This season's trade deadline is fast approaching, with March 25 being the last day teams can make deals.
I've already written about six questions that will shape how chaotic of a trade deadline this will be, as well as trade destinations for some of the players who are reportedly available, such as Andre Drummond and LaMarcus Aldridge.
Next up, the five most interesting players who could become available.
In no particular order...
Victor Oladipo, Houston Rockets
Oladipo is in an interesting position entering the trade deadline.
The Rockets aren't far removed from acquiring him from the Indiana Pacers, but Oladipo is set to be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. According to The Athletic's Sam Amick, he will have "no shortage of suitors" in free agency, a couple of possibilities being the New York Knicks and Miami Heat.
If the Rockets, who have fallen to 14th in the Western Conference after losing 13 straight games, believe Oladipo won't re-sign or aren't prepared to offer him the long-term deal he is reportedly looking for, this trade deadline or a sign-and-trade in the offseason are their only hope of getting something in return for him. (Oladipo reportedly turned down a two-year, $45.2 million extension with the Rockets not long ago, but I wouldn't put too much stock into that because it's the most they could have offered him. Still, it's worth noting).
In which case, Oladipo could become the best player available in the coming weeks.
Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
Look, there might be nothing to see here.
Not only has Lowry and his agent shot down trade rumours, Sam Amick of The Athletic reported "there's a strong sense around the league" that the six-time All-Star will remain put. Michael Grange of Sportsnet took it a step further, reporting that Lowry is "not going to be dealt" ahead of the trade deadline.
So why include him? A couple of reasons.
First, Lowry is the type of player who could get a contender over the hump. He's long been one of the league's best defenders at the guard position despite having never made an All-Defensive Team, and he's capable of playing with and without the ball in his hands at a high level on offence. If the Raptors did make him available, it's easy to imagine a number of teams being interested.
Second, Lowry is in the final season of his current contract, setting him up to be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. The prospect of seeing him walk for nothing like Kawhi Leonard, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka did in each of the last two offseasons could motivate the Raptors to at least see what they could get in return for Lowry.
Again, the signs currently point towards Lowry still being a Raptor beyond the trade deadline, but there are too many factors at play for him to not be mentioned, especially when you consider how much him being traded could shake up the league this season.
Al Horford, Oklahoma City Thunder
Horford has bounced back nicely from a tough season with the Philadelphia 76ers.
In 28.2 minutes per game, Horford is averaging 14.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.9 blocks with the Thunder. While he's shooting a career-low 44.2 percent from the field, he's taking a career-best 5.5 3-pointers per game and converting them at a 35.6 percent clip.
He's not the player he once was, but Horford is still one of the better passers and shooters at the centre position.
Where it gets complicated is Horford has two years and $53.5 million remaining on his contract, although not all of that is guaranteed. That's a lot of money to take on for a 34-year-old centre whose best days are behind him, but Horford has shown this season that he could make a difference on a team in need of a big.
There's a chance it won't take much more than matching salary to acquire Horford, seeing as the Thunder already got a future first-round pick from the 76ers for him.
Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings
Barnes is quietly having one of the best seasons of his career.
His 16.7 points per game are second to only De'Aaron Fox for most on the Kings, and he's shooting a career-best 49.2 percent from the field to go along with 39.2 percent shooting from 3-point range. He's also averaging 6.1 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, both of which are career highs.
To boot, Barnes is a solid defender, capable of guarding both forward positions without being a liability against guards and centres.
The Boston Celtics appear to be the leader in the clubhouse to acquire Barnes should he be made available, but there are a lot of teams that would benefit from his shooting, playmaking and defence.
A bonus is that his salary declines from $22.2 million this season to $20.3 million in 2021-22 and $18.4 million in 2022-23.
P.J. Tucker, Houston Rockets
You're probably going to see Tucker's name mentioned a lot over the next couple of weeks.
While he's having one of the worst seasons of his career, it seems like every contender is interested in Tucker. It's not hard to understand why. In addition to being one of the league's more versatile defenders — a 6-foot-5 forward who can guard multiple positions, including some centres — he's a proven 3-point shooter from the corners.
Whether it's next to Kyrie Irving, James Harden and Kevin Durant in Brooklyn, Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee or Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo in Miami, Tucker would fit in seamlessly. It helps that he has plenty of experience playing on competitive teams.
Like Oladipo and Lowry, Tucker will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. At the age of 35, he could be looking for one more payday. If he is traded at the deadline, whichever team acquires him will have to be prepared to navigate his free agency.
Honourable mention
Nikola Vucevic, Orlando Magic — Vucevic is having a career year and is on a favourable contract, with his salary declining in each of the next two seasons. However, the Magic are reportedly "sending strong signals" that they have no intention of trading him ahead of the deadline. That's bad news for all the teams who are interested in him.
Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers — There are a lot of teams that could use Love's 3-point shooting, but he's appeared in only two games this season because of a calf injury and has $60.2 million remaining on his contract. The Cavaliers could have a hard time finding suitors.
Andre Drummond, Cleveland Cavaliers — I've written quite a bit about Drummond already. It's going to be fascinating to see where he ends up this season, especially if he's bought out. Say what you want about Drummond, but it's crazy to think that he could work his way onto a team like the Brooklyn Nets or Los Angeles Lakers.
J.J. Redick, New Orleans Pelicans — Need shooting? It sounds like Redick is available. He's having his lowest scoring season since 2009-10, but it's hard to believe there isn't a team out there that could use him.
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