The NBA trade deadline is, for most teams, an exercise in resource-management. Take the Phoenix Suns. They are so desperate for the flexibility to make moves that they just traded one great first-round pick for three bad ones.

Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison had a dire need to address at last year’s trade deadline that led to the acquisitions of P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford. The moves fortified the frontcourt and created a championship contender.

The 2025 NBA trade deadline is just over a week away, and just about every team in the league is looking to play some kind of angle.