A quick look at the league, division by division, at where all the teams in the NBA are as the trade deadline hits zero hour. DEFCON indicates how close they are to a major move, with 5 means standing pat and 1 means already have a deal in place. Here’s the Atlantic Division.
Boston Celtics:
Why They’ll Make A Move: Because they’re old, and very old, and tend to look old. They need a difference maker off the bench to make up for whichever of the Big 3 is having a bad night.
Why They Won’t: Because they’re prideful and obsessed with the title they won two years standing as cred.
Verdict: Appear to be finalizing a deal for Nate Robinson, so, yeah.
DEFCON: 1
More after the jump.
Toronto Raptors:
Why
They’ll Make A Move: Either to keep Chris Bosh by adding a major
component, or to go ahead and cash in on the fact that they’re losing
Bosh anyway and need to get what they can instead of just watching him
walk, albeit regretfully, away.
Why They Won’t: The
movable player have unmovable contracts, and the movable contracts are
for unmovable players. They poured money into this incarnation, and for
better or worse, they’re stuck with it.
Verdict: Don’t
count on it, this team’s hot at the right time, and no one’s putting a
massive trade together for Bosh when he’s a free agent in five months.
DEFCON:
4
Philadelphia 76ers:
Why
They’ll Make A Move: Because it’s apparent that the core they
assembled has fallen off a cliff and it’s time to cut bait and head
home. Throw in the value Andre Iguodala as a player has and Samuel
Dalembert as an expiring contract has, and those are good reasons to
blow it up.
Why They Won’t: No team is going to respond to
the idea of getting Iguodala with the same zeal the Sixers had to the
idea of signing him to a massive contract. Their only suitors have moved
on to talking to each other (Suns, Cavs).
Verdict:
Looking like this one’s pretty much over. Get excited, Sixers fans! All
two of you!
DEFCON: 3
New York Knicks:
Why They’ll Make A Move:
Because if you told Donnie Walsh he could say $10 this summer by
gnawing off his own arm, he’d ask you to pour A1 sauce on his bicep.
They no longer have any reason to hold the scraps they put together for
this year in place, and they have willing suitors with expiring
contracts.
Why They Won’t: Because their players are
terrible for the most part and they’re trying to wring water out of
rocks at this point.
Verdict: Already apparently dished
Robinson for House, and are considered the frontrunners for Tracy
McGrady.
DEFCON: 1
New
Jersey Nets:
Why They’ll Make A Move: Because
they’re so terrible, they’d be willing to move any player whose name
doesn’t rhyme with ‘Cook Snow Pez. ‘
Why They Won’t:
Because they’re so terrible, no one will trade for any player whose name
doesn’t rhyme with ‘Look Low-Res.’
Verdict: You know how
the people down the street with terrible taste and shag carpeting hold
the garage sale, and on Sunday it looks like no one’s bought anything
since Friday? Josh Boone is that shag carpeting.
DEFCON: 5
