The NBA trade deadline is less than three weeks away as teams look to create salary cap room and contenders search for a final piece that could put them over the hump. The deadline is February 6.
On of the biggest names on the trading block is Pistons’ center Andre Drummond. The two-time all-star is in his eighth season with Detroit averaging 17.3 points,15.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.8 blocks per game through 40 games and is on pace to win his fourth rebounding title. League sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski the Hawks are interested in trading for Drummond to give themselves more depth in the frontcourt as Hawks’ center Alex Len is out with an ankle sprain and is mostly a role player who averages 18.7 minutes per game. Atlanta hopes to build around second year standout Trae Young who’s in desperate need of a boost to get the Hawks out of the basement of the Eastern Conference. They are in last place with a 9-32 record and are 3-7 in their last ten games, but Young is having a terrific year ranked third in the league in scoring with averages of 29.8 points, 8.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 44% and 36.9% from three.
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Shifting to a Western Conference contender, the Utah Jazz may look to get more help on offense. They are coming off a ten-game winning streak that ended in New Orleans Thursday night and they’ve won 15 out of their last 16. Last June they landed former Grizzly Mike Conley to take pressure off Donovan Mitchell, but that plan hasn’t exactly worked out yet. The former All-Defensive Second Team player has been out since December 17, when he re-aggravated his hamstring and his numbers have been below par. In 22 games, Conley is averaging just 13.6 points and shooting a career-worst 36.5% from the field. The question is whether or not they’ll keep the 32-year-old point guard past the deadline.
Lakers’ forward Kyle Kuzma has been in trade talks this week and the team may be wondering if they have enough to win when the playoffs begin. Kuzma is averaging 12.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game in 24.4 minutes, all career-lows. The Lakers are first place in the Western Conference standings at 33-8, four games ahead of second place Denver, but they need the third-year player to be more consistent if the franchise hopes to win its 17th championship.
D’Angelo Russell has been linked to the Timberwolves who plan to“intensify their pursuit” of Russell, according to Jon Krawczynski and Shams Charania of The Athletic. When the Warriors made a sign-and-trade to land the all-star point guard many experts didn’t think it was a good fit but the former Net is picking up right where he left off averaging 23 points, 6.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. Golden State’s season is over, but Minnesota is just 3.5 games out of a playoff spot and they have to make a move to keep Karl Anthony-Towns happy.
