The NBA trade deadline is approaching fast, and teams will need to decide what's best for their franchise moving forward. Some teams will be searching for that missing piece that can propel them over the hump into contention, and others will be looking to move their aging vets for picks or young players. Here are a few teams that need to blow it up by the trade deadline and take advantage of what projects to be a really good draft class.
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz decided to part ways from their two all-stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, and got a good return for both. However, more impressive than that is the Jazz still managed to find a way to stay in the playoff hunt by owning the last play-in spot at this time and being just a game and a half behind the sixth seeded Clippers to secure a playoff spot. This success is in large part due to Lauri Markkanen's breakout season, who should be in the running for Most Improved Player.
While this may sound like the Jazz should be buyers at the deadline it is quite the opposite. The Jazz still do not have the star power to compete with teams like the Nuggets or Grizzlies in a 7-game series. The point of trading Mitchell and Gobert was to head towards an all-out rebuild and get out of mediocrity of making the playoffs every year just to be disappointed with a first or second round exit. The Jazz need to commit to this vision and trade vets like Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson to contenders in exchange for picks or more young talent to pair with Markkanen.
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors have all-stars in Pascal Siakam and Fred Vanvleet paired with some young talent in OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes. Yet, the Raptors are also sitting as the twelfth seed at the moment and are five games under 500. Even if they can go on a late run to make the playoffs it is hard to imagine they make any noise in the playoffs. That said, blowing it up now and securing a top 10 pick in this draft could pay off compared to keeping Siakam and Vanvleet. The Raptors have a great head coach in Nick Nurse and a smart front office led by Masai Ujiri, so getting more draft picks and pairing Barnes with a good young player could help the Raptors contend for many years to come. However, it all starts with the Raptors being sellers at the deadline instead of pining to be first round exists.
Chicago Bulls
After acquiring Lonzo Ball, Nikola Vucevic, and DeMar DeRozan the Chicago Bulls have not been able to make much noise in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls currently sit tenth in the Eastern Conference and are three games under 500. This is unacceptable for a team that had championship aspirations after all the moves they've made to get them here. Injuries have played a large part in the Bulls' struggles, but it is clear that this team cannot compete with a deep Eastern Conference that features the Celtics, Bucks, Nets, 76ers, and Cavaliers. The Bulls were always toward the bottom of the conference for several years before acquiring Vucevic, Ball, and DeRozan so it may be hard to convince fans this is the best way to go for the franchise. Nevertheless, Bulls fans must admit that trading aging vets in DeRozan and Vucevic for picks to get a player in this year's draft is much more valuable to their future success. The Bulls still have young players in Willaims, Dosunmu, and Ball, and getting a 2023 pick, since they don't have their own unless it lands in the top 4, will be extremely valuable to building a championship core.
Portland Trailblazers
The Portland Trail Blazers are currently the twelfth seed in the Western Conference and are three games under 500. This is not what you want to see from a team with an aging point guard in Damian Lillard. The Trail Blazers already traded CJ McCollum to the Pelicans last year which indicated they were ready to blow it up and start rebuilding around a new core of players. Instead, Lillard is still on the roster and having a great year for one of the worst teams in the West. Also, the Trail Blazers keep their pick this year if they miss the playoffs, so this is the year, and draft class, to blow it up and try to get a top pick. With the season Lillard has had his trade value is probably the best it will ever be, and the Trail Blazers need to capitalize on that and prioritize their future over loyalty to a 32 year-old player making almost $50 million a year. The Blazers also have players in Jerami Grant and Jusuf Nurkic that can also be traded away for at least one first round pick and maybe more. This could be a deciding point for the Trail Blazers of being future contenders or staying mediocre.
The Feb. 9th trade deadline will be important for these teams and many more, and every decision will be important. This could shape up to be a very exciting trade deadline where we get to see who will enter the Wembanyama sweepstakes and who will try to plug existing holes in their lineup.