In the Western Conference, things are so condensed in the standings that 14 teams are still within striking distance of the playoffs. Only five games separate the Memphis Grizzlies in eighth place and the Sacramento Kings in 14th place. That makes adding, or subtracting, talent a bigger gamble than usual when it comes to playoff aspirations.
In the East buyers and sellers analysis, we broke down the landscape of the league.
At every trade deadline, each team sorts into one of four categories:
Buyers: Teams actively looking to add pieces
Sellers: Teams actively looking to trade players for future assets
Either: Teams that have some pieces to sell, but will buy in the right deal
Neither: Teams that will just sit out the deadline and do their work in the summer
Let’s break it all down.