Top 5 NBA Teams That Need to Make a Deadline Trade

With just a few days left until the NBA's Feb. 6 trade deadline, a prohibitive new Collective Bargaining Agreement doesn't seem to have disrupted potential dealmaking too much.

All-Stars like Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler, Sacramento Kings point guard De'Aaron Fox, Chicago Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine and center Nikola Vucevic, and Khris Middleton could all find new homes by Thursday.

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Key contenders could be in the market for smaller deals to shore up their bench depth, too.

Here are the top five teams that need to make a move this week.

1. Denver Nuggets

After Denver general manager Calvin Booth let three of the Nuggets' top seven players from its 2023 championship run walk in free agency across successive postseasons, many predicted that the club would regress in 2024-25.

Instead, Denver's minimum signing of former league MVP point guard Russell Westbrook has been absolutely inspired. The former nine-time All-Star has rediscovered at least his Washington Wizards-era form and has forced his way back into the starting lineup. With power forward Aaron Gordon back healthy, forward Christian Braun has become the club's versatile sixth man.

Reigning league MVP Nikola Jokic has reached another level this year, and is averaging a Westbrook-ian triple-double of 29.6 points (on .570/.475/.813 shooting splits), 12.8 rebounds, and 10.1 assists in 42 bouts.

At 30-16, the Nuggets are currently the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference, but depth is clearly an issue. Denver needs to maximize its window with the 29-year-old Jokic still in his prime and playing at an all-time level. The Nuggets need more frontcourt help off the bench and could use more 3-point shooting, to boot. Would the team get so bold as to use its biggest trade chip, starting small forward Michael Porter Jr., to acquire a bigger talent? That remains to be seen.

2. Miami Heat

This may be stating the obvious.

Miami's incredibly dormant transactional summer — plus its decision not to negotiate a summer contract extension with six-time All-Star swingman Butler — ironically seems to have led to its need to make a trade now.

Butler is currently serving his third team suspension of the season.

The 6-foot-7 vet, 35, remains a solid two-way talent when motivated, still capable of defending at a high level, and a unique offensive talent with a knack for distributing and getting to the free throw. Butler often steps up his game on both ends of the floor in the postseason, as evinced by Miami's two runs to the NBA Finals during his first four seasons with the squad.

It's time for a divorce for the two sides. Even with a player option for 2025-26, Butler still remains the kind of ceiling-raising talent who could help any contender. And there are plenty of clubs with assets who could help the Heat — still a decent 24-23 this year, with Butler missing 22 of those games and counting— reset.

3. Golden State Warriors

The Warriors are 24-24 on the season, and as the No. 11 seed in the Western Conference are currently on the outside of the even the play-in picture looking in. It would be a shame for Golden State to waste another All-NBA-caliber year from 11-time All-Star point guard Stephen Curry.

Golden State has been rumored to be considering a move for some pieces to help elevate its present without totally requiring a full mortgage of its future, but would those deals be enough to return Curry to a seventh NBA Finals appearance in June?

4. Chicago Bulls

At 21-28, the Bulls appear likely to make the play-in tournament but miss the playoffs for the third consecutive season, despite fielding a talented roster.

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Chicago began something of a halfhearted rebuild by flipping two-time All-Defensive Team veteran guard Alex Caruso to the Oklahoma City Thunder and letting six-time All-Star swingman DeMar DeRozan depart for the Sacramento Kings in a sign-and-trade deal.

But the team has three solid older players it could easily move off of — LaVine, Vucevic, and 3-and-D point guard Lonzo Ball. It would behoove the Bulls to embrace the tank more fully, especially with the 2025 NBA Draft looking so promising.

5. San Antonio Spurs

As a team, the 21-24 Spurs hardly look like world-beaters right now. But 21-year-old All-Star center Victor Wembanyama already does. Yes, his growth into the league's best defender and one of its most tantalizing offensive talents might be a bit ahead of schedule, and San Antonio no doubt wants to keep its options open.

At the same time, with Kings All-Star point guard De'Aaron Fox already hoping to be dealt there, it might make sense for San Antonio to improve right now for the 2024-25 season's stretch run. Why waste a season of Wembanyama if he's already looking this great?

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