NBA Trade Deadline 2017: Final B/R Staff Predictions

NBA wheelers and dealers have until Feb. 23 at 3 p.m. ET to make their wildest (or most practical) transactional dreams come true.

By now, we've heard every rumor about every player verified, debunked and resurrected. And we've even seen a couple of actual trades, the biggest being DeMarcus Cousins winding up with the New Orleans Pelicans. That's a good reminder that even if the chatter sometimes gets overwhelming, some of it eventually turns into something real.

Bleacher Report assembled a panel of its NBA experts to predict what else might come to pass between now and Thursday's deadline.

From the locked-in certainties to the out-there guesses, here's what we came up with.

Everyone expects the Boston Celtics to make a seismic trade because they have the most to offer. Jimmy Butler, Paul George, Andre Drummond and any other star (or pseudo-star) you can think of should at least be on their radar.

But rival organizations know how many assets Boston has and won't won't surrender a franchise cornerstone for anything but a massive haul (two Brooklyn Nets draft picks plus multiple rotation players from the second-best team in the Eastern Conference).

That's too much to surrender, which is why Boston should instead settle for a minor upgrade.

Dallas Mavericks center Andrew Bogut can improve the Celtics' woes on the defensive glass and has the passing chops to comfortably operate in Brad Stevens' offense. Tyler Zeller's expiring contract plus a second-round pick should be enough to pry Bogut from the Mavs.

It doesn't sound like a lot, but it's a lot better than losing the Aussie for nothing this offseason.

—Michael Pina

UPDATE: Bojan Bogdanovic has been traded to the Washington Wizards, per The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski

Though Brook Lopez headlines everyone's favorite Brooklyn Nets trade scenarios, today's market isn't conducive to those demands. The Nets originally wanted two first-rounders, but general manager Sean Marks has since dropped the asking price to one first- and second-round pick. And knowing what the Sacramento Kings got for DeMarcus Cousins—a whole lot of blah—even that's an ambitious request.

Bojan Bogdanovic is the more likely goner. He's gearing up for restricted free agency, and the Nets cannot justify throwing long-term money at a then-28-year-old when their rebuild remains in its infancy.

Suitors won't be lining up to forfeit first-round goodies in exchange for Bogdanovic; Lopez is still Brooklyn's best bet there. Given the Croatian's contract situation, Marks should be willing to accept offers built around second-rounders and expiring deals.

The Oklahoma City Thunder desperately need someone, anyone, who can hit three-pointers. Their 32.1 percent clip on wide-open treys ranks dead last, and Andre Roberson is still scared to shoot. Couple that with Anthony Morrow's nosediving value, and you have a recipe for medium-well offensive disaster.

If the Nets can extract 2018 (via Boston) and 2019 second-round picks from Oklahoma City, in addition to Morrow's salary, they should be more than willing to part ways with Bogdanovic—who, as luck would have it for the Thunder, is putting down more than 40 percent of his uncontested triples.

—Dan Favale

After slipping to 11th place in the Eastern Conference, the Charlotte Hornets should be on Sellers Watch. Alas, they remain committed to chasing first- and second-round playoff exits, per ESPN.com's Zach Lowe.

There won't be a postseason series to lose if the Hornets don't get their act together. They are 5-17 since the turn of the calendar, with a slumping offense and defense. 

A total lack of depth behind Kemba Walker stands out more than anything. Ramon Sessions is out after having surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee and wasn't playing good basketball when healthy. Brian Roberts is Brian Roberts, while Ray McCallum's 10-day contracts weren't the answer.

Either one of Raul Neto or Shelvin Mack would be a big deadline pickup—feasible, too. The Utah Jazz have a surplus of ball-handlers when they're at full strength and have to worry about footing the bill on George Hill's next contract. Mack will bolt in free agency this summer, and Neto's rookie-scale deal is expendable so long as the Jazz are committed to the extension-eligible Dante Exum.

Charlotte should try attaching a 2018 (via Brooklyn or Cleveland) and 2019 second-round choice to Roberts' expiring deal and see if that gets Utah's attention.

—Dan Favale

Maybe there'll come a point where the incessant Jimmy Butler trade chatter turns into something more tangible, but this is a bet that it won't be before this year's deadline.

K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reports the Bulls are telling inquiring teams they're not planning to move their best player. And while that's a smart thing to say when you're trying to create a false sense of urgency, this feels more like a real stance than an attempt to coax better offers.

The Boston Celtics have the goods to make an irrefusable offer, but they haven't made it yet. Barring something wild—like a package including this year's Brooklyn Nets first-rounder, another future first and, say, Jae Crowder or Jaylen Brown plus salary filler—it's hard to see the Bulls biting.

—Grant Hughes

While many teams (including the Minnesota Timberwolves) may come calling for shooting guard Iman Shumpert, the Cavaliers would be wise to hang on to their 26-year-old wing defender.

As the NBA continues moving toward guard-oriented offenses and three-point barrages, talented, athletic defenders like Shumpert will only be coveted more. The sixth-year pro is averaging 7.8 points on a career-high 40.3 percent shooting from deep, a shot he worked to perfect all last summer.

The Cavaliers will be tempted to deal him, of course, as he's the team's best trade piece outside of the Big Three. He's under contract for the next three seasons at a reasonable $31 million. Able to start or play a sixth-man role, Shumpert is also extremely valuable against Cleveland's most notorious opponent: the Golden State Warriors and their plethora of talented perimeter players.

The Cavs' biggest trade has already been made, bringing Kyle Korver to town in January. With an open roster spot, don't be surprised if Cleveland has a quiet deadline while general manager David Griffin goes hunting for veteran buyouts instead.

—Greg Swartz

These days, one emoji is all it takes to set off a firestorm of speculation. In Andre Drummond's case, it took two sets of eyeballs—one he retweeted from Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas and another he published on his own—to get the rumor mill running again. 

A deal for Drummond would make plenty of sense in Beantown. He's one of the league's foremost rebounders, and the C's, as the fourth-worst rebounding team in the Association, could certainly use his help in that regard.

So what's in it for the Detroit Pistons? They're currently ticketed for another trip to the playoffs by way of the East's No. 8 seed, with a first-round rematch against the Cleveland Cavaliers in front of them.

It's possible that Detroit's upward trajectory has already flattened out. If the Pistons aren't convinced Drummond can be the centerpiece of a championship team, they may be inclined to move off the four years and $105 million remaining on his max extension.

But with the team's All-Star center under contract for so long, Detroit needn't be in any rush to move him. According to CSNNE.com's A. Sherrod Blakely, there's nothing imminent brewing between the Pistons and Celtics, though, "[Van Gundy] knows he has to do something significant with that team, if not at the deadline [then] definitely this summer. So he’s looking to find out the value for all his guys, Drummond included."

If the Celtics can send back a satisfactory package (i.e. at least one of the Brooklyn picks and some combination of players from among Jae Crowder, Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley, Jaylen Brown, Amir Johnson and Tyler Zeller) now, perhaps the Pistons won't need to wait.

—Josh Martin

The Houston Rockets are pursuing win-now moves at the deadline, according to ESPN.com's Zach Lowe. (So out of character for general manager Daryl Morey, right?)

Upgrading Corey Brewer's spot should be the primary goal. Houston needed a boost there long before sending him to the Los Angeles Lakers as part of the Lou Williams trade.

P.J. Tucker fits that bill. He's a gutsy defender who, on most nights, can keep pace with the opposition's best scorer. His 33.8 percent accuracy on three-balls would explode within a Rockets offense that manufactures more wide-open treys than any other team.

While Tucker is considered available, the Phoenix Suns were holding out for first-round compensation as of mid-January, per ESPN.com's Marc Stein—which, ha.

Tucker turns 32 in May and will be a free agent at season's end. He isn't netting a first-round pick on his own. Phoenix should be happy getting K.J. McDaniels and Chinanu Onuaku.

—Dan Favale

If the Los Angeles Clippers had a relevant first-rounder or a bona fide prospect to offer, they might be serious players for Denver's Wilson Chandler or New York's Carmelo Anthony.

But Doc Rivers' prior-season deals to offload Jared Dudley and bring in Jeff Green, combined with an absence of gems unearthed by L.A.'s front office in recent years, has left the Clippers' cupboard bare.

According to ESPN's Zach Lowe, the team has been (and could continue to be) active in pursuit of Phoenix Suns forward P.J. Tucker. A bruiser at 6'6" and 245 pounds, Tucker has averaged 11 rebounds per game against the Clippers this season—his most against any opponent by a mile—and L.A. has been merely middling on the boards, per NBA.com. It never hurts one's chances of playing for Rivers to perform well against his clubs, to say the least, and the Clippers have long sought reinforcements at Tucker's position.

Should a bidding war for his services break out, L.A. could struggle to keep up. The Clippers are out of second-rounders until 2019 and can't offer a first-rounder any sooner than 2021. Their best young player (Austin Rivers) also happens to be the son of the person in control of personnel decisions.

It's entirely possible they will sit out the trade market and take their chances with bought-out veterans. Former Clipper Matt Barnes could be an option, now that the Sacramento Kings have cut him loose. Tyreke Evans could be, too, if the Kings decide to waive their former Rookie of the Year.

Or, as the Los Angeles Times' Dan Woike surmised, maybe the Clippers feel good enough about their club as currently constituted to sit back and wait: "The most likely scenario, though, is Rivers’ saying their big deadline acquisition is getting Chris Paul back from an injury. This is what they always say."

—Josh Martin

Magic Johnson's ascension to power within the Los Angeles Lakers front office was lightning-quick. His first move on the job, just hours into his tenure, was trading Lou Williams to the Houston Rockets for Corey Brewer and a first-round pick, as The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski first reported.

The rebuilding Lakers need to add to their collection of picks, given they may owe their 2017 first rounder to the Philadelphia 76ers (top-three protected) and their 2019 first to the Orlando Magic. Without the high-scoring Williams, L.A. may improve its chances of winning May's draft lottery, but Magic needs to take that a step further.

With the future in mind, the Lakers should send Nick Young to the Toronto Raptors for Jared Sullinger and a second-round pick.

Sullinger has been hampered by injury most of 2016-17, but it's all about the draft assets for L.A.

—Eric Pincus

Terrence Jones isn’t close to the same level as Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins, hence why he reportedly wants out from behind the league’s most talented frontcourt, per ESPN.com’s Chris Haynes.

Jones is a much more competent two-way player than Luke Babbitt, hence his appeal to the Miami Heat.

With 14 wins in 16 chances entering the All-Star break, Miami moved from seller to buyer. The Heat want to reward their players and fans with a playoff pursuit, but they’ll attempt to do so in a reasonable manner. Pat Riley has plans for his annual “whale” hunt this summer, so sacrificing future financial flexibility is out of the question.

But that’s no concern here, as Jones is playing on a one-year deal. The Heat would lose spacing if going from Babbitt to Jones, but they’d upgrade everything else. The latter a superior athlete, defender, rebounder, ball-handler and playmaker.

The downside: New Orleans would likely require Erik Spoelstra favorite Rodney McGruder in the deal. But you’re talking about a one-for-one swap of a former top-20 pick for someone who spent the past two seasons in the D-League.

And, with Josh Richardson on the mend, Miami has the perimeter depth to withstand losing McGruder.

—Zach Buckley

Shared versatility should help the DeMarcus Cousins-Anthony Davis pairing work on offense, as Cousins can stretch the floor when necessary and both will command extra attention in isolation and post-up situations.

But it'd still be nice if the New Orleans Pelicans could replenish their backcourt and wing spots with a few shooters. After all, there'll be plenty of open kick-out opportunities with the extra help Davis and Cousins figure to draw.

Omri Casspi, who came over with Cousins from Sacramento, will help. He hit over 40 percent of his triples in 2014-15 and 2015-16 and is at 37.9 percent despite sporadic playing time and injury this season.

The Pels will work out some castoffs—Mario Chalmers, Quin Cook, Reggie Williams and Hollis Thompson—this week, per Marc Stein of ESPN.com. But the better approach may be seeking a gunner in exchange for Terrence Jones, whom the Pels are shopping, per Chris Haynes of ESPN.com.

Jones is on a minimum deal and has shown flashes of rotation-level production this season. Maybe the Knicks would consider Jones and a sweetener for Justin Holiday.

—Grant Hughes

It should come as no surprise that the rumblings of a reunion between Rose and Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau have already started. Thibs loves his former players, so much so that it's become sort of a joke among NBA people. He's also ready to cut bait on Ricky Rubio and hand the reins over to rookie point guard Kris Dunn.

With Zach LaVine out, Minnesota could use some extra scoring, perhaps the only thing Rose can still provide. And if things don't work out, Thibs can just let Rose walk this offseason and take advantage of the extra cap space.  

As for the Knicks, there's no reason to keep Rose around. They're not going to re-sign him, (he doesn't shoot threes or get to the foul line, and let's not forget that whole AWOL mishap), so why not try to recoup some assets?

Is Rubio an asset? Eh. He can't shoot either, he mostly roams around the perimeter, and he's not the defender he once was. But he's still a pass-first point guard who at least cares about defense, two traits the Knicks would welcome.

Rubio is signed through 2019 and owed about $28 million over the next two years. But the Knicks could do much worse for a backup point guard who could win the starting job outright.

—Yaron Weitzman

The Thunder are mostly concerned with getting Enes Kanter back from a broken forearm, and he'll technically be their biggest post-deadline acquisition when he returns sometime in March. But you're not here for that. You're here for bolder predictions.

How about this? OKC will shop and possibly even trade Andre Roberson.

The Thunder will take this surprising step because, if you look back, it's what they always do. Whenever they can't get extension terms nailed down on a soon-to-be free agent, they cut bait.

You may recall James Harden being the first such example. Reggie Jackson came next. Then Serge Ibaka.

So while Roberson remains integral to a solid perimeter defense, the fact that he and Oklahoma City couldn't agree to terms this past October could signal an imminent trade. The Thunder have never liked free agency, restricted or otherwise, and it's hard to see them changing that position after losing Kevin Durant for nothing this past summer.

—Grant Hughes

Jeff Green has been traded four times in his career because some team always talks itself into thinking he's the missing piece. Boston, Memphis and the L.A. Clippers took turns thinking he'd make a difference.

They were all wrong.

So now, as general manager Rob Hennigan tries to save his job following several years of transactional and team-building blunders, there will be no fool of a white knight riding in to take Green off his hands. No first-round pick forthcoming for the 30-year-old wing with an expiring deal who so, so many thought could man the undersized 4 spot and knock down a three once in a while.

Green is staying put, and the Magic will have to find other ways to address their jumbled roster and lack of point guard options.

In one way, this is a plus for Green. At least he doesn't have to pack his bags.

In another, it's a sad reflection of a league finally getting wise to his value.

—Grant Hughes

What Won't Happen

The Indiana Pacers are now part of the terribly tepid Jahlil Okafor sweepstakes, according to ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne. They join the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls, per ESPN.com's Marc Stein.

Philadelphia 76ers general manager Bryan Colangelo is probably holding out for a first-round pick at this point, and he'll be lucky to get one. Bigs who don't launch threes, protect the rim or serve as above-average playmaking hubs don't have value in today's league.

Speaking of teams forever interested in upside-down acquisitions, let's talk about the Chicago Bulls.

Taj Gibson is scheduled for unrestricted free agency this summer. Cristiano Felicio and Nikola Mirotic will join him as restricted free agents. There's a strong chance that all three price themselves out of Chicago—assuming none of them are moved beforehand.

Okafor is cheaper help behind Robin Lopez. Or the Bulls can start him. They can trade Lopez, too.

At any rate, as they continue existing in that weird space between rebuilding and competing for first-round playoff exits, Chicago needs to collect youngsters on rookie-scale deals. That's enough motivation to pitch straight-up swaps involving one of Jerian Grant, Doug McDermott or Mirotic.

If the Sixers want more than a 2018 second-rounder in addition to whatever player is being offered, the Bulls should walk away. And that's what will ultimately happen.

—Dan Favale

What Will Happen

Uninterested in adding a mid-to-late first-round rookie in 2017-18, the Indiana Pacers look at this as a good opportunity to buy low on Jahlil Okafor. His value has fallen big time since draft night, but he can still score and draw attention in the post, even if it's in a bench role.

The Pacers trade their 2017 first-rounder, which is currently projected to be the No. 18 pick, plus Aaron Brooks' expiring contract for Okafor. The Sixers are ultimately happy to just get a first-rounder in return.

The Pacers, who are looking to help Paul George now, don't value their draft pick as highly anyway. They'll trade it for an established player capable of producing right away. 

—Jonathan Wasserman

P.J. Tucker may be the most likely Phoenix Suns veteran to go, but he's far from the only one who could be on the move. The Suns roster is chock-full of old heads—from Tyson Chandler and Jared Dudley to Leandro Barbosa and Ronnie Price—who've been tasked with building culture in Phoenix but could be helpful hands for contenders elsewhere.

And that's to say nothing of Brandon Knight, who's in a category all his own. He's been on the outs in the Valley of the Sun ever since Devin Booker was named Phoenix's starter next to Eric Bledsoe prior to the 2016-17 season.

Knight has long believed himself to be a starting NBA point guard. Whether the Suns can find another team that believes it, too, will determine when and where (or if) he finds a new home.

That may be tough, given Knight's plummeting assist rate (a career-low 18.1 percent, per Basketball Reference) and poor production in pick-and-rolls (bottom-half of the league, per NBA.com)—not to mention the nearly $44 million he's owed over the three seasons after this one.

Still, Knight has proved he can score in the Association (15.2 points per game for his career), and at 25, he can be a productive part of just about any young club in need of guard play. If the Orlando Magic swing and miss on Reggie Jackson, don't be surprised if they at least kick the tires on Knight.

—Josh Martin

The Portland Trail Blazers' ability to unload salary took a hit when Evan Turner broke a bone in his right hand that could sideline him for another month. Without Turner, the Blazers may need to hang onto Allen Crabbe—and the more than $56 million remaining on his contract after this season—if they intend to compete for the West's No. 8 seed down the stretch.

Then again, money is always a powerful motivator, especially for a team in Portland's precarious position. As HoopsHype's Alex Kennedy noted:

Remember, Portland currently has the second-highest payroll in the league (behind only the Cleveland Cavaliers) at $119 million. And next year, that number jumps to $137 million. That's not a bad thing when you're the defending champion Cavs, but it's a tough pill to swallow when you're the ninth-best team in the Western Conference standings.

The Blazers already got out ahead of one ticking financial time bomb when they traded Mason Plumlee, a restricted free agent this summer, to the Denver Nuggets in a deal for Jusuf Nurkic.

Chances are, they'll look to unlimber themselves of another. Whether that's Crabbe, Meyers Leonard, Al-Farouq Aminu, Ed Davis or some combination therein will likely depend on which can fetch the best assets (i.e. draft picks and young players) while saving Portland some scratch.

—Josh Martin

Even though bottoming out won't help the Sacramento Kings (thanks to a pick swap owed to the Philadelphia 76ers), a race to the cellar seems like the only path forward now.

Expect several veterans who no longer fit the team's long-term timeline to be on the move, ideally for young talent and draft assets. The team has already released forward Matt Barnes for nothing.

It's going to be difficult to get fair returns on the likes of Arron Afflalo and Ty Lawson, but Darren Collison could fetch a late-first rounder in the right package. If the Kings are ready to move on from Ben McLemore, he'd command more on the market than any of those three.

But the fourth-year shooting guard is in the midst of a revival over the past few weeks and may still have a place in the team's future. Trading him now would be a real failure in timing and asset management.

And since these are the Kings we're talking about...maybe we shouldn't rule that out.

—Grant Hughes

The Washington Wizards will deal a first-round pick if it helps flesh out the rest of their roster, according to The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski. But wouldn't it be cool if they didn't have to?

Lou Williams was the name most frequently tied to the Wizards for obvious reasons. Their reserves rank 25th in points scored per 100 possessions, and he's having a transcendent offensive season.

But Williams is officially off the market. And targeting a stronger defensive presence who doesn't need the ball on offense is the smarter play anyway, making Thabo Sefolosha the guy.

Sefolosha entered the All-Star break coping with a groin injury but projects as a defensive terror if he's on the mend. Tony Allen, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant are the only wings who have saved more points on the less glamorous side, according to NBA Math. And that's with the Swiss swingman missing 12 of the Atlanta Hawks' 56 games.

Tim Hardaway Jr.'s surge through Atlanta's ranks has rendered Sefolosha expendable—particularly with both of them due raises in free agency. The Hawks should be amenable to moving Mike Scott and Sefolosha for Andrew Nicholson, Danuel House Jr. and a pair of second-rounders (2017 and 2018).

—Dan Favale