The Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder should be considered the lone three “sellers” entering next month’s NBA trade deadline, according to ESPN insider Tim MacMahon.
“They’re selling,” MacMahon said of the Rockets on The Hoop Collective podcast, via RealGM. “They’re definitely selling.”
All three teams are under .500 and looking to shed some salary in exchange for younger players with upside and or picks.
In fact, the Cavs are sitting center Andre Drummond as they seek a deal. They are also expected to try to move veteran poiwer forward Kevin Love.
Meanwhile, the Rockets could make guard Victor Oladipo available and the Thunder could try to deal big man Al Horford. Both Drummond and Oladipo have expiring contracts and are also buyout candidates.
But teams who are interested in either player may want to make a trade so they aren’t fighting over Drummond and/or Oladipo — giving the Cavs and Rockets some leverage in trade talks. If a team wants to guarantee itself a player, it has to trade for him.
“The only teams that are truly selling are Houston, Cleveland and Oklahoma City,” MacMahon said. “Everybody else is not going either way, like probably a team like Detroit, or trying to make the playoffs.”
The Pistons have also decided to sit power forward Blake Griffin in hopes of finding a trade.
The NBA trade deadline is March 25.
