[Bleacherreport.com]Predicting Biggest Movers and Shakers Before NBA Trade Deadline 2/18

Rocket River · Feb 1, 2016

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...-movers-and-shakers-before-nba-trade-deadline

Brooklyn Net - Unless the Nets are willing to deal Brook Lopez or Thaddeus Young, they don't have anyone or anything of real value to trade other than Bojan Bogdanovic and Joe Johnson's still-too-big-to-move expiring contract.

Chicago Bulls - All is hunky-dory now that the Chicago Bulls are rolling, but their frontcourt logjam won't be going away. Pau Gasol. Taj Gibson. Doug McDermott. Nikola Mirotic. Joakim Noah. Bobby Portis. It's a mess of depth

Philadelphia 76ers - If the Sixers are truly done tanking, more moves are on the way. They could own as many as five first-round picks this summer, and the Joel Embiid-Nerlens Noel-Jahlil Okafor-Dario Saric logjam needs to be cleared up before Embiid and Saric actually make their NBA debuts.

Boston Celtics - Cue the bullet points: Certain players aren't getting enough playing time (Kelly Olynyk), others are falling entirely out of the rotation (David Lee), and the Celtics still lack that trademark superstar.
Boston will most likely own three first-rounders leading into this year's draft, and there's no way Ainge uses all of them.
Jared Sullinger and Tyler Zeller are approaching restricted free agency, and Olynyk will be eligible for an extension this summer. Not one of them is on the cusp of stardom, so it would be tough for the Celtics to invest in all three.
Lee's expiring $15.5 million salary can anchor any big-time trade with a team lusting after financial flexibility.
A second-ranked defense is complemented by a bottom-10 offense that needs another featured scorer aside from Isaiah Thomas.

Houston - general manager Daryl Morey isn't one for selling off bargain-bin talent, but he may have no choice. Pairing K.J. McDaniels, Jones or Motiejunas with Corey Brewer's contract is a good way to clear cap space in anticipation of free agency. Houston is dedicated to poaching talent in free agency and immediately chasing championships. The current team is nowhere near good enough to win anything meaningful and must be accordingly tweaked, if not mercifully gutted, to better reflect the Rockets' aspirations.

Pheonix - As Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders wrote, "I was told by one team linked to him that it was more likely I make their team than 'Kieff. He is not coveted." If selling low on Morris is what it takes, then that's what it takes. He isn't worth the rumor-rife atmosphere he creates to an organization that must involuntarily change course. Devin Booker's rise through the rotation yet again leaves the team with some tough backcourt questions. One of Bledsoe and Brandon Knight is expendable long term if Phoenix buys Booker's per-36-minute explosion.

New Orleans - Free-agent-to-be Ryan Anderson has frequented the rumor mill in recent weeks and is a good place to start. Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry kind-of-sort-of denied that the power forward was available, according to the New Orleans Advocate's Brett Dawson, but he's due for a hefty raise over the offseason. Using one of Anderson, Tyreke Evans and Jrue Holiday as a buffer for an Omer Asik salary dump is the ideal play. He is owed more than $50 million through 2019-20 and doesn't fit Gentry's intended offensive style, and the subsequent cap space would be particularly valuable.

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Do we expect much movement?
any surprises?

Rocket River

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[Bleacherreport.com]Predicting Biggest Movers and Shakers Before NBA Trade Deadline 2/18

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