NBA Trade Ideas from Latest Buzz: How to Move Nikola Mirotic, Tyreke Evans, More

Take cover, NBA trade-deadline enthusiasts! #WojBombs are dropping like whoa.

The all-knowing Adrian Wojnarowski recently delivered the rumor-mill dump to end all rumor-mill dumps over at ESPN.com. In doing so, he provided us with the inspiration necessary to imagineer plenty of player movement prior to the Feb. 8 deadline.

All the latest news items and speculative buzz are fair game as we author midseason shakeups, but Woj's information overload will be our guide.

Do we dare turn the Portland Trail Blazers into aggressive buyers? Can we send Nikola Mirotic to his preferred destination?

Are we armed with the craftiness to advance the Los Angeles Lakers' quest for infinite cap space ahead of free agency? Or mess with the surging Minnesota Timberwolves? Or tinker with the Cleveland Cavaliers' rather comfy setup?

As it turns out: Yes, yes, yes, yes and, again, yes.

Portland Gets Its Wings

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Atlanta Hawks Receive: C Ed Davis, PF/C Meyers Leonard, 2018 first-round pick (top-16 protected), 2019 second-round pick (via Lakers or Timberwolves)

Portland Trail Blazers Receive: SG/SF Kent Bazemore, PF Luke Babbitt

Pretty much every team hoping to make a splash this season is chasing wings on the trade market, according to Wojnarowski. Among them: the Blazers, who are, somewhat quietly, occupying the Western Conference's No. 5 seed despite Damian Lillard missing games with calf issues and generally lackluster offensive returns.

Finding switchable three-and-D talents on reasonable contracts is a difficult venture. Not only are they in high demand, but they're also in short supply, because teams that employ Trevor Arizas and Khris Middletons aren't looking to move them.

That leaves the Blazers, among many others, to surf the slightly overpriced market. And that, in turn, leads us to Kent Bazemore, one of the league's few "expendable" wings, per Wojnarowski.

Basketball Insiders' Steve Kyler reported in December the "right combination of ending contracts and a first-round pick, even one highly protected, might be enough" for the Atlanta Hawks to part with Bazemore. This deal should do the trick.

Taking on the remaining three years (including this one) and $31.8 million of Meyers Leonard's deal doesn't spell good times, but his commitment pales in comparison to the $54.3 million Bazemore is owed through 2019-20 (player option). Plus, at 25, Leonard's a better fit for their rebuilding timeline. There might also be something to Leonard-John Collins frontcourt pairings.

Ed Davis wouldn't have a future in Atlanta, but he comes off the books after this summer, so it doesn't matter. Adding another first-round choice to the cupboard would give the Hawks six, including their own, over the next two drafts.

Footing the bill for Bazemore while forking over a pick would sting the Blazers, but they're committed to winning now. He'd diversify their pedestrian offense as a secondary playmaker and spot-up marksman without compromising the defense, and his contract expires at the same time as Maurice Harkless and Evan Turner's deals.

Grabbing Luke Babbitt in the process would be an under-the-radar steal. He's drilling 43.2 percent of his three-point attempts and could hold up as a full-time small-ball 4.

Utah and Nikola Mirotic: Together at Last

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Chicago Bulls Receive (after Jan. 14): PF/C Derrick Favors, 2018 first-round pick (top-18 protected in 2018, top-16 protected in 2019, turns into two second-rounders if not conveyed by 2019)

Utah Jazz Receive: PF Nikola Mirotic

Nikola Mirotic has a strong desire to play for Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder, and the Chicago Bulls still intend to move their 26-year-old forward, according to the Wojnarowski.

This isn't just smoke. It's fire.

Chicago and Utah have already talked shop, and negotiations are apparently "past the preliminary stage and getting serious," per the Salt Lake Tribune's Tony Jones. Meanwhile, Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago reported the market for Mirotic has been "tepid" and that the Bulls don't want to absorb the final two years left on Alec Burks' deal without nabbing a pick.

Pivoting to this package would avoid that purported snafu. The Bulls could take a flier on Derrick Favors for the rest of this season, after which they can let him walk in free agency or gauge his price tag. They'll end up with a first-rounder in one of the next two years as well if the Jazz's core establishes itself as a postseason shoo-in.

Indeed, this type of protection offers no guarantees. Chicago could instead wind up with two second-rounders. But Mirotic's no-trade clause complicates matters. And while the Bulls could exercise his team option for next season, thus nullifying his veto power, they'd need to be certain they could suss out a better package from a suitor interested in floating Mirotic's contract through next year.

Some will argue Favors is the best player in this deal. They're not wrong. He's more established, while Mirotic's 17.4 points per game and 46.5 percent three-point clip have come in 17 games.

But Favors is a goner if the Jazz don't trade him. They have no business re-signing him in free agency. He's in the 15th percentile of post-up efficiency and mostly redundant alongside a healthy Rudy Gobert. Utah has been outscored by 10 points per 100 possessions whenever its two bigs have shared the floor.

Mirotic is by far the more versatile scorer, if only because of his off-the-dribble chops and three-point touch. And Favors is the superior defender more so by reputation. He isn't switchy, and his career rebounding rate on opponents' misses (21.3) barely outpaces Mirotic's (21.1).

Going in a different direction would be smarter for the Jazz—particularly when their contract situations are taken into account. Whereas Favors will require a long-term pact over the summer, they needn't commit to Mirotic beyond next year.

Lakers Clear (Parts) of the Deck

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Los Angeles Lakers Receive: SF/PF Mario Hezonja, PG/SG Shelvin Mack

Orlando Magic Receive: PG/SG Jordan Clarkson, C Ivica Zubac

So much for the Lakers sitting on their roster until the offseason. As Wojnarowski wrote:

"The Los Angeles Lakers, needing to shed salary for summer free agency, had been hopeful of waiting until the end of the season to move Jordan Clarkson—owed $26 million beyond this season—but there's a mutual desire to find something sooner than later. The Lakers have made it clear that Clarkson, Julius Randle and Larry Nance are available."

Moving Clarkson is more important than dealing the other two if Los Angeles remains bent on opening up two max slots for July. Nance makes peanuts next season ($2.3 million), and the team can renounce Randle's $12.5 million restricted free-agent hold.

Turning Clarkson into Mario Hezonja and Shelvin Mack would fit within the Lakers' master plan. Hezonja would give them a shooter to explore for the rest of this season who washes off the ledger at year's end. Only $1 million of Mack's $6 million salary for 2018-19 is guaranteed.

Part ways with both of them while ditching their other free agents, including Randle, and the Lakers would be looking at nearly $58 million in room against a $101 million salary cap. From there, if they stretch Luol Deng's contract and fiddle around with various non-guarantees, they can dredge up more than $70 million in spending power—enough coin to pay, say, Paul George and LeBron James...and then some.

Bringing in Clarkson wouldn't do much harm to the Orlando Magic's rebuild. With Aaron Gordon due for a huge raise, they aren't slated for serious cap space until Bismack Biyombo comes off the books after the 2019-20 season. And Clarkson would give them a 25-year-old combo guard to evaluate prior to Elfrid Payton's own restricted free agency. 

Either the Magic soldier on with the former alone should the latter prove too costly, or they can try creating a nifty two-headed monster in the backcourt by rolling forward with both.

Minnesota Poaches Some of Brooklyn's Depth

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Brooklyn Nets Receive: C Cole Aldrich, PF Nemanja Bjelica, 2018 lottery-protected first-round pick (via Oklahoma City Thunder)

Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: SF/PF DeMarre Carroll, SG/SF Joe Harris

DeMarre Carroll has become a focus for trade-deadline buyers, according to Wojnarowski. Even after factoring in a recent right knee sprain, the $30.2 million he's owed for this season and next doesn't look so bad when he's shooting 37.1 percent on spot-up threes and returning to his feisty defensive roots.

Most teams still won't cough up real value for him. He turns 32 in July and has a history of knee problems, and as Woj noted, first-round compensation is hard to come by these days.

The Timberwolves present a possible exception. They're in hot pursuit of a top-three playoff seed and are desperately thin on backup wings—and bench talent, period. Their second-stringers rank 27th in point differential per 100 possessions, with the league's worst defensive rating and an otherwise unimpressive three-point clip (35.3 percent).

Getting both Carroll and Joe Harris in this deal would soften the blow of parting with the Oklahoma City Thunder pick—assuming it registers as a sacrifice at all. It projects a late first-rounder at the moment, and Timberwolves coach-president Tom Thibodeau isn't especially fond of playing kiddies.

Besides, Harris would fill Minnesota's need for perimeter depth almost as much as Carroll. He doesn't promise the same defensive punch, but he's hitting more than 38 percent of his catch-and-fire treys and boasts an idealistic shot profile, with nearly 84 percent of his looks coming inside three feet or from beyond the arc.

Green-lighting this deal shouldn't be a problem for the Nets. Cole Aldrich's salary is only partially guaranteed for next season ($2.1 million), while Nemanja Bejlica, a semi-interesting stretch-4 prospect, is set to come off the books.

Snagging another first-rounder for their troubles would be enough of a sweetener. The Nets have wings to spare, and with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (2018), Caris LeVert (2019), Jahlil Okafor (2018), D'Angelo Russell (2018) and Nik Stauskas (2018) all up for new deals or extensions over the next two summers, they need cost-controlled assets.

Cleveland Bolsters Its Switchability—and Chances Against Golden State

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Cleveland Cavaliers Receive (after Jan. 14): SG/SF Tyreke Evans, PF JaMychal Green

Memphis Grizzlies Receive: SG Iman Shumpert, C Ante Zizic, Cleveland's 2018 first-round pick, 2020 second-round pick (via Miami Heat)

Although the Nets are outperforming many preseason forecasts, the Cavaliers aren't interested in moving Brooklyn's unprotected 2018 first-round pick they acquired as part of the Kyrie Irving trade, according to the Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto. And rightfully so.

Unless a superstar becomes available and/or LeBron James guarantees his return in 2018-19, the Cavaliers have no incentive to shop what still figures to be a top-10 choice. But no such constraints need to be placed on their own pick.

And wouldn't you know it, the Memphis Grizzlies are hoping to net a first-rounder in exchange for Tyreke Evans, per Wojnarowski.

Fewer teams than normal, however, will meet this asking price. Evans is undergoing a revival amid the Grizzlies' implosive tailspin, averaging 19.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists on a career-best effective field-goal percentage. But Memphis doesn't possess his Bird rights after he signed a one-year deal for the biannual exception this past summer. Any squad acquiring him will do so knowing he's a serious flight risk in July, if not an irretrievable rental.

Pairing Evans with JaMychal Green makes it easier for the Cavaliers to forfeit a first-rounder, as both players strengthen Cleveland's case against the Golden State Warriors. Evans is no lockdown defender, but he can pester most wings, and Green is a quality switcher at the 5 in pocket-sized lineups.

The Grizzlies should have zero qualms about swallowing Iman Shumpert's contract as part of this agreement. He hasn't played since Nov. 17 after undergoing left knee surgery, but he could be a pauper's Evans for them next season—provided he's healthy.

Worst-case scenario, Shumpert devolves into dead weight the Grizzlies will be free of by 2019. Risking that outcome for what amounts to a pair of first-round prospects in Ante Zizic and Cleveland's pick is worth it.

Unless otherwise cited, stats courtesy of NBA.com or Basketball Reference and accurate leading into games on Jan. 9.

Dan Favale covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter (@danfavale) and listen to his Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by B/R's Andrew Bailey.