The NBA trade deadline is just over 72 hours away and NBA teams’ chances of making a valuable trade are coming to an end for this season. The NBA trade deadline has already seen teams pulling moves that send Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers and OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks.
Teams like the Knicks, Raptors and Charlotte Hornets have been active participants before the trade deadline. However, despite being all over the news, teams like the LA Lakers, Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors haven’t made any moves despite having a bad season.
While some teams haven’t made a trade move due to their settled roster performing better, some haven’t done it due to the lack of assets on their roster.
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With that in mind, here is the list of the teams that are unlikely to make a trade move this season.
5 NBA teams not anticipated to make any trades before the trade deadline
#1. Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are perhaps having the worst season in recent memory. The best chance they have is to trade Andrew Wiggins and their veteran player, Chris Paul. However, it seems like their trade pieces are not that big of an attraction in the market.
Paul is injury prone and Wiggins already has a lowered market value. They are too reluctant to move their young players like Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. Overall, there is a high chance that the Warriors might sit this season with their hands folded.
#2. Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics have established themselves as the top team in the league right now. They are enjoying success with a 37-12 record, a fairly good margin from other teams. There is a high chance that the Celtics might want to continue with their current roster through the 2023-24 season.
The Celtics are fourth in the defensive ratings and second in the offensive ratings this season and remain the most balanced team in the league. Their star players like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis are perhaps untouchable.
As the season has already progressed more than half and with their roster settled, it is unlikely they would want to shake things up and bring in someone new.
#3. Dallas Mavericks
Since the beginning of the NBA trade deadline, the Dallas Mavericks have been looking for a good forward to add to their roster. Some of the big names linked with them were Jerami Grant and Dorian Finney-Smith.
However, it seems like their hands are tied when it comes to pulling the trigger. Most of the teams who would want to make a trade for a good forward player, like the Brooklyn Nets and the Portland Trail Blazers, have been reportedly consistent in asking the Mavs to include Tim Hardaway Jr. in the trade.
Hardaway has been being moved to the bench as a sixth man and has been doing wonders for the Mavs so far, and it is unlikely that they would want to get rid of him that easily.
Any trade, even if it involves Josh Green and Jaden Hardy, is unlikely to go through if Hardaway is not involved. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Mavs made a small trade to add a power forward to the roster.
#4. Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls were among the hottest teams to make a trade at the beginning of the NBA trade deadline. However, it seems like they are ready to sit back this season and wait for the next season to unfold.
One of the reasons that the Bulls went quiet after initially being the hotspot for the trade was how Zach LaVine was perceived as a trade option by other teams. A year ago, LaVine would have contributed one of the blockbuster trades. However, his trade value has significantly decreased since this season.
Teams have, however, enquired about DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso for a trade proposal. However, the organization has made it clear that they are untouchable in the trade. Bulls can make small trades. However, there is not enough reason to believe other teams might be interested in the trade.
#5. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers have improved their record this season after an initial slippage. They are ranked fourth in the Eastern Conference ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers, the Miami Heat, the Indiana Pacers and the Orlando Magic.
Given that the team has gained a stable position this season so far, the Cavs are unlikely to make a move before the trade deadline. Moreover, they do not have enough draft picks to put into a trade to bring in a good player to make themselves a contender in the East.
When it comes to the core group of the players on the Cavs roster, they are more or less untouchable. There are not enough reasons to believe that the Cavs would want to part ways with players like Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley.
They recently waived off Ricky Rubio after he retired from the NBA. However, there is a chance that they will use it during the free agency next season.
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