1 NBA trade deadline 2024 deal that makes sense for every championship contender
Here's one deal every NBA championship contender should make at the trade deadline.
Super Bowl week in the NBA means one crucial thing. The trade deadline, rife with interesting players galore, is just around the corner. Any contenders, bottom-feeders, or mediocre also-rans looking for a boost in players or future assets have until 3 p.m. Eastern time this Thursday to swing deals at their heart’s content.
(Clears throat): If LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are indeed planning something, they have until then.
This deadline is particularly important to the NBA’s cream of the crop, the genuine championship contenders. With all due respect to squads like the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat — who could be reasonably classified as contenders by the end of the year — I have narrowed this crop down to four teams in each conference. (The Lakers need not apply.) These are the eight teams who could either swing for the fences or make minor but necessary depth additions in their respective title pursuits:
West
- Denver Nuggets (defending champions)
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Oklahoma City Thunder
East
- Boston Celtics
- New York Knicks
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Philadelphia 76ers
As the specter of the NBA’s trade deadline looms, let’s break down one deal that makes sense for each of these heavyweights.