The NBA trade deadline is fast approaching and, as usual, rumors are swirling around the internet. Usually at this time of year there’s a lot of smoke and not so much fire. The media gets excited about trades, and in the end only a few noteworthy transactions are made. But something about 2017 feels different. This is the case for a lot of reasons. There are teams with stockpiles of future assets in need of talent infusions. You can find plenty of unhappy players on competitive teams. Kevin Love’s injury, sidelining him for six weeks, seems to have made the East competitive. And there are some players who have been the subjects of specific rumors. Things move quickly this time of year, but at the time of this writing, with just under 10 days to go until the deadline, here are a few teams who could really shake things up. Chicago Bulls The Bulls have been the subject of heavy trade rumors in the last few days, specifically regarding Philadelphia center Jahlil Okafor. Okafor was left off the plane for an away game, leading the public to assume that a trade was being finalized. However, a few days later, no such deal has surfaced. Still, if the Bulls could work out such a deal we’d begin to see a new direction for the franchise, and we’d get our first chance to see Okafor start on a half-decent team. The Bulls could also shock the sports world by committing to a rebuild and dealing star guard/forward Jimmy Butler at the height of his powers. That may seem unlikely, but let’s consider our second team. Boston Celtics The Celtics are sitting on an incredible pile of assets, including what could well become the number one pick in this year’s draft (this is a pick the Celtics own via Brooklyn). Given that this draft is expected to be the best in years, that alone is a valuable commodity. Boston also has good young talent (Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier), in addition Brooklyn’s first round pick next year and multiple first rounders for 2019. The Celtics are already in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race, and general manager Danny Ainge could well propose a “godfather offer” (meaning an “offer you can’t refuse”) to a team with a star. Some combination of those assets for Jimmy Butler, or the Pacers’ Paul George, might make a great deal of sense. Portland Trail Blazers The Blazers were mentioned in the Okafor rumors before they dealt Mason Plumlee to the Nuggets in exchange for young center Jusuf Nurkic and a first round pick. This signals Portland’s willingness to restructure things in the interest of capitalizing on Damian Lillard’s prime and becoming a contender in the West. At the outset of the season, Portalnd was tabbed as one of the favorites in the Northwest Division, but it’s been a disappointing year for the most part and some believe a more dramatic shakeup is in order. The team could give up on its talented backcourt duo and trade away CJ McCollum for a heap of useful assets to combine with Lillard, Nurkic, and this year’s draft picks. New York Knicks Then there’s the Knicks, who have been in the midst of even more drama than usual lately. At the core of it all is the seemingly poor relationship between Carmelo Anthony and Phil Jackson. Jackson is said to want Anthony out at all costs as the team looks to build around Latvian sensation Kristaps Porzingis. The trouble is that Anthony has a no-trade clause and will have to approve of any potential destination. It’s believed that he would accept a trade to the Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers, or Boston Celtics, but so far no deal has materialized. The really interesting long shot is the Denver Nuggets. They have a budding star in Nikola Jokic, a host of good shooters, and the assets to get a deal done to bring Anthony back to the club with which he started his career.
