Realistic Trade Packages for NBA's Worst Teams This Offseason
With the 2023 NBA draft lottery taking place next week, the NBA's worst teams finally have something to look forward to.
Along with some lottery luck, they can also begin planning some summer trades, ones that can either accelerate the rebuild or cash in young talent for win-now help.
For the Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs, these are trade packages all should consider.
Charlotte Hornets
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Charlotte Hornets Receive: SG Dalen Terry, PG Lonzo Ball, SF Derrick Jones Jr. (player option)
Chicago Bulls Receive: G/F Gordon Hayward
The Hornets took a major step back in 2022-23 and could already feel pressure to keep LaMelo Ball happy as he enters the final year of his rookie contract.
Hayward, now 33 and entering the last year of his own contract, shouldn't be viewed as a core piece in Charlotte any longer. The Hornets should see what they can get for Hayward before he likely leaves in free agency next season, even if the return is modest.
This is where both teams can help each other.
Lonzo Ball is expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2023-24 season following a third knee surgery, but even having him around the team in Charlotte and with his brother could help keep LaMelo happy. If this latest knee surgery is a success, a future backcourt featuring both Ball brothers could be a huge win for Charlotte, given the collective size, passing and defensive abilities of both. If Lonzo continues to miss time, his contract is down to just one guaranteed year plus a player option for $21.4 million in 2024-25.
For now, the Hornets receive Terry, the 18th overall pick of the 2022 draft out of Arizona. The 20-year-old played sparingly as a rookie but has terrific size for a shooting guard at 6'7", with his long arms able to shoot over or around defenders. Per 36 minutes of play, Terry averaged 14.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.9 steals, 0.8 blocks and shot 44.4 percent overall. Jones helps fill minutes on the wing for Charlotte with Hayward gone, although he'd need to pick up his $3.4 million player option first.
With the Bulls looking to win now, moving Ball for a player like Hayward who can play immediately is the right move.
Hayward put up 14.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists and shot 47.5 percent overall this past season for the Hornets and could serve as a starter between Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan or become the team's sixth man.
With the Bulls' offense struggling this season (24th overall, 112.8 rating), essentially swapping Terry and Jones for Hayward would improve this scoring attack while also shedding $21.4 million worth of salary in 2024-25.
Detroit Pistons
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Detroit Pistons Receive: 2024 first-round pick (via Detroit Pistons), 2024 second-round pick (via Detroit Pistons), G/F Evan Fournier
New York Knicks Receive: F Bojan Bogdanović
If the Pistons want to regain control of their future draft picks, the Knicks hold the key.
Detroit currently owes its 2024 first-round pick to New York, a selection that carries a protection all the way until 2027 (protected for selections 1-18 in 2024, 1-13 in 2025, 1-11 in 2026 and 1-9 in 2027). This severely limits what the Pistons front office can do, unless the pick is conveyed to New York or the Knicks trade it back to Detroit. For now, the Pistons would not be able to trade a first-round pick until 2029.
This trade would change that.
By sending Bogdanović to the Knicks, Detroit gets control of its 2024 first and second-round selections. This would mean the Pistons could have the freedom to trade four first-rounders (in 2024, 2026, 2028 and 2030) instead of one.
While Fournier isn't at the same level as Bogdanovic, he does give Detroit another floor-spacing, veteran forward to place between the young guards and forward on this roster.
For a New York team that ranks dead last in three-point shooting this postseason (28.2 percent), getting Bogdanović would make a huge impact on this offense overall.
The 34-year-old averaged a career-high 21.6 points for the Pistons this past season, hitting 45.5 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes. Having him space the floor for players like Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett and Julius Randle to operate would help open everything up.
Houston Rockets
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Houston Rockets Receive: F/C Pascal Siakam
Toronto Raptors Receive: PF Jabari Smith Jr., G Kevin Porter Jr., F Jae'Sean Tate, 2023 first-round pick (No. 19 overall via Los Angeles Clippers)
While other teams seem happy to complete their rebuild, the Rockets appear more likely to go star-chasing this summer. According to Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer, this could even include parting with Jalen Green, the No. 2 overall pick of the 2021 draft.
Instead of trading Green, the Rockets land him an All-Star big man to play off of here instead.
Siakam, 29, averaged 24.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists and shot 48.0 percent overall this past season while being named an All-Star for the second time. His passing ability would fit in perfectly for a Rockets team that ranked dead last in assist ratio (16.0) last season.
Houston could chase James Harden in free agency to fill the starting point guard role with Porter Jr. gone, and this roster would still have Green, Alperen Şengün, Tari Eason, KJ Martin and others to build around or dangle as trade bait.
With the Raptors in a bit of flux right now after missing the playoffs, selling high on Siakam before he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2024 is the best long-term move for the franchise.
Smith, the No. 3 overall pick in 2022, came on strong at the end of his rookie season, while Porter could become Toronto's new starting shooting guard if Gary Trent Jr. leaves in free agency. Tate gives this team some much-needed depth, and an extra first-round selection gives the Raptors a chance to package their own projected No. 13 pick in an attempt to move up in the draft.
Portland Trail Blazers
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Portland Trail Blazers Receive: F Mikal Bridges, C Nic Claxton, SG Joe Harris
Brooklyn Nets Receive: G Anfernee Simons, SG Shaedon Sharpe, C Jusuf Nurkić, 2023 first-round pick (if it doesn't land No. 1 overall)
After a 29th-ranked defense doomed the Blazers in 2021-22, Portland climbed all the way to…28th in 2022-23.
Clearly, more help is still needed.
The Blazers' first call this summer should be to Brooklyn, checking on the asking price of not just Bridges, but Claxton as well. Surrounding Damian Lillard with one of the league's best wing stoppers and rim protectors would finally give him the defensive help he needs, especially with Nurkić now gone.
Bridges looked like a No. 2 offensive option in the postseason (23.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists) and not a player a franchise can build an entire scoring attack around. He'd be the perfect sidekick to Lillard, a proven assassin in this league.
With Claxton serving as both a mobile option on the perimeter and a rejection artist in the paint, we'd see a huge jump from Portland's defense overall. Harris would be the ideal kick-out option for Lillard on the wing.
As much as the Nets would like to keep their young stars, this is a small step back for a potentially huge leap forward.
Simons and Sharpe (the No. 6 overall pick in 2022) are both dynamic guards, and landing another top selection in 2023 would stack this roster with elite young talent.
Obviously, Portland doesn't make this trade if it wins the No. 1 overall pick and the rights to Victor Wembanyama, although anything after should allow this trade to go through.
San Antonio Spurs
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San Antonio Spurs Receive: 2023 first-round round-pick (No. 18 overall), F Duncan Robinson
Miami Heat Receive: F Doug McDermott, F/C Zach Collins
Unlike the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers, these Spurs are a long way from contending again and should not be chasing stars this offseason.
Instead, shopping veterans on this roster for picks is still the way to go, especially if San Antonio can acquire a second first-round pick in the 2023 draft.
Getting the 18th overall selection from Miami would be a nice addition, even if it means taking on Robinson in the process. The marketing possibilities write themselves thanks to his namesake, and Robinson's original five-year, $90 million contract will be down to three years and $57.4 million to start next season, with just $9.9 million of his final $19.9 million guaranteed. For a Spurs team with no bad contracts, they can easily absorb this deal.
Miami can't be as patient for Robinson to regain his previously elite shooting levels, a skill McDermott now brings. The 31-year-old forward nailed 40.9 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes this past season and was even better on pull-up attempts (42.6 percent).
Collins also had a bounce-back season, averaging 11.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists and shooting 37.4 percent from three in his 22.9 minutes a night.
Acquiring both, while getting off Robinson's contract, is worth sacrificing the 2023 first-round pick for Miami.
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