The 2021 NBA trade deadline is less than 48 hours away, and that means contending teams are looking to bolster their rosters for a playoff push while teams headed for a lottery landing are looking to unload assets to better position themselves for the future. The addition of play-in games for the postseason has kept more teams in contention, so there are more buyers than usual. While it is expected to be a relatively quiet deadline, that hasn’t prevented rumors from flying. There’s a lot to keep track of leading up to March 25, so here’s a look at the latest rumors surrounding the trade deadline.
If there’s anyone in the NBA that knows what it’s like to be traded it’s Houston Rockets guard Victor Oladipo. Oladipo has only been in the league since 2013, but he’s already been traded three different times, and a fourth trade could be on the horizon. After just acquiring him in January, the Rockets are likely to move Oladipo before the deadline, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Oladipo will become a free agent over the offseason, which likely limits the return that the Rockets will get, as teams are typically hesitant to trade too much for a player that they could lose after the season. On the flip side, Oladipo reportedly has an interest in joining both the Heat and the Knicks, and thus both of those teams are also hesitant to trade too much for a player that could potentially land in free agency. Nonetheless, the Rockets are growing increasingly comfortable with outside offers for Oladipo, per Wojnarowski. So, it seems very possible, likely even, that Oladipo will be on a new team by the end of the week.
Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins is available for the right price, and the Boston Celtics are one team that is interested in the multi-faceted forward. However, the two sides might not ultimately be able to agree on a deal. According to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, the Hawks wanted to expand a potential Collins deal to include Jaylen Brown. This was a non-starter for the Celtics unless the Hawks were willing to part with Trae Young and De’Andre Hunter, and there’s been no indication that the Hawks want to part with either, or both, or those young players. Things could change, but at this point, it doesn’t look like a deal between the Celtics and Hawks will come to fruition.
The Indiana Pacers could be sellers at the deadline, and one player that they could potentially part with is former Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon. The Pacers are listening to offers on Brogdon — and they’re also apparently monitoring Domantas Sabonis — according to Yahoo Sports’ Vincent Goodwill. When it comes to Brogdon, the Pacers feel that he may be superfluous following the team’s addition of Caris LeVert, who is capable of playing the point position. The Pacers aren’t necessarily shopping Brogdon, who is in the second year of a four-year, $85 million deal. However, if the right offer pops up expect them to act on it.
The Denver Nuggets are interested in fortifying their frontcourt before postseason play. One particular player that they’re interested in is Kings forward Harrison Barnes, according to Mike Singer of the Denver Post. Barnes, who has started in 40 games for Sacramento this season, has two years remaining on his current contract. In addition to Barnes, the Nuggets also have their eyes on Magic forward Aaron Gordon. Either player projects to pair well alongside MVP candidate Nikola Jokic and either would provide Denver with some additional firepower on the offensive end. The Nuggets will likely face competition when it comes to landing either player, as they’re far from the only team looking to improve at the forward spot.
