NBA Trade Deadline: Atlantic Division

Philadelphia 76ers-

Philadelphia 76ers has underachieved falling 15 games below .500.  The veterans of the team Elton Brand, Andre Igoudala, and Samuel Dalembert.  The return of Allen Iverson has been popular and benefited both sides positively. The team still seems destined to rebuild, but has large financial constraints.  It is improbable that they would find a taker for Elton Brand, but Andre Igoudala is very tradable and might be enough for them to add Jason Kapono or Dalembert to a package as well.  The team has flirted with trade offers, however most are to trade away salary. The team might want to consider adding another point guard or center in any salary dump, such as including Kyle Lowry if they decide to trade for Tracy McGrady or maybe Delonte West with Shaq.

Boston Celtics-

The Celtics suffered injuries to key players, which derailed their 2009 postseason campaign.  They have rebounded with additions in Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels, while Rajon Rondo has continued to develop.  Meanwhile, shooting guard Ray Allen has showed his age, as has star Kevin Garnett.  The improved depth should resolve these issues.  Allen’s contract expires at the end of the year, and while he could be moved, it seems likely that he will re-sign at a discounted price.  The Celtics do seem to want a backup point guard that can team with Eddie House, but Daniels and Tony Allen might be enough for the C’s.  A name that has been rumored is Kirk Hinrich, though he might cost too much. Another option could be free agent veteran Antonio Daniels, who could guard both guard positions.

New York Knicks-

The New York Knicks are the team that will have the most to gain this off-season. They have over 55 million dollars coming off the books next year.  However, the team will have to prove to free agents that they can compete under the bright lights of the MSG.  They will likely build around Danilo Galinari and Wilson Chandler, as Jordan Hill and Nate Robinson have not contributed as much as anticipated.  The Knicks also must re-sign David Lee who looks to be an All-Star in coming years.  The team has expressed that they do not want to trade for a star player that will become a free agent after the season, but with the expiring contracts they have, the Knicks might want to make some trades to see if they can find someone that can fit in their long-term plans. They also would like to trade Jared Jeffries to clear enough cap space to sign 3 possible all-star caliber players.  Guards like DJ Augustin and Luke Ridnour would fit the uptempo offense, though Ridnour is not a sexy pick-up.  A trade I would explore is Jeffries and Hill for Ridnour and Syracuse Alumn Hakim Warrick. 

New Jersey Nets-

The Nets are one of the most disappointing teams this year, their talent is better than their 4 win record indicates.  Brook Lopez gives them a solid center to build around, and Yi has been surprisingly solid. They are talented on the wings with Courtney Lee, Chris Douglas Roberts, and Terrence Williams all rotating.  Williams has been relatively disappointing, but has played well recently.  Devin Harris has had a down year, even when healthy, and has been drawing some interest.  The squad is young and needs to learn how to win, which wil come with time.  The Nets should listen to offers, but wait until the summer to trade him.  When they know whether or not they will have won the NBA Draft lottery.  The Nets should also target a trade while they do have a surplus of resources.  Bobby Simmons, Tony Battie, and Trenton Hassell offer a total of over 21.5 million that can be traded, while a glut of swingmen make one movable if the right deal came along.  The rumors of Amare Stoudemire could be interesting if the Nets offered Simmons, Hassell and Courtney Lee.

Toronto Raptors-

The Raptors will likely be the catalysts to the NBA Trade deadline. With an All-Star Big man Chris Bosh unlikely to return in free agency. They could be one of the biggest sellers on the market. However, they are still in the midst of a playoff hunt. An interesting proposal would be to trade Bosh and acquire the other rumored available big Amare Stoudemire, and try to work a long-term deal with him instead.  Remember GM Bryan Coangelo did work in the organization, and Amare is recognizing that he will get more money from an average team than a playoff power.  I doubt that there would be substantial interest though from both sides.  While they need to move him to get value back, the Raptors should still ensure that they are getting decent return for their former 4^th overall pick in 2003, and if not don’t move him.  Point Guard Jose Calderon should also be moved. There is talk about trading him to Sacramento for Kevin Martin, and while that’d be a great move for value, a combo of Jarrett Jack, Martin, Hedo Turkaglou, Bargnani would be atrocious on defense. It also might hinder the growth of dunk participant DeMar DeRozan.  If the Raptors can somehow manage to make a 3-way deal and move Calderon to Sacramento, Kevin Martin and a good asset to Minnesota, and bring in Al Jefferson, the genius of Bryan Coangelo would be mythical.  Meanwhile, Bosh should net high upside talent such as Tyrus Thomas, Josh Howard, Jeff Green, Udonis Haslem, or maybe even Michael Beasley, and the Raptors must do their due diligence to continue to move this team in the right direction, despite a very possible setback.