Harrison Barnes, John Collins and Kevin Love are all candidates to be moved

by will pembroke, multimedia show manager

In what has been nothing short of a weird year for the NBA, there is at least one familiar element to years prior, trade season! With the trade deadline rapidly approaching on March 25, winning teams are looking into what moves they can make to bolster their chances at contending for the Larry O’Brien trophy. Other teams who have not seen this year go as planned and have fallen out of contention may seek to get off of big contracts on their books or trade players who are no longer happy in their current role. Let’s take a look at a couple of big potential trades that could go down before the deadline.

Atlanta Hawks trade star forward John Collins: This may come as a big surprise to a lot of NBA fans, but it is possible that John Collins gets moved before the deadline. The Hawks forward has had a solid season to date, posting 18 points, eight rebounds and a block per game despite shooting a career low 53% from the field. The issue here is between Collins and superstar point guard Trae Young. It was rumored earlier in the season that Collins took issue with the lack of touches he was getting because of how ball dominant Young is. The rumored tension between them spilled out onto the floor when Young intentionally decided to barely shoot the basketball, catching the rest of the team off guard only to prove a point to Collins. Ever since, the Hawks have been in trade rumors surrounding Collins’ availability.

Potential Destinations: Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics, Sacramento Kings

Sacramento Kings move on from veteran forward Harrison Barnes: After a disappointing 15-24 first half of the season, several sources around the NBA have the Kings as sellers at the deadline. The Kings have a young core built around guards De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton but are lacking the front court depth to truly contend. The play for them could be to try and steal John Collins from Atlanta, however the more likely scenario is that they move on from Barnes. Posting 17 points per game, six rebounds and four assists while shooting nearly 50% from the field, Barnes has had an above average season by his standards. Following this season, he will have two more years left on his contract at a very reasonable average salary of $19 million per year. Look for a contender to try to swoop in and pick him up if the asking price is not too high.

Potential Destinations: Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers

Cleveland Cavaliers Finally Deal Forward Kevin Love: It has been rumored for years now that the Cavaliers have been shopping forward Kevin Love. The 32-year-old has not proven he can stay on the floor for an extended stretch of time, playing only four games this season and less than 60 games the last four years. With two more years left on his contract at an expensive $30 million per year average salary, Love simply does not fit in with the rebuilding Cavaliers any longer. Rumor has it the Cavaliers have been unwilling to part ways with Love without getting something valuable back for him, however that may change given his sheer lack of appearances on the court this year. Does he have enough left in the tank to help a contending team? Maybe. Only time will tell, as he is eyeing a return to the court from a calf injury in the coming weeks.

Potential Destinations: Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat