NBA Players Who Could Be Traded This Offseason
The 2020–21 NBA Playoffs are underway, but that doesn’t mean we can already speculate about trade talk. Kemba Walker was the most recent player to be moved, shipped off by the Boston Celtics along with the 18th overall pick in the upcoming draft for Al Horford, Moses Brown, and a 2023 second-round pick. There have been plenty of players in trade rumors, and I’ll break down those who could be switching teams and potential fits, with chances of a trade ranging from slim to certain.
POSSIBLY
Damian Lillard
Potential Destinations: Literally any contender with solid assets.
Following another disappointing postseason outcome in Portland, it appears that Dame will be on the move. I originally planned to put him in an “Unlikely” category, but following an article from Chris Haynes about factors that could lead Lillard to request a trade, the chances of Dame Time expiring on the Blazers are increasing. As you can imagine, the graphic designers of “NBA Twitter” have been hard at work, photoshopping Lillard into uniforms from the Sixers to the Lakers.
Of course, any and every team will attempt to trade for Dame, from the Warriors to the Magic. It all comes down to whichever team has the most pleasing package for Blazers GM Neil Olshey to agree to. This could very well be a blockbuster of epic proportions and the highlight of the offseason, should a deal go through.
Russell Westbrook and/or Bradley Beal
Potential Destinations for Westbrook: Philadelphia 76ers
Potential Destinations for Beal: Brooklyn Nets, LA Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers.
Following another disappointing attempt at a playoff appearance, Washington might be inclined to blow it up this summer, dealing one (or both) of Westbrook and Beal.
Westbrook’s trade value was demonstrated when he was dealt to DC, being traded from Houston in exchange for John Wall and draft compensation. Everyone expected a blockbuster trade between contenders, but all of us were surely stunned when Houston traded Westbrook to the Wizards. If Tommy Shepperd decides to send Russ and his $44-million contract elsewhere, it may be to a team on the hunt for championship success. The Sixers would be an ideal fit for Russ, providing Philly with a major upgrade over Ben Simmons (who would be shipped to DC if a deal was completed) and giving Joel Embiid a partner who matches his intensity and desire to win a championship. After brainstorming other possible destinations, the Sixers seemed to be the most logical choice, since they have the potential to trade for Russ without giving up three or more players. Teams like the Spurs, Celtics, and Hornets were also considered, but none of those teams (aside from Charlotte, who can trade Gordon Hayward but already has a plethora of young guards) have enough to match salaries. There were also rumors that the Lakers could be involved, based on LeBron and AD following Nina Westbrook on Instagram, but that would not be feasible based on a potentially detrimental fit and an inability to comfortably match salaries.
Beal, on the other hand, has been pursued by championship contenders from the Nets to the Warriors, and there are teams who are willing to shell out a lot of assets to acquire the superstar sharpshooter. All three teams mentioned above have limited draft capital, with the Lakers sending most of their picks to the Big Easy, the Nets only having first-round picks in the 2021 and 2028 drafts, and the Clippers set up to select someone who is balling on an eighth grade AAU team. At the same time, it wouldn’t hurt any of these teams to pursue another scorer to add to their loaded rosters, but it all comes down to who they’d be willing to give up in exchange for him.
Even though it isn’t totally realistic for the Wizards to trade either of these two, given they were on the fringe of a playoff berth with this superstar duo, it is still a possibility.
CJ McCollum
Potential Destinations: Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics
Regardless of whether or not Portland acquiesces and trades Lillard, it is reasonable to think they move CJ McCollum for a younger star and several valuable draft picks.
Boston has been linked to McCollum ever since reports first surfaced last week. Some players the Celtics could give up are Marcus Smart, Aaron Nesmith, and, potentially, Jaylen Brown (if Portland’s asking price is that high). If a deal with Boston goes through, McCollum would give new head coach Ime Udoka another shooter in the offense and a seasoned veteran to fill Brown’s role (if he is traded to Portland). Brown and McCollum would be given somewhat fresh starts if they switched teams, with McCollum handling the rock for Boston and Brown shining in Portland’s front court. Meanwhile, Golden State could offer up one or both of their lottery picks, Draymond Green, who has caught Lillard’s eye, and other young assets. McCollum would give Golden State another shooter and a lethal 1–2–3 combination for Steve Kerr, similar to the trio of Lillard, McCollum, and Norman Powell that Portland already has.
LIKELY
Buddy Hield
Potential Destinations: Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors
The 6’4” three-point sniper was actively mentioned in trade rumors throughout the season as his frustration with the Sacramento Kings quickly grew. Many teams could use a two-guard like Hield, who has shot 39% from the perimeter this season and 41% from there throughout his career.
The Lakers have often been linked with Hield, given their need for a reliable third option on offense and another shooter next to LeBron and AD. Multiple pieces that can be exchanged could be Kyle Kuzma (more on him later), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Dennis Schröder. The Denver Nuggets would also be a good fit, as they have had issues with shooting guard depth for a while, interchanging between Will Barton, Monte Morris, and Austin Rivers. With Barton struggling with injuries, Morris receiving limited opportunities, and Rivers being brought on towards the end of the regular season, Denver will need another scorer to take pressure off of Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic, and Michael Porter Jr. The Toronto Raptors could also use Hield if franchise point guard Kyle Lowry leaves The North in free agency, but a deal with them seems less likely than with LA or Denver. Toronto would have to either sign-and-trade Lowry to Sacramento or offer a package around OG Anunoby (who will be making $16 million next season) if they wanted to get close to a deal. The Raptors would be motivated to ring up Sacramento if Lowry departs and leaves Fred VanVleet, Malachi Flynn, Jalen Harris, and Gary Trent Jr to hold down the fort in the back court. If a trade between the Kings and Raptors went through, having VanVleet run the offense while Buddy gets buckets alongside Pascal Siakam could keep Toronto in the playoff picture and prevent them from making an appearance in next year’s lottery.
Myles Turner
Potential Destinations: Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks
Turner has been on the radar of several teams, and provides skill sets they covet in a modern big man: stifling defense (3.4 BPG & 0.9 SPG in 47 games) and decent floor-spacing (33.5% 3PT this year). If Indiana decides to keep Domantas Sabonis, who had a breakout season this year (averaged 20–12–7 while shooting 54–32–73), Myles may be saying “see ya” to Indy.
The Lakers have been connected to Turner this past season, as the Andre Drummond experiment seemed to fail. A deal would involve two of Schröder, Kuzma, and KCP, with the 22nd pick also coming into play. The Knicks are also in need of a reliable shot blocker, given Mitchell Robinson’s injury history and the potential to lose Nerlens Noel in free agency, and could package picks and several young players (Robinson included) to get a deal done. The Mavs could also come into the picture by offering a deal around Kristaps Porzingis, which would give Luka the second star he needs while Turner thrives next to a young, elite point guard.
Collin Sexton
Potential Destinations: NY Knicks, Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat
Now that Cleveland is confirmed to have the third overall pick in the upcoming draft, it appears they will be moving on from one of their young guards, and new rumors suggest starting point guard Colin Sexton is on the hot seat. Sexton, the 8th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, has had a rocky road in his short Cavalier career despite putting up a monstrous statline of 24.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 4.4 APG while shooting 48% from the field and nearly 39% from deep at 22 years old. An article from back in May reported that several of Sexton’s teammates were “frustrated” at his lack of passing, and another report from 2018 passed on news from The Athletic that Cavs veterans felt Sexton didn’t “know how to play basketball”. The Athletic’s Joe Vardon wrote, “Throughout the organization, the line on Sexton is that he does not ‘know how to play.’ He doesn’t know how to defend the pick and roll. He doesn’t know how to set up teammates as a point guard”.
Some possible fits for Sexton are the Knicks, Rockets, Bulls, and Heat. The Knicks are looking for a true answer at the starting point guard slot, as Derrick Rose has been the sixth man for head coach Tom Thibodeau and Immanuel Quickley has been on and off as a starter. Elfrid Payton had the most starts at the 1 (63 games), but put up 10.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 3.2 APG in the process. By trading for Sexton, New York would add another piece to its young core of RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, Immanuel Quickley, and Kevin Knox. The Rockets had to switch up their guard rotation after John Wall injured his hamstring on April 26 and missed the remainder of the season because of it. Second-year guard/wing Kevin Porter Jr proceeded to break out as a starter, most notably putting up a career-high 50 points and 11 assists three days later. Adding Sexton would give Houston more pieces to contribute to its rebuild and another scoring punch next to KPJ, KJ Martin, and Christian Wood.
The Bulls would also be a nice fit for Sexton, as Coby White will miss the start of next season recovering from shoulder surgery and other decent options at point guard are relatively thin. Sexton would provide Chicago with another scorer to assist LaVine and Vucevic, fix a gaping hole at the lead guard slot, and add more youth to an increasingly veteran roster. Miami would also be great for Sexton, assuming they lose Goran Dragic and/or Kendrick Nunn in free agency, and could send Tyler Herro and other pieces to Cleveland. Although it is plausible for the Heat, it is unlikely since they are still linked to Lowry.
Draymond Green
Potential Destinations: Portland Trail Blazers, Dallas Mavericks
As mentioned earlier, Green could be on the move from Golden State in a potential blockbuster trade. General Manager Joe Lacob could package Draymond with one or both of the team’s lottery picks to acquire a third star for the Warriors.
The Blazers and Mavericks would be solid fits for Green, receiving a gritty point-forward-center who can facilitate off the bench for them while providing firm defense on the other end. Green’s scoring has diminished this past season (7 PPG in 63 games, all starts), but his increased playmaking was a pleasant surprise (career-high 8.9 APG) and could be useful to any team that gets him.
DEFINITELY GETTING DEALT
Kemba Walker
Potential Destinations: LA Clippers, New York Knicks
Walker, as mentioned in the introduction, was dealt to a young and rebuilding Oklahoma City Thunder; however, as seen with trades in the past, it appears that he will not be part of OKC’s future plans, and could be flipped for more young players and draft picks.
Teams in need of another ball-handler and facilitator should look to add Walker to their rosters. The Clippers could be one of those teams, given their struggles with Rajon Rondo and Patrick Beverley in the postseason and the potential to lose standout guard Reggie Jackson in free agency. Though they do not have a ton of draft picks, they do have several young players, namely Terence Mann (sorry Clippers fans), Luke Kennard, and Ivica Zubac, that can be shipped to OKC to join former Clipper Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Knicks, as mentioned previously, could also go after Walker with multiple young players and picks that can help the Thunder in their rebuild. Walker would give New York another veteran and a reliable scorer and facilitator to run Thibs’s offense.
Kyle Kuzma
Potential Destinations: Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers
I promise Kuzma isn’t just here as a trade piece for two other players mentioned in the article. He’s also here because he was absolute — as my generation says — ”dogwater” in the playoffs. Posting an utterly abysmal statline of 6.3 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 1.2 APG in the postseason, Kuzma looked less like the Lakers’ third option and more like the third-to-last man on the bench.
The Lakers have been rumored to be interested in both Turner and Hield, and Kuzma would give both teams a decent role player off the bench. Kuz would be able to thrive in a LeBron-less system, showing his scoring prowess on a younger roster that has playoff potential. The Kings would be a better fit, though, as Kuzma provides them with more depth at either forward spot while being reunited with former Lakers head coach Luke Walton.
Kristaps Porzingis
Potential Destinations: Charlotte Hornets, Golden State Warriors, Back to Latvia
Even though he averaged 20.1 PPG, 8.9 RPG, and 1.3 BPG in the 72-game-season, Porzingis’s playoff production dwindled, which has led to fans calling for the Mavs to trade him this summer. Following a lackluster postseason (13.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.3 APG, and 1.3 SPG), several injury issues throughout the regular season, and new reports of a strained relationship between him and Luka Doncic, it’s growing more likely that Porzingis will be bidding farewell to Dallas soon.
Some teams in need of Porzingis’s services would be the Charlotte Hornets and Golden State Warriors. Both teams offer two lottery picks, each at solid positions (Charlotte at 5 & 8 and GSW at 7 & 14), that could entice Dallas towards a deal. They are also able to match salaries with KP’s nearly $30 million contract, with Charlotte possibly offering one of Gordon Hayward or Terry Rozier and Golden State potentially moving on from Draymond Green in any trade. Obviously, those players alone would not be moved straight up for Porzingis, but would be enough to kick the tires on a potential deal. And of course, the possibility of him leaving the NBA and returning to Latvia full-time is simply a joke.
Conclusion
Overall, the offseason can be as unpredictable as a March Madness bracket, so time will tell if blockbusters shift the league or major market teams stay dormant. Regardless, it should be another fun summer as the world slowly goes back to normal, the NBA included.
