The NBA trade market has remained relatively quiet since the early October star-swap between Minnesota and New York, which involved Julius Randle and Karl-Anthony Towns.
As we discussed in a recent article, many NBA talents do not become trade-eligible until the passing of the December 15 deadline, when the restrictions on recently signed players are lifted.
In an ever-changing NBA landscape, the cost of acquiring top basketball talent—regardless of whether they are stars or superstars—is continually on the rise. In fact, re-signing a savvy veteran, role player, or specialist no longer comes at a bargain price.
When these players find themselves tethered to the teams they signed lucrative contracts with, they are often trapped in that situation, as many are reluctant to consider exceeding the luxury tax or salary cap limits.
That's why a new trend that may influence the NBA's trade landscape has emerged: a focus on talents with considerably low salaries, including minimum contracts or slightly above that threshold.
With that in mind, the opportunity to acquire a truly talented NBA star is significantly diminished, as many of these players are instead low-risk, high-reward candidates. They are either late-round ex-draftees, overlooked veterans, or entirely undrafted talents.
This year, NBA Insider Jake Fischer's latest report on Marc Stein's Substack indicates that cost-conscious contenders are considering potential targets, such as Hornets guard Seth Curry, Jazz guard Patty Mills, Blazers center Duop Reath, and Raptors center Bruno Fernando, among others.
Bruno Fernando could be on his way elsewhere
Fernando signed a one-year, $2.4 million deal with Toronto during the offseason, with approximately $2 million of that contract affecting the Raptors' cap space. The 26-year-old Angolan big man has transitioned between several franchises since entering the league as an early second-round talent in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Fernando may not be a star-caliber center by any means; in fact, he might not even be the top choice for a backup center. However, there's no denying that he has demonstrated, in brief moments and with the right opportunities, his potential to be a game-changer when it matters most.
Fernando has faced a challenging road in securing consistent minutes with the Raptors, especially given the strong emergence of the team’s roster this season. As a result, he has frequently been limited to minimal on-court time or, at times, not played at all.
However, when you consider Fernando's recent performance on December 5 against Oklahoma City—after the Raptors' stellar starting center, Jakob Poeltl, sat out due to illness—it becomes clear that he can serve as a solid contributor with strategic allocation of minutes.
Bruno Fernando recorded four points, seven rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block in 19 minutes of play, showcasing a perfect shooting performance with 2-of-2 from the field. Fernando has never been a player to average more than 15 minutes per game throughout his career, and for good reason—this seems to be the threshold at which he shines best.
Take a look at the playoff landscape, where several teams, including the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Phoenix Suns, are in need of big man depth; Fernando could very well be the solution to their shortcomings.
His modest contract will likely yield only a minimum player in return or perhaps a draft pick of lesser value. However, for Toronto to receive any form of assets for a player they are barely utilizing is still a win, regardless.