The NBA trade deadline is roughly 48 hours away. On Sunday night we saw what will probably be the biggest deal in the league as we approach the trade deadline, the DeMarcus Cousins trade. Even though the Cousins trade was probably the biggest, there are still plenty of players out there who are on the trade block, and plenty of teams looking to buy. Cousins might’ve been the biggest domino to fall for this trade season, closely followed by Serge Ibaka heading to the Raptors, but expect some more to fall as the NBA trade deadline approaches.
Jahlil Okafor: It’s a big surprise that Okafor is still being included in here. The second-year big man from Duke was so close to being traded to the Pelicans last week that he didn’t travel with the team. However, the trade fell through. Apparently, Colangelo didn’t agree with the top-20 protection on the included 2017 first round pick. The Pelicans went with plan B, which was to just throw Buddy Hield in the deal and get DeMarcus Cousins, not bad at all. I’m not sure what Colangelo’s plan B is here, but there are a few options. Apparently, the Celtics are still interested in Okafor, and the Bulls have been linked with interest as well. Colangelo needs to recognize that having a guy on the bench and the trade block for this long means he isn’t as valuable as he was this past summer. Pull the trigger on some expiring deal, and mediocre first round pick combo package and be done with it.
Brandon Knight: Knight doesn’t get consistent minutes for the Suns, and the organization has made it known that him and other veterans, Tyson Chandler and PJ Tucker, are gettable for draft picks and young players. Knight has been a starting point guard in the NBA before, and there are teams out there that could use his scoring and shooting. His per-36 numbers this year are 18.8 ppg and 4.1 apg, he’s also shooting about 33 percent from downtown which means he shoots it just well enough that you have to respect it. So what team in the league needs a scoring point guard who can shoot? The Orlando Magic. Magic GM Rob Hennigan isn’t the best at making trades, except for those that grab a player off a team’s bench and turn him into a starter. That’s what he did with Evan Fournier and Nikola Vucevic; it’s what he should also do with Brandon Knight. An offer in the ballpark of DJ Augustin, Jodie Meeks expiring deal and a current or future second round pick might get the job done, and the Magic will finally have a starting point guard.
Taj Gibson/Nikola Mirotic: These two guys are placed together because it’s likely Chicago trades one of them, but not both. Mirotic will be a restricted free agent this summer, and even though he hasn’t played his way into a huge payday, he will cost more than his current $5.8 million. Gibson will be an unrestricted free agent, but he probably won’t see much better than his current $8.95 million. The Bulls shouldn’t take the chance that Gibson walks in free agency, and someone makes a huge back-end offer on Mirotic that puts them over a barrel. One of these guys needs to be traded for something in return, and then they can look into signing the other this summer. They should take whoever gets the best offer, but if it’s close, they should ship out Gibson. Chicago fans might go crazy having read that and understandably so, Gibson has grinded for your organization for years and is as competitive as they come. But Head Coach Hoiberg needs shooters, and he’s already strapped for them, can’t afford to send out one of the shooters you do have in Mirotic.
Terrence Jones: Jones three-point percentage is way down this year in comparison to last years – 25 percent from 32 percent – but regardless he’s been playing well in New Orleans. He’s posting 11.5 ppg and 5.9 rpg in 25 mpg but those minutes are about to take a serious hit with the recent acquisition of Cousins. In fact, the Pelicans see the minutes dropping so much that they’ve started to shop Jones around on the market since the trade took place. Jones isn’t a bad backup big to have, his season numbers were mentioned earlier but Jones is also averaging one bpg and even though he’s a conventional power forward, he could play center in small ball lineups. Jones salary is more than manageable in a trade, but it really depends on what the Pelicans want in return. A heavily protected first round pick or scrap shooter, like Anthony Morrow, sounds fair.
Andrew Bogut: Bogut was traded to the Mavericks this offseason as he was heading into the final year of his contract. A decline in his on-court performance and his health problems have led to the Mavs already being prepared to deal his expiring contract for some young players or future picks. Although Bogut hasn’t been on the court much this year, he’s still shown he can protect the rim and rebound when needed, and some teams could use that in limited minutes. One team is the Cavaliers, but it’d be tough for them to take on Bogut’s salary without giving too much back even though they do have a surplus of trade exceptions.
Reggie Jackson: Jackson is an interesting – mainly frustrating – player. When he was first traded to Detroit and in a contract year, his assist percentage was 51.2 over the course of the 27 games he played with them. Then Jackson got his contract, five years $80 million, and he hasn’t been the same since then. His assist percentage dropped to 36 his first full year in Detroit, and now it’s down to about 31, Stan Van Gundy has had enough. The organization has been testing the market for Jackson and the most recent report came from ESPN’s Marc Stein who said the Pistons were in talks with Orlando. The deal would apparently include Augustin and Jeff Green, but they would need to add more for the salaries to work. One player that makes it work is Stanley Johnson, is Stan ready to cut ties with the kid who showed promise in his rookie season already?
Lou Williams: Williams has had a solid season so far with the Lakers and continued to show he’s one of the league’s best bench scorers. However, a quality bench scorer is an asset for a playoff team, not a rebuilding team. The Lakers know this and have made it known that Williams is available if the price is right. The Lakers would probably be looking for young players or picks, and there is one playoff team, in need of a quality bench scorer who is willing to give up picks. That team is the Washington Wizards. The Wizards are playing some of the best basketball in the league at the moment but the drop-off from their first unit to their second unit will hurt them when the playoffs come around unless they add Williams. Williams could help the Wizards gun for the second seed and push to make the conference finals, and that’d be an incredibly successful season for them.
Danilo Gallinari/Wilson Chandler: These two wingmen from the Denver Nuggets are listed together for the same reason Gibson and Mirotic were listed together. Both are on the market according to the Nuggets, but it seems like they are looking for the best deal for either of them and will keep the other player as they make a push for the final playoff spot. Chandler has drawn interest from the Thunder, Clippers, and Rockets. Danilo has drawn interest from the Celtics and the Clippers. There are a couple of problems here; the first is each players contract. Chandler is in the second year of his four-year $46.5 million dollar deal and with a slight increase each season, he’s at least $12 million each of the next two seasons. Gallinari’s contract is a little more manageable as he has a player option after this season for $16 million. There’s no guarantee he picks that up, Evan Fournier got a comparable five-year $85 million dollar deal this past offseason, and Gallinari and his agent may be willing to test free agency to get a slight pay raise. The second issue is that the teams interested in these players are contenders. This means they don’t have the pieces the Nuggets are looking for in return, draft picks, young players, etc. and the money has to work as well. Maybe the Nuggets will lower their asking price with the Pelicans recent trade turning them into a team that looks likely to steal that last playoff spot.
Brook Lopez: Lopez is one of the best players on the market right now. He’s currently averaging 20.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg and 1.8 bpg. And let’s not forget he’s having a career year from behind the three-point line as his 262 three point attempts and 90 makes are career highs, as is his three-point percentage, 34.4. Although Lopez has been great, the Nets haven’t. They were the only team in the league who didn’t have double digit wins heading into the All-Star break, and they don’t have many picks over the next few years so it’s time to cut ties with Lopez as he’s a luxury they can’t afford. They have adjusted their asking price in recent weeks, and two teams are interested according to reports. The Celtics and Pacers. The Celtics have the assets to make this trade work, but it doesn’t seem that the Pacers do. The Celtics could send the expiring contracts of Amir Johnson and Jonas Jerebko two of this year’s second round picks and give Brooklyn back their first round pick for next season. Brooklyn could send back Lopez and one of their 2019 second round picks in return. That’s a trade that could help both parties and similar to the Ibaka deal, would put a lot of pressure on the Cavaliers.
Jimmy Butler: Butler is without a doubt the best player on the market right now. On the market is italicized because the Bulls haven’t actually said he’s on the market, but with other teams inquiring, they haven’t said he isn’t on the market either and clearly look prepared to listen to offers for him. One team that is heavily interested is the Celtics, but the Bulls are looking for a strong package for the three-time All-Star. The trade, if it were to happen, should look something like this. Butler, Paul Zipser and a 2020 second round pick for Johnson, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and THIS year’s Nets pick. Celtics fans, if you want Butler, that Nets pick has to go. Brown isn’t a big loss as Zipser comes in and he’s another rookie who’s shown promise this season and Smart, alongside the Nets pick, is the price you have to pay to acquire one of the league’s best two-way players.
