A Spalding Basketball on center court after a game. ( Photo Courtesy NBA)
The 2022-2023 NBA (National Basketball Association) season has been terrific. Several players are having an exceptional first half of the season as seen with the growth of Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, who are both leading candidates to be the Most Valuable Player for the season. Also, Los Angeles Lakers forward Lebron James passed Kareem Abdul Jabbar on February 7th, 2023, to become the all-time leading scorer in NBA history. However, in the shadows of all the glory is the NBA trade deadline on February 9th.
On Monday, the Brooklyn Nets traded point guard Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks. Irving demanded a trade last Friday after the Nets and Irving's camp could not agree on an extension after the team put contract stipulations on a new contract. Irving and Nets owner Joe Tsai experienced numerous fallouts while Irving was in Brooklyn, so the split between the Nets and Irving came as no surprise. The trade included Kyrie Irving and Markieff Morris to the Dallas Mavericks for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2027 second-round pick, an unprotected 2029 first-round pick, and a 2029 second-round pick.
As the standings in both the East and Western conferences continue to go back and forth, lower-ranked teams in both conferences are in the position to make the playoffs and even the finals. Teams that are exploring to improve their rosters before the trade deadline are the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Teams that will be selling during the deadline are the Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers, Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, Utah Jazz, Charlotte Hornets, San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Orlando Magic, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Atlanta Hawks.
Players that are being monitored as the trade deadline approaches are Russell Westbrook of the Los Angeles Lakers, Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr, Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors, Mike Conley and Malik Beasley of the Utah Jazz, Kyle Lowry of the Miami Heat, Cam Reddish of the New York Knicks, John Collins of the Atlanta Hawks, John Wall of the Los Angeles Clippers, Terry Rozier of the Charlotte Hornets, Alex Caruso and Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls, Kevin Love of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Eric Gordon of the Houston Rockets, and D'Angelo Russell of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Another player whose name has been included in trade deadline conversations is the Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant. During the summer of 2022, Durant requested a trade out of Brooklyn due to the direction the Nets were going in the offseason and the team’s environment. James Harden and Kyrie Irving, both of whom Durant recruited to play with him on the Brooklyn Nets, are now on different teams. If the Nets decide to trade Durant, teams that should consider acquiring him are the Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns, and Philadelphia 76ers because they have the salary cap, space, lottery picks, and players that would be a good fit for the Nets. The question is if the Nets will decide to trade him.
There is plenty of talent available to be traded by the deadline. Whether it is a team looking to rebuild or strengthen its roster, the next two days will be filled with excitement and surprises, and it will be interesting to see what different teams look like after the All-Star break.
Have an opposing viewpoint to this opinion? Let us know. All views are welcomed. Send your thoughts to our Editorial Staff – Editor Dylan Hicks dhicks@student.dean.edu or Dean was Daily Faculty Advisor, Professor John Rooke jrooke@dean.edu