With under two months until the NBA Trade Deadline, many front-offices around the league are starting to get a sense of who will and will not be available in trade talks. A lot of the focus around the league is on whether or not the 76ers will move on from Ben Simmons, but this is not the only situation that could dictate how trades go this season. 

The Indiana Pacers and Portland Trail Blazers are also two situations that teams around the NBA are monitoring. Both organizations have not found much success this season and should they look to rebuild, plenty of trade opportunities will arise. 

There have been zero trades made during the 2021-22 season so far and while that will change in the coming month, it really is not surprising to see teams holding off right now. Health protocols continue to put teams in tough situations and scramble for answers on their roster. 

As a result, some teams labeled as contenders entering the year have struggled to this point in the season and with the virus not going away anytime soon, many front-offices could begin to hit the “panic” button. 

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The trade deadline is set to take place a week before the All-Star break and after that, it is a dead sprint to the playoffs for all 30 teams in this league. There is very little room for error and some struggling teams are beginning to realize this. 

The Warriors, Suns, Nets, Heat, and Bucks seem like the clear title favorites this season, but there are some struggling contenders that could turn things around quickly and get back in the championship picture by making just a single trade. Let’s take a look at who some of these teams are and what moves they could possibly look to make.