As a companion to our look at the Buyers & Sellers of the Eastern Conference, we're now examining the Western Conference. All places in the standings are through 2/8/16.

- Dallas Mavericks (6th place): Buyers. The Mavericks would likely make a move if one presented itself. They’d love another wing. They don’t have a lot of depth behind Chandler Parsons and Wesley Matthews, neither of whom have been the picture of health. The challenge for Dallas is that they have extremely limited trade assets. They have a first rounder tied up until they deliver one to Boston from the Rajon Rondo trade. And all the players they would be willing to deal have limited value. 

- Denver Nuggets (11th place, 5.5 games out): Neither. The Nuggets seem unlikely to do much. They’ve shut off all interest in Danilo Gallinari to date by saying they intend to build around him. Their other players are either young and cheap (Will Barton, Nikola Jokic, Rookie Scale players), meaning they are valuable to Denver. Or they are signed to contract of questionable value (Wilson Chandler, Kenneth Faried), limiting their trade value. Denver may make a minor move to deal Randy Foye, as a lot of teams are looking for guards and wings, but that is about it.

- Golden State (1st place): Neither. The Warriors are on a historic pace defending their title. You don’t really expect them to mess with their extraordinary chemistry do you? They may have made a small deal to lessen their tax burden by moving Jason Thompson or Marreese Speights, but the recent injury to Festus Ezeli probably takes that off the table. The Warriors will sit tight and continue their run at history.

- Houston Rockets (7th place): Either. The Rockets seem like they should be positioned to be buyers, but there have been some signs they are willing to sell instead. Dwight Howard’s name continues to be brought up around the league. To a lesser extent, many of their players not named James Harden have been discussed. Daryl Morey plays the long game and is willing to make any move at any time that he feels puts his team closer to a title. The best guess is the Rockets make a minor move to add to their bench while maintaining future flexibility.

- Los Angeles Clippers (4th place): Buyers. The Clippers are looking to add pieces up and down the roster, especially at the wing and PF spots. Much like Dallas, LA is limited in what they have to trade however. The Clippers seem more likely to move bench pieces for minor upgrades and then monitor the buyout market after the Deadline.

- Los Angeles Lakers (15th place, 16 games out): Sellers. The Lakers would happily move anyone outside of Kobe Bryant, D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson or Larry Nance Jr. for future assets. LA’s main focus for the rest of this year is to get as high a pick as possible and to avoid dropping to fourth and giving up their pick to Philadelphia. Expect lots of talk about Roy Hibbert, Lou Williams, and Trade Deadline mainstay (but never actually traded!) Brandon Bass around the league.

- Memphis Grizzlies (5th place): Either. Prior to the Marc Gasol injury, the Grizzlies would have been buyers. With Gasol out, it is easy to see Memphis starting to move some pieces. The challenge is that the Grizzlies won’t want to drop out of the Playoffs entirely, because they owe their pick to Denver if it falls between eight and 14. They are too good to drop lower than 8, so it seems like Memphis probably stands pat. Maybe a small move for a shooter, as that has been a problem for years at this point.

- Minnesota Timberwolves (13th place, 10.5 games out): Neither. The Timberwolves are in the latter stages of their rebuild. Andrew Wiggins and Karl Anthony Towns are developing great. Other young pieces like Zach LaVine, Gorgui Dieng, and Shabazz Muhammad are also coming along nicely. Minnesota would gladly deal Kevin Martin, Tayshaun Prince, or Andre Miller, but there isn’t likely to be much of a market for those players. Minnesota likely stands pat or makes a very minor move.

- New Orleans Pelicans (12th place, 6.5 games out): Sellers. The Pelicans started off horribly, made some headway with some nice play, then injuries cropped up again and they have fallen back off. With players like Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon both expiring and garnering some interest, New Orleans seems likely to sell at the Deadline. Even a player like Jrue Holiday could be dealt if the Pels can get enough value. Tyreke Evans was another possibility before he was ruled out for the season with another knee surgery. At this point, New Orleans is rebuilding around Anthony Davis and every move needs to be made with that in mind.

- Oklahoma City Thunder (3rd place): Buyers. The Thunder would love to add pieces that would help close the gap between them and the Warriors and Spurs. The challenge is a mounting Luxury Tax bill. It is already the second highest in the league behind Cleveland. If the Thunder make a move, they’d love to shed some extra salary if at possible as well. They’ll look at the 3-and-D wing market, and are likely to be players if P.J. Tucker comes cheap enough. If nothing else, expect OKC to ask Philadelphia or Portland to eat a contract for a minor asset in return.

- Phoenix Suns (14th place, 12.5 games out): Sellers. The Suns have been a disaster all season. Their offseason didn’t go as hoped for and things have only gotten worse as time has passed. It is time for Phoenix to move anything of value for whatever assets they can get and start over. Markieff Morris and P.J. Tucker are both said to be available and likely wouldn’t cost all that much to acquire. Tyson Chandler could be moved if the Suns ever found a taker for his contract. The player who might have the most immediate trade value right now is Mirza Teletovic who has a great contract and has played really well. Expect Phoenix to be active right up to the Deadline.

- Portland Trail Blazers (9th place, 0.5 games out): Buyers. The Trail Blazers are unexpected buyers. They’ve been much better than expected behind Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum’s breakout season. Their team is well balanced with youth and experience. Portland would love to add an impact player, but won’t mortgage the future to do so. Armed with the most cap space in the league, Portland has an easier time facilitating trades than other teams. And they can always eat a contract for a future asset if no other deals present themselves.

- Sacramento Kings (10th place, 5 games out): Either. The Kings were challenging for a playoff spot, but dysfunction has struck again and they have fallen behind in the race for the 8th seed. The continuing circus around George Karl and the coaching staff makes it hard to project what Sacramento might do. The same can be said for a wild card front office. The best guess is that the Kings, who would love to make the playoffs, are very willing to buy. But you could just as easily see them selling. One guarantee is that they won’t move DeMarcus Cousins. Until this summer. Maybe. It is the Kings after all.

- San Antonio Spurs (2nd place): Neither. As they do at most Trade Deadlines, the Spurs will sit this one out. Maybe they’ll make a minor back of the roster move. And then that afterthought of a player will probably make a play or two to win a playoff game. That is just how it goes with San Antonio. At this point, it is mostly about managing the health and freshness of the roster as they make a run a Golden State.

- Utah Jazz (8th place): Buyers. The Jazz would love to add a stable, veteran PG as they try to get back in the Playoffs. That is the real hole on the roster. Trey Burke has played well as a backup, but the starting spot is the team’s Achilles’ heel. A trade for Jeff Teague would make a lot of sense, but Utah is unwilling to deal away any of their prized younger assets at this point. Similar to the Trail Blazers, the Jazz would love to add a piece, but they won’t harm their future to do so.