February 9th at 3 pm is the final chance for teams to make trades that can bolster their roster or move them into a rebuild. With plenty of rumors and reports about where guys will go this article is your one-stop shop for the moves we’ll possibly see in the coming days. This will be a two-part article covering both the Eastern and Western Conferences. So without further ado let's get into the team with the most trade talks in the Eastern Conference:
Toronto Raptors:
Raptors Receive: DeAndre Ayton, Suns 2026 Unprotected First, Suns 2028 Top 4 Protected First
Suns Receive: Fred VanVleet, OG Anunoby, Jaxon Hayes
Pelicans Receive: Jae Crowder
If the Raptors are looking to enter a rebuild this trade is a great place to start. Toronto gets a young player to build around in Ayton and two quality picks. The Suns also win this trade separating from two upset parties in Ayton and Crowder while adding guard, wing, and big depth. Giving up two picks is a lot but I think this haul is worth it. The Pelicans are only here to give the Suns a replacement big in Hayes but getting Crowder in the process is a win for them.
Boston Celtics:
Boston Receives: PJ Washington
Charlotte Receives: Danilo Gallinari, Payton Pritchard, 2026 Lottery Protected First
I don’t think the Celtics need to or even should make a move. If they were to make a move though I think this makes a lot of sense. Pritchard is good but can’t find minutes and Gallinari is a zero on the court. Washington can fit right in with the Celtics and I believe will play better in this situation. Charlotte gets an interesting player in Pritchard and a protected first. Washington is a good young player but that's another reason to trade him as they enter the Wembanyama sweepstakes.
Atlanta Hawks:
Atlanta Receives: Collin Sexton and Jared Vanderbilt
Utah Receives: John Collins
John Collin's availability seems to be never-ending so hopefully, this is the trade deadline he finally gets moved in. Collin’s value is pretty low right now. Vanderbilt fits perfectly on a team with a lot of mouths to feed and they’re buying low on Sexton. Utah gets an intriguing young player in Collins that they’ve expressed interest in.
Brooklyn Nets:
Brooklyn Receives: Matisse Thybulle and Montrez Harrell
Philadelphia Receives: Seth Curry
Brooklyn doesn’t have an obvious move to make. They have an abundance of shooters so giving up Curry for the wing and big depth is worthwhile. Thybulle doesn’t play for Philadelphia and could be a valuable asset for the Nets to deploy defensively. Harrell hasn’t been great but he makes the salaries work and gives them a scoring big man that Brooklyn lacks.
Charlotte Hornets:
Charlotte Receives: Russell Westbrook and 2027 LA Lakers Unprotected First
LA Lakers Receives: Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward
Getting off Hayward, gaining a valuable draft pick, and freeing up cap space this summer would be a dream trade deadline for Charlotte. For just the one pick I think this is a fair trade for the Lakers with the possibility of Hayward getting healthy.
Chicago Bulls:
Chicago Receives: Jakob Poeltl
San Antonio Receives: Nikola Vucevic
If the Bulls want to improve after the trade deadline getting a defensive-minded center in Poeltl would be perfect. Getting off Vucevic just makes this a no-brainer. For San Antonio, Vucevic could reclaim some value by putting up stats on a bad team which could lead to draft picks down the line.
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Cleveland Receives: OG Anunoby
Toronto Receives: Caris LeVert, Darius Bazely, Aleksej Pokusevski, 2023 LA Clippers Unprotected First, and 2025 Philadelphia Unprotected First, Derrick Favors Trade Exception($10.5 Million)
Oklahoma City Receives: Gary Trent Jr.
Anunoby landing in Cleveland is my favorite hypothetical trade. Anunoby's fit in Cleveland isn’t questionable but the reality of the trade is. Oklahoma City had to be added as Cleveland has no draft picks to trade. Gary Trent Jr. would be a great fit with the Thunder. Two picks are a lot but they aren’t their own and have so many stockpiled. Toronto gets a good player in LeVert and some projects but just two picks are a little light for Anunoby and Trent. If Toronto feels they have to make a deal though I really do like this trade.
Milwaukee Bucks:
Milwaukee Receives: Alex Caruso
Chicago Receives: Joe Ingles, George Hill, Milwaukee 2024 Second, and Milwaukee 2025 Second
I don't think there's an obvious move for the Bucks but I think this makes them better. Caruso will add to there already great defensive and give them a facilitator on the offensive end. Ingles and Hill doesn't produce much on the court so they won't be missed. This might be low value for the Bulls but I don't see much more than a protected first for him.
Philadelphia 76ers:
Philadelphia Receives: Bradley Beal
Wizards Receives: Tobias Harris, Shake Milton, Philadelphia 2024 Unprotected First, Philadelphia 2026 Unprotected First, and Philadelphia 2028 Pick Swap
or
Philadelphia Receives: Zach Lavine
Chicago Receives: Tobias Harris, Philadelphia 2024 Unprotected First, Philadelphia 2026 Top 5 Protected First
Honestly, I love both of these deals. I know this is a big swing for a team cruising through the regular season but Daryl Morey’s seen this story before. Upgrading Harris into a true number three would move the 76ers into a new tier in my eyes. I would honestly lean towards Lavine because I think Philadelphia would have to give up less but both make a lot of sense to both sides to me.
Miami Heat:
Miami Receives: Fred VanVleet and Otto Porter
Toronto Receives: Kyle Lowry, Miami 2023 Unprotected First, Miami 2024 Unprotected First
The Kyle Lowry experiment hasn’t been a success. So why not swap him with his protege? VanVleet fits the Heats timeline and is a superior player. Porter is a salary throw-in, but a good one at that as he is a playoff rotation player. Toronto gets two extra firsts for the next two years while bringing home the franchise’s favorite player. At least Lowry will sell tickets during the rebuild.
New York Knicks:
New York Receives: Kyle Kuzma and Taj Gibson
Washington Receives: Evan Fournier, New York 2023 Unprotected First, Washington 2023 First
While RJ Barret has had flashes of stardom he is far too inconsistent. Adding another wing scorer in Kuzma would ease Barret’s burden and deepen one of the NBA’s deepest rosters. Washington gets their own pick back that could’ve conveyed down the line and the Knicks pick this year. Washington likes Kuzma but I think the writing is on the wall for this team to start over.
Washington Wizards:
Washington Receives: Russell Westbrook, LA Lakers 2027 Unprotected First, and 2029 Unprotected First
LA Lakers Receive: Bradley Beal
The Bradley Beal era in Washington hasn’t amounted to much and I think the franchise needs to move on, whether Beal wants to stay or not. Getting two unprotected picks from a tumultuous team like the Lakers that far in the future is a great return alongside cap flexibility. This might not seem like much but I don’t think we’re far from Beal being looked at as a negative asset. The Lakers would do this deal in a heartbeat in my eyes as Beal is the best option currently for opening a championship window.
Indiana Pacers:
Indiana Receives: Alex Caruso
Chicago Receives: Daniel Theis, Cleveland 2023 Top 14 Protected First, and Boston 2023 Top 12 Protected First
Adding Caruso without removing a core rotation player would make the Pacers a lot scarier in my eyes. Losing the two picks hurts but they still end up keeping their own picks in this deal. For Chicago, they are without a first-round pick this year so getting two, even late ones, are worth Caruso.
Orlando Magic:
Orlando Receives: Mike Conely
Utah Receives: Jonathan Issac, Devin Cannady, Chicago 2023 Top 4 Protected First
I would love for Orlando to have an adult point guard in the room. Conely can free up a lot of their half-court issues by simply being consistent. Getting off Issac while upsetting is probably for both parties after an injury-riddled tenure. Utah gets another pick that has a good shot of being in the lottery and a reclamation project in Issac.
Charlotte Hornets:
Charlotte Receives: Russell Westbrook, Lakes 2027 Unprotected First, 2028 Pick Swap
LA Lakers Receive: Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier
This is best case scenario for the Hornets. They’d be getting off Hayward's contract, receiving two valuable picks, and getting off $40 million this offseason. Rozier is a fun and fan-favorite player but this trade could change the direction of the franchise in my eyes. This would be a long shot for the Lakers. They’d have to be desperate enough to settle for a package that likely wouldn’t win them an extra playoff round.
Detroit Pistons:
Detroit Receives: Patrick Beverley and LA Lakers 2027 Pick Swap
LA Lakers Receive: Alec Burks
If the Lakers fail to make a bigger deal this is the kind of last-second consolation move I can see them pulling. Burks has been good this year averaging 13 points and shooting 43% from three on almost five attempts a game. A first-round pick swap is a lot but if the Lakers are desperate to make a move I could see them throwing it in. For Detroit, I love this deal. Beverley is a perfect fit with a young talented team trying to develop a winning culture. The pick however is the main attraction.
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