NBA Trade Deadline is Fast Approaching

By Jalon Dixon, Columnist

With the NBA trade deadline only days away, teams are scrambling to make deals, flip players and acquire draft picks.

As if the trade request by All-Star center Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans was not enough to get the NBA world riled up, many other things have happened since then that have only made this race to the trade deadline even more exciting.

It started with the shot heard round the NBA world when Kristaps Porzingis was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas received Porzingis, Courtney Lee and Tim Hardaway Jr. for Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan and Wesley Matthews.

Now, the Knicks have freed up enough max contract spots to sign up to two top-tier players in free agency this summer. If that is not player movement then I do not know what is.

With only a few days left to make a move, Kyrie Irving of the Boston Celtics has indicated that he may not re-sign this offseason. Now that the Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers are all opening up room for max contracts, Irving has been one of the most talked about free agents going into this offseason and his uncertain future in Boston makes him expendable.

Not to say that the Celtics should hit the panic button just yet, but the lack of commitment from Irving does raise suspicion. With so many teams vying to take advantage of the most star filled free agent classes in the last decade, they may want to consider getting something for him rather than losing him for nothing.

This summer is where teams could earn their bread and butter, but this trade deadline has enough storylines to truly tilt the balance of power right now. Keep your eyes on contending teams like the Toronto Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets to all be buyers as they look to acquire those one or two players that could help them challenge the Golden State Warriors for the NBA title.

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