Last-Minute NBA Trade Deadline Ideas
The week of the NBA trade deadline stands as one of the season's most exciting.
With rumors swirling, teams and fans alike hold their collective breaths until the clock strikes 3 p.m. on February 19.
Before the big deals go down, Bleacher Report got together 13 NBA writers to play the role of general managers and come up with trades we believe should happen. The kicker? These swaps must be agreed upon by both (or more) teams, rather than the typical one-sided projections.
Over a two-week period that involved plenty of emailing, proposals, joy, disappointment and disintegrating friendships, seven trades eventually materialized.
While none might take place in real life, here are the best deals that should happen according to some of B/R's best GMs.
Special thanks go to fantasy GMs Joel Cordes (Minnesota Timberwolves), Dan Favale (Brooklyn Nets), Adam Fromal (Denver Nuggets), Dave Leonardis (Oklahoma City Thunder), Bryan Toporek (Charlotte Hornets), Michael Pina (Boston Celtics), Alec Nathan (Philadelphia 76ers), Grant Hughes (Phoenix Suns), Zach Buckley (Miami Heat), Kelly Scaletta (Houston Rockets), Fred Katz (Los Angeles Clippers) and our league-wide GM, Josh Martin, for participating.
The Oh-so-Close Deals
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The following are some of the most intriguing trades that gained legs, but ultimately fell short of being finalized by our B/R fantasy general managers:
- Cleveland Cavaliers send J.R. Smith to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Kevin Martin.
- Oklahoma City Thunder receive Omer Asik; New Orleans Pelicans get Nikola Pekovic, Courtney Lee and Chase Budinger; Memphis Grizzlies land Kevin Martin and Robbie Hummel while Timberwolves come away with Eric Gordon, Kendrick Perkins and Jarnell Stokes.
- Miami Heat ship Luol Deng, Mario Chalmers and Justin Hamilton to the Thunder for Reggie Jackson, Perry Jones and Kendrick Perkins.
- Philadelphia 76ers get Reggie Jackson and James Ennis; Thunder acquire Chris Bosh; Miami Heat shuffle the deck with Serge Ibaka, Michael Carter-Williams and Jeremy Lamb.
- JaVale McGee to the Timberwolves, Nikola Pekovic joins the Brooklyn Nets and Brook Lopez lands with the Denver Nuggets.
Now, on to the (somewhat) real deals.
Role Player Swap
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Los Angeles Clippers Receive: F Robbie Hummel
Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: F/C Ekpe Udoh
Hummel is a good guy who moves the ball well, rotates defensively and is a great injury-comeback story. But he's incredibly limited on offense and is only a good defender in the right matchups. The Clippers can use all the wing help they can get, and Hummel will at least be helpful. I need to free up wing minutes anyway, but I could use another shot-blocking big since there is literally no size behind Nikola Pekovic and Gorgui Dieng in Minny.
Udoh won't play much, but it will sure as heck be more than he does with LAC. It's an easy trade of need and fit on minimum contracts that plug some gaps for the rest of the season.
—Joel Cordes, Timberwolves fantasy GM
Hummel won't play much and will rack up his fair share of DNPs—box-score forms with which Udoh is familiar—but he gives me a power forward who can hit threes, which is essential since I'm running a big rotation of Griffin, Jordan and (soon) Davis.
My first choice here was actually Anthony Tolliver, but I didn't even reach out to the Pistons since Tolliver makes $3 million a year and I'd likely have to give up Austin Rivers to make that money work (if fake Stan Van Gundy would even want to do that deal). Now, I can hold onto a fourth guard and have a 4 who camps in the corners to at least create the illusion of spacing. He won't play every night, but against teams who worry about helping off him, Hummel could work nicely next to Jordan for a few minutes every once in a while, especially while Griffin recovers from his elbow surgery.
—Fred Katz, Clippers fantasy GM
Kirilenko Finds New Home
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Oklahoma City Thunder Receive: F Andrei Kirilenko
Philadelphia 76ers Receive: 2015 second-round pick
Oklahoma City needed an interior scoring presence and another shot-blocker for the second unit. Kirilenko wasn't the ideal target, but he's a crafty veteran who's been productive in recent years. Plus, given his disdain for being in Philly, we knew a change of scenery would uplift his spirits.
It was a gamble to make the second-round pick unprotected, but there's really no room for another untested rookie in this rotation. We want to win now, and a reserve squad with Kendrick Perkins, AK, Anthony Morrow, Dion Waiters and (soon) Arron Afflalo should be major.
—Dave Leonardis, Thunder fantasy GM
The Philadelphia 76ers have an affinity for second-round picks, so flipping a suspended Andrei Kirilenko for an unprotected selection in the latter half of June’s draft made all the sense in the world. Factor in the team’s recent success nabbing quality second-round contributors in K.J. McDaniels and Jerami Grant, and there was plenty of motivation to capitalize on Oklahoma City’s win-now approach.
Whether the pick is used to acquire another young asset or packaged with a bundle of other selections to move up, there’s really no downside for the Sixers.
—Alec Nathan, 76ers fantasy GM
Ed Davis Swaps Jerseys, Stays in Los Angeles
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Los Angeles Clippers Receive: PF Ed Davis
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: SG C.J. Wilcox, 2016 second-round pick (56-60 protected)
This is the second of a few moves I needed to make. One of my top priorities was to unload Spencer Hawes' contract, but I didn't want to do that until I could secure a third big man. Davis hurts spacing, considering he won't step out to three like Hawes, but I'm prioritizing defense here over offense since the Clips' offensive efficiency has consistently been in the league's top three.
The D, meanwhile, could use a boost from the middle of the pack. Wilcox was easy to give up since Doc Rivers doesn't play him. And what's a second-round pick if I can finagle my way back to becoming a contender with a follow-up deal?
—Fred Katz, Clippers fantasy GM
The Los Angeles Lakers might as well get something for Ed Davis while they can. He's already made it clear that he'll opt out of the second year of his $2 million contract this summer, with his sights set on a more lucrative long-term deal. Paying Davis accordingly could cut into the Lakers' projected cap space considerably, depending on how L.A.'s front office is able to work things out with Davis' agent, Leon Rose.
Rather than take their chances with either overpaying to keep Davis, a second-string big, or letting him walk for nothing, the Lakers would prefer to cash him in for a pick and a prospect—even more so if they can do it at the expense of their Staples Center co-tenants
—Josh Martin, Lakers fantasy GM
Rockets Get Point Guard Help with Nelson
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Houston Rockets Receive: PG Jameer Nelson
Denver Nuggets Receive: G Alexey Shved, 2015 second-round pick from Minnesota/Denver (Minnesota is conveying the less favorable)
The Rockets do this because it gives them what they desperately need: a second shot-creator who scores off the bounce, distribute the ball or hit the ball from deep. We feel he'll be a nice complement to Harden. He has a 43.5 percent pull-up three-point percentage and his catch-and-shoot effective field-goal percentage is 52.4. This all means he can take the pressure off Harden without taking the ball away from him.
Furthermore, he knows Dwight Howard extensively, with the two having spent the bulk of their careers together. We feel this is the missing piece to making a deep playoff run. Giving up a player who's not really cracking the rotation and an extra second-round pick is easily worth the reward.
—Kelly Scaletta, Rockets fantasy GM
Jameer Nelson might have one year remaining on his current contract, but he's no longer worth anything to a Denver Nuggets organization that is most certainly in firm rebuilding mode—especially since we want to hand more minutes to Erick Green and see what he's got. Alexey Shved may or may not be worth anything; that remains to be seen. A second-round pick definitely is, as it gives us one more future asset to work with while trying to get back into the playoffs.
From there, it's simple math. Nothing simply isn't worth as much as maybe something plus definitely something.
—Adam Fromal, Nuggets fantasy GM
Raptors Boost Their Bench
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Philadelphia 76ers Receive: Toronto's 2015 second-round pick, Greg Stiemsma
Los Angeles Clippers Receive: James Johnson, Greivis Vasquez
Toronto Raptors Receive: Spencer Hawes, Jamal Crawford, Hollis Thompson
This was my dream trade. I got a backup point guard in Vasquez. I got a wing defender in Johnson. But that wasn't all.
I picked up loads of positional versatility. Vasquez can play the 1 or 2. Johnson can play the 3 or 4. Doc can be far more flexible in his lineup choices now, and an eight-man playoff rotation of the Clippers' current starters plus Vasquez, Johnson and (Ed, not Glen) Davis could help turn me into a legitimate title contender. And most importantly, I got out of Hawes' four-year deal.
Between this trade and the one for Davis, I've shed barely over $2 million from payroll, huge considering the Clips are hard-capped and could use some extra wiggle room. Now, I'll have the opportunity to sign a bought-out player or two.
—Fred Katz, Clippers fantasy GM
The Toronto Raptors have only recently rediscovered what James Johnson can do when given the chance to perform—just in time to flip him for the help at center that they so desperately need. Granted, Spencer Hawes isn't exactly a staunch rim-protector or voracious rebounder, but he does well enough defensively to stay afloat, while adding a heaping helping of skill and shooting to the mix on offense.
The addition of Hawes looks that much better when considered in context alongside Jamal Crawford's arrival. As well as Greivis Vasquez has fit in since arriving in Toronto by way of last season's Rudy Gay trade, Crawford, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, is a clear upgrade overall. Vasquez isn't about to win you games by himself to the extent that Crawford is prepared to.
Hollis Thompson is more of a throw-in here than anything. The Raptors already had enough depth on the wing—with DeMar DeRozan, Terrence Ross and Lou Williams in tow—to feel comfortable parting ways with Johnson and Vasquez. Still, it can't hurt to have another young, versatile, multi-skilled swingman like Thompson to mop up some spare minutes here and there.
—Josh Martin, Raptors fantasy GM
The Philadelphia 76ers stick to their guns here. Hollis Thompson admittedly has value as a rotational spot-up shooter, but he’s not offering much else. And with the emergence of Robert Covington as the team’s primary sharpshooter, Thompson becomes expendable.
Still embracing the long game, it makes sense for the Sixers to snag another second-round pick to bolster their impressive stockpile.
—Alec Nathan, 76ers fantasy GM
Reggie Jackson Is Finally Free
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Denver Nuggets Receive: G Reggie Jackson, F Perry Jones, SG Jeremy Lamb, PF Grant Jerrett
Oklahoma City Thunder Receive: G/F Arron Afflalo
Arron Afflalo and Ty Lawson might share a tight friendship, but that's not worth as much to this Nuggets organization as potential. Loads and loads of it, as each of the three players we're getting back for Afflalo are capable of drastically improving their levels of performance.
Even if Reggie Jackson ditches the Mile High City at the end of the season, pursuing a new opportunity in free agency, we're still quite intrigued by what Jeremy Lamb and Perry Jones III can bring to the table now that they're freed from Scott Brooks' star-based offense. Jones in particular is exciting, as he put on a few shows early in the season when OKC was decimated by injury.
—Adam Fromal, Nuggets fantasy GM
Any time you can turn two seldom-used rotation players and a guy destined to bolt after the season into one of the league's most underrated offensive weapons, you've got to do it. Oklahoma City is near the bottom in three-point shooting, and knocking down treys is something Arron Afflalo does well.
More importantly, the deal allows the Thunder to streamline the rotation by trimming some of the fat as well as find a new home for disgruntled Reggie Jackson. Plus, pairing Dion Waiters with a marksmen like Afflalo and Anthony Morrow seems like a more effective strategy on the second unit than teaming him with Jackson and his similar skill set.
—Dave Leonardis, Thunder fantasy GM
The Four-Team Blockbuster
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Denver Nuggets Receive: C Brook Lopez, PF Carl Landry
Sacramento Kings Receive: PG Deron Williams, PF Jason Maxiell
Charlotte Hornets Receive: SG Joe Johnson, SF Wilson Chandler, PG Ramon Sessions
Brooklyn Nets Receive: C JaVale McGee, SG Lance Stephenson, PF Marvin Williams, F Derrick Williams, SG Gerald Henderson, PG Brian Roberts, SG Nik Stauskas
Charlotte sends first-round pick to Brooklyn; lottery protected in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Turns into 2019 and 2020 second-rounders if not conveyed by then.
All the Nuggets have to do here is give up Wilson Chandler and JaVale McGee (read: part with Chandler and celebrate the departure of McGee's contract), and we're getting Brook Lopez and Carl Landry in return? That's pretty much a no-brainer, even if Landry is only a useful backup.
Lopez's fit with the Nuggets is entirely up in the air, and he could flee Denver rather soon. But for such a minimal asking price, he's well worth the risk, even with those balky lower extremities.
The Sacramento Kings under owner Vivek Ranadive sure love their splashy moves, and what could be splashier than trading for an oft-injured 30-year-old point guard who was last an All-Star four years ago?
Yeah, maybe acquiring Deron Williams isn't that splashy after all, but still: the guy's a good player who could clearly use a change of scenery. That worked out well enough for the Kings when they nabbed Rudy Gay last season; Gay's quietly become a reliable scorer and stat-sheet stuffer on the wing.
The cost of bringing D-Will to California's capital (i.e. Nik Stauskas, Derrick Williams, Carl Landry, Ramon Sessions, the more than $43 million left on Williams' deal after this season) is daunting, but the Kings can at least feel comfortable knowing they've come away with a player better than any of the ones they've given away—Jason Maxiell.
Just kidding. But seriously, D-Will's still got skills.
—Josh Martin, Kings fantasy GM
The Hornets are "determined to make the Eastern Conference playoffs," per Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, and this deal combined with the Mo Williams move makes them a virtual lock to snag one of the final two spots in the East. Ramon Sessions and Williams give Charlotte depth at point guard until Kemba Walker returns from his torn meniscus, while Joe Johnson and Wilson Chandler improve the squad's positional flexibility. Losing Gerald Henderson hurts, as he's been playing out of his gourd lately, but he's the only regular starter the Hornets are moving here.
Though the trade leaves Charlotte somewhat thin on frontcourt depth—Al Jefferson, Bismack Biyombo, Cody Zeller and Noah Vonleh are the only four true bigs remaining on the roster—Chandler could play some spot minutes at the 4 in small-ball lineups. Additionally, this move frees up two roster spots, giving the Hornets some flexibility in the buyout market or to bring in guys on 10-day contracts if need be. Removing Lance Stephenson's special brand of crazy should only help team chemistry, too.
—Bryan Toporek, Hornets fantasy GM
If the Brooklyn Nets really are keen to clean up their books, what better way to do that than in one fell swoop?
Especially when there's enough talent coming back to keep the Nets afloat in the weak East. Marvin Williams, Derrick Williams and Gerald Henderson all bring athleticism and versatility to Brooklyn's situation on the wing. JaVale McGee could clearly use a(nother) change of scenery; he's been languishing in Denver ever since he signed a four-year extension with the Nuggets in 2012. In Brian Roberts, the Nets get a solid (and far less expensive) backup for Jarrett Jack.
But the headliner here is clearly Lance Stephenson. The Brooklyn native has struggled to find his comfort zone in Charlotte this season. Putting him in his hometown could be tricky, considering how quickly the Big Apple can chew up and spit out its own. But can it really get any worse than it has for Stephenson with the Hornets?
Above all else, this deal doesn't do all that much to harm Brooklyn's existing core. Sure, losing Joe Johnson hurts, but between Henderson, Williams and promising rookie Nik Stauskas, the Nets should be able to survive just fine without the All-Star swingman.
—Dan Favale, Nets fantasy GM
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