Surprising NBA Offseason Trades to Start Thinking About Now
A year ago at this time, few could have predicted that the Utah Jazz would soon trade away their All-Star duo of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, especially since the franchise was gearing up for another playoff run.
Undoubtedly, we'll see some more surprising deals take place over the summer, especially after some teams inevitably suffer early playoff exits.
Be it a Paul George return to the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks ending the Dejounte Murray experiment or the Brooklyn Nets finding a suitor for Ben Simmons, the following five deals are already worth thinking about for these 10 teams.
Tyus Jones Takes over Point Guard Duties in Chicago
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Chicago Bulls Receive: PG Tyus Jones
Memphis Grizzlies Receive: G Alex Caruso, SG Dalen Terry, 2026 second-round pick
With Lonzo Ball recently undergoing his third knee surgery in a little over a year and likely missing most, if not all, of the 2023-24 season, the Bulls should be looking for point guard help this summer.
Jones is arguably the best backup point guard in the NBA who's done a terrific job filling in for Ja Morant as needed with the Grizzlies the past four years. The 26-year-old is averaging 16.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 1.7 steals and shooting 42.2 percent from three in his 21 starts this season and deserves a full-time role.
Assuming Chicago wants to keep its core of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and free agent Nikola Vucevic together, getting Jones in a trade would help push the Bulls back into the playoffs. With Jones playing out the final year of his contract in Chicago, the Bulls could see where Ball is physically going into the summer of 2024.
Memphis isn't parting with Jones for nothing, of course. He's been far too valuable to the team's success, with or without Morant in the lineup.
Caruso can pick up some backup point guard minutes, is one of the better defenders at his position and has a plus-9.6 swing rating this season (93rd percentile, per Cleaning the Glass). He'd be a nice addition to the Grizzlies bench along with Terry, the 18th overall pick in the 2022 draft by Chicago.
If Memphis believes rookie point guard Kennedy Chandler can play a larger role next season, swapping out Jones before he hits unrestricted free agency for a package of Caruso, Terry and a future second-round pick is good value.
Blazers Swap Anfernee Simons for Raptors' OG Anunoby
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Toronto Raptors Receive: G Anfernee Simons, SG Keon Johnson
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: OG Anunoby, F/C Thaddeus Young
In a swap of two of the brightest young players in the NBA, both teams satisfy needs with Simons and Anunoby switching squads.
The Raptors face a very uncertain offseason, one where both Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. can become unrestricted free agents. Getting Simons would help hedge a loss of either (or both), as the 23-year-old is a talented scorer and distributor.
Simons is putting up 21.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists and shooting 37.7 percent from three in his first season as a full-time starter, serving as one of the few bright spots in Portland this year. For a Raptors team that needs backcourt help and players who can create their own shot, Simons would be a perfect fit. Johnson offers upside as well, a 21-year-old, 6'5" guard who recently dropped 20 points in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.
For Portland, improving on the defensive end needs to be this offseason's priority.
The Blazers rank just 27th defensively this season (117.4 rating), topping only the tanking San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons. While re-signing Jerami Grant is a must, putting another big wing defender in Anunoby next to him would truly transform Portland into an above-average unit.
Anunoby leads the NBA with 1.9 steals a night, with Toronto allowing 3.9 fewer points per 100 possessions with the 25-year-old in the game. He's one of the few non-bigs who could realistically win Defensive Player of the Year sometime in the near future. No scrub on the other end, Anunoby is also averaging 16.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and is making 38.8 percent of his three-pointers.
If the Blazers feel good about rookie Shaedon Sharpe's development as a starter at shooting guard next to Lillard next season, moving Simons in a deal for Anunoby better fills this team's needs.
Spurs Buy Low on Ben Simmons, Nets Add Another Sniper
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San Antonio Spurs Receive: G/F Ben Simmons, 2023 first-round pick (unprotected via Phoenix Suns)
Brooklyn Nets Receive: F Doug McDermott
The brief Ben Simmons era in Brooklyn has been nothing short of a disaster, as the 26-year-old managed just 42 total games this season before being shut down for good because of a nerve issue in his back.
His 6.9 points per game represented a significant drop from his previous career low (14.3), while Simmons still showed no interest in expanding his game to the three-point line. His free-throw attempts also plummeted, with Simmons getting to the line just 1.4 times a game, down from the 4.9 per-night mark for his career.
With two years and just over $78 million remaining on his contract, the Nets aren't going to find a trade market for Simmons, and will need to part with draft capital just to move him.
If there was ever an organization and coaching staff that could bring Simmons back to an All-Star level, however, it would be the San Antonio Spurs.
To go along with Gregg Popovich, former Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown is now an assistant in San Antonio. Simmons made three All-Star games, one All-NBA team, was Rookie of the Year and runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year all under Brown.
The Spurs are also in terrific financial shape, with a swap of Simmons and McDermott still only bringing San Antonio's 2023-24 salary total to $108.3 million, leaving them with approximately $25.7 million in cap space. The Spurs also add another first-round pick this summer, currently projected to be 21st overall.
For Brooklyn, the move gets them under the projected salary cap of $134 million while also adding a talented shooter in McDermott to join the rotation. The 31-year-old is averaging 10.0 points and connecting on 41.6 percent of his threes for the Spurs this season.
While having to give up a first-round pick just to get off Simmons' contract stings, it's a necessary move to get the franchise into good financial shape.
Dejounte Murray, John Collins Make Jazz Contenders Again
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Utah Jazz Receive: G Dejounte Murray, PF John Collins
Atlanta Hawks Receive: G Collin Sexton, SG Ochai Agbaji, F/C Kelly Olynyk, 2023 first-round pick (unprotected via Minnesota Timberwolves), 2025 first-round pick (unprotected via Cleveland Cavaliers)
The Jazz have traded away Donovan Mitchell, Rudy Gobert, Bojan Bogdanovic, Mike Conley Jr., Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverley and Jarred Vanderbilt over the past nine months and could somehow still reach the play-in tournament in the West.
Clearly, this isn't a team that needs to undergo a complete rebuild and should already be looking to jump back into true contention next season with a core of Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson, Walker Kessler and Talen Horton-Tucker.
If the Hawks are willing to shake up their roster (one that's only hovered around .500 all season), the Jazz should make some calls.
Murray has been good as a No. 2 option next to Trae Young, but would once again get the opportunity to be a lead floor general in Utah. He was an All-Star with the San Antonio Spurs in 2022 when last playing in the Western Conference, and remains an elite backcourt defender who can score, create for others and is still only 26 years old.
Collins was a trade target of Utah's at the deadline, and the 25-year-old would be the perfect floor-spacing, lob-finishing frontcourt threat between Markkanen and Kessler.
With a starting five of Murray, Clarkson, Markkanen, Collins and Kessler, the Jazz will have rebuilt themselves into one of the top teams in the West once again and still have lots of extra first-round picks to use going forward.
For Atlanta, any worry of Murray leaving in unrestricted free agency next summer should cause them to trade him this offseason while there's still value to be had. After parting with three first-round picks for Murray in 2022, the Hawks can recoup two selections while also adding some young talent and getting off the remainder of Collins' three year and $78 million-plus contract here.
Sexton has bounced back nicely from a knee injury last season, putting up 16.5 points and 4.8 assists in his 15 starts while shooting 53.7 percent overall. The Atlanta area native could be a sixth man behind Young or play next to him as the starting shooting guard.
Agbaji, the No. 14 overall pick in 2022, is up to 13.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists on 40.7 percent shooting from three over his last 10 games while Olynyk (12.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 38.5 percent from deep this season) gives the frontcourt more spacing and ball movement.
Getting Murray hasn't pushed Atlanta any higher up the standings. The Hawks should consider moving him now while they still have the chance.
Paul George Helps Knicks Join East's Elite
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New York Knicks Receive: G/F Paul George
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: G/F RJ Barrett, PF Obi Toppin, C Isaiah Hartenstein
If the Clippers somehow all get healthy at the same time and win the 2023 NBA FInals, please disregard this idea.
If L.A.'s postseason ends the way it has the past 52 years, however, there's a very real chance major changes could be coming. Should the Clippers shop George this summer, the Knicks should be interested.
As-in, New York is a good (albeit, not great) team in the East that should soon lock up the fifth seed and face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round. Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle are both borderline All-Stars moving forward, meaning this team could use one more proven veteran with playoff experience who can lead this group to a top seed in the conference.
George, an eight-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA team member, can be this guy.
Even at 32, George isn't slowing down. He's averaging 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.5 steals and shooting 37.1 percent from three this season, numbers only equaled or exceeded by LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard over the last decade.
A starting lineup of Brunson, Quentin Grimes, George, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson with Immanuel Quickley as a sixth man could go head-to-head with the best in the East.
For the Clippers, moving from George to Barrett gives Los Angeles a younger wing who's been far more durable as of late. As good as George is when healthy, he's failed to play more than 56 games in a season since being traded to the Clippers four years ago.
Toppin adds some more youth and athleticism to Los Angeles' frontcourt, and getting Hartenstein back as a key reserve behind Ivica Zubac brings more rim protection.
If the Clippers believe that Barrett (19.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 43.5 percent shooting at age 22) can continue to develop into a star, this can still be a title-worthy core around Leonard.
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