NBA Trade Deadline 2012 Previews: Will Big Moves Go Down?

Because Felton and Camby come off of the books at season’s end, the Blazers are slated to have at least $18 million in cap space next season, according to ShamSports.com. If Wallace and Crawford decline their options, that could increase to a whopping $33 million. There is some flexibility here.

For more on the Blazers, check out Blazer’s Edge.

All that said, the Spurs have a salary figure of $73 million, according to ShamSports.com. The luxury tax threshold is $70 million. Bonner makes just over $3 million. He does play better than 20 minutes a game and is a valued shooter for San Antonio. But if a team with cap space will trade for him and an asset, it could make financial sense for the Spurs. The complicating factor is that Bonner has $4.6 million guaranteed beyond this season -- that could require a first-round pick from a team helping San Antonio.

For more on the Spurs, please visit Pounding The Rock.

The Kings have just $48 million of salary tied up, according to ShamSports.com, meaning that Sacramento can take on salary for assets or in an unbalanced trade. The Kings have just $44 million locked up for next season and still hold their amnesty waiver in reserve, with Salmons looking like an increasingly appetizing option.

For more on the Kings, visit Sactown Royalty and SB Nation Bay Area.

The Wizards have a salary figure of $56 million, according to ShamSports.com, just $3 million under the cap. The team has $46 million tied up for next season, but still has its amnesty clause in reserve and Rashard Lewis’ $22 million salary isn’t fully guaranteed.

For more on the Wizards, visit SB Nation D.C. and Bullets Forever.

While being able to bring Young off of the bench is certainly an advantage that Philadelphia exploits, his production makes a deal dropping Brand (and his $18 million salary scheduled for 2012-13) tenable. Unless the team moves Brand, signing Hawes to a market value contract -- he’ll be an unrestricted free agent in July -- could put Philadelphia right up against the luxury tax. That’d be the incentive to move Brand above all else.

Of course, losing Brand only adds to the frontcourt worries in terms of depth. Hawes remains out, and might not be effective as expected when he finally returns in late March or early April.

Reports suggest that the Suns won’t trade Nash unless he requests it. Other reports suggest that Nash won’t request a trade. So here we are: a mediocre team likely to lose its All-Star point guard in free agency won’t flip him for an asset out of fear of offending him, and a Hall of Fame player who wants another run at a title is too sweet to demand that reason reign.

(Sigh.)

Still, nothing takes on higher importance for the next week.

The Magic have a salary figure of $69 million, according to ShamSports.com. That puts Orlando just below the luxury tax threshold. The club has just $37 million committed for the 2012-13 season; losing Turkoglu could free up another $11 million, depending on what a Howard return package looks like.

Yes, the stakes are high.

The Nets are sitting at a salary level of $60 million per ShamSports.com, just above the cap, which restricts the team’s ability to take on much extra salary in a trade. The team amazingly has just $9 million committed for 2012-13 -- that’s Miami 2010 commitment -- meaning that the Nets could conceivably sell Williams and Howard on a Big Three put together in July instead of swinging a trade now. That idea carries just a bit more risk, however.

For more on the Heat, visit Peninsula Is Mightier.

For more on the Grizzlies, visit Straight Outta Vancouver.

If Indiana goes big with a major move, keep an eye on Danny Granger, if only because George a) is a stud and b) can play small forward and because teams have lots of reasons to like Granger very much.

The Pacers are well, well under the cap: at just $43 million, according to ShamSports.com. Indiana has huge flexibility at the deadline. Huge.

But Morey (understandably) wants an upgrade in the frontcourt, and the Rockets have some pretty intriguing assets. Few teams are as active as Houston, so there’s plenty reason to tune in on what Houston has in store of the next 10 days.

The Rockets are at a salary of $57 million, right under the cap, according to ShamSports.com. But Houston stands to sit at about $20 million under the cap in July, depending on a few key decisions.

Charlotte needs to amass draft picks. One pick this year and two in the top-20 next year are not going to get it done.

Charlotte is at $58 million, just a hair under the salary cap, according to Shamsports.com. That means the Bobcats could become a cap mule on small deals for teams trying to escape the tax. Picks ought to be the price.

Atlanta isn’t going there. It’s hard to improve a roster without giving up real assets or taking on toxic assets. As such, with a few exceptions, no big moves seem terribly reasonable approaching the deadline.

Per ShamSports.com, the Hawks ($70.4 million) are on the cusp of the luxury tax threshold (which is at $70.3 million), and will be forced to make some small salary cut at the deadline if a larger deal isn’t executed first.