The NBA trade deadline is still a little over a week away, but several teams have made some interesting moves already; whether it be to bolster their current roster for a stronger playoff push or to acquire some better rebuilding pieces for next season.
With the recent news of Orlando Magic power forward Serge Ibaka headed to the Toronto Raptors, you can expect more notable players to be dealt before February 23. Having said that, let’s run down the key transactions that went down this month and what other possible shakeups can be conjured up in the next few days.
Milwaukee Bucks acquire C Roy Hibbert, C Spencer Hawes
Three centers were shuffled around near the start of the month, with Charlotte seemingly getting an upgrade at the position with Plumlee in exchange for two of their short-term answers Hibbert and Hawes.
While the Hornets have expressed interest in Plumlee since the offseason, it certainly feels as if they’re about to pay way too much for his services – $12.5 million for the next three years to be exact – considering the relatively small body of work that the 28-year-old has had in the NBA. Not only that, but Plumlee’s coming off a disappointing performance thus far from his brief stint in Milwaukee.
On the other hand, the Bucks appear as the winners of this deal by the age-old adage of addition by subtraction. They clear up cap space for next season by trading Plumlee, while Hibbert and Hawes will be solid fillers that can contribute well on the floor without the risk of the team being tied to either of them in the long run.
We got a deal involving another one of the Plumlee brothers; this time with Mason headed from Portland to Denver for Jusuf Nurkic along with future draft picks thrown in by both sides for good measure.
Unlike the Hornets, though, the Nuggets got the better end of the deal of having a Plumlee on board. It’s clear that the team has no room in the frontcourt for Nurkic given Nikola Jokic’s emergence as the better starting center, and Plumlee would be a welcome addition as a capable backup to “Joker”.
Meanwhile, the Blazers didn’t get what they expected out of Plumlee themselves as their bona fide starting center, yet we doubt that Nurkic is the right answer to their problems as well. Sure, the young Bosnian plays some pretty good defense (which Portland badly needs to make a somewhat legitimate playoff push), but he’s also a glaring liability on offense. Losing the starting job to Nurkic in Denver should’ve raised flags already, so the Blazers better hope that the 22-year-old big picks up his scoring game for a team that loves to push the tempo on the attack.
Feb. 13
Charlotte Hornets acquire C Chris Andersen, cash considerations
Not much to say about this deal apart from the Cavs and Hornets both making salary cap moves in the least sexiest way possible. Andersen’s inclusion here is virtually of no matter, as Cleveland basically just dealt the aged “Birdman” to clear up a roster spot. And as expected, the Hornets waived Andersen after the deal had pushed through, clearly already content with the second-round pick they got from the Cavs.
Feb. 14
Toronto Raptors acquire PF Serge Ibaka
Orlando Magic acquire SF Terrence Ross, 2017 first-round draft pick
Much love was given to NBA fans on Valentine’s Day with the startling news that a deal has been struck by Toronto to acquire Orlando’s Serge Ibaka.
This is as lopsided a transaction can get when you consider the past, present and future needs of both teams. The Raptors are the obvious winner here; they address their dire need for a starting power forward with the addition of Ibaka, who possesses great ability to stretch the floor and allow Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan to continue attacking the rim. Ibaka will be the security blanket from the perimeter in such plays, and a damn good one too. As such, the Raptors may have just saved themselves from their own slowly-dwindling grasp at a high seed and home-court advantage in the East’s playoff picture at that.
Unfortunately for the Magic, bidding farewell to Ibaka is a hard pill to swallow indeed. They pulled out all the stops in the offseason to acquire the Congolese forward from the Thunder, but the results have been far from their expectations. Ibaka’s numbers aren’t like what they used to be back in OKC, but that’s mostly a product of the Magic’s lack of talent to complement their new star and all-around poor execution.
Neither Terrence Ross nor a probable mid- to late-20s first-round pick this upcoming draft can salvage the utter disaster that Orlando has created. In summary: the Magic lost Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova, rookie Domantas Sabonis and now Ibaka in exchange for Ross and a draft pick, with all this mess having been created in less than a single calendar year.
Recent Trade Rumors
You’re probably tired of hearing about the rumors surrounding a possible Carmelo Anthony trade already, and it’s pretty safe to say that Melo’s chances of leaving The Big Apple is slim to none. Anthony will likely excercise his no-trade clause with the Knicks simply because he loves his hometown of New York too much (remember the hoops he put the Nuggets through just so he can be traded to the Knicks?). A handful of playoff contenders have already shied away from making a deal for the former third-overall pick (Celtics and Cavaliers), although the Clippers are still interested for as long as Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan are all off the table.
Speaking of the Clippers and Nuggets, it appears as if these two teams are about to get something going before the deadline, with Denver’s leading scorer Danilo Gallinari looking to become the next standout signing by Los Angeles. That further muddles up Anthony’s end of possibly playing for the Clips, but at least the Nuggets are also open to veering away from LA’s three-man core to make a trade for Gallo happen.
With the emergence of Joel Embiid, the 76ers’ crowded frontcourt has finally come full circle as what many had expected during the offseason. Between centers Embiid, Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor, it looks as though Okafor is the odd man out given his lackluster sophomore campaign. The Bulls are highly interested in having the 21-year-old play for his hometown of Chicago, but they lack the necessary pieces that could entice Philly to make a deal happen. Nevertheless, Okafor’s iffy status with the Sixers is definitely worth keeping a close eye on.
