The 2024 NBA Trade Deadline is Thursday at 2 p.m. CT.
Leading up to that time, contending teams will be making trades to improve their rosters in hopes of making deep playoff runs, while struggling teams will unload some players in exchange for assets that can help them in the future.
After the deadline passes, teams will not be allowed to make trades until after the season.
Additionally, some players will be traded for the purpose of having their contracts bought out by another team, essentially making them free agents. Players must be bought out by March 1 to be eligible to play in the playoffs — those bought out after the March 1 deadline can still play in the regular season.
So far this season, seven trades have been made throughout the league — most notably the Toronto Raptors sending forward Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers and receiving guard Bruce Brown, forward Jordan Nwora, and three first-round draft picks in return.
The Dallas Mavericks enter Wednesday as the West Conference’s eight-seed with a 28-23 record and 31 games remaining. That would make Dallas one of four play-in teams, and the Mavericks would have to fight off the New Orleans Pelicans, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Utah Jazz (as of now) for one of the final two playoff spots.
Experts are split on what Dallas should do as it tries to keep pace in the playoff race, but the team has been linked to players like Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma and Charlotte Hornets forward P.J. Washington.
Kuzma is averaging a career-high 21.8 points per game this season, would be Dallas’ third-leading rebounder, and is a recent defender. Washington, while undersized, would bring a young, veteran post presence as Dereck Lively continues to grow in his rookie year.
Both players have multiple years remaining on their contracts. Kuzma is signed through 2027, and Washington is signed through 2026.
The Mavericks do not play again until after the trade deadline. What will the team look like when it takes the court in New York against the Knicks (33-18) on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. CT?
