The NBA Trade Deadline is upon us, as it falls on Friday, Feb. 7 at 1:30am IST.
There have been increased rumblings about teams that could be active and players that could be on the move but we're still waiting on a GM to make a big splash.
MORE: The biggest league-wide questions entering the 2020 NBA trade deadline
With a potentially active deadline just hours away, our staff chimes in with what one trade they'd most like to see happen.
Scott Rafferty (@crabdribbles): I would love to see Jrue Holiday on the Denver Nuggets.
As I wrote in my trade destinations for Holiday, he'd replace Gary Harris in Denver's starting lineup since Harris would almost certainly have to be included to match salaries. Holiday brings a lot of the same things Harris does, only he does everything at a higher level — he's a better creator, defender, rebounder and passer.
Holiday has even been a better 3-point shooter than Harris this season, which is notable because 3-point shooting was the one advantage Harris had over Holiday when the news first broke that he might be available.
To acquire Holiday, there's a good chance the Nuggets would have to give up Michael Porter Jr. in addition to Harris. (The New Orleans Pelicans would be wise to ask for him, anyway).
Is Holiday worth parting ways with Porter for? It would certainly hurt moving someone whose future is as bright as Porter's, but there's no doubt that Holiday raises their ceiling this season and next, giving them a real shot at competing with the Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers at the top of the Western Conference.
It might ultimately come down to how close the Nuggets think they really are to winning it all. If they believe they're one piece away, Holiday makes a lot of sense.
Gilbert McGregor (@GMcGregor21): Derrick Rose to the Los Angeles Lakers.
What's better than having three former No. 1 overall picks on your roster? Having four, of course.
Acquiring Rose, who is averaging 18.5 points and 5.8 assists per game this season, would signify the Lakers being all-in on a title push, as he checks two boxes. As indicated by his numbers, Rose is doing a great job creating for himself and others, which is a big need for a Los Angeles team that sees its offence stall at times when LeBron James is on the bench.
There are some complications that could keep this from happening, though.
According to Spotrac, Rose is making $7.3 million this season, meaning the Lakers would have to pair a number of contracts in order to match salaries. Kyle Kuzma has been mentioned as the player the Lakers might be willing to part ways with but his $1.9 million salary isn't enough.
From there on, most players either have a no-trade clause in their contract, are too important to team success, or both. Unless a third team gets involved, we ultimately might not see this one happen.
Micah Adams (@MicahAdams13): Bogdan Bogdanovic to the Toronto Raptors
We know Masai Ujiri likes to think big.
We know Bogdanovic isn't thrilled in Sacramento.
We know Bogdanovic is a restricted free agent this summer and looking for a nice pay day. And given Sacramento's investment in De'Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield, do they really want to match the big offer sure to come Bogdanovic's way this summer?
If the Toronto Raptors truly decide to go for it yet again, Bogdanovic is the type of plug-and-play scorer that would fit seamlessly into the Raptors' roster. He's a 27-year-old seasoned pro used to big games on the big stage from his time in Europe, the exact type of player Toronto might find appealing for another deep playoff run.
As great as Norman Powell has been up until his injury, Bogdanovic represents a significant upgrade.
So what would it take?
The two packages that make the most sense would be built around either Powell or OG Anunoby.
Powell is under contract for $10.8M next season and has a player option for $11.6M in 2021-22. If Sacramento views Powell as the ideal sixth man to pair alongside Fox and Hield, someone with significant playoff experience that's capable of lighting it up off the bench at either guard spot, perhaps he's the perfect replacement for Bogdanovic.
Or perhaps they'd be more inclined to want Anunoby who still has the potential to be an ever-valuable 3-and-D player that would fit in well on a Kings roster lacking in true small forwards. He's still only 22 years old and matches up with Sacramento's timeline at an area of need.
Giving up on Anunoby would be a tough pill to swallow for a Raptors' front office that balked at including him in a trade for Kawhi Leonard. And Bogdanovic is not Kawhi Leonard.
But if Ujiri truly sees a path towards reaching a second straight NBA Finals, Bogdanovic offers up the big game shot-making that could make the difference in the Eastern Conference.
Benyam Kidane (@BenyamKidane): Tristan Thompson to the Los Angeles Clippers
For all the talent on the Clippers roster, there's one glaring need in the middle with Ivica Zubac and Montrezl Harrell currently holding it down in the frontcourt.
While the duo is serviceable for now, how will that translate in a seven-game series against the likes of Utah's Rudy Gobert, Denver's Nikola Jokic and the gigantic Los Angeles Lakers?
Enter Tristan Thompson.
According to Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes, the Cavaliers have made Thompson available ahead of the deadline and with the 28-year-old enjoying a career year, averaging 11.9 points and 10.4 rebounds in Cleveland, he could be the piece to take them over the top.
The Clippers are a strong defensive outfit, but they're a are a middle of the road team when it comes to protecting the rim, with opponents shooting 60.7 percent within 5 feet.
Thompson would immediately be an upgrade as a rim protector at 6-foot-9 and can provide an effective option as a screener/roll-man on offence, not to mention his offensive rebounding. He brings with him championship experience after winning a ring with the Cavs in 2016, where he was coached by current Clippers assistant coach Tyronne Lue.
The Canadian is currently on an expiring $18.5 million deal, so a combination of Mo Harkless ($11.5m) and JaMychael Green ($4.7m) would be enough to match salaries to get the deal done, but the Cavs would likely want a combination of young players and picks.
The Clippers have their 2020 first-round pick, plus a pair of future second-round picks to sweeten the deal, along with young players like Rodney McGruder or Jerome Robinson.
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