8 NBA Players Who Could Get Moved Before the Trade Deadline
Now that James Harden is out of Houston, who are the next NBA stars to get traded? Bradley Beal? Andre Drummond? We picked out eight players who could be moved.
Dec 21, 2019; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Houston Rockets forward PJ Tucker (17) against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The biggest splash of the 2020-21 NBA season has already been made. After nine decorated seasons with the Rockets, James Harden was shipped to a new city. Houston loaded up on future assets in a massive four-team deal that sent the 2018 MVP to Brooklyn, joining forces with Kyrie Irving and former Thunder teammate Kevin Durant.
As expected, Harden is thriving in his new home. The Beard debuted with back-to-back 30-point efforts, including a triple-double in his first game. Nets coach Steve Nash’s squad has won its past four matchups and is narrowly trailing the Lakers as Vegas’ title favorite.
We will not see another star of Harden’s caliber—a year-in, year-out MVP contender—traded before the March 25 deadline. But there are high-level players in the rumor mill, players who could well impact the title picture.
Last year’s deadline led to D’Angelo Russell, Andrew Wiggins, Andre Drummond, Clint Capela, and other big names changing jerseys. Who could do the same before this year’s deadline? Let’s run through it.
[Ed.’s note: All stats and standings heading into Friday night’s games.]
Bradley Beal
Can Opt Out After 2022 Season
Beal is a stud. The 27-year-old former Florida Gator has really found himself both as a player and leader. He’s playing the best ball of his life, easily leading the league with a 34.9 PPG average. The man gets buckets.
Beal could have a legitimate shot at winning MVP this year, but the Wizards are a woeful 3-8, second-last in the East. Washington might want to give the Beal-Russell Westbrook backcourt a bit more time, but the Wizards sure don’t look like a threat to come out of the East, let alone make the playoffs, and Westbrook is 32.
Beal can opt out of his contract after the 2021-22 season, and it would make sense for him to look for a better supporting cast—that’s been the theme of this current generation of NBA stars, Giannis Antetokounmpo notwithstanding.
It would make sense for Washington to start rebuilding, and there are many teams around the league that would love to have him—and be willing to break the bank to make it happen. Looking into our crystal ball, we see first-round picks fluttering like flakes in a snow globe.
Victor Oladipo
Free Agent After the Season
Oladipo just got traded, so he shouldn’t be on the move again already, right?
Wrong. Reports surfaced quickly after the Rockets-Nets mega-deal indicating Houston acquired the former Pacers guard as a trade chip. Think about it: does it make sense for a squad that is clearly entering a rebuild to hold onto a guy going on 29, and a notably injury history, when he could be flipped for young assets?
Oladipo didn’t want to be in Indiana, but he also doesn’t seem to want to play for Houston. According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, the guard with the most beautiful voice in the NBA has been angling for a move to South Beach. The Rockets’ trade activity may continue with Oladipo, but he’s not the only Houston player in the mix.
PJ Tucker
Free Agent After the Season
Tucker has been crucial to the Rockets since his arrival in 2017. Though he’s 35, the defensive ace is still in the starting lineup for Houston and logging 31.6 MPG.
However, the situation with the former Texas Longhorn is the same as it is with Oladipo. Tucker is still a respectable NBA player, but he doesn’t have a place in Houston’s rebuild. The Rockets are in the midst of a teardown—they brought in a new coach and new GM this offseason, then traded Westbrook and Harden. Tucker very well might be the next familiar face heading out the door.
Tucker is a veteran leader, strong defensive presence, and still capable of knocking down the occasional clutch corner 3-pointer. He makes only $8 million this season and will be an unrestricted free agent afterward. We imagine Rafael Stone’s phone is buzzing with inquiries about his availability. The Athletic reported Tucker was offered an extension, but hasn’t accepted it yet and is open to a trade. That seems like the logical outcome here.
Marcus Smart
Two-Time NBA All-Defensive Team Selection
Don’t get us wrong—the Celtics don’t want to trade Smart. Boston fans love him; the guy is the heart and soul of his team. Additionally, he’s playing on a team-friendly deal, making $26 million over the next two seasons.
But those same assets make him a prized chip on the trade market, and Boston might need to make a move to get over the hump in the East. There will be strong competition for the conference title, with Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Brooklyn all looking good in the early going—and even if you get past that crop of killers, you know there’ll be someone great repping the West.
Smart is an annual All-Defense type of player and has greatly improved offensively since entering the league. But he’s not one of the Celtics’ two untouchables: Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Rumors have linked the Celtics to Oladipo, though he seems to be craving Miami, as well as Blake Griffin (Detroit) and Myles Turner (Indiana), which is unsurprising given Boston’s dearth of talent in the front court. A deal for any of those big names would probably need to involve Smart.
Zach LaVine
Averaging Career-Highs in PPG, APG, EFG%
Much like Smart, LaVine has really blossomed since his early days as a pro. The Bulls guard is far from a Slam Dunk Contest sideshow—he’s a franchise player.
This season, the 25-year-old is averaging 27.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 5.3 APG while hitting 38.7 percent of his threes and shooting from outside more than ever (8.9 attempts from beyond the arc per game).
Chicago is a fringe playoff team, and fans in the Windy City are desperate for a new era of success behind first-year coach Billy Donovan. The 2017 squad with Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade marks the franchise’s last playoff team (they lost in the first-round). That feels like a century ago, much less MJ teams of the ’90s.
LaVine still has two years left on his deal, and he’s playing phenomenal basketball, so there’s no rush to ship him out of town. However, his value could be at an all-time high. He’s in his prime, Chicago is years from contending, and the Bulls could pull in a massive haul if they’re willing to part with the UCLA alum.
Rumors have linked LaVine to the Warriors. Now that would be fun.
DeMar DeRozan
Free Agent After the Season
The 31-year-old Spurs small forward is still an impactful player; in 33.8 MPG this season, he’s averaging 20.2 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 6.8 APG. These aren’t exactly the numbers of his Toronto heyday—he hit his prime in his mid-20s—but he still has plenty of gas left in the tank.
There were rumors that DeRozan was unhappy with San Antonio, but he attempted to silence that noise. Additionally, he opted into his $27 million player option for this season, but that was likely a financial decision. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent at its conclusion.
San Antonio is likely OK with moving on, provided the Spurs get young talent in return. The question is whether there’s a contender willing to foot that steep financial bill—and surrender assets in return—for what could be a brief rental.
There was some Lakers buzz, but the extension of Kyle Kuzma (three years, $40 million) should squash that talk. The Heat, Pacers, Sixers, and Celtics have also been mentioned as possibilities.
Andre Drummond
Free Agent After the Season
Yep, Drummond could get moved before the deadline again. He came to Cleveland from Detroit in February 2020 in exchange for Brandon Knight, John Henson, and a second-round pick in 2023.
Drummond has played well for the Cavs this season, putting up a career-best 18.8 PPG as well as 15.1 RPG, 1.5 BPG, and 2.9 APG. The 6’10” center is 27 and a valuable asset, but he’ll be an unrestricted free agent after this season.
The Cavs should compete for a playoff spot, but do they really want to risk their future just to taste the postseason? They would reportedly like to hold onto him through a long-term deal, but he won’t fit their budget. Further, the Cavs just made a deal for Jarrett Allen, presumably Drummond’s replacement at center.
Keep an eye on a few East teams in the Drummond sweepstakes: Charlotte, Boston, New York, and Miami.
Derrick Rose
Free Agent After the Season
The 32-year-old has seen his minutes and numbers go down slightly, but he’s still an excellent option as a backup PG. This year, he’s putting up 15.1 PPG and 4.7 APG.
Rose has played for five teams in his 11-year NBA career, and some have speculated he could reunite with one of them: the Knicks. New York is 8-8 and has a shot at returning to the postseason for the first time since 2013. Keep an eye, too, on the Lakers, who could use a veteran to back up Dennis Schroder.