The Whiteboard: 5 big questions about All-Star snubs and the NBA Trade Deadline

The Whiteboard is FanSided's daily NBA email newsletter with each daily edition written by a different member of our team — Matt Moore, Wes Goldberg, Chris Kline, Lior Lampert, Quinn Everts and Ian Levy. On Saturday, we all get together for one big roundtable to answer the biggest questions of the week.

Here's what we're talking about today:

Which player (or players) didn’t make the All-Star reserves but will sneak in as an injury replacement?

Matt Moore: I was going to say Jalen Johnson until his labrum injury, so that’s a bummer. I’ll say Pascal Siakam. He should be a reserve but the Pacers are somehow not good enough to warrant enough attention but not bad so he can be excluded. He’s not a name most think of but I think he’ll be added for injury as a forward. 

Christopher Kline: Trae Young has done it before, he can do it again. I am understanding of Young’s polarizing nature, but he is immensely underrated, and I’d wager his sheer productivity — averaging roughly 23 points and a league-leading 11.4 assists — is enough to earn a nod from Adam Silver if one of the East guards is forced to bow out. 

Wes Goldberg: It comes down to a pair of fan favorites, LaMelo Ball and Trae Young. Young has had the more impactful season. He’s not posting the best numbers of his career, but he’s been much more enjoyable to watch and is a big reason why the Hawks are better than expected. I think Young gets it, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the NBA capitulates to the kids and invited LaMelo and his one-legged 3-pointers.

Quinn Everts: Domantas Sabonis! Sacramento is right back in contention for a playoff spot, and Sabonis is having the most efficient season of his career. Give the big man some love if any of the West players can’t make it out to The Bay. 

Lior Lampert: Los Angeles Lakers big man Anthony Davis is tending to an abdominal muscle strain. He's been vocal about the team maximizing what's left of its current championship window, so it wouldn't be shocking to see him err cautiously. His potential absence could pave the way for a vacated West All-Star frontcourt spot. And I’m with Quinn here, it should be Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis, who’s notably logged three straight triple-doubles!

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Which team can offer the most compelling package for De’Aaron Fox?

Matt Moore: The Atlanta Hawks, but not as the team that gets him. The Kings are never going to get back a player good enough to keep them afloat with DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis. But if the Hawks went to the Kings and Spurs and said “we’ll take Keldon Johnson, CP3, and pieces and we’ll send the Spurs Clint Capela for backup center and Trae Young to the Kings if we can get our picks back from San Antonio and extra picks from both of you?” That’s a deal that resets the Hawks around Johnson-DeAndre Hunter-Dyson Daniels while taking back expiring money and resetting their picks stash. Just saying. 

Christopher Kline: I’m with Matt on the Hawks angle. If the Spurs don’t outright trade for Young, the Kings would be very smart to get in there and push for Atlanta’s playmaking whiz. As for straight-up trades, the Rockets are obviously loaded with draft capital and young talent and should have plenty of incentive to go after Fox. Houston appears hesitant to mortgage the future right now, but the Rockets can feasibly put together a package without involving Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, or Reed Sheppard, who feel like the best assets on the roster. If it comes down to including Sheppard, it’s De’Aaron Fox. Just go for it. 

Wes Goldberg: It would be fascinating if the Orlando Magic offered Franz Wagner for De’Aaron Fox. I’m not arguing that they should but, if they did, the Magic would look much more traditional in their attack. The Kings would get back a potential All-Star and someone they can start rebuilding with right away. If I’m Sacramento, I’d rather have a good, young player than draft picks. After two decades in the basketball gutter, the Kings can afford to burn more calories on the treadmill of mediocrity.

Quinn Everts: H-Town stand up. There are enough fascinating player combinations the Rockets could throw at Sacramento in a Fox trade to make your head spin. Amen Thompson, Dillin Brooks and a pick? Why not? Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr and a few picks? Sure! Jalen Green, Tari Eason and a bunch of picks? Might as well. Houston has so many valuable young players, there has to be a package they’d be comfortable with dealing. I assume Sacramento would make sure Thompson is part of any deal, and there might be a hangup there because, well, he’s awesome and I’m sure Houston realizes that. Regardless, I think the Rockets have the best potential package for Sacramento’s star.\

Lior Lampert: Since this is merely hypothetical, the Thunder have the strongest collection of assets — and it's not particularly close. Oklahoma City has 10 tradeable first-round picks, 16 second-rounders, a bevy of young talent and multiple role players on valuable, team-friendly contracts. If they want to pry De'Aaron Fox from Sactown, virtually no one is equipped to outbid them.

Who is the best player that won’t make the All-Star team this year, even as an injury replacement? 

Matt Moore: Outside of the injured guys (Jalen Johnson, Franz Wagner), I’ll go with Jarrett Allen, who does so much more for the Cavs than he gets credit for. He really does anchor their defense and makes it so you can’t just leave him on slips like teams do with Rudy Gobert. He’s way more integral to the success of the team that’s No.1 in the East than he gets credit for. 

Christopher Kline: “Best” is a tough label to pin down. Let’s peg Trae Young and LaMelo Ball as “possible” injury replacements in the East. Kyrie Irving and Domantas Sabonis feel like the most qualified injury replacements in the West. The easy answer then becomes Luka Doncic, who missed too much time. Ja Morant falls in a similar category of “snubbed by injury.” Same for Joel Embiid. As for those who missed the cut with a relatively full season under their belt, it’s probably Devin Booker. 

Wes Goldberg: Devin Booker should be a perennial All-Star and no-question top-10 player. His shot-making is elite, and he’s still averaging 26, 7 and 4 this season. It wasn’t that long ago that Booker or Jayson Tatum was a legitimate debate. But after making three straight All-Stars from 2019-2022, Booker is on pace to miss two of the last three. That’s a tough blow to the resumé.

Quinn Everts: I’ll ride with Tyrese Haliburton. A bad start to his individual season and the Pacers season at large will keep him out of the ASG, but he’s still the engine of a top-ten offense and the No. 5-seed in the Eastern Conference.

Lior Lampert: I'm torn between Josh Hart and Ivica Zubac. But as a Knicks homer, I'll lean toward the former.

Hart entered the 2024-25 campaign vocally uncertain about his role and on-court fit in the Big Apple. Since then, he's proceeded to have a career year. The do-it-all Knicks wing is flirting with NBA history and contributing to winning at a high level. The heart and soul (pun intended) of New York may not have the gaudy scoring numbers the typical All-Star has. But it'd be awesome to see a player of his archetype garner much-deserved recognition for constantly doing the dirty work.

Assuming the big stars are off the table, who could the Orlando Magic realistically acquire at the deadline who would actually help their offense?

Matt Moore: If De’Aaron Fox is gone, are we sure the Kings won’t move Malik Monk? Because that was his second option in free agency and they badly need him. Other than that, I’ll say CJ McCollum who would give them instant offense off the bench and creation from a veteran that they need. 

Christopher Kline: Ooooh. I am a big fan of the Malik Monk proposition. Cam Johnson probably merits a mention, too. The Magic are dead-last in 3s per game. There is an understanding that Orlando might benefit from a more traditional guard rotation, but a sharpshooting wing like Cam Johnson, slotted easily between Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, might be equally impactful. 

Wes Goldberg: I know I’m in the minority, but I don’t think the Magic should trade for a guard who takes the ball out of the hands of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. This season is Orlando’s stress test. The Magic need to find out if Banchero and Wagner can be lead ball-handlers, and they need reps (especially after missing so much of the season with injuries). So miss me with Malik Monk, CJ McCollum, Anfernee Simons, etc. Here’s a wild idea: Trade Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Wendell Carter Jr. to Milwaukee for Brook Lopez and Pat Connaughton (would require the Bucks to first trade Bobby Portis for salary cap relief). Getting a floor-spacing 5 like Lopez could really open things up for Paolo and Franz.

Quinn Everts: Call Utah about Collin Sexton. He’s been playing good ball for three years with the Jazz, and he’d bring pop at the guard position that Orlando needs oh so badly. Let him start until Jalen Suggs gets healthy, then put him in a sixth-man role and bring him off the bench when the offense dries up (that happens a lot). 

Lior Lampert: I'd love to see the Magic acquire a stretch five or table-setting perimeter player who can space the floor and maintain the team's defensive identity. Let's name one player that fits the mold of each type: Nikola Vucevic and Lonzo Ball.

How funny would it be if Orlando re-acquired Vucevic for pennies on the dollar? After sending him to Chicago in a deal that netted them Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter and Jett Howard (sigh), this would be a hilarious homecoming. Meanwhile, Ball would slot right into the Magic backcourt, thanks to his combination of vision, length, shooting and point-of-attack defense. 

True or false: The Cavs need one more piece at the trade deadline

Matt Moore: False. The piece they would add doesn’t solve the questions. They need shooters to hit shots in high-leverage playoff moments and to get the right sequence of matchups, and they can make the Finals. They shouldn’t let perfect become the enemy of great. 

Christopher Kline: Need is a strong word, and Cleveland can absolutely reach the NBA Finals as is, so “false” in my answer. That said, it can’t hurt to explore the marketplace to see what’s out there. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst mentioned Lonzo Ball or Ben Simmons as potential buyout candidates. Perhaps Cleveland’s big addition comes after the trade deadline. 

Wes Goldberg: True-ish. Cleveland’s starting five is dominant and the guys off the bench have been solid, but I’m worried about Dean Wade’s health and the playoff viability of flawed players like Tristan Thompson, Georges Niang and Isaac Okoro. I’d feel a lot better about the Cavs if they added a 3-4 tweener who could soak up those minutes. Cam Johnson makes sense but isn’t worth breaking the bank. But that’s the right idea.

Quinn Everts: False. Whatever problem you think this team has, Dean Wade will solve it. That’s a bit of an exaggeration … but when he’s on the court, he really does raise this team’s ceiling. Heck, even rookie Jaylon Tyson looks comfortable in limited opportunities this season. There’s no reason to force a deadline deal when you’re 39-9. 

Lior Lampert: Need is a strong word. Cleveland doesn't necessarily need anything, but that doesn't mean they can't benefit from a pre-trade deadline move. One exploitable area of their roster has been a lack of size, athleticism and strength along the wings. But that's splitting hairs for a Cavs team with the best record in basketball.