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Separating the NBA's buyers and sellers ahead of the trade deadline has grown exponentially harder this season. Between so many teams with relative proximity to the play-in tournament and a competitive landscape somewhat warped by a COVID-19 surge and the roster turbulence it incites, the league could default to a quiet in advance of Feb. 10.
Let's go ahead and put on our optimist's hats and assume the trade deadline will be active, because business as usual is the dream at a time when everyday life remains anything but. And then let's throw on our front office executive's pants.
And then let's cobble together hypothetical blockbuster deals for what should be the NBA's most open-minded sellers and aggressive buyers.
To be sure, not every prospective option will make the cut. The Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets, for instance, will be buyers. But they don't need to act with urgency. The Los Angeles Lakers absolutely do and are obligated to buy. To what end, though? They aren't as equipped as others to make a marquee splash.
Fringe cases will similarly be thrown out the window. The Cleveland Cavaliers cannot count themselves as indiscriminately big-time buyers given their rash of injuries. And who the hell knows what the San Antonio Spurs, New Orleans Pelicans, Toronto Raptors, etc. are doing? Our focus instead lies on squads most likely to do something significant, one way or another.