Welcome to trade season.
As the calendar flipped to Wednesday, Dec. 15, many players around the NBA became eligible to be traded, changing the number of eligible trade targets from approximately 65 per cent to about 85 per cent of the entire league.
The NBA’s collective bargaining agreement for this season states that a free agent who signs with a team this past off-season can’t be dealt until at least Dec. 15, meaning that, on Wednesday, a whole slew of new players who weren’t available in a trade before have suddenly become eligible.
The NBA’s trade deadline isn’t until Feb. 10 and, in fact, on Jan. 15 even more players will become eligible to be traded — a small subset of players who signed as free agents whose trade ineligibility lasts an extra month because they meet the specific criteria of re-signing with their previous team, got a raise of at least 20 per cent, their salary is worth more than the minimum and their team used their Bird or Early Bird rights to bring them back. So between now and Feb. 10, expect the NBA’s hot stove to slowly but surely crank up as the majority of the league is now open for business.
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Therefore, making a trade for, say, a Ben Simmons has become that much easier as there are more assets at play to try to make a deal work – with potentially more on the way in a month’s time.
Of course, just because more players can be traded doesn’t mean trades will begin to fly all over the place, but you can and should expect more activity, particularly as 2021 ends and 2022 begins as we march towards the February trade deadline.
So, as trade season gets going, here’s a few rumours circulating around the league to kick things off, and where they might lead to.
Seven teams who have expressed interest in Ben Simmons
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings are among the teams who have expressed interest in the Philadelphia 76ers all-star Simmons.
It was reported last week the wheels on a Simmons deal were gaining momentum, and this tidbit from Charania just appears to confirm that.
Simmons has yet to play for the 76ers this season, saying he wasn’t mentally ready to play for the team.
There’s been a stand-off of sorts between Simmons and the 76ers , but as the trade deadline approaches, there should be a move made. Whether or not the 76ers receive the kind of all-star-calibre player and/or multiple first-round picks that Sixers president Daryl Morey has coveted remains to be seen, though.
Kings shopping around Buddy Hield, Marvin Bagley package
The Sacramento Kings are shopping around a package involving sharpshooting guard Buddy Hield and former No. 2 overall pick Marvin Bagley, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee is reporting.
This trade, it sounds like, would be in order to acquire a talented player right now.
As Anderson noted, the Kings have expressed interest Simmons as well as the Toronto Raptors’ Pascal Siakam.
Simmons, of course, is available in a trade, but whether a package with Hield and Bagley is enough for the Sixers remains to be seen.
And as for Siakam, while he is a constant topic of discussion among Raptors fans, Hield and Bagley for him likely isn’t the kind of return you’d want to see for a former All-NBA performer.
Latest info on Pacers situation
Last week, Charania and Bob Kravitz of The Athletic came out with a report saying the Pacers were looking to move towards a rebuild and open to moving good young veterans such as Caris LeVert, Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner.
In Charania’s latest piece, he pointed out the obvious by saying that Sabonis, a two-time all-star, “is expected to generate strong interest and is among the attractive players who could be available in a trade.”
Charania said the Pacers likely will move only one of Sabonis and Turner.
Rockets open to offers for Christian Wood
The Houston Rockets could be willing to listen to offers on rising star centre Christian Wood, as ESPN’s Tim McMahon said on an episode of The Lowe Post last week.
Wood had a breakout season last season and has been rounding into form again of late this year, particularly as the Rockets have won eight of their last 10 games, and could make for a relatively attractive piece on the open market as he’s a talented, mobile big man with three-point range and strong rim-protecting abilities.
With that said, he is still only 26 and while the Rockets are a team that is looking to rebuild, he’s a good piece that can help Houston, so it’s no sure thing he’ll be dealt.
Plenty of interest in Jerami Grant and other quick-hitters
Charania had a number of quick trade notes in his latest piece:
• “Dozens of teams” call Detroit about forward Jerami Grant each week, with the Lakers and Blazers among clubs in hot pursuit of the forward who is putting up all-star-calibre numbers despite playing for the lowly Pistons. Detroit is, supposedly, open to offers on Grant.
• Atlanta Hawks guard Cam Reddish is receiving interest around the league, but it looks like the Hawks will be looking for a first-round pick for him.
• The Orlando Magic are seeking draft capital, likely a first-round pick, for veteran bench gunner and former Raptor Terrence Ross.
• San Antonio Spurs guard Bryn Forbes is likely to receive interest from contending teams looking to add a little more shooting pop to their rotation.
• The Boston Celtics are expected to be open to trade talks involving guard Dennis Schroder.
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