While the NBA trade deadline may seem miles down the road, certain teams cannot afford to wait much longer to start thinking about making deals. One of those teams is the Charlotte Hornets.
A playoff team last year, the Hornets are not adapting well to their new name. Unlike their flashy teal jerseys, the team's performance lacks color. The Hornets are among the worst shooting teams in the NBA. They are second only to the lowly Philadelphia 76ers in 3-point shooting percentage at 30.6%. The Hornets are also towards the bottom of the league in scoring, averaging just 94.2 points per game, while allowing 101.2 point per game to opponents. Big man Al Jefferson is leading the team in scoring, but has virtually no help rebounding the basketball.
Cody Zeller and Marvin Williams are his primary backups, but head coach Steve Clifford has preferred to play with a smaller lineup. However, a second big man that could play alongside Jefferson could be a huge help to the 5-15 Hornets. Ninth overall draft pick Noah Vonleh may eventually be the answer but, having played in only three games all season, the Hornets cannot afford to wait for his development. The Hornets would most likely need to unload a combination of players and draft picks in order for a deal to work out in their favor. Gerald Henderson is certainly trade bait that could bring a big such as Roy Hibbert or Josh Smith to Charlotte.
The Oklahoma City Thunder would be wise to rely on a trade rather than the dominance of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to rescue their season. Those two have carried the franchise the last couple of seasons and it became clear while they were both sidelined with injuries that the Thunder struggle to win without them. Since James Harden left the team via free agency, the Thunder have longed for a third shooter who can play alongside Durant and Westbrook or come off the bench in a similar sixth-man role.
Although it is somewhat reflective of injuries, the team is barely averaging more points per game than the 76ers, who rank dead last in the league. Reggie Jackson has performed exceptionally well with increased minutes in the absence of his All-Star teammates, but the youth at the shooting guard position is a weakness. With Steven Adams and Serge Ibaka securing the post area, Kendrick Perkins may be on the move. Perkins's minutes have decreased in each of the last three seasons and he has yet to start a game this season. His value is certainly questionable, but he may be a complimentary piece in a deal that could land the Thunder another scorer.
The Washington Wizards are a third contender who will likely need a trade before they can set their sights on an NBA title. A surprisingly strong starting lineup exceeded expectations last year by upsetting the Chicago Bulls in five games in the first round of the playoffs. They have since continued to rely heavily on their starters, with three of the five players averaging over 30 minutes per game. After missing the first nine games of the season, Bradley Beal has returned to the court averaging 14.2 points per game.
Unfortunately for the Wiz Kids, 37 year-old Paul Pierce is not the agile replacement they needed after losing Trevor Ariza to the Houston Rockets. Pierce is coming off of the lowest scoring season of his career and continues to be vocally nostalgic towards his days in Boston. Rasual Butler has played well off the bench for the Wizards, scoring in double digits in four consecutive games, but is not yet a stable threat. However, an additional guard who could save John Wall and Beal from an overload of minutes could make the Wizards a serious threat in the Eastern Conference.
The Phoenix Suns, on the other hand, are heavy at the guard position and may be looking to unload some talent. Goran Dragic is not going anywhere, but don't be so sure about Eric Bledsoe and Isaiah Thomas. The trio, coupled with Gerald Green, comprise four of the top five scorers on the Suns. An excess of guards provides Phoenix with some flexibility to make a trade. An All-Star is obviously the desired acquisition and the one that comes to mind is currently rotting on the dismal New York Knicks.
After resigning his star attraction this past offseason, Phil Jackson may be rethinking his decision to bring back Carmelo Anthony. Not that the Knicks would gain much more than a couple of pieces to rebuild with, but maybe LeBron James's presence at Madison Square Garden recently was not just a coincidence. The Cleveland Cavaliers may have righted the ship, but the two pals in James and Anthony may know something we don't. Nonetheless, the Phoenix Suns could formulate a much more tempting deal in order to reel in Anthony. The only dealbreaker is Melo's fresh contract, in which case the Suns may go after Josh Smith, who has failed to outshine Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond on a limp Detroit Pistons squad.
The Miami Heat could also be a potential suitor for Smith, who is enduring the worst shooting season of his career. The Heat are dead last in the NBA in rebounding and would benefit from Smith's athleticism around the paint. After losing LeBron James, Pat Riley could only gather Luol Deng and Danny Granger in attempt to fill the King's shoes. After reaching the NBA Finals in four consecutive years, the Heat will be expected to make some noise in the trade market before the deadline.
With a reputation to uphold, a potential blockbuster trade with the Boston Celtics could be in the works. While Danny Ainge continues to deny, deny, deny, everyone around the league knows that Rajon Rondo is on the trade block. A free agent at the end of this season, Rondo has proved time and again that he is a threat to produce a triple-double on any given night. The Celtics previously denied trade offers for Rondo, but keep a close eye on the 8-year point guard as the deadline approaches.