No league does transactions quite like the NBA, with superstar players changing teams faster than ever.
With just three days remaining before the March 25 trade deadline, we should be in for another wave of impact moves as buyers try to set themselves up for a championship run, and sellers start looking to the future.
Below, we’ve identified 10 high-profile players who could be moved ahead of the deadline. This list excludes Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis, Nikola Vucevic and Kyle Lowry, all of whom have compelling reasons to be shopped, but whose teams have thrown cold water over rumours to varying extents.
Young stars John Collins and Zach LaVine have not been able to reach contract extensions with the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls, respectively, but those franchises have expressed their intentions to retain their services. For that reason, you won’t find their names below, either.
Victor Oladipo
Oladipo has already been traded once this season and another move could very well be on the horizon. The two-time all-star is a difference maker on both ends of the floor and would instantly boost an acquiring franchise’s title hopes.
The Houston Rockets are mired in a 20-game losing streak and are waving the white flag on this season. Oladipo reportedly declined a two-year max extension offer from the Rockets in February and he’s a free agent at the end of this season. He was the prized return in the James Harden trade, so letting him walk for nothing would be a disaster.
The latest: Rival executives expect Oladipo to be the biggest name moved at the deadline.
Norman Powell
Outside of Houston, the Toronto Raptors hold the league’s longest active losing streak at eight games and counting. As the Raptors tumble down the Eastern Conference standings, Powell’s name has started to appear in more and more rumours. The 27-year-old is enjoying a career season, averaging 19.6 points per game on nearly 50 per cent shooting, including a 44 per cent mark from three-point range.
Any team seeking a wing scoring punch would benefit from adding Powell to its starting lineup or bench, and his $11.6-million expiring cap hit makes him considerably easier to put together a package for than someone with similar stats earning upwards of $20 million. It’s unclear if the Raptors will sell or hold firm at the deadline, but Powell’s value has never been higher.
The latest: Powell could be a “surprise name that could help a contender in a late deal this week.”
DeMar DeRozan
The San Antonio Spurs are already parting ways with LaMarcus Aldridge this spring and he’s not the only veteran who could be moved by Thursday. While the Spurs aren’t actively engaged in trade talks involving DeRozan, that could change if the two sides can’t work out an extension by the deadline, per Yahoo Sports insider Chris Haynes.
DeRozan is scoring like his usual self this season, but he’s also blossomed into a facilitator with the Spurs, handing out a career-best 7.5 assists per game. He’s in the final year of his contract, so San Antonio could try to deal him if they don’t reach an agreement to keep him beyond this season. The decision is made more difficult since DeRozan is key to the seventh-seeded Spurs’ playoff hopes.
The latest: As of last week, there was no dialogue on a contract extension.
Lonzo Ball
Ball hasn’t quite lived up to the hype since being drafted second overall in 2017 but he’s enjoying a productive season with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2020-21. The UCLA product is scoring a career-best 14.2 points per game to go along with 5.6 assists. He’s also improved his three-point stroke every year and is up to a strong 38.5 per cent this season. He’s a hard-nosed defender and still has room to improve at just 23 years old.
All that being said, the Pelicans have not met expectations and their ceiling for the year appears to be a play-in spot. They’re committed to Brandon Ingram through 2024-25 and Zion Williamson is poised to be the face of the franchise for years to come. Ball hits restricted free agency in the summer and forking over the cash that will be required to keep him might not be the right move for the Pelicans, especially considering their continued struggles.
The latest: The Bulls and Hawks are both showing interest in acquiring Ball.
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Magic trio
Last week, rival executives expected the Orlando Magic to “set the tone” for this year’s deadline, and that’s still very much the case. While Vucevic appears untouchable for now, Aaron Gordon, Evan Fournier and Terrence Ross remain involved in the rumour mill.
Gordon is generating the most buzz, with at least five teams reportedly showing interest. Still just 25, he’s having one of the best seasons of his career, buoyed by a much-improved 40 per cent clip from beyond the arc. Fournier is a veteran wing scorer on an expiring deal who might be best-utilized as a spark plug off the bench for a contender. If an acquiring team is looking for more than just a rental, Ross is already familiar with that type of sixth man role and is signed to a reasonable deal through 2022-23.
The latest: Gordon has formally requested a trade out of Orlando
The Celtics are emerging as a potential suitor for Fournier.
Ross could be a target for Lakers in wake of LeBron James’ injury.
Kelly Oubre Jr.
After an abysmal start to the season in which he infamously could not make a three-point shot, Oubre has turned things around and now has his numbers back up to respectability. The Golden State Warriors acquired him after losing Klay Thompson for the season, but could ship him and his expiring contract elsewhere. At just 25 years old, Oubre’s youth and skill set could be enticing for a team with cap space this summer.
Golden State has been aggressive in recent weeks as it tries to best position itself for the present and the future. You can never rule the Warriors out as a contender so long as Steph Curry is healthy, but any move they make should also be with an eye towards next season, with Thompson presumably returning to the floor. Smart moves at this year’s deadline could go a long way in re-tooling the Warriors for another title run.
The latest: The Warriors are shopping Oubre ahead of the deadline.
Spencer Dinwiddie
Dinwiddie appeared in just three games this season before undergoing ACL surgery. His health makes him a major question mark, but the guard’s impressive 2019-20 campaign could be enticing enough for teams to try to pry him out of Brooklyn.
He has a $12.3-million player option for 2021-22 but is expected to decline it. With Kyrie Irving, James Harden and Kevin Durant all signed to lucrative multi-year deals, the Nets will almost certainly be priced out of the Dinwiddie market in the off-season. If a team were to trade for him, they could then use his Bird rights to offer him a deal for up to five years.
The latest: The Raptors are among the teams showing interest in Dinwiddie.
JJ Redick
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more reliable sharpshooter league-wide than Redick and his career 41.5 per cent mark from downtown. The 36-year-old has had a down season for the Pelicans but is definitely a name to watch in the coming days. Contenders can never have enough three-point shooting and Redick does a lot for an offence with his ability to move around screens and hunt down his shots.
He’s on an expiring contract and the Pelicans are not a contender this year, so dealing him makes all kinds of sense. The biggest question seems to be whether another team will pony up for a trade or risk waiting for a possible buyout to save an asset.
The latest: Could a return to Philadelphia be in the cards for Redick?
