Tag: 2024 NBA Trade Deadline

1 NBA trade deadline 2024 deal that makes sense for every championship contender

Here’s one deal every NBA championship contender should make at the trade deadline.

Super Bowl week in the NBA means one crucial thing. The trade deadline, rife with interesting players galore, is just around the corner. Any contenders, bottom-feeders, or mediocre also-rans looking for a boost in players or future assets have until 3 p.m. Eastern time this Thursday to swing deals at their heart’s content.

(Clears throat): If LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are indeed planning something, they have until then.

This deadline is particularly important to the NBA’s cream of the crop, the genuine championship contenders. With all due respect to squads like the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat — who could be reasonably classified as contenders by the end of the year — I have narrowed this crop down to four teams in each conference. (The Lakers need not apply.) These are the eight teams who could either swing for the fences or make minor but necessary depth additions in their respective title pursuits:

West

  • Denver Nuggets (defending champions)
  • Los Angeles Clippers
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • Oklahoma City Thunder

East

  • Boston Celtics
  • New York Knicks
  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • Philadelphia 76ers

As the specter of the NBA’s trade deadline looms, let’s break down one deal that makes sense for each of these heavyweights.

Report: Nets’ Nic Claxton could be ‘more available’ than previously believed

NBA reported Marc Stein reported on Thursday that Brooklyn Nets center Nic Claxton could be ‘more available’ than initially believed.

The Brooklyn Nets have a lot to think about with the NBA trade deadline being less than one week from now (Feb. 8). As they continue their rebuild in a pivotal time for the franchise, it’s possible that someone unexpected could be moved.

NBA reporter Marc Stein reported via his Substack on Thursday that Nets center Nic Claxton could be “more available” for a trade than the public has been led to believe about his status. Claxton is in the final year of his rookie contract and based on his performance over the last two seasons, he is expected to command at least $20 million annually during his free-agency this summer.

Claxton has been the anchor of Brooklyn’s defense over the last two seasons and he has also shown considerable improvement in his offensive game. At the moment, Claxton’s value on the court is as a lob threat, occasional scorer in the post, and a defender who can switch onto any position as well as defend the rim at an elite level.

Stein also noted in his piece that there are “mixed signals” about what Brooklyn plans to do regarding Claxton as he approaches free-agency. Claxton, 24, is averaging 12.4 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting 63.2% from the field.

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Brooklyn Nets fans want the organization to pick a direction soon

According to a recent poll by NetsDaily (@NetsDaily), most Brooklyn Nets fans want the team to either enter a full rebuild or trade for a star player.

The Brooklyn Nets (19-28, 11th in the Eastern Conference prior to Thursday’s games) are believed to be one of the teams that will be active in the trade market prior to the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 8. One of the main topics surrounding the Nets as we approach the deadline is what will the Nets do before the deadline passes.

While time will tell what Brooklyn ends up doing during this week, there is an idea of what the Nets fanbase wants the team to do. According to a recent poll done by NetsDaily (below), most of Brooklyn’s fanbase wants the Nets to either trade some of their more valuable players in an effort to enter a full rebuild or to trade for a star-level player.

It’s clear that the Nets’ season has gone off the rails as they are just 6-18 after a 13-10 start to this year. One of the main reasons for Brooklyn’s slide has been the relative lack of playmaking without Ben Simmons in the lineup as he has played in just seven games thus far mostly due to a nerve impingement in his left lower back.

Up to this point, it seems that Brooklyn is expected to trade their three 30-year-old veterans in Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Royce O’Neale. However, there has been little indication outside of that of what the Nets are planning to do prior to the deadline.

What is known is that Brooklyn is not intent on trading Mikal Bridges as they have reportedly told multiple teams, including the Houston Rockets, that Bridges is not available. That report created quite a stir on social media as the Rockets control Brooklyn’s own draft capital (in terms of picks and pick swaps) until 2028.

As mentioned above, there hasn’t been much indication of what the Nets intend to do by the deadline aside from the obvious trade of the veterans. However, with less than one week left to make a decision, something is bound to happen soon.

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