What Every NBA Team Should Do at 2015 Trade Deadline
In a few short days, NBA rosters will be just about locked into place for the rest of the season. Some teams will waive players, add D-League contributors or find a way to land rotation members who were bought out by their original squads, but trading season will officially be over.
Between now and then, every team will have a goal.
Some organizations need to acquire a player—whether it's a young one for rebuilding purposes or a veteran standout who will help the playoff/championship push. Others will try to part with a large contract or acquire future assets that will help them experience more success in the future.
Every team has a different situation, and all should have a distinct plan leading up to the trade deadline.
Atlanta Hawks: Don't Mess Up Chemistry
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The Atlanta Hawks have no need to make any significant moves at the deadline. Or any moves at all, for that matter.
During the first half of the season, this team was flat-out rolling through the NBA, taking care of business against both conferences en route to a 19-game win streak that left Atlanta the proud owners of the first 17-0 month in NBA history. Talent certainly played a large part in the success, but so too did chemistry.
And that element can't be touched.
Mike Budenholzer has a great rapport with every member of this roster, and each man knows his role. Bringing in even a single new piece threatens to upset that delicate balance, even if it would shore up a distinct weakness—rebounding, for example.
As a result, the Hawks are one of the few teams that should be perfectly content to stand pat as the deadline approaches and then moves into the rear-view mirror.
Boston Celtics: Look into Parting with Brandon Bass
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Brandon Bass could very well play a part in the future of the Boston Celtics, even if it's more advantageous to make a larger commitment to Kelly Olynyk and Jared Sullinger. As general manager Danny Ainge told CSNNE.com's A. Sherrod Blakely, "Right now, Brandon is with us and Brandon may be with us next year and the year after that as well."
But Bass is on an expiring deal, and shipping him off could allow the C's to continue stockpiling draft picks or add younger players into the mix. Right now, that's simply more useful to Boston than a soon-to-be-30-year-old power forward who averages 9.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.
The veteran frontcourt contributor is still a useful player. He creates his own shot quite well and makes defenses worry about him catching fire from mid-range zones. But given the current direction of this youthful organization, Boston can do better.
Brooklyn Nets: Cross Fingers Someone Likes Overpaid Players
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Just keep trying.
The Brooklyn Nets may enter the second half of the season just one game back of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but it doesn't make sense to continue striving for it. Nothing but a first-round exit would be in the cards, anyway.
Instead, the Nets have to keep trying to rid themselves of their albatross contracts.
Ship off Deron Williams if someone will take the injured floor general and hope for a career resurgence. Include something appealing or cook up a three-team deal so that someone will take on Joe Johnson's exorbitant salary. Keep trying to send away Brook Lopez, even if the asking price has been too high in recent adventures.
If Bleacher Report's Dan Favale can find a way to rid Brooklyn of all three in one fell swoop, as he did during a fantasy trade project run by Greg Swartz, then surely the Nets can actually bite the bullet and take pennies on the dollar for at least one of them.
Charlotte Hornets: Bye Bye, Lance Stephenson
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The Charlotte Hornets' Lance Stephenson experiment has to end at some point.
Stephenson is a talented player, but he's not a good fit for Steve Clifford's squad. That much has been made exorbitantly clear throughout the season, and it's time for the former Bobcats to trade him away for a lesser return, just to rid themselves of what's been a negative player.
Without any semblance of a working jumper, Stephenson hasn't worked next to any point guard in Charlotte. The team has scored just 97.2 points per 100 possessions with him on the court, compared to 103.6 when he takes a seat. And it's not like his defense has been too much better, as the Hornets are allowing an additional 2.9 points over the same stretch when he plays.
Together, that means this team is being outscored by eight points per 100 possessions with Stephenson on the court, which is bad enough by itself. It's even worse when you pair that with the simple fact that the Hornets are outscoring opponents by 1.3 points per 100 possessions with their marquee free-agency acquisition riding the pine.
Trading him is essential, and the time in which Charlotte can hold tight for the best return has now passed. If it can get some help at power forward, that would be ideal, but any combination of beneficial veterans, salary-cap relief and draft picks should do the trick as well.
Chicago Bulls: Keep Figuring It Out
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The Chicago Bulls could make a trade, but it's not essential for them to do so, especially since the pairing of head coach Tom Thibodeau and general manager Gar Forman has typically been quite hesitant to part with any young players.
Taj Gibson is a nice luxury off the bench, especially with Pau Gasol well on the wrong side of 30 and Joakim Noah's knees acting up throughout the year. The group of wing players is even stronger than it was as recently as a few weeks ago, since Tony Snell caught fire before the All-Star break and Mike Dunleavy made his long-awaited return from an ankle injury.
The Bulls don't have all that much to give up, but they also don't have to make any major moves. This is still an abundantly talented roster with plenty of upside and star power, and Chicago has even more time to figure things out because it plays in the Eastern Conference.
A trade would be a panic move right now, and those rarely work out for the best.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Hold Tight
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What more do the Cleveland Cavaliers have to give up?
Not only have they given away the few players that had much trade appeal, but they've also mortgaged part of the future by including draft picks in their prior deals. Fortunately, the Cavs got what they needed, as Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith have been assets on the wings while center Timofey Mozgov has fortified their frontcourt in the wake of Anderson Varejao's season-ending injury.
With the newly acquired center, Cleveland has outscored the opposition by 11.8 points per 100 possessions. But when he's sat, the Cavs have only topped the other squad by 1.3 points over the same stretch.
How's that for impact?
Between that and the improvement of LeBron James, who appears to be significantly rejuvenated after his two weeks off, these Eastern Conference contenders have won 14 of their past 16 contests, including a 12-game streak of unbeaten play. This is not the time to change anything, nor can the Cavaliers acquire the backup big man they need.
The assets just aren't there any longer.
Dallas Mavericks: Keep Acquiring Frontcourt Depth
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The Dallas Mavericks are reportedly set to sign former New York Knicks forward Amar'e Stoudemire once he clears waivers, per RealGM.com's Shams Charania, which does help assuage these concerns somewhat. STAT could be in uniform as soon as Thursday, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
But they can't be done adding depth in the frontcourt, especially because Stoudemire is by no means a true center capable of serving as a defensive presence behind Tyson Chandler.
When the Mavs traded for Rajon Rondo, they gave up plenty of depth. And unfortunately, that's left them with just about no options when Chandler has to sit, and it's not as if he's been the model of health over the past few seasons.
Now, Dallas is relying on an over-30 center with a history of back problems. Behind him on the depth chart sit Greg Smith, Bernard James and Dwight Powell, though Stoudemire can play the 5 in smaller, offensively charged lineups.
And that's an issue.
Dallas no longer has much to give up, as there isn't a lot of depth across the board. But fortunately, the Mavericks have plenty of draft picks to part ways with, as they only owe a 2015 first-round pick and a 2016 second-rounder to the Boston Celtics. If they can give up something well down the road, it's worth doing so that they can get some quality minutes behind Chandler.
A 36-19 record seems like a strong one in a vacuum. But in the Western Conference, the Mavs are still just one Chandler injury away from sliding down out of the playoff picture, however unrealistic that may seem.
Denver Nuggets: Time for Rebuilding Mode
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The Denver Nuggets are a disaster.
Throughout this season, the team has struggled to find an identity, boasting a number of quick players but a front office that seems to want to slow things down. And it hasn't worked, especially with the team occasionally seeming to rebel against the teachings of Brian Shaw.
Now, it's time to pull the plug, sell and start building for the future. Ty Lawson, Jusuf Nurkic, Gary Harris and Kenneth Faried should be deemed untouchable, barring a ridiculous offer, but everyone else can go. That means Wilson Chandler, Arron Afflalo and literally every other player on the roster.
According to Grantland's Zach Lowe, even that might not be giving the Nuggets enough credit for the availability of their players:
"The more interesting questions surround Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried. Denver isn’t shopping those guys, but Jusuf Nurkic is the only true untouchable on the roster, per several league sources who have dealt with the Nuggets. The sense around the league is that you could land Lawson or Faried with a Godfather offer. They are gettable. Boston and Denver have had exploratory talks about Lawson, per several sources.
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Denver isn't going to come close to making the playoffs this season, and the same story will ring true in 2015-16 if the team doesn't make major changes. It's time for the Nuggets to rack up more draft picks and young players, just as they did when trading Timofey Mozgov to Cleveland for a pair of first-round picks.
Detroit Pistons: Try to Make a Playoff Push
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Even with Brandon Jennings out for the year with his ruptured Achilles, the Detroit Pistons don't desperately need to make any moves. They still have a distinct shot at the playoffs, especially with D.J. Augustin capably stepping into the southpaw's shoes.
But where exactly are the Pistons going to upgrade? And with what?
As Stan Van Gundy recently explained to MLive.com's David Mayo, players on rookie contracts are basically off-limits:
"Not going to happen. Not going to happen unless you get another guy back on his rookie deal. Basically, our philosophy coming in is first-round draft picks and rookie deals, you're giving those up to either get similar back, or if there's a star. If there's one of the real stars in the league, then obviously, everything changes. But other than that, no, those guys on rookie deals are too important, and we really like our young guys. So no, that's not going to happen.
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That means the Pistons are going to be attempting to shore up holes in their lineup with players like Jonas Jerebko, Gigi Datome and Joel Anthony. Obviously, that's going to be difficult.
Plus, Van Gundy won't mortgage the future: "We will not make a move that will make us better for the last 28 games and hurt us into next year. That, we will not do."
Basically, it's a safe bet that the Pistons won't do much, despite their best efforts.
Golden State Warriors: Absolutely Nothing
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The Golden State Warriors have been the best team in the league, even if they lost their marquee matchup against the Atlanta Hawks on Feb. 6. According to Basketball-Reference.com's simple rating system (based on strength of schedule and margin of victory), the gap between the Dubs and the Los Angeles Clippers, who rank No. 2, is nearly as large as the one between the Clippers and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
OKC comes in at No. 12.
So, why exactly would the Warriors make a move? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Houston Rockets: Upgrade at Center
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After Dwight Howard's latest knee injury, the Houston Rockets have an issue at center.
Joey Dorsey and Clint Capela are the primary and secondary backups at the position, and neither of them should be playing major minutes for a playoff team. Yet in the team's final game before the All-Star break, Dorsey spent nearly 13 minutes on the floor, and the Rockets had to go small on a number of occasions.
At this point, they probably regret letting Tarik Black go. And again, that's not something a playoff team should be feeling bad about.
The Rockets do have some young talent to part with, and they also have the New Orleans Pelicans' protected first-round pick at their disposal.
They can get their hands on a placeholder at center, targeting someone like Miles Plumlee or Chris Andersen. It's not about finding a game-changing presence, but rather figuring out how to withstand the damage from Howard's absence.
Houston can survive a lengthy period without the big man, but going small and putting even more pressure on James Harden isn't a good long-term idea. The bearded shooting guard may be a leading MVP candidate, but even he can wear down eventually.
Indiana Pacers: Shop Chris Copeland
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See what Chris Copeland is wearing in the picture up above?
He hasn't been able to take those warm-ups off very often. During the Indiana Pacers' final 15 games of the season's first half, the small forward found his way onto the court only seven times. And in those contests, he played a total of 27 minutes.
That's not enough for a player with some solid scoring ability. Copeland may be struggling to find a rhythm for Indiana, but that's largely due to opportunity. In the right role, he should be able to rekindle the magic of his rookie season, when he shot 42.1 percent from beyond the arc while taking 2.5 attempts per game.
The Pacers should be able to get someone or something for Copeland's services. And since they're not using him right now, why not get something rather than nothing?
Los Angeles Clippers: Think About Trading Jamal Crawford
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The Los Angeles Clippers have holes to fill, especially on the wings and in the frountcourt. Now that Blake Griffin is out following surgery for a staph infection in his elbow, the team's bigs are thinner than before, with DeAndre Jordan basically serving as the only high-quality player at either power forward or center.
But what can the Clippers possibly use to fix things?
No movable players on the roster have any appeal, with C.J. Wilcox a possible exception thanks to his youth. Plus, LAC has given up just about every draft pick in roughly the next century, so there's no help coming from that route.
The only way to solve the problem involves trading Jamal Crawford, which the Clippers should seriously think about doing. The return would have to be substantial, but it's worth sacrificing one of the few shot-creating players on the roster in order to shore up bigger weaknesses.
After all, the team will be left scouring the buyout market for help if it isn't willing to put Crawford up for sale.
Los Angeles Lakers: Test the Market with Jordan Hill
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The Los Angeles Lakers are still all about the future. Everything needs to revolve around building the strongest roster possible for the 2015-16 season, as Kobe Bryant will be back on the court and ready to be joined by a few marquee free agents.
Assuming the Lakers can land them, of course.
In order to gain even more cap space for the upcoming summer festivities, the Lakers could part with Jordan Hill, who's due to make $9 million next season. The long-haired big man is having a solid season, averaging 12.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per game while shooting 47.6 percent from the field, but those numbers would be much more beneficial to a team in contention.
No matter what L.A. got in return, it would be worth parting with the big man. Hill isn't a huge part of the future, as Julius Randle can at least partially replace him upon the rookie's return from injury next season. Getting any draft picks or cheap young players would be the icing on top of the cap space gained by removing him from the roster.
Of course, Hill has to accept any deal, as he has a team option for next season and can thus veto a potential trade. But most locations would give him a significantly better shot at winning right now, so that shouldn't be too much of an issue.
Memphis Grizzlies: Keep Looking for Shooters
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Jeff Green has helped keep the Memphis Grizzlies right near the top of the Western Conference standings, but he hasn't exactly fixed the team's shooting woes. Since his arrival on Beale Street, he's knocked down only 30.8 percent of his looks from beyond the arc while taking 3.3 per game.
Just the Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings have made fewer triples during this campaign than Memphis. The same two teams are the only ones that have attempted fewer, and the Grizzlies also rank No. 21 in three-point percentage.
Calling outside shooting a weakness of the Grizz would be an understatement.
Dave Joerger's system doesn't rely on spacing the court, as he has two dominant big men in the frontcourt. But wouldn't it be a nice luxury to have? Especially in the playoffs, variety is rather nice, as it can throw off a team that feels as though it has an established scouting report on the enemy.
If Memphis hears of even a single shooter up for grabs, it has to at least make a phone call.
Miami Heat: Balance the Roster
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The Miami Heat have depth at certain positions.
With Hassan Whiteside, Chris Andersen and an out-of-position Chris Bosh, there's plenty of talent at center. The collection of Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole and Shabazz Napier may not be as strong at point guard, but at least there are three players capable of playing solid minutes.
But at shooting guard, there's Dwyane Wade and no one else, which isn't exactly the type of depth you want behind an oft-injured and aging 2-guard with plenty of miles on his tires. It's time for Miami to redistribute some of its depth, capitalizing on the excess at some positions to shore up that big weakness.
The Heat still aren't guaranteed a playoff spot. Their chances would be significantly better, though, if their roster were set up in a more advantageous way, especially with the breakout of Whiteside making some of the frontcourt players more expendable.
Milwaukee Bucks: Trade Ersan Ilyasova
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As Brew Hoop's Frank Madden suggests, the Milwaukee Bucks could look into working on their 2015 cap situation:
"With [Ersan] Ilyasova, [O.J.] Mayo and [Zaza] Pachulia all locked up on guaranteed deals through the 15/16 season, trading any of them for an expiring deal would have a non-trivial effect on the Bucks' 2015 cap space, though that kind of move seems less likely given the injury-riddled Bucks' ongoing dependence on all of them. Ilyasova would seemingly be the easiest to part with, but don't expect any homeruns out of dealing Ersan.
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With John Henson still capable of playing even more minutes and Larry Sanders unlikely to do anything of significance for the Bucks in 2014-15, dealing Ilyasova would make the most sense. Even though he probably holds the most appeal, Mayo is the least likely candidate to be traded, as his scoring has actually been quite valuable for the defense-first Bucks.
But Ilyasova? Though he's started 10 games, he's played only 17.5 minutes per contest and hasn't exactly racked up big numbers. He's quite expendable on this roster and would be better served contributing as a stretch 4 off the bench of a contending squad.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Ship Off the Veterans
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The Minnesota Timberwolves don't need veterans on their roster. Certainly not during a season in which they're the worst team in the Western Conference, only one game behind the New York Knicks in the race for the season's best lottery odds.
And definitely not while they have so many young guns waiting to earn more minutes in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
Kevin Martin, solid as he's been while healthy, prevents Zach LaVine from learning on the job quite as frequently, and he can block Andrew Wiggins from playing the 2 as well. Thaddeus Young keeps guys like Anthony Bennett, Shabazz Muhammad, Glenn Robinson III, Adreian Payne and Robbie Hummel off the floor. Nikola Pekovic just gets in the way of Gorgui Dieng at the 5, and the two really shouldn't be playing together all that often.
Deal them. All of them, if possible, even though Flip Saunders may be done making moves, per Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.
The Wolves are firmly in the midst of the rebuilding process, and they're not yet to the point where they should be trying to expedite the process with some veterans capable of playing big minutes. That will come in time. But for now, adding even more young talent and some future draft picks is significantly more beneficial.
New Orleans Pelicans: Part Ways with Eric Gordon
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"[Eric] Gordon is not causing locker-room problems or lashing out against coach Monty Williams. And most importantly, he's balling," writes Bleacher Report's Thomas Duffy while determining that the New Orleans Pelicans should only deal the starting 2-guard if the right trade is available. "There's no pressure [to trade him]. He's not the problem; his contract is. Plus, the Pels appear to be headed toward a playoff push—and that needs to be kept in mind."
He's correct. Trading Gordon solely because he's on a bad contract is not an advisable course of action for a team that has been quite good when Anthony Davis is on the court.
However, NOLA has to realize it isn't winning a championship this season. Just getting into the playoffs isn't good enough, and parting with Gordon for a reasonable return allows it to build around Davis in the future, creating a stronger team with a much higher ceiling.
It's worth shopping him, hoping to get a young stud, draft-day help or major amounts of cap space in years to come. But the Pelicans shouldn't feel as though they have to pull the trigger.
New York Knicks: Keep Pushing Jose Calderon
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The New York Knicks have six players under guaranteed contracts that go beyond the 2014-15 season, per Spotrac.com.
Pablo Prigioni, Tim Hardaway Jr., Cleanthony Early and Langston Galloway will be rostered for below $5 million...combined. There's no reason to cut ties with any of them, as they provide either veteran leadership or youth and upside. Carmelo Anthony also isn't going anywhere, even though he's being paid nearly $23 million.
But Jose Calderon is the last of the six, and he's slated to make $7.4 million in 2015-16. The veteran point guard isn't worth that kind of price tag to a rebuilding organization hoping to make some big free-agency splashes, and that's why it's better for them to sell him at a discount now.
The Knicks don't have to get anything big for the sharpshooting floor general's services. A mere expiring deal will do just fine.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Trade Reggie Jackson
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During the Oklahoma City Thunder's last 10 games before All-Star Weekend, Reggie Jackson received only 19.5 minutes of run during the average contest. During that stretch, he posted just 7.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per outing.
Clearly, Scott Brooks is starting to phase the talented combo guard out of the rotation, possibly due to a combination of discontent on the part of the player and the arrival of another option—Dion Waiters. And with that, it's time to trade him, taking whatever the team can get before Jackson's deal expires and he tries to go elsewhere this offseason.
After all, we know just how dangerous he can be on the offensive end. When he was playing more of a featured role at the beginning of this very season, he averaged 20.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game in his first baker's dozen appearances.
The Thunder could use some help in the frontcourt, especially with Steven Adams out of the lineup for the time being. They could also benefit from another scoring spark off the pine—one Brooks will actually use and not bury on the bench, as he occasionally has with Jackson.
Trading this 24-year-old is the best course of action.
Orlando Magic: Shop Andrew Nicholson
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Andrew Nicholson is too talented to fall completely out of the Orlando Magic rotation, which is why the rebuilding franchise has to deal him rather than let his talents waste away on the bench. After all, the 25-year-old big man might not have a home in Orlando any longer, but we're not too far removed from his productive rookie season.
Nicholson has only received double-digit minutes on seven separate occasions this campaign. He hasn't even played a single minute since Jan. 10, when he recorded five points and one rebound against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Normally, teams bottoming out and hoping for brighter futures like hanging onto young players. But the Magic have plenty of those already, and Nicholson is simply the odd man out.
Might as well turn him into something else, right? So far, it seems the Magic agree, per Brian K. Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.
Philadelphia 76ers: Latch Onto Another Trade
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The Philadelphia 76ers don't have any players they desperately need to ship off to a new location. Likewise, they don't have any players they'd really like to acquire, as they're very much still playing for the future and waiting for guys like Dario Saric and Joel Embiid to join the efforts.
So, general manager Sam Hinkie can do what he does best.
When other teams are making deals, Hinkie can attempt to worm his way into the proceedings, offering to use Philly's cap space to facilitate transactions for the meager return of a second-round pick. He's done it plenty of times, and he'll likely be making some calls to attempt the same strategy going forward.
No asset for the future is a bad one for these Sixers. It's time to keep stockpiling them during the largest and longest rebuild the NBA has seen in quite some time.
Phoenix Suns: Deal Goran Dragic
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General manager Ryan McDonough has already admitted that his team might need to make some backcourt moves. He said as much to Burns and Gambo on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM (h/t Adam Green of ArizonaSports.com):
"I think our roster balance is a little off, and that's my fault. We are a little too backcourt heavy, especially in terms of guys who, you know, I think you'd define primarily as scorers in the backcourt. So I think at some point we'll need to balance that out, try to get a little more size, a little more frontcourt scoring and rebounding.
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The best way to do that, painful as it may be, is to trade Goran Dragic. That might be counter to what Phoenix wants, per Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, but there's still time for that to change.
"Either way, what's important is the Suns do something different than they are now," Bleacher Report's Dan Favale posits while imploring Phoenix to ship off the combo guard. "They are not a bad team. They're a good team that just isn't good enough."
With Dragic soon to hit free agency and sure to campaign a high price and lots of interest from money-loaded organizations, it makes sense to trade him now. Having him on the roster for the playoff push and near-guaranteed first-round exit (if they even stave off the Oklahoma City Thunder) simply isn't worth losing him for nothing at the end of the year.
Play the long game.
Portland Trail Blazers: Depth, Please
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The Portland Trail Blazers bench is significantly better this year, thanks to the improvement of some young players, the defensive ability of a healthy Joel Freeland and the solid play of Chris Kaman. But with Steve Blake and Thomas Robinson disappointing, as well as a dearth of true impact players, it's still been holding back the stellar starters.
Per HoopsStats.com, Portland has used its second unit more than only the Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half of the season, though those numbers are admittedly skewed by players having to fill in for Rip City's injured starters. But more troubling is the fact that the Blazers' reserves rank No. 23 and No. 17 in offense and defensive efficiency, respectively.
Typically, there's supposed to be a trade-off between volume and efficiency. Portland isn't strong in either, though.
Rip City's starters are ridiculously strong. But unless there's a workable bench complementing them, it's not going to be good enough to get through the long and tiring gauntlet of the Western Conference playoffs.
Sacramento Kings: Clear Up Some Logjams
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It's hard for both Nik Stauskas and Ben McLemore to live up to their potential while in the same location, and the Sacramento Kings have pretty clearly invested in the latter. The Kansas product has improved significantly as a sophomore and started all 52 games he's appeared in, while the Kings are reportedly shopping their most recent first-round pick.
"Even before the hiring of Karl, the team has been shopping big man Jason Thompson, reserve forward Derrick Williams and—in lieu of a first-round pick—rookie Nik Stauskas," reported Sean Deveney of Sporting News.
As Deveney makes clear, Stauskas isn't the only player potentially on the move. The forwards are log-jammed as well, with Jason Thompson, Reggie Evans, Derrick Williams and Carl Landry all fighting for minutes.
Regardless of how big of a move the Kings make, it's pretty obvious they need to shake things up and determine which players they want to build around.
San Antonio Spurs: Find a Backup for Kawhi Leonard
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The San Antonio Spurs have a great option at small forward. Kawhi Leonard is a blossoming star in the NBA who already has a Finals MVP to his credit.
But who do the defending champions have behind him?
Kyle Anderson, the rookie out of UCLA, has played only 339 minutes all season, and he's struggled when he finds his way onto the court. The slow-as-molasses forward is shooting just 35.8 percent from the field, and his player efficiency rating, per Basketball-Reference.com, is a measly 8.5.
Beyond Anderson, the team is left with a bunch of players suiting up away from their natural positions—Marco Belinelli, Boris Diaw and Danny Green. That's just not going to cut it, though Leonard is more than capable of holding down the fort for the vast majority of the game.
Leonard is too important to this team to be operating without an insurance policy—both for if he gets hurt and to keep him healthy throughout the season.
Toronto Raptors: Go After Miles Plumlee
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It's not often that there's such an obvious target for a team near the trade deadline, but such is the case for the Toronto Raptors.
Though they've remained quite competitive in the weak Eastern Conference, the Raptors are still going to war with only Chuck Hayes and Greg Stiemsma backing up Jonas Valanciunas. None of the power forwards on the roster are big enough to play consistent minutes at the 5, either.
Miles Plumlee would be the perfect solution, as he's a capable big man who's fallen out of favor in the desert, thanks to the other options the Phoenix Suns have at their disposal. Adding his rebounding ability and knack for making close shots around the basket would be highly beneficial during the push for one of the top seeds in the lesser half of the Association.
Right now, the Raptors' second unit ranks seventh in minutes played, per HoopsStats.com. But meanwhile, they're tied for 13th in rebounding, which indicates they could use a bit more muscle on the glass.
Someone like Plumlee, who has averaged 14.4, 11.5 and 9.8 rebounds per 36 minutes during his three professional seasons, fits the bill perfectly.
Utah Jazz: Free a Spot for Rudy Gobert
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Enes Kanter has demanded a trade, per Jody Genessy of the Deseret News, and it makes too much sense, especially with him soon to hit restricted free agency.
Not only would he best be served continuing his development elsewhere, but the Utah Jazz can probably also add something substantial for his services. Additionally, they should have no reason to deny his request, as Rudy Gobert is waiting in the wings.
After the display he put on during the Rising Stars Challenge, it should be even more obvious that he's ready for a bigger role. Sure, tough-nosed defense doesn't typically show up during that particular exhibition game, but the wingspan, athleticism and paint dominance were all on full display when he was on the court.
Gobert has been fantastic whenever he's played this season. He's been the league's best rim-protecting big, per NBA.com's SportVU data, and his rebounding and offense are both coming along. It's not easy to earn a 21.6 PER while spending over 20 minutes on the court, nor is it simple to post 11.3 points, 12.0 rebounds and 3.6 blocks per 36 minutes.
The French center is ready to go, and Kanter is giving him an open runway. It's time for the Jazz to make it happen.
Washington Wizards: Play for a Guard
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The Washington Wizards have a guard problem.
Though John Wall has been utterly fantastic in his role as the starting point guard, Bradley Beal is out indefinitely with yet another stress reaction. Andre Miller has sat out during three of the Wizards' last six games, and he seems to have fallen almost all the way out of Randy Wittman's rotation.
On top of that, Rasual Butler has shot only 37.9 percent from the field since the calendar flipped to 2015. Garrett Temple has struggled all season and isn't the most reliable player off the bench.
The Wizards just don't have any great options at either point guard or shooting guard—other than Wall, of course.
If they hope to survive beyond the first few rounds of the playoffs, that will have to change.
Note: All stats, unless otherwise indicated, come from Basketball-Reference.com and are current through the All-Star break.
