It's NBA trade season.

A time that promises so much, but so often results in very little.

Players are hyped up by their own fan base while those same people expect another team to offer riches for their role players sat towards the end of the bench.

At the end of the day, the only notable trades are those that see the rich get richer. 

So here, we're going to take a look at the top six teams in the league according to the Stats Insider's Futures Model (at the time of writing) and who they should be making enquires about.

NBA FUTURES: Every Team's NBA Title Probabilities

NBA'S MOST WANTED: On The Move Before The Trade Deadline?

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LA Clippers

The Clippers would be brave to explore the trade market too deeply.

They have a great roster. One that has the highest ceiling in the league and is gelling nicely already despite the high-profile new faces. We've seen enough of the Clippers at their best to know they're a championship calibre team as is.

Outside of upgrading Ivica Zubac and maybe a bench rotation player, the Clippers don't have too many holes. Even Zubac only plays 17.3 minutes per game, and for the most part, does everything he needs to within his 8.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.

To avoid ruffling too many feathers and tearing down the cohesion the Clippers are so clearly building, J.J. Redick might be worth a call. He knows the lay of the land at the franchise. He's accustomed and willing to be a role player and can fill Landry Shamet's role on the bench with better shooting and 110 games worth of playoff experience.

Every trade comes with an element of risk. For the Clippers, the potential reward isn't worth it in most cases. Unless they can work a deal for Jrue Holiday, Redick is a safe play and can provide the Clippers with the consistency and experience Shamet can't right now.

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks are in a similar position to the Clippers. Rocking the boat is a risk they don't necessarily need to take.

Chris Paul has been mentioned as a target for the Bucks since he was traded to the Thunder in the off-season. While it makes sense on the court to have an experienced facilitator and floor general joining Giannis Antetokounmpoand his plethora of shooters, this is a problem off it:

All of the Bucks' eggs go into a basket held by a 36-year-old being paid $44 million in 2021-22.

That's enough to turn anybody away from negotiations, and that will more than likely be the case for the Bucks. Instead, the Bucks should look at Davis Bertans as an option.

While he doesn't address Milwaukee's most significant need of another top-notch primary ball handler, the 27-year-old is having a career year. He's shooting the lights out at 43.4% from beyond the arc on 8.6 attempts per game. A decent enough defender and somebody that could slot straight in as an upgrade to Esan Ilyasova, it's worth picking up the phone for a crack at Bertans.

They have the Pacers' 2020 first-round pick should they feel inclined to use it.

Los Angeles Lakers

Trade chatter is always rife on LeBron James-led teams. When you have one of the greatest players in NBA history at the franchise, the championship window is always open. So too is the door for players that will improve the roster.

Kyle Kuzma is the name being talked about most. The only survivor of the Lakers young core from the Anthony Davis trade, most assumed that meant the Lakers rated him highest and saw a long-term future with him at the franchise. However, with the Lakers desperate for ball-handling and defence on the wing, Kuzma doesn't fit.

Who would?

Justise Winslow.

He's the perfect fit. Winslow has developed nicely as a ball-handler and playmaker while his 6'6" and 225 lb frame can cause the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George problems at the pointy end of the season.

Winslow has been nursing a back injury, but looking back to his time as a starter for five games to open the season, the 23-year-old averaged 14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. Sure, it's a small sample size, but it's enough to suggest he can fill the role the Lakers need to be filled.

It's a big ask, though. The Heat love Winslow and it will be difficult for the Lakers to pry him and his appealing contract away from Erik Spoelstra. A little more realistic and already being mentioned, Bogdan Bogdanovicof the Kings is a decent alternative.

NBA PREDICTIONS: See the latest NBA match predictions

NBA FUTURES: Who Will Win the 2019-20 NBA Championship?

Philadelphia 76ers

When you've got a guard on the perimeter that flat out refuses to shoot, somebody needs to pick up the slack. However, the 76ers don't have enough competent shooters to pick all of it up at the moment. They are 25th in three-pointers attempted per game (29.9) with the Nuggets and their deliberately low 29.8 attempts per game the only contending team below them.

It's prompted Brett Brown to look elsewhere with  ESPN's Tim MacMahon recently saying, "the Sixers will search the trade market for perimeter shooting threats with playmaking ability."

So, who might that be?

Two names are jumping out for everybody, but the Sixers may put themselves at the top of the list if either of them is interested in a reunion: Andre Iguodala and Robert Covington.

Both have played for the franchise before, and both provide the 76ers with the wing defence and perimeter shooting they need.

Iguodala doesn't have the shooting numbers Covington does, but he can act as another ball-handler and his big-game experience somewhat makes up the difference. 

Brown has pleaded with Simmons to shoot more to no avail. He needs to find ways to space the floor beyond the current roster. Adding Iggy ($17,185,185) or Covington ($11,301,219) to the rotation is a good place for the Sixers to start if they can make the salaries work. Although, with such a top-heavy roster, somebody like E'Twaun Moore ($8,664,928) is a more probable target.

Houston Rockets

If Iguodala and Covington aren't interested in a reunion with the 76ers, the Rockets need to be in their ear. Three-and-D players play a vital role in the NBA today, and while P.J. Tucker, Ben McLemore and Danuel House Jr are exceeding expectations, they aren't championship-quality wings.

I posed a question before Christmas when looking at Houston's championship chances : Can they [Tucker, McLemore and House Jr] play outside of their defined roles in the regular season and take the heat off Harden, and to a lesser extent, Westbrook, in a playoff series?

A month on, and the answer is still no. At least, probably not.

The Rockets need some help on the wings and need to be in the trade market to find it. Iguodala and Covington fit well in the Rockets system. They will defend the perimeter and hang out on the three-point line waiting for Harden to initiate the offence. 

However, like the 76ers, the Rockets will have a hard time making the salaries work given Harden ($38,199,000) and Westbrook ($38,506,482) don't leave a lot in the salary cap for tradeable mid-range contracts.

Denver Nuggets

Jrue Holiday wants to win basketball games and compete for a title.

He's not going to get that with the Pelicans any time soon.

The Nuggets need a consistent and experienced presence on the perimeter that can reliably act as the 1A guy on the nights it isn't working for Nikola Jokic.

While he can do it on occasions, 22-year old Jamal Murray isn't it right now.

This is a deal that the Nuggets need to explore given Holiday is in the prime of his career and has made it known he's ready to start dealing in wins and rings. It's a no-brainer. He's a leader, and despite playing on an awful team, is putting up impressive numbers.

Playing alongside Murray in the backcourt, Holiday is the missing piece that turns the Nuggets from the overachieving 2nd seeds everybody expects to lose in the 2nd or 3rd round, to bonafide championship contenders.

The Pelicans have proven to be somewhat tricky to deal with. This conversation needs to happen, though. Offer up a combination of Gary Harris, Michael Porter Jr, Malik Beasley and Mile Plumlee's expiring contract ($14,041,096) along with a first-round pick and see what happens, Denver.

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