markkanen were about $ 4 million apart in terms of starting salary. Ball probably should have taken any reasonable offer the New Orleans Pelicans offered him, given his massive dip in last season’s game.
While Ball and Markkanen can still be moved, Collins appears to be the most likely candidate.
As a combo big, Collins faces a crowded Hawks front court with Clint Capela, Danilo Gallinari, Onyeka Okongwu and De’Andre Hunter, who has passed Collins as the team’s second leading scorer behind Trae Young.
Since the Hawks may need to give the 23-year-old a max deal or lose him for nothing off-season, you can expect him to be traded – and possibly Markkanen or Ball, too.
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Andy Clayton-King / Associated Press
A 6-9 record to start the season has the Miami Heat near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, largely due to injuries and player misses due to health and safety protocols related to COVID-19.
While it is still relatively early, the East is going to be much more difficult than the version that closed Miami on the last campaign.
The Philadelphia 76ers are on their way to a 12-5 start to lead the conference, the Brooklyn Nets could now have the NBA’s biggest offense with James Harden, and the Milwaukee Bucks should be better suited for the postseason with Jrue Holiday on-board.
Miami should definitely feel the pressure to do something, and a trade for Bradley Beal would be the ultimate answer.
The Miami HeraldBarry Jackson’s commented that the Heat has a “high” interest in acting for Beal if the 3-9 Washington Wizards make him available.
While Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo would be off the table, a deal around Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson and first-round picks in 2025 and 2027 should be enough to spark Washington’s interest. Miami would have to go all-in to win a title, especially as 31-year-old Butler set a lot of miles early in his career while playing under Tom Thibodeau at the Chicago Bulls.
The Wizards don’t want to trade Beal, but the 27-year-old could certainly ask his way. With a 21-year-old star in the making likely on the table in Herro, they could get a nice return for their established star.