NBA trade season: Breaking down the Central Division landscape

With the dates swiftly turning, and the end of the calendar year approaching far too quickly, it’s time to take a brief detour from the action on the NBA courts, to take a look ahead to the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

Teams have now played enough games to know who they are, what they lack, and which direction they need to go in. Well, some teams might still be unclear on that last bit.

We’ll take a look at which Central Division teams are in need of making a move, and how each team should approach the deadline with free agents who signed during the offseason now being eligible to be traded.

Previous divisions: Atlantic

Chicago Bulls

Status: Competitive
Approach: Sellers

Chicago drastically altered its on-court strategy for the better, but the timing was always odd and it hasn’t necessarily led to anything interesting.

The Bulls are, unquestionably, the most confusing team in the NBA, and they should go into the deadline with the mindset of selling off as many veteran pieces as possible.

There lies a challenge to get decent returns for players such as Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević, but if the Bulls find themselves in a situation where they can get off either or both contracts without relinquishing an asset to do so, that’s a win.

If anything, the Bulls should use the fact that they’re $4.5 million below the tax line to offer teams over the apron the possibility of shedding money for a decent return. With the new CBA in place, having financial wiggle room is an enormous asset in its own right.

The question is, of course, whether the Bulls are even aware of that given how wasteful they’ve been with their contracts in recent years.

Likelihood of trade: Should be significant

Cleveland Cavaliers

Status: Contenders
Approach: Buyers

The Cavaliers are legit, and there’s every reason for them to add, instead of subtract, before the deadline.

They don’t have a lot they can give away, which is going to limit their options. The Cavs are likely to only make a small move, if they even make one, given the symmetry of their core guys.

You could make the case that getting Max Strus back almost counts as a midseason acquisition. The 6-foot-5 forward signed with the team in the summer of 2023 and had an effective season for Cleveland, spacing the floor and acting as a third playmaker.

Strus has missed the entire season so far due to an ankle injury but is expected back soon. When he enters the rotation, the Cavs should be stronger.

In the meantime, if they are to make a small move, a real backup center wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to look for.

Likelihood of trade: Decent

Detroit Pistons

Status: Rebuilding
Approach: Sellers

There’s no question this team needed adults in the room, which explains why Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley are on the roster.

However, that trio isn’t exactly expected to hang around for years to come, given that the keys to the franchise will eventually be handed to Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren.

Is that time now, or will the Pistons prefer to make changes during the summer?

For their sake, given that they own their own pick this year, the time should be now. The 2025 draft is viewed as being loaded with talent, and should the Pistons find themselves with a high pick, that would be all the better for the long-term outlook of the team.

Of course, whether teams even have interest in Harris, Hardaway or Beasley remains to be seen. But the Pistons should realize, before February, that the chance of potentially landing a Cooper Flagg or Ace Bailey is too enticing.

Likelihood of trade: Big

Indiana Pacers

Status: Competitive
Approach: Buyers

It’s tough to argue one way or another in terms of the Pacers, who have been disappointing this season. There’s an argument to be had for acting as both buyers and sellers.

The determining factor is Pascal Siakam, who isn’t a spring chicken anymore and on an enormous contract. If they don’t add to the roster, they can only go the other direction, which means a smaller re-tooling process that’ll take a few years to get off the ground. Who has time for that?

With Tyrese Haliburton around, the Pacers probably don’t want to send him a signal of them taking a step back by selling off pieces. That’d be a tough sell, especially for a team that generally doesn’t draw a lot of free-agent interest.

Even if Indiana can’t find a major deal, it can find smaller ones, and since it lost both James Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson to Achilles tears this season, finding a backup big is probably on the whiteboard.

Likelihood of trade: High

Milwaukee Bucks

Status: Competitive
Approach: Buyers

It’s pretty simple. When you have Giannis Antetokounmpo on your roster and added Damian Lillard as your second star a little over a year ago, there’s just no way you can be anything but buyers.

The Bucks are weird. They’re inconsistent. They’re old. They have a questionable coaching staff. Their role players vary from being decent to “perhaps that guy should be in the G League.” And it’s for those reasons Milwaukee needs to be aggressive in their search for quality.

Outside of Antetokounmpo and Lillard, the organization really doesn’t have any major trade assets, so it’s not going to be easy to find a reliable, consistent contributor. But it has to at least explore the market.

Of course, the Bucks are around $6.5 million above the second apron, so trade logistics are rough. They don’t have a lot to play around with. So even if they find something exciting, CBA rules could make a trade difficult. But that’s a problem for later. For now, find an upgrade by any means necessary.

Likelihood of trade: Small, due to them being over the second apron