The NBA Trade Rumor Mill is in full swing yet again, and as we approach the trade deadline, those rumors will only come faster and faster until moves are actually made. It’s always fun to see what trades could work and speculate on where players will end up as if they were puppets at the end of our strings.
So far this season, some players have lost their touch within their teams and others have begun to overstay their welcomes. Meanwhile, some teams realize that it’s time to alter their plans and go in another direction. After all, this is still a business. With only a few weeks left for teams to make their moves, let’s take a look at 5 trades that absolutely should happen for all teams involved.
Atlanta Hawks trade Jeff Teague to the Utah Jazz for Trey Burke and Rodney Hood
The Hawks have been floating the idea of trading Teague over the last few weeks, as his on-court production has stagnated and his cap hit is still $8 million. The Hawks are over the cap limit, and have a budding star in Dennis Schroder who they like, and who has frankly played better than Teague for large stretches of the season. The numbers show that the team has a better net rating with Schroder on the floor than when Teague is out there.
Teague is, however, still an All-Star point guard from just one year ago, and the Utah Jazz have gotten virtually nothing from that position. Rookie guard Dante Exum tore his ACL, and the Jazz could use Teague as their point guard for at least the remainder of his 2-year contract, until Exum is healthy and can learn from a skilled, experienced guard like Teague.
The Hawks still get something out of this deal as well. Trey Burke is a solid backup, which he can be in Atlanta behind Schroder. The real kicker would be Rodney Hood, a second-year shooting guard/small forward combo who has been improving and is blossoming into a real talent. The Hawks need wing depth with DeMarre Carroll gone and Kent Bazemore set to hit free agency.
Atlanta would get cap relief, roster depth, and more playing time for Schroder, and the Jazz get a point guard that can push them into the playoffs and give them a true star at the position until Exum is healthy and ready to take over.
Denver Nuggets trade Kenneth Faried to the Orlando Magic for Aaron Gordon, Andrew Nicholson, Shabazz Napier, 2016 First-Round Pick, 2018 Second-Round Pick
This trade might seem like a surprise, since the Nuggets aren’t shopping Faried, but the fit isn’t really great with the Manimal and Denver anymore. With the ascension of Nikola Jokic and Jusuf Nurkic as post players and rim protectors, the Nuggets need a shooting big man to pair with them. Faried is athletic and plays with tremendous energy, but he can’t really shoot and isn’t disciplined enough defensively to play on the pick and roll. Faried would play better alongside a more mobile big man like Nikola Vucevic and the smaller Magic, who he can run with and finish at the rim in transition.
Meanwhile, in return Denver would receive athleticism, a forward that can shoot, and another young point guard to learn alongside Emmanuel Mudiay. Nicholson is shooting over 30% from distance, and Gordon would shore up a wing position that took a hit when Wilson Chandler was lost for the season, and could be even more dire if Denver decides to trade Danilo Gallinari. Finally, the Nuggets would receive a first and a second round pick, which they could use to build for the future alongside Mudiay, Gordon, and the Jokic/Nurkic combination.
Phoenix Suns trade Markieff Morris, 2017 Second-Round Pick and a 2019 Second-Round Pick to the Detroit Pistons for Brandon Jennings, Anthony Tolliver
The Phoenix Suns are a team in turmoil, and aren’t going anywhere fast. Meanwhile, they have a disgruntled forward in Markieff Morris who clearly wants out. Now, it looks like the Suns are going to play him more to increase his trade value, and the Pistons are the ideal situation for him.
First, he loves playing with his brother, Marcus Morris, whom the Suns traded to cause this problem in the first place. Second, the Pistons need an improvement in their frontcourt, and Morris is a skilled and powerful forward who has proven to be productive so far in his young career. With his depreciated trade value, the Suns will have to trade a draft pick or two to get something valuable in return, but they have a bevy of picks at their disposal.
For the Pistons, an injection of youth and power would be welcome for their playoff push. They can afford to get rid of Anthony Tolliver, who has been replacement level at best, and Brandon Jennings, who is on his way out anyway and who is clearly not the favored guard of the future with the Pistons making Reggie Jackson a highly paid point guard. Their expiring contracts are both assets, and the Suns can use them to bottom out, clear cap, and go after free agents this offseason. Jennings would also be a stopgap until Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight are healthy again, and the team needs healthy bodies. This trade benefits both parties both now and in the future.
New Orleans Pelicans trade Tyreke Evans to the Philadelphia Sixers for Robert Covington, Jahlil Okafor, Isaiah Canaan, 2017 1st Round Pick
On the surface, this trade doesn’t make much sense for either team. However, a deeper look shows that both teams could succeed if this deal is made. For New Orleans, Tyreke Evans has always been somewhat of an enigma. He isn’t really a true point guard, and he can’t shoot well enough to be a true shooting guard. He can score and attack, but injuries and lack of consistency have hurt his value. The Pelicans need more shooting and better perimeter defense, and Evans provides neither of those things.
Philadelphia could benefit from Evans in the simple way of sitting him down for the rest of the season with his lingering knee issues, and having him back and healthy next year to lead the charge forward. They would give up Okafor, their top pick from this year, but his production hasn’t met expectations and there is serious concern if he’ll ever be able to pick the game up defensively. Evans is a proven guard and can carry a scoring load to at least bring this team back to respectability.
New Orleans gets a pair of great shooters in Covington and Canaan (or they can waive Canaan), as well as a gifted post scorer in Okafor. His defense may be lacking, but Anthony Davis can more than make up for his teammates’ mistakes, and having another go-to option in the post will complement Davis’ more roaming, pick and roll oriented offensive game. Finally, they get one of Philadelphia’s 100 draft picks, which could be a good one if the team is still dreadful in 2017. Once again, everybody wins.
Sacramento Kings trade Rudy Gay and Ben McLemore to the Boston Celtics for Jae Crowder, Evan Turner, Jared Sullinger and a 2016 1st Round Pick
Last but not least, the Celtics and Kings have reportedly been in trade talks all season…only the target was DeMarcus Cousins. It doesn’t look as if the Kings will part with Cousins, but Gay is their other potential star on the market. Meanwhile, the Celtics have been looking for a go-to scorer who can take over a game offensively.
Rudy Gay is an accomplished scorer in the NBA and is no stranger to taking and making big shots. There’s a reason he has been on several Team USA rosters and why the Kings want so much in return for him. Meanwhile Ben McLemore is young and unproven, but isn’t getting much playing time in Sacramento. If any coach can turn a young player’s career around, it appears to be Brad Stevens.
The Kings would get back their fair share of assets in return. Jae Crowder is a beast defensively and is tenacious on the boards with an improved offensive game. Turner is also a great hybrid defender who can attack and facilitate, and Sullinger can rebound and score in the post.
The Kings are terrible defensively, and these pieces would help shore up those categories without sacrificing offense. Finally, the Celtics could have as many as four (!!!) 1st Round Picks in 2016 alone. Parting ways with one of them to get a crunch time scorer who could lead the way to a deep playoff run is virtually nothing to them, and this is a deal they should seriously consider.