During the holidays, it’s always about leveling up. The 14-year-old needs the PS5 hookup, while the 7-year-old is demanding every possible Sonic the Hedgehog LEGO set.
Parents aren’t any better. The house has to have the best lights on the street, and if those cookies don’t knock off Santa’s socks, what’s even the point?
NBA general managers aren’t any different. As they publicly state their support and endless belief in their rosters, it’s all about plugging holes, getting better and leveling up to a place where you’re the envy of the league.
As such, let’s get into how teams from the Southwest Division should prepare for the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
Previous divisions: Atlantic | Central | Southeast | Northwest | Pacific
Dallas Mavericks
Status: Contenders
Approach: Buyers
You can’t make drastic additions to a roster that made the NBA Finals and not be fully committed to win right now.
The Mavs signed Klay Thompson, shipped out two one-way players in Tim Hardaway Jr. and Josh Green, and should now be looking over every possible option to further improve.
Dallas ranks favorably on both sides of the floor, and that’s despite a bit of a down year for superstar Luka Dončić, who will now be sidelined for at least a month with a calf injury.
That’s all the more reason to go all-in. Should the Slovenian All-Star return to form as the season progresses, Dallas would stand a strong chance at a return trip to the Finals, particularly as the Denver Nuggets are currently looking unstable.
By far the biggest challenge for the Mavericks is how they’ll best match up against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Is the answer more dynamic offense or more switchable defense? Perhaps a teaspoon of both?
Regardless of the recipe, Dallas is all-in, and thus should be expected to be aggressive, even if it’s only about half a million below the first apron.
Likelihood of trade: It’d be disappointing if it wasn’t significant
Houston Rockets
Status: Competitive
Approach: Buy for the right price
The fact that the Rockets didn’t relinquish a ton of their youth over the course of last summer was an enormous asset to them, as any attempt to accelerate their rebuild would have to be an obvious slam dunk.
No such trade was out there, but that doesn’t mean the team should panic and do something for the hell of it before the deadline. If anything, the success of this team, with so many young players carrying major responsibilities, proves patience is the key in Houston.
That said …
If the aforementioned slam-dunk trade comes a’knocking, general manager Rafael Stone better open the door. Because for as much as these Rockets have captured our imagination, they do come with a bit of a ceiling.
There isn’t that one top-tier star on the roster, at least not yet, but if one suddenly becomes available, Houston will have ample opportunity to present an attractive offer to whoever is selling.
But it has to make sense. If the Rockets begin to reach, they could risk setting themselves back a few years.
Likelihood of trade: Small to decent
Memphis Grizzlies
Status: Competitive
Approach: Flexible
The Grizzlies are in a sweet spot these days. Not only do they rank in the upper half of the Western Conference, they’re also not burdened with enormous expectations from the outside.
Ja Morant has missed a decent chunk of games this season after playing just nine last year, while Desmond Bane has altered his game somewhat dramatically, sacrificing a portion of his scoring to assist in other areas.
These Grizzlies, after a season from hell last year, are basically reimagining themselves on the fly, while incorporating new elements such as Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells, and realizing how good Scotty Pippen Jr. is.
All these moving parts provide them with the luxury of both taking a step back, if they so choose, or to act as buyers before the deadline, presumably to find a veteran wing who can bridge together the backcourt and frontline.
The fact that the Grizzlies are over $6 million below the first apron is also a major asset, as that buffer provides them the opportunity to take on money, which in today’s financial climate is a major boon.
Likelihood of trade: Significant
New Orleans Pelicans
Status: Oh boy
Approach: Sell everything
There’s quite simply no need to go into the nitty-gritty of this season for the Pelicans. It’s ugly, and the time has come for a major roster overhaul. In short, it’s time to take down the whole roster.
Brandon Ingram is expected to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, meaning there’s a clock on a decision in regard to his future. If he’s not moved, and the Pelicans lose him for nothing during the offseason, that would be a major blow from an asset accumulation perspective.
Zion Williamson is also fair game by now. He’s not healthy, and his contract is only partially guaranteed for the remainder of it, making it easier to pivot off him, if New Orleans so chooses — and it should.
Outside of Herb Jones, Yves Missi, Trey Murphy, and perhaps Jordan Hawkins, the Pelicans should not just take calls. They should aggressively be making calls, looking to rebuild this team.
Making moves around the margin simply won’t be enough, and that has to be the ideology going into the deadline.
Likelihood of trade: Huge
San Antonio Spurs
Status: Competitive
Approach: Flexible
In many ways, the Spurs might be the most interesting team to track before the deadline. They can go in a plethora of different ways, due to the fact that they have a 20-year-old who isn’t necessarily far from MVP consideration.
They can justify making a play for a talent who makes them better immediately, just as they can justify being patient and looking for a guy next summer.
The Spurs also have the option of pivoting off Keldon Johnson, who is on a team-friendly deal both this year and the following two. They can take money on, just as they can send money out to optimize their chances in free agency.
What allows them this luxury is not just Victor Wembanyama, but also the fact that they have multiple incoming draft selections, including an unprotected first-rounder from Atlanta this season, as well as a top-10 protected first from the Chicago Bulls.
While the Spurs are in no rush, they’re strong candidates to make something happen. Whatever “something” means is for them to show us, but they have numerous paths they can take.
Likelihood of trade: Big
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