That didn’t last long. On Sunday December 15th there were 85 players available for trade who had signed new contracts/extensions last summer and we quickly had two deals: Dennis Schroder on his way to Golden State to play alongside Stephen Curry, and the Pacers sign Thomas Bryant as backup center.

This is just the beginning, there are a few other rumors currently circulating.

Lakers consider Valanciunas transfer

Although everyone is on the hunt for the clicks it brings, that is The Lakers have no intention of trading LeBron James (He has a no-trade clause, he controls that process, and has never said or done anything to suggest he wants out.) LeBron also returned to action on Sunday night, hopefully silencing some wild online speculation.

What the Lakers want to do at the trade deadline is improve the team around LeBron and Anthony Davis, and that would start with bringing in a more traditional center — and entering into trade talks with Jonas Valanciunas. He is a rock-solid, proven and experienced big man who is averaging 12.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game for the Wizards this season. He knows how to use his size to help the team defend and can stretch the field on offense (career 34% from 3). . He has a very reasonable contract, earning $9.9 million this season and $10 million each of the following two seasons.

The Wizards are open for business and Lakers GM Rob Pelinka has had some preliminary discussions with them. Brian Windhorst reports for ESPN. The Lakers would probably try to send Gabe Vincent to Washington, but they would have to throw in a pick to compensate. It is to be expected that discussions between the teams will intensify. This is another case (like the Warriors and Schroder) where the team may want to move quickly to get a deal done.

The Lakers don’t want to deal Austin Reaves

You have to give something up to get something, and one of the challenges the Lakers face in a trade is that they aren’t stocked with players other teams covet.

Austin Reaves is the exception, but he is not made available, The Athletic’s Sam Amick said during “Buha’s Block with Jovan Buha.” Reaves is a premier secondary playmaker averaging 16.8 points and 4.9 assists per game and has a team-friendly contract that will make him $12.9 million this season and $13.9 million next season ( he has a player option for 2026-27, but is for now). If this contract is below the market value, there is no way he can afford it).

Reaves is a fan favorite in Los Angeles and the Lakers won’t trade him unless the return is a godfather offer they can’t refuse.

The Kings make Kevin Huerter and Trey Lyles available

Sacramento is fixated on its big three — De’Aaron Fox, DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis — but that core has them at 13-13 and even outside the play-in in the Deep West. That’s why the Kings are looking for role player upgrades at the trade deadline.

The Temptation: Sacramento made Kevin Huerter and Trey Lyles available, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer report at The Stein Line. The Kings could throw in a few first-round picks in the right deal.

Huerter has struggled with his shot this season. He has a career 37.8% shooting percentage from 3, but has dropped to 31.1% this season, which is concerning. However, his shooting ranks first in the entire league, and another team might think he just needs a change of scenery to start scoring properly. He will make $16.8 million this season and $17.9 million next season.

Warriors are still looking for a star

While the The Warriors signed Dennis Schroder as a short-term solution To give them the chance they need alongside Stephen Curry, he’s not the long-term answer.

The Warriors are still looking for a star player, ESPN’s Shams Charania confirmed (although that should have been obvious). What Charnia didn’t say is that the Schroder trade is a tacit admission by Golden State that barring massive changes, trading for a star won’t happen until this summer.

Pelicans want to keep Jones and Murphy

The New Orleans Pelicans – decimated by injuries – are pulling the ripcord this season, leaving them open to trade offers for anyone on their roster, including Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum…

But not Herb Jones, Yves Missi and Trey Murphy III, Stein and Fischer report. The Pelicans understandably want to keep their three best and most versatile young players. However, this leak also warns teams against making cheap offers to New Orleans’ best players. Teams that want one of the young stars will have to blow the Pelicans away with the offer, and that’s exactly how New Orleans should position themselves.

Jimmy Butler trade update… not really an update

While the idea of ​​a Jimmy Butler trade has generated a lot of buzz on social media and the Heat are open to the idea, the reality remains that it’s difficult to put together a trade that works (thanks, new CBA with your restrictive tax). aprons).

To that end, ESPN’s Charania reported this week that there have been no serious offers for Butler yet. There’s a reason for that. The challenge for teams interested in Butler is that he will want a new max (or near max) contract after this season (he has a $52.4 million player option for next year). While the possibility of an opt-in and extension option is on the table, teams will be hesitant to give the 35-year-old Butler many years given his injury history.

The 76ers are still expected to pursue a trade

Philadelphia is in the driver’s seat for the NBA’s “most disappointing team” award this season, but Daryl Morey is Daryl Morey, so he’s expected to chase trades at the deadline, which ESPN has reported.

Philly (and 29 other teams) need more players on the roster, and Morey would like to have more size on the front line. As trade bait, they have KJ Martin – $8 million this season and next – as well as first-round picks.

Bulls want to trade center Vucevic

Zach LaVine remains available, and he’s having the best shooting season of his career (42.8% 3-pointers, .631 true shooting percentage), but if a Bull is likely to be traded at the deadline, bet on center Nikola Vucevic.

There are a number of teams looking for help at the five-man position, and Vucevic is a reliable offensive player, averaging 21 points and 9.8 assists per game this season. He’s making $20 million this year and has $21.5 million guaranteed next season.

The Bulls want a first-round pick for him, according to Marc Stein. Heed the lesson you learned here. The fact that the Bulls didn’t get at least a first-round pick when trading Alex Caruso was one of the big mistakes of the summer. The Bulls want to correct that. A first-round pick for Vucevic could be a high price, but if we’re so early in the trade process that everyone is still asking about Dolce & Gabbana prices, those will be reduced to TJ Maxx prices before the deadline.