The NBA trade deadline is officially here, and the rumor mill is churning in full force in the basketball community. According to reports, it should be another memorable day of dealing in the Association.
No matter what happens today, the biggest story has already taken place. The Sacramento Kings' decision to send superstar center DeMarcus Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans shook the league, as the hoops world started shaking in their collective boots at the thought of a Cousins-Anthony Davis pairing in the Pelicans frontcourt.
That trade was a certifiable blockbuster, but don't expect the craziness to stop there. Names like Carmelo Anthony, Jahlil Okafor, Jimmy Butler and Reggie Jackson have been tossed around as potential trade bait, and Sportsbook has released odds on them getting moved (which you can find below). The shop is also offering odds on whether heavyweights Cleveland and Golden State will make a trade before the deadline.
The best option on the board in my eyes is for Anthony not to be traded. It comes with a -300 price, but the superstar is one of only a handful of players in the NBA with a full no-trade clause and it's going to be extremely hard for New York Knicks president Phil Jackson to get anything close to an equal return. On Sunday, The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the following:
"The Knicks have not brought anything to [Anthony's] group that would inspire them to really want to waive this no-trade clause. Most of the teams who had interest in him are looking in other directions right now and expect Melo to remain in New York, at least for the rest of the season."
Woj is the most plugged-in person in NBA media, and I'm trusting his opinion on this matter.
Here's a look at Sportsbook's full list of trade deadline odds:
- YES +200
- NO -300
- YES -300
- NO +200
- YES +250
- NO -400
- YES +150
- NO -200
- YES -180
- NO +140
- YES -175
- NO +135
