6 NBA Trade Scenarios That Would Swing the 2015 NBA Title Race
With the NBA's Feb. 19 trade deadline fast approaching, it's time for general managers to fire up calculators and spreadsheets while conducting cost-benefit analyses of the highest order to try and make key last-minute improvements.
And while most of the league's premier trade-block occupants have been shipped to new locales thanks to a rapidly escalating Western Conference arms race, there are still several impactful contributors waiting to be dealt.
From swingmen like Wilson Chandler and Chase Budinger to veteran bigs with deft mid-range touch, the Association's title-contending clubs won't find compelling names hard to come by as they make last-ditch efforts to stack depth charts.
Whether it's the Cleveland Cavaliers pining to make one last move, the Oklahoma City Thunder attempting to salvage their title-contending status or the Los Angeles Clippers desperately searching for a wing, expect some fireworks with the Larry O'Brien Trophy fueling deadline deals.
Honorable Mention: Mo Williams Reunites with the Cleveland Cavaliers
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Cleveland Cavaliers acquire PG Mo Williams from Minnesota Timberwolves for C Brendan Haywood, SG James Jones and a 2015 second-round pick
Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin has been on a roll, so why stop dealing now?
Since LeBron James returned from a two-week absence, Cleveland's recorded the NBA's second-best net rating (plus-11.5) with offensive and defensive efficiency marks of 112.9 and 101.4, respectively.
With J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Timofey Mozgov slotting into wing and frontcourt roles, the last area Cleveland needs to reinforce is the backcourt.
According to 1500 ESPN's Darren Wolfson, the Cavaliers are "a team to watch" on the Mo Williams front. And while Williams may not be a necessity for a team that already has a stable guard rotation, adding a capable off-ball scorer is a luxury Cleveland can afford.
"Williams is a possibility because he doesn’t make a lot of money," the Akron Beacon Journal's Jason Lloyd wrote. "The Cavs' focus, as previously established, has to be on guys making around $4 million and less. At $3.75 million this season, Williams qualifies."
Considering Kyrie Irving and LeBron James initiate the majority of Cleveland's sets, Williams would have to accept a heavily diminished role. That, plus James would likely need to give his final approval considering the two didn't part particularly amicably back in 2010.
However, as a back-end piece of the rotation shooting better than 41 percent on catch-and-shoot threes, per SportVU, Williams could represent a nice low-risk addition at the deadline.
Brook Lopez to the Oklahoma City Thunder
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Brooklyn Nets trade C Brook Lopez to the Oklahoma City Thunder for C Kendrick Perkins, SG Jeremy Lamb and SF Perry Jones
It's been a few weeks since Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reported on trade talks between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Brooklyn Nets regarding center Brook Lopez.
And while Wojnarowski noted discussions were halted as Billy King and the Nets front office sought a more significant return than Kendrick Perkins and Jeremy Lamb, Brooklyn can't be in the business of turning down rookie-scale talent and cap relief in exchange for Lopez's bloated deal.
Since the Thunder are prohibited from dealing next year's first-round pick via the Stepien Rule, Oklahoma City can sweeten the pot by including swingman Perry Jones III, who's under team control for two more seasons.
"I would say more now, we're not making phone calls, phone calls are coming in, and we're evaluating things, but right now I want to see this group play," King said Monday night during a pregame show segment on the team's official website, according to ESPN New York's Mike Mazzeo.
That said, if Oklahoma City dials King's office offering untapped potential and Perkins' $9.6 million expiring deal, Brooklyn would be foolish to hang up.
As for Oklahoma City, it would secure a versatile frontcourt option to pair with Serge Ibaka.
"He can score in a variety of ways, using his height and length to flip the ball into the basket over the outreached arms of most defenders," Bleacher Report's Adam Fromal wrote. "There's certainly value here, even if you have to accept the bad that inevitably comes with the good."
Absorbing a $16.7 million player option for next season is admittedly a steep price to pay, but the Thunder can't afford to sit idly by with Kevin Durant's free agency looming. At the risk of not doing enough to satisfy the reining MVP, it behooves Oklahoma City to make a power play in its pursuit of a title.
David West Heads North of the Border
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Toronto Raptors acquire PF David West and PG Donald Sloan from Indiana Pacers for PF Amir Johnson, SG Landry Fields and a 2015 first-round pick
According to Basketball Insiders' Steve Kyler, the Toronto Raptors are in the market for a power forward, having targeted David West, Kenneth Faried and Taj Gibson as potential upgrades.
Yes, the proposed offer would be a tough pill for We the North faithful to swallow since Amir Johnson is a beloved blue-collar competitor, West would represent a nice stabilizing force as the Raptors' title drive shifts into fifth gear.
While 84.6 percent of Johnson's shots have come within 10 feet, according to Basketball-Reference.com, West does just 35.2 percent of his damage in the restricted area and paint. Instead, West prefers to hover around the free-throw line and utilize a mid-range jumper that's dropping at a 50 percent clip.
Since the Raptors are canning just over 40 percent of their shots between 15 and 19 feet, West offers serious value—even if it comes at a steep sentimental price.
West is also an attractive name considering the Raptors likely wouldn't have to part with major assets to snag him, per Kyler:
"The Raptors have five ending contracts: Amir Johnson ($7 million), Landry Fields ($6.25 million), Chuck Hayes ($5.95 million), Lou Williams ($5.45 million) and Tyler Hansbrough ($3.32 million).
It’s unlikely the Raptors look at anything involving Williams, but it seems that any combination of the others would get traction from Toronto’s side. The Raptors do own almost all of their future picks both in the first round and the second round, with their 2015 second going to Atlanta as the only traded pick at this point. The Raptors do have a couple of pick swap options, but for the most part they have draft picks to play with if so inclined.
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To make salaries match, Toronto can part with Johnson and Landry Fields' expiring deals, as well as a 2015 first-round pick that will likely fall outside of the top 20.
Goran Dragic Fills Houston's Point Guard Void
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Houston Rockets acquire PG Goran Dragic; Phoenix Suns acquire Houston's first-round pick (via New Orleans), F Terrence Jones, C Clint Capela and C Johnny O'Bryant; Milwaukee Bucks acquire PG Jason Terry and Houston's 2015 second-round pick (via Denver)
Back in January, Bleacher Report's Ric Bucher reported the Houston Rockets were in the market for an upgrade at point guard.
Here are the specifics, per Bucher (via ProBasketballTalk's Dan Feldman):
"Daryl Morey, no doubt, is burning up the phones, and the expectation is that he’s going to go hot and heavy after a point guard.
They love Patrick Beverley, but ideally, he is the third guard in that rotation.
And to give an indication of just how aggressive they might be, sources around the league are saying don’t count Deron Williams out from the Brooklyn Nets, even though he has that fat contract and right now has a rib injury
Far more likely is that they go back to a guy that they already know – Goran Dragic, who is in a crowded backcourt with the Phoenix Suns and could be got with that New Orleans No. 1 pick that the Rockets have right now.
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The move for each party here makes a ton of sense. While the Rockets are clearly enamored with Patrick Beverley's defensive chops, he doesn't provide the scoring punch or ball-handling necessary to relieve pressure from James Harden on a consistent basis.
As things stand, Houston ranks 25th in point guard scoring, according to HoopsStats.com, and Goran Dragic—who can opt out of next season's $7.5 million player option—would represent a massive upgrade in the starting five. This season, Dragic is averaging 16.3 points and four assists while shooting 49.9 percent from the field.
For Phoenix, theoretically parting with Dragic is all about protecting against future losses. If it's convinced he's on the way out in pursuit of a monster payday, then capitalizing on his remaining value would be the wise play. And if that means acquiring New Orleans' potential back-end lottery pick from Houston as compensation, the Suns would be wise to pull the trigger.
As a way to facilitate the deal, Houston could also send the slightly marginalized Terrence Jones plus Clint Capela to Phoenix with Jason Terry and a second-round pick moving to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Since Jason Kidd's club is looking for reinforcements at point guard following Kendall Marshall's ACL tear, Terry could slot in behind Brandon Knight as a steady on-ball presence whose deal expires at season's end.
Los Angeles Clippers Move for Chase Budinger
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Los Angeles Clippers acquire SF Chase Budinger and C Ryan Hollins; Minnesota Timberwolves acquire SG Nik Stauskas, PF Jason Thompson and SG C.J. Wilcox; Sacramento Kings acquire SG Kevin Martin and C Spencer Hawes
Chase Budinger may not seem like an ideal target for the wing-needy Los Angeles Clippers, but the team's hard-capped status and lack of appealing trade assets means it may have to settle come Feb. 19.
Lance Stephenson is admittedly a more intriguing fit, as Bleacher Report's Howard Beck outlined, but convincing the Charlotte Hornets to take on Spencer Hawes' money is a pipe dream at best. And since Budinger can capably operate as a corner shooter, having an added floor-spacer would stand to bolster the Clippers' top-ranked offense.
As for Hawes, his four-year, $23 million deal gets flipped to the Sacramento Kings, who have reportedly been seeking frontcourt help in exchange for floor-stretching bigs, according to CBS Sports' Ken Berger.
Since Hawes has been a total liability in rim protection and a streaky three-point shooter at best (33.3 percent), the Clippers would have the luxury of unloading their pricey problem on a Kings team that ranks 25th in three-point percentage (32.7).
The Kings also benefit by adding Kevin Martin, the volume-scoring sixth man Sacramento desires to help prop up a bench that ranks 24th in scoring, per HoopsStats.com. It's not a terribly risky deal for the Kings, either, considering they'd be flipping the guaranteed $12.5 million owed to Jason Thompson and replacing it with a smaller (albeit, longer) payout to Hawes, whose skill set fills a glaring need.
As a willing facilitator, the Minnesota Timberwolves could add another piece of the 2014 draft lottery to their fledgling depth chart in Nik Stauskas.
Although he hasn't been afforded the opportunity to play through rough patches in Sacramento, Flip Saunders hasn't had any other choice but to let youngsters works out the kinks in games. Under that developmental structure, Stauskas could find his footing and finally start flashing the stroke that made him a coveted top-10 selection.
Portland Wins the Wilson Chandler Sweepstakes
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Portland Trail Blazers acquire SF Wilson Chandler from Denver Nuggets for PF Thomas Robinson, SF Dorell Wright and a 2015 first-round pick
Denver Nuggets swingman Wilson Chandler has long been linked to the Los Angeles Clippers, but a fellow Western Conference title contender may have its sights set on the 27-year-old.
According to Basketball Insiders' Alex Kennedy, "the Blazers like Chandler and believe he would bolster their roster for a playoff push."
Portland's interest in Chandler makes all the sense in the world. As things stand, the Blazers' wing rotation is a tad thin behind Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum, with C.J. McCollum and Dorell Wright functioning as primary backups at the 2 and 3, respectively.
Not only can Chandler provide a solid three-point stroke behind Batum, but he's fully capable of operating as a small-ball 4 if matchups force Portland to shuffle pieces around come playoff time.
And with the Nuggets reportedly in the market for a first-round pick, the Blazers could appease Denver's demands and match salaries by flipping Wright and Thomas Robinson's expiring contracts in a win-win situation.
All statistics courtesy of NBA.com unless noted otherwise. All salary information retrieved from BasketballInsiders.com unless noted otherwise.
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