The NBA provides the masses great drama during nearly every month of the year — February, for many reasons, is no different. Aside from the All-Star Game-related festivities, the trade deadline is always a popular period of time for the frenzied onlooker. On the surface level, the notion of asking whether the buyers will buy and if sellers will sell seems inherently boring, but it often goes beyond that. Are teams looking to shed an albatross contract? Is a franchise moving on from a once-successful era and officially pulling the plug? What about the dark horse surprises moved to make semi-risky deals and enter the conference contender conversation?
With franchise operating under their own long- and short-term plans, the deadline is always a fascinating study, even if a number of blockbuster swaps don’t go down. But with that critical point of the campaign circled on Feb. 7, the rumors will only heat up from here on out. On Monday, Spencer Davies tackled the Central Division, then David Yapkowitz tackled the Northwest. More recently, Drew Maresca snagged the Atlantic and Shane Rhodes handled the Southwest. Today, then, is the Southeast — so let’s wait no longer!
Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks, of course, are sellers.
According to reports, they’d like to move on from veterans Kent Bazemore, who is owed roughly $19.3 million in 2019-20, and Dewayne Dedmon. The latter is averaging 10.2 points and 7.5 rebounds on an expiring deal worth $7.2 million, thus making him a strong candidate for a trade in the coming weeks.
Also available, potentially, is Taurean Prince, a price-controlled 24-year-old that’s tallied 14 points and 4.1 rebounds on 36 percent from three-point range so far this season. For franchises looking at point guard help, the clearly healthy Jeremy Lin — expiring to the tune of $13.8 million this summer — should eventually be on the move as well, a reliable on-court presence that can shoot from deep and operate fluidly in the pick-and-roll.
Since they began leaning harder on their collections of prospects — Trae Young, Kevin Huerter, Omari Spellman, DeAndre’ Bembry and John Collins — the Hawks have actually flourished. Since Dec. 18, Atlanta has won more games (nine) than they did in the sixty before that (six), so if the youth movement wasn’t in full effect before, it certainly is now. Outside of those two groups — expendable and expiring versus the assets — there’s still Vince Carter ($1.5 million), but his veteran leadership is well-regarded within the Hawks’ locker room, so he seems like a good bet to stick around.
Atlanta has risen to 12th place in the Eastern Conference — so they’ll need to just keep doing what they’re doing: Play the kids, trade veterans for future assets and collect their next batch of impressive rookies in June. So far, so good.
Charlotte Hornets
As of today, the Hornets reside in the top eight — good enough, barely, for a postseason berth. Whether or not the hot-and-cold Hornets stand a chance against Milwaukee, Boston or Toronto seems irrelevant they must demonstrate to impending free agent Kemba Walker that the franchise is still in a position to build a winner. Earlier this week, the Mavericks approached the Hornets about a potential deal for Walker but were shut down quickly, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. In any case, it proves that Charlotte is in for the long haul with Walker, thus illuminating their trade deadline strategy immensely.
Recent reports noted that the Hornets would be willing to add Frank Kaminsky to any deals that included Nicolas Batum — $27.1 million player option in 2020-21 — but that’s unlikely to move the needle. Many other members of this roster have established roles (Marvin Williams, Jeremy Lamb), hold future potential (Miles Bridges, Malik Monk), own little value (Dwayne Bacon, Devonte’ Graham) or boast contracts likely too big to move (Cody Zeller, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Bismack Biyombo). So if the Hornets are sticking with Walker, they may ultimately end up on the quiet side this deadline.
Miami HEAT
In many ways, the HEAT exist on the same plane as the Hornets, except they’re missing a true bonafide star.
Miami was sure they could compete without putting together a grand offer for the since-traded Jimmy Butler and the results have been mixed. Surely, on the cusp of February, the HEAT would’ve liked to be above .500 but, again, the Eastern Conference gives them life. Goran Dragic is expected to return around the All-Star break, which would be a huge boon but Miami will need to strengthen themselves elsewhere as well. The HEAT could be sellers, but history — led by President Pat Riley — says that is the less likely of the two fates. The only issue in improving at this deadline, naturally, remains the large deals the franchise handed out in recent offseasons, almost all of which have player options tacked onto the end.
Hassan Whiteside will make $27 million next season, while Dragic ($19.2 million) and Tyler Johnson ($19.2) aren’t exactly cheap either. Justise Winslow remains an intriguing piece, but he’s also one of Miami’s few young assets alongside Bam Adebayo, both of whom will presumably stay put down south. If there’s any consolation, it comes in the form of Josh Richardson, a 25-year-old standout that has been able to shoulder a heavy scoring load every night. Given his blossoming presence, the HEAT may be beholden to hop into the trade season craze — but Miami’s options also appear to be limited.
After a strong career resurgence last year, Wayne Ellington has contributed at a lesser extent across the board, albeit at five minutes less, but he’s got a manageable expiring contract of about $6.3 million. Still, Ellington is hitting 2.2 three-pointers per game, so a contender could certainly scoop him off the guard-laden roster for a future pick.
Elsewhere, Kelly Olynyk (9.1 points, 4.2 rebounds) would be far more intriguing if not for his 2020-21 player option worth $13.6 million. Dion Waiters, now fully healed, is in a similar situation and remains a talented piece, but a promised $12.6 million in two season’s time might be a tough pill to swallow for interested partners. Unless the HEAT take a shot at trading the farm — something like Richardson, minimally protected draft picks and cap space — for Bradley Beal or any other available stars, they, too, might be restricted to small-sided deals this season.
For this reason, there’s not a ton of actual trade scuttle surrounding the Miami HEAT at this point in time.
Orlando Magic
Even at 20-29, the Magic are well within the postseason race, but their destiny this year is up for grabs, reportedly.
Orlando is still hoping to reach the postseason, again according to Charania, but are preparing for the deadline in case they — losers of 3 of their last 12 games — continue to plummet down the ladder. If the Magic become sellers prior to the Feb. 7 date, they could be one of the most sought-after rosters in the NBA. Nikola Vucevic, likely headed to his first-ever All-Star Game next month, is on an expiring contract worth $12.7 million, while Terrence Ross ($10.5) and Jonathon Simmons ($5.7, non-guaranteed in 2019-20) could provide some much-needed cap relief in exchange for a draft pick.
D.J. Augustin — 11.8 points, 4.8 assists and 43.5 percent from three-pointer range over 47 starts — is a reasonably cheap gamble at just $7.2 million next season. Working with a baseline core of Aaron Gordon, Jonathan Issac and Mohamed Bamba is a solid start, plus there’s the fate of the ever-solid Evan Fournier ($17 million through 2020-21) depending on how hard the Magic want to retool moving forward. If Fournier does reach the trade block, there will be suitors, almost definitely.
As for actual chatter, the Magic inquired about the availability of Dennis Smith Jr., but with the point guard’s return to practice, that move may not be on the horizon any longer. Should the Magic continue their postseason push, they’ll search for a younger ballhandler like Terry Rozier — who has been pursued by Orlando, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe last week. Furthermore, the Magic appear interested in Knicks’ rotation castaway Frank Ntilikina, per Stefan Bondy of NYDN — so the franchise could go either way before the deadline. Even if they’re competing, a lower-stakes deal for Ntilikina makes sense both for the present and future iterations in Orlando.
If an all-in push is more of Orlando’s style, a certain franchise-level point guard was just potentially made available. Mike Conley, 31, holds the ninth-richest contract in the entire league — at a staggering $34.5 million in 2020-21 — but he’s the type of elite centerpiece that can make a big-time difference. For now, any move for the perennially-great court general is just conjecture.
Between now and Feb. 7, all five of Orlando’s games are against playoff teams– so keep an eye on this space moving forward.
Washington Wizards
To finish up, there’s the Wizards — and, oh, boy, Washington, indeed.
Following an auspicious 2-9 opening to the campaign, Dwight Howard underwent lumbar surgery, the locker room got petty again and the Wizards tumbled to the conference basement. The news of John Wall’s season-ending operation made matters worse, well, at least initially. Since Wall last played — Dec. 26 versus Detroit — Washington has gone 7-5. It’s not a full-season turnaround just yet, perhaps unexpected given the absence of their five-time All-Star, but it’s a necessary start.
Like Orlando, Charania reports that the Wizards are waiting to see how things shake out over the next week or so before committing one way or the other. Washington made it “adamantly clear” to The Athletic that Bradley Beal, the source of many trade machine fantasies, is staying put. To back that up, owner Ted Leonsis, in London for the Knicks’ contest earlier this month, told media: “We will never, ever tank.”
Instead, it’s Otto Porter Jr — max contract and all — that Washington would like to deal, with the Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks (Scotto) both interested. At 13 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, the 25-year-old may just need a change of scenery — but his stretch four services would come at a hefty long-term price of a player option worth $28.5 million in 2020-21.
Jeff Green ($1.5 million) and Markieff Morris ($8.6) are on expiring deals and could help teams in a need of a veteran presence; while Howard (player option at a measly $5.6 in 2019-20) could be useful addition once he finishes rehabbing, ideally, sometime in February or March.
In any case, there’s a lot of business to handle between now and the deadline, with the Southeast Division poised to become some of the most active contributors. Without a truly elite franchise, the seventh- and eighth-placed Hornets and HEAT, unlikely to tank, must figure out what potential moves both exist and improve the roster. Whereas the Magic and Wizards, slightly further down the hierarchy, have to decide on pulling the plug entirely. Since it’s the Eastern Conference, despite their struggles, the 20-29 Magic are still just 4.5 games out of the postseason, so a crucial week is ahead for nearly all these teams.