One trade deadline target for each NBA team

At 33-12 and in first place in the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Raptors don't particularly need a lot at the trade deadline. They have a superstar in Kawhi Leonard to close games. They have an All-Star point guard in Kyle Lowry and excellent depth at the position with Fred VanVleet and Delon Wright. Their big man rotation features enough positional variety to allow them to shape shift depending on their opponents' strengths and weaknesses. If there's one area where they could use some help, it'd be with three-point shooting, where they rank only 23rd in the league in three-point percentage. Enter: Wayne Ellington. Ellington is a career 38 percent shooter from downtown and has made a living hitting catch-and-shoot threes. He's the type of shooter who can swing a game in a tight series by catching fire when the second unit is on the court.

Giannis Antetokounmpo appears to have reached that elite level where his presence alone will always give his team a chance to win every playoff series. Therefore, the Bucks don't necessarily need to make a home run trade this deadline. They should, however, try to add another rim protector and rebounder because Brook Lopez isn't giving them much in that department, and Thon Maker is still pretty raw. The Hawks' Dewayne Dedmon fits that mold and can still step out and hit threes, which means the team won't have to adjust its offensive philosophy when he is on the court.

The Pacers are another good Eastern Conference team with few glaring weaknesses. They're a little too reliant on Victor Oladipo in the clutch, but bringing in another ball-dominant guard (e.g., Tim Hardaway Jr.) might have a negative overall impact by taking opportunities away from some of their highly skilled role players. Therefore, the best move for Indiana would be to find an upgrade over Doug McDermott. Like McDermott, Terrence Ross can bomb threes with the best of them. Unlike McDermott, Ross is athletic enough to stay on the court for long stretches of time during playoff games. In the postseason, when every possession counts, McDermott won't be able to play more than spot minutes because defenses will relentlessly attack him in pick-and-rolls.

The 76ers need someone to slow down the dynamic point guards that they'll face in the later rounds of the Eastern Conference playoffs. For all of his inconsistencies, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is one of the better point guard defenders in the league. KCP actually chases Steph Curry around about as well as anyone in the NBA. Philadelphia wouldn't face Curry until the Finals, but it'll need someone to slow down guards like Kyrie Irving, Victor Oladipo and Kyle Lowry along the way. 

With Al Horford showing some signs of slippage, don't be surprised if the Celtics look to deal for a gifted offensive player like Nikola Vucevic ( Terry Rozier for Vucevic?). Vucevic is having a career-year, averaging 20 points, 12 rebounds and four assists for the Magic, and is probably better than Horford at this point. However, if the Celtics were to trade for him, they would likely bring Vucevic off the bench and run their second-unit offense through him. Then they could re-sign him in the offseason as their franchise center if they're unable to land Anthony Davis.

Pat Riley already missed out on Jimmy Butler earlier this year. If he's within striking distance of another superstar near the deadline, don't expect him to let the opportunity pass again. With the Wizards having the season from hell, there's a chance they'll move Bradley Beal if they come across the right deal. Beal would give the Heat a star entering his prime — he's only 25 years old — which is something they've been craving in South Beach ever since LeBron James took his talents back to Cleveland in 2014.

With reports that the Hornets are willing to trade Frank Kaminsky as part of a deal to get off one of their bad contracts, look for a savvy team like the Nets to take advantage. Though he's had trouble staying on the court this season, Kaminsky can stretch a defense out to the three-point line (38 percent from deep last season) and get a team 10 points a night off the bench. With all of their scoring ball-handlers, he'd be a solid pick-and-pop big man on the Nets' second unit.

The thinking here is that the Hornets dangle Malik Monk to entice the Bulls into taking on the Nic Batum contract in exchange for Jabari Parker and Denzel Valentine. Parker, who is a Jordan Brand athlete, would give the Hornets another scoring option to lighten Kemba Walker's load every night. There's a team option on his massive contract next summer, so if the Hornets liked him enough, they could turn down the option and negotiate a more realistic, longer-term contract with Parker. If he plays poorly, they can turn down the option and move on after the season. Getting off the Batum contract is the real goal here — even if it means losing a young prospect and having to watch Parker mail it in on defense every night for half a season.

The Magic have needed a point guard for years, and if they're savvy enough, they could get their point guard of the future this trade deadline. With little chance of making the playoffs and their big men of the future already on the roster, the Magic should look to unload impending free agent Nikola Vucevic to the highest bidder and get a young guard in return, like Terry Rozier. Rozier has been decent at times this year in Boston, but it's clear that he needs to get out from behind Kyrie Irving and Marcus Smart soon. He's too good of a two-way player to be playing less than 23 minutes per game.

The Pistons are in a tough place with long-term money tied up in a core that has the ceiling of a first-round playoff team. With an ugly cap situation, to improve they'll have to do it with small victories. They should take a look at Tyus Jones, who is stuck behind Jeff Teague and Derrick Rose in Minnesota. Jones would be the type of smart ball-handler the Pistons could utilize on their second unit for years to come.

As seen by a number of the trade targets on this list, the Wizards will likely be sellers at the trade deadline and won't be targeting any of the big names on the market. Instead, they'll be trying to inch their way out of salary cap hell by making smart deals. (If only Ernie Grunfeld weren't running their franchise.) With John Wall out for the season with a heel issue, the Wizards should trade for Cory Joseph. Joseph is a point guard who could relieve Bradley Beal (if he's still around) and Tomas Satoransky of some of their ball-handling duties. Joseph, who is stuck behind Victor Oladipo, Darren Collison (and maybe even Aaron Holiday soon) should definitely be available at the deadline. The Wizards could use the rest of the season to see if they like Joseph enough to bring him back in the offseason on a longer deal.

The Hawks should be trying to do what the Nets did the past few years: take on other teams' bad salaries in exchange for low-risk, high-reward players or future draft picks. The Wizards have been regretting signing Ian Mahinmi to a four-year, $64 million contract ever since the ink on the contract dried, and they would love to get him off their books. The Hawks aren't going to be good for another couple of years, until their young team develops. Why not bring in Mahinmi and get a future first-rounder from the Wizards in return?

Like many of their fellow tanking teams, the Bulls should be looking to take low-risk, high-reward flyers from the teams that are trying to dump bad contracts. As mentioned above, one potential deal would be with the Hornets, where the Bulls would send Jabari Parker and Denzel Valentine for Malik Monk and Nic Batum (and perhaps a draft pick or two). The Bulls would be taking on the massive Batum contract for the next three seasons, but they'd be getting a former lottery pick who has Lou Williams-type potential as a sixth man in the NBA. By the time the team is ready to be competitive in a few years, the Batum contract will be off the books or be an expiring contract that could have value around the 2021 trade deadline.

The Knicks are in the midst of an impressive tank and won't be looking for any immediate help at this year's deadline. Instead, they'll be looking to take swings on potential diamonds in the rough like they did last year when they brought in Emmanuel Mudiay. One player they should keep a tab on is second-year wing Josh Jackson. After a solid rookie season, Jackson has taken a step back in his sophomore year in the NBA and is stuck behind other wings like T.J. Warren, Kelly Oubre and Mikal Bridges for the foreseeable future. He's talented and probably could use a change of scenery. How about a swap of struggling sophomores: Jackson for Frank Ntilikina? Who says no?

Cleveland will obviously be sellers at this year's deadline and should be looking to bring in a veteran point guard to ensure that Collin Sexton doesn't develop a bunch of bad habits as the lead guard for a terrible team. A Rodney Hood for Patrick Beverley swap could be enticing for both teams.  Beverley would be an ideal role model for Sexton for the rest of this season, as they both play with similar fire and intensity. Beverley can show Sexton how to channel that energy into more efficient play, which has been a huge struggle for Sexton thus far this season.

The Nuggets have one of the deepest rosters in the NBA and with a strong young core, they probably don't want to make any blockbuster deals at this year's deadline. They should look to add some depth at wing, where they've been decimated by injuries all season. Jonathon Simmons, an athletic wing who is currently wasting away on the Magic's bench, would be a potential fit and could help solidify Denver's No. 10 ranked defense. Furthermore, his playoff experience could help the young Nuggets as they embark on their first journey to the playoffs in the Nikola Jokic era.

Besides complacency, the Warriors' biggest problem right now is their depth at wing. Andre Iguodala is still capable of stepping up in big games, but he doesn't bring the night-to-night consistency they need in the regular season. Shawn Livingston is looking pretty washed up too. Therefore, Courtney Lee would seem to be a logical fit with Golden State. He's the type of professional three-and-D wing who could play in any playoff series and allow the Warriors to keep Iguodala in the garage until they really need him in the latter stages of the postseason. Lee is currently with the tanking Knicks and will be a target for a number of contenders over the next month.

The Thunder have the worst three-point shooting percentage in the NBA right now. If they could improve their shooting from long distance without hurting their defense, they'll be the best-equipped team to battle the Warriors in the Western Conference playoffs. Kent Bazemore's name will be thrown around a lot at the trade deadline because he brings the three-and-D skill set to the table that every contender values. Bazemore's shooting has been a little off this season, but playing alongside the likes of Russell Westbrook and Paul George would lead to more open shots and, hopefully, a return to last season's shooting form (39 percent from three).

If the Blazers want to really push their chips to the center of the table this season, they could make a deal for Kevin Love. He probably won't cost a premium because his contract isn't going to age very well, and he's missed most of this season with an injury. Love would give the Blazers another consistent scorer who stretches the defense, something they've been lacking for years. However, paying Love $30M/year for the next four seasons is a huge gamble, especially given his health and waning athleticism.

With one of the deepest teams in the league and the cap space to make a run at two max free agents next summer, don't expect the Clippers to make much noise at this year's deadline. They could, however, look to bring in a little more wing depth, and Rodney Hood could be cheap insurance in case Danilo Gallinari gets injured (as he so often does). Hood has quietly shot the ball well this season with 38-45-90 shooting splits. He's the type of unique and versatile player who could thrive on this Clippers roster.

This one is too obvious. The Rockets have clearly missed Trevor Ariza and his defensive versatility all season. Ariza got his bag this offseason from the Suns ($15M!!) and almost immediately wanted to be traded to a contender. The Wizards traded for him in a last gasp effort to help turn their season around but now seem better off trading away assets like Ariza for cap relief and future draft picks. The Rockets know their championship window is open right now and can offer the Wizards the future draft capital they desire.

Despite shooting the third-fewest three-pointers per game, the Spurs still have the fifth-best offense in the NBA. However, in spite of coach Popovich's open disdain for the three-point shot, the Spurs will need to add some three-point shooting at some point if they want to compete in the Western Conference. T.J. Warren, who has an affinity for two-point shots but is hitting threes at an impressive 43 percent clip, would seem like a perfect fit for San Antonio. His knack for bucket-getting (18.5 points per game) would take some of the scoring burden off LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan and also space the floor for those guys to operate on offense.

If the Pelicans are actually willing to listen to offers for Anthony Davis this season, the Lakers should do whatever it takes to get him on their roster. The Brow is absolutely dominating on both ends of the court right now and would make the Lakers a legitimate threat to the Warriors. It would probably cost them Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and either Kyle Kuzma or Josh Hart, plus some draft picks, but it'll be worth it when Davis is putting up 29 points, 13 rebounds and almost three blocks per game for the purple and gold. Plus, if the Lakers wait until the summer to try to land Davis, they'll have to compete with more teams, including the Celtics — a team that can probably beat the Lakers' best offer. 

The Jazz are getting rolling again (as is custom for the second half of the season under Quin Snyder), and their fourth-ranked defense has been stifling opponents all season. Their offense, however, has been a different story, as they rank in the bottom third of the league in that category. Enter: Tim Hardaway Jr., one of the premier scoring guards on the market. He's averaging a hair under 20 points per game for the tanking Knicks this season and could be the scoring pop off the bench that the Jazz need to lessen the offensive burden on Donovan Mitchell. Hardaway's contract is a tough pill to swallow, but if the Jazz are serious about making a run in the playoffs, it might be a necessary cost of doing business in the Western Conference.

The Kings and Knicks have been discussing a Zach Randolph for Enes Kanter trade recently. Kanter is a good low post scorer and rebounder and would be a solid fit as the go-to guy on the Kings' second unit. Young teams like the Kings tend to be inconsistent. Thus, having a professional scorer like Kanter (14 points and 11 rebounds per game) will help them more than he might help a veteran-ladened contender.

Fresh off firing Tom Thibodeau, the Timberwolves find themselves at 21-22 and in 11th place in the loaded Western Conference. They'll face some interesting decisions on whether to be buyers or sellers or just stay put at the trade deadline. If they are buyers, they will be in the market for some veteran wing depth. While J.R. Smith is certainly on the downside of his career, he could be the type of wing the Wolves bring in to space the floor around Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins. Smith can be a malcontent on a bad team like the Cavaliers, but if he has something to play for, he can give a playoff team a solid 15-20 minutes of defense and streaky shooting from deep. 

After losing J.J. Barea to a torn Achilles tendon this past weekend, the Mavericks are in need of a score-first point guard off the bench. Jeremy Lin would make sense here, as he is averaging almost identical numbers while playing a similar role with the Hawks. Their second unit has been one of the main reasons (in addition to Luka Doncic's brilliance) the Mavericks have competed in the West this season. If they are able to land Lin or a backup point guard of his caliber, it'll be interesting to see whether the second unit's immense success was due to the system or to Barea.

If the Pelicans are going to make a run at the playoffs and try to impress Anthony Davis enough to entice him into signing a max offer sheet this summer (probably not happening), they need to make a splash at this year's deadline. Trading for a player like Otto Porter would be a step in that direction. Porter is a high-upside, three-and-D wing who would fit perfectly with Davis on both ends of the court. Despite having a down year, he's still shooting nearly 40 percent from three and nearly 50 percent from the field. At 25, he might still have some room to grow too. We saw the Pelicans really take off last season after acquiring Nikola Mirotic. Could we see the same this year if they land a guy like Porter?

The Grizzlies seem intent on making a playoff push this season as seen by their acquisition of Justin Holiday last week. Unfortunately for them, they lost Dillon Brooks for the season last week and still don't have much depth on the wing. DeMarre Carroll is a wing Memphis could acquire without having to give up any good assets. He is on the backside of his career, but he can still play 20-25 minutes a game for a playoff team, cover multiple positions and knock down an open three.

Markelle Fultz needs a fresh start on a team that doesn't have much of a spotlight on it. What better place than Phoenix? Acquiring Fultz would be a bold move for the Suns, but it would be the type of risk Phoenix should be taking this season. If Fultz recovers from his physical and/or mental issues, he would complement Devin Booker's offensive-centric skill set perfectly, as his size and athleticism would allow him to guard the other teams' best guards. If Fultz could shoot again, he and Booker would also theoretically play well together on offense, as both could handle the ball and play shooting guard as well. Lots of "ifs," but it's still worth the risk.