The NBA trade deadline has become a hot topic in recent days. Its importance has arguably grown over time. Trades made in recent decades have had a significantly greater impact on the league than in previous years.
With the 2024 trade deadline nearing, time is running out for teams to strike trades. Learn how it could determine the fate of teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, and Phoenix Suns.
The race is heating up for several teams at the top, with potential contenders also working hard to satisfy the standards. Teams are continuously evaluating their league standing and considering whether to update their lineup to improve their chances of competing for the championship. Each team’s choice in the next days will provide insight into its playoff hopes.
Despite being a possible play-in team, the Lakers must improve on both ends of the court in order to make a deep playoff run. Their rough spells are also reflected in their rankings: 20th in offensive rating, 15th in defensive rating, and 28th in 3-point shooting. They’re essentially giving their opponents free points and unable to make stops when it counts.
Los Angeles Lakers
To make the most of LeBron James and Anthony Davis’s high-level play, they should pursue deals for a two-way player, shooters, and a dependable backup center. Two-way players boost defensive versatility, while shooters improve attacking powers, particularly from beyond the arc. A dependable backup center is required to stabilize the frontcourt rotation and keep things going.
The Lakers must also strike a balance between LeBron’s short-term game plan and their long-term objectives. Giving LeBron too much authority risks duplicating previous mistakes, like as the Russell Westbrook trade. LeBron is nearly in his forties. They must strike a balance between their desire to win championships while LeBron is still on the court and their long-term aim of developing a squad capable of remaining competitive in the future without him.
Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic has had a fantastic season and is presently second in the league in scoring. But the Mavericks could still fall short. The squad is now ranked seventh in the Western Conference, with a low defensive rating (117.9). It makes their chances of reaching the playoffs even more unclear.
Despite Doncic’s excellent play alongside Kyrie Irving, the team’s defensive shortcomings hindered its playoff aspirations. If they want to go deep in the playoffs, they need to get a competent two-way forward. Otherwise, they risk remaining postseason spectators. According to speculations, the Mavericks prefer defensive power players like Kyle Kuzma and PJ Washington over small forwards as trade targets.
Another potential difficulty for the club is its height, but with Kuzma standing at 6-foot-9, this could work out. In his third season, he averages 21.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game, and he has the potential to provide the squad with another scoring option. Meanwhile, Washington stands 6-foot-7 but has strong defensive abilities.
Phoenix Suns
Adding Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal to increase the Suns’ scoring potential made sense. They contribute to Devin Booker’s offensive abilities. When they all play together, they can put up a lot of points. However, the team has only secured the sixth seed in the Western Conference owing to injuries to its key players.
Integrating younger players into the team and emphasizing draft picks could help the Suns continue their success beyond this season. This does not imply abandoning their pursuit of short-term goals totally. Instead, the goal is to establish a more balanced approach that takes into account both the present and the future.
The Suns have made things more difficult for themselves by diminishing their future draft resources in order to improve their current situation. This means they will have no say over their first-round picks for the next few years, which is not ideal.
However, the new Collective Bargaining Agreement makes it even more difficult for the Suns to make significant roster changes following this season. Despite their all-in commitment, the current and fast-paced NBA scene may not be as suited to their star-driven model as it previously was.