Unlock the Shocking Truth Behind the Headlines You Thought You Knew
When the NBA trade deadline rolls around, all eyes usually dart toward the headline-grabbing titans: Giannis, Ja, AD — those behemoths who ignite whispers of dynasty shifts and blockbuster shakeups. But here’s a little secret most folks gloss over amid the frenzy: the real chess game might be won by the lesser-known pieces. Sure, snagging a superstar is flashy, but does a team have the luxury to hit the reset button and morph its DNA with just a handful of weeks left before the playoffs? Doubtful. Often, it’s those under-the-radar players—those mysterious gears churning quietly behind the scenes—who tip tight series in favor of contenders. Think of it as the difference between a flashy Cadillac and a rugged Jeep that just keeps going. Intrigued by who these subtle game-changers could be and how they fit into the complex puzzle of contending rosters? Let’s dig in and spotlight the underrated gems poised to make an outsized impact this trade season. LEARN MORE.
The focus will be on the big names at the NBA trade deadline, but it’s the players with lesser renown who could determine the eventual champion.
The NBA trade deadline is Thursday and most fans are hyper-focused on some of the big names who could move.
Giannis. Ja. AD.
But it’s highly unlikely a team trading for a player of that magnitude will end up winning the NBA championship this season.
A team trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo would have to give up a lot of present-day value and rework its entire identity. That’s hard to do just over two months before the playoffs.
The moves more likely to affect the title race are smaller ones. It might not be as exciting when a contender trades for a depth wing or backup big, but that could be the difference in a close playoff series.
With that in mind, here are some players whom contending teams could target and how they could augment already talented rosters.
Saddiq Bey, New Orleans Pelicans
Bey has the reputation of a 3-and-D wing, but he’s much more than that type of player, so teams shouldn’t put him in that box when trying to acquire him.
His shooting has rebounded after being porous in 2023-24 (he missed all of 2024-25 recovering from a torn ACL). He’s shooting 34.3% on 3s this season, although that’s being dragged down by a dismal 22.7% in December. Bey bounced back to shoot 45.0% from 3-point range in January and can shoot off movement or off the dribble as well. It’s reasonable to project him as an average-to-above-average shooter from distance moving forward.
But Bey’s offensive game is so much more than his shooting skills. He’s crafty with the ball in his hands and can credibly run the pick-and-roll for bench lineups. His playmaking isn’t elite, but it has progressed this season, making it harder for teams to push him off his spots with aggressive help.
And when Bey gets to his spots, he’s a very tough guard.
It’s not just his 3-point shooting that’s been on fire lately, as Bey averaged 19.5 points on .458/.450/.877 shooting splits in January. He’s an offensive weapon with the ability to play on the ball when called upon.
The “D” part of 3-and-D is where Bey falls short. Despite a reputation as a solid defender, he has a minus-1.0 D-DRIP, which is well below average. The eye test matches this, as Bey isn’t great at stopping penetration and gets caught drifting too often off the ball. The Pelicans are bottom five in the league in defensive efficiency despite the presence of elite stopper Herb Jones, and Bey has been a part of the issue.
Bey’s best fit on a contender might be as a scorer who comes off the bench and gets extra minutes when the offense needs a jolt, but he’d have to be OK with the arrangement after being a starter for most of the last two seasons he’s played.
If he’s a starter on a new team, it would have to be one with the defensive talent around him to absorb a hit on that side of the ball. It’s possible that joining a contender would ignite Bey’s defensive effort or that he starts to improve further out from his ACL surgery, but the team acquiring him should expect an excellent complementary scorer who is somewhat of a defensive liability.
Tari Eason, Houston Rockets
Eason has played well for a Houston squad that is trying to win the title. So why would the Rockets consider giving up a young talent who is playing well in their rotation?
It comes down to fit. Ideally, the Rockets would surround Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun with high-volume 3-point shooters and some playmaking guards.
Eason has shot the ball extremely well on 3s this season (47.9%), but he still takes just 4.6 per game. That’s well up from his previous career high of 3.2 last season, but it isn’t quite the quick trigger the Rockets are looking for in his spot in the rotation.
Still, Eason’s shooting isn’t the main offensive issue. It’s his lack of playmaking. He’s averaging 1.5 assists and has a negative assist-to-turnover ratio. The advanced passing chops never developed for Eason; he makes simple reads to open men and is usually more concerned with getting a good look for himself than teammates.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking Eason isn’t a very good rotation player. He’s turned himself into a nice shooter, has size and is great at drawing contact and playing through it. He’s an above-average defensive player as well, giving him value on both sides of the ball.
He’s just a tip-of-the-spear player on a team with two big wings above him in the team hierarchy that already fit that archetype in Durant and Thompson.
Eason is a restricted free agent after this season, and the Rockets are already well over the tax without him. With Thompson and him being an OK fit at best, it’s reasonable to think the Rockets should try to swap Eason for a similarly talented guard, if possible.
The Rockets clearly aren’t eager to give Eason away, and that’s smart. He’s a young player with talent and they’ll have final say in his free agency in the offseason since he’s restricted. Even though logic would say he’s a tough fit with Thompson, the Rockets’ young star has actually been much better this season with Eason on the floor.
But if a guard-heavy team needs a talented young forward who gives it a scoring boost and competes on the other end of the floor, Eason is a perfect candidate.
Dwight Powell, Dallas Mavericks
Powell isn’t nearly as valuable as the first two names on this list, but he’s a sturdy backup big who should be easy for teams to attain.
Offensively, Powell is essentially a non-factor as a scorer at this stage in his career, but he is a willing and capable screen setter who knows how to be in the right place at the right time. If he’s paired with an explosive pick-and-roll ball handler, he can be useful.
Powell’s value comes from his defense. He’s active, disciplined and looks to be moving much better than he was for most of last season. DRIP ranks Powell as the second-best defender on the Mavericks, behind Dereck Lively II and ahead of Anthony Davis.
Now, this is a bit misleading because Powell wouldn’t be able to sustain his level of defensive activity for the long stretches Davis is asked to play when healthy. But in the backup center role, Powell can absolutely be a defensive anchor for two rotations a game.
Dallas has opted to give some backup center minutes to rookie Moussa Cisse, reducing Powell to 11 combined minutes in the last two games. It won’t take much besides matching salary and a second-round pick to grab Powell.
Teams that need a backup big could do a lot worse than a plus-defender with 44 games of postseason experience under his belt.
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The post NBA Trade Deadline: Three Under-the-Radar Candidates Who Contenders Could Target appeared first on Opta Analyst.
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