One Thing on Every NBA Team's 2016 Holiday Wish List
We can't say for certain whether NBA teams pen letters to Santa sometime in December.
Equally important, we can't confirm they don't.
Pretty much every squad, after all, has at least one pressing need or desire. Most have far more.
Many of these yearnings come down to acquiring a certain player or type of talent via trade. Other teams will be more interested in seeing leaps from incumbents and general internal improvement. Some will be after draft picks. One particular team will want to get rid of a certain someone.
Every possible wish for each franchise is on the table. And in the spirit of the ultra-greedy holiday season, the most ambitious urges will receive special consideration.
With that said, any proposed solutions—i.e., "Ideal Gifts"—must have a semblance of reality.
Atlanta Hawks: Dennis Schroder Insurance
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Ideal Gift: Devin Harris or Tyus Jones
Dennis Schroder's transition into Jeff Teague's starting point guard role has been anything but seamless. The Atlanta Hawks are 23rd in points scored per 100 possessions and torch twine more efficiently when he's on the bench.
That trend has changed over the last 10 games. Atlanta is getting buckets like a top-seven outfit with Schroder running the show, then regressing into a smoldering pile of anemic uselessness whenever he takes a seat.
But 10 games is a tiny sample, and this isn't only about Schroder.
Malcolm Delaney is energetic but unfit for full-time backup duty. That's left the Hawks to use Kent Bazemore and Tim Hardaway Jr. as primary playmakers for stretches.
Scouring the trade market for another floor general is a must at this point. Atlanta won't have the offensive firepower or depth to contend for more than a first-round playoff exit if left alone.
Boston Celtics: Another Household Name
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Ideal Gift: DeMarcus Cousins or Paul George Trade Demand
Anything less than a blockbuster trade isn't worth the Boston Celtics' time. And even then, the price has to be right.
Sure, the Celtics can try consolidating their most valuable assets into a singular star to pair with Al Horford and Isaiah Thomas. But they're already contending for the Eastern Conference's third-best record.
Mortgaging the farm for a DeMarcus Cousins or Paul George won't get Boston much further. Leap-frogging the second-place Toronto Raptors is a possibility, but the Cleveland Cavaliers aren't giving any ground so long as LeBron James exists.
It makes more sense for the Celtics to add stars without forfeiting a combination of Avery Bradley, Jaylen Brown, Jae Crowder, Kelly Olynyk and Marcus Smart. And they'll have the ability to do that over the offseason, with cap space, when household names such as Blake Griffin, Gordon Hayward and Serge Ibaka, among others, reach free agency.
In the meantime, the ability to remain patient without sacrificing relevance is the Celtics' leverage. If a star reaches the chopping block, they can play hardball with an offer built solely around one or both of the Brooklyn Nets' next two first-round picks—an offer that, if accepted, positions Boston to make a real run in the East.
Brooklyn Nets: Three-and-D Prospect
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Ideal Gift: Robert Covington or Rashad Vaughn
Bojan Bogdanovic, Randy Foye, Joe Harris, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Sean Kilpatrick and Caris LeVert make for a crowded perimeter rotation. Not one of them, though, has all the qualities of a high-end three-and-D performer.
LeVert will get there one day, but he's fewer than 10 games into his NBA tenure. Hollis-Jefferson already has the defensive makeup, but his jump shot is a jagged mess. Kilpatrick has the outside touch and hustles on the less glamorous end, but at 6'4", he shouldn't be matched up opposite too many forwards.
Playing to the strengths of this uneven committee isn't a long-term solution. Though the Nets carve out enough offense on some nights, they're ill-equipped to ward off three-point shooters.
No team in the NBA allows more open triples per game, and only the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks let up more looks from both of the corners.
Brooklyn doesn't have the tangible assets or requisite draft picks to make a starry acquisition, and that's fine. This team is years away from competing for anything special. General manager Sean Marks has the flexibility to chase projects, such as Robert Covington or Rashad Vaughn, who can develop along with the franchise.
Charlotte Hornets: Frontcourt Offense
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Ideal Gift: Omri Casspi or 2015-16 Marvin Williams
There was no way for the Charlotte Hornets to avoid offensive regression this season. They couldn't hold on to Courtney Lee, and the return of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has strained their spacing within certain lineups.
Marvin Williams' slow start hasn't helped matters either. His three-point accuracy has dipped by nearly five percentage points, and he's not lighting it up as much off the catch.
Williams is shooting 48.6 percent from the floor and 38.2 percent from deep since missing six games with a bone bruise in his left knee. But the Hornets continue to scramble for offensive production in the frontcourt.
Charlotte's forwards rank 20th in offensive efficiency, but that standing drops to 23rd when looking at its second-stringers.
Frank Kaminsky and Cody Zeller, while floor-spacing upgrades, don't measure up to Al Jefferson's post play. And Spencer Hawes' sweet shooting is a myth. Failing another leap from Williams, the Hornets need a stretch 4 who doesn't compromise their defensive integrity.
Short on attractive and expendable assets, their best bet is hoping the Sacramento Kings fall out of the Western Conference's playoff picture and dump Omri Casspi's 50 percent clip on spot-up threebies.
Chicago Bulls: Backcourt Shooting
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Ideal Gift: Ben McLemore or Hollis Thompson
After a briefly hot start to the season, the Chicago Bulls devolved into exactly what we expected them to be: a clunky mess of talent incapable of knocking down threes.
Chicago is dead last in three-point attempts and accuracy. Only the lovable but offensively lousy Memphis Grizzlies own a worse effective field-goal rate—though Chicago regains control of last place when looking solely at catch-and-shoot opportunities.
Not surprisingly, the guards are the Bulls' biggest culprits. The backcourt is shooting under 30 percent from long distance as a group, wholly mitigating Dwyane Wade's almost-watchable three-point stroke.
Substantial upgrades are out of the question when looking at the Bulls' assets. Their most attractive offerings are either headed toward free agency (Taj Gibson, Nikola Mirotic) or earning rookie-scale paychecks (Jerian Grant, Doug McDermott, Bobby Portis).
Attaching Rajon Rondo's or Gibson's salary to a first-rounder and some of the younger guns will get the Bulls in play for a higher-end point guard, but they need a spot-up sniper over another ball-dominant weapon.
Targeting borderline castoffs on the verge of free agency is more Chicago's speed. Either Ben McLemore or Hollis Thompson, each of whom is shooting better than 35 percent on standstill threes, fits that bill.
Cleveland Cavaliers: A New Matthew Dellavedova
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Ideal Gift: Raul Neto
Do not misinterpret the Cavaliers feeling Matthew Dellavedova's departure as a crippling weakness. They can stand pat and remain NBA Finals-bound. That's the luxury of employing a healthy and able LeBron James.
Dellavedova's exit is more a minor concern—particularly when mixed with Mo Williams retiring and J.R. Smith missing four to six weeks, per ESPN.com, with a fractured right thumb.
Iman Shumpert has morphed into a deadly three-point shooter, and DeAndre Liggins has proved surprisingly serviceable on the defensive end in limited action. With Kyrie Irving and James already shouldering a lion's share of the ball-handling responsibilities, those two will help Cleveland's backcourt stay afloat.
Merely sustaining the status quo isn't exactly good enough, though. The Cavaliers will always manufacture enough offense, but their backup guards are among the worst defensive alternates in the league.
By no means should general manager David Griffin be in a rush to strike a trade. But Cleveland has a handful of trade exceptions, and it would behoove him try poaching Raul Neto's seldom-used shooting, playmaking and passing-lane defense from the Utah Jazz.
Dallas Mavericks: First-Round Picks
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Ideal Gift: Andrew Bogut Bidding War
Under no circumstances should the Dallas Mavericks be chasing immediate roster upgrades. Dirk Nowitzki has missed most of the season with a right Achilles strain, and they're in contention for the NBA's worst record.
Rather than chase a playoff berth they won't clinch or actively pursue 30 wins, the Mavericks should be auctioning off incumbent assets in exchange for draft picks and prospects, then more draft picks.
Granted, Dallas doesn't have a ton of first-round magnets in its possession. And many of the players—Justin Anderson, for starters—who might yield a top-20 selection have no business being shipped out. But Andrew Bogut, as ESPN.com's Tim MacMahon relayed, may be an exception:
"Sources tell ESPN that Mavs have no immediate intention to shop C Andrew Bogut, as their focus for now is trying to salvage their season. However, Mavs management recognizes that Bogut has significant value in the trade market as a proven championship-caliber complementary piece in a contract year and could become motivated to move him if and when it becomes clear that the Mavs have no hope of making the playoffs this season. Several league sources said the Mavs should be able to get a first-round pick from a contender for Bogut.
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Bogut, 32, hasn't played since Dec. 5 while nursing a bone bruise in his right knee. It would not be unfair to call him injury-prone, and his expiring contract means suitors must view him as a rental.
Half-season 30-something loaners with an extensive injury history don't fetch much on the trade market. But a desperate contender with no plans to retool through the end of the first round might roll the dice on Bogut's persisting defensive value as we get closer to February—a development Dallas should not only welcome, but aggressively seek.
Denver Nuggets: A Star
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Ideal Gift: Paul George Trade Demand, Sacramento Kings Seller's Mode or an Available Blake Griffin
The Denver Nuggets are the Western Conference's Celtics, only not as good: There's little reason for them to wish for anything other than a franchise superstar.
Small-time deals don't make sense anymore. Denver shouldn't look to send out Jusuf Nurkic for a pick and/or prospect. Ditto for Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler.
Individual trades will help the Nuggets clear up certain logjams, but they have plenty of picks and prospects. Amassing more equates to building a new pileup-in-waiting.
If and when a DeMarcus Cousins, Paul George or Blake Griffin becomes available, Denver has the means to cobble together one of the most competitive packages—a mega-array of first-rounders, top-end projects and cap-friendly role players.
And if that opportunity never presents itself, the Nuggets should hold serve and compete for the West's No. 8 seed as currently constructed. They can always hope Emmanuel Mudiay's five-game explosion becomes the new normal or beg the powers that be to keep Gary Harris healthy.
Detroit Pistons: Spot-Up Shooting
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Ideal Gift: Lance Thomas or Hollis Thompson
Reggie Jackson's return from knee and thumb injuries was supposed to galvanize the Detroit Pistons—especially on offense. It's done the opposite instead:
| 99.9 (29) | 109.2 (29) | -9.3 (30) | 48.6 (27) | |
| 102.6 (22) | 101.4 (4) | 1.2 (11) | 49.1 (23) |
Touches have apparently become an issue with Jackson in the lineup. He operates with the ball in his hands, like many other point guards, which hasn't sat well with certain teammates—which, in turn, has head coach Stan Van Gundy hot, per the Detroit Free Press' Vince Ellis:
"I told them today that — I made it pretty clear — I don’t really care. … My basic message today was, ‘Do your job.’ I loved what (San Antonio coach Gregg) Popovich said after their Chicago game. Does the plumber get a motivational speech in the morning? No. He goes and fixes your sink or toilet and, if he does it right, you pay him and he moves on to the next job, and he either does his job right or he doesn’t get paid.
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Jackson is not the lone problem in Detroit—or even a problem at all. The Pistons have too many guys who prefer to play on-ball. Their offensive success has always been predicated on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Tobias Harris, Marcus Morris and, to a lesser extent, Stanley Johnson thriving outside comfort zones.
Surrounding Andre Drummond and Jackson with more established catch-and-shoot weapons should present a quasi-fix. Lance Thomas' role with the New York Knicks has hit a wall, and Hollis Thompson will probably leave the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency.
Checking out the cost on either—or both—would be a smart play for Detroit.
Golden State Warriors: Pictures of Cute Puppies
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Ideal Gift: Snapshots of Golden Retriever Puppies Wearing Golden State Warriors Jerseys
What does the team that has everything put on its holiday wish list?
Nothing.
Or pictures of adorable puppies.
This is where the Golden State Warriors are right now. They have a top-two offense and defense. They're on pace to win 71 games. Kevin Durant is averaging fewer field-goal attempts than Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson but leads the team in points per game. Zaza Pachulia has the squad's highest net rating.
Life is good if you're a member of the Warriors.
Jersey-clad weeks-old golden retrievers are the only way to make it better.
Houston Rockets: Temporary Clint Capela Replacement
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Ideal Gift: Richaun Holmes
In the wake of Clint Capela breaking his fibula, the Houston Rockets are "probing" the trade market for "available bigs," according to The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Nene and Montrezl Harrell will get more burn in the interim, and there's a strong chance the Rockets ride out Capela's four- to six-week absence without doing anything. They aren't flush with movable commodities, and it's tough to justify sacrificing assets for a stopgap or permanent backup position.
That shouldn't keep Houston from kicking some tires, however. Head coach Mike D'Antoni doesn't need a stretch 5, and centers who don't space the floor won't cost pretty premiums.
Richaun Holmes has three-point range, but he's no everyday chucker. More importantly, he's the odd man out in Philly's frontcourt cluster. And that won't change even if one of Nerlens Noel or Jahlil Okafor is sent elsewhere.
Holmes nevertheless won't come cheap. He is a per-36-minute superhero and under team control while making less than $1.1 million through 2018-19.
Even more complicated, one of Houston's primary draws, K.J. McDaniels, won't sway Philly. But the Rockets do own all their first-round picks or could try baiting the Sixers with Tyler Ennis and a pair of 2017 second-round choices from the Portland Trail Blazers and Nuggets.
Indiana Pacers: Paul George Extension
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Ideal Gift: All-NBA Selection for Paul George
In a better-than-ideal world, the Pacers would pick up some second-unit artists and perhaps another big-name wing. But they don't have the desirable assets to pull off a midseason coup.
Locking up Paul George long term is the next best thing—even better, actually, knowing it would keep him and Myles Turner together for the foreseeable future.
Indiana's chances of getting George to sign on the dotted line before he enters free agency in 2018 (player option) increase exponentially with the new collective bargaining agreement's designated player exception. George just needs to meet certain criteria, as outlined by the Washington Post's Tim Bontemps:
"Cousins and Westbrook are the only players who are already eligible for this exception next summer, when the Sacramento Kings and Oklahoma City Thunder, respectively, will be able to offer each five-year contract extensions. Paul George, meanwhile, would become eligible if he makes an all-NBA team this season, because he didn’t make it last season. Same with Wall and Hayward, among others.
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If George earns an All-NBA nod, the Pacers will be able to offer him a five-year extension worth more than $200 million—and that would be on top of his $19.5 million salary next season.
According to Basketball Insiders' Steve Kyler, George stands to make $92.3 million more over the life of this scenario than he would by trying to leave Indiana in 2018. So if he parlays his 2016-17 performance into All-NBA honors, the Pacers' long-term outlook may get the boon of certainty it needs.
Los Angeles Clippers: A Prayer Against the Warriors
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Ideal Gift: Monster Trade Offer for Blake Griffin or a Wesley Johnson Detonation
Blake Griffin is set to miss three to six weeks while recovering from minor right knee surgery. So, you know, cue the trade rumors.
Look, the whole "The Los Angeles Clippers are way better without Griffin" trope is tired and just not true. But the Clippers' championship pursuit must be weighed against their ability to beat the Warriors, the team everyone is chasing.
As the Washington Post's Tim Bontemps recounted of Los Angeles' last meeting with Golden State:
"And no play stood out more among those 48 minutes than when Kevin Durant found himself isolated against none other than Griffin on the right elbow in the second quarter. Durant put the ball on the floor and blew by Griffin in an instant, rushing to the rim for a layup while Griffin turned invisible.
While it was just one of hundreds of individual moments within that game, it underscored the disadvantages the Clippers have in that matchup — and with their team as a whole — moving forward.
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Would it would be easier for the Clippers to limit Griffin's minutes against the Warriors as they run out premier small-ball combinations? Absolutely. But they need better wings to properly sustain that four-out model. Flipping Griffin for, say, a package built around Will Barton, Wilson Chandler and Jusuf Nurkic is the quickest way for the Clippers to deepen the roster and improve their chances of challenging Golden State.
Head coach and president Doc Rivers must be blown away by an offer to deal his second-best player, even as he approaches free agency; this decision needs to be easy. If that offer isn't out there, the Clippers default to hoping seldom-used Wesley Johnson makes an unexpected leap in Griffin's absence.
Los Angeles Lakers: Sadness in Philly
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Ideal Gift: Lottery Luck in May
The Los Angeles Lakers needn't keep their fingers crossed for a season-saving trade. There is no deal that will come close to bridging the chasm between them and the West's elite.
Plus, the core is already intriguing as it stands. There's no need to tinker with it until free agency rolls around or an incautious contender offers the world for Luol Deng or Lou Williams.
Another dose of lottery luck is more pressing—not to mention more useful to a franchise in the onset stages of a rebuild.
Los Angeles owes a first-round pick to Philly, but it has top-three protection. While head coach Luke Walton has his troops on course to avoid a bottom-seven record, just 2.5 games separate them and the league-worst Sixers.
This isn't to suggest the Lakers should tank; they don't need to. They can soldier on, trying to get wins, and still lose enough to finish with one of the NBA's five worst records—buoying their chance of entering next season with another top-three prospect.
Miami Heat: First-Round Picks
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Ideal Gift: Monster Trade Offer for Goran Dragic or Inexplicably High Interest in Rodney McGruder
Hell will freeze over, thaw, then re-glaciate a million times worse before Miami Heat president Pat Riley makes acquiring draft picks a priority.
"We have a pick this year," Riley told NBA.com's David Aldridge in November. "I have intentions, if it’s possible, to try and get another pick."
Someone better have bought Satan some thermal underwear for Christmas.
Miami doesn't have many players it can offload for a top-30 selection. There's Hassan Whiteside, but Riley isn't moving him. Goran Dragic will command a hefty return, but the Heat burned two first-rounders to get him and likely won't accept anything less than a blockbuster return—a package consisting of multiple picks, high-grade prospects and expiring contracts.
Beyond that, there's...Rodney McGruder.
The undrafted rookie is hustle personified and, despite being a 6'4" wing, leads all newbies in offensive rebounds. The Heat have him under team control through 2018-19 for basically nothing and—assuming they don't want to move Tyler Johnson or Josh Richardson—could try sussing out first-round compensation for their bargain-bin find.
Milwaukee Bucks: Stretch 5
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Ideal Gift: Brook Lopez
Too much about the Bucks' center rotation is weird.
Sometimes Greg Monroe is a thing, sometimes he's not. Miles Plumlee has cleared 10 minutes of action just once over the last 12 games. John Henson is the most-used of the three, but head coach Jason Kidd hasn't shied from gluing him to the bench in the past.
Both Jabari Parker and Mirza Teletovic have seen brief stints at center, playing to the Bucks' desire for more space. The defensive returns for that duo when playing without another big are surprisingly good—but only when Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the court as the primary rim protector.
Milwaukee needs a 5 who stretches defenses and swats shots at the rim. And Brook Lopez has filled that role beautifully in Brooklyn.
Lopez joins DeMarcus Cousins, Kevin Durant, Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka and Kristaps Porzingis as the only players with more than 40 blocks and 40 made three-balls. His defensive stands around the basket have been good, and he would find more success firing off the catch when playing around Antetokounmpo.
Matching Lopez's $21.2 million salary in any trade will be tough. The Nets won't have interest in Monroe with their own big man's value so high unless the Bucks are including some unprotected top picks. Milwaukee is best served trying to sell Brooklyn on Rashad Vaughn, Henson and filler.
Memphis Grizzlies: Versatility on the Wings
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Ideal Gift: Non-Duct Taped Version of Chandler Parsons
Through the 29 games that led up to his season-ending right knee surgery last year, Chandler Parsons averaged 18.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 51.3 percent from the field and 47.4 percent from behind the arc.
Wouldn't it be nice if Memphis saw that kind of return on its $94 million investment?
Parsons has appeared in just seven games for the Grizzlies as he continues to be plagued by knee issues. He missed the first six contests of the season while recovering from meniscus surgery, then returned for six outings before skipping another 17 games with a bone bruise in his left knee.
Good news, Christmas came early for the Grizzlies during a victory over the Pistons on Wednesday: Parsons played for around 15 minutes, hitting only one of his five shots. But he was at least on the floor.
That's where the Grizzlies need him if they intend to prop up their Cinderella run long term. They are contending for a top-five playoff seed but have a negative net rating, bottom-two offense and dead-last effective field-goal percentage.
Light on trade ammunition, a fully healthy, on-point Parsons is Memphis' only shot at becoming more than first-round noise.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Tony Allen
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Ideal Gift: Tony Allen, Duh
Sources told the Commercial Appeal's Ronald Tillery that rival teams are making inquiries into Tony Allen's availability. And the Grizzlies, for their part, are accepting those calls.
Meanwhile, Minnesota Timberwolves coach and president Tom Thibodeau was growing impatient with his team's lack of progress back in November—so much so that Bleacher Report's Ric Bucher heard we was on the verge of seeking veteran help from outside the organization.
Isn't this a match made in wherever-perfect-trade-matches-are-made heaven?
Allen is 34 and will be a free agent this summer. He's still a dogged defender, but the Grizzlies allow fewer points per 100 possessions with him off the floor. Now is the time to capitalize on his remaining value, and they could use a younger scorer like Shabazz Muhammad to beef up one of the Association's cruddiest offenses.
The Timberwolves just need defensive help, period. Their three-point prevention is blah, and they rank 25th in efficiency.
If they can land a defender of Allen's grade without handing over any of their core contributors, the deal is a no-brainer. Muhammad is bound to price himself out of Minnesota in restricted free agency, and chasing a DeMarre Carroll-type pest would entail too much collateral damage.
New York Knicks: Point Guard Depth
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Ideal Gift: Pablo Prigioni Reunion, Chasson Randle Call-Up or Marcelo Huertas
Derrick Rose, for all his warts, is the best point guard New York has deployed in years. And Brandon Jennings' pull-up jumpers and end-to-end hustle can be electric.
But the Knicks need another point guard.
Try as he might, Ron Baker doesn't qualify. He plays hard and makes these randomly nifty defensive plays, but as Posting and Toasting's Zach Diluzio wrote, he doesn't profile as a floor general:
"Baker isn't a traditional point guard, even though the Knicks have given him basically all of his minutes as the lead ball handler. His passing vision is alright, but his handle and overall physical profile doesn't lend itself to strong point guard play. That doesn't mean he can't play the 1, especially for spot minutes, in the correct system; it just means that, ideally, he isn't your primary ball handler.
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True to the rest of the roster's makeup, New York's second-string guards come undone on the defensive side. They allow 107 points per 100 possessions, a bottom-eight mark among second-unit backcourts—and one that almost perfectly coincides with the 25th-place showing from the starters.
Snagging a defensive-minded insurance policy would be huge for the Knicks' playoff hopes. Then again, they needn't be choosy. Their second-string quarterbacks aren't setting the world ablaze on offense, and they don't have the assets to obtain a noticeable upgrade.
Any ol' point guard who's actually a point guard (and isn't Sasha Vujacic) will suffice.
New Orleans Pelicans: Offensive Spark Plug
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Ideal Gift: Will Barton
Miles below .500, the New Orleans Pelicans must resist the urge to make wholesale tweaks. Part of Anthony Davis' prime has already been wasted following a slapdash rebuild, and another attempt to circumvent the process will only set back the team's renewed reset.
New Orleans needs someone who's cost-effective and impactful—and who preferably bolsters what has become an unimpressive offense. As Bourbon Street Shots' James Grayson wrote ahead of the Pelicans' loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday:
"The odd thing about the Pelicans poor offense is that the team is clearly trying to push the tempo. New Orleans ranks 7th in pace and rank 3rd in teams attempting field-goals with 0-4 seconds left on the clock. They’re not wasting time to put up their shots.
Being incapable of capitalizing on this pace is likely the answer. New Orleans ranks 25th in eFG% – they’re just not hitting their shots. Their opponents grab the most defensive rebounds in the league (38.5) meaning that when the Pelicans miss they don’t get second chances. The expectation for a slump offensively should have been anticipated.
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Will Barton is an ideal remedy to the Pelicans' offensive woes—hence why the front office has already asked Denver about his availability, according to ESPN.com's Chris Haynes.
Barton can play off the ball or function as a secondary distributor and hits threes with above-average efficiency. Signed through next season at $3.5 million annually, he's the perfect acquisition—provided, of course, the Nuggets are interested in a deal structured around picks and fliers.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Anthony Morrow-Andre Roberson Hybrid
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Ideal Gift: Rudy Gay
Think of what Russell Westbrook and Oklahoma City could do if Anthony Morrow and Andre Roberson merged their skill sets, creating one of the NBA's most fierce three-and-D terrors.
Human welding isn't a thing, so the Thunder will have to work the trade market. And unfortunately for them, they don't have the asset clout to deal for a Morrow-Roberson hybrid, so they'll need to settle for the transient version.
Hello, Rudy Gay.
Oklahoma City has been after Gay for some time, according to ESPN.com's Zach Lowe, and even he might prove too expensive. He joins DeMarcus Cousins and Garrett Temple as the only Kings players making an above-board impact on both ends, per NBA Math. Sacramento isn't about to move him for nothing with the West's No. 8 seed still in sight.
Some combination of Alex Abrines, Jerami Grant, Cameron Payne and Morrow should pique the Kings' attention, however. The Thunder aren't ones to surrender intriguing trade chips for potential rentals, but they desperately need Gay's shot creation and outside range—both next to Westbrook and for those times when he sits.
Wait long enough, and Oklahoma City might be talking turkey with a Sacramento team that fell out of playoff contention. That timing should be enough for both sides to find common ground.
Orlando Magic: More Offensive Space
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Ideal Gift: Allen Crabbe
Rotating three bigs and stashing Aaron Gordon at small forward hasn't worked out for the Orlando Magic's offense. Who knew? (#EveryoneKnew)
The Magic are 28th in points scored per 100 possessions and effective field-goal percentage. Their three-point shooting hasn't been bottom of the barrel, but a 33.8 percent clip is nothing to celebrate.
Orlando's 36.6 percent conversion rate on spot-up threes is a different story. That's a solid number amid clunky frontcourt combinations—one the team should look to strengthen.
Allen Crabbe, as yours truly explained previously, is the best possible fit. He is shooting 42 percent on threes and is even more lethal on standalone missiles.
No, the Magic won't win titles with Crabbe as their highest-paid player. But teams aren't tripping over themselves to acquire traditional bigs, and that's about all Orlando can offer unless it's open to cutting ties with Serge Ibaka (not happening).
Nikola Vucevic will have the eye of a Portland team that could use a pivot who passes and has some range. If the Magic can get Ed Davis, Crabbe and Cleveland's 2018 first-rounder from the Blazers for Jeff Green's expiring pact and Vucevic, they should pounce.
Philadelphia 76ers: Direction in the Frontcourt
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Ideal Gift: Legitimate Suitors for Jahlil Okafor and/or Nerlens Noel
Nerlens Noel's return to the Sixers has been far from triumphant—or comprehensible. He missed the first 23 games of the season following left knee surgery and has since been welcomed back with a diminished role.
Bryan Colangelo, Philly's general manager, wants us to believe this isn't a significant concern—that Noel will receive his opportunity and is only being marginalized because he's rusty and the team wants to properly evaluate a Joel Embiid-Jahlil Okafor alliance. Ben Detrick of The Ringer called bull on whatever is supposed to be happening in Philly:
"To clarify: Noel is not being punished, not being benched, not playing, but maybe playing? All right, then. It’s a strange limbo for a guy who has been the best player on the Sixers for two straight years, and is the center most likely to fit with Embiid, the keystone of the franchise.
After Tuesday’s game, Embiid called Noel his “best friend on the team” and strongly advocated for the tandem. “I feel like if we’re trying something, I feel like we should try the other thing, too,” he said, delicately referring to Okafor and Noel. “I think I’m going to get him going, especially on the defensive end. Being aggressive, blitzing every pick-and-roll, just flying all over the place.”
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Statistically, the Sixers are offensive and defensive disasters whenever Embiid and Okafor share the floor. Much like the Noel-Okafor union from last season, the Embiid-Okafor iteration doesn't create the space necessary to score and can't match up with modern-day frontcourts.
Pairing Noel with Embiid is far more beneficial. Both are versatile defenders, and Noel works as a high-screener on offense whenever Embiid wants to abandon the perimeter and bruise down low.
And yet somehow, the resolution isn't important here. It's more imperative the Sixers pick a frontcourt direction and stick with it. One of Noel or Okafor needs to go, and that exit should come before February's trade deadline.
Phoenix Suns: Brandon Knight, Reborn
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Ideal Gift: 2015-16 Brandon Knight
Does anyone know the official antonym for the kids' use of "lit"? Because that's the only way to describe Brandon Knight's season.
The 25-year-old point guard's numbers were always going to shrink after moving to the bench. But he is setting career lows almost across the board and has the Phoenix Suns' worst net rating; the team is getting outgunned by 12.8 points per 100 possessions whenever he's in the game.
Nothing remotely similar can be said of Knight's primary second-unit partners. Alex Len's net rating of minus-10.1 is in closest proximity; each of the Suns' other reserves are no worse than a minus-4.9.
Chuckle if you like, but the difference between a minus-12.8 and minus-4.9 is, on average, typically going to be more than 15 or 20 wins.
Knight's struggles clearly torpedo his trade value. But he will earn just $56.5 million through 2019-20—a borderline steal in this cap climate. And it was just last season he averaged 19.6 points and 5.1 assists per game while draining a respectable 34.2 percent of his three-pointers.
General manager Ryan McDonough wasn't actively shopping Knight as of late November, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, but the Suns don't have a long-term use for him with Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker in the fold. They have to move Knight eventually, and it would be nice if he rediscovered his offensive swagger before they're forced to sell super-duper low.
Portland Trail Blazers: New Home for Evan Turner
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Ideal Gift: Desperate Kings Team
Addition through subtraction is not some made-up concept. Certain players are worth more to their team off it—last year's version of Kobe Bryant with the Lakers, for instance.
Evan Turner's time with the Blazers has a similar feel. He isn't being used like a pseudo-point guard as much, and head coach Terry Stotts cannot reasonably stagger his minutes from both Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum.
Portland is being pummeled by 11.3 points per 100 possessions when Turner is in the lineup—its worst performance with any player. But the team is outpacing opponents by 5.6 points per 100 possessions without him—the best differential for time spent without any player.
Not all of the Blazers' issues will be sorted out in the unlikely event they find a taker for Turner's four-year, $70 million deal. Their league-worst defense isn't going anywhere, with or without him. They need to consolidate their bundle of one-trick centers. And they definitely need to trade for another two-way wing—or at least hope Al-Farouq Aminu isn't permanently broken.
Still, moving Turner, almost irrespective of potential return, lifts a burden off Portland's offense and renders the roster far more complementary as a whole.
The Kings are itching for a playoff berth and don't have a lot of talent at point guard, so perhaps they could be convinced to complete a Maurice Harkless and Evan Turner-for-Rudy Gay, Kosta Koufos and Ben McLemore deal.
Sacramento Kings: Playoff Berth
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Ideal Gift: Midseason Free Falls from the Nuggets and Blazers
Five-thousandths of a percentage point is standing between the Kings and the end of a playoff drought that took effect in 2006.
Well, that and another two-thirds of the regular season. But you get the point.
The Blazers are imploding. The Lakers have cooled after a hot start. The Pelicans and Timberwolves are too far behind for a meaningful about-face. The Nuggets, while on the rise, lack the star power that inspires confidence.
Third-tier parity is a godsend for a Kings contingent that has the net rating of a 45-win faction when Cousins plays. At the same time, it's a potential pitfall.
Earning the right to be dispatched by the Warriors in the first round could dupe the Kings into believing they're on to something special. We've seen them double down on blueprints with far less impressive returns; imagine what they'll do if they get a whiff of postseason air.
Would they refuse to entertain offers for Cousins over the summer because they're so sure an artificial return to relevance will keep him in Sacramento? Might they throw so much money at Rudy Gay (player option) that he's compelled to stay? Would they overpay an outsider to catapult them toward that "next level"?
Potential ramifications of a Kings playoff appearance, however brief, are harrowing. This franchise cannot be trusted to view modest success through objective goggles. But you better believe it would welcome the opportunity to prove us wrong.
San Antonio Spurs: Better Pick-and-Roll Defense
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Ideal Gift: Souped-Up Kyle Anderson
The rumors are true: You live in a world where the San Antonio Spurs are not adept at defending pick-and-rolls. Ball-handlers are averaging 0.87 points per possession against San Antonio, the sixth-highest mark in the league. Roll men are dropping 1.08—one of the Association's 10 highest scores.
Complicated science isn't behind the Spurs' situational dissolution: None of their rim protectors are as good as Tim Duncan at walling off divers.
Tony Parker is old, and neither he nor Patty Mills can defend the NBA's deepest position on a daily basis. And the absence of Boris Diaw stings; he can shimmy between pick-and-roll assignments in ways San Antonio's current bigs just can't.
The Spurs are the Spurs, so naturally, these struggles haven't impeded their overall defense to demonstrative degrees. They are fourth in points allowed per 100 possessions, and only the Warriors are better at roughing up three-point shooters.
And because these are the Spurs, we shouldn't hold our breath for a midseason trade. That's not their style. It's more likely they hope Kyle Anderson suddenly becomes playable and provides a touch of what Diaw and Duncan took with them.
Toronto Raptors: Power Forward Upgrade
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Ideal Gift: Maurice Harkless, Aaron Gordon, C.J. Miles or Paul Millsap
Power forward is by far the Raptors' weakest position.
Pascal Siakam and Patrick Patterson have their moments, and using DeMarre Carroll as a small-ball 4 seems good in theory. But the Raptors' power forwards have the worst offensive and defensive differentials on the team, according to HoopsStats.com.
Jared Sullinger's eventual return will help a great deal on the boards. And Carroll seems to be regaining his mobility as the season wears on. Sporadic silver linings, however, don't solve everything—and the Raptors know it.
Toronto talked with Atlanta about a Paul Millsap trade over the summer before Al Horford's departure became official, according to ESPN.com's Zach Lowe. Serge Ibaka was also on general manager Masai Ujiri's radar before being shipped to Orlando, per Sportsnet's Michael Grange.
The Raptors will have some cap flexibility this summer, even with Kyle Lowry entering free agency. Ujiri may very well bide his time and let the team play out this season.
But he has the tools to chase a headlining 4 if he wants: Cory Joseph, Terrence Ross and Carroll make for good trade centerpieces. Lucas Nogueira and Norman Powell are prime prospects; Jakob Poeltl and Siakam aren't far behind. Toronto owns all its first-round picks, in addition to the Clippers' 2017 selection.
Should a marquee playmaking and/or defensive-minded 4 reach the chopping block, the Raptors have the means and motive to get him.
Utah Jazz: Good Health
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Ideal Gift: Full-Strength Starting 5
Jazz fans have to be tired of hearing how important it is for their team to remain healthy.
I mean, I'm tired of writing about it.
But health remains an issue—a big one. The Jazz's most-used lineup hasn't even logged 90 minutes of action. Their projected starting five—Derrick Favors, Rudy Gobert, Gordon Hayward, George Hill and Rodney Hood—has made once collective appearance.
That Utah remains on pace to flirt with 50 victories anyway is nothing short of incredible. And seven of the team's 11 most-used lineups post what would be a league-best net rating despite the constant tinkering.
It's the kind of success that makes you wonder if the Jazz are way better than the most optimistic projections—and whether we'll ever know the answer to that question.
Washington Wizards: Bench Defense
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Ideal Gift: C.J. Miles or P.J. Tucker and a Healthy Ian Mahinmi
Good news, Washington Wizards fam: Your team's bench is no longer the worst in the league.
Here's the thing: It's still pretty bad.
Washington is running out the fourth-most efficient second unit on offense since the start of December. The backups now rank top-15 in points scored per 100 possessions for the season.
But the Wizards' reserve defense has been a joke. The second-stringers are allowing an NBA-worst 111.9 points per 100 possessions, which is the fuel behind their 29th-place net rating.
Ian Mahinmi will be a defensive blessing if his knees ever get right, but he'll only play so much with Marcin Gortat ahead of him. And the Wizards look better when they play with Otto Porter at the 4. They need to target more interchangeable wings to pair with him, Markieff Morris and Kelly Oubre Jr.
C.J. Miles and P.J. Tucker are two sound, possibly cheapish trade options. Miles is going to get two-syllable paid in free agency (player option), so the Pacers might be open to unloading him if they don't want to hand him eight figures annually. Tucker, at 31, is out of place on a young Suns roster and would add defensive toughness the Wizards don't get from Tomas Satoransky or Marcus Thornton.
Price, as per usual, is the biggest roadblock. Neither Miles nor Tucker warrants a blockbuster fee, but the Wizards don't have much to offer beyond Oubre, Satoransky or a 2018 first-rounder.
Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com. Salary information via Basketball Insiders. Draft-pick commitments from RealGM. Numbers accurate leading into Thursday's games unless otherwise noted.
Dan Favale covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @danfavale.
