Hand-wringing. White-knuckling. Nervous stomach.
No, it’s not a turbulent airline flight.
It’s the NBA trade deadline, which comes in 10 days – a stretch of time that is certain to produce lots of speculation and cause a lot of edgy moments for some players.
As coach Jason Kidd said when asked if it bothers any players around this time of year when rumors abound: “The ones that really believe they’re going to get traded.”
Kidd has addressed the trade deadline with the Mavericks, but there’s only so much a coach or team executive like general manager Nico Harrison can do. The trade deadline is a difficult time. But it’s also one of the most popular times of the season for the NBA – right behind free agency and the playoffs.
“We talked about it around the New Year, when names started to float about who could be traded or someone liked someone,” Kidd said before Monday’s game against Detroit. “If there’s any questions, come see Nico or myself if you have any concerns of what’s going on. That’s just the nature of this business this time of year. Everyone’s name tends to be floated.
“Is there any truth to it? A lot of them don’t have any truth, but there are some that do. Just be a pro.”
Pretty much anybody can be traded, although you have to assume Luka Dončić probably has the “untouchable” tag attached to him.
But anybody else? Expect to hear a lot of names dropped in the coming 10 days.
“Sometimes you have to look at it in a positive way that there’s someone out there that does want you,” Kidd said. “That’s the nature of the business. It’s always been that way around this time of year. We’ve talked about it openly.”
Last year was a good example of how trades can sneak up on you. The Mavericks were beginning to play really well, winning 16 of 21 games after starting the season 16-18.
Then, the deal sending Kristaps Porzingis to Washington for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans happened.
“I don’t think KP or anyone thought he was going to get traded,” Kidd said. “We were playing (well), it happened and sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t. But the beauty of the trade deadline is it helps ease because now you can go play.”
To a point, Kidd added.
“The tradeline really doesn’t go away because once the season is up, you’re back on the trading block again so you can be traded come summertime,” he said. “Does it ever go away? I don’t know.”
For the next 10 days, it certainly won’t.
Wood, Kleber updates forthcoming: While Dončić returned after missing Saturday’s game in Utah with a sprained left ankle, Maxi Kleber (hamstring surgery) and Christian Wood (fractured thumb) remained sidelined.
Kidd said that both players are making headway and that clarity on their returns could be coming soon.
“Maxi is doing his rehab,” Kidd said. “Everything is going well. We’ll have an update later this week in the sense of timetable, but he hasn’t had any setbacks. He’s doing everything that Casey (Smith and the medical team) have him doing.”
As for Wood?
“C-Wood, we’ll have an update later this week on his return,” Kidd said. “And we’ll go from there.”
Youth served in Detroit: The Pistons have been hurt by injuries to Cade Cunningham and Marvin Bagley, but their youthful roster is getting loads of experience.
They have a slew of young 20-something players, and also 19-year-old Jalen Duren.
One of the Pistons’ problems, coach Dwane Casey said, is that accepting roles is a foreign concept to a lot of young players.
“I don’t think on a young team that happens,” Casey said. “I think that’s the hard thing when you’re building a young team is everybody’s on the same plane with their dreams and aspirations, kind of at the same stage (of their careers) and they haven’t hit that reality check yet.
“That’s the part that we have to figure out – who is who and what’s what. With players at this stage, there’s no pecking order and that’s the issue. My shot’s just as good as your shot whereas Dallas, they know who the queen bee is. That’s what happens on a more established team, a playoff-type team.”
And it’s not that the Pistons’ staff isn’t defining roles. It’s just that players aren’t as receptive when they are young, headstrong and trying to prove themselves.
“We could give them roles, but they probably would wad them up and throw them in the trash can,” Casey said. “They know their roles, what we’ve given them, but their perception is a little bit different.”
Twitter: @ESefko
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