Deadline dealing and trade stealing
Welcome to the first issue of “Fast Break,” dissecting the top storylines and drama dominating NBA headlines as the playoffs draw closer as the NBA regular season is past its halfway point. From championship contenders to bottom-of-the-barrel draft lottery pundits, all 30 teams have seemingly settled in their place for the rest of the regular season. However, that won’t stop me from speculating, as the trade deadline always has come with a few surprises.
The Los Angeles Lakers made their first move on Jan. 23, flipping guard Kendrick Nunn and a barrage of second round picks to the Washington Wizards for forward Rui Hachimura. Hachimura, while consistently inconsistent, should shoulder some of the offensive load off LeBron James and overall looks to be a solid third or fourth option. They made yet another move on Wednesday in a three-team trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz, moving a tandem of Russell Westbrook and a future first-round pick for a package centered around Minnesota’s D’Angelo Russell. The Westbrook Experiment is now over, and Laker fans may rejoice. Russell improves the backcourt tremendously, and with Nick Young no longer on the LA roster, his return should go a lot better than his first stint in Hollywood. I’d be surprised if L.A. didn’t push for deals up until the deadline, though.
The Dallas Mavericks made (unarguably) the biggest splash, acquiring eight-time All-Star and former flat-Earther guard Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for guard Spencer Dinwiddie — who makes his return to the Barclays Center — forward Dorian Finney-Smith and a variety of future picks. Irving will join the Mavs’ MVP candidate Luka Doncic in what should be one of the most electric backcourts in the league. Dallas needed someone, anyone, outside of Doncic, and they got a good one in the recently-announced All-Star starter Irving.
The Nets, meanwhile, have no idea what they’re doing. Yes, Irving may be an irreverent prima donna. However, the incompetence of Brooklyn owner Joe Tsai and general manager Sean Marks is really something to consider. This was not the first time a Nets superstar publicly requested a trade; forward Kevin Durant demanded a trade from Brooklyn last offseason, before ultimately deciding to stay in New York. Yeah, yeah sure — Durant’s also known for these kinds of over dramatic antics. If you’ve ever checked out his Twitter, you know what I’m talking about. But seriously, how do you acquire two — three if you count current Philadelphia 76er James Harden — superstars, and end up pissing all of them off in just three years? All I’m saying is I don’t think I could even do that, and I still dislike Durant for leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder all those years ago. And Tsai and Marks are supposed to be professionals in one of the biggest markets in the league? Really makes you think.
Whether Durant may or may not be moved is a question in itself. However, I’d rather discuss some of the more under-the-radar potential deals that could surface by 12 p.m. on Thursday. The Detroit Pistons are in the middle of yet another tanking season and currently hold the last spot in the Eastern Conference. 23-year-old forward Saddiq Bey appears to be their most expendable asset, and I think most teams on the brink of contention would love 15 points and 5 rebounds a night on an around league-average efficiency. He’s also pretty durable, appearing in 51 out of the Pistons’ 54 games so far this season. Bey had flashed some serious potential as well, especially when he dropped 51 points against the Orlando Magic last March. The New York Knicks and Miami Heat may be the frontrunners to land Bey. If I were the Pistons, a first-rounder and another player for the forward would make me ecstatic.
The Toronto Raptors, despite holding premier talent such as forward and 2022 Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes and former All-Stars Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet, are middling in the Eastern Conference. As a result, the 10th-seeded Raptors could ship forward OG Anunoby to a contender, most likely in the West. The New Orleans Pelicans and Memphis Grizzlies would love to add a 17 points-per-game scorer to their arsenals, so a couple of first-round picks would be well worth it.
Finally, Jae Crowder. The Phoenix Suns forward have not stepped foot on the court all season, but I’m willing to bet the ringless veteran would love some playing time on a championship contending team. The Milwaukee Bucks could use another small forward who can shoot outside when needed, so Crowder for a few players should work out. Honestly, Phoenix might deal Crowder for anything at this point.
All of these picks could hit. The chances of me going 0-4 are probably just as high. Whether we like it or not, the deadline always surprises us. Despite this, I’m excited for what is to come. Irving may have been the biggest fish, but there’s sure to be plenty of talent on the move. In my next column, the NBA will be fresh off the All-Star Break, and I’ll be detailing how I think the regular season will shake up.
Dominic Varela is a sophomore writing about all things NBA as the playoffs draw ever closer. His column “Fast Break” runs every other Thursday.