2023 NBA Trade Deadline: Identifying Sellers

The NBA Trade Deadline is February 9th, which is just around the corner. This piece examines four teams that should be sellers over the next week.

To check out who should be buyers, hit this link.

Toronto Raptors

There’s so much smoke around the Raptors, that it now seems almost inconceivable that the trade deadline passes with no trade from their side.

Fred VanVleet can leave after this season. So can Gary Trent Jr. OG Anunoby doesn’t seem to want to be there, and Pascal Siakam in the middle of a career-year and has never had as much trade value as he does right now.

Sell. Sell, sell, sell.

Anunoby will fetch an enormous return, likely multiple unprotected first round picks and young players. Siakam something in a similar ballpark. Trent and VanVleet will fetch less, but the latter could still squeeze out a first rounder from somebody, contractual status aside.

Hang onto Scottie Barnes, and start a full-on rebuild similarly to how the Utah Jazz took home hauls from trading away both Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.

Even if Barnes isn’t a superstar, he’s unquestionably a high-end starter down the line, and likely more than that when he comes into his own. You needn’t build around him, just with him. At 21 years old, there’s plenty of time for him to take a leap.

Chicago Bulls

Look, let’s be honest. The Bulls are going nowhere. Lonzo Ball isn’t coming back this year, and DeMar DeRozan is entering the final year of his contract this summer.

It’s time to be realistic, and re-tool this roster. Whether that includes hanging onto Zach LaVine is for the future to decide, but Chicago needs to put an emphasis on getting younger.

Fortunately, they have two heavily attractive trade pieces in DeRozan and Alex Caruso, both of whom should be able to fetch multiple first round picks (albeit protected in the case of Caruso).

As for Nikola Vučević, who’s having one of the better seasons in his career, it would make sense to extend him, only to turn him into a more attractive trade piece. Vučević is expiring at the end of this season, so adding years to his contract would make it easier for teams to trade for him in the summer.

If the Bulls do move on from DeRozan and Caruso, they might as well try to also get something for Javonte Green who is also expiring after this year.

As for LaVine, never say never. If an offer comes in that helps Chicago replenish their bare cupboard of assets, it’s worth listening.

Detroit Pistons

This isn’t as controversial as the Bulls or Raptors. The Pistons are clearly bad, and clearly aiming for a high lottery pick. But even so, they still have pieces to sell off which should provide them with additional assets, as they get deeper into their rebuilding process.

Bojan Bogdanović, their veteran forward, is averaging over 21 points per game and highly coveted by competitive teams. The Pistons are surely hoping they can squeeze a first-round pick, with as little protection as possible, from someone looking to improve their roster before the deadline.

Bogdanović isn’t the only veteran the Pistons have to offer.

Alec Burks, the veteran wing, is hitting 45% of his three-pointers this season, and should be an offensive upgrade to any backcourt in the league. Burks has a team option worth almost $10.5 million for next season, which gives a potential trade partner opportunities in the offseason.

Pistons center Nerlens Noel is also looking to get moved, but he isn’t expected to fetch much in a trade. Regardless, the Pistons should be open to several deals in the coming week.

Dallas Mavericks

On the surface, this seems illogical. After all, Luka Dončić always steps up in the playoffs, and the Mavericks made the Western Conference Finals last season. Why sell?

Simply put, the Mavericks have failed at putting an adequate team around Dončić, and it’s now time to take a step back, in order to take several steps forward in the coming years.

That means getting rid of Reggie Bullock, and Dwight Powell, and making calls on the futures of Maxi Kleber and Tim Hardaway Jr. In their stead you’ll find Jaden Hardy and Josh Green, both of whom should receive increased roles as to see if the Mavericks can strike gold with these young players who carry somewhat deep potential.

The problem, of course, is that Dallas isn’t likely to get anything of significance in return on the trade market for the aforementioned players. Instead, it’s a salary play. Get as many players off the roster who aren’t worth their contracts, so the Mavs can begin to fill out the roster differently, and more appropriately around Dončić.

Needless to say, before taking this route, Dallas will need buy-in from their Slovenian superstar, and that might be the biggest challenge of them all.

Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.