2023 NBA trade deadline: Five teams, including Clippers and Warriors, facing

Therefore, varying levels of urgency are being applied to each NBA front office. We decided to take a look at the five franchises facing the most pressure heading into the 2023 trade deadline.

Bottom line: Underperformance and lack of continuity due to injuries has created a sense of urgency for a preseason title favorite that’s been undeniably mediocre.   

“Hey, don’t you know that when Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are on the court together … ” Blah, blah, blah. At this point, the championship-contending Clippers exist in a parallel universe with hot dog fingers and Raccacoonie. In this universe — the one that matters — they’re a .500 team with the fourth-worst offense in the NBA. Leonard and George have only played 18 games together, and they’re 11-7. Not exactly confidence-instilling.

The good news is that this roster is perfectly constructed for a trade, with mid-level salaries that can be used as filler for a larger deal or swapped for a better-fitting player at a similar cost. Nic Batum, Reggie Jackson, Robert Covington, Luke Kennard, Marcus Morris Sr. and Norman Powell all make between $10-16 million, and Jackson’s is the only contract that’s expiring at the end of this season. The Clippers also (finally) have a first-round pick to dangle in a trade, and given the current state of the team with two aging stars, that 2028 selection could look pretty juicy to a potential partner.

Point guard is the most obvious area ripe for improvement, with Jackson taking a step back this season and the Clippers sporting a minus-6.6 net rating with John Wall on the floor. Wall’s $6.4 million salary could be useful in a trade, with potential targets such as Utah Jazz vet Mike Conley and — a bigger swing — Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet.

This team was built for championships, coming extremely close two seasons ago, but right now it just feels like something needs to happen, if for nothing else than to shake up the malaise. Leonard is starting to play like his old self, and the last thing you want to do is waste a healthy season from him, since we don’t know how many he has left. The urgency is certainly there for the Clippers.

2. Toronto Raptors

Bottom line: Possessing multiple impactful players heading toward a deadline that lacks them, the time could be right for the Raptors to sell off their pieces and look toward the future.

Toronto was listed by our Sam Quinn as one of the potential sellers that could dictate the trade deadline market, as the team possesses an abundance of an otherwise scarce commodity — players who could genuinely impact the title chances of a contending team.

Two-way wing OG Anunoby has reportedly grumbled about his role in the offense, and will command a sizeable extension in the near future. All-Star point guard Fred VanVleet has yet to come to terms on his own extension, and will almost assuredly opt out of the final year of his deal to enter free agency this offseason should they fail to reach an agreement. Gary Trent Jr., a career 38 percent, high-volume 3-point shooter, will also likely decline his option after this season and enter the free-agent market. If you want to think even bigger, All-NBA forward Pascal Siakam — whose contract expires after next season — might also be available if Masai Ujiri and the front office receive an offer they simply can’t refuse.

The pressure on the Raptors this trade deadline revolves around an important decision: Blow it up, stand pat, or something in between.

With reigning Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes presumably off the table, the organization needs to decide which, if any, of Anunoby, VanVleet, Trent and Siakam are essential parts of the future. With a record middling around .500 and no money on the books past 2023-24 outside of Chris Boucher, the Raptors are a legitimate tank/rebuild candidate. All of those pieces would fetch significant assets, and the rest of this season would be dedicated to entering the Victor Wembanyama-Scoot Henderson sweepstakes. A core built around Barnes, this year’s draft pick and whichever young players they fetch in trades wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world — look at how the Utah Jazz have managed to stay relevant despite trading away two All-NBA players.

Conversely, the Raptors could decide that this, in fact, is the core built to win a title, and the first half of this season was simply a fluke that will soon be corrected. Remember that the Boston Celtics were under .500 at this time last year, before they suddenly became…