Report: DeMar DeRozan, Andre Drummond, And Victor Oladipo Are Among Some Of The Best Players That Could Be Traded Before The Deadline.

The recent James Harden trade set the tone for the rest of this season as many executives believe that the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers are the favourites in making the NBA finals. With this fair prediction, many other NBA organizations think that they can also compete for a championship. These teams include the Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz. With many talented players either possessing expiring contracts or are placed in a rebuilding situation, let’s look at some of the best talents that could be traded before the deadline! 

Note: This article is based on the six teams mentioned above (not including the Los Angeles Lakers or Brooklyn Nets) that are considered title contenders and who would offer the best trade package to the team with the best asset. 

DeMar DeRozan

In the 2018 NBA off-season, DeMar DeRozan was sent to the San Antonio Spurs for a package centred around Kawhi Leonard. While this was heartbreaking for many Raptor fans, Toronto managed to win a championship in the following season, making that trade one of the greatest trades in NBA history. However, DeMar DeRozan was unable to celebrate and instead was traded to a rebuilding team with no championship aspirations. 

DeMar is a talented player and is having what could be the best season of his career! He currently averages career highs in both assists and three-point percentage and is arguably the main reason for the Spurs early success. This is a perfect opportunity to trade DeRozan as his value could be the highest it’s ever been since arriving in San Antonio. Based on the criteria of who is competing for the championship this season, the best offer that San Antonio could receive for DeMar DeRozan would be the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers are the only team that could really use DeMar while having the assets to trade for him. The only downside, the depth of the 76ers would slightly plummet! 

San Antonio receives- Matisse Thybulle, Danny Green, Mike Scott, and an unprotected 2023 first-round pick.

Philadelphia receives- DeMar DeRozan

The benefit of this trade is that the 76ers would receive another All-Star calibre player, which would help their chances at making it to the NBA finals. San Antonio gets another young asset to build around and an unprotected first-round pick that could be useful. In addition, the Spurs also receive two veterans that can mentor San Antonio’s young core. While this package may not look that attractive, this would be the type of trade that the Spurs would receive for DeMar due to his expiring contract. 

Andre Drummond

Since being drafted, Andre Drummond has been regarded as one of the best if not the best rebounder in the NBA. In the last couple of seasons, Drummond has led the NBA in rebounds while also being a terrific defender. However, his skill set is limited as his production offensively relies mostly inside and rarely from the perimeter. This has caused Drummond’s value in the NBA to plummet, making him one of the toughest players to trade for when it comes to receiving anything valuable. For instance, last season Drummond was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Brandon Knight, John Henson and a second-round pick! This is one of the best and most efficient centers in the NBA, and yet his trade value is embarrassingly low. 

This is a significant factor for teams to consider when trading for Drummond. Due to how low his trade value is, most teams would not have to offer such generous trades. Even though Drummond is having a great start to the season, his expiring contract and playstyle will prevent the Cleveland Cavaliers from receiving a fair offer. While most of the competing teams have either an All-Star center or an above-average starting center, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers could benefit from a center like Drummond. As far as what would be offered, both teams have limited cap-space and cannot trade for Drummond. The only solution will be if Cleveland buys out his contract, which is unlikely. 

Victor Oladipo

After recently being traded to the Houston Rockets in the James Harden trade, the Houston Rockets are reportedly considering to trade Oladipo at the deadline. Just two seasons ago, Oladipo was an All-Star and was looking like the future star of Indiana. However, after his ACL injury in the following season, his value in the NBA has dramatically plummeted. Similar to Drummond and DeRozan, this will make it easier for teams to trade for Oladipo. 

Oladipo is a defensive wing that is decently efficient on the offensive side. Many teams could benefit from Oladipo’s talent and would instantly become threats in their respected conferences. While he is injury-prone, if he is placed in a situation where he can be the third or even fourth option on a championship team, Oladipo would last longer without an injury. 

The Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks would be the best situation for Oladipo based on the list of contending teams. The Bucks currently have Donte DiVincenzo at the starting shooting guard position meaning that it should be upgraded if the Bucks want to make the NBA finals. The Denver Nuggets also have an average shooting guard being Gary Harris, which should be upgraded if Denver wants to become valid threats in the Western Conference. While both teams could use an upgrade at the shooting guard position, the Bucks simply lack the cap-space to trade for Oladipo unless they are willing to trade Brook Lopez. Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets could make a trade for Oladipo as they have the assets to trade. The trade would consist off, 

Houston receives- Gary Harris and an unprotected 2024 second-round pick.

Denver receives- Victor Oladipo.

DeMar DeRozan, Andre Drummond, and Victor Oladipo were all at one point All-Star calibre players in the NBA. Although they are no longer viewed as All-Stars in the NBA, they are still valuable assets for contending teams to consider. After the James Harden trade, both conferences potentially have to face a superteam before reaching the NBA finals.