We’ve officially reached the NBA’s trade deadline, so anything can happen today. From star players being moved to minor transactions that could potentially be quite impactful, which is why predictors need to be extremely cautious with their picks for the day.
Even so, we’ve identified a handful of matchups that feature teams that’ll most likely have their full rosters ahead of their game, and even if they don’t, their best players aren’t likely to go anywhere.
Multiple teams are still in the mix for a postseason spot and cannot take their foot off the gas at this point in the season. With that in mind, we’ll share our picks for the four biggest games of the slate:
Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Lakers
The Denver Nuggets have completely owned the Los Angeles Lakers as of late, winning the last six in a row. That includes a four-game sweep in the Western Conference Finals last season and a double-digit win this season.
Notably, the Lakers don’t have any players who could match up with Nikola Jokic.
As much as they would love to honor his memory with a win, the reigning NBA champion are set to spoil Kobe Bryant’s statue unveiling party. They’re still one of the teams to beat in the league, and the Lakers have struggled with inconsistency and poor defense throughout the course of the entire season.
Pick: Nuggets -4.5
Golden State Warriors at Indiana Pacers
The Golden State Warriors should be well-rested ahead of the second leg of a back-to-back.
None of their starters played 30 minutes in an easy win over the Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia 76ers. That includes Stephen Curry, who scored just nine points in 24 minutes for Steve Kerr’s team.
The Indiana Pacers run a fast-paced offense, which matches up well with the Dubs. However, Kerr’s team might have a tough time with their size.
Even so, with Tyrese Haliburton still on a minutes restriction, the Warriors could be able to make this a close game or even get the outright win.
Pick: Warriors +6.5
Dallas Mavericks at New York Knicks
Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, and the Dallas Mavericks travel to the Big Apple for a matchup with the red-hot New York Knicks.
Not even losing Julius Randle has held Tom Thibodeau’s team back, and Jalen Brunson will welcome the opportunity to put on a show against his former squad.
The Mavericks can score in bunches and have arguably the best backcourt in the game right now, but they’re not so sound on the other end of the floor.
The Knicks play stellar defense and are well-rested ahead of this game, which is why we believe the wrong team is favored in this matchup.
Pick: Knicks ML
Minnesota Timberwolves at Milwaukee Bucks
The Minnesota Timberwolves were up 22 points on the Chicago Bulls before letting that lead slip in the second half. They missed countless opportunities to close the game out, and wound up losing in overtime.
They’re no longer the No. 1 team in the Western Conference, so they’ll be locked in for this matchup.
The Milwaukee Bucks could be without Damian Lillard again, and Doc Rivers has failed to make much of an impact since taking over the team after Adrian Griffin was fired.
This will be a close one, and with both offenses firing at all cylinders, we might see a high-scoring affair between two championship contenders.
Pick: o228
