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Jae C. Hong/Associated Press
While the NFL trade deadline is right around the corner (4 p.m. ET on Tuesday), the NBA trade window will remain open until February 10. With the 2021-22 season still in its infancy, trade rumors aren’t likely to ramp up for some time.
However, this doesn’t mean that trades aren’t being discussed in front offices around the league. Teams don’t quite know what they have yet, but they do have a good idea of where deficiencies lie and which players might address them.
You can bet that executives are already scouting potential additions, even with the deadline more than three months away.
Let’s dive into some early-season NBA trade buzz.
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Jae C. Hong/Associated Press
It’s now been more than three years since LeBron James left the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the team’s championship run feels like distant history. However, one key member of the championship squad remains.
Kevin Love is still suiting up for the Cavaliers, though the 33-year-old may not be long for the franchise. As Cleveland continues to rebuild around young players like Evan Mobley and Collin Sexton, Love represents a potentially valuable trade chip. The question, of course, is which teams might be willing to deal for the five-time All-Star.
According to Sam Amico of Hoops Wire, the Denver Nuggets could be in the mix.
“I even joked that perhaps Love was auditioning for a job with the Nuggets, one of the few teams that recently has displayed trade interest,” Amico wrote while discussing Cleveland’s 99-87 win over Denver.
Love finished that game with 22 points and six rebounds while shooting 61.5 percent from the floor. If the Nuggets are open to acquiring Love, they got a firsthand look at what he could bring to the roster.
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Adam Hunger/Associated Press
The 6-1 Chicago Bulls are surging, as their offseason acquisition of point guard Lonzo Ball is paying early dividends. Fellow point guard Coby White, however, hasn’t been part of the fun, as he continues to recover from a torn Labrum in his left shoulder.
White underwent surgery in June.
“It wasn’t what I planned for, but I mean it is what it is,” White said, per Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago.
With the current roster playing well, might the Bulls consider moving White once he’s 100 percent? According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, some around the league believe so.
“A couple of executives around the league I spoke to believe that Coby White is a trade candidate for the Bulls because he was a part of the old regime, and he’ll move to that bench role as a combo guard,” Scotto said on the HoopsHype podcast.
White, the seventh overall pick in the 2019 draft, could be a valuable bench player for Chicago’s current squad. However, he might be even more valuable to a team that needs a starting point guard—White started 54 games last season. For the right offer, Chicago would likely be willing to make a deal.
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Matt Slocum/Associated Press
Forward Cam Reddish has played a valuable bench role for the 3-3 Atlanta Hawks so far this season. He’s averaging 24.5 minutes, 16.2 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting a career-best 46.1 percent from the floor.
Yet, the Hawks may not be determined to keep the 2019 10th overall pick around for the long-term.
According to Scotto, Reddish has been available since last season.
“Reddish was available on the trade market at the trade deadline and around the draft, multiple NBA executives told HoopsHype,” Scotto wrote. “Heading into the season, rival executives are monitoring his availability.”
Potential suitors appear to be more interested in Reddish’s upside than his proven production.
“He fits the mold that teams have a need for right now,” one executive said, per Scotto. “He’s a 6-foot-8 athletic and versatile player that can make shots. He can create with the ball. He’s got the skillset tools and size. Right now, he doesn’t have a good sample size of being consistent. It’s just been flashes.”
The big question is whether Atlanta would be willing to part with a young player who hasn’t yet reached his ceiling. If he continues playing well, the Hawks may be more interested in continuing to develop him. Other teams, though, will be watching.
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