5 NBA Trades That Should've Happened This Offseason
Preseason has officially kicked off for all 30 NBA teams and it's time to test out all the shiny new toys that were acquired this summer.
We saw a few notable trades this offseason (Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks, DeMar DeRozan joining the Sacramento Kings, Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans etc.), though more deals were rumored to happen but didn't.
Zach LaVine remains on a rebuilding Chicago Bulls team. Brandon Ingram's future with the New Orleans Pelicans is still in limbo. Lauri Markkanen ended up signing an extension with the Utah Jazz, despite a number of teams showing trade interest.
We know the deals that happened. These are the five trades that should have taken place and if there's still hope for any of them to happen sometime during the regular season.
Wizards Trade Kyle Kuzma, Malcolm Brogdon to Contenders
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Why The Trade(s) Should Have Happened
The biggest move of the Washington Wizards' offseason was trading 23-year-old Deni Avdija to the Portland Trail Blazers for Malcolm Brogdon and draft picks. The Wizards also acquired veteran center Jonas Valančiūnas and still have Kyle Kuzma.
In a time when the Wizards should be getting younger and selling off vets for draft capital and up-and-coming talent, there's a surprising amount of players on the roster who should be playing for contenders right now.
Brogdon, 31, already had to spend all last season with the rebuilding Portland Trail Blazers following the Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard trades. Kuzma, 29, is in the prime of his career after averaging 22.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists.
The Wizards should have rerouted Brogdon this summer, and he is now sidelined following thumb surgery. Kuzma should have been worth a future first-round pick, preferably in the upcoming 2025 draft.
Washington should have held onto Brogdon and moved their vets instead.
Could it Still Work?
Yes, but at a cost.
Brogdon's stock is going to be much lower now after he tore a ligament in his right thumb this past weekend and is recovering from surgery. The Wizards could still trade him at the deadline, though his value will be lower since he's on an expiring contract and could leave his new team in a few months.
Kuzma is definitely going to be in trade rumors up until the February 6 deadline, but he'll be competing for touches with Jordan Poole, Valančiūnas, No. 2 pick Alex Sarr and others and no longer has Tyus Jones to deliver him pinpoint passes.
Hopefully he can maintain his strong offensive numbers and find a new home on a contender before the deadline.
Pelicans Trade Brandon Ingram for a Starting Center
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Why The Trade Should Have Happened
There were approximately 5,482 fake Brandon Ingram trades flying around the internet this offseason. Surprisingly, the New Orleans Pelicans front office has decided not to make any of them, although perhaps they did try.
Per ESPN's Chris Herring, "It was no secret around the league that New Orleans, reluctant to give Ingram a max extension, made the one-time All-Star available this summer."
An Ingram-starting center swap just made too much sense, given Jonas Valančiūnas left for the Washington Wizards, and the Pelicans had to use Daniel Theis as a starter in their first preseason game.
New Orleans still needs to work out an extension for Trey Murphy III and doesn't have an ownership group that's willing to pay luxury tax. This situation is far from settled.
Could it Still Work?
Yes. There's a chance Ingram gets out to a strong start, begins to shoot more threes and increases his overall stock.
The Atlanta Hawks may want to move Clint Capela if Onyeka Okongwu looks ready to take over. Nic Claxton of the Brooklyn Nets will become trade-eligible on December 15.
It's also worth keeping an eye on Myles Turner as he enters the final year of his contract with the Indiana Pacers, a team that's already paying two max players.
Ingram needs a new home and the Pels still need a center. We have to believe a deal is eventually found.
Bulls Trade Zach LaVine to the Clippers
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Why The Trade Should Have Happened
Following Paul George signing with the Philadelphia 76ers, the Los Angeles Clippers have been in need of a spark to give this franchise hope of making any kind of playoff run.
Now with Kawhi Leonard possibly missing the beginning of the season following yet another procedure on his knee, they can't rely on a 35-year-old James Harden to carry the offense by himself.
LaVine is now healthy and played in the Chicago Bulls' first preseason game, yet at age 29, he doesn't fit a rebuilding franchise that just swapped Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey.
LaVine is only two years removed from his last All-Star game and would bring some much-needed scoring pop to a Clippers team that needs to win, given the Oklahoma City Thunder have the right to swap 2025 first-round picks.
Could it Still Work?
Yes, although a trade is more complicated now than it would have been this summer.
The quickest way to reach LaVine's $43.0 million salary number is by combining the contracts of players such as Norman Powell ($19.2 million), P.J. Tucker ($11.5 million) and Terance Mann ($11.5 million).
Mann recently signed a three-year, $47 million extension, though, which means he's no longer eligible to be traded until the 2025 offseason.
Los Angeles can try to cobble more salaries together, but players like Derrick Jones Jr. ($9.5 million) and Nicolas Batum ($4.6 million) can't be traded until December 15 after signing with the Clippers in free agency.
This is a trade that could be executed in a few months but would be nearly impossible to pull off now.
Warriors Trade for Lauri Markkanen
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Why The Trade Should Have Happened
Lauri Markkanen would have been the biggest name on the trade market had the Utah Jazz decided to make him available, with a number of contenders likely lining up for the 7-foot All-Star forward.
This was also the perfect time for the Jazz to dive head-first into a rebuild and a shot at a top draft pick in a loaded 2025 class. Hovering between 31 and 37 wins the past few seasons has resulted in two missed postseasons and no draft pick higher than No. 9 overall.
Trading Markkanen to Golden State would have given Stephen Curry a true No. 2 scoring option, allowed the Warriors at least a chance at winning another title and allowed the Jazz to tank and have a better shot at Cooper Flagg.
Could it Still Work?
Unfortunately not.
Markkanen agreed to a five-year, $238 million contract raise and extension that added $24 million in salary this season alone. Had he agreed to this on the first day he was eligible (August 6), then he could have been traded by the February 6 deadline.
By waiting one more day to sign the extension, the six-month, no-trade window takes the 27-year-old past the deadline, making him ineligible to be dealt until the 2025 offseason. This wasn't done by mistake.
Maybe the Jazz will still be bad enough to land a top draft pick, but Markkanen doesn't fit the timeline of Cody Williams (19), Keyonte George (20), Taylor Hendricks (20), Kyle Filipowski (20) and the rest of the young core.
A trade would have been best for Markkanen, the Jazz and the Warriors.
Lakers Trade for Trae Young or LaMelo Ball
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Why The Trade Should Have Happened
The Los Angeles Lakers' lack of activity this offseason has been baffling.
Simply running back the same roster (minus Taurean Prince and Spencer Dinwiddie, plus Dalton Knecht and Bronny James) that lost in the first round of the playoffs especially when LeBron James is about to turn 40 doesn't bode well for the Lakers' title chances this season.
As long as Los Angeles has James and Anthony Davis, the goal should be championship or bust. This was already a subpar offense last year, ranking 15th overall (115.4 rating) and 12th out of the 16 playoff teams.
Adding an electric playmaker such as LaMelo Ball or Trae Young could have completely jump-started this offense, giving the Lakers another 20-point-per-game scorer and one of the best passers in the NBA.
James would have been far fresher entering the playoffs with a player like Ball or Young running the offense on a nightly basis.
Could it Still Work?
With Ball, yes. With Young, probably not.
The Charlotte Hornets front office that drafted Ball is no longer in place, and if the franchise gets off to a rough start there may be some incentive to trade the All-Star point guard and in an attempt to get the No. 1 pick in a loaded 2025 draft.
The Lakers could offer D'Angelo Russell's expiring contract, future first-round picks and more in a deal for Ball, a player that would provide a tremendous spark.
Following the Dejounte Murray trade, it's unlikely the Hawks part with their other franchise point guard. There's even less incentive for Atlanta to want to help the Lakers, as the Hawks now own Los Angeles' unprotected 2025 first-round pick, a selection they acquired from the New Orleans Pelicans in the deal for Murray.
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