Atlanta Hawks
Targets: Caris LeVert (Pacers), Justin Holiday (Pacers), David Nwaba (Rockets)
Trae Young has made a strong case to be an All-Star once again this season and John Collins has continued to be a high-level secondary scorer at the power-forward position, but the Hawks still seem like they are missing production on offense.
De’Andre Hunter is out indefinitely after undergoing wrist surgery and with a couple other players banged up on the wing, going after some key role players like Justin Holiday and David Nwaba can give the Hawks some sustainable depth.
For Atlanta to get back to where they were last season or become even better, they are going to need to add some more talent on the wing. They cannot depend on Hunter to return and they guys they have on the wing currently have not stepped up.
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Another option for the Hawks would be to pursue Pacers’ wing Caris LeVert, who is rumored to be available in trade talks. LeVert is someone who can create for himself and moves well off-the-ball, which is why he could be another key secondary scorer for the Hawks.
Boston Celtics
Targets: Dejounte Murray (Spurs), Terrence Ross (Magic), Marvin Bagley III (Kings)
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are two of the best young All-Stars in the league. However, they cannot carry the Celtics by themselves.
Leveraging Dennis Schroder or Marcus Smart is something we could see the Celtics do this season, but their number one need as an organization is finding a franchise point guard. Smart is not the long-term answer for this organization, even though they just signed him to a max-extension, but Dejounte Murray certainly could be.
Murray is one of the league’s most improved players this season and is a triple-double threat with the ball in his hands, which is why he could be an excellent third star in Boston. Terrence Ross and Marvin Bagley III are also two possible targets for this team given their lack of depth.
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Boston ranks 27th in bench points per game and could use the extra scoring both Ross and Bagley bring.
Plus, with a $17M trade exception, the Celtics should have no problem absorbing any of these three player’s contracts. To win right now and have a chance of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics need to be willing to sacrifice assets to add a third key talent next to Tatum and Brown.
Brooklyn Nets
Targets: Mike Muscala (Thunder), D.J. Augustin (Rockets), Garrett Temple (Pelicans)
With the imminent return of Kyrie Irving for away games, the Nets just got a huge addition. Kevin Durant and James Harden have led the Nets to having the best record in the Eastern Conference and now the “rich are getting richer” with Irving coming back.
Making changes to their roster is something Brooklyn will likely avoid, but it never hurts to try and add talent to your bench unit, especially in times like right now when players are missing games due to health and safety protocols.
The Nets frontcourt has always been a concern, hence why Mike Muscala could be an affordable big man for them to target as a pick-and-roll shooting threat, but D.J. Augustin and Garrett Temple are also two veterans who could interest the Nets.
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Augustin has proven that he is still an effective ball-handler and facilitator in pick-and-roll sets and Temple has always been respected as a “3-and-D” type of talent on the wing. If they make any move, expect the Nets to make one or two low-cost moves using their trade exceptions.
Charlotte Hornets
Targets: Myles Turner (Pacers), Christian Wood (Rockets), Jusuf Nurkic (Trail Blazers)
Miles Bridges has been a breakout performer for the Hornets this season and with LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward and others all getting comfortable playing with one another, Charlotte is a team that nobody really wants to face.
Their record is not overly impressive and they have hit some rough patches, but they are one of the best scoring teams in the league and very hard to guard given their ability to play “5-out” on the perimeter.
However, the Hornets’ frontcourt is still a major problem. Mason Plumlee has not been the answer for them after ditching Cody Zeller in the offseason, which is why targeting a big man is a must for this team at the NBA trade deadline.
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Myles Turner is the best shot-blocker in the league and has been a rumored target of the Hornets for quite some time now. Christian Wood is another affordable big man who would fit right in with Charlotte given his ability to stretch the floor and be a primary scorer.
If Portland decides to tear things apart, then Jusuf Nurkic could become available. In the final year of his contract and making just $12M this season, he is an affordable, high-level big man that can provide more in terms of rebounding and second-chance points than that of Plumlee right now.
All three guys provide a “win-now” mentality to the Hornets in their frontcourt.
Chicago Bulls
Targets: Jerami Grant (Pistons), Cam Reddish (Hawks), Justin Holiday (Pacers)
After not making the playoffs for four straight seasons, the Bulls look like a real championship contender in the Eastern Conference this season with very few holes on their roster.
Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan are one of the best scoring duos in the league this season and they have plenty of other weapons around them with Vucevic, Ball, Caruso and White, but Chicago needs some more talent on the wing.
Patrick Williams suffered a potential season-ending wrist injury a few months ago and with Javonte Green and Derrick Jones Jr. being the only other wings on this team, the Bulls could look to upgrade and “buy” talent at the NBA trade deadline.
Cam Reddish is an excellent “win-now” talent this team could pursue given his scoring abilities on the perimeter and on-the-drive, but Jerami Grant is the key name to watch for the Bulls.
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Detroit has shown willingness to listen to trade offers for Grant and while bringing in his contract would force them to leverage guys like Jones Jr., White and others, Jerami Grant is exactly the kind of player the Bulls need.
He is versatile, can score from anywhere on the floor and most importantly, is an above-average defender on the perimeter. Should the Bulls land Grant in a trade this season, they would have the best starting-five in the league and should be considered the “team to beat” in the East.
