5 Fresh Trade Ideas to Shake Up 2023 NBA Draft Night
The 2023 NBA draft is less than 10 days away, although only one pick feels locked in so far.
Outside of the San Antonio Spurs selecting Victor Wembanyama first overall, it feels like we could see movement starting with the Charlotte Hornets at No. 2.
From the Detroit Pistons looking to jump up from No. 5, the Trail Blazers willing to move back from No. 3 for veteran help around Damian Lillard, to the Dallas Mavericks shipping off their lottery pick altogether to assist Luka Doncic and more, the following five trade ideas would have a big impact on the top half of the 2023 draft overall.
Pistons Trade Up for Brandon Miller
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Detroit Pistons Receive: No. 2 overall pick, SF Gordon Hayward
Charlotte Hornets Receive: No. 5 overall pick, F Bojan Bogdanović, G/F Alec Burks
No team fell further from their projected spot on lottery night than the Pistons, who were tied for the best odds at landing the No. 1 overall pick.
While moving back up to first is out of the question, Detroit should have interest in switching places with the Hornets at No. 2 for the right to select Alabama forward Brandon Miller.
Miller would be the perfect fit on this Pistons roster, one that's loaded with guards and bigs. Putting the 6'9" forward between players like Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, Isaiah Stewart, James Wiseman and others would help balance out the roster and give Detroit arguably the best group of young talent in the NBA.
Hayward doesn't fit the team's timeline, but the 33-year-old is on an expiring $31.5 million contract, giving the Pistons an asset to salary-match with closer to the trade deadline.
For Charlotte, falling three spots would still land the Hornets an elite prospect like Amen Thompson, Ausar Thompson or Cam Whitmore. Charlotte should also be more desperate to jump back into contention with LaMelo Ball entering the final season of his rookie deal, meaning the Hornets should be thrilled to add veterans like Bogdanović and Burks to the rotation.
Bogdanović averaged 21.6 points and shot 41.1 percent from three for the Pistons last season while Burks chipped in 12.1 points on 41.4 percent from deep. For a Charlotte team that ranked just 29h in three-point accuracy (33.0 percent) and tied for 28th in makes (10.7 per game), both Bogdanović and Burks would completely open things up for Ball and company.
Mavericks Trade No. 10 for John Collins, Onyeka Okongwu
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Atlanta Hawks Receive: No. 10 overall pick, PF Dāvis Bertāns, C JaVale McGee
Dallas Mavericks Receive: PF John Collins, C Onyeka Okongwu
The Mavericks need frontcourt help with Christian Wood and Dwight Powell hitting free agency.
The Hawks need to start cutting salary while still remaining competitive.
For Dallas, securing a potential No. 3 scoring option in Collins and a young, defensive ace in Okongwu sets this frontcourt up for the foreseeable future. The 25-year-old Collins would immediately become Dallas' starting power forward who brings career averages of 15.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and shooting marks of 61.1 percent from two and 35.6 percent from three.
Okongwu, the No. 6 overall pick in 2020, has been stuck behind Clint Capela during his three years in Atlanta but is ready for a starting job. The 22-year-old has averaged 10.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and shot 60.6 percent overall in 28 career starts. He still has one year left on his rookie deal and remains under team control as a restricted free agent next summer. The Mavs also dump Bertāns and McGee, two veterans who have become overpaid on their current deals.
Even before making a move this offseason, the Hawks are currently $8.5 million over the luxury tax line, with six players earning $18 million this year or more. Their financial situation only gets worse next summer, when Dejounte Murray comes off his team-friendly $18.2 million deal and will likely expect a max contract.
Moving Collins gets the second-largest contract off the books for Atlanta, as he's owed $78.5 million over the next three seasons. It also saves the Hawks $10.7 million immediately, at least temporarily putting them back below the luxury tax line.
Atlanta can still roll out a starting lineup of Trae Young, Murray, Saddiq Bey, De'Andre Hunter and Capela, and now have the 10th and 15th overall picks to add to a bench featuring Bogdan Bogdanovic, AJ Griffin, Jalen Johnson, Bertāns and McGee.
Blazers Move Back, Acquire Myles Turner
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Indiana Pacers Receive: No. 3 overall pick, C Jusuf Nurkić
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: No. 7 overall pick, C Myles Turner
If the Blazers want to continue to add veteran, defensive help around Damian Lillard and the Pacers indeed wish to move up the draft board, swapping centers and picks makes sense for both sides here.
Starting with Indiana, jumping from No. 7 to No. 3 guarantees the Pacers the chance at either Brandon Miller or Scoot Henderson, players they can add to a core of Tyrese Haliburton and Ben Mathurin. Miller is the better fit for Indiana, although players like Cam Whitmore or Jarace Walker, who may not be around at No. 7, could be options if Miller goes second overall.
Nurkić, 28, isn't the rim-protector or three-point shooter that Turner is, but he's a solid starting NBA center who averaged 13.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and shot 51.9 percent overall in his 26.8 minutes a night.
For Portland, Turner has long-been an ideal center to place next to Lillard. The Blazers finished 27th overall defensively last season (119.1 rating) even after adding Jerami Grant. Turner has ranked in the 90th, 93rd and 74th percentile in defensive swing rating the past three seasons and is one of the league's best shot-blockers.
The Blazers would still have the No. 7 overall pick to use a trade bait to upgrade the roster, or simply make the selection and go into training camp with another young, talented player like last season with Shaedon Sharpe.
Pelicans Scoot Up the Draft Board to Get their Point Guard
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New Orleans Pelicans Receive: No. 2 overall pick, F Cody Martin
Charlotte Hornets Receive: No. 14 overall pick, 2027 first-round pick (unprotected via Milwaukee Bucks), F Trey Murphy III, G Dyson Daniels
As Shams Charania of The Athletic reports, "the Pelicans are expected to aggressively pursue a top pick, potentially two or three, in this upcoming NBA draft with their eyes set on Scoot Henderson".
We'll make David Griffin's dreams come true here as New Orleans doesn't take any chances, moving up from No. 14 to No. 2 overall to make sure that Henderson will be available.
The upside here is obvious for the Pelicans.
Henderson is a dynamic guard who would immediately join a starting lineup that features CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson and Jonas Valančiūnas. The Pelicans would become a lock to reach the West playoffs if Williamson is healthy and realistically compete for homecourt advantage in the first round. While the team's overall defense and depth takes a hit, the chance to add a talent like Henderson is worth it.
For a Charlotte team that may have been concerned with the fit between Henderson and LaMelo Ball anyways, this is a great return.
The Hornets still get to make a lottery pick in this draft and add what could be an extremely valuable pick with Milwaukee's 2027 unprotected selection. Giannis Antetokounmpo's current contract ends as early as 2025, with a player option for the 2025-26 season.
Charlotte also gets Murphy, the 22-year-old forward who averaged 14.5 points and shot 40.6 percent from three last season and Daniels, the No. 8 overall pick from last year who at 6'8" would create a supersized backcourt next to Ball.
Bradley Beal to Orlando; No. 6 Overall Pick, Jalen Suggs to Washington
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Washington Wizards Receive: No. 6 overall pick, G Jalen Suggs, F/C Jonathan Isaac, SG Gary Harris
Orlando Magic Receive: SG Bradley Beal
If the Magic want to speed up their rebuild and break into the East playoffs next season, parting with one of their lottery picks for a guard as good as Beal would do the trick.
Beal, 29, is a three-time All-Star coming off a season where he averaged 23.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists while making a career-high 55.2 percent of his twos and 36.5 percent of his threes.
A starting lineup featuring Markelle Fultz, Beal, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr. would be full of size and offensive pop, with plenty of room to grow. Orlando's bench would still feature Cole Anthony, Bol Bol, Chuma Okeke and the 11th overall pick in this year's draft.
Beal, who has four years remaining on his contract, would have to consent to the trade. If a new front office in Washington tells him the Wizards plan to rebuild, however, jumping ship to a Magic team that finished just a game behind them and is very much on the rise would be a great opportunity for the veteran shooting guard while he's still in his prime.
Rebuilding is what's best for the Wizards, especially after a disappointing 35-47 season. Trading Beal wipes the remaining four years and $207.7 million off the books and gives Washington the Nos. 6 and 8 overall picks in this draft.
Suggs, the fifth overall selection in 2021, could thrive in Beal's former spot as the team's new starting shooting guard and Isaac only has $7.6 million of his two-year, $34.8 million contract guaranteed if injury issues persist.
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