NBA Rumors: The 5 players most likely to be moved at the trade deadline
Los Angeles Clippers guard Lou Williams takes a shot in an NBA game. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire)
February 4th, 2021
The NBA trade deadline date of Mar. 25 is within sight, and a number of big-name players could be on the market for a variety of reasons. Stars on poorly-performing teams could be on the block, while contenders could be looking for the missing piece that could propel them to postseason glory.
We’ve ranked the top five players that could be moving to a new team at or before the deadline.
5. Victor Oladipo (Houston Rockets)
Victor Oladipo is an interesting case. On one hand, he’s still fairly young and has thrived with both the Indiana Pacers and the Houston Rockets. On the other, his contract is up after this year, and the Rockets may very well be entering a re-build.
"It's been great comin' to Houston. I feel like all of us are on the same page and we all have something to prove."
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) January 29, 2021
Victor Oladipo and the Rockets are motivated.
(via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/5bNNcAWK5Q
Will he want to re-sign with Houston? If so, he probably stays there. If he wants to look around, though, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Rockets put the shooting guard on the trading block.
4. JJ Redick (New Orleans Pelicans)
The first of two New Orleans Pelicans guards on this list, Redick may be winding down his career, and he could do so with a team other than his current squad.
"JJ Redick, whose family resides in Brooklyn, is believed to have a strong preference to return to the northeast area."
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 31, 2021
- @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/SQ9OAPXdr6
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reports the Pelicans have discussed dealing him to Philadelphia, Brooklyn, or Boston, and that speculation comes after Redick was benched in several recent contests.
3. Lonzo Ball (New Orleans Pelicans)
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst has reported there has been chatter about a deal that would bring the New Orleans Pelicans guard back to California to play with the Golden State Warriors.
Teams the Pelicans have been in touch regarding Lonzo Ball and JJ Redick;
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 2, 2021
Warriors
Heat
Nets
Celtics
Knicks
Suns
Blazers
Magic
Kings
(via @ScoopB) pic.twitter.com/RIGuNsSA13
A change of scenery would likely be welcome for the former UCLA star, who is averaging a career-low 4.8 assists per game during the 2020-21 campaign.
2. Lou Williams (Los Angeles Clippers)
Williams has had a long career and thrived in the past as part of the L.A. Clippers, but the numbers don’t lie: He hasn’t been as big a part of this year’s rotation. He’s scoring less than 10 points per game, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him change uniforms later this year. His contract expires after this year, and his $8 million salary makes him reasonably portable.
How Not To Defend A Weakside Screen, by Lou Williams and Nicolas Batum pic.twitter.com/MwXwERP7Ac
— BBALLBREAKDOWN (@bballbreakdown) February 3, 2021
1. Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards)
This makes way too much sense. Beal is in his prime and one of the top scorers in the league, but he’s currently stuck on a Washington Wizards team that seems to be going nowhere.
Bradley Beal has at least 25 points in all 17 games this season, passing Michael Jordan for the longest streak by a player to begin a season in the last 50 years and the 5th-longest streak in NBA history. h/t @EliasSports pic.twitter.com/9v0cc5HlUp
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 4, 2021
Beal’s asking price will likely be high, but there’s no doubt he’d be worth a lot to a team in need of offensive firepower ahead of the playoffs.
ADVERTISEMENT
