Fresh Trade Packages for NBA's Top Deadline Targets
The NBA trade market might be running on fumes by the time the Feb. 9 trade deadline arrives. It already seemed like there would be a shortage of sellers this year, but that group might wind up even smaller than expected.
For instance, recently extended Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner is officially "off the trade block," according to Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle. The Detroit Pistons have told Bojan Bogdanović that he's considered a "core member of the team's future," per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto. The Washington Wizards are telling teams they plan to keep Kyle Kuzma and hope to re-sign him this summer, per Ava Wallace of the Washington Post.
Even rumor-mill staple John Collins is considered "unlikely" to move after the Atlanta Hawks' front-office shake-up, per Action Network's Matt Moore.
None of this means we are guaranteed to have a dud of a deadline. Maybe the above is posturing to drive up trade prices. Perhaps swap season could be hyperactive without these players, particularly if teams like the Toronto Raptors and Utah Jazz take offers for their plug-and-play veterans.
We're here to get the hypothetical wheeling and dealing going, as we've cooked up four trades centered around players whose names are still buzzing around the basketball world.
Surprise Winner of the Jakob Poeltl Sweepstakes
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Oklahoma City Thunder receive: Jakob Poeltl
San Antonio Spurs receive: Darius Bazley and 2025 first-round pick (lottery protected, via MIA)
Oklahoma City's roster has earned some kind of push from the front office this trade season. There probably isn't a deal that transforms the Thunder into contenders or sends a big enough prize to the Sooner State to warrant subtracting a ton of assets, but they deserve a reasonably priced pick-up.
Spurs center Jakob Poeltl would be perfect. He isn't a star, but he is someone who can star in his role.
The Thunder are 26th in defensive rebounding percentage and 22nd in paint points allowed. Poeltl can help in those specific areas immediately. Not to mention, he'd greatly improve their close-range finishing (they're the worst-shooting team in the restricted area) and work pick-and-roll magic with Josh Giddey and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Do this deal, and OKC could go from back-end play-in tournament candidate to plucky first-round opponent. Even without him, the Thunder have posted the league's second-best net rating this month (plus-7.6). They aren't fun to face now, and with a little more time to develop, this club might be able to compete in the conference in another season or two.
Poeltl needs a new contract this summer, but the Thunder should have no problem paying him. He's less than three years older than Gilgeous-Alexander, and Poeltl's presence could spare 2022 No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren from some of the wear and tear on the NBA's interior.
The Spurs reportedly want two first-round picks for Poeltl, per The Athletic's Jared Weiss, but maybe they'd consider this a decent compromise.
Darius Bazley is a 22-year-old recent first-round pick (No. 23 in 2019) who has elite physical tools and has a towering two-way ceiling if he ever puts it all together. This specific draft pick—OKC has plenty of others it could offer instead if needed—also intrigues because it only has lottery protection for one year and becomes unprotected in 2026. The Miami Heat are leaning heavily on some high-mileage veterans, so their outlook could appear dramatically different by then.
Denver Deals Bones Hyland for Defense, Depth
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Minnesota Timberwolves receive: Bones Hyland, Zeke Nnaji and Ish Smith
Denver Nuggets receive: Taurean Prince, Naz Reid, 2023 second-round pick (via NYK) and 2028 second-round pick
Last season, Bones Hyland went from being the No. 26 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft to an All-Rookie second-teamer. He also netted double-digit points in three of Denver's five playoff games. This season, he has upped his output to 22.3 points and 5.5 assists per 36 minutes while shooting 37.9 percent from deep and 86.3 percent at the charity stripe.
Considering he's only 22 years old and barely 100 games into his NBA career, you might assume he's earned keeper status, but that doesn't appear to be the case. The Nuggets are shopping Hyland for "defensive-minded frontcourt players" and possibly "a first-round pick," per Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer.
Maybe Minnesota would make that happen—or land in the general range of that asking price, at least. Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly, who drafted Hyland in Denver, "is still considered a big supporter of Hyland," according to Fischer.
Hyland offers a wealth of shot-creation, upside and perimeter shooting. If the Wolves see anything close to star potential in him, this could be a no-brainer, particularly if they aren't planning on paying D'Angelo Russell in free agency this summer. They'd also get a chance to tap into the potential of Zeke Nnaji, another Connelly draft pick, and add a veteran guard in Ish Smith.
In return, Denver would land a three-and-D wing in Taurean Prince, a high-end backup big man in Naz Reid and a pair of second-round picks. That's a pretty hefty haul if the Nuggets don't see Hyland as a long-term fit.
Prince is a 6'7" swingman who can hang with most wings defensively and is a career 37.3 percent three-point shooter. Reid is reliable on both ends and a per-minute monster producer (20.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.8 threes per 36 minutes for his career). Both could hold down rotation roles for Denver in the playoffs.
Solving the Jae Crowder Puzzle
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Miami Heat receive: Jae Crowder
Phoenix Suns receive: Josh Richardson and Max Strus
San Antonio Spurs receive: Nikola Jović, Duncan Robinson and Phoenix's 2023 first-round pick (top-five protected)
A number of teams could use a player like Jae Crowder, including the Suns. That's among the issues complicating his prolonged exit out of Phoenix. There just aren't many (or any) teams who are both in the market for Crowder and have someone whom they can send back to fill the Crowder-sized hole in the Suns rotation.
A three-team, five-player, one-pick swap might be as simple as this solution can get.
The Heat have long been connected to the Crowder sweepstakes and remain interested in the veteran swingman, per The Athletic's Shams Charania. They lost P.J. Tucker last offseason and still haven't adequately replaced him. Crowder, who started on the Miami team that made the 2020 Finals, could fill that void with similar defensive versatility, toughness, experience and catch-and-launch shooting.
While the Suns don't find a direct Crowder replacement in this deal, they'd address a need for perimeter depth. Max Strus plays with tons of energy and is a smart mover off the ball. Josh Richardson can fill in anywhere between the 1 and 3 spots. Both are above-average shooters with some flexibility on defense. Each could stick in the postseason rotation.
San Antonio, meanwhile, gains a pair of interesting assets here.
There's a non-zero chance Phoenix lands in the play-in tournament, which means there's a non-zero chance it winds up in the lottery. Nikola Jović needs plenty of polish, but he projects as a 6'10" wing scorer and playmaker. That isn't bad compensation for helping make the money work and stomaching Duncan Robinson's bloated contract.
Clippers Get Their Point Guard
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Los Angeles Clippers receive: Fred VanVleet
Toronto Raptors receive: Luke Kennard, Brandon Boston Jr., Jason Preston and 2028 first-round pick
If there's a big move to be made this trade season, the Clippers should be the ones making it.
Their roster is almost championship-ready, but they have to find an upgrade at point guard. Oh, and the clock is ticking to find that floor general, since both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George can become free agents in 2024 by declining their respectively player options. The Clippers don't have many assets left to move, but they might be willing to part with their best ones to land Fred VanVleet.
He's the difference-making lead guard whom they don't have on the roster. This hasn't been his best season, and he's still regarded as a 91st percentile player by estimated plus/minus, per Dunks & Threes. He's also on course to average 19 points and six assists for the third consecutive season, a streak shared with only seven other players.
VanVleet also shares a championship history with Leonard, as the two teamed together on Toronto's banner-raising bunch in 2018-19. Broker this blockbuster, and they might have a championship present, too. The Clippers are loaded at virtually every other spot, and this trade package would only cost them one rotation regular in Luke Kennard.
Now, it's fair to ask whether there is enough heading north of the border for Toronto to bite. There certainly could be, so long as the Raptors aren't keen on covering the cost of VanVleet's upcoming free agency. (He technically holds a $22.8 million player option for next season, but it might take him a millisecond at most to turn that down.)
If Toronto motors toward a future based more around Scottie Barnes, this is the kind of long-term-focused package it may want.
Kennard is a plug-and-play sharpshooter whom the Raptors could keep or flip for additional assets. Brandon Boston Jr. has shown wildly encouraging flashes for a 6'7" shot-maker. Jason Preston is largely unproven at this level, but his 6'4" frame makes him an intriguing option to serve as Toronto's head of the snake. Throw in a way-down-the-road, unprotected first-round pick from a championship-or-bust team, and this should be enough for Toronto.
Statistics courtesy of Basketball Reference and NBA.com and accurate through Monday. Salary information via Spotrac.
Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @ZachBuckleyNBA.
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