NBA Swing: Five Must-Watch Players for the Trade Deadline

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As of this writing, the 2023 NBA trade deadline is three weeks away. There have only been a couple of small trades so far this season, with many players becoming eligible to be traded. There have been many rumors of players and teams interested in trades, but nothing has gone down. With teams falling below expectations and some already at the point of no return this season, there are several obvious and less obvious players to watch as the February 9th deadline grows near.

Kyle Kuzma

In his second season with the Washington Wizards, Kyle Kuzma has evolved into a star. In 43 games so far this season, Kuzma is averaging 21.6 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 3.9 APG. Kuzma has benefitted from Wizards guard Bradley Beal missing significant chunks of time over the last two seasons. Kuzma has garnered interest from several teams including the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers, the team that traded him to the Wizards. Rumors have noted that Washington wants to keep Kuz, but he also plans on declining his player option and becoming a free agent at the end of this season. The Wizards have had a disappointing season so far, currently sitting at 18-26, 12th in the Eastern Conference. Since the team has not made any huge significant moves to grow, it’s likely Kuzma will not re-sign with the team. Washington would be smart to trade Kuzma instead of letting him walk away for nothing in the offseason. With several contenders looking at Kuzma, the Wizards could get a significant return for the young star.

Alex Caruso

Although he is not one of the top offensive players in the league, Alex Caruso is one of the better defensive players in the league. Averaging 2.9 RPG, 1.6, SPG, and 0.7 BPG in 24 MPG, Caruso has been a key for the Bulls’ defense this season. With the Bulls struggling this season and sports media outlets and personalities calling for Chicago to blow it up, Caruso could be one of several Bulls players to be traded by February 9th. The defensive guard has been linked to many teams including the Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks. Valuable to many contenders, Chicago could get a first-round pick and more for the defensive guard. The next couple of weeks will decide how the rest of the season goes for the Bulls. If Chicago reaches the point of no return by the end of January, it’s likely Caruso could be traded, as well another potential Bulls player or two.

Jordan Clarkson

With the Utah Jazz moving into a new era of basketball following the end of the Mitchell / Gobert era, there are still a few pieces on the team from the last era of Jazz basketball. One of those players is Jordan Clarkson. The 2021 Sixth Man of the Year has seen an overall increase in production this season. Starting only four games in the previous two and half seasons in Utah, Clarkson has played and started in 46 games, putting up 21.1 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 4.3 APG. Rumors have already noted that Clarkson has no intention of staying with the Jazz and will not exercise his player option for the 2023-24 season. With the Jazz stockpiling draft picks from Cleveland and Minnesota from the Mitchell and Gobert trades, Utah can get another draft pick and more by trading Clarkson to a contender instead of letting him walk away for nothing. While a sign-and-trade could be possible in the offseason, trading Clarkson before the deadline would bring Utah their best return for him.

O.G. Anunoby

After winning the championship in 2019, the Toronto Raptors have fallen from their previous heights. After finishing as the fifth seed last season, the Raptors saw a first-round exit. This season, the Raptors are nowhere near the team they were last year. With many calling for the Raptors to blow it up, several Raptors have been in trade rumors. The earliest rumors this season have been around O.G. Anunoby. In his sixth season, Anunoby is putting up 17.6 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 2.1 APG, 2.2 SPG, and 0.8 BPG. Aside from assists, O.G. is putting up career highs across the board. Early Anunoby rumors noted the Raptors were expecting a significant haul in return for the star forward. With O.G. still under contract for the 2023-24 season as well as having a player option for the 2024-25 season, Toronto could get a significant return for him. The returning package may not be what the Raptors originally wanted, but they could get something valuable back. With the Raptors currently sitting outside of the Play-in, O.G. may be one of several Raptors that gets traded before the deadline.

D’Angelo Russell

The Minnesota Timberwolves have been a disappointment this season. Thought of as a contender, the team currently sits in a play-in spot. Anthony Edwards has taken a step this season while Rudy Gobert has underperformed. Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns have both taken a step back this season while Anthony Edwards has taken another step toward stardom. While rumors have KAT being traded have come up (even though he cannot be traded this season), guard D’Angelo Russell has been the main Wolves player in trade rumors. Since he left Brooklyn, Russell has not played at the same level, his stats dropping season after season. Even though his stats have been dropping in recent seasons, D-Lo is still putting up 17.1 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 6.2 APG, a stat line many teams would like on their roster. Russell had a strong response to the trade rumors saying “You either take advantage of me and my ability or fuck up the opportunity with me. Russell’s name has been linked to several teams over the last couple of seasons, but no move has been made. With D-Lo’s $31 Million contract expiring after this season, it is unknown if the Wolves would re-sign him after the season. He could easily walk away for nothing, so Minnesota would be smart to move on from Russell.