The NBA Trade Desperation Scale
Should your team panic? Maybe!
As trade season looms (and it looms large) every fan wonders what move their team will make. Maybe no move! Maybe the big move. Maybe the move for a backup point guard who becomes a trivia question twelve years from now. It’s probably gonna be that last one but hey what do I know?
Today we’ll run through all 30 teams and decide how badly each team needs to swing a deal using the very real and official Trade Desperation Scale. I found it lying on the side of the road so we should probably trust everything it says. The scale goes from 1 to 10 and the higher the number it spits out, the more desperate a team should be to make a trade pre-February 8th.
Off. We. Go.
Atlanta Hawks
Trade Desperation: 9.0
That’s a big number to kick things off. The problem in Atlanta (which I mentioned in “1 Sentence & 1 Stat to Describe Each NBA Team”) is that everyone on this team is tasked with a bigger role than they should be tasked with and it’s resulted in the league’s seventh-worst net rating (-2.4).
Dejounte Murray is a fine player but he’s not a second option like Atlanta asks him to be. Saddiq Bey—another fine player but he shouldn’t be playing 32.5 minutes a night. DeAndre Hunter will have a long career as a good role player but he’s not the two-way wing star that Atlanta is begging him to be. Notice a pattern?
Atlanta (18-24) should make as many deals as possible that don’t include Jalen Johnson. I don’t think those moves even need to be “sell” moves because Trae + Jalen is already a solid base but a change is far overdue.
Boston Celtics
Trade Desperation: 0.5
Could Boston (33-10) bolster its depth before deadline day passes? Sure. Could Jeff Bezos add another billion dollars to his net worth? Sure. But it’s not necessary.
However if Boston does decide to make a deal I hope it involves trading my new favorite player Neemias Queta to a team that will give him regular minutes. I only recently learned (thanks to the wonderful
of ) that Queta is the first-ever Portuguese NBA player. I think it’s incredibly heartening when a player makes history for his country and has an entire nation cheering him on so I am officially on Team Queta going forward.
Brooklyn Nets
Trade Desperation: 5.5
If super desperate teams start offering multiple first-round picks for Dorian Finney-Smith or Cam Jonhson then yes Brooklyn (17-25) should swing a deal. But if offers are underwhelming I have no qualms with Brooklyn mostly standing pat and trying to make a play-in run. This team isn’t good but I believe it’s better than a 4-17 record since December 13th. Plus Mikal Bridges is locked up for a few years and Brooklyn is still a popular free agent destination. The Nets stakes feel relatively low right now.
Charlotte Hornets
Trade Desperation: ERROR; ☜︎☼︎☼︎⚐︎☼︎☜︎☼︎☼︎⚐︎☼︎☞︎🕆︎👍︎😐︎⚐︎🕆︎👌︎☼︎⚐︎😐︎☜︎☠︎⌛︎🖲︎⌛︎🖲︎⌛︎🖲︎⌛︎🖲︎⌛︎🖲︎⌛︎🖲︎⌛︎🖲︎⌛︎🖲︎⌛︎🖲︎⌛︎🖲︎⚐︎🕆︎💧︎🕆︎👍︎😐︎👎︎✋︎😐︎☠︎👌︎✌︎💧︎
Oh god I think we just broke the desperation scale. Trade Gordon Hayward if you want. It does not matter at all. Irrelevant franchise (and my most toxic ex.)
Chicago Bulls
Trade Desperation: 9.5
Please finally do it Chicago. I genuinely respect the Bulls (21-23) for trying to build a contender a few years ago. I loved the idea of that team. But it doesn’t work (and that’s not even 100% your fault… thinking of Lonzo Ball’s knees makes me sad.)
We gotta move on. Alex Caruso by himself will return you something solid. I think you can bully a team into some picks for Zach LaVine. It’s time to say “well we tried our best” and look toward the future.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Trade Desperation: 3.5
You all know that I have an irrational belief in this Cavs (25-15) team and that won’t relent anytime soon because Cleveland’s won seven games in a row and sits comfortably at fourth in the East. Cleveland should call Portland and ask what Jerami Grant’s price tag is then hang up the phone and take a nap when Portland inevitably says three first-round picks plus Jarrett Allen. No drastic moves.
Dallas Mavericks
Trade Desperation: 6.5
Dallas (24-18) is confounding to me because no one believes it can charge through the gauntlet that will be the Western Conference playoffs but Luka Doncic is still on the team and I’m always hesitant to break up a good team before it gets a chance to prove itself in the postseason… but x2 none of its players are really unproven assets who you’d feel nervous moving on from so I think a few trades could do Dallas well.
Dallas’ defense is getting better (12th in the league over the past 15 games) but still isn’t great (18th for the season) so I expect (and approve) a few medium-sized moves for solid defenders. The return of DFS? PJ Washington?
Denver Nuggets
Trade Desperation: 0.0
Denver (29-14) is playing with house money. Test the young guys in the playoffs then reevaluate everything next summer if that experiment goes poorly. No team is playing with less pressure on it than Denver.
Detroit Pistons
Trade Desperation: 10.0
Detroit (4-38) should buy at this deadline. Seriously. Go acquire Tobias Harris or Gordon Hayward or Zach Lavine just for the sake of rostering good players. This can’t go on much longer. Fans deserve better than everything this front office has given them.
Golden State Warriors
Trade Desperation: 7.5
I can’t imagine a universe where Klay Thompson gets traded (which I understand) but lord this team is a disaster and there isn’t one singular move that will fix everything. Steph Curry is still incredible (at basketball and hating poor people) so I won’t be surprised if Golden State (18-22) goes a little crazy at the deadline in hopes of saving Steph’s waning prime but… I see no path to a deep playoff run.
Houston Rockets
Trade Desperation: 4.0
There are plenty of deals Houston (20-22) could make to immediately improve its record but I don’t think any of them need to be made because existing as a play-in team is a fine existence after years of unrelenting dysfunction. Just continue to let Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr develop on a competitive team and see if any big moves present themselves this offseason.
Indiana Pacers
Trade Desperation: 7.5
If you’re going for it… then go for it. Indiana (24-19) somehow escaped the Pascal Siakam trade with its entire young core intact so now it has two stars plus youth talent down its roster. How good of a wing does Andrew Nembhard + Ben Mathurin fetch you? I’m just asking!
Los Angeles Clippers
Trade Desperation: 2.0
A stretch four to come off the bench? Another second-unit ball-handler? More rim protection? They’d all be nice but… the Clips (27-14) look pretty much fully formed as is. This team can probably win it all which is a wild sentence to type after how the James Harden era started.
Los Angeles Lakers
Trade Desperation: 9.5
Hahahahahahahahahahahaha
Memphis Grizzlies
Trade Desperation: 4.0
I’ve talked about it at length but Memphis (15-27) punting instead of panicking is the correct route. If a contender needs to bolster its shooting and wants to overpay for Luke Kennard then conversations should be had… but the second a team brings up Vince Williams Jr the conversation is over.
Miami Heat
Trade Desperation: 6.0
Talking about the Heat (24-19) is impossible. How confident is the franchise that Erik Spoelstra can pull off yet another act of black magic and raise this team to a contender once the playoffs start? That might be what determines if Miami actually makes a move at the deadline. This team is not good (20th in offensive rating) but last year’s team was worse and it made the damn NBA Finals. Would Terry Rozier help this team? Certainly. But how hard will Miami actually pursue a trade knowing that personnel matters less on this team than any other?
Milwaukee Bucks
Trade Desperation: 7.0
The Bucks (29-13) are an enigma. One night they’ll convince you that a championship is imminent (like when they beat Boston by 700 a few weeks back) and the next night they’ll convince you that even a Conference Finals appearance would be miraculous and that’s mostly because the offense is a tank and the defense is still bad.
Of course it’s easy to say “just trade for better defensive players” but they already have good defensive players! I don’t exactly know what the solution is on that end but it’s not being idle. Bruce Brown can solve some problems quickly.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Trade Desperation: 3.0
RUN FROM IT ALL YOU LIKE… DESTINY COMES REGARDLESS.
(I don’t actually think Minnesota (30-12) will do this but… Lavine’s next role should be on a team that’s already elite defensively and just needs more scoring punch to elevate it one final rung. That’s exactly the role he’d play (back) in Minnesota *if* he’s willing. Call me a madman if you want! They hated Jesus too!)
New Orleans Pelicans
Trade Desperation: 3.5
This version of New Orleans (25-18) feels as though it has been around longer than it has. Coach Willie Green is in just his third season at the helm and his first (fingers crossed) with a healthy roster. None of the Pels guys are old—in fact a lot of them are young enough to still be improving— so to call this team “desperate” would be silly.
If the Pels flame out early in the playoffs this season then some big roster changes might be on the horizon. But winning a playoff series (or two???) would change the franchise’s whole future outlook. This season I think New Orleans should just see what it’s got and reassess over the summer. Trading Herb Jones? Why?
New York Knicks
Trade Desperation: 6.0
The OG Anunoby trade has been a rousing success. So do it again! New York (26-17) is completely stifling teams lately and might be closer to competing in the East than folks realize. I like both Miles McBride and Quentin Grimes but if NY wants to run with the big boys it’s going to need a more consistent secondary ball-handler. Malcolm Brogdon come on down?
Oklahoma City Thunder
Trade Desperation: -1.0
Don’t.
Orlando Magic
Trade Desperation: 5.5
How patient is Orlando in this rebuild? Even with a recent cool-off the Magic are progressing faster than they were supposed to. However the areas for improvement are obvious (a high-level passer and another wing scorer) so maybe it’s time to make a move and really put the rebuild into hyperdrive.
I love all of their games for different reasons… but Markelle Fultz + Jalen Suggs + Cole Anthony + Anthony Black is somewhat redundant and paying them all seems incredibly unlikely. Orlando is my sleeper team to make a big splash in the next two weeks.
Philadelphia 76ers
Trade Desperation: 8.5
This number is high not because Philly (28-13) has glaring holes that need to be addressed but because this has to be the year. It just must be. So going all in is the only option and whether that looks like a Bridges (gross) or a Bogdanovic or a Dejounte Murray I’m not sure but Morey has to make all the moves he can. Go WIN.
Phoenix Suns
Trade Desperation: 6.0
Somehow Phoenix (24-18) is 3.5 games out of the four-seed. Devin Booker is apparently a real point guard (7.7 assists per game) but adding another player who can dribble the basketball would do wonders for the second unit.
Portland Trail Blazers
Trade Desperation: 8.5
Thank you for your service Malcolm Brogdon. Have fun playing games that matter!
Sacramento Kings
Trade Desperation: 7.0
I want this team to succeed badly. And with its stars locked down for at least the next few years… why not take a swing? The Kings (23-18) as constructed might win a playoff series but I think that’s about as far as they’ll go. Coach Mike Brown said it himself: “Good is the enemy of great.” Keeping Sabonis and Fox and Murray and Monk will make you at least “good.” So why not take a shot at great? Picks be damned! Go get a guy.
San Antonio Spurs
Trade Desperation: 3.5
Obviously the Spurs (8-34) have a lot of moves to make in the next few years but I’m not even sure what value they could recoup from the players currently on the roster. Maybe a second-round pick for Cedi Osman? I don’t know. Can you imagine this team without Wemby?
Toronto Raptors
Trade Desperation: 3.0 (down from 10.0)
They did it! Good job Toronto (16-27). Pascal Siakam had an incredible run as a Raptor but it was time to let him be free. OG Anunoby is a good player whose talent will be maximized more fully in New York.
Three weeks ago Toronto was at a 10.0 on the scale but then it actually made the moves it needed to make so that score has dropped considerably. It’s not quite at 0 because maybe a Gary Trent Jr. trade or a Dennis Schroeder trade are coming next, but Toronto has done well for itself this trade season.
Utah Jazz
Trade Desperation: 1.0
Why ruin a fun thing? Utah (22-22) is decimating expectations and has plenty of future draft picks and clearly has fun playing together under Will Hardy. Jazz stocks are going to keep moving up up UP in the near future so I see no reason to make rash decisions at this deadline.
Deep breaths Danny Ainge don’t even think about trading Lauri Markkanen I don’t care how juicy the pick package is.
Washington Wizards
Trade Desperation: ?
I have no idea what’s going on over there.
No please dont take Malcolm from me he’s all I have...