From the ongoing Jimmy Butler trade saga to the Brooklyn Nets' search for draft picks, the rapidly approaching NBA trade deadline is creating intrigue and uncertainty across the league.

Here, we'll highlight one question facing each of the Association's 30 teams. Wherever possible, we'll focus on a trade-related issue, because...well, 'tis the season. And really, even the concerns that aren't transaction-specific have close ties to the upcoming deadline. In many cases, non-trade-related issues—positional gluts, a shortage of shooting, iffy contract-extension calls—could be addressed by swinging a deal.

After all, for the next month or so, everything in the NBA discourse comes back to the trade market.

Atlanta Hawks: Can They Turn Larry Nance Jr. Into a Point Guard?

Larry Nance Jr. would have been a sought-after commodity at the trade deadline if he hadn't fractured the fourth metacarpal bone in his right hand late last month. A switchable center who can pass and hit the occasional three is a rare commodity. Though not a star or starter, the Atlanta Hawks' big man certainly would have drawn interest at an expiring $11.2 million.

Maybe he still can.

The Hawks have played competitive ball all year and are in position to finish among the East's top six. They also don't have any incentive to tank because they don't control their 2025 first-rounder.

With the new CBA making teams all over the league extremely cost-conscious, perhaps Atlanta could wrangle a rotation player from a team that wants Nance's expiring money.

Tre Jones, T.J. McConnell and Tre Mann all profile as good additions to a team that could use another lead ball-handler.

Boston Celtics: What Do You Get for the Team That Has Everything?

The Boston Celtics managed a meager .500 record across 10 games from Dec. 19 to Jan. 5, a slump that should raise precisely zero big-picture concerns for the defending champs.

Post-title fatigue, the vagaries of a three-heavy offense and multiple losses to teams—Chicago, Indiana and an injury-ravaged Orlando—scream "just get us to June, already" malaise.

In a perfect world, Boston would add a two-way wing to play in relief of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. That'll be a tough get with Jaden Springer's $4 million salary and second-round picks as the Celtics' main tradable assets. Even if a Springer trade didn't provide an upgrade, it could trim Boston's tax bill by $16 million if a team were willing to take him into space (perhaps the mid-level trade exception) without sending salary back.

Boston has it all (except for full focus at the moment, which is fine in January), so few questions arise ahead of the deadline.

Brooklyn Nets: How Many First-Rounders Can They Secure?

Neither Dennis Schroder nor Dorian Finney-Smith brought back first-round picks when the Brooklyn Nets sent them to the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers, respectively. Part of that could be because Brooklyn dealt them several weeks before the deadline, a decision that probably helped ensure more lottery-position-improving losses but one that also might have prevented maximum returns from desperate deadline dealers.

The Nets have to hope the markets heat up as February approaches.

Cameron Johnson should fetch at least one first-rounder, as the 28-year-old combo forward's 43.6 percent long-range shooting makes him a seamless fit anywhere. It also helps that he's under contract through 2026-27, bringing value and security that tend to coax strong returns.

Nic Claxton and Cam Thomas could return first-round value, and Brooklyn might even be able to get a heavily protected first or swap by flipping D'Angelo Russell's expiring deal.

The ambitious goal should be to reel in three first-rounders. We'll see if the Nets can get there.

Charlotte Hornets: Is It Blasphemy to Test the LaMelo Ball Market?

LaMelo Ball is leading East guards in All-Star fan voting, an indication that among some subsection of observers he's viewed as one of the league's elite players.

The Charlotte Hornets should poke around and see if that opinion extends to rival front offices.

Ball is in the midst of a career year, complete with averages of 29.9 points and 7.3 assists. His Hornets, however, only average 112 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor, a middling figure that suggests his individual offensive contributions aren't raising the level of his team's attack. Add to that some of the most casual defense in the league, a sky-high foul rate and Ball's history of injury issues, and there's a great case that Charlotte should look to sell its max-salaried guard now while his perceived value may be at an all-time high.

The Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets have championship-caliber defenses and a need for a bona fide offensive engine. Maybe they'd pony up multiple firsts and matching salary.

It's fair to ask where a Ball trade leaves the Hornets, who currently view him as the closest thing to a cornerstone they have. But this is a franchise that only changed up its ownership and front office last year—one that might want to consider moving off a max salary and hoarding more assets in a thorough rebuild.

Chicago Bulls: Could Zach LaVine Actually Stay Put?

If it were any other team than the Chicago Bulls, it'd be a lot easier to accept the possibility of Zach LaVine staying on the roster through the deadline.

LaVine's value is way up from its nadir of a year or so ago, and his production—23.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists on a 50.9/44.7/81.7 shooting split—isn't all that far away from being commensurate with his $43 million salary. On a team currently in Play-In position, LaVine is playing like the kind of talent many organizations would just hold onto.

But the Bulls can't let that happen—not after so many years of doggedly pursuing mediocrity instead of accepting reality. Few teams have resisted the necessary teardown more stubbornly than Chicago, and even if keeping LaVine has its merits, trading him is still the best practical and symbolic decision.

Chicago has a chance to reset itself, clean the books (which would also include moving Nikola Vučević and perhaps Patrick Williams) and finally embrace a new era.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Is This Shooting for Real?

The Cleveland Cavaliers are shooting a league-leading 40.5 percent from long distance, just one of several double-take-inducing accuracy rates for their top-rated offense.

That number, which is significantly better than Oklahoma City's league-leading 38.9 percent last season and Philadelphia's 38.7 percent in 2022-23, seems primed for regression.

The concern is the same with several of Cleveland's individual overachievers. Caris LeVert, a career 34.8 percent shooter from deep, is canning 44.5 percent of his three-point attempts. Isaac Okoro (career 35.8 percent) is at 47.6 percent, and all three of Evan Mobley, Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are north of 40.0 percent.

Ty Jerome seemingly hasn't missed a floater all year, and no team has been more collectively accurate on mid-rangers than these Cavs.

Currently on pace to win 70-plus games, Cleveland will be just fine if it shoots the ball at league-average clips from this point on. Its top-10 defense will ensure a high floor. But nobody shoots the ball this well for a full campaign, and it'll be interesting to see what happens when the Cavs' months-long hot streak abates.

Dallas Mavericks: Who Is This Year's P.J. Washington?

The Dallas Mavericks can trade up to two first-round picks and have a couple of mid-sized salaries (Maxi Kleber's $11 million and Quentin Grimes' $4 million) if they have designs on repeating last season's deadline success.

P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford both came aboard via trade last year, and both played significant roles in Dallas' run to the Finals. Washington, in particular, filled major gaps as a multi-position defender, athletic transition force and three-point shooter.

If you've been following the NBA long, you know there's no such thing as having too many of those players. So Dallas should focus its acquisition attention on another Washington type.

Former Mav Dorian Finney-Smith would have been an ideal option, and all he cost the Los Angeles Lakers was expiring salary and second-rounders. That Dallas didn't make a play for him suggests it isn't keen on spending its remaining draft equity just yet. But with Oklahoma City looking indomitable and a pair of powerhouses in Cleveland and Boston, the Mavericks might eventually decide they need an upgrade like the one they snagged last year.

Denver Nuggets: Can Jamal Murray Play at an All-Star Level?

Jamal Murray has never been an All-Star, but he's made a habit of playing like one at the best possible times. He averaged 26.1 points, 7.1 assists and 5.7 rebounds while canning 39.6 percent of his threes during the 2023 postseason when the Denver Nuggets made their title run.

His other dominant playoff performance in 2020 (26.5 points, 6.6 assists, 4.8 boards on 45.3 percent shooting from deep) helped get Denver all the way to the conference finals.

Optimists could note Murray's current numbers aren't far off the ones he produced during the 2022-23 regular season, which might mean he can hit his peak levels in the playoffs like he did that year. Pessimists would cite his notably diminished mobility and injury history to pour cold water on those hopes.

If Murray can be what he once was, many of Denver's other issues—lack of depth, stamina-sapping over-reliance on Jokić to do everything on every possession—would start to fade.

If he can't, the Nuggets might have to get more aggressive at the trade deadline. That'll be a tricky task given their inflexibility and lack of tradable draft picks.

Detroit Pistons: What's the Best Use of That $14.1 Million?

If you had to bet on one team making a trade prior to the deadline, the Detroit Pistons would be the correct pick.

With $14.1 million in cap space, they're all but guaranteed to play facilitator in a three-team deal. The only question is what Detroit can get in exchange for essentially renting out its cap space to a financially inflexible team that can't swing a big deal without some help.

First-round picks haven't exactly flown around in pre-deadline action this season. The Nets couldn't get one for Dennis Schroder or Dorian Finney-Smith. But there are plenty of eager squads out there that'll need Detroit's assistance.

If the Miami Heat move Jimmy Butler, or the Chicago Bulls trade Zach LaVine, there's a good chance the Pistons will get looped in. Ditto for almost anything involving the Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks or Minnesota Timberwolves.

Can the Pistons help out Cade Cunningham by snagging a protected first-rounder, an intriguing young player or a rotation upgrade whose deal extends into next year? Considering the desperation and inflexibility of nearly half the league, don't bet against it.

Golden State Warriors: Should They Trade for Jimmy Butler?

The Houston Rockets aren't interested, the Phoenix Suns are hamstrung by Bradley Beal's no-trade clause and the Dallas Mavericks would have to swap out half their rotation to land Jimmy Butler. That leaves the Golden State Warriors as the only one of the original four teams on Butler's leaked list.

Any deal involving the Dubs would almost certainly have to include Andrew Wiggins or Draymond Green as matching salary. Prized-but-frustrating prospect Jonathan Kuminga would be the headliner, along with one or more future first-round picks.

Is that a price worth paying for what might be a half-season rental of a player who may not even be good enough to get Golden State into the inner circle of contenders? Would it be better or worse if the Warriors then found themselves on the hook for two more years of Butler (age-36 and -37 seasons) on a $113 million extension?

Stephen Curry deserves a contender's supporting cast, but it's unclear Butler would be good enough (or could stay healthy enough) to change the Warriors' fate.

Will Golden State take the plunge, or will it decide the safer course is to keep Kuminga, hope he becomes a star and go forward with draft picks stashed for the next player who could put it over the top?

Houston Rockets: Can They Score Enough?

The Houston Rockets own a top-10 offensive rating overall but check in at 24th in half-court scoring efficiency, a giant red flag in their postseason profile.

Houston is brilliant in the open floor and leads the league in offensive rebound rate, two factors that prop up its scoring and hide the ineffectiveness of its slowed-down sets. Come playoff time, when a more talented slate of opponents focuses on hustling back, blocking out and forcing offenses to earn buckets against set defenses, the Rockets could find themselves in trouble.

Houston's defense is elite, right up there with Orlando among the league's most aggressive and predatory outfits. This team could win a round or two in rock-fight fashion. But the Rockets won't get as far as they'd like to unless they unlock new rotation combos or trade for an upgrade in the shot-creation department.

Indiana Pacers: Who Needs to Go If Myles Turner Stays?

Myles Turner will enter unrestricted free agency this summer. If the Indiana Pacers want to keep him, they might need to make some tough decisions right now.

As it stands, Indy will be roughly $20 million below the luxury tax in 2025-26—and that's before considering the cost of a possible Bennedict Mathurin extension and salaries for any draft picks. It's hard to imagine the historically tax-averse Pacers will be able to bring back Turner cheaply enough to duck the penalty if they make no other changes to the payroll.

Does that mean Indiana will consider trading Obi Toppin? Might larger moves involving Mathurin or Jarace Walker be on the table? What about T.J. McConnell? If the Pacers could move off his $10.2 million for 2025-26 while taking back expiring money, that could make a market-rate re-signing of Turner possible while still avoiding the tax.

The Pacers made the Eastern Conference Finals last year and should have an eye on improving after a disappointing start. But they also need to be realistic about Turner and the moves that may be required to keep him.

LA Clippers: What Can Kawhi Leonard Contribute?

The LA Clippers have been one of the season's most pleasant surprises, built around defensive depth, a breakout campaign by Ivica Zubac and the offensive stylings of James Harden and Norman Powell.

Kawhi Leonard's return has a chance to turn LA in to something more than a feel-good story.

Depending on what Leonard shows in the month leading up to the deadline, the Clippers could decide they're dangerous enough to be buyers. A sell-off was probably never in the cards, and the Clips aren't flush with draft capital, but this wasn't a situation where aggressive acquisition made sense—and that could remain the case if Leonard doesn't look like his superstar self or can't stay on the floor often enough to raise the team's ceiling.

But if Leonard's knee issues are managed well enough, and if he looks like someone who could conceivably be the best player on the floor against most playoff opponents? That could spark some intriguing trade deadline aggression.

Los Angeles Lakers: Are They Done Dealing?

Dorian Finney-Smith started his Los Angeles Lakers career coming off the bench but has been no stranger to the team's closing lineups. The plug-and-play forward posted positive on-court point differentials in each of his first three games with L.A., amassing a total plus/minus of plus-30 in his opening 67 minutes.

Will the Lakers decide the heist they pulled in adding DFS without surrendering a first-rounder is the only move they need, or will they be emboldened by the success of that deal and seek out others?

Los Angeles has quietly kept its first-round-pick powder dry over the last couple of deadlines, but what if the deal that brought in Finney-Smith for D'Angelo Russell leaves it too short on playmaking? Austin Reaves has been stellar in the point guard role, and LeBron James can certainly handle on-ball duties himself. But the Lakers could still look to supplement the rotation with a guard.

Will one good deal beget another, or do the Lakers stand pat after the Finney-Smith acquisition?

Memphis Grizzlies: Is the Offense a Gimmick?

Anyone who says NBA offenses are all the same hasn't watched the Memphis Grizzlies this season.

No team utilizes the pick-and-roll less frequently, and Memphis also ranks last in handoffs and 27th in shots taken off screens. Instead, the Grizz spread the floor and rely on one-on-one attacks to bend the defense, at which point the four players off the ball rotate in unison, moving into space for kickouts that lead to clean shots or a second downhill attack.

Memphis leads the league in drives per game and is tied for the lead in assists and free-throw attempts generated on those play types.

The Grizzlies' pivot away from the established sets and tactics every team leaned on over the last 20 years is the most under-discussed narrative of the season. Will it hold up, or does Memphis need a consolidation trade for another high-end offensive piece?

Miami Heat: What's the Ideal Return in a Jimmy Butler Trade?

Jimmy Butler's $49 million salary and intention to hit free agency this summer by declining his player option for 2025-26 mean the Miami Heat have limited trade-partner options and should downward adjust expectations about the quality of any return.

Crowded markets create bidding wars, while limited ones leave teams like the Heat in "take what you can get" situations.

Miami must decide how much, if any, future salary commitments it's willing to take back for Butler. The more iffy long-term cash the Heat can handle, the likelier they are to get a high-end young talent or significant draft equity. If they instead prioritize flexibility, which they could maximize in the extreme by not trading Butler and letting him walk (like the LA Clippers did with Paul George), it'll be very difficult to land any difference-making sweeteners.

The Heat still have Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and a consistent unwillingness to play noncompetitive basketball, so they'll likely seek at least a little win-now help if they can.

Milwaukee Bucks: Is There A Bobby Portis Upgrade Available?

The Milwaukee Bucks hit another slide recently, looking more like the team that opened the season with a 2-8 record than the one that rode a hot streak to the NBA Cup Championship. The key to triggering another surge may be upgrading the rotation via trade.

Milwaukee is less flexible than most teams, as it can't take back more money than it sends out, can't aggregate outgoing salaries if it winds up over the second apron following any trade and only has one future first-rounder (2031) available to deal.

Bobby Portis is yet again a candidate for Sixth Man of the Year with averages of 16.4 points and a 38.6 percent hit rate from long range, but his $12.6 million salary might be the only way for Milwaukee to improve itself.

Blazers center Robert Williams III earns $12.4 million this season, making him a potential fit. Coby White would be the ideal addition at $12 million, but the Bulls would likely want more than a single first-rounder for a high-end offensive starter.

Minnesota Timberwolves: Should Julius Randle Be Shopped?

Julius Randle isn't the only reason the Minnesota Timberwolves have played some of the clunkiest offense in the league, but it's getting harder to absolve him of all blame.

When he shares the floor with Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert, Minnesota's two most impactful players, the team scores at a clip that rates in just the 41st percentile. That's not nearly good enough to offset the defensive issues Randle brings.

Any trade partner would need clarity on whether Randle intends to pick up his $30.9 million player option for 2025-26. Depending on what the suitor wanted—either cap relief or the chance to ink him to an extension—Randle could appeal to a broad spectrum of teams.

If Randle isn't the one to go, Mike Conley could be next on the list. Neither player figures to draw major interest, but the Wolves need to consider every option in their quest to fix the offense.

New Orleans Pelicans: What Are the Odds of an Ingram Sign-and-Trade This Summer?

The New Orleans Pelicans should have traded Brandon Ingram a long time ago, as his current market value is about as low as it's been at any point in his career. That's mainly because he's an impending free agent who's made it known he expects a hefty payday on his next deal, which is discouraging teams from acquiring him via trade.

New Orleans is long past the point of expecting first-round assets for Ingram, and now it might not even be realistic to expect a solid young player and expiring money.

If it's actually the case that the Pels can't bring in anything of value without taking on longer-term commitments, they might need to consider an approach that would have been unthinkable just a couple of months ago: keeping Ingram through the deadline.

The walk-away risk is terrifying, although it might not seem so scary when compared to trading Ingram for salaries the Pelicans don't want. This might be one of the rare cases where getting nothing (letting Ingram leave) is better than getting something (unwanted salary).

A sign-and-trade this summer might be the best of New Orleans' bad options when it comes to Ingram.

New York Knicks: Is Mitchell Robinson a Key Player or a Trade Chip?

There may not be a half-dozen players enjoying better offensive seasons than Karl-Anthony Towns, but the New York Knicks still need depth and size behind their massive offseason acquisition.

Mitchell Robinson was once key to New York's offensive success, albeit in a very different way from Towns. When the Knicks ranked second and seventh on offense in the two years prior to this one, they did it on the strength of elite offensive rebounding. Robinson was integral in that effort and could give the team a similar boost once he's back on the floor.

Of course, he could also be used to trade for an upgrade elsewhere—perhaps in the form of a defense-first guard or a defensive big man with a cleaner health record.

Robinson earns $14.3 million this year and $12.9 in 2025-26, totally reasonable money for a starting-caliber center. The Knicks might want to see how he looks next to Towns in supersized looks like the ones Minnesota put together with Towns and Rudy Gobert last season. Those combos could unlock the improved defense New York needs.

The sooner Robinson returns, the sooner New York can determine his future role with the team.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Are They Really Keeping All Those First-Rounders?

If the Oklahoma City Thunder want to beat the market for Cameron Johnson or any other player who becomes available, they can. That's the power of having all their own future first-rounders, plus six coming in from other teams and a pair of swaps with the LA Clippers.

So far, the Thunder have kept their powder dry. Considering their current perch atop the West, it's hard to argue they have any clear needs that could be addressed by trading some of their draft capital.

Still, OKC already has an established core that will need raises soon. Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace won't be on rookie deals forever, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can sign a supermax extension this summer.

The Thunder can't realistically pay all of their own players while loading up the roster with multiple first-round draftees every summer. At some point, a few of those picks need to be consolidated or traded. If Oklahoma City decides "sometime" is within the next month, it could seize control of the trade market and put even more distance between itself and the rest of the West.

Orlando Magic: Which Defense-First Piece Can Bring Back Some Shooting?

The Orlando Magic rank 26th on offense and second on defense this season. When the splits are that extreme, it's a clear sign that any transaction needs to draw from a position of strength to address a position of weakness.

Sure, Orlando has spent most of the season without Paolo Banchero and lost Franz Wagner to injury over a month ago. But this group ranked 22nd on offense and second (again) on D last year. The dichotomy is well-established.

Jonathan Isaac is a game-wrecking defensive force, arguably the most disruptive per-minute menace (non-Victor Wembanyama division) in the league. And you know what? Orlando can afford to trade him.

Teams with a glut of playmakers and shooters could easily talk themselves into taking on Isaac's palatable deal ($25 million this year, $15 million in 2025-26) in exchange for some offensive firepower.

Even with Banchero and Wagner back, the Magic have to find more scoring punch at the guard and center spots. Fail to do so, and Orlando will risk wasting another year of elite defense.

Philadelphia 76ers: Will Embiid Hold Up for a Playoff Run?

The Philadelphia 76ers have plenty of questions, but none of them are worth addressing without getting clarity on the threshold issue of Joel Embiid's health and performance level.

Framed around the trade deadline, specifically, the Sixers could justify selling off their component parts and angling for 2025 offseason flexibility if signs emerge the former MVP can't reach his past levels and/or stay on the floor throughout a postseason run. Alternatively, if Embiid strings together several good weeks of production and looks nimbler on the floor, the Sixers could look to make win-now additions.

In that sense, the 76ers' biggest question hasn't changed at any point over the last several seasons. If Embiid is healthy, you're essentially obligated to chase a championship. If he's not, management's focus needs to shift toward next season.

Phoenix Suns: Is Now the Time to Trade Kevin Durant?

The Phoenix Suns completely mortgaged their future in adding Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, the kind of shortsighted thinking only clear contention can justify. Slotted 12th in the West and showing no signs a leap is ahead, the Suns need to start thinking about the next iteration of the team.

Trading Kevin Durant is the cleanest way to make the back half of the 2020s bearable.

Ideally, Phoenix could get control of its own picks back from the Rockets, who took them on when Brooklyn swung a deal to reacquire its own firsts in 2025 and 2026. Even if that's not on the table, the Suns need to consider rebuilding alternatives.

Durant hasn't asked for a trade, but his track record suggests a request will be coming before long. If Phoenix notified the league that KD was available, it'd immediately have the hottest commodity on the market.

Portland Trail Blazers: Is Jerami Grant Already a Negative-Value Asset?

Panicked decisions don't tend to turn out great, and it's starting to look like the one the Portland Trail Blazers made with Jerami Grant right around the time they lost franchise icon Damian Lillard is trending that way.

A three-and-D forward who's even shouldered No. 1 scoring-option duties in the past, Grant's five-year, $160 million contract (which will pay him an average of $34 million across the three seasons after this one) might already be one of the league's worst. When a player signs a sizable deal in his late 20s like Grant did in 2023, the expectation should be that the later years of the contract will be painful.

But we're not even halfway through the second year of the half-decade agreement, and Grant might not be movable for positive value.

Some of that owes to Grant's decline. His defense has slipped, and he's averaging 15.0 points per game while making under 40.0 percent of his two-point attempts. Some owes to the new CBA terrifying teams that, in the past, would have happily onboarded a player like him for $30 million per season.

Whatever the cause, the effect is that Portland, a rebuilding team, now finds itself in possession of a contract that has no place on its books and may not be realistically movable until 2027.

Sacramento Kings: What to Do with De'Aaron Fox?

De'Aaron Fox has a year and change left on his current contract, but the Sacramento Kings don't have nearly that long to figure out what to do with their best player.

After declining an extension in October, which made sense given the potential to sign a five-year deal worth up to $345 million down the line, Fox told Draymond Green and Baron Davis: "I want to make sure that we're in a position to try to win in the future, because that's ultimately what I want to do. For me, it's, are we looking like we're continuing to get better year after year? And, are we going to be able to compete at a high level?"

That last part is most salient, as the Kings have headed in the wrong direction since securing the No. 3 seed in the West two years ago.

Sacramento should exhaust every other option in search of improvement before moving Fox. Firing Mike Brown was one such example, even if it felt hasty. But if it becomes clear Fox has a foot out the door, and if there's no evidence the team is going to get better, it might even make sense for the Kings to shop him ahead of the 2025 trade deadline.

San Antonio Spurs: When's Wemby's Window?

Having just turned 21, Victor Wembanyama is still a long way from his prime years. But the San Antonio Spurs need to be cognizant of the possibility that he's already good enough to justify a little win-now thinking.

That's not to say the Spurs have to put multiple first-rounders on the table in hopes of trading for a star young enough to grow alongside Wembanyama for the next half-decade or so; no such player is available on this year's market unless the Kings really do put De'Aaron Fox on the block.

They would, however, be well served to accelerate whatever mid- and long-term roster-building plans they may have had.

Wembanyama is already performing at an All-NBA level, and we'll be talking about his 30-percent max extension in the summer of 2026. That's not as far off as it seems, and San Antonio should at least entertain the notion of buying at the deadline if the right opportunity arises.

Toronto Raptors: Does Anyone Out There Remember Bruce Brown?

When the Toronto Raptors brought in Bruce Brown in last year's Pascal Siakam deal, it seemed like the veteran guard was a key part of the trade. At the time, Brown wasn't far removed from playing a major role on the 2023 champion Denver Nuggets, a performance that got him paid by the Pacers to the tune of two years and $45 million.

After struggling to find his post-trade footing with the Raptors last year, Brown has played just five games in 2024-25 and seems to have fallen completely off the radar after knee surgery. He's just recently getting back into the mix and could still be viewed as one of this deadline's more intriguing trade candidates.

Brown will come off the books after collecting the balance of his $23 million this season, which should appeal to teams seeking cap relief. Toronto should be more than willing to take on bad money with picks attached. Alternatively, some team might view Brown, who's only 28, as the same guy who logged rotation minutes with Denver 18 months ago.

Utah Jazz: When Do They Want to Start Winning?

With so few teams firmly in a rebuilding stage, the Utah Jazz have an opportunity to capitalize on a market inefficiency. They can be the landing spot for some of the league's worst contracts, but the length and size of the deals they absorb will depend on when they intend to start winning games again.

For example, Utah could package up some combination of John Collins, Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton to match salary on a sizable contract. All three of those players come off the books by the summer of 2026, with Collins potentially hitting free agency this July via a player option. If the Jazz have the stomach for unwanted money that extends beyond that timeline, they could extract some serious draft capital in the bargain.

On the other hand, any Jazz plans that involve a more immediate return to competitiveness should disqualify them from hypotheticals like this.

Utah is in the third year of its post-Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert era, and it might not be willing to push out its rebuild into 2027. But there could be some opportunities if the Jazz consider taking on bad money.

Washington Wizards: Are the Adults Still Necessary?

Veterans like Jonas Valanciunas and Malcolm Brogdon serve a purpose on a rebuilding team. They can model professional behavior for inexperienced players, serve as stopgaps until those same players are ready for larger roles and generally operate as adults in the room.

The Washington Wizards need to decide if their youth corps is ready to go forward unchaperoned.

Bilal Coulibaly is younger than many rookies, despite being in his second season. First-year prospects Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George are only about a half-season into their careers, and even head coach Brian Keefe is a little green. He's a longtime assistant but has spent the equivalent of one full season in charge.

Do the Wizards still need their veteran influences, particularly with losses sure to mount in the second half and another high lottery pick coming in the 2025 draft? Or is it time to trade away the old heads and see what the kids can do on their own?

Stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference and Cleaning the Glass. Accurate through Jan. 9. Salary info via Spotrac.

Grant Hughes covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter (@gt_hughes), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, where he appears with Bleacher Report's Dan Favale.