The trade deadline is less than a month away. Teams are close to the halfway point of the regular season. It’s that time of year where sample sizes are big enough for serious conclusions to be drawn, both good and bad.
Some teams, like the Phoenix Suns, will be delighted with how their season has played out thus far. Others are waiting on players to return from injury or are happy ticking along.
A small group of front offices are nearing panic stations. We’re talking about the teams facing decisions that could alter the long-term future of the franchise.
Bucks
The Bucks were booed by their own fans. Giannis Antetokounmpo’s public comments are getting stranger, as he’s clearly growing frustrated with the team’s situation but has seemingly distanced himself from any suggestion he’s asked for a trade.
Milwaukee is 17-23. This team was never going to win the title, but outside of an MVP-level season from Giannis, they have been even worse than feared. Since an 8-5 start, they are 9-18. When Giannis is off the floor, their net rating is -11.1, compared with +9.5 in his minutes.
The front office doesn’t have many options. A rash decision to sign Myles Turner hasn’t done anything for their chances. It’s not like they have the assets to swing a trade to land Giannis a co-star unless they push all their remaining chips in for an unwanted contract.
As the trade deadline nears, the Bucks are the leading candidates to make a trade for Ja Morant or Zion Williamson.
Cavaliers
Cleveland is only a few games off the Eastern Conference’s second seed, and their underlying numbers are strong. Still, a 22-19 record is a long way from the lofty preseason expectations and Max Strus’ injury setback is a major blow.
The offense, led by Donovan Mitchell, is in the top 10. The defense is middling. Evan Mobley, while a fringe All-Star candidate, appears to have stagnated offensively, and Jarrett Allen has been a long way from his best.
The Cavs have been replaced by the Pistons as the biggest threat to the Knicks in the Eastern Conference. Things just feel a bit off in Cleveland at the moment and one can’t help but wonder if it’s time to make a trade in search of a better starting lineup fit.
Warriors
Winning nine of their last 13 games has righted the ship somewhat. The Warriors are still eighth in the Western Conference, however, and Draymond Green remains determined to break the record for most ejections in a season.
Finishing in the Play-In shouldn’t be satisfactory for the Dubs. Steph Curry is still playing at an All-NBA level, so the front office should have some urgency to improve the team around him.
For now, Golden State is barrelling towards a first-round series with the Thunder. It’s a flawed roster. As well as he’s played, they need more from Jimmy Butler as a scorer. Al Horford, unsurprisingly, hasn’t fixed their frontcourt issues.
No one expected the Warriors to be a regular-season juggernaut, but surely this roster should have a better record than the Suns. Imagine how this team would look with Lauri Markkanen alongside Curry and Butler.
Kings
Panic suggests some kind of surprise. Nothing about Sacramento’s predicament is surprising, so they’re only fourth in this edition of the panic meter.
Even after winning consecutive games, the Kings have the second-worst record in the Western Conference and sit 29th in net rating. Utah and Washington, two teams actively trying to lose, have better records than the Kings.
Zach LaVine has a player option just shy of $49 million for next season. DeMar DeRozan is also under contract for 2026-27, albeit not fully guaranteed. Domantas Sabonis is signed through the next two seasons. Malik Monk and Dennis Schröder are, at the earliest, free agents in 2027.
Sacramento isn’t getting anything of note for its core pieces, even if they make Keegan Murray available. They just have to wait this out.
Magic
Is it harsh to put the 22-18 Magic on the panic meter? Maybe.
Orlando, though, is 9-10 since winning its first game in December. Yes, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, and Jalen Suggs have all missed at least 10 games, but this iteration of the Magic wasn’t meant to be fighting off the Play-In.
The panic largely comes from Banchero. He’s having a terrible season as a jump shooter. The Magic have a -1.6 net rating in his minutes. His win shares per 48 are 126th out of 185 players. The former first overall pick has a true shooting percentage considerably below league average.
Overall, the defense is still good and the offense has improved with Desmond Bane’s arrival. On this 9-10 slide, however, the offense has cratered to once again sit in the bottom five in the NBA. With Banchero on the floor, Orlando doesn’t look anything like a contender.
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