It’s finally here. The NBA trade deadline is tomorrow. Soon, all the deals will be done. After tomorrow, teams won’t be able to make additional moves until the offseason.
If you’re expecting fireworks, you may want to adjust your expectations. This looks like it’s going to be a quiet deadline. In all likelihood, we’ve already seen the biggest deals we’re going to see. It’s a buyer’s market, which means we should expect to see less selling.
That doesn’t mean we won’t see moves. At the very least, some role players ought to find new homes. There are always several deals on deadline day. Here are the five players we think are most likely to get moved.
Malcolm Brogdon
The Blazers have to move Brogdon, right? That’s why they acquired him in the first place. This team is in the infancy stages of a rebuild. The Blazers shouldn’t have any incentive to keep Brogdon on their roster.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Malcolm Brogdon, Portland Trail Blazers Updates
Recently, it’s been suggested that he wants to stay in Rip City. That should be irrelevant to the Blazers. Instead, they should have moved him to the highest bidder by the time the clock expires tomorrow.
Quentin Grimes
A Grimes deal feels equally inevitable. He’s due for a contract extension this summer. The Knicks have been phasing him out of the rotation. By all appearances, these two sides are heading for a divorce.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Quentin Grimes, New York Knicks Updates
Unlike Brogdon, there’s no indication that Grimes wants to stay with his team. He seems unhappy in New York. It would be best for both sides if Grimes was on a new team after the deadline.
Evan Fournier
Another Knick. This organization has a way of dominating rumors. That’s partly because they’re in a big market, but it’s also because the Knicks have already been wheeling and dealing this season.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Evan Fournier, New York Knicks Updates
A team in need of cap relief will be interested in Fournier’s expiring contract. Meanwhile, the win-now Knicks would likely prefer to have a contributor in that salary slot. This situation has been brewing for some time, and we should see it resolved by tomorrow.
Andrew Wiggins
The pair of Knicks we covered are both on expiring deals. By contrast, Wiggins is on a long-term contract. With that in mind, he may be difficult to move.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Andrew Wiggins, Golden State Warriors Updates
Look for the Warriors to move him anyway. Something has to give with this group, and Wiggins has performed poorly this year. In all likelihood, the Warriors will look to move him before the deadline passes.
Bruce Brown
Like Brogdon, Brown is only a Toronto Raptor by way of trade. The Raptors didn’t acquire him to pair him with their future core. They acquired him because they had to take on the salary to move Siakam.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Bruce Brown, Toronto Raptors Updates
Now, he should be on the move again. Brown is a low-usage 3-and-D who can double as a part-time ball-handler. He should have a robust market, and the Raptors should take advantage of it.
