Ranking the Most Attractive Trade Targets in the NBA
Anthony Davis is the most attractive trade target in the league. Any team would love to have the preternaturally gifted 21-year-old big man currently dominating the league and inserting himself in the MVP discussion while operating on his cheap rookie contract.
LeBron James and Kevin Durant aren't far behind. Most squads would mortgage their futures and give up just about anything to get their hands on such a superstar.
But those aren't spoilers for these rankings, simply because none of the aforementioned players is a realistic trade target. Here, we're only interested in notable names who are constantly popping up in trade discussions.
If they're not a serious threat to change locations in the next few months, why bother talking about them here?
It's also important to note that these players aren't just ranked based on their on-court merits. Contracts come into play, as both egregiously high salaries and expiring deals can be detrimental.
After all, we're operating in a context-filled world, not a vacuum.
So, now that Rajon Rondo has been shipped off to the Dallas Mavericks, as reported by Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, who moves up into the No. 1 spot he previously occupied?
10. Dion Waiters
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Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
Age: 23
Position: SG
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 9.8 points, 1.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.2 blocks, 11.6 PER
It's by no means urgent for the Cleveland Cavaliers to trade Dion Waiters, but it still makes sense for them to rid themselves of a possession-eating shooting guard. That's especially true if they can get a defensive boost in return, ideally someone who can help protect the oft-exposed rim.
Waiters simply isn't a good fit in this offense, even if his shot-creating ability could look quite nice in a different uniform. The Cavaliers don't need offense alongside Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and LeBron James, but not every squad has the luxury of boasting so many dynamic scorers on the roster.
"Cleveland rates Waiters' talent highly, but sources maintain that the Cavs have let a number of teams know they are prepared to surrender him if they can acquire a difference-making center in return," ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported earlier in December. Obviously, they haven't made a deal quite yet, but they may still be willing to make a swap if such a possibility emerges.
Waiters doesn't have a sterling reputation after struggling during the first few seasons of his NBA career and showing some resistance to the roles he's asked to fill. But, as is the case with many players populating these rankings, there's still some upside to be had.
After all, Waiters is only 23 years old and has continued to show flashes of immense offensive potential.
9. Iman Shumpert
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Team: New York Knicks
Age: 24
Position: SG/SF
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 9.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.1 blocks, 12.3 PER
Iman Shumpert plays for the New York Knicks and isn't named Carmelo Anthony, so he's firmly on the trading block. According to Bleacher Report's Howard Beck, only the face of the franchise is untouchable after the team's horrible start to the 2014-15 campaign: "Rival executives say that everyone else [other than Anthony] at the Garden is available, possibly even the ball boys."
Out of everyone, it's Shumpert who should still draw the most interest, even though a dislocated shoulder currently has him sitting out.
The swingman is only 24 years old and possesses quite a bit of two-way potential. His three-point stroke hasn't backed up his sophomore season, when he knocked down 40.2 percent of his looks from beyond the arc, but there's still hope Shumpert will eventually turn into a "three-and-D" standout.
Was he a fit under Mike Woodson? Nope. Has he played well in Derek Fisher's triangle offense? Not exactly.
But on the right team, under the right supervision, Shumpert could certainly break out at a moment's notice. For a little while longer, at least, he remains an intriguing acquisition.
8. Wilson Chandler
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Team: Denver Nuggets
Age: 27
Position: SF
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 14.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.4 blocks, 14.4 PER
Wilson Chandler doesn't have nearly the same type of upside that Iman Shumpert has, but the 27-year-old wing player is already established as a legitimate sharpshooter.
Following his impressive outing in a Wednesday night overtime loss to the Houston Rockets, Chandler is knocking down 39.3 percent of his looks from beyond the arc and letting it fly from downtown six times during the average contest. Throughout the entire NBA, only five players have shot so frequently and connected on at least 39 percent of their attempts: Chandler, Patrick Beverley, Stephen Curry, Kevin Martin and Klay Thompson.
There's a reason he finds himself at the center of so much trade speculation right now. As Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley wrote while calling him a "prime trade target" and deservedly singing his praises, "Versatile forward Wilson Chandler has the physical tools, talent and experience to make a significant impact on any club fortunate enough to pry him loose from Denver's overcrowded roster."
Chandler, even if he won't get too much better than he is at this very moment, can be a difference-making wing for any contender.
There's something to be said for that.
7. Jeff Green
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Team: Boston Celtics
Age: 28
Position: SF/PF
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 19.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.5 blocks, 16.2 PER
"Boston has been consistently shopping forward Jeff Green, trying to acquire a package that includes a first-round draft pick, sources said," reports Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski and Marc Spears in an article centered around Rajon Rondo's availability. And while the point guard being on the block was the bigger deal, it's by no means insignificant that Green finds himself in the same boat.
While the Boston Celtics have been merely mediocre during the first half of the NBA season, floundering away in the weak Eastern Conference, Green has been playing some quality basketball. He's a strong, versatile defender, and his scoring has kept the Beantown offense alive on multiple occasions.
But there are a few things deflating his stock all the same.
Green is already 28 years old, and this is the last year he's guaranteed to be under contract. He could easily turn down his player option for 2015-16 and hit the open market this summer, making him nothing more than a rental candidate.
An awesome rental candidate, sure. But with that risk, there are only so many spots that Green can rise in these rankings, even during his resurgent season.
6. Lance Stephenson
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Team: Charlotte Hornets
Age: 24
Position: SG
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 10.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.1 blocks, 10.4 PER
Lance Stephenson's stock has fallen—plummeted even—because of his early-season woes with the Charlotte Hornets. Not only has he been unable to function as a difference-maker on the defensive end of the court, but he's interrupted any semblance of offensive flow and clanged one jumper after another.
Those 10.2 points per game aren't exactly impressive, and they get even worse when you realize Stephenson is still shooting 38.6 percent from the field and 15.1 percent from beyond the arc.
But it's not as if Stephenson was born ready to play such awful basketball forever. He's only 24 years old and should still have a nice future ahead of him, even if he's proven to be such a poor fit in Charlotte that he's already on the block.
"Sources told ESPN.com that the Hornets, just 23 games into the Stephenson era, have already begun the process of searching for potential trade partners that would be willing to take the talented but enigmatic former Indiana Pacer off their hands," reported Stein. Though he's still a member of Michael Jordan's organization, that doesn't seem as though it'll remain true for too long.
In the right system (read: not in Charlotte) Stephenson can still look like a promising triple-double threat with some serious defensive chops. But is the negativity surrounding him too much at this point?
5. Josh Smith
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Team: Detroit Pistons
Age: 29
Position: SF/PF
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 13.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.7 blocks, 14.2 PER
Speaking of players engulfed by negativity...
The worry with Josh Smith is that he's too resistant to coaching and too ingrained in his ways at this stage of his up-and-down NBA career. He still fires away with reckless abandon when he's standing on the perimeter, and he basically refuses to play to his strengths on a regular basis.
But the talent. Oh the talent.
This 29-year-old is the same player who was once thought to be a perennial All-Star snub, capable of wreaking havoc with his athletic exploits on the defensive end. He can still thrive in transition and when he attacks the rim in the half-court set, even if those plays seem to be coming with far less frequency than they did during his tenure with the Atlanta Hawks.
Smith's reputation may steer away one suitor after another. But all it takes is one team willing to give him a chance, and he could turn out to be quite the steal. He still has that talent, after all, even if it's been dormant since he joined the Detroit Pistons, who now seem quite willing to part ways with him, per Vincent Goodwill Jr. of The Detroit News.
If he were traded to some teams, Smith would likely play poorly enough that he wouldn't deserve to make these rankings. But in an ideal landing spot, he can turn back the clocks and remind everyone of his All-Star upside.
4. Deron Williams
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Team: Brooklyn Nets
Age: 30
Position: PG
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 16.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.3 blocks, 17.1 PER
Deron Williams is still the head of the snake for the Brooklyn Nets, but that hasn't kept him safe from the trade block, as ESPN.com's Marc Stein and Ohm Youngmisuk recently reported:
"League sources told ESPN.com that the Nets, off to a disappointing 8-11 start and looking to retool after last season's $190 million roster filled with veterans couldn't advance beyond the second round of the playoffs, have let it be known that they are prepared to move any of those franchise cornerstones [Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez and Deron Williams] in what would likely be separate deals if they came to fruition because of the high salaries each possess.
"
Williams, despite his injury-related decline and the inability to steer Brooklyn into promising playoff position, is by no means a bad point guard. He's still quite effective at this stage of his career, and he's responsible for much of the Nets' admittedly limited winning ways during the 2014-15 campaign.
In a vacuum, he'd rank even higher than this. So, why doesn't he?
It's all about his contract.
Per Spotrac.com, Williams makes nearly $20 million this season, slightly over $21 million in 2015-16 and then has a player option for 2016-17 worth $22.3 million. It's insane to think he'd turn down that kind of money in his mid-30s.
Taking on that contract is tough, even if Williams is still quite valuable. It can cripple an ill-managed franchise and severely inhibit even those that are run as well as possible.
3. Greg Monroe
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Team: Detroit Pistons
Age: 24
Position: PF/C
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 14.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.2 blocks, 17.6 PER
Contracts also come into play here, but for opposite reasons.
While taking on Deron Williams' salary is an expensive, multi-year endeavor, Greg Monroe is only on the books for one more year. Then his qualifying offer will be over, and he can hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent with no guarantee of returning to the location he was traded to.
That makes acquiring Monroe quite risky, even if Goodwill's report makes it obvious that the Detroit Pistons are eager to get rid of the disgruntled big man. And with eagerness usually comes a lower asking price.
"Everyone knows he wants out of there," an anonymous source explained to Sean Deveney for SportingNews.com, before addressing the no-trade clause that goes with accepting a qualifying offer. "There is almost nothing he would shoot down."
It makes sense. Monroe is playing in a terrible situation right now, obviously unhappy with his current role and poor fit alongside Andre Drummond and Josh Smith, who prevent him from playing his natural center position and operating with some semblance of spacing. But on the right squad, he could get back to the fringe All-Star level he enjoyed a few years back.
Lest we forget, the 24-year-old big man averaged 15.4 points and 9.7 rebounds per game on 52.1 percent shooting during his sophomore season. It's been three years since he posted a 22 PER just two seasons removed from his career at Georgetown, and it's not as though his skills have eroded since then.
It's just all about finding the right home for them, even if that involves some risk of a free-agency saga mere months after he's acquired.
2. Isaiah Thomas
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Team: Phoenix Suns
Age: 25
Position: PG
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 15.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.1 blocks, 20.9 PER
"My family loves it [in Phoenix]. So if they're happy, I'm happy," Isaiah Thomas recently told AZCentral.com's Paul Coro. "Like I said, we're losing now. And, no, I'm not OK with the situation right now because we are on a six-game losing streak. I'm not OK with it."
Do those sound like the remarks of a content player? Not exactly, and that makes sense.
After all, Thomas' role has declined rather sharply since he left the Sacramento Kings in free agency, and while he's playing well, he's had trouble meshing with the other two point guards who Jeff Hornacek uses even more frequently.
The three-PG experiments that the Phoenix Suns were so excited about during the offseason just haven't worked, and it's time for one of those point guards to leave. Dragic, who's a free agent this summer, is unlikely to be moved. Bledsoe might be coveted, but he's too valuable in the desert.
And that leaves Thomas. It's worth noting the other two would appear even higher in this countdown if they were truly realistic trade targets, but I'm not convinced either is going to lead to any serious discussions.
"The answer to both questions [whether the Suns would pay all three guards or let Dragic walk] is 'probably not,' which is why team executives across the league expect the Suns to trade one of the three," Beck reported. "Some interviewed for this story said Thomas was the most likely candidate."
Thomas is an impressive, albeit diminutive, scorer who flits around the court enough that he's not a complete defensive liability. He may not fit in with Phoenix's plans any longer, but he could be a huge spark plug for a team in dire need of some scoring aid.
1. Brook Lopez
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Team: Brooklyn Nets
Age: 26
Position: C
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 16.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.7 steals, 1.7 blocks, 17.5 PER
The biggest question surrounding Brook Lopez's future deals with, you guessed it, his health.
Throughout his career, the 7-footer from Stanford has dealt with one injury after another, especially when it comes to his feet. He's broken them multiple times, and the future will always be uncertain because he puts so much stress on those lower extremities. In 2014-15, he's played only 16 games and is currently out indefinitely with a strained back.
What's new? Not much, unfortunately.
But when Lopez is healthy, he's a game-changing offensive presence. Though he has his fair share of weaknesses—he's an atrocious passer and rebounder, and his defense, while it's getting better, still lags well behind where it should be—his scoring ability is so advanced that it completely alters the opposition's game plans.
During his All-Star campaign in 2012-13, Lopez averaged 19.4 points per game while shooting 52.1 percent from the field, finishing around the basket with ease and draining plenty of mid-range jumpers. In 17 games last year, he averaged 20.7 points per contest on 56.3 percent shooting, and though he's dealt with constant maladies this season, those numbers have only fallen to 16.1 and 48.8, respectively.
Lopez is a big get, even if he's a risky one.
