With that in mind, nothing tempts an NBA team like a great player with an expiring contract. Even if he is underachieving in his current home, the rest of the league is convinced that they could find the answer. If not, he is gone at the end of the year with nothing but a salary cap hold and a handshake, if the team wants.
Plenty of movement is on the way between now and the Feb. 21 trade deadline, and players with expiring deals could dominate trade talks.