The Denver Nuggets are currently tied atop the Western Conference. But finishing with a good regular season record isn't enough for Denver anymore.

The Nuggets expect to contend for the NBA Finals. To aid them in that goal, Denver is searching for upgrades to help what has been an inconsistent bench. In particular, the Nuggets are looking for wing help. They'd like to get bigger, more athletic and versatile with a defensive-minded player.

One challenge for Denver during trade season is that they don't have any imminently tradable assets. The players who would fetch the most in trade are all filling rotation roles for Michael Malone's squad.

General manager Calvin Booth's best hope of acquiring an impact player is to stack together a few contracts, some belonging to interesting younger players, and to combine them with draft picks to make a deal. A compounding factor in trading draft picks is that the Nuggets still owe first-round picks to the Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic and Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are expected to explore the trade market for an improvement on the wing, sources tell Zach Lowe of ESPN.

The Cavaliers cycle through Isaac Okoro, Lamar Stevens, Caris LeVert and Cedi Osman as the wing to play with their core.

Cleveland will also get Ricky Rubio and Dean Wade back from injuries.

With their trade for Donovan Mitchell this past offseason, the Cavaliers have limited assets available to trade for a meaningful upgrade. 

The Los Angeles Lakers are giving serious consideration to riding out the current season without making a major move if they can't find one that would make them a realistic championship contender, sources tell Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times.

The Lakers turned around their season a few weeks ago when Anthony Davis began playing at an All-NBA level, but they have struggled since his injury.

Rob Pelinka said on media day that the Lakers were committed to maximizing the roster during the tenure of LeBron James.

The Lakers have tested the trade market by offering the expiring contract of Russell Westbrook and future first round picks in 2027 and 2029, but that package is unlikely to yield the type of move that turns the team into a contender. 

Zach LaVine re-signed with the Chicago Bulls this past offseason on a five-year, $215 million, but his future with the franchise is uncertain given their struggles this season. The Dallas Mavericks are a team who could potentially have interest in LaVine given their motivation to pair a second star with Luka Doncic.

"I just know that there are fans of him that hold prominent positions within the Mavericks," said Tim MacMahon on the Lowe Post podcast. "Again, I'm not sitting here and telling you there's some great consensus. I think there's enough fans of him where I wouldn't totally rule it out."

Zach Lowe interjected that the Bulls do not appear prepared to entertain trading LaVine at this point. The trade value of LaVine given his contract and injury issues is also difficult to gauge.

There is a "rising belief" around the league that the Washington Wizards will trade Kyle Kuzma before this year's trade deadline, according to Marc Stein of Substack.

Kuzma, who has a player option for next year, is considered a "lock" to become a free agent after this season. 

Stein adds that rumblings among NBA circles make it difficult to envision Kuzma re-signing with the Wizards. 

Kuzma is averaging 21.8 points and 7.6 rebounds on the season. 

The New York Knicks have held internal discussions over the possibility of trading for Tobias Harris, reported Ian Begley of SNY.

"The Knicks have talked internally about the idea of acquiring Tobias Harris via trade before their winning streak started ... Tom Thibodeau spoke highly of him before the game, so that's just one name to keep an eye on," said Begley following the Knicks' 119-112 loss to the Sixers on Sunday.

Harris is averaging 17.0 points and 6.3 rebounds on the season. 

The Atlanta Hawks have been shopping John Collins for a while now. It seems inevitable that Collins and the Hawks will eventually part ways, but the team is moving slowly in trade talks at the moment.

The Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers, Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards are all known to have an interest in acquiring Collins. The Jazz have been often linked to Collins since the offseason, while the Pacers have been mentioned as a strong candidate in recent weeks.

Collins was nearly traded to the Sacramento Kings this past offseason in a deal that would have sent Harrison Barnes to Atlanta. That trade fell apart, and it's unknown if Sacramento still interest in the Hawks power forward.

The Los Angeles Lakers are likely to make a smaller deal that would involve at most one of their first-round picks following Anthony Davis' injury, sources told Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

Davis will miss at least one month due to a right foot injury. 

The likeliest trade package would involve some combination of Patrick Beverley, Kendrick Nunn, and one of their first-round picks in 2027 or 2029, likely with a protection.

The Lakers are looking for a 3-and-D wing or a combo forward to play next to LeBron James and Davis, though they do not believe there is a player out there that would put the team in immediate contention. 

Some names to watch include Jae Crowder, Eric Gordon, Alec Burks, P.J. Washington, and Kelly Oubre Jr., according to sources. 

The Washington Wizards recently pursued a trade with the Phoenix Suns for Jae Crowder.

The Wizards were believed to have offered a package centered on Rui Hachimura, which the Suns rebuffed. Phoenix is holding out for a certifiable starter in return for Crowder.

Crowder will be a free agent in 2023 and has been away from the Suns all season.

DeMar DeRozan could request a trade from the Chicago Bulls this offseason, rival executives tell Bleacher Report.

DeRozan has one season remaining on his deal and playing on an expiring contract if an extension isn't reached could be untenable for him. DeRozan joined the Bulls on a three-year, $82 million sign-and-trade during the 2021 offseason.

The Bulls are currently 11th in the Eastern Conference and there have been reports of on-court chemistry issues between DeRozan and Zach LaVine.