5 Wild NBA Trade Ideas That Could Actually Work
Less than a month into the 2023-24 season, it already feels like a few teams and players could use a shakeup.
Here, we'll offer some options that are a little outside the box.
Instead of rehashing the rumors and ideas we've heard for weeks (and in some cases, months)—like Zach LaVine to the Philadelphia 76ers or Pascal Siakam to the Atlanta Hawks—we'll get a little wilder.
The players below have certainly been in the rumor mill at various times over the offseason and early parts of 2023-24, but we're hypothetically sending them to destinations that haven't been discussed (or at least not extensively).
Kyle Kuzma to the 76ers
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The Deal: Kyle Kuzma for Marcus Morris Sr., Furkan Korkmaz, Danuel House Jr. and a 2026 first-round pick
Even without James Harden logging a single second for the team prior to his trade, the Sixers are putting up plenty of points right now.
But Harden had an undeniably positive impact on last regular season's attack. And this weekend, news that Kelly Oubre Jr. had been hit by a car and suffered broken ribs and other injuries to his hip and right leg surfaced.
Philadelphia might need a punch on offense, and the Washington Wizards already look like a borderline lock to be in the lottery this coming summer. That means their veteran scorer, 28-year-old Kyle Kuzma could (or at least, should) be available.
The Sixers could use some portion of the return they got for Harden to land him.
Kuzma has been far from the most efficient scorer over the past several years, but this deal would probably make him a reserve in Philadelphia. His ability to score in bunches might be even more effective against reserves.
For the Wizards, this deal gives them three expiring contracts, which would open up some flexibility this offseason. A first-rounder for Kuzma is good value for a team in the asset- and talent-accumulation phase of its rebuild.
DeMar DeRozan to the Lakers
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The Deal: DeMar DeRozan for D'Angelo Russell, Gabe Vincent and a 2030 first-round pick
Los Angeles Lakers fans would surely quibble over giving up a first-round pick for DeMar DeRozan. He's 34 years old, has long played an inefficient brand of basketball and has negatively impacted his teams' plus-minus in 13 of his 15 seasons.
But DeRozan's expiring contract offers the team a little more flexibility than those of D'Angelo Russell (who has a player option for 2024-25) and Gabe Vincent (under contract through 2025-26). Neither guard is really lighting things up right now, either. Unloading them for a wing could simplify some rotation decisions for coach Darvin Ham.
In the aftermath of a deal like this, L.A. would almost be forced to play Austin Reaves or LeBron James at point guard, which would allow it to fill out the rest of the roster with size and defensive switchability.
For the Chicago Bulls, it's long past time to start a full-fledged rebuild. For the two-plus seasons they've been together, the team has been just plain bad when all three of DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević are on the floor.
The front office should be looking to get whatever assets it can for any of those three and looking to start over. If some team is willing to surrender a first for DeRozan, Chicago should go for it.
Zach LaVine to the Knicks
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The Deal: Zach LaVine for RJ Barrett, Evan Fournier, a 2024 first-round pick and a 2027 first-round pick
With a treasure trove of future assets and multiple movable contracts, the New York Knicks have looked like one of the league's top star-hunters for years.
They were in the mix for Donovan Mitchell during the 2022 offseason. When Joel Embiid trade rumors crept up this past summer, the Knicks found their way to that rumor mill, too.
But either one of those acquisitions would've cost New York most of its picks and prospects. LaVine, on the other hand, probably wouldn't.
It's already clear Evan Fournier isn't part of the team's plans. He wasn't in the rotation last season, and he's yet to play a minute in 2023-24. While there might still be some untapped potential for RJ Barrett, it's starting to feel him developing into the player LaVine is now would be a long shot, at best (and Barrett isn't good at long shots).
Over the course of his career, Barrett has been one of the game's least efficient scorers, and the Knicks have been better when he's off the floor.
Replacing him with LaVine's explosive scoring ability and outside shooting would open up the floor for the slashing of Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle and increase the team's chances of winning a second-round series.
For Chicago, this obviously fits with the rebuilding strategy laid out in the previous slide. The Bulls need an entirely new start, and getting multiple picks for DeRozan and LaVine would provide a good foundation for the rebuild.
If Barrett wound up living up to his draft position in Chicago, even better.
Malcolm Brogdon to the Cavaliers
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The Deal: Malcolm Brogdon for Caris LeVert, Isaac Okoro, a 2025 second-round pick (via Milwaukee) and a 2026 second-round pick
A Malcolm Brogdon trade feels about as inevitable for the Portland Trail Blazers as the Jrue Holiday deal that landed Brogdon there in the first place.
He doesn't fit the timeline much better than Holiday, and his presence on the roster, though probably good for young players as an example of professionalism, is only hurting the team's 2024 lottery odds.
The sooner Portland trades the 2022-23 Sixth Man of the Year, the likelier it'll be able to secure a top-five pick in next summer's draft.
Even if the Blazers can't get a first-rounder for him, there's long-term value in simply removing him from the rotation (something that's more justifiable from a front-office perspective than it is for coach Chauncy Billups).
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a team that could use more depth, shooting and table-setting in the backcourt.
The Cavs are near the bottom third of the league in offense, thanks in part to an injury to Darius Garland. Without Ricky Rubio, who decided to sit the season to deal with his mental health, absences from him or Donovan Mitchell are going to be real problems.
Having Brogdon would make them more survivable.
He's more of a distributor and a more reliable outside shooter than Caris LeVert. And while the loss of Isaac Okoro changes the team's long-term prospects a bit, the offseason additions of Max Strus and Georges Niang would help make up for his loss on the wing in the short-term. In certain situations, Cleveland might even be able to play all of Garland, Mitchell and Brogdon together.
Kelly Olynyk to the Thunder
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The Deal: Aleksej Pokusevski and Ousmane Dieng for Kelly Olynyk
Chet Holmgren has clearly filled in some gaps in the Oklahoma City Thunder's rotation, but the team could still use more size.
Holmgren isn't necessarily built to bang inside with Western Conference bruisers like Nikola Jokić, Alperen Şengün, Domantas Sabonis and Jonas Valančiūnas, and he has the perimeter skills to play some 4. Playing him alongside a more traditionally sized big like Kelly Olynyk would make OKC more stout without really sacrificing versatility.
Since the start of last season, Olynyk has hit 39.5 percent of his threes and averaged 3.7 assists. His shooting and playmaking in the same lineups with Chet, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Josh Giddey would make the already scary Thunder borderline terrifying.
For the Utah Jazz, Olynyk fits the team's rebuilding timeline about as well as Brogdon fits Portland's. In other words, he doesn't.
The Jazz should be angling for picks or young talent to put around Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler and rookie Keyounte George. This deal gives them a 21-year-old Aleksej Pokusevski and a 20-year-old Ousmane Dieng, both of whom have some untapped potential.
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