The NBA trade deadline is on Feb. 6, which is less than two weeks away. Trades are a bit more complicated under the new collective bargaining agreement, but that hasn't stopped rumors of five-team Jimmy Butler trades and blockbuster swaps centered on "bad" contracts, such as Zach LaVine.
Front offices tend to evolve with the times. More strict cap rules do not change the baseline goals for each organization, whether that's to contend for a championship or to cut costs and angle for the top pick. Cooper Flagg quietly looms over this entire trade season. A lot of teams will sell desperately in hopes of landing the talented Duke freshman.
It's hard not to focus on the spectacular fireworks going off between Jimmy G. Buckets and Miami nowadays, but this trade deadline threatens to shift the balance of power in the NBA in more than a couple spots.
Here is all the latest scuttlebutt worthy of your attention.
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NBA Rumors: Kyle Kuzma is ready to get the heck out of dodge ... well, Washington
The Washington Wizards are 6-38 without much competition for the title of 'Worst NBA Team.' That does not guarantee them Cooper Flagg, of course, but the Wizards will go out of their way to ensure those prime 14 percent odds. That probably means trading Kyle Kuzma, if there's a taker.
The spark-plug scorer and former NBA champ has been on a downswing this season. He's averaging 14.6 points and 5.7 rebounds on abysmal .423/.280/.584 splits, posting -1.2 win shares as the primary vet on a team rife with inexperienced contributors. Washington held on to Kuzma despite significant trade interest these past couple seasons, and this is their reward.
Kuzma, for his part, is trying to get the heck out of dodge. He has stuck with Washington through thick and thin, but his shifting role (and the oppressive weight of losing) has clearly taken its toll. The 29-year-old is ready for a fresh start.
After scoring a season-high 30 points against Phoenix over the weekend, Kuzma laid bare his myriad frustrations.
"I think today I just decided to be myself and not really just try to fit into everything that we’re doing here, and just really played in the moment,” he told reporters (h/t The Athletic). "... I mean just not trying to fit into what we’re trying to do here. Just being more assertive, demanding the ball, not just going out there and trying to let people develop. Just playing my game."
Those comments are a wee bit tone deaf — Kuzma has been every bit the problem with his rancid shooting and lackluster decision-making — but it does set the stage for a trade out of Washington. Perhaps a few strong performances before the deadline can recoup a bit of value and grease the wheels on a deal.
NBA Rumors: Pacers quietly shopping Myles Turner with extension talks looming
The Indiana Pacers are 8-2 in their last 10 games and up to fifth-place in the East. Things are trending in the right direction, but there is uncertainty brewing beneath the surface. According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, Myles Turner is quietly on the trade block ahead of Feb. 6.
The talented two-way big man is in the final year of his contract. He could command $30 million-plus on his next deal, which evidently makes the Pacers front office queasy.
"It's specifically just a basic contract situation of he is about to be an unrestricted free agent and he's going to want $30-plus million and I've heard Indiana is not sure if they want to give him $30-plus million," Buha said on his YouTube channel. "If they don't, then from an asset management perspective, it makes sense to trade him and get something back for him."
Turner would drum up a competitive market with so many contenders in need of frontcourt reinforcements. The Warriors and Lakers are both known to be looking for center upgrades, while others, such as Houston, Phoenix, and Milwaukee, could easily justify a run at Turner.
The 28-year-old, in his 10th season with Indiana, is averaging 15.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks on .479/.393/.746 splits. Turner is not the same defensive enforcer he was a few years ago, but he's still a dominant rim deterrent with a usefully modern offensive skill set. He'd make a lot of teams better.
NBA Rumors: Heat willing to wait on the 'right' Jimmy Butler trade
The Miami Heat are set to welcome Jimmy Butler back into the lineup after his latest suspension for defying team rules. Butler has doubled and tripled down on his desire to depart Miami before the Feb. 6 trade deadline, but the Heat aren't going to rush into a deal.
Instead, the Heat are "patiently waiting for the best possible offer," per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. That means more palpable discomfort and shenanigans from the Butler camp. He has successfully become a distraction for the typically straight-laced and on-message Heat organization. Pat Riley does not give in easily, though, so Butler will need to stick around a bit longer.
The reason for the current lull in talks is simple. Butler has made it clear he's not signing an extension with at least 29 NBA teams this summer, so front offices are unwilling to sell the farm. Miami is getting offered the "poo-poo platter," as ESPN's Brian Windhorst phrased it.
"Jimmy Butler isn't going to extend with any team. And so, because teams know that, they're offering the Heat right now the poo-poo platter. There's only one team that is ready to pay Jimmy Butler exactly what he wants, and that's the Phoenix Suns."
— First Take (@FirstTake) January 7, 2025
—@WindhorstESPN pic.twitter.com/q8LZLPOFOV
There appears to be momentum toward a Butler trade to his desired destination of Phoenix, but there are still complicating factors. Bradley Beal's contract won't be easy to shed and it could take four or five teams to engineer Butler's arrival in the desert.
Don't be shocked if this ends with Butler in an unexpected locale, playing for a team he didn't exactly ask for, but angling for a championship all the same.