Who should be the major sellers at the trade deadline, and what moves should they look to make?
Here are six teams on the decline with players who could help playoff contenders.
LA Clippers
The Clippers did a great job getting rid of Griffin's gigantic $173 million contract. Griffin just wasn't as effective as other max players, ranking 18th among power forwards in real plus-minus (RPM).
With the Pelicans likely dropping in the standings after DeMarcus Cousins' injury, there's a good chance the Clippers can make the playoffs.
But ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that the Clippers will look to make additional deals, with Lou Williams and DeAndre Jordan the trade bait. Williams' contract is expiring, and Jordan has a player option he'll most likely decline to get a longer deal. To avoid the worst-case scenario in which both leave for nothing, it makes sense for the Clippers to entertain offers.
According to RPM, Williams costs almost as much on defense as he provides on offense (offensive RPM 4.4, defensive RPM -3.5), so he should be coveted only by potential playoff teams that have trouble scoring, such as the Heat (25th in offensive rating), the Celtics (16th, and 29th since Christmas) and the 76ers.
Dealing Jordan will be more complicated, as only the Cavs and Bucks should be looking for immediate help at center. Generally, teams that receive a player of this caliber would at least want some sort of handshake agreement that he'll stay. But given that Jordan backed out of an agreement to sign with the Dallas Mavericks in 2015, will teams think twice about potentially renting Jordan for only a few months?
Orlando Magic
Orlando is in Year 4 with its current core and has the league's worst record to show for it. Rarely has a situation been more obvious: The Magic should start anew and follow the example of Sam Hinkie's 76ers -- bottom out and amass as many draft picks as possible.
If they want to hold on to someone, it should be Aaron Gordon, who has the highest ceiling thanks to his elite athleticism and has worked on his game, greatly improving the frequency and accuracy of his 3-point shooting. Jonathan Isaac, Orlando's 2017 first-round pick, might become a good player as well.
Everyone else should be made available, although the Magic are unlikely to get much in return for anyone except maybe Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier.
Chicago Bulls
The Bulls should continue the rebuild process and add draft picks. Robin Lopez and Nikola Mirotic could prove quite useful to playoff contenders, with Cleveland and Milwaukee being the two obvious destinations -- both need better rim protection and players who can stretch the floor.
I've already suggested dealing the two for Kevin Love and the Brooklyn pick, if Cleveland is desperate enough to improve in those two areas. Finding a deal with the Bucks is more complicated, as the best draft pick the Bucks can offer, after trading their 2018 first-round pick to the Suns in the Eric Bledsoe deal, is their 2020 first-round pick.
Mirotic, on his own, would be a good fit in New Orleans next to Anthony Davis. Washington, potentially wanting to upgrade at the weakest spot in its starting lineup, could also make sense as a destination, where Mirotic would replace Markieff Morris.
Memphis Grizzlies
It's probably time to end this era of Grizzlies basketball. Mike Conley, who is now 30, is out for the season, and Marc Gasol is 33. Memphis seems unlikely to return to postseason play after seven straight years of making the playoffs.
Given that Conley has a rather large contract and presents a bit of a gamble with his current injury status, Memphis should probably wait another year to deal him, hoping that he regains form and thus market value.
The players that should attract immediate interest are Gasol and Tyreke Evans. I've already suggest a Gasol trade to Cleveland, but the Bucks should be a great fit as well.
Evans is playing great basketball -- he's currently top 30 in RPM -- but his contract is expiring and he's not expected to re-sign with Memphis. Detroit could use an upgrade at point guard, especially with Reggie Jackson injured, and might emerge as a destination as they make a push for the playoffs.
For Memphis, shipping Evans out would have the benefit of improving the Grizzlies' draft position.
Phoenix Suns
The Suns are having another season fans will want to forget. Only Devin Booker has been a bright spot, with recent lottery picks Dragan Bender, Marquese Chriss and Josh Jackson delivering disappointing performances.
Jared Dudley, a player whose plus-minus numbers have always outshined his box score numbers and physical attributes, might be enticing for teams that need a no-nonsense small forward with the ability to hit the 3. The Wolves, who should be desperate to reduce Jamal Crawford's and Shabazz Muhammad's minutes, would be a good fit, and so might be the Pelicans and 76ers.
Tyson Chandler's best days are behind him, but the Cavaliers are among the teams in need of an upgrade at center. His defense remains strong and his rebounding rate is eighth-best in the league.
Sacramento Kings
The Kings made it clear they have little use for their veterans when they announced they would sit two of them per game, so why not deal them? However, they shouldn't expect a big return.
Among those veterans, 41-year-old Vince Carter actually has the best RPM -- he's been a positive contributor this season. For teams with specific needs, Carter, Zach Randoph and Kosta Koufos might be worth a second-round pick each.
George Hill, before this season, was an advanced metrics darling. I think he could regain his form in Cleveland and provide much-needed defensive stability at the point guard spot -- a position where the Cavs keep substituting one defense disaster for another.