Every NBA team needs a big wing.
There are very few certainties heading into the dawning NBA trade season, in part due to a bloated middle class -- 19 teams are two games over .500 or above -- and the 20-team postseason keeping everyone in some level of contention. It makes it hard to determine which teams will be making deals.
There is one unique circumstance to keep in mind. The NBA is in the middle of phasing in new rules for high-spending teams. Those deep into the luxury tax, particularly more than $17.5 million over the salary cap line known as the "second apron," are facing a series of limitations on transactions that make it harder to construct big trades.
Not all of the rules are in place yet but it will go into effect at the end of the regular season. This might encourage some of these teams to try to make a big move now before they can't. For example, the coming rules helped convince the Phoenix Suns to pursue a Bradley Beal trade last summer knowing they might not be able to make such a deal in the near future.
After all that, the only thing that is clear in the above statement is every team needs size on the perimeter. This is why there is going to be so much attention on the Toronto Raptors' potential free-agent-to-be trade targets, O.G. Anunoby and Pascal Siakam, and the Chicago Bulls' three valuable wings: Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso.
The teams with the worst records will also be watched, including the Detroit Pistons (Bojan Bogdanovic), Washington Wizards (Kyle Kuzma) and the San Antonio Spurs (Keldon Johnson).
So with the understanding that those names could probably be linked to half the league should they become available in a deal, here's a look at what contenders might be looking for as they enter the trade season.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Boston Celtics
Roster hole: Quality rotation player