NBA trade season unofficially begins today, as most of the players who signed free-agent deals are now eligible to be moved. We asked our Insider panelists which trades they want to see happen, what superstar players could be on the move and more.
1. Which East team should be looking to make a move?
Amin Elhassan, ESPN Insider: Milwaukee Bucks. While beating Golden State was a highlight, Milwaukee has been a disappointment, falling to bottom five in both offensive and defensive efficiency. The Bucks need more shooting. Even though they are converting 3s at an above-average clip, only two rotation players -- Khris Middleton and Jerryd Bayless -- are hitting better than 30 percent. That disparity, combined with a bottom-four ranking in 3-point attempts, leaves very little spacing for Jabari Parker and Greg Monroe.
David Thorpe, ESPN Insider: The Washington Wizards have to feel some tension, considering they are not currently a top-8 team in the East, and expectations were naturally very high just six weeks ago. Bradley Beal is once again injured, a fact that most certainly is forcing some late nights in their executive offices as they examine options.
Tom Haberstroh, ESPN Insider: Boston Celtics. When teams eventually call around looking to make change for a dollar, the C's pockets are spilling with quarters. So many useful young players on the roster. I mean, Tyler Zeller was the most efficient pick-and-roll player in the NBA last season (it's true!), and he is buried on the bench. Boston's brass has to be monitoring the DeMarcus Cousins situation in Sacramento very, very closely.
Chad Ford, ESPN Insider: Washington Wizards. The team has the 11th-best record in the East. Bradley Beal is down again, and with his injury history, the Wizards have every reason to be concerned. They also have major issues at power forward. For a team that's trying to lure Kevin Durant as a free agent, this is not where they want to be right now.
Bradford Doolittle, ESPN Insider: Any East team making the right move could vault to first or second. One of the biggest holes is at small forward for Charlotte, where Robert Covington would be huge. With Covington playing well for a team going nowhere this season, Philadelphia might be tempted to move him.
2. Which West team should be looking to make a move?
Elhassan: Houston Rockets, last year's second seed in the West but off to NBA's most disappointing start. The coaching switch from Kevin McHale (4-7) to J.B. Bickerstaff (8-6) has helped, but the Ty Lawson experiment hasn't worked, and they haven't gotten the same kind of defensive performance from their wings.
Thorpe: Houston is the common thought but I'd lean to the Los Angeles Clippers. They've been just kind of good, yet still sit as a 4-seed. Jamal Crawford's descent has not been matched with an ascension for Austin Rivers. If only Rivers were not the son of the coach/team president.
Haberstroh: Dallas Mavericks. The Dirk Nowitzki window won't be open forever. With several players overachieving, it's time to sell high and bring in a star before the bubble bursts. The Mavericks have an opportunity here to vault into the top four of the West and take advantage of the Rockets' and Clippers' stumbling.
Ford: Phoenix Suns. The team isn't bad enough to get a high lottery pick or good enough to contend. The Suns are in ninth in the West after finishing ninth and 10th the previous two seasons, which is NBA purgatory. Unless there is a decisive move in one direction or another, patience will run thin in Phoenix.
Doolittle: The Thunder need a true 3-and-D shooting guard and the Clippers need a small forward who can at least reach replacement level. It's hard to see either of those teams threatening the San Antonio-Golden State hegemony in the West without upgrading those slots.
3. Which team should be a "seller" before the trade deadline?
Elhassan: Phoenix Suns. The team hasn't overcome the specter of the Markieff Morris trade demand, while Tyson Chandler has struggled with a hamstring injury and slowed down. Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight are prolific scorers, but the team lacks playmakers, ranking 23rd in assist rate. Right now this looks like a team destined for one of the last two seats at the dais in Secaucus in May.
Thorpe: I wonder what a Grizzlies sell-off would bring, in terms of young players and draft picks. Mike Conley is a free agent in seven months, and if Conley goes, are we sure Marc Gasol would want to stay? Zach Randolph, Tony Allen, Courtney Lee and Jeff Green are not the future. With the right moves, that future could get much brighter.
Haberstroh: Memphis Grizzlies. Speaking of the Celtics, when the Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce era ran its course, the Celtics weren't afraid to hit the reset button. The Grizzlies should do the same. Not that "grit 'n grind" can't work in today's NBA, but the defensive numbers scream that the Conley-Randolph-Gasol trio have grinded to a halt.
Ford: New Orleans Pelicans. After their rough start, exacerbated by injury, they are unlikely to make the playoffs. They need a star to pair with Anthony Davis to avoid wasting his talent in the long term, and the draft is the best way to find one. So they should look to move players like Ryan Anderson, Tyreke Evans and Omer Asik for draft picks.
Doolittle: Memphis is ripe for a tear-down. Oldest roster in the league. A 14-12 record that is mostly smoke and mirrors -- they've got the point differential of an eventual 26-win team. Mike Conley is on an expiring deal. It's time to set up the franchise for its next iteration.
4. Which prominent player could be on the move this season?
Elhassan: Hassan Whiteside. His stellar numbers are an illusion, with the Heat much better defensively when the league's leading shot-blocker is off the floor. And his contract situation makes it difficult for Miami to retain him while maintaining the flexibility to improve the team further. Moving Whiteside along with a player like Chris Andersen would help Miami moving forward.
Thorpe: I picked Houston to win the West, so obviously I love their roster, but if things don't improve dramatically, I could see Dwight Howard (for Ryan Anderson and Omer Asik?) being the guy they deal. No chance they move Harden, and with the future looking so bright for Clint Capela, it won't mean Houston is quitting on this season. Anderson fits with the Rockets beautifully as a starter. Howard next to Anthony Davis is a nice thought too.
Haberstroh: I already mentioned DeMarcus Cousins and the core in Memphis, but keep an eye on Philadelphia. With Jerry Colangelo in town looking to shake things up, don't be surprised if Jahlil Okafor (or anyone, for that matter) gets moved. With an ill-fitting frontcourt and pressure from above, this is a recipe for trade fireworks.
Ford: Carmelo Anthony. He has a no-trade clause and loves playing in New York, making a trade difficult. But he and Kristaps Porzingis are on different career timetables, and the Knicks need to think about the future. Turning Anthony into young players or draft picks would allow them to really rebuild.
Doolittle: Ryan Anderson of New Orleans is on an expiring deal for a bad team. He could really move the needle for a contender and it makes sense for the Pelicans to deal him. As mentioned, Conley too is a classic trade candidate.
5. What's one trade you'd really like to see happen?
Elhassan: The Grizzlies still have tentpoles in Marc Gasol and Mike Conley, but they need a more complementary supporting cast, namely more shooting. While Tony Allen and Zach Randolph -- who are now coming off the bench for Memphis -- are undoubtedly on the downswing, they could still impact teams hoping to make a surge toward the postseason.
Thorpe: Getting back to the Gasol/Conley idea, I could see those two in Lakers jerseys, assuring that franchise would be very attractive to free agents, especially considering Kobe's retirement. (Calling Kevin Durant!). For that pair, Memphis could likely get D'Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson and a future first-round pick. Dave Joerger and the Grizzlies could start fresh with some young emerging players.
Haberstroh: Danilo Gallinari to the Celtics. Sure, Cousins represents the big whale for Boston, but Gallo could be more realistic. He may not be trade-eligible until February, but for a rebuilding organization in Denver, the Celtics have just what the Nuggets need: a trove of picks and youngsters to plant new seeds.
Ford: Carmelo to the Heat, Robin Lopez to the Kings and a combination headlined by Justise Winslow and Willie Cauley-Stein to the Knicks (with other players included for salary matching). Miami is a place where Anthony might agree to go, the Kings would get a center who adds defense and toughness and the Knicks would get two good prospects that intrigued them before the 2015 draft. While the Knicks would be taking a step back, it would show they were serious about building a great team.
Doolittle: If the Pistons could boost their bench, they could be a top-4 seed in the East. Detroit could move Brandon Jennings' expiring deal and a draft pick to the Lakers for Lou Williams, the reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year and a dynamic scorer off the bench but a player who is not a good fit for L.A. going forward.