The NBA trade deadline is only a few days away and while there have already been some major moves, there are still several contending teams to keep an eye on.
From a glaring issue the Dallas Mavericks need to address to intrigue in Los Angeles, here is the latest trade talk!
HORNETS EYE AUSSIE IF DEAL IS DONE WITH MAVS
Could Australian Josh Green be on the move ahead of the trade deadline?
Well, it may be the case if Dallas continues to show interest in Charlotte’s P.J. Washington according to respected NBA insider Marc Stein.
The Mavericks have been after reinforcements at power forward given Grant Williams’ inconsistent play so far this season and have recently been linked to Washington.
They are not the only team interested in the Hornets forward though, with reports on the weekend that the Los Angeles Clippers have also identified Washington as a potential target.
Which leads us to what Dallas may therefore have to give up in return to land the 25-year-old.
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According to Stein, including Green in the deal seems to be at the top of Charlotte’s wish list.
“The Hornets have designs on pursuing Josh Green from Dallas if P.J. Washington talks with the Mavericks go anywhere,” Stein wrote.
As Stein went to point out, Dallas refused to include Green in a potential trade with Atlanta for Clint Capela and the Hawks’ No. 15 pick that would have also seen the Mavs send their 10th overall pick.
Instead, Dallas signed Green to a three-year, $41 million contract extension in October.
The versatile Australian has flashed his scoring potential in games where either Kyrie Irving or Luka Doncic have been unavailable but otherwise has struggled at times to consistently inject himself into games and be the kind of impact player the Mavs hoped he would develop into.
Kyle Kuzma has also been linked to the Mavericks, who Stein reports are “prioritising power forwards over small forwards in its quest to address the team’s size and defensive shortcomings” ahead of the deadline.
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LAKERS NOT BUDGING DESPITE LEBRON’S CLEAR MESSAGE
Elsewhere, the Lakers need upgrades ahead of the trade deadline. LeBron James made that clear with his not-so-subtle hourglass emoji post last week.
The only problem is they may be limited in the kind of moves they can make and any pressure from James is unlikely to change that according to one ESPN insider.
Speaking on SportsCenter, Brian Windhorst said “we’re about an ‘8’ on the ‘LeBron Passive Aggressive Trade Deadline’ time scale”.
“The Lakers to this point, from what I am told by sources, have not reacted to LeBron’s maneuvers, including wearing the Knicks towel last night, and they have kind of held firm in their talks,” he said.
“The issue with the Lakers is they have only a couple of draft assets left, and they just want to hold onto them.”
Windhorst reported that the Lakers have agreed to make their 2029 first-round pick, which is the only one that they are allowed to trade right now, available before the deadline.
That is a good thing too considering ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski previously reported the Lakers would “almost assuredly” have to include it in a trade for their top target, Hawks guard Dejounte Murray.
Reports initially suggested there was hesitation from Atlanta to take D’Angelo Russell from Los Angeles in a deal, although Russell’s recent run of form could also give the Lakers pause.
Either way, Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports said on KEGL-FM in Dallas-Fort Worth that the Lakers “just don’t have a clear obvious package that’s going to give the Hawks the picks they want”.
“A player who doesn’t have what’s considered to be like bad long-term salary,” Fischer added.
With all that in mind and the fact the Lakers can move up to three first-round picks from the day of the 2024 draft, it may make more sense to target a bigger swing in the summer instead — even if it means driving James away.
“You know they’ve been in discussions with the Atlanta Hawks over Dejounte Murray,” Windhorst said.
“The Hawks have pushed the Lakers to improve the offer and it’s difficult for them do that because they are so limited in what they can offer.
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“What the Lakers need to get back for this last first-round pick is higher than what another team that might have four, five or six available first-round picks would need and that’s why I think you’re going to see negotiations get all the way down to the trade deadline whether that involves Dejounte Murray or someone else or whether the Lakers, who have got improved play from D’Angelo Russell, stand pat.”
Only complicating matters is the questions over James’ own future beyond this season.
The Lakers superstar has a $51.4 million player option in his contract for next season and has spoken at length of his desire to play with son Bronny, who could potentially enter this year’s draft.
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