The 2022 NBA trade deadline already has been more newsworthy than previous years.
Rumors are swirling with some of the biggest names in the league being discussed in trade speculation. That is all well and good, but what will actually take place before Thursday's 3 p.m. ET deadline?
Fans should never get their hopes up when it comes to blockbuster mid-season deals. Often the names that are considered to be "on the move" stay put and wait until the offseason. Or, in anti-climatic fashion, veterans are bought out by their teams to go sign with title contenders.
The current NBA trade deadline has seen the Indiana Pacers send Caris LeVert to the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Clippers acquire Norman Powell and Robert Covington from the Portland Trailblazers in a trade package including Eric Bledsoe. Those trades, while respectable, don't exactly bring league-altering fireworks.
But that's not to say it can't happen. There are players who have a chance of being dealt.
And with that, here are three deals we'd like to see before Thursday's deadline:
Nets trade James Harden to 76ers for Ben Simmons and Matisse Thybulle
Why not some chaos? The interest in Harden on behalf of Philadelphia has been known for some time now. Brooklyn's interest in moving Harden, however, is non-existent according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. That, obviously, makes a potential Harden-to-Philadelphia trade far less likely, but things can always change.
The Simmons situation is well-documented as he does not plan to play for Philadelphia. The 76ers, on the other hand, are not planning to trade him unless they get an elite player in return. It has been somewhat of a holding pattern for both parties. That makes the possibility of a Harden-Simmons swap more interesting. Of course, Philadelphia will likely need to send another asset back to make this work, which is where Thybulle enters the mix.
Celtics trade Dennis Schröder to Bucks for Donte DiVincenzo
Boston has been playing its best basketball of the season as of late. Schröder has been a key part of that. Despite both of those statements being true, the guard's time in Boston still feels like it's coming to an end. Contenders are going to see Schröder as a perfect player to add as his contract is among the most favorable of any player available.
Milwaukee reportedly has been a team keeping tabs on Schröder as the reigning champions remain in win-now mode. If a deal were to be brokered between the Celtics and Bucks, DiVincenzo could be who comes to Boston. The Bucks guard only has played in 16 games this season but at the age of 25, DiVincenzo is worth a look if the Celtics are adamant about moving Schröder.
Trail Blazers trade CJ McCollum to Knicks for Evan Fournier, Kemba Walker, and two first-round draft picks
New York is serious about the Trail Blazers guard, according to NBA insider Marc Stein. Portland already made a trade by sending Powell and Covington to the Clippers, so they could be open to further transactions. The Knicks are going to have to give up a lot if they want the talents of McCollum. He currently is averaging 20.5 points per game, putting him on pace to average over the 20 mark for seven-straight seasons.
New York has some big contracts with Fournier being the obvious name to be featured in the potential deal. Walker is another interesting name to add to the mix but surely doesn't get the job done with Fournier to acquire McCollum. If the Trail Blazers are serious about this rebuild, then they are going to want a number of draft picks back as well for their star.
There's no saying that any of these deals happen, but it would surely provide entertainment that the NBA trade deadline has been missing for a few years.
