BUYERS: Los Angeles Lakers

Needs: support scorer; secondary play maker

Potential targets: Bogdan Bogdanovic (Kings), Derrick Rose (Pistons), Marcus Morris (Knicks), Justice Winslow (Heat), Patrick Mills (Spurs)

The Lakers are already quite good at this basketball caper. Really good, in fact. So why would the team with a huge lead over the rest of the Western Conference need reinforcements? Well, they're not terribly deep. They have arguably the best twosome in the NBA in LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but their either old or injury prone. If one or – heaven forbid – both are unavailable come playoff time, then the Lakers are toast. Therefore, they need another weapon.

Kyle Kuzma was supposed to be that man, but until his hot streak in the last week he's flattered to deceive, to the point where he's been involved in trade rumours. In any case, Kuzma can't really play with LeBron and AD. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is someone that would have trade value but, alas, he has a no trade clause. Kuzma seems the obvious chip. Avery Bradley should also be shopped.

SELLERS: San Antonio Spurs

Potential departures: LaMarcus Aldridge, DeMar DeRozan, Patrick Mills, Rudy Gay

Despite their recent good form, it's surely time to turn the team over to the kids, right? Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Lonnie Walker and Jakob Poetl are the future, so cash in on the veterans.

DeRozan is still an elite bucket getter, but he can hijack your offense. He'd be ideal as a dominant bench player for a contender. He's expensive, but would the Lakers be interested? It's more likely that both he and Aldridge get shipped to an average team looking to get good, rather than good getting great.

Patty Mills is an interesting case. The Spurs value their Intellectual Property more than any NBA franchise and the 31 year old is in his 9th go around in Texas. He's the final link to the championship teams. Pop loves him. It's not likely that he goes.

However......his World Cup performances reminded people of what Mills unleashed can look like. A team in need of fearless shotmaking off the bench would be getting a late game assassin in Patty. The Lakers are an ideal landing spot.

BUYERS: Dallas Mavericks

Needs: 3 and D wing, scoring/rebounding support

Potential targets: Jae Crowder (Grizzlies), Kevin Love (Cavaliers), Tristan Thompson (Cavaliers)

Dallas were not supposed to be in the Championship conversation this season. Luka Doncic is only 20 years old. Kristaps Porzingis hadn't played a game in 18 months. Yet, here we are. So do the Mavs play the long game? Give their young pair some playoff experience and load up again with LeBron a year older? Do they look to make a push this season?

If it's the latter, the areas to upgrade are clear. The Mavs need a better two way wing than Dorian Finney-Smith and they need rebounding (Porzingis is secretly pretty average on the boards for an athletic 7'3” bloke). Crowder is a veteran two way wing who has experience playing under Coach Rick Carlisle, whilst either of the Cavs veteran bigs would give Dallas a huge rebounding boost. Love's multifaceted offensive game would mesh with Doncic, but don't sleep on Thompson, who is an excellent roll man (an area where Porzingis struggles) and is a better defensive player than Dwight Powell.

Powell and Finney-Smith would go in any trade. Justin Jackson may be available. Courtney Lee has a neon 'For Sale' sign chained to him.

SELLERS: New York Knicks

Potential Departures: So, so many options.

Who knows what the Knicks brass are thinking at any particular moment.

Realistically, they should be looking to offload practically everybody not named Mitchell Robinson or RJ Barrett. But we know that the Knicks are the preeminent NBA franchise at overvaluing their own assets, so it's a enigma as to who the Knicks will have actually traded come the February deadline.

Let's assume for a moment, that the Knicks are your perfectly average, regularly functioning NBA front office. Who should the Knicks trade? There is a lot of deadwood: Dennis Smith Jr, Frank Ntilikina, Alonzo Trier, Wayne Ellington, Bobby Portis, Kevin Knox. Wait, what?! Kevin Knox? Yes, Kevin Knox. The second year forward has the opportunity to get all the minutes he can handle in New York. Instead, he's been surpassed by a journeyman in Marcus Morris at small forward and the pairing of the ancient Taj Gibson and extremely below average Portis. Given his age (20) and draft position (9th pick in 2018) he should still have some currency from a front office that believes they can be the ones to get the best out of Knox.

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