play1:27Perk: The Cavs have been the biggest disappointment this seasonKendrick Perkins explains why he is discouraged by the Cleveland Cavaliers’ post players following their loss to the Knicks.
play0:33Redick on Lakers’ struggles: ‘We don’t care enough right now’Lakers coach JJ Redick criticizes his team following a loss to the Rockets on Christmas Day.
Perk: The Cavs have been the biggest disappointment this seasonKendrick Perkins explains why he is discouraged by the Cleveland Cavaliers’ post players following their loss to the Knicks.
Kendrick Perkins explains why he is discouraged by the Cleveland Cavaliers’ post players following their loss to the Knicks.
Redick on Lakers’ struggles: ‘We don’t care enough right now’Lakers coach JJ Redick criticizes his team following a loss to the Rockets on Christmas Day.
The trade deadline is a month away, and though a deal is yet to be made this season, teams are checking on players around the league with the hopes of making the right move to go on a title run.
The top of the East is separated by only a few games, and the conference is wide open as several teams deal with injuries to their stars. At the top of the East, the Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks and Boston Celtics will keep an eye on potential moves as February approaches.
Further down the standings, the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo have been at the forefront of early trade speculations. Can the former champions appease their superstar? And how can the Philadelphia 76ers add to a roster that has emerged as a contender?
Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s hold on the West looked unbreakable just a few weeks ago, but recent stumbles have opened the door for other teams. Will the defending champs make any moves to stay atop the West? What other moves could define the playoff picture?
Our ESPN insiders break down what each contender needs ahead of the deadline and plausible moves they could make.
Player they could target: Michael Porter Jr. would represent a major upgrade in Detroit’s frontcourt. The former NBA champion brings plenty of playoff experience and is in the midst of a career season, averaging 25.9 points on 40.8% 3-point shooting in Brooklyn. With all of their picks available to trade, the Pistons have the assets to pry Porter away from the Nets, but the Pistons likely won’t need to give up as much for him as they would for other star-level players. — Zach Kram
Player they could target: The Knicks’ depth has improved despite a disappointing showing from Guerschon Yabusele, whose scoring average has dropped from 11 points per game in Philadelphia last season to 3.2 in New York. Trading for the Clippers’ Nicolas Batum would give the Knicks a more reliable veteran in the frontcourt, and it wouldn’t require a lot to acquire him, which is a necessity because New York can’t deal any of its future first-rounders after the Mikal Bridges blockbuster. — Kram
Biggest need: The Celtics are still missing Jayson Tatum, who could come back later this season from the torn Achilles he suffered in last year’s playoffs against the Knicks. Still, assuming Boston makes a move, its biggest need is getting out of the luxury tax to reset its repeater tax clock and see if it can move Anfernee Simons. With a guard-heavy roster, adding a big man would make sense. — Tim Bontemps
Biggest need: Toronto has a pretty deep roster already. But it really needs to find a way to duck the luxury tax, which the Raptors have exceeded by just over $2 million. But if the Raptors look to make moves, they should target another big man, given Jakob Poeltl’s ongoing health issues that have regularly kept him off the court over the past few weeks. — Bontemps
Player they could target: Nick Richards is a perfectly acceptable backup big who has been passed into Phoenix’s center rotation. But he’d fill a hole in Toronto and, with a mere $5 million salary that expires after this season, likely help with the Raptors’ finances. — Kram
Perk: The Cavs have been the biggest disappointment this season
Biggest need: Rebounding. Even though the Heat have ranked far better in defensive rebounding, the first month of the season should serve as a warning. Miami had the second-worst defensive rebound percentage in the first 15 games of the season. Through Monday, the Heat rank sixth in most second-chance points allowed by their opponents, as well. — Marks
Player they could target: Considering their finances ($1.6 million below the luxury tax) and lack of tradeable second-round picks, New Orleans’ Karlo Matkovic is a fit who might not cost the Heat much in a trade. Out of the rotation this season and on an expiring $2.2 million contract (he has a team option next season), Matkovic has 20 games of at least six rebounds this season and last. — Kram
Biggest need: It will be interesting to see whether Philadelphia adds players at the deadline or tries to shed money to duck under the luxury tax. Assuming the Sixers add, they could acquire another power forward, as they’ve spent most of the season with two-way players, Dominick Barlow or Jabari Walker starting at that position, with backup center Adem Bona also filling in. Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr. could move to the 4, but neither has true power forward size. — Bontemps
Player they could target: The Bulls’ Jalen Smith has quietly had a strong season, averaging 18.4 points and 12.7 rebounds per 36 minutes on solid efficiency. Capable of playing as a power forward and small-ball center, Smith would slot nicely into Philadelphia’s frontcourt, rounding out a rotation that, at times, feels too imbalanced toward the guard positions. — Kram
Biggest need: Center help. The Nuggets have a glaring need for a stopgap center, with Nikola Jokic (knee) and Jonas Valanciunas (calf) recovering from injuries that are expected to sideline them for weeks. Denver also has interest in adding length and athleticism to its wing corps. The latter is likely to be a long-term issue, with Peyton Watson potentially playing his way out of the Nuggets’ budget as he heads toward restricted free agency this summer. — Tim MacMahon
Redick on Lakers’ struggles: ‘We don’t care enough right now’
Lakers coach JJ Redick criticizes his team following a loss to the Rockets on Christmas Day.
Biggest need: Anthony Edwards has been the Timberwolves’ de facto starting point guard this season, as age has finally prevented Mike Conley from filling that role regularly. Minnesota would like a better option and relieve Edwards of those responsibilities. The Timberwolves’ front office hoped that Rob Dillingham would be the solution when the team traded into the 2024 draft to get him, but Dillingham isn’t ready for this role now and might never be. — MacMahon
Biggest need: Norman Powell’s departure, Bradley Beal’s season-ending hip surgery and Brook Lopez’s and Bogdan Bogdanovic’s early-season regressions have severely limited the scoring options around Kawhi Leonard, James Harden and Ivica Zubac. LA ranks in the bottom five in bench points per game. Clippers coach Tyronn Lue could use another scoring and playmaking threat, especially if the Clippers hope to ride their recent surge back toward contender status. — McMenamin
Biggest need: Shooting and shot creation should be first on Detroit’s list. Heavily relying on MVP candidate Cade Cunningham, who ably handles the responsibility, can haunt the Pistons if he begins to wear down. He’s by far the best shot creator on the roster, and the attention he creates allows teammates to get open looks on the perimeter and at the rim. But the Pistons aren’t a high-volume or efficient 3-point shooting team. Teams that have recently gotten to the conference finals have done it partially thanks to good, if not streaky, shooting. Finding both of those in one player would cost a lot. But finding one trait could shore up a playoff run that could last at least until late May.– Vincent Goodwill
Biggest need: The Knicks could probably use another physical player or two, in a perfect world. But the front court likely needs more solidifying than the backcourt at this point. The Knicks are always on watch with Mitchell Robinson’s health, and don’t want to lean on Karl-Anthony Towns but so much given his propensity to get into foul trouble and his defensive shortcomings. But a defensive-minded rugged forward who could slide in to ease the burden on OG Anunoby would certainly be welcomed on a team that is barely middle of the pack in defensive efficiency. Problem is, they’re right up against the second apron, only $200,000 away. Any help will be hard to find.– Goodwill
Player they could target: The Celtics are competitive enough that they shouldn’t dump Simons solely for tax relief. But if they make a trade to create some financial flexibility, thereby opening a spot in the perimeter rotation, the Bulls’ Ayo Dosunmu would be a good replacement in a subsequent move. The speedy Dosunmu could add some fast-break points to the league’s slowest-paced team, and his 3-point shooting (43% this season) and strong point-of-attack defense would make him a fit for Joe Mazzulla’s style. — Kram
Biggest need: Bench scoring. Before Jalen Suggs went down because of a hip injury Dec. 13, the biggest need was dropping below the luxury tax by moving veteran guard Tyus Jones. Orlando is $5.6 million above the luxury tax, and Jones is on pace to average the fewest points of his career. Since mid-December, Jones has started eight games and provides insurance for the Magic’s backcourt, which took another hit with Suggs’ MCL contusion on Jan. 3. Finances aside, health is one of the Magic’s biggest needs with Suggs, Desmond Bane, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr. starting only a third of the games this season. The Magic thought they addressed their perimeter shooting by adding Bane, but for a third straight season, Orlando is on pace to finish in the bottom five in 3-point shooting — currently ranking 25th. — Bobby Marks
Player they could target: Even if the Magic wanted to address their perimeter shooting, especially off the bench, there are financial criteria for the type of player they should target. Because the Magic are nearing the second apron next season, they are not in a position to take back salary that stretches into next season. The salary restriction is why the team signed Jones to a one-year contract and declined the fourth-year team option of former first-round pick Jett Howard. The Nets’ Cam Thomas would be a great pickup. His $5.9 million salary fits with Jones or Howard and gives Orlando a 20-point scorer off the bench. — Kram