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The NBA could have decreased activity at the trade deadline this year both because of a more restrictive collective bargaining agreement, but also because there are fewer bad contracts teams are interested in unloading.

“I think we’re going to see at the trade deadline there’s going to be less action because there’s fewer bad contracts because teams are a little bit smarter and I just think the intelligence into the game and the way teams are operated and the gameplay is taking some of the stuff fans kind of like at least some of the older school fans,” said Brian Windhorst on the Hoop Collective Podcast.

The Chicago Bulls are one team with players on contracts such as Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic they would like to part with as they rebuild. LaVine’s five-year, $215 million contract with the Bulls during the 2022 offseason has become a warning for teams thinking they can re-sign their very good but not quite superstar level players to retain the asset and trade at a later date if it doesn’t work.

The New Orleans Pelicans are in a similar situation with Brandon Ingram’s extension talks as his trade market is believed to be limited in anticipation of needing to pay him a significant new deal.