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The 2021 NBA trade deadline is now just hours away, and as expected, the rumor mill is heating up. The deadline is annually one of the most exciting parts of the NBA calendar, and this season will be no different, even though it's expected to be a relatively quiet deadline day. This year, there seems to be more teams in the contention conversation than usual. The addition of play-in games for the postseason has a lot to do with this, as does the fact that there doesn't seem to be a runaway title favorite like there has been often in the past. So, more teams feel like they have a legitimate shot at making a real run, and in turn that could lead to increased activity leading up to the deadline. 

While contending teams are looking to bolster their rotations for the postseason push, teams projected to finish outside of the playoff picture are looking to unload assets to better position themselves for the future. There's a lot to keep track of leading up to March 25, so here's a look at the latest rumors surrounding the trade deadline.

Nets, other contenders interested in McGee

Contending teams could always use an extra big man, especially one with championship experience, and that's exactly what Cleveland Cavaliers center JaVale McGee is. McGee won two championships with the Warriors, and then another one with the Lakers last season. So, it's not surprising that several contending teams are interested in adding him, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The Brooklyn Nets are one of the teams that is interested in McGee, according to SNY's Ian Begley. They have needed additional depth at the center spot since they traded Jarrett Allen earlier this season. 

Redick expected to be bought out; 76ers a potential landing spot 

JJ Redick's days in New Orleans may be numbered, as the sharpshooter is expected to be bought out of his current contract in the near future, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. If, and when, Redick is bought out, the Philadelphia 76ers could be a potential landing spot. Redick already has familiarity with the Sixers organization and its two young stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons as he played in Philly for two seasons before he signed with the Pelicans. Redick wants to play somewhere close to his home in Brooklyn, and he would also probably prefer to play for a contender at this point in his career and the Sixers fit the bill. 

Bulls listening to offers for Markkanen

At one point in time it looked like Lauri Markkanen was a building block for the future for the Bulls. However, now Chicago could potentially let him go for the right price as it's listening to offers for the fourth-year forward, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Markkanen has appeared in 22 games for Chicago on the season and he's averaging 17.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per performance. Markkanen will be a restricted free agent over the offseason, and perhaps that is the reason the Bulls are listening to offers for him. If they don't think they'll want to match outside offers for Markkanen in free agency, it makes sense to try to get something in return for him now while he's still under team control. 

Rockets likely to move Oladipo before deadline

If there's anyone in the NBA that knows what it's like to be traded it's Houston Rockets guard Victor Oladipo. Oladipo has only been in the league since 2013, but he's already been traded three different times, and a fourth trade could be on the horizon. After just acquiring him in January, the Rockets are likely to move Oladipo before the deadline, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Oladipo will become a free agent over the offseason, which likely limits the return that the Rockets will get, as teams are typically hesitant to trade too much for a player that they could lose after the season. On the flip side, Oladipo reportedly has an interest in joining both the Heat and the Knicks, and thus both of those teams are also hesitant to trade too much for a player that could potentially land in free agency. Nonetheless, the Rockets are growing increasingly comfortable with outside offers for Oladipo, per Wojnarowski. So, it seems very possible, likely even, that Oladipo will be on a new team by the end of the week. 

Hawks asked for Brown in a deal involving Collins 

Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins is available for the right price, and the Boston Celtics are one team that is interested in the multi-faceted forward. However, the two sides might not ultimately be able to agree on a deal. According to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, the Hawks wanted to expand a potential Collins deal to include Jaylen Brown. This was a non-starter for the Celtics unless the Hawks were willing to part with Trae Young and De'Andre Hunter, and there's been no indication that the Hawks want to part with either, or both, or those young players. Things could change, but at this point, it doesn't look like a deal between the Celtics and Hawks will come to fruition. 

Pacers listening to offers for Brogdon

The Indiana Pacers could be sellers at the deadline, and one player that they could potentially part with is former Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon. The Pacers are listening to offers on Brogdon -- and they're also apparently monitoring Domantas Sabonis -- according to Yahoo Sports' Vincent Goodwill. When it comes to Brogdon, the Pacers feel that he may be superfluous following the team's addition of Caris LeVert, who is capable of playing the point position. The Pacers aren't necessarily shopping Brogdon, who is in the second year of a four-year, $85 million deal. However, if the right offer pops up expect them to act on it. 

Nuggets interested in Barnes, Gordon, Fournier

The Denver Nuggets are interested in fortifying their frontcourt before postseason play. One particular player that they're interested in is Kings forward Harrison Barnes, according to Mike Singer of the Denver Post. Barnes, who has started in 40 games for Sacramento this season, has two years remaining on his current contract. In addition to Barnes, the Nuggets also have their eyes on Magic forward Aaron Gordon. Either player projects to pair well alongside MVP candidate Nikola Jokic and either would provide Denver with some additional firepower on the offensive end. The Nuggets will likely face competition when it comes to landing either player, as they're far from the only team looking to improve at the forward spot. Gordon isn't the only Magic player that the Nuggets are interested in either. Denver also inquired about Evan Fournier from Orlando, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Fournier began his NBA career with the Nuggets, but he has been in Orlando since 2014. He will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.