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10 NBA teams that could be active at the trade deadline
Will the Atlanta Hawks move star big man Al Horford before the trade deadline? Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

10 NBA teams that could be active at the trade deadline

The NBA trade deadline is fast-approaching, and with that, there’s a chance the NBA landscape could change drastically. That being said, it’s just a chance. Usually the trade deadline brings far more talk than action.

That doesn’t mean that every team in the NBA is unwilling to try to improve its roster in-season or set itself up for a better future. With that in mind, let’s take a look at 10 teams and what they’ll try to accomplish by the Feb. 18 NBA trade deadline.

1) Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers are in a bizarre position. Despite being the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference, the team recently fired coach David Blatt in favor of assistant coach Tyronn Lue. Also, despite having players the likes of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, no one seems to believe the Cavs have much of a shot of defeating whomever comes out of the Western Conference in the NBA Finals.

With that said, expect the Cavs to attempt to add a quality player to their rotation before the deadline passes. The two most likely targets for Cleveland are Joe Johnson of the Brooklyn Nets and Danilo Gallinari of the Denver Nuggets. Both are wing players who can hit three-pointers, something the Cavs could use.

The problem lies in the Cleveland's cap situation. The team is more than $39 million over the current salary cap and has few trade-friendly contracts. Cavs general manager David Griffin will need to get creative at the deadline if he wants to add a player whom he feels might put this Cavs team over the top.

2) Los Angeles Clippers

The writer in me would love to say otherwise, but let’s just get this out of the way first: The Clippers ARE NOT trading Blake Griffin. Despite Griffin breaking his hand by foolishly punching a team employee (and the Clippers playing well in his absence), he is still one of the, if not the, best power forward in basketball. Oh, and he’s also just 26 years old.

There’s an internal belief in the Clippers organization that the team can win with Blake, so the chances he is traded in February are zilch.

However, that doesn't mean the Clips won’t try to make a trade in the coming weeks. As currently constructed, this Clippers team has no shot of taking down the Warriors in the playoffs, and coach and president of basketball operations Doc Rivers is likely aware of that fact.

The Clippers have a pair of wing players in Lance Stephenson and Jamal Crawford they could dangle at the trade deadline, but it’s unlikely they would be able to find equal value (or in Stephenson’s case, any value) for the two. Unfortunately for Clippers fans, the team will likely be forced to stand pat. Expect the Clips to try to make a deal but unable to find one that would improve the team.

3) Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA this season. Expected to be a playoff contender in the East, the Bucks have instead played dismal basketball and find themselves with a 20-32 record. The Bucks are, however, loaded with young talent and could add even more talent to their roster in the coming weeks.

Prized offseason acquisition Greg Monroe has failed to fit in with the team and is reportedly on the trade block. If they’re willing to accept slightly less value than they would like, the Bucks could easily flip Monroe for additional talent or draft picks. It’s just a matter of what Bucks GM John Hammond is willing to agree to.

4) Oklahoma City Thunder

Currently the three seed in the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder, with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook leading the way, is somehow a dark-horse contender. But when you play in a conference that includes the Warriors and Spurs, it’s understandable.

We all know the Thunder have two superstars in Durant and Westbrook (not to mention Serge Ibaka), but there is still something missing from this OKC team. Considering that it's forbidden to go over the luxury tax by owner Clay Bennett, don’t expect the Thunder to make any type of major deal that might put the team over the top. Instead, expect OKC to add a complimentary player who really doesn’t help the cause but may appease the fan base.

5) New York Knicks

Having just fired coach Derek Fisher, it would seem every player not named Kristaps or Carmelo is available to be had on the New York roster. President of basketball operations Phil Jackson has just about confirmed this, so it would seem likely that the Knicks, who are rapidly falling out of the playoff race in the East, will make a few deals. But if Jackson isn’t willing to part with Carmelo Anthony, the team is in no position to make any drastic improvements.

Truth be told, with Kristaps Porzingis well on his way to being a superstar, the Knicks should cash in on Anthony, who at 31 years old (and coming off of major knee surgery) is a deteriorating asset. Instead, expect the Knicks to make a few minor trades and pick up some draft picks.

6) Toronto Raptors

For the past several years, the Toronto Raptors have been in the frustrating position of being good but just not quite good enough to compete for a title. Currently the two seed in the East, the Raptors have been looking to add a player who might help them upset the Cavs in a playoff matchup.

Markieff Morris of the Suns would seem a likely candidate for the team to pick up at the deadline, but the asking price might be a little too steep for general manager Masai Ujiri. Still, with All-Star shooting guard DeMar DeRozan set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, Ujiri may feel the need to pull the trigger on a trade of some risk. Expect the Raptors to make a trade or at least come very close to making a deal of some significance by the Feb. 18 deadline.

7) Houston Rockets

After making it to the Western Conference Finals last year, the 2015-16 NBA season has not followed the script the Houston Rockets were expecting it too. With a 27-26 record, the Rockets have regressed tremendously. James Harden is not playing like the MVP candidate he was last year, Dwight Howard is no longer the player he used to be and the Ty Lawson trade has been an utter failure. Now doesn't that just sound like the perfect recipe for general manager Daryl Morey to shake up the NBA landscape?

Well, in case you haven’t caught on to the pattern yet, don’t expect the Rockets to make any major changes. Power forward Terrence Jones is a likely candidate to be moved, but unless Dwight Howard demands a trade or the team becomes convinced it will lose him in the offseason, there really isn’t too much Houston can do. Again, Terrence Jones and potentially Corey Brewer may be unloaded, but other than that, don’t expect too much noise coming out of Houston.

8) Boston Celtics

Slowly on the rise in the East, it’s almost a guarantee that the Boston Celtics will be active around the trade deadline. The team is expected to trade David Lee and his expiring contract, but additional moves could be made by general manager Danny Ainge.

Evan Turner, Tyler Zeller and Jared Sullinger all have expiring contracts as well, and we all know Ainge loves stockpiling his draft picks. The Celtics already own the Nets' first-round pick (which could potentially turn in to Ben Simmons), but that won’t stop Ainge from looking to add more.

9) Chicago Bulls

Just a month ago, it seemed likely that the Bulls would be major players at the deadline. Joakim Noah and Nikola Mirotic had failed miserably to adjust to new head coach Fred Hoiberg, and with a log jam in the frontcourt, a trade seemed inevitable. Then, Noah injured his shoulder and was declared out for the season. All of a sudden, playing time in the frontcourt opened up, and youngsters Doug McDermott and Bobby Portis found their way into the rotation.

Despite the disdain Bulls fans have for point guard Derrick Rose at this point, he’s not going anywhere. The only player the Bulls will look to move is power forward Taj Gibson. Gibson has been on the trade block for a while, but the Bulls have consistently held out for equal value. With the rise of Portis and McDermott, however, the time has finally come for Gibson to be dealt.

10) Atlanta Hawks

Similar to the Raptors, the Hawks are one of those teams that are good, just not quite good enough to compete for a title. All the signs you would look for with a team getting ready to rebuild are there in Atlanta. Star big man Al Horford is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and All-Star point guard Jeff Teague is reportedly available for the right price.

The Hawks seem destined to begin the rebuilding process sooner than later, but the front office has a history of being quite stubborn when it comes to trades. Expect the Hawks to stand pat and make an attempt to make one last playoff run.

Like most NBA trade deadlines, expect a lot of talk but very few deals of major significance.

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