1 Trade Target for Every Western Conference NBA Team
With the trade deadline less than 1 month away, some players are going to get dealt. And with the West being as closely contested as it is right now, the conference could look quite different heading into April.
Minnesota Timberwolves — Marvin Bagley
Despite having one of the best centers in the NBA, the Minnesota Timberwolves are a complete mess. Sitting rock bottom of the West (7–24), with starting guard D’Angelo Russell out for at least another month, it’s getting very close to tanking season for them. In amongst a dumpster fire of an organization, there is one specific position where it’s worse than the rest; power forward. The Timberwolves have easily the worst group of power forwards in the league and is the place they need to trade for the most.
Marvin Bagley’s time in Sacramento is surely up very soon. His own father doesn’t want him there and he plays like he has no interest for the team. Sending him to Minnesota would at least give him a fresh start alongside a collection of other young talent. Sure the defense would be absolutely terrible, but it can’t possibly get any worse for the Timberwolves. In return, they give up a second round pick and two players that look dead in the water, not the most exciting trade, but something born out of necessity rather than enthusiasm.
Houston Rockets — John Collins
The Rockets have a poor combination of being an aging roster, yet still being terrible this year. At 11–17 the Rockets need to find a way to get younger by ditching old vets Eric Gordon and PJ Tucker.
On the flip side, Atlanta has made it very clear they don’t see John Collins in their future, and would want a first round pick for him in return. For the Hawks, they get said pick, while also getting back Eric Gordon, who has more value in a Hawks team that is actually in a playoff hunt and needs some consistent guard play off the bench. Between injuries to Rondo and Dunn, plus inconsistencies in Huerter and Reddish, bringing in Gordon finally gives them some half decent offense in the backcourt outside of Trae Young. For Hosuton, they get the aforementioned Collins plus an expiring deal in Tony Snell, making them more cap friendly heading into 2021.
Oklahoma City Thunder — Draft Picks
It’s a bit of a cop out answer, but it makes sense. It’s no shock the Thunder are in full tank mode this year, and will lick their lips at any potential deal that could yield them some draft picks. Anyone over the age of 25 on this roster is expendable to them if it means getting back a first rounder.
A team like Toronto, which is still yet to figure out what their bench unit might look like, could benefit heavily from acquiring George Hill. With Kyle Lowry hitting free agency this summer, the Raptors may look to give it one last push to try and make noise in the playoffs. And even if it doesn’t pay off for them, losing that 2021 pick may not be the end of the world. Between Fred VanVleet, Paskal Siakam and OG Anunoby, the Raptors will still be good enough that the pick won’t fall higher than 15th.
Sacramento Kings — Miles Bridges
It feels like the Kings are on the cusp of finally breaking their 14 season playoff drought. With a young core of De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton and Richaun Holmes, along with sharpshooter Buddy Hield, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them in the playoffs in the next couple of years. But what’s missing from that group is a young and explosive wing.
Looking at the Hornets, they have 2 very similar explosive wings in the forms of PJ Washington and Miles Bridges. The former seems to be more in line with the Hornets plans, being tried out in a variety of different positions. The latter, though no slouch, could be the player Sacramento needs to develop in order to push for the playoffs. In return, the Hornets would get back some much needed front court shooting, and an extra pick for their troubles.
New Orleans Pelicans — Tim Hardaway Jr
The Pelicans need some shooting, and they need it badly. A starting lineup that has Steven Adams, Eric Bledsoe and Zion Williamson does not work on paper, and it has not worked in practice. Brandon Ingram is the player the Pelicans need to create space for yet he is the best shooter in this lineup, and probably on the team.
More specifically for the Pelicans, the starting backcourt of Lonzo Ball and Eric Bledsoe is the problem. And if the choice has to be made between the older Bledsoe and the younger Ball (who is also a better shooter), it feels pretty obvious as to who’s getting shipped. In return the Pelicans finally get an actual shooter who can also handle the ball a little bit. On the flip side, Bledsoe is sent to another underperforming team in the West in Dallas, who would appreciate having a secondary ball handler in Bledsoe who can relieve some pressure off Luka Doncic. While the shooting in Dallas might be an issue now (such as it is in New Orleans), unlike the Pelicans, Dallas has enough competent shooters on their roster (from Porzingis to Kleber to Richardson to Finney-Smith) to make it potentially work.
Memphis Grizzlies — Romeo Langford
Ever since acquiring star guard Ja Morant with the second pick in the 2019 draft, Memphis has been trying to figure out the guard who could partner him in the backcourt. As of right now it’s shot taker (not necessarily maker) Dilon Brooks, and while he is by no means a bad NBA player, his play style of chucking up lots of shots seems more valuable on the bench as a Lou Williams-esque sixth man. In this case, a younger guard with more defensive potential to couple Morant’s explosive offensive capabilities seems more viable.
Memphis currently sits 22nd in the league in 3 point shooting, and are a slightly above average team when it comes to pushing the pace (12th in the NBA). While Kyle Anderson is having probably his best NBA season this year, but his tendencies to be very slow footed make it an awkward fit alongside the hyper explosive Ja Morant, who is 100% better in transition than in the half court. While he is shooting it very well from 3 this year (40%), this is coming from a guy who shot 28% from 3 last year, and 26% the year before, so the regression will eventually come. In return, Memphis gets more consistent shooting in Nesmith, a rookie who has made his name on good shooting and defense, while also getting younger with both him and Romeo Langford, someone who can develop into the secondary guard alongside Morant for the foreseeable future.
Dallas Mavericks — Aaron Gordon
Speaking of Dallas and their aforementioned ball handling issues, that coupled with a lack of shot creation on the wing is what seems to be largely responsible for such a slow start to the season (along with their appalling defense). At just 14–15, they seem to have taken a step back from the team that gave the Clippers a real scare in the first round.
With Aaron Gordon, they finally get some more consistent play from their wings. It also gives them another mobile 4 that either slot in next to Kristaps Porzingis and Maxi Kleber, or take over from Kleber if the offense is struggling. Of course Gordon is currently injured right now so his value has taken a dip, and this move would mean getting rid of some of the front court rotation, but it might be a smart long term move.
Golden State Warriors — Devonte’ Graham
This current Golden State group might be one of the most dangerous 8th seeds in NBA history. If the season ended today, the Warriors would end up just 16–15 and just barely in the playoffs. Yet with Steph Curry on their roster, it feels like they can beat any team in the West in a playoff series. Their starting 5 of Steph Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Kelly Oubre Jr, Draymond Green and Kevon Looney feels good enough to compete with any team. Where it unravels is with the bench. And with the highest payroll in the NBA, it’s gonna be hard for them to find reliable bench guys that improve what they currently have.
Devonte Graham might be one of the few that helps Golden States’ bench. Looking at the Warriors bench, there is very little, if not any consistent scoring options Steve Kerr can turn to consistently, with second year Eric Pascall being the pick of the bunch. Graham on the other hand, is a known scorer, and with the strong rise of rookie Lamelo Ball, might find his role in Charlotte begin to slowly dwindle. Because he is on his rookie deal still, he would be financially attainable for the Warriors and would have very reign to take any shot he wants within that bench unit, something that could help them hold ship while the stars are resting on the bench.
Denver Nuggets — CJ McCollum
Outside of players named Nikola Jokic, the entire Denver Nuggets roster has not been up to scratch this year. After weaseling their way into a shock Conference Finals birth last year, this felt like the year the Nuggets would establish themselves as title contenders. 30 games later and all they have to show for it is a clearly disgruntled Michael Porter Jr, a washed Paul Milsap, a disappointing Gary Harris and a mediocre 16–14 record. It’s time to make changes.
Despite being out indefinitely for the time being, CJ McCollum was enjoying hands down the best year of his career. Averaging 27 points and 5 assists per game. For Portland, they would get a better fit alongside Damian Lillard, with a guard with more defensive acumen, along wide more front court depth and a young piece to develop on the wing. While this deal does take an already shallow Denver team and strips them of even more pieces, it’s the type of risk that would indicate they are all in. Plus, in the playoffs, rotations are shorter anyway, so the depth issue is not as big of a problem. Finally, this trade allows Carmelo Anthony to come back to Denver, and potentially retire where it all began.
San Antonio Spurs — Kristaps Porzingis
According to reports back in 2019, the San Antonio Spurs were one of the teams with big interest in Porzingis while he was recovering from a torn ACL, before he got dealt to Dallas. On top of this, there have been rumors that the Mavericks have begun to gauge the Latvian’s value on the trade market as of late. Finally, with the decline in LaMarcus Aldridge’s play this year and with no significant big to develop, and a trade might not be the worst idea for San Antonio.
Of course, it would take a lot for Dallas to just give up their second European star who is meant to be the corner stone along with Luka Doncic for their franchise. But if Porzingis continues to be a defensive liability, and the Mavericks continue to slip in the standings, maybe a shake up is imminent. This deal would allow the Spurs to essentially spend the money they would have gotten in 2021 from DeRozan’s expiring deal in the summer for Porzingis now. And considering the copious amounts of young talent in the backcourt in San Antonio, finally getting a big to develop with them should be considered a huge win for a team surprising everyone in the standings.
Portland Trail Blazers — Elfrid Payton
The Blazers are once again plagued with injuries this season. Between Zach Collins, Jusuf Nurkic and CJ McCollum, Portland once again has to navigate the volatile Western Conference with a huge chunk of their rotation missing. But if one thing has been prevalent more than anything, it’s that once Damian Lillard sits down, the Blazers backup backcourt rotation is not cutting it. While Anfernee Simons takes them to continue to develop, he could use some help next to him in the short term.
Zach Collins was meant to be the guy who could finally step into the LaMarcus Aldridge sized hole at the 4 and while not giving anywhere near the level of shot making, make smart plays and contribute in big ways to winning. But he’s been the physical embodiment of the Portland injury bug, and with smaller and more nimble wings such as Robert Covington and (somehow) Carmelo Anthony providing some scoring and defense in his absence, he feels a little obsolete. In return for him, Portland gets some reliable help in the backcourt, while the Knicks take a chance on Collins while freeing up some space in that massive backcourt log jam in New York.
Phoenix Suns — JaVale McGee
The Suns have been a pleasant surprise this season. Sitting at 20–10 and in the 4th seed in the West, they are playing some simple yet effective basketball, conducted masterfully by future Hall of Famer Chris Paul. The Suns are so good right now, if they were in the opposite conference, they would sit at the very top of the East. Phoenix has one of the more cohesive rosters in the league, and thus making any massive changes doesn’t feel necessary.
One small issue that feels like it could be amplified against the bigger teams in the playoffs, is the lack of defense at the center position. Neither Deandre Ayton, Dario Saric or Frank Kaminsky are known for being great defenders, and against bigs like Anthony Davis, Nikola Jokic or even Rudy Gobert, it could get ugly. Enter JaVale McGee, who proved that in a limited role in LA last year, he can be a very serviceable defensive weapon. It shouldn’t take much to pry him off Cleveland, who should be happy to get any young talent or picks back from him. It feels like such a match made in heaven, and it could be the small move that may help Phoenix reach heights they never thought were possible before.
Los Angeles Lakers — George Hill
The Lakers conquered the bubble last season and won the title, albeit in unconventional fashion. They did it while going big and not being an amazing shooting team from 3 (21st in the NBA), the complete opposite from the norm. And while that surprise factor worked for them in 2020, in 2021 it feels like teams are figuring them out a bit. They are still big, still not a great shooting team (20th in percentage from 3 in the NBA), and while they still have a great record at 22–10, they feel a lot more beatable, especially with Anthony Davis looking less and less like his usual self. All indications point towards the Lakers making some type of move at the deadline.
While trading for George Hill doesn’t change their big DNA, the Lakers are versatile enough already to morph into small lineups when needed. That’s not the issue. The problem lies more with their 3 point shooting. Being a bottom 10 team in the NBA in 3 point percentage will not cut it for a team trying to repeat, especially if teams begin to learn and clock how to handle their sheer physical dominance. Conventional Lebron James led teams like to surround him with shooters, and adding the man who led the NBA is 3 point shooting in 2019–20 feels like a step in the right direction. Plus as an added bonus, he has experience playing with Lebron in Cleveland back in 2018.
Los Angeles Clippers — PJ Tucker
Last season the Clippers were embarrassed and went from a surefire Conference Finals team, to the laughing stock of the West. But with a new coach and some smart offseason acquisitions, the Clippers look refocused and primed to make the teams first ever Conference Finals berth. There isn’t much tinkering needed with this roster, it feels good enough to compete with any team. But comparing this team to their cross town rivals, it still lacks the same level of versatility the purple and gold possess. That ability to go from big to small, from physically polarizing to nimble and fast.
While PJ Tucker isn’t exactly the most spry player in the NBA, at age 35 he still provides way more value to a contender compared to a Rockets team who sit 14th in the West. On the flip side, Ivica Zubac as a young center looking to develop, may find it easier to do so in a Rockets team that seems destined for a rebuild, as opposed to a Clippers team that is surely going to cut his minutes in the playoffs again. Tucker allows for this Clippers team to try something they haven’t dared experiment yet; play Kawhi Leonard at the 5. It’s a well known fact Kawhi is a generational defender, and he can sneakily guard bigs very well (Just ask 2019 Giannis Antetokounmpo). While the Clippers could do this already with Marcus Morris slotting in for Serge Ibaka, PJ Tucker is a much better defender and allows for Paul George to take a few breaks on defense, not needing to guard the opposing teams best wing player (while Kawhi guards the best big). This feels like an especially big luxury against teams with an All NBA big and All NBA wing … like Anthony Davis and Lebron James.
Utah Jazz — Kyle Anderson
The Jazz are absolutely on fire at the moment, but eventually all good things come to an end. And if Utah wants to be proactive, they’ll look to make a move before the deadline to solidify themselves as true title contenders.
The team that is the embodiment of the “3 and D” philosophy could add another one of those players in Kyle Anderson. The man dubbed “slow mo” is having his best ever NBA season (as mentioned before), and he could help fill out the Utah bench that is heavily over-performing this season. One small criticism of Utah this season is that Derrick Favors looks a little awkward sharing the court with Rudy Gobert. And even when he’s by himself out there, he feels a little too similar to Gobert, in that he doesn’t provide much different to the Frenchmen. Anderson on the other hand, who is taller than Favors could be used as an extra ball handler and could potentially play the 3, 4 or 5. At the end of the day, Utah is atop the Western Conference after 31 games somehow, and they should be doing everything in their power to stay up there.
*all stats were found on basketballreference.com unless stated otherwise
*game footage and photos used are not owned by me, they are property of the NBA is used for educational purposes
