The NBA regular season is in the midst of a fierce battle, teams are getting better, and as the schedule is halfway through, the competition for playoff spots is becoming more and more intense. However, trading, as the most important way to change the team's structure, is also an important link that cannot be ignored.
With the trade deadline approaching this season, the league is highly likely to generate blockbuster deals, and the closer the time is, the more likely it is to be applied.
Today, the five most likely players to be traded before the forecast trading deadline.
First place: Kyrie Owen
As one of the Nets' big three, Irving's personal abilities are impeccable. It can even be said that on the singles level, Irving has a hard time meeting opponents in the league. But Owen's arrogant, paranoid personality is also the biggest problem.
Since joining the Nets in 2019, Irving has constantly challenged the limits of management, always refusing to play for various strange reasons, which not only brings trouble to the team, but also causes dissatisfaction in the league. The most outrageous thing is that this season, on the grounds of human rights, refused to be vaccinated, and even when the team faced a crisis, Irving remained stubborn, refusing to vaccinate and save the team.
Irving's refusal to say so has angered the team, causing the locker room to erupt into contradictions again, and even Harden has the idea of transferring. Compared with the dedicated Harden, Irving is indeed too eccentric, and the team will inevitably leave Harden who is diligent for the team among the two.
This time, perhaps management has really made up its mind to trade Irving. Otherwise, the Nets, a team that aspires to win the championship, has worked hard to win the home advantage in the playoffs, but because there is no Irving, they are once again in passivity, a team that always lacks core scoring at home, it is difficult to go to the stage of the Finals, after all, Irving occupies a huge salary space for the team, if Irving still refuses so much.
The team took advantage of the fact that Irving still has a market, tested the free market, and sought a trade, which will be a huge positive for the Nets, and it will also allow the hard-working players to get inner comfort, and the locker room contradictions will disappear.
In summary, Irving is likely to be traded by the team before the trade deadline, after all, in addition to New York, Toronto, the rest of the city does not have the rule of not being vaccinated and not allowed to play, Irving's market will still be very good, the Nets can also get more immediate combat power, for Irving and the team will be a win-win situation. Owen also became the biggest winner in the free market.
Second place: Donovan Mitchell
The 13th young guard selected by the Jazz in 2017 has achieved results in the Jazz and has helped the team achieve the first place in the West for many years, but many times in the playoffs, the young star has also made the young star feel a little tired, and in the near future, he has publicly revealed his long-cherished wish to play in the big city.
Such remarks have brought great impact to the Jazz, and have also made the Jazz's recent achievements fluctuate, completely losing the combat effectiveness of the top teams and the desire to win.
Mitchell has had a huge negative impact on the team, and his discord with Gobert is also increasingly rumored. Even during the game, Mitchell repeatedly ignored Gobert's inside line of the ball, and the seemingly discordant state of the two Jazz core players was worrying.
The Jazz have also fallen to the fourth place in the West this season, although the strong status is still there, but the team is almost hopeless to win the championship, and the locker room contradictions can not be resolved, the team has reached a stage of no two tigers, follow the trend, let Mitchell leave.
So as to get more chips, it is also a change for the Jazz, before the trade deadline, the Jazz are likely to trade the team's core guard Mitchell, so that the Jazz with Gobert as the absolute core, continue to prepare for the championship.
Third place: Julius Randall
Knicks star Randall, but this season has not been able to lead the team out of the predicament, but the record continues to decline, has lost the opportunity to enter the playoffs, especially the team in the best sixth man Rose season reimbursement, the Knicks completely fell to the bottom, as the team leader, Randall often disappeared on the court, offensive and defensive ends have not been able to give the team greater help.
Randle was traded from the Lakers to the Knicks, has always been regarded as the future leader of the team to cultivate, but empty talent, Randall in the ability to lead the team, like the former Rose Rose, which is also the reason why the team completely fell into passivity after Rose's injury.
Madison Garden Plaza has never lacked stars who shine in the spotlight, and Randall's sluggish performance may have aroused management dissatisfaction, and rumors about his trading are endless.
Perhaps the Knicks have long been unable to stand Randall's talent and poor leadership ability, and the trade randall will also be on the agenda, and even before the trade deadline, Randall may be completed by the Knicks to find a new owner for Madison Garden Square.
Fourth place: Damian Lillard
Rumors of Lillard being traded have never really stopped since the offseason, and the only thing that may have changed is that Lillard may voluntarily apply for a trade, and now, the Blazers may actively seek a deal plan for Lillard.
In this season, Lillard's performance has declined slightly, and he is plagued by injuries, and his trading rumors have also brought a huge negative impact to the team, completely affecting the mentality of the team's overall players, after all, a star who has been entangled in rumors has brought great trouble to the team.
Billups as the new coach of the Blazers, but it is reported that the contradiction between Billups and Lillard has a long history, And Billups has even publicly questioned the team, and the remarks are alluding to Lillard, and the rumors of discord between the general and the coach have also been boiling.
Lillard has been reimbursed for the season this season, the team is in the middle of a rebuild, and it is only one step away from the bottom of the league, and it is almost impossible to enter the playoffs this season.
The team seems to have entered the restructuring, they are very likely to completely shuffle the cards, give the new coach Billups a new deck of cards, give him enough trust and space, and the first is the deal for Lillard, as the team's highest paid player, Lillard is not traded, the Blazers are difficult to enter the reconstruction, in summary, the Blazers are very likely to complete the transaction for the star Lillard before the trade deadline, so that the team into the rebuild.
Fifth place: Ben Simmons
Simmons' farce with the 76ers began at the end of last season's playoffs, and Simmons' dissatisfaction with the team was abrupt. He even refused to play this season, forcing the 76ers to trade it.
Simmons is also highly favored in the free market, with several teams expressing their love for Simmons. However, the 76ers have not given a positive response, and continue to improve the trading chips, and the trading attitude has always been relatively vague.
But Simmons revealed that simmons will not play for the 76ers if not traded this season. And that would be a huge blow to the 76ers. Without Simmons' 76ers, it's hard to go further in the playoffs.
For a championship-winning team like the 76ers, wasting the opportunity to win the championship is difficult for the team to accept. In this way, the 76ers are likely to accelerate Simmons' trade process, giving the team the ability to compete for the championship before the playoffs begin.