- The Bucks expect Brook Lopez to return sometime during the regular season but it won’t be in the near future, according to Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Lopez underwent back surgery in early December. “On the most basic level, we’re going to be in L.A. and that is where his surgery was,” coach Mike Budenholzer said this week. “I think it’s time for his four-week, three-week, I don’t know, however many weeks it has been, check-up. But having said that, he’s been doing some work on the court individually. He’ll continue to do that stuff.”
With the NBA’s February 10 trade deadline around the corner, we’re taking a closer look at all 30 teams, breaking down their potential plans for the deadline and identifying their most likely trade candidates. We’re focusing today on the Central Division.
Chicago Bulls
Trade deadline goals:
After acquiring Nikola Vucevic at last season’s deadline, the Bulls completed sign-and-trade deals for DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball in the offseason, signaling they were prepared to go all-in to contend. Those moves have paid off, as Chicago currently controls the No. 1 seed in the East with a 32-19 record.
However, injuries have put a damper on the Bulls’ success. Young forward Patrick Williams will miss most, if not all, of the season after undergoing wrist surgery in October. And Ball, Alex Caruso, and Derrick Jones are all sidelined with various ailments that have projected recovery timelines of at least six-to-eight weeks.
Chicago’s health problems have complicated the team’s plans at the deadline. Does it make sense to continue the all-in push this season with no guarantee that the rotation will be 100% healthy this spring? If so, what’s the greatest area of need? Do the Bulls need a forward to help make up for the losses of Williams and Jones, or has the backcourt become a more pressing concern with Ball and Caruso unavailable?
For now, there’s no reason to believe Ball and Caruso won’t be back for the playoffs, but the same can’t necessarily be said of Williams, whose relative inexperience is another factor that must be considered as the team weighs its top deadline priorities. While the Bulls could certainly look to add another guard (they’ve been linked to Dennis Schröder), I expect power forward to be the prime position of concern.
Top trade candidates:
Coby White was drafted by the Bulls’ previous front office regime and hadn’t established himself as a foundational player entering this season, so he was viewed a couple months ago as one of the team’s clearest trade candidates.
However, White has taken advantage of a series of backcourt absences and has played some of the best basketball in his career in recent weeks, raising doubts about whether Chicago can actually afford to part with him. I think he could still be on the move in the right deal, but the odds of him being dealt have decreased significantly.
A team laser-focused on winning a championship in the short term would likely be open to trading Williams for a healthier and more playoff-tested veteran, but the Bulls have signaled they’re not eager to discuss the former No. 4 overall pick, who was the first player drafted by president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas. Even if Williams doesn’t end up contributing much this season, the Bulls still love his long-term potential and won’t sacrifice him in any deal that doesn’t substantially improve their title chances.
If White and Williams are off the table, the Bulls may be limited to shopping the likes of Jones, Troy Brown, Marko Simonovic, and a handful of reserves. The team has traded away two of its future first-round picks, reducing the number of draft assets it could use to sweeten its offers, but does control Portland’s lottery-protected 2022 first-rounder. That’s probably the pick trade partners will be after in any negotiations with the Bulls.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Trade deadline goals:
For the first time since LeBron James was a Cavalier, we’re approaching a trade deadline wondering what moves Cleveland can make to increase its odds of making a deep playoff run that spring, rather than what moves the club will make to improve its long-term outlook.
The Cavaliers’ jumbo frontcourt has been a massive success, and with Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, and Lauri Markkanen locked into their respective roles, the team doesn’t need to add reinforcements up front. However, Cleveland has been in the market for help on the wing since last summer, and season-ending injuries to Ricky Rubio and Collin Sexton have the club eyeing potential backcourt upgrades as well.
Caris LeVert, Terrence Ross, Eric Gordon, and Dennis Schröder are among the players who have been cited as possible deadline targets for the Cavs.
While Cleveland will do its best to add one of those players or another veteran who can play a rotation role, it doesn’t sound like the team is eager to sacrifice valuable assets for the future. According to one recent report, the Cavs are trying to upgrade their roster using a couple second-round picks instead of parting with a first-rounder.
Top trade candidates:
Until he tore his ACL, Rubio looked like a candidate for a contract extension, not a trade. But his $17.8MM expiring contract now makes him Cleveland’s best salary-matching piece in a bigger deal.
While it’s obvious the Cavs are willing to move Rubio, it remains unclear what the plan is for their other injured guard. Sexton will be a restricted free agent this summer, and his knee surgery means the Cavs may be able to sign him to a much more team-friendly deal than they initially expected. He’d have value as a trade chip, but I expect Cleveland will try to avoid moving him if possible.
Kevin Love had been on the trade block for years entering this season, but was never dealt because no other teams wanted his oversized contract. I expect another trade deadline to come and go without Love changing teams, but his situation has changed — he’s having a nice bounce-back season and is thriving in a reserve role, providing far more value to the Cavs in that role than he would in a trade.
Dylan Windler, Kevin Pangos, and a handful of other bench players could be had, but won’t have much value. Unless they’re willing to move Sexton or Cedi Osman, the Cavs’ ability to upgrade their roster may ultimately come down to what kinds of draft picks they put in their offers. Second-round picks will be enough for certain trade targets, but a first-rounder would open up more doors.
Detroit Pistons
Trade deadline goals:
The Pistons’ 12-39 record is the NBA’s second-worst mark. They’re not contending for a playoff spot this season, and given how competitive the East has gotten, they may not be in the mix for a postseason berth in 2023 either.
With that in mind, Detroit will be taking the long view as the February 10 deadline approaches. I expect the club to focus on adding more draft picks and taking fliers on young players who may have fallen out of favor with their current teams, such as Marvin Bagley III.
While it’s possible the Pistons could make a move for someone who could contribute right away, it would only make sense to do so if that player is controllable for several years — either on a long-term contract or as a pending restricted free agent whose Bird rights Detroit would acquire in any trade.
Top trade candidates:
Jerami Grant is one of this winter’s top trade candidates, and the Pistons appear to be in good position to extract a significant return for the veteran forward. There are several contending teams in the market for an impact two-way player, and Grant is under contract beyond this season, making him an appealing target.
Still, there’s no guarantee the Pistons will move Grant. A number of his potential suitors – such as the Lakers and Jazz – aren’t armed with the sort of draft picks and young prospects Detroit would want, which may limit the team’s ability to create a bidding war.
Rumors that Grant will want a prominent offensive role and a four-year, $112MM extension (the maximum he could get prior to free agency) from his new team may also make some clubs nervous.
If Grant stays put, it could be a pretty quiet deadline for the Pistons. They have other players they’d certainly be open to dealing – Cory Joseph, Josh Jackson, and Rodney McGruder, among others – but none of them are nearly as valuable as Grant.
Indiana Pacers
Trade deadline goals:
The 2021/22 trade rumor season unofficially got underway when a report nearly two months ago stated the Pacers were open to a roster shakeup and were making Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner, and Caris LeVert available with the intent to be active.
While that story made it sound like there could be a fire sale in Indiana, subsequent reporting made it clear that’s probably not in the cards.
Pacers owner Herb Simon, who is 87 years old, has never been on board with a full-scale rebuild and is unlikely to sign off on one now, even though the case could be made that the time is right — at 19-34, the club seems to be bottoming out this season without intentionally tanking.
Unless Simon has a change of heart, our working assumption is that Indiana will be open to making a big deal or two that reshapes the roster without significantly pushing back the timeline for contention. The 2017 Paul George trade is a good point of reference — when they dealt George, the Pacers got back Sabonis and Victor Oladipo, not a collection of draft picks. That blueprint is the one they’ll probably want to follow if they move Sabonis, Turner, and/or LeVert.
Top trade candidates:
Sabonis and Turner are the most exciting trade candidates on the block for the Pacers, but LeVert and Justin Holiday are probably the ones who are more likely to be dealt.
Indiana’s asking price for Sabonis is said to be very high, and Turner’s lingering foot injury muddles his trade value. It’s certainly not out of the question that one of the centers will be on the move, but I don’t get the sense the odds are better than 50/50 at this point.
Outside of Sabonis, Turner, LeVert, and Holiday, the Pacers don’t really have any trade candidates that will move the needle for teams. Malcolm Brogdon isn’t eligible to be traded this season, T.J. McConnell and T.J. Warren are injured, and rookies Chris Duarte and Isaiah Jackson are believed to be off the table.
Milwaukee Bucks
Trade deadline goals:
The Bucks brought back most of their key contributors from last season’s championship roster, but they’ve clearly missed a pair of veterans this season: P.J. Tucker and Brook Lopez.
Milwaukee let Tucker walk in free agency, bringing in Semi Ojeleye on a minimum-salary contract in the hopes that he could play a similar role at a much lower price. That gamble hasn’t paid off. Ojeleye isn’t enough of a threat from beyond the three-point line to warrant much defensive attention, and while Ojeleye is a solid enough defender, Tucker was better. If the Bucks can find a way to acquire a versatile, defensive-minded forward who can be this year’s Tucker, they’ll jump at the opportunity.
As for Lopez, he’s still on the roster, but hasn’t played since the season opener due to back problems. He’s an important rim-protector for Milwaukee on defense and – like Tucker – hits just enough three-pointers to create problems for defenses that want to focus on the Bucks’ stars. Lopez’s return timeline remains unclear, but the Bucks will likely try to acquire at least a backup for him, if not an outright replacement.
Top trade candidates:
With Pat Connaughton and Grayson Allen playing well on the wing, it will be interesting to see if the Bucks move Donte DiVincenzo at the deadline. They got by without him in last year’s postseason and for most of the first half this season, and he’ll be a restricted free agent at season’s end.
DiVincenzo has reportedly drawn “considerable” trade interest and looks like the best and most obvious trade chip for a Milwaukee team that has traded away several future draft picks.
Jordan Nwora is another restricted-free-agent-to-be who would have positive value if the Bucks made him available. Veterans like Ojeleye, George Hill, and Rodney Hood could also be attached to certain deals, but won’t draw much – if any – interest on their own.
- The Athletic’s Eric Nehm takes a look at potential trades for the Bucks before next week’s deadline and possible buyout acquisitions after the deadline passes.
Cavaliers guard Darius Garland and Raptors guard Fred VanVleet were chosen for the All-Star Game for the first time in their respective careers. They were named, along with a handful of other players, to the Eastern Conference All-Star reserve pool on Thursday, per the NBA (Twitter link).
Garland is averaging 19.8 PPG and 8.2 APG for the surprising Cavaliers. VanVleet has posted averages of 21.5 PPG and 7.0 APG this season.
The list of Eastern Conference reserves also includes the Nets’ James Harden, the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum, the Bulls’ Zach LaVine, the Bucks’ Khris Middleton and the Heat‘s Jimmy Butler. The reserves were chosen by the league’s coaches.
Garland will be playing in front of his home fans in Cleveland on February 20.
The pool of Eastern Conference starters was announced a week ago. Sixers center Joel Embiid, Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nets forward Kevin Durant are the frontcourt starters, while the backcourt players in the starter pool are DeMar DeRozan (Bulls) and Trae Young (Hawks).
Fourth-year swingman Donte DiVincenzo has generated “considerable” trade interest from teams around the NBA this season, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. However, the Bucks don’t intend to move DiVincenzo unless they can get back a good young player or a veteran who will help them win this season, per Scotto.
Last fall, when DiVincenzo and Grayson Allen were both eligible for rookie scale extensions, Allen signed a new contract with the Bucks and DiVincenzo didn’t. That made some people around the league wonder if Milwaukee was choosing Allen over DiVincenzo, but that wasn’t the case, according to Scotto, who says the team tried to extend both players and still has interest in re-signing DiVincenzo as a restricted free agent this summer.
Here’s more on the NBA’s defending champions:
- The Bucks are interested in adding a backup center to their roster, either on the trade market or via a buyout signing, Scotto confirms. Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report previously named Jalen Smith and Daniel Theis as a couple possibilities for Milwaukee.
- Some rival executives are curious to see whether the Bucks will look to acquire a wing defender who can play a role similar to the one P.J. Tucker did on last season’s title squad, according to Scotto. The club may have hoped that offseason signee Semi Ojeleye would be able to fill that hole, but he got off to a poor start and hasn’t been part of the regular rotation since November.
- In case you missed it, DiVincenzo recently told The Athletic that he’s not concerned about being mentioned in trade rumors or about his looming free agency.
Bucks swingman Donte DiVincenzo has heard his name in trade rumors but he’s not fretting over it, as he told Eric Nehm of The Athletic. DiVincenzo hopes to remain in Milwaukee this season.
“What can you focus on? What can you control? I can control my attitude and my effort every day,” DiVincenzo said. “And those are two things that no matter what, the business side is going to handle itself, I can control the attitude and effort. And if a trade happens? I went through a trade! I experienced that. I’m cool. I want to be here.”
DiVincenzo wasn’t signed to a rookie scale extension during the offseason. He’ll be a restricted free agent this summer.
“I’m not one to focus on what’s four or five months ahead of me,” he said. “If you sit down and focus on coming in every day and focus on what do I have to do today and get better today? Everything else takes care of itself.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- T.J. McConnell had the pin taken out of surgically repaired right wrist but the Pacers guard is “weeks, not days” away from returning, coach Rick Carlisle told James Boyd of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). When McConnell underwent hand surgery in early December, the prognosis was that he could be out the rest of the season. There’s still no timetable for Malcolm Brogdon‘s return, Boyd adds in a separate tweet. Brogdon was shut down 10 days ago due to right Achilles soreness.
- Coby White has been showing versatility as the Bulls try to figure out what role he’s best suited for with the current roster, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times writes. White isn’t upset about having to switch gears on the fly. “Whatever the team needs me to do,” he said. “My role changes all the time. I’ve just got to adapt and continue to adjust. It’s nothing new for me. I’ve been doing it for awhile. Whatever the team needs I’m down to do whatever.”
- The Cavaliers are not expecting Collin Sexton to return from meniscus surgery this season even though the young guard is optimistic about his recovery, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer said on the Wine and Gold Podcast (hat tip to HoopsHype). “Everybody that I’ve talked to in the organization, there is nobody that even in their mind once considered the possibility of Collin Sexton returning for the postseason,” Fedor said. Sexton indicated recently he hadn’t ruled out a potential return during the playoffs.
Second-year Pistons guard Killian Hayes, a former lottery pick, has improved as a contributor since being demoted to Detroit’s bench three games ago, writes Steve Kornacki of The Detroit News. Head coach Dwayne Casey opted to start veteran point guard Cory Joseph over Hayes, thinking Joseph could be a better fit alongside score-first No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham.
“Killian’s only played (23) more games than Cade… and made the transition coming in from Europe,” Casey said. “So, there’s a lot going on for the young man. But we’re patient and will continue to work with him. He’s big, he’s strong, and his shooting is going to come. I have all the confidence in the world it’s going to come.”
Hayes, still just 20, has struggled to find his footing in the NBA. A labral tear limited him to just 26 contests during the 2020/21 NBA season. Across 33 games as a starter next to Cunningham this year, Hayes had been averaging 6.2 PPG, 3.6 APG and 1.5 turnovers a night while connecting on 34.3% of his field goals. During his three contests off the bench, he’s posting averages of 8.3 PPG on 38.1% shooting, plus 6.3 APG and a turnover.
“I’m going to have the ball in my hands a bit more with the second unit,” Hayes said of his new role with the 11-37 Pistons. “Just trying to bring more energy and be more vocal with the second unit coming in, and then also, whenever I play with Cade, just give him help as the point guard.”
There’s more out of the Central Division:
- The Pistons have plenty of trade chips ahead of the February 10 deadline. Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press takes a look at the players who are most and least likely to be moved this year. Second-year GM Troy Weaver has big decisions to make on veteran forward Jerami Grant, veteran center Kelly Olynyk, Cory Joseph, and others.
- The upstart 30-19 Cavaliers have emerged as a true force in the Eastern Conference, despite missing two of their best guards in Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio, both most likely done for the season. Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com assesses potential roster upgrades available to Cleveland. The play of guard Darius Garland, center Jarrett Allen, and rookie power forward Evan Mobley has proven especially galvanizing for the team. Fedor weigh in on whether the team should be willing to move on from young players like Sexton or wing Isaac Okoro in pursuit of a win-now veteran.
- After being named to his first All-Star team at age 22 while with the Sixers, now-31-year-old Bucks point guard Jrue Holiday has not been sweating the chatter surrounding his very possible second-ever All-Star berth this year, writes Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Holiday enjoyed an eventful 2021, earning his first NBA title with Milwaukee and nabbing a gold medal with the U.S. Men’s Olympic team.
- Bucks two-way player Lindell Wigginton exited the NBA’s health and safety protocols this week, according to Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link). Wigginton entered protocols last weekend after signing with the team earlier this month.
Sixers center Joel Embiid, Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nets forward Kevin Durant have been named All-Star starters from the Eastern Conference frontcourt pool.
DeMar DeRozan (Bulls) and Trae Young (Hawks) are the conference’s guards who will join them as starters, NBA Communications tweets.
Durant will be a team captain because he is the All-Star starter from the East with the most fan votes in the East. However, he’s currently sidelined by a knee injury and isn’t expected to play in next month’s All-Star Game at Cleveland.
DeRozan was the leader among Eastern Conference guards in the fan voting. The fan vote counted for 50% in the selection process, with player voting accounting for 25% and the media getting a 25% say.
It will be DeRozan’s third All-Star start and fifth All-Star game. In his first year with the Bulls, DeRozan is averaging 26.4 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 4.8 APG. All of the starters from the East are among the NBA’s top six scorers, led by Durant (29.3 PPG) and Embiid (29.0 PPG).
Prior to sending Cam Reddish to New York, the Hawks discussed the framework of a trade with the Celtics that would’ve sent Reddish and Kevin Huerter to Boston in a deal for Marcus Smart, reports Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.
Huerter is one of 11 players affected this season by the poison pill provision, complicating salary-matching in any trade involving him, but the deal described by Fischer theoretically would’ve worked for both sides if Atlanta had included another minimum-salary player (likely Solomon Hill).
Smart ultimately stayed put, and Fischer says it would take “significant value” for the Celtics to move him in another deal in the next two weeks. According to Fischer, there’s a sense around the league that the Celtics will be better in the second half than they were in the first half, as long as they’re healthier and first-year head coach Ime Udoka gets more comfortable.
Here a few more trade notes and rumors from around the Eastern Conference:
- One team contacted by the Hawks told Bleacher Report that Atlanta wanted a “valuable” first-round pick and a starting-caliber player in exchange for John Collins. Other teams think the Hawks could get even more than that for Collins, says Fischer.
- According to Fischer, the Raptors and Pacers at least briefly discussed a trade involving Domantas Sabonis and Pascal Siakam, but those talks stalled. The concept makes some sense in theory, since it would allow Myles Turner to be the lone center in Indiana, and Toronto has long been in the market for a five.
- Since Brook Lopez‘s recovery timeline remains up in the air, the Bucks are “poking around” the market for a center, with Suns big man Jalen Smith mentioned as a possible target, per Fischer. Semi Ojeleye is considered to be available and Milwaukee has received inquiries about Pat Connaughton and Donte DiVincenzo, Fischer adds.
- A handful of teams have expressed some interest in Cavaliers forward Cedi Osman, including the Spurs, Hornets, Mavericks, and Bucks, writes Fischer.