1 Offseason Trade Target for Every NBA Team That Missed the Play-In
Ten NBA teams saw their seasons end after 82 games. That means, to varying degrees, something went wrong for each of them.
It's generally pretty easy to identify the issues that kept these 10 teams out of the play-in tournament (and the playoffs). Often, we have plenty to choose from. Lineup holes, plodding offense, a dearth of playmaking, poor rim defense, shaky shooting or any number of other obvious flaws can combine to knock a season off the rails.
The tricky part is fixing those problems, and we're going to double down on the difficulty level by trying to address these issues via offseason trade. Acknowledging up front that several of these clubs will go into next year as unconcerned with making the playoffs as they were this season, we've isolated one trade target who could turn a weakness into a strength.
Even if offseason talent upgrades are somewhat rare for the league's worst teams, this exercise at least helps point clubs toward the types of players that could provide help in specific areas of need.
Charlotte Hornets: Tim Hardaway Jr.
1 of 10
The Charlotte Hornets, beset by injuries and short on shooting talent, finished 29th in three-point accuracy this past season. What's more, their commitment to Mark Williams and Nick Richards as the main components of the center rotation means adding stretch everywhere else on the floor is doubly important.
LaMelo Ball's 10.6 long-range tries per game this past season proved he can provide tons of volume from distance, and his 37.6 percent hit rate bordered on miraculous considering how many difficult, extra deep and off-the-dribble looks he attempted. But he's also tasked with being the Hornets' primary facilitator—one who'll only find life easier if defenses have to stay hugged up on dangerous shooters and can't pack the lane.
P.J. Washington's free agency looms large, as does Miles Bridges' potential return to the team next year. Washington and Ball were the only players among Charlotte's top 10 in total three-point attempts who shot better than 32.5 percent from beyond the arc. If Washington walks, the Hornets' need for shooting will only intensify.
On the low end, Dallas Mavericks guard Tim Hardaway Jr. profiles as a logical target. He drained 38.5 percent of his 7.7 triple tries per game and might be expendable with Dallas needing defensive upgrades. Buddy Hield lit it up from deep at 42.5 percent in 2022-23 and is among the very best high-volume gunners in league history. He'd be the high-end choice.
If Charlotte included a pick (not ideal for a rebuilding team), maybe the Indiana Pacers would part with Hield and filler for Gordon Hayward's expiring $31.5 million salary. That could help the Hornets make strides toward the middle of the three-point pack in 2023-24.
Dallas Mavericks: Myles Turner
2 of 10
Myles Turner renegotiated and extended his deal with the Indiana Pacers this past season, which makes it seem like the franchise views him as a piece of the core going forward. It might be more sensible to view his new contract as asset preservation. From Indiana's perspective, keeping Turner on a reasonable deal was always smarter than letting him hit free agency—even if it only ever intended to trade him for picks and young talent (Turner is 27) as it rebuilds around Tyrese Haliburton.
That said, Turner, who can't be traded until July 29, six months after he signed his extension, won't come cheap. Dallas should have its eyes on Turner, who'd bring rim protection and some switchability to a defense that little of both. But can it come up with an offer that'd pique Indy's interest?
Suppose Dallas packaged its 2023 first-round pick, which it has a 79.8 percent chance of keeping, with Dāvis Bertāns (pure salary filler) and either Jaden Hardy or Josh Green? Might that intrigue Indiana?
That feels a little light from the Pacers' perspective, and such a deal might even hinge on whether the Pacers liked whoever was available when Dallas picks, likely at No. 10. Remember, the Mavericks can't technically trade their 2023 first-round selection because of the Stepien rule. But they can essentially agree to draft a player a trade partner—Indiana in this case—would want and then send the player out in a deal.
With Luka Dončić and free agent Kyrie Irving, Dallas' offense is all but guaranteed to be dangerous with nearly any other three-man combination alongside those two. Everything the Mavs do this offseason should focus on defense and perimeter shooting.
Detroit Pistons: Kyle Anderson
3 of 10
Scanning the hallowed four factors—effective field-goal percentage, turnover rate, offensive rebound rate and free-throw rate—is among the quickest ways to evaluate a team's strengths, weaknesses and overall quality on both ends. The Detroit Pistons, owners of the league's worst record, were unsurprisingly terrible in most of them. The only exceptions were top-10 positions in offensive rebound rate and free-throw rate, which stemmed from the roster's surplus of young, athletic players who were comfortable flinging their bodies into crowds.
That profile would benefit from upgrades in the skill and decision-making departments.
Cade Cunningham's return from injury should help. But even with him back in the fold next year, Detroit has wildly inexperienced bigs to juggle in James Wiseman, Jalen Duren and even Isaiah Stewart, plus Jaden Ivey in the backcourt.
Kyle Anderson could bring the patience and poise Detroit needs to balance out its sped-up, quick-trigger youth.
Anderson was among the best free-agent signings in the league this past offseason, but his future status with the Minnesota Timberwolves could be in jeopardy after Rudy Gobert took a swing at him on the sideline in the team's last game of the season. Minnesota can't trade Gobert for positive value with his contract, declining production and recent proclivity for fisticuffs, and it may not want to move Anderson either, whose passing and defense at the 4 were hugely valuable.
But what if Anderson angles for an exit? Based on the reporting and audio leaks about his part in the dust-up (and feelings about Gobert), that's not out of the question. Pairing him with either Wiseman or Duren up front would raise spacing questions because Anderson has been inconsistent from deep year over year and has never been a high-volume shooter. But if he could make things work with Gobert (on the court...until recently), he could do the same thing with Detroit's young bigs.
Houston Rockets: Tyus Jones
4 of 10
The Houston Rockets need an adult in the room, and that doesn't have to mean a graying veteran with more experience than actual game. Instead, this team, which led the league in turnover rate and pounded the ball in an aimless, disorganized fashion when it wasn't chucking it into the fifth row, has to find someone who'll value possessions.
That's Tyus Jones' whole deal.
Don't let that undersell the overall skill set the current Memphis Grizzlies backup would bring. Jones, 26, shot 37.1 percent from deep this season and 39.0 percent in 2021-22 while also averaging a sneaky 1.8 steals per 36 minutes for his career. The Duke product is a helpful two-way player who might be the most overqualified second-stringer at his position. The Rockets should welcome all that, but what they really can't live without is Jones' low-mistake play.
He led qualified players with a 5.64-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in 2022-23, his fifth straight season atop that particular leaderboard. The 7.04-to-1 mark he produced in 2021-22 was an NBA record.
It'd be great if Kevin Porter Jr. or Jalen Green could develop their playmaking chops and eventually keep the Rockets offense from looking like a circus. But with Houston intent on competing next season, Jones' contributions would be of much more immediate value. For the team with the worst ball security in the league, Jones is, statistically, the best possible fit.
Indiana Pacers: Jonathan Isaac
5 of 10
There will probably be some clamoring for John Collins on this front, and the Atlanta Hawks perennially on-the-block power forward would make for a fine fit alongside Myles Turner in the Indiana Pacers' frontcourt. But Collins is pricey at $25 million per season and may never recover the shooting stroke that made him so valuable in prior years.
Indiana should go for the high-upside play in Jonathan Isaac instead.
Collins is among the league's most frequent inhabitants of the rumor mill, but Isaac's time spent on the training table is similarly extensive. The No. 6 pick in 2017 has played 45 games across the last four seasons, missing all of 2020-21 and 2021-22. An adductor injury ended his comeback after just 11 contests this year. Based on that track record, the safest assumption is that Isaac will never be able to stay on the floor consistently.
Nothing's certain, though, and Isaac showed in this season's cameo that he still had the skill package that made him one of the NBA's most promising defenders. The 6'11" frame, long arms, lightning-quick hands, high-revving motor, smart rotations and two-steps-ahead anticipation were all on display as he piled up 14 steals in 124 minutes.
Put that kind of disruptive 4 next to Turner's shot-blocking at the 5 and Tyrese Haliburton's cat-burglar thievery at the point, and you've got a recipe for extreme defensive havoc. Better still, all the chaos those three could cause would feed into a Pacers transition attack that already rates among the league's best.
Isaac is set to make $34.8 million across the next two seasons, but only $7.6 million is guaranteed. Indiana is in a position to take a flier, even if we're all justified in looking at Isaac's intention to be ready for the start of 2023-24 skeptically. Ultimately, the potential payoff makes the risk worthwhile.
Orlando Magic: Lonzo Ball
6 of 10
Maybe the uncertainty surrounding Lonzo Ball's upcoming season and entire basketball future makes him a scary trade target for an Orlando Magic team that should be angling for a playoff spot in 2023-24. But the fit between a theoretically healthy Ball and this particular Magic roster is too good to ignore.
It's clear Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are good enough to function as Orlando's main facilitators and playmakers, albeit from positions that aren't usually tasked with those responsibilities. That means the Magic don't necessarily need a conventional point guard. And while Markelle Fultz provides capable on-ball work and solid defense, his perimeter shooting (31.0 percent on 1.5 three-point tries per game) just isn't substantial enough for him to be helpful as a starter.
The best version of Ball may never return, but that player would be ideal in Orlando. A two-passes-ahead connector who makes decisions quickly, Ball doesn't need to run 15 pick-and-rolls per game to make his teammates better. He does that with hit-ahead outlets in transition, timely swing passes and a generally intuitive style that ensures cutters will be hit in stride. On D, he's been one of the league's more potent backcourt defenders and ball hawks.
Ball's 38.7 percent three-point shooting across his last three healthy seasons (a relative term with him, to be sure) would also address the biggest weakness in Orlando's offensive profile.
Jalen Suggs is an even less threatening scorer than Fultz, while Cole Anthony's high-volume production over his three years comes with an ugly 52.8 true shooting percentage.
Ball will earn $20.5 million in 2023-24 and has a $21.4 million player option for the following season. All of that could be dead money if the knee issues that have sidelined him for the better part of two seasons never subside, and Orlando might be justified in searching for someone with less downside risk. The upside is just too tantalizing to ignore.
Portland Trail Blazers: O.G. Anunoby
7 of 10
For the fourth straight year, the Portland Trail Blazers finished with a defensive rating in the league's bottom five. So you know where the focus has to be in trade talks this summer.
Portland needs defensive upgrades to give Damian Lillard the shot at contention he deserves, and O.G. Anunoby might be the best semi-plausible option to accomplish that. Anunoby finished 2022-23 ranked third in the league in Defensive Estimated Plus/Minus and first among wings. He can defend everything that moves, from point guards to centers, and no guard or forward who covered at least 100 isolation attacks held opponents to fewer points per possession.
With free agency coming in 2024 and the Toronto Raptors probably unable to offer Anunoby an extension large enough to prevent him from testing the waters, the Blazers could swoop in with an offer of Anfernee Simons and a future first-rounder for Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa, another high-ceiling, positionally hazy option.
The Raptors need playmaking and scoring from the guard spot, and Simons could offer plenty of that. Portland should happily take the tradeoff of backcourt offense for frontcourt defense, given its consistent lack of the latter. If Toronto loses Fred VanVleet in free agency this summer, Simons would instantly become even more appealing.
Portland may have to pay close to $30 million per year to keep Jerami Grant in free agency, and adding Anunoby's next salary, which could be in that same range, would make for a costly payroll. But the Blazers know what they need, and they should be willing to pay for it if all this talk of maximizing Lillard's prime is for real.
San Antonio Spurs: Another Lottery Pick
8 of 10
With the possible exception of Devin Vassell, who logged only 32 games this past season, the San Antonio Spurs don't have the promising cornerstone so many other rebuilders already possess. That'll change if San Antonio wins the lottery and nabs Victor Wembanyama, but any offseason trade should still focus on finding another crack at a high-ceilinged prospect.
That could mean sending Keldon Johnson to the Portland Trail Blazers in a package for their 2023 first-rounder, which should land within the top five. If Portland loses Jerami Grant in free agency, Johnson and his 22.2 points per game could replace Grant's scoring. Johnson profiles as a solid starter, and San Antonio shouldn't surrender him lightly. But a top-five pick should yield someone with more potential.
Or, more boldly, the Spurs could gauge the Dallas Mavericks' interest in Jeremy Sochan's immense defensive potential. San Antonio probably shouldn't ship Sochan out for Dallas' 2023 first-rounder alone. That selection is most likely to be No. 10, which isn't quite enough value for Sochan, who has an outside shot at making the All-Rookie first team. But if the Mavs sweetened the pot with future seconds or Jaden Hardy, the Spurs should absolutely consider it.
Oklahoma City has Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams. The Pistons have Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey. The Rockets have Jalen Green and Alperen Sengün. Charlotte has LaMelo Ball. San Antonio needs its own potential superstar to keep pace with the other teams on the upswing.
Utah Jazz: Markelle Fultz
9 of 10
Talen Horton-Tucker is an interesting option at the point because his wide frame and forceful playing style make him a difficult matchup for opponents at the position. But the 28.6 percent hit rate from deep and the iffy finishing around the basket make him more of a curiosity than a viable starting option.
Plus, at 6.7 assists per 36 minutes, he's not the purest distributor. Better to rely on him as a change-of-pace option off the bench and seek out a real on-ball playmaker.
Markelle Fultz comes with his own shooting issues, but that's exactly why the Magic should view him as expendable. Orlando needs its guards to spread the floor and hit spot-ups looks if it is going to run the offense through forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, and Fultz's stroke just isn't reliable enough to fit the bill—even if he defends and passes at a high level.
Collin Sexton and his career 38.0 percent mark from deep makes far more sense for the Magic, who could use his scoring (19.0 points per game for his career) and wouldn't be bothered by his lacking assist numbers. In the Magic's inverted system, the guards score on setups from forwards, not the other way around.
In Utah, Fultz could provide the same stabilizing influence Mike Conley did prior to the trade deadline, pushing in transition, finding easy shots for Lauri Markkanen and setting up blossoming roll man Walker Kessler. The 2017 No. 1 pick would add real defensive oomph to the Jazz's backcourt and pair with reclamation project Kris Dunn (assuming Utah retains him in free agency) to ensure the team had a potent guard stopper on the floor at all times.
A straight-up Sexton-for-Fultz deal would work, perhaps with one side or the other throwing in a little draft capital to get it done.
Washington Wizards: Jordan Poole
10 of 10
Bradley Beal, Deni Avdija, Delon Wright and even Kristaps Porziņģis are reliable facilitators at their positions. But rookie point guard Johnny Davis may have been the biggest lottery flop of the 2022 draft, and starter Monte Morris proved once and for all that he's more of a high-end backup than a starter at the 1.
The Washington Wizards need a real playmaker at the point, and their glut of decent passers elsewhere on the roster means they can focus on someone who breaks down and bends the defense when on the ball more so than someone who'll average 10.0 assists.
Jordan Poole turns the ball over a ton and can't be relied upon defensively, but he's a high-wire bucket-getter who could pull significant attention away from Washington's other options. Whether blowing by his man and getting into the lane, pulling defenders out on the floor to cover his deep three-point tries or causing miscommunications with his Stephen Curry-lite off-ball sprints, Poole could inject a level of offensive dynamism the Wizards have been missing from their point guards.
With his four-year, $128 million extension kicking in for 2023-24, Washington would have to send out significant matching salary to get a deal done. And if the Warriors make another deep playoff run in which Poole features prominently, this might never move beyond the hypothetical realm. But Golden State players have been visibly frustrated by (but also outwardly supportive of) Poole's play this year, and there's still the whole preseason punch cloud hanging over the organization.
If Washington offered up Avdija, Morris and Wright, it might at least catch the attention of a Warriors team that is primed to lose Donte DiVincenzo, JaMychal Green and possibly even Draymond Green in free agency.
Stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference and Cleaning the Glass. Accurate through conclusion of 2022-23 season. Salary info via Spotrac.
Grant Hughes covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter (@gt_hughes), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, where he appears with Bleacher Report's Dan Favale.
.png?w=600 "New Mock with Lottery Odds Locked In 🔮")
