One NBA general manager is seemingly predicting that there won’t be many blockbuster trades ahead of next week’s trade deadline.
One GM told me he predicts no one who averages more than 12 points a game will be traded next week. (Yes, I found that to be an interesting cutoff, too.)
— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) February 2, 2023
Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers recently revealed that there are not enough teams are willing to trade their players ahead of the deadline.
Trying to assess the reasons for the reluctance of such teams is often a guessing game. Myers indicated that a more competitive league has made teams less willing to overhaul their roster.
“I think the league thought more teams — whether they were trying for a certain player in the draft — would be clearly out on the playoffs at this time,” Myers said during a recent radio appearance. “That is not the case. There are not a lot of teams that are making the decision that this season is lost. It doesn’t make for a lot of trading partners.”
Such teams clearly still see their squads as solid contenders. Either that or players in question could still hold some value being on their respective rosters. Teams might also be asking for too much in return for their players.
Regardless of the reasons for that stance, the often bustling market that seemingly develops every year could end up going quietly next week with a minimum amount of deals.
For the Warriors, they’re currently locked in a tight four-way battle in the NBA’s Pacific Division. At 26-25, they are currently 3.5 games behind the surprising Sacramento Kings and between the Los Angeles Clippers and Phoenix Suns.
The addition of the Kings into the mix is one of the more surprising developments in the NBA this season. The Kings haven’t had a winning season since the 2005-06 campaign, which happens to be the last time the team reached the postseason.
Other teams are far from contention and could conceivably be looking to change things up by gutting their rosters. The reason for that type of strategy is due to the top pick in this year’s draft, which will likely be Victor Wembanyama.
Of course, teams with poor records are in those situations because of the lack of talent on their rosters. That leaves teams near playoff spots as possible candidates for deals.
Circumstances could change in the next week, depending on what takes place prior to next Thursday. Yet, based on Myers’ assumption, the chances of any major deal changing potential title calculations doesn’t seem to be on the horizon.
