Zach LaVine
There are several teams that may have interest in acquiring Zach LaVine if he becomes available before the trade deadline, including the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, and Miami Heat. The Knicks have draft picks and salaries they could offer in a trade for LaVine, and the Lakers have a connection to him through Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul. The Mavericks may be interested in adding LaVine to their roster as a scoring complement to Luka Doncic, but they may be more flexible in making trades after the season. The Heat could potentially offer Tyler Herro in a trade for LaVine. However, the Chicago Bulls, LaVine’s current team, have not yet shown a willingness to be sellers, and they may be hoping to compete for a playoff spot rather than rebuild. It is also worth noting that LaVine is signed to a long-term contract worth an average of $43 million per year.
Bradley Beal
The Washington Wizards management is reportedly planning to build their team around Bradley Beal and retain Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma if they opt out of their contracts in free agency. The Wizards believe they are a more talented team than their record suggests, and Kuzma is considered “a big part of the future” for the team. The Wizards may continue to try to upgrade their team even if they are not in the playoff race, as they demonstrated last year when they traded for Porzingis despite being out of contention. Beal has a no-trade clause and will have a say in any potential trade. It is not clear if Beal will be available on the trade market, but his trade value may be affected by his max contract and no-trade clause.
Deandre Ayton
Deandre Ayton is unlikely to be moved by the Phoenix Suns unless they can get an elite star like Kevin Durant in return. The Suns attempted to acquire Durant in the offseason, but the deal did not go through. Ayton has a no-trade clause and cannot be traded to the Indiana Pacers, who offered him a max deal that the Suns matched. The Suns’ current focus is reportedly on trading Jae Crowder for another forward, potentially including Landry Shamet or Dario Saric in the deal to make salaries work. The Suns are not expected to make any major trades beyond whatever they do with Crowder. Robert Sarver, the owner of the Suns, still has a say in trades until the sale of the team to Mat Ishbia is finalized after the trade deadline.
Nic Claxton
Nic Claxton has been a key player for the Brooklyn Nets this season, serving as the team’s defensive anchor and leading the NBA in field goal and effective field goal percentage at 74.3%. He has received attention from other teams in the past, including the Toronto Raptors, and the Nets received an offer of a protected first-round pick for Claxton last year, but they turned it down. At this point, it seems unlikely that Claxton will be moved, as he has been a key contributor for the Nets and is on a value contract. However, he will be due for a raise in the near future and the Nets may not be able to extend his contract before then.
Lu Dort
The Oklahoma City Thunder view Lu Dort as a key part of their future with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and value his contract for the long term. Dort is considered one of the best on-ball defenders in the league and is in his fourth season. The Thunder are not expected to make the playoffs this season, but they do not have many veteran players to sell. The team may consider taking on some bad money through trade exceptions this trade deadline, but they do not have many players on their roster that are not serving a specific purpose.