I think back to last year. The first half of the year, the team was pushing a message but the personnel wasn't matching the message. It resulted in a roster overhaul at the deadline. Guys were shipped out. Guys were brought in. Guys were promoted.
Last year, as Jedzz has reminded us many times, the message was about 3-point shooting.
This year, the message I've heard maybe as much as anything is about playmakers/ballhandlers.
How hard does this get addressed at the deadline? I think it could be a big emphasis. We've seen minutes altered in recent weeks for guys like Okogie and Layman. These aren't playmakers. They have to be set up. Hernangomez mostly has to be set up too. Davis obviously. These are all guys on the fringes who I feel could be the most likely to be dealt, as the team looks for more playmaking.
Now, looking at targets, especially at the forward position, I think of the list of guys we looked at this summer. The name that seems to intrigue me the most is still Aaron Gordon. Didn't come into the league with the skill, but averaging 3.8 assists since the start of the 2018-19 season is nothing to scoff at. Do Tucker, Nance, Grant, Jones, etc have that in their repertoire? Definitely not to that extent.
(I know we'd all like to see video of him going against a good defender, but this will have to suffice in its place)
Look at the G League as well. I think Trier is a definite playmaker. So is Tyler Cook. I could see either guy make a transition to the big club at some point. I could see moves made to clear room for them, as happened last year for Naz and JMac.
