Every NBA Team's Biggest Need at the 2024 Trade Deadline

We're just over a week away from the NBA trade deadline. Believe it or not, no team in the league is perfect right now.

Every organization has some need (or needs) it can address through trades before February 8, whether it's offense, defense, size, depth or some other more specific shortcoming.

Below, you'll find where all 30 teams can shore up their roster (or draft stash) for 2023-24's stretch run.

This season's trade rumor mill has been frothy with mentions of Dejounte Murray, whose fit with the Atlanta Hawks alongside Trae Young just never clicked in.

On paper, the move made some sense, though it was easy to be concerned about both players needing the ball on offense. Murray would help cover for Young's defensive flaws, and he might even create more catch-and-shoot opportunities for the Hawks' franchise guard.

That's seldom been the reality, though, as Atlanta is minus-4.5 points per 100 possessions with both on the floor and plus-2.1 when Young plays without Murray over the course of the past two seasons.

With that context in mind, it's easy to see why Atlanta would entertain the possibility of moving someone it just acquired a year and a half ago. And if it does, the Hawks should be looking for some wing defense in return.

Murray's prowess on that end proved more theoretical than real, in large part because he's more equipped to defend guards than wings and forwards. The Hawks certainly couldn't have him spend a ton of time there, because Young is even less of an option against bigger matchups.

If Atlanta is going to persist with a team built around Trae, it has to surround him with bulldog defenders at just about every other position. They may have a good start with Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu, but they need more.

The more honest approach to this slide might be to simply say the Boston Celtics don't have any needs. They are completely dominating a league as packed with talent as it's ever been, and it doesn't really seem to matter which members of their eight-man rotation are on the floor.

When Boston has at least two of Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porziņģis, Al Horford, Payton Pritchard or Sam Hauser on the floor, it's a stout plus-10.5 points per 100 possessions.

For context, the Oklahoma City Thunder have the second-best net rating in the league at plus-8.3.

But, if forced to nitpick a bit, perhaps the Celtics could use a bit more size coming off the bench. Pritchard is 6'1", and the team's defensive rebounding percentage has taken a dip in each of the past two seasons when 6'8" Sam Hauser is on the floor.

Either or both could find themselves in some unfavorable matchups in the playoffs, and a bit more size and physicality off the bench might help to offset that.

But again, this is very minute stuff. Assuming health, Boston will have plenty of high-end defenders they can mix and match with two or three reserves.

It suddenly feels like the Brooklyn Nets need all kinds of stuff (with the possible exception of wings). They're 2-12 in their past 14 games and 4-17 in their past 21.

Center has long been viewed as a spot that could potentially be upgraded, but Nic Claxton is a good rim-runner and -protector. Even if he's slight, Brooklyn has done a solid job of gang-rebounding their way into the top 10 in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage.

The Nets' greater need is likely at the other end of the positional spectrum, where Ben Simmons is rarely available and Spencer Dinwiddie is averaging more shot attempts than potential assists and working on a fifth straight season with a below-average true shooting percentage

For a team as loaded with catch-and-shoot threats as Brooklyn, which has Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O'Neale, someone who could reliably set them up would go a long way.

This one's pretty obvious, and the Charlotte Hornets already signaled they're on this page with the Terry Rozier trade.

He was moved to the Miami Heat for Kyle Lowry's expiring contract and one first-round pick. Charlotte should be aggressively looking for ways to turn Gordon Hayward and Miles Bridges into draft assets, too.

This season is effectively over. The Hornets are dead last in net rating (yes, behind even the Detroit Pistons). Now is the time to surround LaMelo Ball, Mark Williams and Brandon Miller with as much rebuild-ready capital as possible.

The Chicago Bulls may be a little more reluctant to pull the plug than the Hornets, but they probably shouldn't be.

Yes, there's some value in remaining competitive and trying to grind your way from mediocrity to contention. Teams like the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers have rewarded their fans with decades of generally solid to borderline great play, without ever really bottoming out.

But the more obvious path to the league's top tier has long been:

• Tear it down.
• Accumulate assets.
• Look for a star (or stars) in the draft.
• Supplement with trades and free agency.

And it's probably time for this Chicago team to take that first step.

Over the course of the two-plus seasons DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević have been on the roster, the Bulls are minus-2.8 points per 100 possessions.

That's a dreadful mark for your top three players and one that almost begs the front office to trade two or three members of that core.

If Chicago can get any kind of young talent, draft consideration or some combination of both for its underachieving trio, it needs to do it now.

The Cleveland Cavaliers' two-big lineup with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen was crucial in establishing one of last season's best defenses.

But things have been pretty crowded with those two on the floor this season, and the Cavaliers didn't really start climbing the standings till Mobley went down with an injury.

Now, this certainly won't lead to a suggestion that Cleveland should entertain moving Mobley. There's plenty of time for him to extend his shooting range and open up the floor when he's on it with Allen.

But this recent stretch has shown that a Donovan Mitchell-Allen two-man game, when surrounded by shooting from the other three positions, can be awful tough to defend.

While Dean Wade has been a solid outside shooting option to play alongside either Cavaliers big, a similar player who can provide a bit more volume shooting from that position wouldn't hurt.

Hidden somewhere under the injuries, inconsistency and almost constant bickering with officials, the Dallas Mavericks at least have the outline of a good basketball team.

Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving are bona fide offensive superstars. When both are on the floor with Dereck Lively II, Dallas is plus-6.1 points per 100 possessions (that number climbs to plus-31.1 when you replace Irving with Dante Exum, but the sample size is only 352 possessions).

In short, the Mavs probably don't need to blow anything up ahead of the deadline. Tweaks, assuming they're the right ones, could get this team back on track. It's still less than two years removed from a conference finals appearance.

The tweak Dallas needs is something like the New York Knicks' acquisition of OG Anunoby (though there may not be another player like that available).

Dallas is 20th in points allowed per 100 possessions, and while Lively isn't blameless there, he's a rookie who's still learning the quirks of NBA rim protection. Where the Mavericks could really shore up defensively is on the perimeter.

Exum helps on that front when he's healthy, but he's not really built to slow down high-end opposing combo forwards. A wing who could defend up a position or two could go a long way toward stabilizing this team.

Mason Plumlee played his last season with the Denver Nuggets in 2019-20. That season, they were a survivable minus-1.8 points per 100 possessions when Nikola Jokić was off the floor.

Since then, the Nuggets are plus-9.2 with Jokić on the floor and a dismal minus-6.3 without him. Since the start of 2022-23, the swing is even more dramatic. They're minus-9.5 without Jokić in that stretch.

The issue was nowhere near as pronounced in the 2023 playoffs, when Denver tightened its rotation and unleashed Aaron Gordon as a backup 5, but it could use a more effective innings-eater when the two-time MVP is on the bench during the regular season.

For much of the last couple seasons, those duties have been shared by 35-year-old DeAndre Jordan and Zeke Nnaji, who entered the league as more of a power forward than a center.

Like the Hornets and Bulls, the blueprint is pretty clear for the Detroit Pistons.

This season is a wrap. The Pistons probably couldn't escape having a bottom-three record even if they tried (they shouldn't). Veterans like Bojan Bogdanović and Alec Burks make far more sense on competitive teams than they do for a clear rebuilder.

Both should command something on the trade market.

Bogdanović is a 6'7", high-volume floor spacer averaging 20.2 points and shooting 41.7 percent from three.

Burks can play either guard spot and is an underrated moneyball player. Since joining Detroit, he's averaged 12.8 points, 2.9 free throws and 2.1 threes, while shooting 84.4 percent from the line and 40.8 percent from deep.

Turning them into draft consideration seems like a no-brainer for this team.

Defense was a calling card for the Golden State Warriors during the height of their dynasty. Just last season, they were 12th on that end overall and absolutely stifled opponents when Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney were on the floor.

So, it still feels a little unusual to see this season's version of the Warriors in the bottom 10 of both points allowed per 100 possessions and field-goal percentage allowed at the rim.

Green suddenly doesn't seem as dynamic around the paint as he once was. Looney seems more plodding than he was in the past. While rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis has certainly shown flashes of legitimate-anchor upside, he's still learning the nuances of NBA defense.

If Golden State is going to be able to meaningfully turn this season around, it needs a bigger, more imposing 5 on the roster.

The Houston Rockets' better-than-expected 6-3 start is starting to feel like a distant memory, thanks in large part to an offense that struggles to connect on threes.

Houston is a respectable 15th in three-point attempts per 100 possessions, but one of their highest-volume shooters is doing a lot to drag the percentage down to 25th.

Jalen Green is tied for 31st in three-point attempts per game (trailing only Fred VanVleet among Rockets), but his percentage is almost five points shy of the league average.

They aren't getting near as many attempts, but Alperen Şengün and Jae'Sean Tate certainly aren't helping that team-wide percentage either.

Replacing any of them probably isn't the answer (especially Şengün), but it's become clear that Houston should be playing a sort of heliocentric game around Şengün's post-ups and playmaking.

The way that approach will hit its ceiling is if Şengün is surrounded by as much high-end shooting as possible.

There are only three teams surrendering more points per 100 possessions than the Indiana Pacers: the Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards.

Those three teams combined have fewer wins than the Pacers.

Indiana's defense is atrocious. Historically-bad-team-cruising-toward-a-top-lottery-pick kind of atrocious.

It just so happens that the Pacers are also on pace for the fourth highest average for points per game in NBA history. So, they're above .500 in spite of defending like the Hornets, Pistons and Wizards.

That's not a sustainable formula for playoff success, though. It's an offense-first league, but you have to be able to offer some resistance to advance in the postseason.

Indiana certainly knows that. Trading for Pascal Siakam was the hint there, but he's not going to fix this defense all by himself. He and Myles Turner could use a little more help on that end, and the Pacers should be looking for it in the trade market.

For at least the last couple months, the Los Angeles Clippers roster has looked about as close to flawless as Boston's.

They have talent in the backcourt and on the wings. After the acquisition of Daniel Theis, there's even some underrated depth inside. L.A. can play big, small, positionless, you name it, and it has three real superstars to anchor just about any lineup.

If there's one sort of quiet weakness that's hovered around the Clippers all season, it's that they're just mediocre on the boards.

As of this writing, they're 15th in offensive rebounding percentage and 21st in defensive rebounding percentage.

Some of that might be a function of scheme, and you wouldn't think off hand that this would be an issue for a team with Ivica Zubac, Mason Plumlee and Theis, but one more big body focused on ending possessions wouldn't hurt.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis have both arguably been top-10 players throughout this season, and that obviously has a lot to do with their offense.

AD is averaging 24.9 points and 3.8 assists while shooting 57.6 percent on twos. LeBron is putting up 24.8 points, 7.5 assists and 2.2 threes while shooting 57.4 percent on twos and 39.7 percent from deep.

And yet, the Los Angeles Lakers have been in or around the bottom 10 in offense all season long.

When you look at the roster, though, that's maybe not that surprising. Those two, D'Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves are the only players with at least 100 minutes and positive marks in offensive box plus/minus.

Everyone else ranges from inconsistent to genuine problems on the offensive end.

In a league where plenty of teams are seemingly scoring at will, L.A. needs more weapons on that end to keep pace.

There could be some minor tweaks or upgrades the Memphis Grizzlies could target this trade deadline. Seemingly everyone's always in the market for shooters or wings.

They could also take advantage of this little injury-induced gap year, be sellers and see if they might get some draft assets for a player like Luke Kennard or Marcus Smart.

But the wisest path here might just require some patience. There's really no way to analyze a team that's been without its starting center (Steven Adams) all season and best player (Ja Morant) for most of it.

Use the rest of this campaign to season younger players like David Roddy, Vince Williams Jr. and GG Jackson and then plug everything back together this offseason.

Sure, if some contender in need of shooting makes a wild offer for Kennard, Memphis would probably have to entertain it. But the Grizzlies certainly don't need to be driving a bunch of trade discussions right now.

The Miami Heat already addressed one need when they traded for Terry Rozier last week.

Miami's in the bottom 10 in points scored per 100 possessions, and Rozier almost triples Lowry's scoring average. That swap was kind of a no-brainer.

If they make another move now, it should be to shore up the opposite end of a lineup. Bam Adebayo is one of the game's better centers, but his conventional backups (Thomas Bryant and Orlando Robinson) are both below average by box plus/minus, and Kevin Love is a 35-year-old who's spent most of his career at power forward.

Miami doesn't necessarily need a huge difference-maker to join the bench, but at the very least, some interior reinforcements wouldn't hurt. To get back to the Finals, there's a chance the Heat would have to get through Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo and/or Kristaps Porziņģis.

Few rosters are as stacked at the top as the Milwaukee Bucks'. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are both starting the All-Star game. Brook Lopez is one of the game's best three-and-D centers, and Khris Middleton has looked like the championship version of himself for over a month now.

They also have a solid backup big in Bobby Portis and a steady backup 1 in Cameron Payne.

Where they could use a little boost is on the wings. Malik Beasley has been a good floor spacer, but his defense has contributed to the team's overall struggles on that end. Jae Crowder and Pat Connaughton both look a half step or so slower than they were in years past.

Ideally, Andre Jackson Jr. or MarJon Beauchamp would step into the void, but they may not be ready to meaningfully contribute to a title run yet. Adding one more proven veteran to that rotation would make sense.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have been one of the breakout stories of this season, but we got a vivid reminder of where they might be without Mike Conley last week.

The veteran point guard was out for a road game against the Charlotte Hornets. Karl-Anthony Towns got hot (to the tune of 44 first-half points), and he proceeded to chase the 70 Joel Embiid scored elsewhere that night.

Towns got to 62, but the Wolves lost the game, and head coach Chris Finch ripped the team as immature in the postgame presser.

For parts of two seasons now, Conley has sort of been the conscience of this team. When he isn't on the floor, things can go haywire (the net rating drops 7.3 points without him).

Nickeil Alexander-Walker has had his moments in Conley's stead, but he's more of a combo guard. Kyle Anderson's playmaking off the bench helps, too. But this is a spot that could use a real upgrade with a more traditional table-setter.

There's an argument for the New Orleans Pelicans to play small more often. In each of the past two seasons, their point differential is better with Larry Nance Jr. on the floor (and worse with starting center Jonas Valančiūnas).

Spreading the floor and cutting Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram loose on those driving lanes makes sense.

But New Orleans is in the same conference as Nikola Jokić, and Valančiūnas and Cody Zeller are really its only two true centers.

To get past the defending champs in the playoffs, you're probably going to need plenty of bodies to throw at Jokić. So, even if it's not a splashy move, the already deep Pelicans could probably use at least one more innings-eater at the 5.

The Knicks are another team that already struck in the trade market, and it's unlikely they do anything else as impactful as the acquisition of OG Anunoby.

Since that deal went down, no one in the league has a total plus-minus close to Anunoby's plus-239. His low-maintenance offense and high-intensity defense have been perfect complements to Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle.

The Knicks suddenly look like a real contender for the Eastern Conference Finals.

If there's another little tweak out there to be made, it may be the acquisition of a little more depth at the 5.

Mitchell Robinson, who's only played 21 games this season, remains out with an ankle injury. Now Isaiah Hartenstein is missing games with Achilles tendinopathy (though his issue doesn't seem as serious).

Jericho Sims has had his moments as the third-stringer, but if New York has some indication that Robinson's ankle could plague him into the playoffs, it might want to find a more reliable backup behind Hartenstein.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are one of the best stories in the NBA.

Despite being the second-youngest team in the league, they're very much in the hunt for first place in the West. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a bona fide MVP candidate. There might be a fringe All-Star case for Jalen Williams. Chet Holmgren might be ahead of Victor Wembanyama in the Rookie of the Year race.

The frontcourt is awfully thin, though (both literally and figuratively). Holmgren has been a stellar rim-protector and floor-spacer who holds up pretty well against bruisers, but he's 195 pounds and only averaging 7.4 rebounds. His primary backup, Jaylin Williams is only 6'9".

OKC may be able to overwhelm certain playoff matchups with speed, length and athleticism, but it wouldn't hurt to have some bigger bodies to throw at the likes of Nikola Jokić or Anthony Davis.

With Dāvis Bertāns' $17 million salary and plenty of draft capital, the Thunder should have little problem adding size at the deadline.

Much like OKC, the Orlando Magic overachieving was a fun story early on, but they haven't been able to maintain the way the Thunder have.

A big reason for Orlando's slide down the Eastern Conference standings is a lack of outside shooting.

The Magic are tied for dead last in the league in threes made per 100 possessions. They're alone in last place in three-point percentage.

Even with a strong, athletic defense keeping them in most games, not being able to match the long-range attack of opponents has caught up to Orlando.

For a team with a young point forward like Paolo Banchero, shooting should be a priority. Surround him with catch-and-shoot weapons, so his forays to the paint are a little less predictable.

The Philadelphia 76ers are another team that could probably justify standing pat at the trade deadline.

They have the game's best volume scorer in Joel Embiid. Tyrese Maxey has quickly turned into a full-blown star in the wake of James Harden's departure, and the two-stars-and-depth model has served plenty of teams well in the past. Both the 2020 and 2023 champions were built in that mold.

But Philadelphia does have the resources to push a few more chips in ahead of the deadline.

Marcus Morris ($17.1 million), Nicolas Batum ($11.7 million) and Robert Covington ($11.7 million) all have movable deals. Tobias Harris ($39.3 million) is almost an annual fixture in trade talks, and the Sixers have multiple picks and/or pick swaps they can included in moves, too.

If team president Daryl Morey, who's long been in the business of star hunting, feels his team needs a bit more juice for a deep playoff run, he has the ability to get it.

It hasn't happened a ton this season, but when the Phoenix Suns' entire big three is available, they're playing like a juggernaut.

Phoenix is plus-22.6 points per 100 possessions when Bradley Beal, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant are all on the floor.

But again, injuries have kept the sample size on that number pretty low, and the Suns' seasonlong defense has just been average.

Shoring that up, especially for games when one or more of that big three is out, could go a long way toward solidifying Phoenix's title chances.

The Portland Trail Blazers' reboot pretty clearly started this past summer when they traded Damian Lillard, but there are still some lingering veterans who could potentially be turned into draft picks ahead of the trade deadline.

Jerami Grant's multipositional defense and outside shooting (he's making 2.2 threes and shooting 41.0 percent from deep) would fit seamlessly on a number of contenders. Malcolm Brogdon's experience, shooting (2.2 threes on 42.2 percent shooting) and playmaking could boost plenty of attacks, too.

Neither is anywhere near the developmental timelines of players like Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe. While there's value in having their leadership around the young guys, draft picks bring longer-term upside.

For much of this season, fans and some in the media seemed to be clamoring for the Sacramento Kings to upgrade at Harrison Barnes' spot.

That inclination makes some sense. It does feel like the Kings need a bit more juice to join the legitimate contenders' tier, and Barnes is averaging just 11.7 points this season.

But Sacramento's starting five has been one of the league's most consistent and available lineups since the start of last season.

In 2023-24, the Kings are plus-9.5 points per 100 possessions when De'Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Keegan Murray, Harrison Barnes and Domantas Sabonis are all on the floor.

Not everyone needs to be a high-volume scorer, and Barnes has quietly turned into one of the game's better gap-fillers.

The more pressing need for Sacramento might be a reserve point guard. For much of this season, the Kings have been forced to play Malik Monk there. While he's done a solid job in that role (he's averaging a career-high 5.5 assists), giving him more opportunities to cook as a catch-and-shoot threat against backups wouldn't hurt.

The San Antonio Spurs already have a solid point guard in Tre Jones, but Gregg Popovich has just been reluctant to play him heavy minutes alongside Victor Wembanyama (in spite of plenty of evidence that it helps the rookie star).

The front office might just have to force its coach's hand by acquiring a higher-profile 1 like Dejounte Murray (who's reportedly been a target).

The "Jeremy Sochan at point guard" experiment was fine to try for a bit. If it had worked, San Antonio's size and positional versatility would've been nightmarish.

But now that we know that Wembanyama is already ready compete for wins, it's time to surround him with more traditional talent, like a point guard who can set him up for some easier looks.

The Toronto Raptors have already pulled off two high-profile trades, sending OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks and Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers.

The Scottie Barnes era is officially here, and the priority for building around him should be shooting.

They maybe got a bit of that in theory in the Anunoby deal, which netted Immanuel Quickley (a career 37.4 percent three-point shooter) and RJ Barrett (his 34.3 percent from deep is below average, but 4.8 attempts per game is encouraging), but they could still use high-end, high-volume floor spacers.

Barnes has the potential to be one of the game's best point forwards, but opponents will be able to pack the paint on his drives if they're not scared of the outlets at the three-point line.

For the second season in a row, the Utah Jazz are thoroughly outperforming expectations with a roster that feels pretty unbalanced.

They have so much talent in the frontcourt that 7'0" Lauri Markkanen is often playing alongside two other bigs. While the emergence of Kris Dunn has clarified things a bit, the backcourt has felt like a logjam for most of the season.

Combo guards Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton, Keyonte George and Talen Horton-Tucker have all been fixtures in the rotation at various points this season.

Really, the only wing in that 3-4 mold who's been able to stay on the floor this season is Simone Fontecchio. In today's often positionless NBA, having just one of those players is borderline unsustainable.

A big-for-wing or guard-for-wing trade could make Utah's roster make a little more sense.

NBA seasons don't typically feature as many truly terrible teams as this one. In 2023-24, there are a whopping five squads, including these Washington Wizards, who are being outscored by at least 8.6 points per 100 possessions.

Hence, so many of these subheadings reading "Draft Picks."

It's a pretty obvious call for the Wizards, and the organization seemingly knows that, too.

On a recent episode of his Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN's Brian Windhorst said ownership had handed down a "mandate" to acquire more draft picks.

While no one on the roster is likely to bring in multiple firsts (or even a single high-value first), Kyle Kuzma, Tyus Jones and a handful of Washington's other role players could boost plenty of rotations around the league.