December 15 is the annual date by which most NBA players who signed contracts in the previous offseason become trade eligible.

You might have noticed the first batch of NBA trades for the 2024-25 season has come in the past few days. Thomas Bryant is headed to the Indiana Pacers, and Dennis Schroder will be a Golden State State Warrior.

The NBA trade deadline isn’t until Feb. 6, but the deal zone has officially open. Recently signed free agents are now eligible to be traded, meaning all the deals one might concoct on their local trade machine can now theoretically actually go through.

Offensively, Vučević is having a tremendous season, as he has made career highs from the field (58.7 percent) and from 3 (47.5 percent). Vučević remains a strong rebounder and one of the better passing centers in the game. His age (34), poor defense and contract (2026 free agent) may keep him in Chicago past the deadline.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have a chance to win the second NBA Cup with a win Tuesday over Milwaukee in Las Vegas and climb atop The Arizona Republic's NBA power rankings. A loss definitely won't drop them out of the top five.

The Thunder will compete in the NBA Cup Finals on Tuesday night against Milwaukee, which will serve as another opportunity for the young team to shine on a national stage. The Thunder have gone 9-1 over the last 10 games and are outscoring opponents by a league-best 12.