As January comes to an end we enter one of the most exciting annual traditions of American sports… the NBA trade deadline. A day filled with drama, surprise and intrigue, and for the first time in a long time: no Woj Bombs, aka tweets from the infamous Adrian Wojnarowski breaking news on various deals. The last few years of the trade deadline have featured deals that brought new players to the spotlight, and old stars to new homes.
Last year the Dallas Mavericks swung a deal to land Daniel Gafford, a move that helped propel them to the NBA Finals. The year before, the Phoenix Suns traded a package of Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and five first round picks for superstar Kevin Durant. And the year before that, the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets swapped James Harden and Ben Simmons.
The trade deadline is a chance for fresh starts, but also a turning point for teams to decide if they want to try and compete for the year, or blow it all up. Rather than the obvious contenders at the top or basement dwellers at the bottom, I will focus on the teams in the middle of the standings. This article is about the Eastern Conference teams, but stay tuned for the companion article about the West. Teams will be sorted into one of three categories: Buyers, Stay-Put, and Sellers.
Orlando Magic: Buyers
The Orlando Magic have had a season marred by injuries. Missing their superstar Paolo Banchero for 34 games certainly didn’t help, but they enter the trade deadline at .500, meaning the time to compete is now. If they were able to maintain a competitive team without Banchero, then giving him more talent to push for a higher seed in the playoffs is absolutely something this Jamahl Mosley led squad should do.
The Magic have a bevy of assets in the form of picks and players, as they have five first round picks in the next three drafts. This couples with tradeable veterans in Jonathan Isaac and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to go along with expendable young talent in Anthony Black and Goga Bitadze.
Likely Targets: DeAaron Fox (Sacramento Kings), Zach LaVine (Chicago Bulls), Cam Johnson (Brooklyn Nets)
Detroit Pistons: Stay-Put
It’s hard not to feel good about the state of Detroit sports right now. Just years after the Detroit Lions experienced a total turnaround, it seems the Detroit Pistons are on the verge of accomplishing the same feat. In one season we went from people getting free Wingstop if the Pistons win a game, to the Pistons very possibly making the Playoffs. While the turnaround has been fun under J.B. Bickerstaff, especially the emergence of Cade Cunningham as a bonafide star, the Pistons shouldn’t rush their rebuild.
Detroit has plenty of amazing young players on their roster: Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, Ron Holland II, etc. But, rushing the rebuild and moving some of those young players for a star now could possibly be a blunder. Teams that spend all their assets trying to bring in a star to compete immediately have not always fared so well. The Suns looked promising after a Finals run led by Chris Paul and Devin Booker, but spent all their assets to acquire Durant and now sit at around .500 and the 8 seed. Certainly not the outcome that owner Mat Ishbia was looking for. This provides the perfect example of why the Pistons should slow-play this rebuild. They need to let their talent grow and then once they are one piece away, make an aggressive move to push themselves over the hump. Although it’s the boring answer, sometimes it’s the best route for a team to take.
Chicago Bulls: Sellers
We go from a feel-good story in Detroit to a heap of confusion just a few miles away. For the Chicago Bulls, the time to sell is far past, but they might still be able to salvage a few assets from the remaining talent they have on the roster. The Bulls feature three prime trade candidates in Zach LaVine, Nikola Vučević, and Lonzo Ball. These three players have all at different points played high impact minutes and shown the qualities they have that can contribute to winning basketball. LaVine has shown his ability to score at all three levels, Vučević has proven to be a consistent offensive output at center, and Ball, despite the injury concerns, has been a plus defender at the guard position. They all provide quality skills at coveted positions, but the Bulls’ brass thus far has refused to rebuild.
As the contracts of their aging stars start to expire (DeRozan left for Sacramento this summer and Caruso was dealt to Oklahoma City) the Bulls must consider a new path. They have quality young talent on their team with Coby White, Matas Buzelis and Ayo Dosunmu. It’s time to hand the reins to them, and to try to acquire a superstar talent to go along with them. The 2025 NBA draft class is incredible, and the Bulls should sell all their assets if it means they can add a Cooper Flagg or an Ace Bailey.
Target Teams: Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks
Philadelphia 76ers: Stay-Put
The Philadelphia 76ers have had a strange year. Behind head coach Nick Nurse they have one of the worst records in the Eastern Conference. But, they also have All-Stars in Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George. Not to mention standout rookie Jared McCain. The 76ers stand at an odd crossroads, where they could easily lose out and obtain a top draft pick (maybe the aforementioned Cooper Flagg) or they can try and make the playoffs and compete with, what on paper is, a great core.
I have the 76ers as staying put, because buying doesn’t make sense with their injuries this year, but selling also doesn’t make sense because it feels like they can put it together and go on a run. The wisest move for the 76ers may be nothing: to sit on their assets and see what happens with their team. If they can make the playoffs then they have momentum with their MVP Embiid going into next year, or they can land the top pick and deal their aging veterans to build around Maxey and a young star. The possibilities for Philly are endless, so they should enjoy the Eagles and just hope Nurse and company can turn around this bizarre season.
