The 2023 NBA trade deadline is now just over a week away on Thursday, Feb. 9, and as such the rumor mill is heating up. So far there hasn’t been much in the way of news about potential blockbusters, but there are plenty of role players available that could help contenders bolster their squads for the stretch run.
Here’s a look at the latest from around the league:
Warriors, Kings interested in Thybulle
Matisse Thybulle’s defensive capabilities have never been in question; the 76ers wing made All-Defensive Second Team in 2021 and 2022, and finished fourth in the league in steals last season at 1.7 per game. Whether he can do enough on offense to stay on the floor and make his defense worthwhile, however, has always been up for debate.
While the Sixers tried to make it work in the past, they’ve been less interested in doing so this season. Thybulle is down to just 12.1 minutes per game, and has only made spot starts here and there. With an uncertain restricted free agency approaching this summer, the team could look to move him at the deadline.
If so, he will have suitors, including the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Warriors have been short on defensive-minded wings since losing Gary Payton II and Otto Porter Jr. in the summer, while the Kings could really use a defensive stopper as they make their playoff push.
Knicks looking at Bey
The New York Knicks’ roller coaster season is heading downhill again, as they’ve lost six of their last eight games to fall back to seventh place in the Eastern Conference at 27-25. They’re still just two games back of the Miami Heat for a top-six spot, however, and figure to be one of the more active teams at the deadline; it’s no secret they want to get back to the playoffs after missing out last season.
To that point, they are interested at Detroit Pistons wing Saddiq Bey, per SNY. The Pistons have had a disastrous season and currently sit in last place in the Eastern Conference at 13-39. Everyone assumes they will be sellers at the deadline, and teams have been making calls about a number of their players — most notably Bojan Bogdanovic.
Whether Bey will be on the move remains to be seen, but with just one year left on his contract after this season, perhaps there’s a deal to be had. It seems likely that the Knicks, or any other team, will really have to make it worth the Pistons’ while, however. Though Bey perhaps hasn’t improved as much as the team would have hoped since his rookie season, he’s still a big, physical wing who has made 37 percent on catch-and-shoot 3s this season, and rebuilding teams aren’t eager to let players like that go.
