Capture the Flagg: 4 teams that can tank harder with trade deadline moves ...Middle East

With the NBA trade deadline coming up Thursday, we’ll be hearing a lot of talk about potential contenders and the moves they need to make to solidify their title pushes. However, those teams don’t have players to grab without a few teams looking to sell, and that’s what I want to explore here. The tankers with players to move in order to tank harder.

Or to be exact, the tankers that can help themselves the most at the deadline.

These teams aren’t the worst of the worst, because let’s be honest, the Wizards don’t need to trade Kyle Kuzma, Jonas Valanciunas and Malcolm Brogdon to be one of the worst teams in league history. That’s already taken care of. These are teams that actually need help bottoming out, because what they’re doing now isn’t good enough to put them in the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes.

Below are the four teams and the players they should consider trading.

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls got an early jump on things by shipping Zach Lavine off to the Kings, but they shouldn’t stop there. Not while they still hold the 10th and final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference. At the very least, they need to facilitate Vucevic’s move to a contender.

Portland Trail Blazers

The Blazers are stuck in the no-man’s land of not being in range for a top-three pick but also not competing for a playoff spot. They’ve despicably gone 8-1 in their last nine games, including four straight wins, and it needs to end now. Come up off of these veterans who can do more good elsewhere.

Toronto Raptors

Between Poeltl and Boucher, the Raptors are getting a combined 25 points and 15 rebounds. At least one of those bigs can leave to help a contender and potentially put an end to Toronto’s petty little 8-2 stretch.

Nets

Brooklyn had lost seven straight before its recent two-game winning streak, so maybe these players aren’t helping all that much, but this team could be tanking a lot harder. You do that by letting these guys go.

Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper

Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

The latest updates on Cooper Flagg.

Feb. 1 (vs. UNC): 21 pts (6/14 FG), 3-5 (3-pt FG), 8 reb, 7 ast, 2 blk, 3 stl

Jan. 27 (vs. NC State): 28 pts (8/17 FG), 1/4 3-pt FG, 7 reb, 3 ast

twitter.com/DukeMBB/status/1886515478950240408

Flagg has played seven games since our last check-in, including his first entry into the Duke-UNC rivalry on Saturday. And let’s just start with the fact Duke is undefeated in the stretch. In fact, the Blue Devils haven’t lost since Nov. 26. They’re 19-2 and ranked No. 2 in the country. Flagg is the primary reason why.

Now, from a scoring perspective, the UNC game was maybe one of his most underwhelming of the recent stretch. But Flagg still finished with 21 points and chipped in seven assists. His two-way play set the tone for the game and even earned high praise from Dick Vitale.

twitter.com/DukeNBA/status/1885837622280323364

twitter.com/DickieV/status/1885839738063454536

“All I can say in 45 years @espn I have not seen a player as young as @Cooper_Flagg so skilled – he is in his own World – he is THAT GOOD!” Vitale wrote on X.

In this recent seven-game stretch, Flagg scored at least 24 points four times, including a monster 42-point explosion against Notre Dame on Jan. 11 that set the ACC freshman scoring record. He made 11-of-14 shot attempts and 16-of-17 free throws in that game.

twitter.com/espn/status/1878164467541754322

With the way Flagg and Duke are playing, the Blue Devils hold the second-best odds to win the national championship at BetMGM at +450.

Tank ranking

Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

1. Washington Wizards (8-41)

After losing 16 straight games, the Wizards can be forgiven for winning their last two. It’s good for player morale! Now, go out there and start losing again.

2. Utah Jazz (11-37)

Utah has just been quietly going on about its tanking business without much attention and stands as a sneaky candidate to snipe that No. 1 pick in the lottery. With one win in their last 10 games, they’re doing this thing the right way…

Well, other than that whole thing about unknowingly helping the Lakers land Luka Doncic.

twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1885920217362051276

3. New Orleans Pelicans (12-38)

This tank is going to happen whether the Pels want it to or not. No sooner than they get Zion Williamson back from injury, they lost Dejounte Murray for the season. And they’re currently in a six-game skid, including a loss to the Hornets. Just blow it up already.

TRADE ZION: The Pelicans need to start over

4. Charlotte Hornets (12-35)

That win over New Orleans is the only thing holding Charlotte back from being a top-three tanker right now, which is unfortunate for a team in the middle of its own five-game losing streak since that win. Charlotte’s skid includes a promising loss to the Wizards.

twitter.com/statmuse/status/1886601848724885916

5. Brooklyn Nets (16-33)

Though the Nets and Raptors have the same record, this fifth spot was uncontested. Toronto is playing a silly game of catch the Bulls right now, with eight wins in its last 10 games. Let them have it. The Nets know the stakes here.

The Week Ahead

Cooper Flagg games

Wednesday: 2 Duke at Syracuse, 7 p.m. ET

Saturday: 2 Duke at Clemson, 6 p.m. ET

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