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NBA Trades: 5 veterans that contending teams should target

By Dan Bennett

PORTLAND, OREGON - FEBRUARY 09: Terrence Ross #31 of the Orlando Magic reacts in the second quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on February 09, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OREGON - FEBRUARY 09: Terrence Ross #31 of the Orlando Magic reacts in the second quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on February 09, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
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NBA Trades
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 24: Terrence Ross #31 of the Orlando Magic drives to the basket against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on October 24, 2021 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement; NBA Trades. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images) /

It’s approaching that time of the NBA season where teams that have a chance of making a run in the playoffs look to the trade market to see what can be added to their rosters to improve their chances further.

Meanwhile, teams that have started the season poorly will start to think more about the future. This often means moving on from some established veterans in order to get younger.

The introduction of the play-in tournament means teams who may have previously embraced being in the draft lottery are instead hanging on a bit more to see if they can sneak into the postseason.

But while it has added an element of competitiveness to each conference, there are still a number of teams that have talented veterans who are contributing very little in a rebuilding situation. They would be better utilized playing winning basketball.

There are a number of quality NBA veterans that playoff-contending teams should target in the trade market. Here are five that could offer a lot more in winning situations…

NBA Trades: 5 veterans that contending teams should target – Terrence Ross

The Human Torch has barely been lit this season, but when the fire gets set, it reminds everyone of just how much Ross has to contribute to an NBA team.

Ross scored 22 fourth-quarter points to give the Orlando Magic victory over the New York Knicks earlier this season and later scored 19 in back-to-back games against the Knicks and Atlanta Hawks.

The 30-year-old was a legitimate Sixth Man of the Year candidate while Steve Clifford was still the head coach of the team. He has been one of the best spark plug scorers in the NBA with his ability to make extremely difficult shots.

Ross is best used in a situation where he can come off the bench and give teams an edge in winning situations. On a team like the Magic, where player development is the aim this season, Ross dominating the ball as part of the second unit does not make sense.

He averaged 15.6 points per game last season and is the perfect guy to come in as part of a second unit that is in need of an offensive boost.

The $12.5m salary makes a trade trickier, as it would take up a decent portion of a team’s salary cap, but the impact Ross can have means that might just be worth it.

POSSIBLE DESTINATIONS: New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers