Every NBA Team's Most Untouchable Player In Offseason Trades
The NBA trade market will ignite soon.
Expect to hear plenty of talk regarding "untouchables" in the near future.
For as often as that word gets thrown around, though, there aren't many actual untouchables in the Association. There are stars who would require an absurd amount to get, but there aren't many who are totally off-limits regardless of who and what is on the table.
Every franchise has someone who comes closest to wearing that label, though. Those players just don't all have it for the same reason.
For many, it's as simple as being a team's best player. With certain lottery teams, though, it could be a young player with the most perceived potential, or even someone who hasn't shown enough yet to make it worthwhile for his team to shop him around.
Atlanta Hawks: Jalen Johnson
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In January, Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer brought word that Jalen Johnson and Trae Young were Atlanta's only untouchables.
That list has apparently been sliced in half since, as the Hawks appear not only willing to move on from Young, but there is also a "growing belief in many corners of the league" that they'd prefer trading him over Dejounte Murray, per NBA insider Marc Stein.
Johnson, in other words, is running unopposed for this distinction. As he should be after such an eye-opening sprint through the 2023-24 season.
The 22-year-old would have had a compelling Most Improved Player candidacy had he met the 65-game threshold. He is Atlanta's best defensive answer to any problem posed by an opposing offense, and his offensive game is bursting at the seams.
He's your classic 6'9" jumbo playmaker who defends all over, controls the glass, finishes with force and, as of this past season, hits threes at a reasonable rate (35.5 percent).
Johnson's development has been so profound it doesn't feel hyperbolic to suggest he has legitimate centerpiece potential.
Boston Celtics: Jayson Tatum
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Jayson Tatum arrived in Boston in the 2017 draft and didn't take long to gain untouchable status.
In his first playoff run with the Shamrocks—as a 20-year-old rookie—he paced the conference finalists in playoff points (18.5 per outing) while shooting a strong 47.1 percent from the field.
It was obvious early the Celtics had a special talent on their hands, and they've helped cultivate his rise as an All-NBA first-teamer (twice) and annual MVP candidate. There's a reason that whenever talk arises about Boston potentially changing things up following any postseason frustrations those conversations don't include whispers of a Tatum trade.
The five-time All-Star is objectively awesome—97th percentile in estimated plus/minus this season—and seemingly still improving. This season, he posted his most win shares per 48 minutes (.189) and the widest gap between his assist percentage (21) and turnover percentage (10.3).
Brooklyn Nets: Noah Clowney
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Scoffing at this selection is a totally understandable reaction.
Noah Clowney, last summer's No. 21 pick, averaged just 5.8 points and 3.5 rebounds across 23 NBA outings as a rookie. He'd be a (distant) afterthought in untouchable talks on virtually any other team. In Brooklyn, though, he just might hold that status, which honestly says less about his potential than it does the dearth of realistic candidates around him.
The Nets have tried positioning Mikal Bridges as untouchable, but that just doesn't pass the smell test. Not when he's a 27-year-old non-star on a team that nearly finished 20 games below .500.
Cam Thomas feels like the only other possibility, yet if Brooklyn takes a big swing on a scoring guard like Donovan Mitchell or Trae Young this offseason, Thomas would almost certainly be involved in that exchange.
As for Clowney himself, he looked legitimately interesting down the stretch (12.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in April), hasn't turned 20 yet and has "been called the golden child" in Brooklyn, per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto.
The Alabama product has a fascinating ceiling, he just hasn't had enough of an opportunity to flash that and drive up his trade value. He isn't off-limits the way true untouchables are, but of all the Nets players, he's the hardest to see Brooklyn dealing this summer.
Charlotte Hornets: Brandon Miller
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Did Brandon Miller, last year's No. 2 pick, do enough in his rookie season to already unseat LaMelo Ball as the Hornets' franchise face? That's probably a stretch, but it's also not the question asked in this exercise.
In some cases, there is a difference between a team's marquee player and the one who would be hardest for another club to get.
This is one of those cases. Look, Charlotte surely isn't interested in trading either of them—or Mark Williams for that matter—but with Ball finding it increasingly difficult to stay on the court, folks outside the organization are wondering whether Buzz City might be better off without him (and his max contract).
You won't find such speculation with Miller, who matched Victor Wembanyama for the most Rookie of the Month honors this season (three each).
Between Ball's injury and the trade-season subtractions of Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward, Miller likely handled a bigger role than expected and still found a way to enhance his volume (17.3 points per game) with efficiency (44/37.3/82.7 shooting slash).
Chicago Bulls: Coby White
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The 2023-24 NBA campaign was mostly a season to forget for the Bulls, but Coby White's emergence ensured it wasn't a total waste.
The Most Improved Player award runner-up was no less than phenomenal during his fifth season. His stat sheet essentially featured one personal best after the next, including 19.1 points, 5.1 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.6 three-pointers.
Speaking of that line, want to know how many players matched or exceeded those marks? Seven across the entire Association.
You could make the case that the 24-year-old is already the Bulls' best player—especially with DeMar DeRozan entering free agency—and he'd certainly be front and center of a rebuild should the front office ever lean that direction.
The list of players Chicago would give up White to get can't be long, and it might be exclusively populated with names who won't come anywhere near this summer's trade block.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Evan Mobley
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This is one of the trickier debates of the entire exercise, thanks in no small part to the fact that this season was a bit of a letdown for Evan Mobley.
Injuries plagued the 22-year-old at times, but inconsistency sometimes got the better of him, too. There were some encouraging signs of development, but certainly not the leap toward stardom many wanted to see.
Cleveland also has other candidates worth considering: namely Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen. However, Mitchell's name is already bouncing around the rumor mill, Garland (who's older and more expensive than Mobley) had his own issues with injuries and inconsistency, and Allen is basically a lesser version of what Cleveland hopes Mobley can become.
Mobley has all-caps ELITE potential on the defensive end, and while his offense hasn't erupted just yet, his stat sheet shows several subtle spikes. All three levels of his 58/37.3/71.9 shooting slash were personal bests, as were his 9.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 20.1 player efficiency rating.
Dallas Mavericks: Luka Dončić
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It speaks volumes about Luka Dončić that the Mavs could have a top-notch talent like Kyrie Irving and still have zero debates on this selection.
Irving is one of the greatest isolation scorers the hoops world has seen, but Dončić, who won't turn 26 until after next season's All-Star break, appears on the path to becoming one of the greatest players period.
"He's better than Dirk [Nowitzki]," Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said earlier this season. "He's in the atmosphere of [Michael Jordan], the best do ever do it, LeBron [James], Kobe [Bryant]."
That should come off as outlandish, but the stat sheet swears Kidd might be onto something. Dončić has (easily) amassed better than 10,000 points, 3,000 assists and 3,000 rebounds over his first six NBA seasons. The only players who've ever done the same are James and Oscar Robertson.
Denver Nuggets: Nikola Jokić
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The list of players to win at least three MVP awards is, as you'd expect, exclusively populated by some of the very best to ever lace them up.
Nikola Jokić just joined that select group of hardwood legends while collecting his third award in four seasons. Oh, and the one time he didn't take home the hardware, all he did was pace all players in true shooting percentage, player efficiency rating, win shares and box plus/minus.
The 29-year-old is on a run of round-ball dominance the caliber of which has almost never been seen. He is rewriting the book on efficiency and reimagining what a 6'11" center can do. He is a steady (and spectacular) scorer at every level, plus one of the best passers to ever pass through this league.
Jokić already delivered Denver its first-ever championship (and its first two MVP awards), and he should have this franchise front and center of the title chase for years to come.
Because of his age, he may not have the single highest trade value in the league, but he is as functionally untouchable as it gets.
Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham
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In February, The Athletic's James L. Edwards III relayed that the Pistons considered Cunningham, Ausar Thompson, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren as "their blue-chip pieces moving forward" and had "no interest" in trading any of them.
Detroit might really like its young core, but the idea of there being four untouchables on a team that hasn't posted a .300 winning percentage in four seasons is comical. Honestly, there are trade offers in which it'd make sense for the Pistons to even ship out Cunningham, it's just that they involve players their own teams would never give up.
Cunningham, the top pick in 2021, appears on track for stardom, though the level he'll ultimately reach remains unclear. He might wind up being really good rather than great, but this perennial rebuilder will give him every opportunity to max out his potential.
Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry
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The Warriors have an aging and wildly expensive roster, and they missed out on the playoffs for the third time in the last five seasons. If you go looking for them, you'll find some whispers about whether it's time to entertain Stephen Curry trade talks and completely blow this up.
You just won't hear them coming from Golden State, though. The Warriors seem content keeping him behind the wheel until the wheels fall off, and it's hard to argue against that when he isn't even two full calendar years removed from guiding a championship run.
Curry, who turned 36 in March, isn't quite at the peak of his powers, but he remains a top-shelf talent who can break a game open on any night.
The Dubs won't entertain deals for him until he wants them to, and there's a decent chance that uncomfortable conversation never takes place.
Houston Rockets: Alperen Şengün
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Had this exercise been undertaken just a few months back, Alperen Şengün would have been a no-brainer selection.
For the first half of this season, the 21-year-old was putting together a strong argument for All-Star honors, while fellow building block Jalen Green was generating rumor-mill rumblings.
Down the stretch, though, Şengün was forced off the floor by an ankle injury, which apparently cleared the runway for Green to take flight. The bouncy scoring guard looked like a full-fledged centerpiece during March, averaging 27.7 points on 49.2/40.8/76.7 shooting over 15 contests and snaring Western Conference Player of the Week honors in the process.
That torrid stretch thinned the gap between Şengün and Green, but it shouldn't have changed the order on the organizational hierarchy.
Şengün looks like a legitimate offensive fulcrum, while Green is more of an ignitable scorer who can get fiery hot but often struggles with inefficiency and doesn't offer much beyond buckets.
Indiana Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton
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The playoffs haven't been great for Tyrese Haliburton, and frankly, this season's second half was largely the same.
If you were the type to peddle hot takes on YouTube, you might get some mileage out of videos describing how he's being "exposed."
The reality, of course, is far less dramatic (or even interesting) than that. He simply hasn't been the same since hurting his hamstring in January, and now he's battling back spasms.
Go back to the 32 games before the one he exited with hamstring trouble, and you'll see a nightly source of 24.2 points on 49.6/40.4/86.8 shooting and 12.7 assists against just 2.6 turnovers.
A healthy Haliburton is a star, if not an outright superstar. Oh, and he's still awaiting his 25th birthday, which won't arrive until after next season's All-Star break. A mere mention of his name on a phone call with Pacers executives would get you laughed off the line.
Los Angeles Clippers: Kawhi Leonard
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It would be fascinating to know the Clippers' inner thoughts on Kawhi Leonard's perpetually climbing absence count, but they wouldn't change this selection. Not with Paul George (player option) and James Harden heading toward free agency.
L.A. might be forever uncertain about Leonard's status, but it also knows the type of impact he makes when healthy. The 32-year-old suited up 68 times this season and still slotted in the 98th percentile for estimated plus/minus with 95th percentile finishes on both ends of the floor.
"He showed that he's that guy still, he's one of the top players in this league," Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank told reporters. "He's a great player, he's a ceiling raiser. As you guys know, why great players are so hard to get in this league, they have an overweighted ability to impact the game."
A Leonard trade just wouldn't work for the Clippers. Teams would want some kind of discount reflecting his injury issues, meaning L.A. would be selling low on a player who, when healthy, is one of the five or 10 best in the entire league. That's not happening.
Los Angeles Lakers: Anthony Davis
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If there was clarity on LeBron James' future, this could be a fun debate. Sadly, there isn't.
The 39-year-old has a $51.4 million player option for next season, and while it's possible he could decline it just to re-up on a longer, richer deal with the Purple and Gold, nothing has been decided on that front—and that's from The King himself:
With James out of the discussion, Anthony Davis is running unopposed here.
Sure, the 31-year-old has had a bunch of run-ins with the injury bug and his scoring line isn't always as loud as you'd like, but he's one of the best defenders in the business and fully capable of dominating the offensive end.
Statistically speaking, this wasn't necessarily a standout season for Davis (beyond his career-high 76 games played), but he still hit per-game marks of 24.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.3 blocks.
Memphis Grizzlies: Ja Morant
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Some might feel tempted to slot in Jaren Jackson Jr. here, but that would be an out-of-sight, out-of-mind omission.
Granted, it's not great that Ja Morant has been so frequently out of sight—two lengthy suspensions the past two seasons; shoulder surgery in January—but when he makes it to the hardwood, he's clearly still the best thing going on Beale Street.
Jackson's paint protection and floor-spacing are hugely helpful, but Morant's relentless attacking is the real game-changer for the Grizzlies. It isn't quite this simple, but in the modern NBA, the unstoppable force typically trumps the immovable object.
And Morant, in case you've forgotten, is about as unstoppable as they come.
Since the start of 2021-22, the 24-year-old has been a per-game contributor 26.7 points and 7.5 assists. And over the past two seasons, the Grizzlies have fared 6.7 points better per 100 possessions with him than without.
Miami Heat: Bam Adebayo
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Credit Jimmy Butler for raising his profile so much in his past few playoff trips to make this a discussion. But his mounting injury trouble—he last topped 70 games in 2016-17—and future uncertainty (player option for 2025-26) make this pretty straightforward. Not to mention that Bam Adebayo, who turns 27 in July, is really good (even if he's not the scoring threat many wish he'd become).
Just listen to what's coming out of South Florida.
First, there's ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski detailing a star search in South Beach that "maybe connects more on the timeline of Bam Adebayo and his age."
Then, there's Heat president Pat Riley questioning the viability of an extension for Butler "unless you have somebody who's going to be there and available every single night" and advising him to "keep your mouth shut" on criticizing opponents "if you're not on the court playing against [them]."
Butler still warrants consideration here, since he's been the best player on a Finals participant (twice), and there are real questions of whether Adebayo can ever make that kind of impact.
And yet, if the Heat did sacrifice a star this summer (which, to be clear, probably isn't happening), it feels about a million times more likely it would be Butler and not Adebayo.
Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo
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Giannis Antetokounmpo is off-limits until he says otherwise. No one else on the Bucks comes even close to that status.
That's not to suggest this is an everyone-but-Giannis-must-go kind of offseason.
No, Damian Lillard didn't look like himself during his first go-round in Milwaukee, but the Bucks have a full offseason to try to squeeze more of their new star partnership. And Khris Middleton fake trades won't make it to reality when the team lacks the sweeteners needed to offset his contract cost.
If the Bucks were going to get hyper-aggressive this summer, though, you could picture them moving almost anyone—other than Antetokounmpo.
The two-time MVP is firmly in his prime, having just posted his best-ever field-goal percentage (61.1) while averaging better than 30 points for the second consecutive campaign.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards
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When the Timberwolves made Anthony Edwards the top selection of the 2020 draft, there were myriad ways in which his career could play out.
But how many bingo cards had him drawing Michael Jordan comparisons from Jordan himself in his fourth season? Or those comparisons being made so frequently by so many others that Edwards had to tell Fox Sports' Melissa Rohlin, "I want it to stop."
And yet, that's the type of jetpack-powered trajectory the 22-year-old is on. The 2024 postseason might be far from finished, and his superstar ascension already feels cemented as this playoffs' biggest talking point.
It's not just the bonkers numbers (32.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists), it's the inevitable feel of his game. No matter if he's up against the defending champs or a future Hall of Famer in Kevin Durant, it feels as if he has total control over the outcome.
Edwards has somehow balanced both picking his spots and imposing his will, and it's been wholly incredible to witness.
New Orleans Pelicans: Zion Williamson
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Just last summer, Zion Williamson's relationship with the team felt tenuous at best. His name swirled through the rumor mill, and it was fair to wonder whether New Orleans was ready to wash its hands of its oft-injured star.
However, the Pels kept him around, and the 2019 No. 1 pick used the 2023-24 season as a personal tide-turner.
Williamson made a career-high 70 appearances. He showed more defensive effort and overall engagement than ever before. He dazzled down the stretch before his body finally gave out by way of a hamstring strain that forced him off the floor during the play-in tournament and kept him sidelined during the team's brief postseason appearance.
While this franchise faces a litany of offseason questions, the 23-year-old's place within it is no longer one of them. The Pels believe in him "now more...than ever," per The Athletic's William Guillory, so any trade talks won't involve him but rather how to build this roster around him.
New York Knicks: Jalen Brunson
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Remember when the Knicks giving Jalen Brunson a four-year, $104 million contract felt like a risk? It was truly a different time back in 2022, wasn't it?
His Big Apple move has since proved transcendent—for himself and his team.
The 27-year-old has not only played his way into MVP consideration, but he has also established the 'Bockers as full-fledged contenders. And while he's been spectacular all season, he is on a legendary run, becoming just the fourth player ever—and first since Michael Jordan in 1993—to pop for 40-plus points in four consecutive postseason contests.
"The thing that's impressive, it's always within the context of winning and his teammates and that's always the most important thing to him," Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters. "And I love his mentality because his mentality is that he's not satisfied."
Because Brunson's growth has been so profound—he wasn't even a full-time starter until 2022-23—it's possible he isn't done scaling the ladder just yet. Presenting even the richest of trade offers for him would be a surefire way of getting on the Knicks' bad side.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
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When the NBA presented its annual roster survey in November, the Thunder had the second-youngest average age. The other three youngest teams—the Spurs, Hornets and Trail Blazers—went a combined 64-182.
The Thunder went a best-in-the-West 57-25 and now find themselves just three wins away from a Western Conference finals appearance.
Their success wasn't supposed to happen this quickly, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander became a human fast-forward button. Sure, there are plenty of other talented players on the roster, but they didn't have anyone else selected to the All-Star Game. Just like they didn't have another player average 20 points or five assists.
Oklahoma City's depth is one of its best strengths, but Gilgeous-Alexander's presence is the key code that gained it access to the championship contenders club.
The 25-year-old is an MVP finalist, a lock for All-NBA first team and at least top-five in terms of untouchable status across the league.
Orlando Magic: Paolo Banchero
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The Magic spent this season snapping a three-year playoff drought and tallying their most wins since 2010-11. They have two things to thank for that: their third-ranked defense and Paolo Banchero.
The top pick of the 2022 draft has already showcased his transformational talents.
Despite having no spacing to speak of and little scoring support, the 21-year-old has established himself as one of the league's premier players on the offensive end. He just became only the eighth player to amass 3,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 700 assists over his first two seasons.
Sure, Banchero could up his shooting rates and trim his turnovers a bit, but he's operating within one of the league's worst offensive ecosystems. Also, he is 21 years old and will be until November. His growth potential is limitless.
Philadelphia 76ers: Joel Embiid
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Some will wonder whether this spot might actually belong to Tyrese Maxey. Between his age, durability and still-untapped potential, there's an argument to be made.
In reality, though, it's not an argument worth having, since there is zero chance the Sixers are splitting from him or Joel Embiid any time soon.
"We're focused on Joel and Tyrese and we're focused on now," 76ers president Daryl Morey told reporters. "... We feel like we're in the window where he have to win now. We're mostly focused on getting the best players that fit with Joel and Tyrese."
Both are untouchable, in other words, but if you had to choose which is more untouchable, it has to be Embiid.
Maxey is young, exciting and potentially great, but Embiid might be the only real threat to Jokić's best-on-the-planet status.
In fact, estimated plus/minus slotted the 30-year-old Sixers star over everyone, tiering him alone in the 100th percentile with 99th percentile marks on offense and defense.
Phoenix Suns: Devin Booker
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The Suns went as all-in as you can go with their roster and wound up squeezing just 49 wins out of it before being swept out of the opening round.
They'll spend this summer eyeing ways of strengthening this group, but the truth is they're essentially stuck unless they're willing to consider trading away one of their stars. And, if you take their words at face value, that's perfectly fine.
"The house is not on fire," Suns governor Mat Isbhia told reporters. "We're in a great position. It's not hard to fix."
That feels a little like the embodiment of the "This is fine" meme, but maybe that's how Phoenix feels. Or maybe that's just the brave face the team has to present while in such a sticky situation.
Either way, it doesn't sound like a major deal is on the horizon, but if it was, it would involve Kevin Durant, not Devin Booker.
Durant is a 35-year-old with two years left on his contract and a history of entertaining a wandering eye. Booker is 27, signed through 2027-28 and—so far at least—a Suns lifer.
As talented as Durant is, this isn't a debate.
Portland Trail Blazers: Scoot Henderson
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This was one of the hardest selections on the board and not because the post-Damian Lillard Blazers are overloaded with talent. They just happen to have two potential building clocks—three if you want to throw in Anfernee Simons—who have yet to show they can be franchise cornerstones.
Shaedon Sharpe might be the choice for many. That's a sensible stance. The gear he flashed late in his rookie season—averaging 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists with a 46/37.8/77.3 shooting slash over his final 10 outings—is one a lot of players never reach, and certainly one Scoot Henderson never approached during his freshman campaign.
Still, the 20-year-old gets the slightest of nods for now, if only because it's easier for a primary playmaker to impact the game than it is for a scoring wing.
Sharpe's ceiling might reach the highest based off of his incredible bounce and flashes of tough shot-making, but Henderson has more paths to realize his potential since he can impact the game as a scorer, distributor and defender.
Sacramento Kings: De'Aaron Fox
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This didn't come down to a coin flip between De'Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, but it was close. Truth be told, the latter arguably engineered the stronger 2023-24 season, as he made triple-double watch a nightly activity for Kings fans.
Still, Fox is younger (26), more athletic and perhaps more dynamic. The stat sheet at least shows him as having the bigger impact on Sacramento's success.
While the Kings outscored opponents by 2.2 points per 100 possessions when Fox played and Sabonis didn't, they lost the minutes Sabonis logged without Fox by 5.6 points per 100 possessions.
This is another moot-point situation, because Sacramento surely has no interest in moving either, but if forced to choose, it would probably keep Fox.
San Antonio Spurs: Victor Wembanyama
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Imagine if you called up Gregg Popovich and presented an actual trade offer for Victor Wembanyama. What do you think would happen next?
You're banned for life from the holiday card list, obviously, but that wouldn't be it. Once the string of expletives were exhausted, your number and email address are automatically blocked, and again, that's probably still not it.
Anyway, it would be an obvious waste of time, as the recently crowned Rookie of the Year has been everything the Spurs could have imagined and then some.
If the 20-year-old stays healthy, he could have a record-breaking future ahead. He's already off to a one-of-a-kind start as the first rookie to tally 1,500 points, 750 rebounds, 250 blocks and 250 assists.
Toronto Raptors: Scottie Barnes
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Scottie Barnes being the selection here should surprise no one, certainly not after Toronto shed OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam during the latest trade season.
The only question is whether anyone comes close to Barnes, and the answer is—drum roll, please—probably not. If anyone does, it's former No. 3 pick (and Toronto native) RJ Barrett, who played the best basketball of his career following his December deal back to his hometown (21.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists over 32 outings).
Maybe something with the exchange helped Barrett finally cover the key to consistency, but he needs to prove capable of sustaining the gains he made as a shooter and playmaker over a bigger sample before seriously pushing Barnes for centerpiece status.
Utah Jazz: Keyonte George
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Utah might try to argue the real answer is Lauri Markkanen, who earned an All-Star nod during his first season in Salt Lake City and more or less matched that production in his second. The Jazz "fully intend to build around him," per The Athletic's James L. Edwards III.
That sounds good and all—and might be how they really feel—but Markkanen's first two seasons didn't yield a single playoff trip.
Utah could have pushed for at least a play-in spot, but it instead chose to weaken its roster with future-focused deadline deals. The Jazz are right to prioritize the future, because this group lacks talent. It could be a while before this club competes at a high level, so it's hard to imagine Markkanen, who turns 27 later this month and needs a new (massive) deal by next summer, is completely off the table.
It's even harder to see a scenario in which it would benefit Utah to trade away Keyonte George.
The 20-year-old had some dazzling moments as a live-dribble scorer and table-setter as a rookie, but he also shot just 39.1 percent overall and 33.4 percent from range.
George's future could be incredible, and his present form is just raw enough that potential trade partners might not want to pay top dollar in a deal.
Washington Wizards: Bilal Coulibaly
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The Wizards won just 15 games last season, but because they waited so long to end the Bradley Beal era, they didn't even get to spend this campaign developing a lot of young talent.
At most, they have two blue-chip prospects on the roster, and one of them, Deni Avdija, only recently obtained that status following three forgettable seasons to start his career.
The other, obviously, is Bilal Coulibaly, who is more or less a blank canvas but still interesting enough to be the most untouchable Wizard. He is 19 years old, toolsy as heck and already a disruptive defender. The offensive end is a mixed bag (at best), but there's at least a baseline hope he can become a three-and-D wing with enough handles to attack overzealous closeouts.
More than anything, he has some mystery-bag appeal, and that's far more exciting than his more defined teammates in the District can offer. Washington needs more long-term projects like him.
Unless otherwise noted, statistics courtesy of Basketball Reference, Cleaning the Glass, Dunks & Threes and NBA.com.
Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on X, @ZachBuckleyNBA.
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