NBA trade deadlines of the past have often featured a flurry of big names changing teams. However, the buzz for this season’s deadline doesn’t seem to match up.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said during a Q&A on Threads that he anticipates a less thrilling trade deadline this year, citing “lots of buyers but few sellers.”
He delved into the various reasons impacting this season’s trade market dynamics.
“Part of that is the Play-In tournament, which has kept more teams trying to reach the postseason instead of dropping down into the lottery,” Wojnarowski wrote. “Also, this isn’t considered a strong draft class at the very top, so there’s even less motivation to trade a postseason berth vs. a few extra ping-pong balls in the lottery.”
During last season’s deadline, the NBA witnessed a significant shift as players like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving found new teams.
However, last season held more motivation for teams to vie for draft positions, especially with the highly coveted prospect Victor Wembanyama up for grabs.
In contrast, the upcoming 2024 draft lacks a standout prospect capable of transforming a franchise in the same way, dampening the enthusiasm for teams to gamble their assets in pursuit of more lottery balls.
According to Wojnarowski, while some transactions will occur, the impending trade deadline might lack the dazzling spectacle witnessed in the previous season.
“There will be trades. There will be sellers,” he wrote. “But the asking price is going to be high from the really bad teams to move off assets–so that slows down the marketplace a little.”