3 contenders that badly need a trade before the deadline

The NBA trade deadline is a time for teams to assess how their season has gone so far and decide what direction they want to take for the rest of it. It’s one of the most exciting times in the league each year, as it holds the possibility of each team getting better or worse overnight. In this article, I’ll go over three teams that need to improve at the deadline if they hope to compete for a title come playoff time.

Brooklyn Nets: A big man at Barclays Center.

After a terrible start to the season that caused major instability within the Nets’ organization, Brooklyn has finally found their footing. They are currently 4th in the Eastern Conference with a 30-19 record. By no means have the Nets turned around their season just yet, though.

Incredible performances from Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, along with the solid production of role players such as Royce O’Neale, Nic Claxton, and Seth Curry have carried the Nets to their recent wins. However, this team still has some flaws. This can be seen in games such as their 130-122 loss to the Detroit Pistons of all teams, or a less excusable but still poor defensive showing in a 137-133 loss to the Philidelphia 76ers. The roster lacks size and depth in the frontcourt, and it’s hurting their defense. Here is a trade that could fix that weakness.

Poeltl is a player who should be targeted by many teams around the league. He a big man who can protect the paint at an elite level and switch onto guards on the perimeter if needed. He’s even a threat offensively, averaging 12 points per game despite not having the ball in his hands very often, along with an impressive three assists per game.

Giving up two first-round picks is an expensive price for Brooklyn to pay, but the quality of those picks isn’t very high as they come from two contending teams, the Nets themselves and the 76ers. It still may be an overpay, but again, Poeltl is a player many teams will be making offers for and it could take two first-rounders to outbid everyone else. As a bonus, Brooklyn would bring in Josh Richardson, who’s averaging 11 points per game while playing some solid defense as well. With a good end to the season, he could be another addition to the Nets’ playoff rotation.

From San Antonio’s perspective, they would get back picks for their veterans, a simple and logical decision to make as the 14th seed in the Western Conference.

Miami Heat: Desperate times call for desperate measures.

The Heat have seemingly fallen apart since their NBA Finals run in the 2020 bubble. Outside the big three of Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, and Bam Adebayo, most of their supporting cast has either fallen off or left. Six of the nine players in their finals rotation are no longer getting minutes.

This has left the Heat without much depth, and it’s shown in their performance so far this season. Their 4th ranked defense has carried them to an above .500 record at 28-22, but Miami ranks 27th in the league in both offensive rating and team three-point percentage. Clearly, any kind of offensive upgrade is needed. Here is a trade that would accomplish this.

Only an extremely desperate team would give up two unprotected first-round picks and a lightly protected first-rounder all the way in 2029 for a return that doesn’t have an All-Star player. Yup, that’s where the Heat are at.

Desperation isn’t the only reason the Heat would make this trade, though. While none of Vanvleet, Trent Jr, or Young is an All-Star, their combined impacts total more than one All-Star caliber player. Vanvleet and Young are proven veterans and have played in many playoff games. In Vanvleet’s case, he’s having a down year, but his status as a respected veteran still should have teams expecting him to bounce back. Trent has only played in one playoff series and struggled. However, he still would provide some much-needed shooting and shot-creation, as well as some youth at 22 years old.

Miami also gets to move off Duncan Robinson and Kyle Lowry’s contracts in this deal– an accomplishment to be equally proud and embarrassed about.

From the Raptors’ side of things, a rebuild seems to be on the horizon. A recent statement from New Orleans Pelicans guard C.J. McCollum says as much. This deal would get Toronto a haul of picks in return for three players who, if they plan to rebuild, won’t be a part of their long-term future.

Dallas Mavericks: Getting Luka Doncic much-needed help.

After making a run to the Western Conference Finals last season, the Mavericks are now fighting to keep their play-in spot. Dallas currently ranks 8th in the West with a 26-25 record, which would be much worse if not for the historic play of Luka Doncic.

The lack of shot creation around Doncic has always been an issue for the Mavs. And after losing Jalen Brunson to the New York Knicks over the summer, it has become an absolute necessity to add offensive talent around Luka. Otherwise, the team has no chance of making it beyond the second round of the playoffs at best. Here is a trade that could at least make things much easier for Doncic moving forward.

Acquiring a big man in Ayton instead of a playmaking guard or forward will not fix the lack of shot creation. However, in a game that’s become positionless, Ayton’s value as a shot creator has never been fully explored, which I think Dallas could change.

Ayton has developed a solid post-up game and even has some ability outside of the post, shooting about 43% from the mid-range on 160 attempts for the season. The Suns have become fairly successful when they run the offense through him. It would be a very smart move for the Mavericks to land him a price that guarantees the deal will be worth it regardless of what level Ayton reaches.

As for Phoenix, Ayton has seemed unhappy ever since the Suns showed hesitancy in offering him a contract extension before the start of last season. Moving on may be best for both parties depending on what the Suns can get in return. Offensively, Wood has had a similar statistical season to Ayton’s and would be a better fit in Phoenix’s offense as a floor spacer. Bullock and McGee would be nice additions as well despite both having down years this season.