After breaking down the Eastern Conference earlier this week, it’s time to turn our attention to the West. The Western Conference has been even more chaotic, with contenders jockeying for position and several franchises trying to decide whether to push in their chips or pivot toward the future.
Here’s how every team in the West stacks up as the trade deadline approaches.
Dallas Mavericks: Selling
The Mavericks are in an awkward spot with their 19-29 record. On one hand, they clearly don’t look like a team positioned for a real playoff push. On the other, we still haven’t seen their supposed “big three” of Anthony Davis, Cooper Flagg, and Kyrie Irving on the floor together, and it now appears that wait will continue with Davis sidelined for multiple weeks due to a hand injury.
It has been widely expected that Davis will be moved before the February 5th trade deadline. However, the injury has thrown a major wrench into those plans, with potential suitors like the Atlanta Hawks already starting to back off. What once looked like a straightforward sell has suddenly become far more complicated.
Denver Nuggets: Buying
Despite missing their star player in Nikola Jokic for stretches, the Nuggets have managed to hold steady with a 32-16 record. Denver remains firmly in the contender tier, but the front office knows exactly where this roster still falls short.
The biggest need is a reliable veteran point guard to back up Jamal Murray. That weakness was exposed last postseason, when a lack of depth ultimately cost the Nuggets against the Thunder’s versatility. Denver isn’t in a great position financially to make a splash, but adding an experienced, score-first guard like D’Angelo Russell could be the exact type of low-risk move that stabilizes their bench and pays dividends in the playoffs.
Golden State Warriors: Buying
The Warriors, currently sitting at 27-22, looked like they were one final piece away from making a real push in the West, but Jimmy Butler’s torn ACL has completely changed the outlook. Butler was arguably the reason Golden State stayed relevant last season, as they went 23-8 after acquiring him and knocked out the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs.
Now, there’s simply no realistic win-now move that allows the Warriors to stay competitive while also preserving their depth without Butler. With roughly $54 million in salary no longer contributing on the court, the path forward becomes clear: go all-in. Golden State has to maximize what’s left of Stephen Curry’s prime, and targeting Giannis is the type of swing that at least gives them a legitimate second superstar and a chance to keep this window open.
Houston Rockets: Buying
The Rockets have been far from perfect this season, but there’s still real reason for optimism, especially if they make the right moves at the trade deadline. Their biggest weakness remains the lack of a true point guard. Fred VanVleet tearing his ACL in September left Houston without a floor general and created a serious turnover problem.
That issue shows up clearly in the numbers, as the Rockets rank 29th in turnover percentage and 26th in turnovers per game. One potential solution is Ryan Rollins from the Bucks, who brings a similar play style to VanVleet. Rollins is averaging 17 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.6 steals, and provides the type of steady, two-way presence Houston desperately needs to stabilize its offense.
Los Angeles Clippers: Buying
The Clippers opened the season with a historically bad 6-21 start, but they’ve slowly dug themselves out of that hole and are now 22-24 after going 13-3 over their last 16 games. What once looked like a lost season has turned into something at least salvageable, which puts the front office in a much different position than it was a month ago.
The two main trade chips are John Collins and Bogdan Bogdanovic, both of whom are on expiring contracts. Realistically, even with his recent struggles, it’s hard to see the Clippers moving Ivica Zubac unless they receive an offer they simply can’t refuse. The more logical approach would be targeting a scoring guard to spark the bench. Anfernee Simons would be an ideal fit, but Collin Sexton and Coby White feel like more realistic targets given the market.
Los Angeles Lakers: Buying
It feels like every time the trade deadline approaches, the Lakers are linked to just about every star in the league. But on a practical level, they sit at 28-18 and genuinely look like they’re one piece away from becoming bona fide contenders in a loaded Western Conference.
With LeBron James and Austin Reaves both approaching contract decisions, there’s no guarantee either will be back long-term, which adds another layer of urgency. The Lakers have to balance winning now with protecting their future, and that may mean being aggressive. They might need to empty the war chest to land someone like Michael Porter Jr., but if he becomes available, it’s a swing they almost have to take. Pairing Luka Dončić with a wing who can score and rebound at Porter’s level would be a nightmare matchup for defenses across the league.
Memphis Grizzlies: Selling
The Grizzlies sit at 18-27, and all signs point toward the Ja Morant era being at a crossroads, with the franchise potentially heading into full rebuild mode. When Ja Morant is healthy, he’s one of the most electric players in the league, but his availability has become increasingly unreliable, which could create a rare buy-low opportunity for interested teams.
That said, reports suggest Ja Morant has no interest in being moved, and with the current trade market for him appearing underwhelming, Memphis may not have much incentive to force a deal. Considering Morant still has two years left on his contract, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Grizzlies ultimately choose to hold onto him and revisit this decision later rather than selling at the lowest point.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Buying
The Timberwolves are in an interesting spot at 30-19 in a stacked Western Conference. They look ready to compete, but in reality, they don’t have much of a choice. After the Rudy Gobert trade, Minnesota doesn’t control an unprotected first-round pick until 2031, which effectively locks them into a win-now timeline whether they like it or not.
The main trade asset on the table is second-year guard Rob Dillingham, who has fallen out of the rotation after a rough season. It would sting to move him, especially after sacrificing a first-round pick to trade up and draft him in the first place, but that’s the cost of trying to contend. The clearest need is a true playmaking point guard who can start alongside Anthony Edwards. Coby White fits that mold perfectly, although it’s fair to question whether a package built around Dillingham without a first-round pick is enough to actually move the needle.
New Orleans Pelicans: Selling
If there were ever a year to fully embrace tanking, this would be it. Unfortunately for the Pelicans and their fans, this year’s draft pick belongs to the Atlanta Hawks, which makes the situation even more painful. At this point, New Orleans can’t really change direction, but they still need to operate like a true rebuilding team.
That means prioritizing future assets above all else. Whether it’s young players or draft picks, the Pelicans have to focus on accumulating value without blowing up their young core of Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears. In a perfect world, they’d also find a way to offload the massive contracts of Dejounte Murray and Jordan Poole in exchange for younger talent and, ideally, a first-round pick to at least salvage something from an otherwise lost season.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Buying
The defending champs continue to put together a dominant season, with their only real downside being that at 38-11, they’re no longer in position to chase the Warriors’ all-time record. Beyond that, there’s very little to criticize. There’s no real reason for the Thunder to make a move that could disrupt their chemistry, which has been one of their biggest strengths all year.
On top of that, it’s not as if Oklahoma City needs to stockpile more future assets. With 13 first-round picks over the next seven years, the Thunder are already set up better than any franchise in the league. The smartest move may simply be no move at all.
Phoenix Suns: Buying
The Suns sit at 29-19, which currently puts them in the seven seed, but it doesn’t feel like a team that’s about to make a major splash at the deadline. Head coach Jordan Ott has emphasized in recent pressers how close this group is, and he’s framed the return of Jalen Green as the team’s biggest “acquisition” rather than any outside move.
Green is expected to return from injury within the next week, and his presence alone should give the Suns a meaningful boost as they try to climb the standings. For now, it appears Phoenix is more focused on internal improvement than shaking up the roster.
Portland Trail Blazers: Buying
The Trail Blazers are active buyers at the deadline as they look to add the right pieces and make a push for the playoffs. At 23-25, Portland sits ninth in the West and firmly in play-in territory, which makes this a tricky spot for the front office. They’re close enough to compete, but not quite good enough to stand pat.
Like the Magic, the Blazers’ biggest issue is three-point shooting. They rank 29th in the league in three-point percentage, which is a major problem for a team trying to survive in the modern NBA. The challenge is flexibility. Portland can’t trade any of its own first-round picks until 2029, but it does have two years of pick swaps from Milwaukee and a 2028 unprotected first-rounder from Orlando.
For this playoff push to actually work, two things need to happen. First, Caleb Love needs to get the minutes he deserves, as he’s shooting 39.3% from deep over his last 15 games. Second, the Blazers need to flip those Milwaukee and Orlando assets for a legitimate shooter who can take pressure off Deni Avdija and allow him to thrive more as a true slasher instead of carrying too much of the offensive load.
Sacramento Kings: Selling
The Kings are approaching a crossroads, and if they don’t commit to a full rebuild soon, things are only going to get worse. At 12-37, they’re nearly dead last in the Western Conference, and the situation looks even bleaker when you factor in that they have the third-oldest roster in the NBA, with six players over the age of 30.
Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Malik Monk alone account for 73% of the Kings’ payroll, and it’s become clear that this core simply doesn’t work together. Moving most, if not all, of those pieces should be the top priority. Sacramento needs to pivot toward young, athletic wings and reset the timeline.
While they do have young contributors in Keegan Murray and Maxime Raynaud, neither profiles as a true cornerstone for a rebuild. The ideal target would be Jonathan Kuminga, who has already been linked to several teams around the league. If that option falls through, RJ Barrett offers a similar fit and would at least give the Kings a young foundation to start over with.
San Antonio Spurs: Buying
The Spurs might have the brightest future in the entire league. They’re on pace to finish as a top seed in the West while also potentially adding a lottery pick this year thanks to the pick swap with Atlanta from the Dejounte Murray trade. That combination alone puts San Antonio in an incredibly rare position.
As the deadline approaches, the Spurs feel more likely to stay conservative. They’ve already shown they can compete with elite teams, beating the Thunder three times this season, which suggests the core is ahead of schedule. The only real temptation would be Giannis Antetokounmpo hitting the trade block, creating the possibility of pairing two generational freaks of nature and terrorizing the league for the next decade.
But back in reality, it doesn’t seem likely the Spurs will enter that bidding war. Everything in San Antonio is clearly being built around the Victor Wembanyama timeline, and there’s no rush to disrupt that for a short-term splash.
Utah Jazz: Selling
The Jazz need to prioritize staying near the bottom of the standings by any means necessary to ensure they keep their top-eight protected first-round pick and avoid sending it to the Thunder. That reality should shape everything Utah does at the deadline.
The good news is that the Jazz are in a strong long-term position. They’ve built a promising young core, highlighted by the rise of Keyonte George and supported by eight players under the age of 23. This is a roster that’s clearly still in the development phase, not one that should be rushing toward short-term wins.
At the deadline, Utah’s main objective should be trimming off the fat by moving on from expiring contracts. Shedding the combined $40 million tied to Jusuf Nurkic, Kyle Anderson, Kevin Love, and Georges Niang would open up future flexibility without sacrificing any meaningful long-term pieces. For the Jazz, this season is about patience, and if they stick to that plan, success should follow.
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