And, luckily we don't have to call Jeremy Renner to save us from any bombs but some NBA executives have to make some very tough decisions during the next 40 hours. The trade deadline is this Thursday (2/21/13) at 3 PM/ET and there are some players on the market that can help your team get to the next level. There has been a lot of buzz with the Los Angeles Clippers dealing away Eric Bledsoe and DeAndre Jordan to add one more star-type of player to increase their title chances.
Los Angeles Lakers' GM Mitch Kupchak insists that Dwight Howard is not on the market, but if someone offers the Lakers the right pieces, he could change his mind by Thursday afternoon. There is no guarantee Howard is staying in La-La land after this season, but he would have 30 million reasons to stay put.
A lot of teams are interested in two ageing Boston Celtic HOF'ers. It'll be impossible to get Kevin Garnett to waive his no-trade clause, unless of course, Paul Pierce is dealt first. Garnett and Pierce are two seasoned veterans who could be the final piece to finish the puzzle for a contending team.
Josh Smith, Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, J.J. Redick, Brandon Jennings, Carlos Boozer and former No. 1-pick Andrea Bargnani are just some of the names that have been trending on twitter when you search #NBATradeDeadline.
I see Smith, Jefferson or Millsap, and Redick as the only big-names getting moved. Nobody wants to take on Boozer's contract and the Bucks won't deal Jennings or Monta Ellis before the deadline.
Josh Smith is the biggest name on the market. He is one of the most underrated players in the league. He has a good all-around game and is one of the most athletic players in the NBA. Smith has finished among the top-10 in blocks in six of the last seven years. J-Smoove is a very underrated defensive player. During his nine-year career he has put up sexy numbers that'll get the ladies excited:15.2 PPG, 8 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.3 SPG & 2.2 BPG.
His current contract expires after this season. Luckily, for GM's that should make it easier to put together a package to acquire Smith. The Atlanta Hawks want some young guy's in return and draft picks to build for the future. They also want to clear some cap space for this summer when Chris Paul and Dwight Howard hit the open market.
If I had to make a guess on where Smith will land I would go with Milwaukee. The Bucks are holding onto the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference but only four games back of the fourth spot, and five games behind Indiana in the Central division.
Two dark-horses: Dallas Mavericks & Brooklyn Nets
The Utah Jazz will make at least one move involving Al Jefferson or Paul Millsap. They both are on expiring contracts and Utah can't keep them both after this season. The Jazz have two young studs inside in Enes Kanter and Derrick Favors to build on for the future. They are sitting in the seventh spot in the Western Conference playoff race and they need some backcourt help, badly. Expect Utah to ship one of their bigs, or both, and add some backcourt help. The number one guy on their list is Eric Bledsoe. Bledsoe showed how dynamic he can be in this league when he started at point guard during Chris Paul's absence.
In 12 starts he averaged: 14.2 PPG, 5.3 APG, 4.8 RPG, 2.5 SPG and 1.3 BPG.
The rumors are swirling with a deal involving Millsap and Bledsoe but the Clippers are still hesitant to deal the 23-year old without Chris Paul being signed long-term yet. I see the Jazz holding onto Al Jefferson but watch out for the San Antonio Spurs to make a last minute push at "Big Al." Jefferson would be a perfect fit in San Antonio for a two-month rental. The big question is though, would the Spurs be willing to deal Tiago Splitter and some draft picks for a rental?
I can guarantee that either Millsap of Jefferson won't be wearing a Utah jersey after Thursday. I think Jefferson is staying put and Millsap is going to ball for Jay-Z in Brooklyn. The Clippers won't pull the trigger on Bledsoe and stay quiet during the deadline.
Two dark-horses: Boston Celtics & Denver Nuggets
J.J Redick is rumored to be on the open market. The Orlando Magic don't want to give him a big-time contract after his contract expires this summer. Redick would be the perfect addition to a team that needs another wing scorer. The New York Knicks can never have too many 3-point shooters, they only average 29 attempts from behind the arc a game. (Mike D'Antoni wishes he was back in New York.)The Knicks need to find a way to land Redick. The best way to beat the Miami Heat is to spread them out and Redick would add more depth on the perimeter. They are a 2-0 vs. Miami this year and they made a combined 25 3's in both contests. They beat the reigning champs by 20 points in both games.
The Magic want Iman Shumpert in return, and the Knicks don't want to deal the 22-year old. However, they could quickly change their stance and become the clear front-runner in the East to dethrone Miami in the playoffs. They have had success against Miami this year and adding Redick would only increase their chances to shocking the reigning champs in the playoffs.
I think the Knicks will jump on the opportunity to land one of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA.
Two dark horses: Milwaukee Bucks & Chicago Bulls
Those are the major moves I see being made by the deadline but don't be shocked if the Celtics decide to rebuild and trade Pierce and KG. The Clippers are close to trading two of their youngsters but they would be wise to stay quiet during the deadline. The Lakers will stand pat and hold onto Howard and focus on making a push for one of the bottom spots in the Western Conference playoff race. There is so much uncertainty when it comes to the NBA trade deadline. Nobody really knows what deals we could potentially see. This time of year can help a team win an NBA Championship. The 2004-05 and 2005-06 Detroit Pistons and the 2009-10 and 2010-11 Los Angeles Lakers are prime examples. Rasheed Wallace helped the Pistons win the 2005 NBA Championship and helped the Pistons reach the NBA Finals in back-to-back years. The Lakers acquired Pau Gasol during the 2008-09 deadline and helped the Lakers reach three-straight finals and was a major contributor when the Lakers won back-to-back Championships three years ago. Get your popcorn ready because during the next 44-hours anything can happen.
