There are just about eight weeks left in the 2023-24 NBA season. With the All-Star break upon us and the league's best flocking to Indianapolis for all the festivities set to take place over the weekend, a sense of urgency surrounds many teams vying for playoff positioning. This was clearly displayed ahead of last week's NBA trade deadline, which turned out to not be as eventful as many had hoped.
Dejounte Murray, Bruce Brown, Andrew Wiggins and DeMar DeRozan were all prominent names appearing in trade rumors, yet all four players remained with their current teams. In fact, the only player who has received All-Star recognition in his career that was dealt at the trade deadline was Gordon Hayward, who made his lone All-Star appearance during the 2016-17 season before all of his injuries. The trade deadline as a whole was all about teams improving their secondary depth around their star players.
PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford have already made an impact on the Dallas Mavericks in a short time before the All-Star break. Alec Burks and Bojan Bogdanovic are supplying the New York Knicks with added depth given their injury problems. Buddy Hield and Royce O'Neale have fit in as key perimeter shooting threats for the Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns, respectively. While fans are always wanting to see the fireworks of different All-Stars being on the move, the league as a whole entered this year's trade deadline with the idea of making deals that would help fill the gaps.
What came as a shock to many was seeing the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls not really making any moves to try and improve their immediate outlook. All of these teams have struggled to form their identities this season, and now limited time remains for them to do anything before postseason basketball begins.
Now at the All-Star break, various headlines and storylines dominate the talk around the NBA. From the Bucks' struggles with Doc Rivers to Klay Thompson's new role with the Warriors to this upcoming summer and which star players could become available, there is a lot to unfold with the best of the 2023-24 season on the horizon.
Is it time to start worrying about the Bucks?
The Bucks made headlines a few weeks ago when they fired first-year head coach Adrian Griffin after the team's 30-13 start to the season. Tied for the second-best record in the NBA at the time behind the Boston Celtics, the higher-ups in the organization decided it would be in their best interest, especially pertaining to their immediate championship future, to bring in an experienced coach who could steer this roster in the right direction. Thus, the Bucks hired Doc Rivers, who had been calling games for ESPN after being relieved of his duties with the Philadelphia 76ers last year.
The Bucks have gone 3-7 under Rivers, making them 35-21 on the season going into the All-Star break. Although they have picked up some great double-digit wins over the likes of the Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets under Rivers, these victories have been clouded by awful losses. Over their last 10 games, not only have the Bucks lost on the road to the Portland Trail Blazers, who own the second-worst record in the Western Conference, but they fell 113-110 on the road to the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night.
A lineup of Jordan Goodwin, Vince Williams Jr., Trey Jemison, Ziaire Williams and Santi Aldama—with a heavy dose of GG Jackson off the bench—were able to defeat a championship-seeking Bucks squad led by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, holding them in check offensively all night long. Of the five players that started this game for the Grizzlies, only two of them were on the team's main roster to begin the year. Vince Williams Jr. found himself on a two-way contract, and both Goodwin and Jemison signed deals with Memphis amid all of their injury problems.
This loss on Thursday night is perhaps the lowest point the Bucks have found themselves at all season. For a team that entered the year as a championship favorite in the East, the Bucks have looked dysfunctional and simply uninterested in playing to their full potential. The pairing of Lillard and Antetokounmpo has also drawn a lot of question marks to this point due to the star guard's inability to take over games like he has in previous seasons with the Trail Blazers.
Offensively, the Bucks are inconsistent. On defense, they can't seem to stop anybody. Frustrations are mounting quickly in Milwaukee, specifically for Giannis.
“There’s so many things that we have to do in order for us to be better,” Antetokounmpo stated after the Bucks' game on Thursday, via Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “And it starts with, we have to want it. We have to want it. We have to want it. Like, what can I — what else should I say? Do we want it, do we really want to win? Do we want to win?”
The 10-game stretch the Bucks will have coming out of the All-Star break will tell us everything we need to know about whether this team can succeed with Rivers. The Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors are all going to be benchmark games for the Bucks and opportunities to show growth. More failed opportunities and numbers being added to the loss column will leave Milwaukee wondering if they made a massive mistake by giving up on Griffin so soon.
Will Klay Thompson remain on the bench for Warriors?
Like the Bucks, the Warriors were also in action Thursday night. Facing the Utah Jazz for the second time this week in a makeup game, the Warriors avoided blowing yet another double-digit lead, as they were able to hold off the Jazz for a significant 140-137 victory. Golden State is now 2-0 against Utah this season, both wins coming on the road, and they find themselves 27-26 entering a much-needed week off.
Although this win is meaningful for the Warriors, the spotlight of this game was on Klay Thompson, who came off the bench for the first time since his rookie season. The struggles Thompson has had this season have been well-documented. He is currently averaging 17.3 points per game while shooting 37.3 percent from three-point range, which is not bad whatsoever. However, by Klay's standards, these are some of the lowest averages of his career.s
Against the Jazz on Thursday night, Thompson came off the bench and had his best game of the 2023-24 season, scoring a season-high 35 points in 28 minutes on 7-of-13 shooting from deep. The frustrations of being benched late in games have gotten to Thompson lately, but finding success in this new role has seemed to result in a change of mindset for the 34-year-old.
“You can do two things. You can pout or you can go out there and respond. I thought I did the latter very well tonight,” Thompson said after this performance, via Warriors on NBCS. “More importantly, I realize I’m going to play a ton of minutes, so you’ve just gotta let the ego go when you think of coming off the bench and all that. I thought about Manu Ginobili, that guy has four rings and a gold medal, and he came off the bench his whole career. And I don’t think anyone looks down on his Hall of Fame candidacy. He’s one of the greats.
“The moment you worry about what people say or what headlines will be written about being benched or the streak being broken, is when you go out there and you don’t play with that love, that compassion for your teammates, and that freedom that has gotten me to this point. So I realized that I didn’t want to go to All-Star break on a sour note, and I had my best game of the season. Hopefully build off it.”
No player in the NBA, especially a future Hall-of-Famer like Thompson, wants to see themselves come off the bench. For the Warriors, this change was necessary because of the scoring production Klay can give them in their second unit. The NBA has changed over the course of the four-title run this organization has been on over the last decade, which is why Thompson understands his value right now to the Warriors.
Whether or not this is a permanent move for the Warriors remains to be seen. Head coach Steve Kerr is going to evaluate how the team looks with Thompson coming off the bench once the All-Star break concludes. Should the team continue to add to the win column and fix some of their lapses on offense, Klay may very well become the sixth man the Warriors didn't know they needed.
Who will become available on buyout market?
There have already been several veteran players who have signed with new teams since securing a buyout. Kyle Lowry has joined the Philadelphia 76ers, Danilo Gallinari signed with the Bucks, Thaddeus Young is heading to the Phoenix Suns and Spencer Dinwiddie has already begun playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. There are quite a few other key names to keep an eye on before the March 1 deadline for players to be playoff-eligible, starting with Delon Wright and the Washington Wizards.
Despite being brought up in rumors ahead of the trade deadline, the Wizards didn't make any substantial roster moves involving Kyle Kuzma or Tyus Jones. Wright, who remained with the Wizards past the trade deadline, is now set to be the latest player on the buyout market. In fact, Wright has agreed to a buyout with the team and will be heading to the Miami Heat, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. With the Heat, the 31-year-old veteran will fill a key bench role in the backcourt in the wake of Lowry's departure.
In addition to Miami, the New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks and Bucks had explored the possibility of adding Wright to their roster in recent weeks, sources told ClutchPoints. The Phoenix Suns were another team linked to Wright, according to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto.
The next wave of players who may be heading to a new team in the near future includes Marcus Morris Sr., Joe Harris and Otto Porter Jr.
Morris was traded from the 76ers to the San Antonio Spurs in a three-team deal that sent Hield to Philadelphia. Upon completion of the trade, Morris was waived by the Spurs. Now in his 13th NBA season, the 34-year-old finds himself in search of an opportunity with a contending team. With an open roster spot remaining, the Minnesota Timberwolves appear to be Morris' likeliest destination, sources said. The Mavericks, who have Markieff Morris on their roster, are also a team to watch for the veteran forward.
Harris, who was waived by the Pistons last week, falls into the category of players many contending teams above the first tax apron can't pursue due to his previous contract exceeding the Non-Taxpayer MLE equivalent of roughly $12.5 million this season. The Boston Celtics, Nuggets, Warriors, Heat, Clippers, Bucks and Suns are all ineligible to pursue Harris on the buyout market. Shooting over 43 percent from the perimeter for his career, Harris could be a great addition for any fringe playoff team looking to add shooting depth.
After being moved from the Toronto Raptors to the Jazz in the trade for Kelly Olynyk, Porter is in an interesting spot. The 30-year-old has yet to make his debut in Utah, and he is in the final year of his contract. However, the Jazz have 14 players on their active roster, including Porter, which means they would need to sign someone else to fill his roster spot if they were to waive him. It is certainly possible he remains with the Jazz through the end of the season on an expiring $6.3 million contract. The Warriors and Suns, sources said, will have interest in Porter should he be bought out of his current deal.
What are the Bulls doing?
The Chicago Bulls had a deal lined up at the trade deadline to ship veteran center Andre Drummond to the 76ers. Ultimately, the Bulls decided against moving Drummond. There were also several teams inquiring about Alex Caruso's availability given the defensive impact he makes. The Bulls also decided against moving Caruso at the trade deadline despite a push from the Warriors.
Now 26-29 and entering the All-Star break, the Bulls still have both Drummond and Caruso on their roster, as well as DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, who is out for the season after electing to undergo foot surgery. What direction is this franchise moving in?
Since the Bulls formed what they hoped to be a new, fearful Big 3 in the Eastern Conference with LaVine, DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic, this organization has been extremely underwhelming. Chicago was eliminated in the first-round of the playoffs in 2022, and they did not make it out of the play-in tournament a seas“on ago. Given how they have looked this year, it is hard to imagine the Bulls winning their way to either the 7-seed or 8-seed in the play-in tournament.
A divide from within has resulted in the dormant trade deadline approach for the Bulls, sources said. Whereas there was a push to start fresh and acquire future assets, such as upcoming first-round picks, owner Jerry Reinsdorf and others within the Bulls' front office still view this roster as one that can compete at a higher level in the East.
From a big-picture standpoint, the Bulls have had to deal with a ton of adversity pertaining to injuries and constant rotation shifts. Any decision to start over at the trade deadline would have been made knowing the product this team has put out on the court is incomplete. DeRozan is one of the players in the locker room who understands this, which is why he is remaining optimistic about the team's approach coming out of the All-Star break.
“To go through everything we went through showed we are right there. Fatigued, being beat up, coming back with fresh minds and bodies we should be able to run off everything we need to run off,” DeRozan pointed out after the team's recent three-point loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. “It’s been a toll on us all, playing with limited bodies, not knowing who was going to play, a lot of guys racking up a lot of minutes. Refresh the mind, get that eagerness and hunger to want to be back on the court. When we get back out there we should be ready to go.”
The six-time All-Star is a question mark on the Bulls roster himself, as DeRozan is in the final year of his contract. Whether or not he receives an extension from the Bulls is yet to be seen. However, Chicago not looking for any sort of value for the veteran at the trade deadline suggests that they feel strongly about their ability to retain him. DeRozan has even discussed the idea of remaining with the Bulls, claiming earlier this season that he wants to “end his career” with the organization.
For LaVine, very few teams showed actual interest in acquiring his salary during trade discussions, sources said. The Detroit Pistons were a team that had spoken with the Bulls regarding the All-Star's availability this season, yet they have been unwilling to discuss any of their youthful talents in the potential framework of a deal. LaVine is under contract through the 2026-27 season, as he owns a near $49 million player option in the final year. Many teams no longer have the capability to pursue this type of large contract due to the penalties that come with being over the first and second tax apron.
The notion of trading LaVine will be revisited by the Bulls in the offseason.
Which stars will become available in the offseason?
LaVine and DeRozan will be two All-Star quality talents brought up as possibly being on the move in the offseason for obvious reasons. Across the NBA, the talk stemming from the trade deadline has been centered on the Atlanta Hawks and All-Star guard Trae Young. The Hawks shopped former All-Star Dejounte Murray and were unable to find the right value they had hoped for ahead of the trade deadline. In attempts to cut long-term costs and take the franchise in a new direction, Young has suddenly been labeled as a big name destined to hit the trade block.
What is unique about Young is that he shares the same long-term contract as LaVine. The Hawks star is under contract through the 2026-27 season and is still owed close to $100 million over the final three years of his deal. A contract like this would be very tough for teams to maneuver, especially the Los Angeles Lakers, who have been linked to Young in recent weeks. The uncertainty of what LeBron James will decide to do with his $51.4 million player option for the 2024-25 season also plays a major role in how the Lakers will approach the idea of adding another star in the offseason.
Next to Los Angeles, the San Antonio Spurs find themselves as a really attractive destination for a youthful star like Young. San Antonio has a clear need for an established point guard, and the one-two offensive combo of Victor Wembanyama and Young could surely make the Spurs relevant again in the Western Conference.
The Minnesota Timberwolves, a team that has been on the rise to relevance in the West, find themselves at the top of the conference standings with an impressive 39-16 record at the All-Star break. The trio of Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert is finally beginning to look like what Minnesota's front office envisioned when they unloaded all of their assets for Gobert a couple of summers ago. Edwards and Towns are in Indianapolis for the All-Star festivities this upcoming weekend.
Just how good are the Timberwolves this year? That's the key question many executives around the league are wondering right now, which once again leads to speculation about Towns' future with the franchise. As always, the Timberwolves have remained adamant about wanting to keep the four-time All-Star long-term. The fact that the Timberwolves sit at the top of the Western Conference standings further backs up their reasoning as to why this organization wants to keep Towns.
The problem with this franchise is that their three-headed monster is set to make over $125 million combined next season, and veteran guard Mike Conley Jr. is going to be a free agent in the summer. Jaden McDaniels' cap figure also jumps from $3.9 million this season to $22.6 million for the 2024-25 season. At some point, long-term costs are going to become a major issue for the Timberwolves. A decision to trade Towns before his salary becomes untradable is certainly an avenue Minnesota needs to explore.
Also in the Western Conference, the Clippers and Pelicans will have key contract decisions to make. For the Clippers, after giving Kawhi Leonard to a new $150 million extension, their main goal is to do the same with nine-time All-Star Paul George. As of right now, there hasn't been much traction on extension talks for George, leading many to believe he could opt out of his $48.8 million player option to become the best name available in free agency.
At 33 years old and turning 34 by the time free agency rolls around, this may be the last opportunity for George to seek a high-paying contract. In the event that he becomes a free agent, the 76ers, Heat and Indiana Pacers will all be eyeing George, sources said.
The Pelicans have Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, and Brandon Ingram on the books for over $100 million combined next season, plus starting center Jonas Valanciunas will be an unrestricted free agent. Trey Murphy III will also be in the final year of his rookie contract. All of a sudden, New Orleans is going to have to make some major decisions about how much they are willing to spend on a team that has yet to meet the expectations set out for them.
Flashes of this group's excellence have been seen, specifically in regards to the Pelicans making it to the semifinals of this year's NBA In-Season Tournament. Currently 33-22 at the All-Star break, the Pels have yet to fully take that next step forward to becoming a real force in the Western Conference. With just one more year left on his contract and eligible for an extension, Ingram's future is certainly worth monitoring.
Over in the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers and All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell are easy to point to regarding the next star to possibly be on the move. Mitchell will make $34.8 million during the 2024-25 season before having a $37.1 million player option for the 2025-26 season. It is no secret that the 27-year-old is fond of the New York Knicks, as they are the team he grew up admiring. At this very moment, sources said, the Cavs have no intention of moving on from their star anytime soon. Cleveland believes Mitchell is the focal point of what could be a championship-caliber core moving forward, and they value his leadership.
For Mitchell, much of the same can be said. He wants to remain the focal point of a team that has a chance to contend at the highest level possible, and he has embraced everything that comes with being the leader of this young Cavaliers team, sources close to the All-Star told ClutchPoints. The belief that Mitchell will end up in a new jersey in the near future is only coming from outside the organization. Internally, the Cavaliers continue to be of the belief that the five-time All-Star will remain loyal should they be willing to make the moves necessary to improve the team's odds of winning a championship.
Contrary to this season's trade deadline, there is going to be a ton of action and a lot of rumors leading up to the NBA offseason. The new financial regulations being put in place at the start of the 2024-25 season will limit various teams from moving forward with the roster they have assembled. As a result, playoff-level teams cutting costs may directly result in other franchises having a chance to land the All-Star they never thought would become available.
It may be the All-Star break right now, but the focus for all 30 teams around the NBA has already shifted to the playoffs and what is to possibly come in the offseason.
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