NBA trade deadline Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images
As the 2021 NBA trade deadline approaches, teams are beginning to get a better sense of what direction they’ll intend to pursue moving forward and how the market might take shape. It’s becoming that point in the season where teams are either gearing up to be buyers or sellers.
The 2020-21 NBA season has been different in a variety of aspects compared to previous years, which has affected the business side of organizations. Complications from COVID-19 could play a key factor into how teams around the league intend to do business since many may feel the need to offload players on large contracts, expiring contracts, or pending restricted free agents.
We could see some teams elect to blow their roster up for the desire to rebuild, or we could just see teams opt to save money financially. Either way, there will be plenty of phone calls between front offices about potential deals circulating around certain players in these next couple of weeks.
Anything could be on the table for the majority of the league with how close the standings have been during these unprecedented times, but here are three teams that are expected to become sellers as the March 25th trade deadline inches closer.
Seller at the NBA trade deadline: Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are coming off a nine-game losing streak and are losing all hope on their chances of earning a playoff berth or spot in the play-in tournament. In fact, hope is beginning to slowly fade for head coach Luke Walton as well.
The pressure is rising in Sacramento with their long-lasting playoff drought continuing to stretch, and recently instated general manager Monte McNair could be directing the franchise to another rebuild. With the current roster that the Kings have assembled, they absolutely should be sellers as we approach the trade deadline.
Nobody should be safe on the roster except for rising star De’Aaron Fox and promising rookie Tyrese Haliburton. The Kings need to prioritize the future and gather any assets that can help them reshape the outlook of the team.
It’s possible that Sacramento could blow up the roster before March 25th and begin an entirely new journey with a more future-minded point of view. They have many assets that could intrigue aspiring playoff teams, so McNair should be listening to various offers.
Harrison Barnes has recently been a hot topic that’s been linked to rumors with potential buyers on the market. Barnes has been a consistent producer on the wing that’s efficiently shooting the ball and has three years left on his contract, so he could become a valuable trade piece for teams willing to absorb him.
Buddy Hield has underperformed so far this season and has been overlooked due to the immediate emergence of Haliburton, so he’s an asset that could be offloaded for future pieces as well. It doesn’t seem like Hield is a core part of Sacramento’s future plans.
The former 2018 No. 2 overall pick, Marvin Bagley III, still has question marks over his head about his presence in Sacramento. He’s had his ups and downs, but it ultimately hasn’t worked out for the big man the way most envisioned it. His father even demanded the Kings to trade his son somewhere else to start new, but that was earlier in the season and things have mostly progressed.
It’s not too late for that to happen though, and if the right offer comes into play, Sacramento may pull the trigger. Bagley has an $11.3 million team option set for next season, and the Kings might prefer to save money.
Nemanja Bjelica and Hassan Whiteside are on expiring contacts that are actively being shopped, Richaun Holmes is on an affordable expiring contract that could also be flipped for an asset, and Cory Joseph could be talked about as well.
As the Kings intend to pursue youth and the long-term future, they will have many options to sell before the trade deadline. Momentum seems to be shifting for Sacramento to be very active on the phones in March.
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<h2>Seller at the NBA trade deadline: Sacramento Kings</h2>
<p>The <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/02/27/2021-nba-trade-deadline-3-teams-sellers/"https://hoopshabit.com/western-conference/sacramento-kings/">Sacramento Kings</a> are coming off a nine-game losing streak and are losing all hope on their chances of earning a playoff berth or spot in the play-in tournament. In fact, hope is beginning to slowly fade for head coach Luke Walton as well.</p>
<p>The pressure is rising in Sacramento with their long-lasting playoff drought continuing to stretch, and recently instated general manager Monte McNair could be directing the franchise to another rebuild. With the current roster that the Kings have assembled, they absolutely should be sellers as we approach the trade deadline.</p>
<p>Nobody should be safe on the roster except for rising star De’Aaron Fox and promising rookie Tyrese Haliburton. The Kings need to prioritize the future and gather any assets that can help them reshape the outlook of the team.</p>
<p>It’s possible that Sacramento could blow up the roster before March 25th and begin an entirely new journey with a more future-minded point of view. They have many assets that could intrigue aspiring playoff teams, so McNair should be listening to various offers.</p>
<p>Harrison Barnes has recently been a hot topic that’s been linked to rumors with potential buyers on the market. Barnes has been a consistent producer on the wing that’s efficiently shooting the ball and has three years left on his contract, so he could become a valuable trade piece for teams willing to absorb him.</p>
<p>Buddy Hield has underperformed so far this season and has been overlooked due to the immediate emergence of Haliburton, so he’s an asset that could be offloaded for future pieces as well. It doesn’t seem like Hield is a core part of Sacramento’s future plans.</p>
<p>The former 2018 No. 2 overall pick, Marvin Bagley III, still has question marks over his head about his presence in Sacramento. He’s had his ups and downs, but it ultimately hasn’t worked out for the big man the way most envisioned it. His father even demanded the Kings to trade his son somewhere else to start new, but that was earlier in the season and things have mostly progressed.</p>
<p>It’s not too late for that to happen though, and if the right offer comes into play, Sacramento may pull the trigger. Bagley has an $11.3 million team option set for next season, and the Kings might prefer to save money.</p>
<p>Nemanja Bjelica and Hassan Whiteside are on expiring contacts that are actively being shopped, Richaun Holmes is on an affordable expiring contract that could also be flipped for an asset, and Cory Joseph could be talked about as well.</p>
<p>As the Kings intend to pursue youth and the long-term future, they will have many options to sell before the trade deadline. Momentum seems to be shifting for Sacramento to be very active on the phones in March.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/02/27/2021-nba-trade-deadline-3-teams-sellers/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Orlando Magic </a>
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<img class="wp-image-423778 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/02/27/2021-nba-trade-deadline-3-teams-sellers/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1299017363.jpeg" alt="Orlando Magic" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1299017363.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1299017363-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NBA trade deadline Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Seller at the NBA trade deadline: Orlando Magic</h2>
<p>Following back-to-back years of postseason appearances, the <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/02/27/2021-nba-trade-deadline-3-teams-sellers/"https://hoopshabit.com/eastern-conference/orlando-magic/">Orlando Magic</a> should be headed back to becoming sellers on the market before the trade deadline.</p>
<p>They’re currently 13th in the Eastern Conference with a poor record of 13-20, but have been unlucky all season with the season-ending injuries to Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac, and are without Aaron Gordon due to injury for the time being.</p>
<p>The Magic are not completely out of the running for a play-in tournament spot, but it’s unlikely given the circumstances. At this point, the organization should be looking to gain future assets to strengthen their young supporting cast by offloading short-term assets that could be more beneficial to other teams.</p>
<p>Evan Fournier has had a great span playing for Orlando and is currently having a terrific season, but since he’s on an expiring contract and will be an upcoming free agent this offseason, it would make sense for the Magic to dangle him in trade talks. Trading Fournier in exchange for a younger asset before the deadline would be most beneficial for the organization long-term.</p>
<p>The situation with Mo Bamba is fairly similar. Bamba, the No. 6 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, will be a restricted free agent this offseason. If Orlando isn’t prepared to match any high offer sheets that he’s expected to get, they might as well trade him now instead of losing him for nothing later on.</p>
<p>Terrence Ross is a player that should be receiving plenty of interest from around the league, and if the right offer comes into play, the Magic could part ways with the energetic, two-way wing. Ross has reportedly been involved in trade talks, and he would be worth at least a first-round pick. The Boston Celtics are a team that could be interested in the microwave scorer, and James Ennis III could be another potential player on the move.</p>
<p>Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon are unlikely to be dealt anytime soon, but they’re not untouchable. Vucevic has identified himself as one of the most underrated big men in the league and the face of the franchise while recently being named to his second All-Star Game appearance, so a trade for him would have to return a massive haul. The Magic don’t seem interested in parting ways with him now, along with Gordon, but things may change further down the road heading into next season.</p>
<p>General manager John Hammond and the front office will have many important decisions to make as the trade deadline approaches, but the expectation is that the Magic will become sellers.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/02/27/2021-nba-trade-deadline-3-teams-sellers/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Houston Rockets </a>
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<img class="wp-image-421541 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/02/27/2021-nba-trade-deadline-3-teams-sellers/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1297881652.jpeg" alt="Houston Rockets" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1297881652.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1297881652-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NBA trade deadline Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Seller at the NBA trade deadline: Houston Rockets</h2>
<p>More drama is expected to fill the streets of H-Town as the <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/02/27/2021-nba-trade-deadline-3-teams-sellers/"https://hoopshabit.com/western-conference/houston-rockets/">Houston Rockets</a> are expected to continue to shake up its roster before the trade deadline.</p>
<p>It’s been an unbelievable experience for the Rockets organization from the outlook of last season to where they currently stand. After serving as legit competitors in the West for so many years, they are now in the late stages of blowing up the core that they once had in favor of a fresh start with a whole bunch of new faces.</p>
<p>James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Robert Covington have been the latest big names to leave the organization via trade, and DeMarcus Cousins was recently let go with both sides mutually agreeing on a breakup. Houston has expressed its desire to get younger, and they intend to move forward with offloading other valued veterans to inherit more youthful assets.</p>
<p>It’s no secret that <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/02/27/2021-nba-trade-deadline-3-teams-sellers/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/o/oladivi01.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Victor Oladipo</a> and P.J. Tucker are available for trade and the likelihood for them to be dealt before the deadline continues to grow. Both are on expiring contracts and would raise any team’s chances of success in the postseason.</p>
<p>However, some teams may be skeptical of giving up too much for Oladipo due to his $21.0 million salary and the likely loan he’d be for half of a season. It’s become clear that Vic would prefer to sign with the Miami Heat in free agency, so other teams would need to evaluate whether loaning him for one postseason is worth giving up assets. Oladipo is still worth a mid-round first-round pick or a promising young player, so that will likely be what Houston is looking for in any potential deal for him.</p>
<p>Tucker, on the other hand, should be gaining a boatload of interest from contending teams. He’s extremely affordable with only a $7.9 million salary, so it’s highly likely that he won’t be a Rocket by the time the trade window closes. In fact, don’t be surprised if a bidding war breaks out for him.</p>
<p>The Celtics, Heat, Nets, Bucks, Sixers, Lakers, Blazers, Nuggets, and more could all pursue the veteran forward. Tucker brings a strong defensive presence and contagious mentality backed by determination and grit, so his value for that price is very enticing.</p>
<p>The Rockets are sitting at 14th in the West and seem destined to tank out the rest of the season. They simply don’t need Victor Oladipo and P.J. Tucker anymore, so receiving the best they can for them before the deadline is the most logical solution. Eric Gordon is another veteran that could be shopped, and teams should be calling about him as well due to the fact that he’s on a comfortable four-year, $75.5 million contract.</p>
<p>Houston is in the process of shifting their culture while preparing for the long-term future, and changes will continue to come as we approach the trade deadline. Without a doubt, the Rockets will be big-time sellers in these next couple of weeks before the NBA trade deadline.</p>
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