Five Basketball Trades That Just Make Sense

This NBA free agency class is the best one I can remember, ever.

It is loaded with star players, and has several second tier players as well that aren't really being talked about.

Because of all the free agents there are many teams that have cleared cap space in anticipation for this summer.

Unfortunately, not everyone can have Lebron.

There are going to be disappointed General Managers and fan bases, and to save their jobs, GMs will be wheeling and dealing.

Here are five trades that I wouldn't be surprised to go down sometime after draft night.

Darren Collison and Emeka Okafor for Samuel Dalembert and Jodie Meeks

The Hornets are in salary cap hell, and need to get out from under Emeka Okafor's contract. It's got four years left, and he'll be overpaid for all four of them.

To entice any team to take him, they will have to part with Darren Collison. The Hornets really have no need for Collison.

Chris Paul is a top 10 player in the league, easy, so Collison would have had very little minutes, now that CP3 is healthy.

With this trade, the Hornets have Dalembert's 12 million dollar expiring and Peja's 15 million dollar expiring.

For the 76ers, they have been wanting to get rid of Dalembert for the past two seasons.

Okafor is a better version of Dalembert, who isn't getting paid as much this year. His contract is longer, but the addition of Collison will offset that.

Collison is a true point guard, something that the 6ers don't have. He can play beside both Jrue Holiday and Louis Williams and let them focus on scoring instead of having to run the team.

Collison is a budding star, and taking on the extra years on Okafor's contract should be worth it to them.

Al Jefferson for Richard Hamilton

***Minnesota will also receive the option to trade first round picks with the Pistons if Detroit ends up higher than them in the lottery.***

Kevin McHale got the Timberwolves in a predicament. He acquired a good young power forward to build around (Jefferson,) and then went and drafted a good young power forward to build around (Love.)

Now the T-Wolves are stuck with both of them. The two of them do not mesh well on the court and Minnesota isn't going to win many games if they are playing them together.

One of them needs to move on.

With this trade the Pistons would get the low post scoring they've so desperately been looking for. They would also get to relieve themselves of Rip's contract. He wasn't fitting in with Ben Gordon and one of them had to go.

In this case, Rip was easier to get rid of.

For Kurt Rambis's attempts at the triangle offense to work, he needs strong play on the perimeter. He did not have that last season.

With this trade, and the drafting of Evan Turner, Wesley Johnson, or Al Farouq Aminu, he will have a strong presence on the perimeter.

Brandon Bass to the Nets for a second round pick

The Nets will hold the first pick in the second round, which is really more valuable than the last three or four picks in the first round.

The Magic would be able to take a risk on somebody, without giving him a guaranteed contract.

Bass was a good player two years ago. I think he deserves to be a starting power forward in the league.

I was shocked he only got paid Four million dollars last off season, and even more shocked by his lack of playing time in Orlando.

The Magic trading him for just a second round pick wouldn't just save them his $4 million contract, but also the four million dollar in luxury tax they would have had to pay.

Bass doesn't fit the Magic playing style, and that has been evident. He is still a good player and would be a perfect complement to Brook Lopez.

The salaries do not have to match in this trade because the Nets have cap space.

Kirk Hinrich to G.S, Monta Ellis to Indy, Mike Dunleavy to Chi

Stephen Curry is the man in Golden State, Indiana needs a point guard, and Chicago needs Dunleavy's perimeter shooting and versatility.

All teams get something of need while giving up something that they don't really want anymore.

Monta Ellis thought this was his team and needed to be run out of town.

Hinrich is the perfect complement to Curry. He can handle the point at times and let Curry play off the ball and focus on scoring, but he can also play off
the ball and let Curry run the show.

He has no ego problems, and a slightly smaller contract than Ellis. This is a win-win for them.

Derrick Rose has developed into a star. They no longer need Hinrich on the team as an insurance policy.

A back up veteran point guard will come much cheaper than nine million dollars.

Dunleavy will provide depth at both SG and SF and he has an expiring contract. He will add size and length to the perimeter and add a nice outside shot as well.

Indiana does this to get point guard. They've been trying to find one for years and just keep messing up.

T.J. Ford is clearly not the answer, and Monta Ellis's demeanor might be what the Pacers need.

Danny Granger would finally have a running mate that could keep up with him, both in speed and ability, and the combination paired with Troy Murphy would be fun to watch, or at least play with on a video game.

Andrew Bynum, Sasha Vujacic, and a 1st rnd pick to ATL for Joe Johnson

I had to put one true blockbuster on here, and this would certainly qualify.

I'm a Hawks fan, and I would not be thrilled with this trade, but if Joe was going to sign elsewhere, I'd rather get this back than nothing at all.

Adding Joe Johnson to the Lakers would give them flexibility that Bynum doesn't give them.

Bynum is a center, and only a center. He cannot play any other position.

In this offense, Joe Johnson can easily play PG, SG, or SF.

The Lakers could start Joe, Kobe, Artest, Odom, and Gasol with Fisher as sixth man, or start Fisher, Joe, Kobe, Odom, and Gasol with Artest as the sixth man. Either way it's an upgrade.

Joe would take alot of the scoring burden off of Kobe and give defenses a serious decision to make at the end of games.

If they double team Kobe, do you leave open Joe, Artest, Gasol, or Odom?

Hmm, I'd hate to be an opposing coach.

For the Hawks this trade could actually end up benefiting them. Horford would move to his more natural position of PF, Josh Smith would become the SF, and Marvin Williams would become the 6th man. Crawford would have to attempt to replace Joe in the starting line-up, or the Hawks could choose to sign somebody like John Salmons or Ray Allen to the MLE.