1 Ambitious Trade Target for Every NBA Team
The NBA offseason is all about hopes and dreams. Every draft pick is a surefire All-Star. Every free-agent acquisition is a perfect fit.
And every pie-in-the-sky trade rumor feels just real enough to kindle excitement about a major, franchise-altering acquisition.
In that spirit, we're here to offer up an ambitious trade target that should occupy the "possible, but highly unlikely" slot on every team's offseason list.
Almost every player featured will be far-fetched, but that's the idea.
In reality, most teams will set their sights lower. Several won't make a trade at all. But why downgrade expectations before at least seeing what the summer could bring? Let's shoot for the stars.
Atlanta Hawks: Jaylen Brown
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The Boston Celtics have to trim salary unless they intend to spend a half-billion dollars in payroll and tax for a team with a first-round ceiling next year. A series of smaller moves could produce savings and get Boston out of the repeater tax, but the Atlanta Hawks should ask about a one-fell-swoop approach.
Jaylen Brown is set to earn $53.1 million next season. In the final year of his deal in 2028-29, he'll collect $64.9 million.
That's a ton of cash to onboard for Atlanta, and it would turn up the win-now urgency. Then again, the Hawks don't control their first-round picks in 2026 or 2027, so purposeful losing isn't beneficial anyway.
Brown would give Atlanta a proven champion and an All-Star No. 2 scorer next to Trae Young—one that has also played elite defense against wings at times, If the homecoming angle does it for you, Brown is also a Georgia native.
Boston Celtics: 7 First-Round Picks
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It'll be impossible to get all seven future first-rounders in a single trade this offseason. But as the Celtics try to trim salary by trading away at least one of Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Kristaps Porziņģis and Jaylen Brown, they should keep this aggregate total of draft capital in mind.
White is on a bargain contract that'll pay him $126 million over the next four years and would fit on absolutely any team. Maybe he'd net the Celtics three future firsts on his own. If they fetched two more for Brown, who still has four years and $236.2 million remaining on his contract, they would be well on their way to that goal.
The Celtics must trim at least $22 million to get out of the second apron and roughly $50 million to reset the clock on the repeater tax. If focusing on a cost-cutting rebuild feels like overkill, consider the alternative: Paying $500 million for a gap year while Jayson Tatum recovers from an Achilles tear, then trying to build a winner with a reduced version of him and an aging supporting cast (Holiday will be 37) in 2026-27.
Brooklyn Nets: Ja Morant
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ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported in April there were "whisperings and rumblings" about Ja Morant's potential availability this summer. That's more than enough to encourage the Brooklyn Nets to put out some feelers.
Morant's value is near its all-time low, as he's coming off another injury-plagued season. This one was marked by four-year lows in production while also including more ill-advised flouting of league rules.
The Nets' glut of cap space gives them opportunities to chase almost anyone, but Morant's sinking value might make him a bargain acquisition. Still just 25 and relatively affordable with three years left on his rookie-scale max, the two-time All-Star is an intriguing buy-low candidate. Remember, Morant finished seventh in MVP voting in 2021-22 and 12th in 2022-23.
The Nets lack a cornerstone and anything resembling a high-end starter at the point. Morant could easily reestablish himself as both of those and then some.
Charlotte Hornets: Jerami Grant
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When does targeting a negative-value contract with draft picks attached count as operating ambitiously?
When it's the Charlotte Hornets doing the targeting.
Under the Jeff Peterson-led front office, the Hornets have taken on a far more patient approach than the previous regime. Chasing the contract of 31-year-old Jerami Grant, which still has three years and nearly $103 million left on it, would solidify them as long-term thinkers.
Patience has been in rare supply for almost 20 years in Charlotte.
Grant averaged 14.4 points and shot just 37.3 percent from the field last season, so the Hornets would need him to have a bounce-back season if they intended to flip him later on. But even if all Charlotte nets is a future first-rounder or two from the Blazers, who have all of their own picks along with swaps coming from Milwaukee and Boston toward the end of the decade, that would be a win.
Chicago Bulls: Jonathan Kuminga
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Base-year compensation rules make a sign-and-trade involving a restricted free agent like Jonathan Kuminga ambitious. The logistics—Kuminga counts as his full new salary coming in but only half going out—are prohibitive.
The Bulls are expected to hand their own RFA, Josh Giddey, a hefty deal in free agency. That'd be a risky long-term move because Giddey doesn't have much of a market (not that that stopped the Bulls from overspending on Patrick Williams in a similar spot) and because it's unclear if his defensive issues will allow him to meaningfully help a winner.
If Chicago is going to commit to one member of the 2021 lottery in Giddey, why not double down and get the guy taken one pick later in Kuminga?
At the very least, Kuminga's elite athleticism, self-creation and free-throw-drawing prowess could balance out some of Giddey's deficiencies. Since we have to assume the Bulls aren't going to tear their roster down any time soon, prioritizing players in their early 20s would at least offer some upside in their annual pursuit of 42 wins.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Cam Johnson
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The Cleveland Cavaliers are short on draft assets after giving up so many to acquire Dononvan Mitchell in the 2022 offseason, but yet another playoff disappointment could spur them to push their remaining chips in on a shooter like Cam Johnson.
The Nets likely want more than a single first-rounder in return for the 29-year-old forward because they almost certainly fielded (and rejected) offers in that range at last year's deadline. While the Cavs can't trade more than one future first-rounder, they can put swaps on the able alongside up to four second-rounders.
With Jarrett Allen as the matching salary, that package might get Brooklyn's attention.
In the wake of their postseason struggles over the last two years (which had plenty to do with injuries), the Cavs could reorient their closing lineup around one big man, Evan Mobley, and add Johnson's career 39.2 percent three-point shooting to the mix.
Dallas Mavericks: Austin Reaves
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With Kyrie Irving sidelined by a torn ACL, the Dallas Mavericks need somebody to run the offense. If they aren't going to trade the No. 1 overall pick and remain committed to building a win-now operation around Anthony Davis, they're short on the blue-chip assets it'll take to get a great one.
Austin Reaves has never been an All-Star, but he's on the high end of what Dallas could potentially land. Plus, we know the lines of communication between the Mavs and Los Angeles Lakers are wide open.
Would L.A. part with Reaves (who's extension-eligible this summer) for a depth-boosting package built around P.J. Washington and Dereck Lively II? The latter certainly established chemistry with Luka Dončić when they played together and would be a battle-tested defensive anchor and lob-catcher the Lakers need.
Reaves put up a 64.8 true shooting percentage and added 4.6 assists per game after the All-Star break last year. Production like that says he can run the show this season and slide in alongside a healthy Irving in 2026-27.
Denver Nuggets: Derrick White
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Everybody loves Christian Braun, but the Denver Nuggets need an even more dynamic two-way threat next to Jamal Murray to maximize Nikola Jokić's prime.
Derrick White is among the best defensive guards in the league and is the kind of three-point shooter whom opponents get yanked off the floor for leaving open. His value as a spacer is far greater than Braun's, and his superiority as a playmaker (4.8 assists per game last year) would give the Nuggets never-before-seen levels of offensive savvy and dynamism.
A third team would have to get involved, as Denver can't trade more than one first-round pick (2031 or 2032) and is nearly as inflexible as Boston. Perhaps rerouting Michael Porter Jr. elsewhere would open up some opportunities to get creative in pursuit of White, who'd be an ideal fit.
Detroit Pistons: Jaren Jackson Jr.
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To take the next step in their development, the Detroit Pistons have to find Cade Cunningham a floor-spacing threat who can also function as a shot-creator on his own.
That's a pretty good description of Jaren Jackson Jr., who shot 37.5 percent on 5.3 three-point attempts and averaged 11.0 drives per game last season, more than anyone other than Cunningham on Detroit's roster.
The floor-stretching that Jackson provides would matter on any team, but it'd be particularly important on a squad like Detroit, which doesn't get much outside shooting from Ausar Thompson, Ron Holland II or Jalen Duren. If your wings and other bigs can't pull the defense away from the bucket, it makes life harder on your on-ball star.
Jackson is also no slouch defensively. He won Defensive Player of the Year in 2022-23 and has blocked at least 1.5 shots per game in each of the last six seasons.
Golden State Warriors: Trey Murphy III
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Yahoo! Sports' Kevin O'Connor reported "there are no untouchables in New Orleans." That's a pretty wild stance for the Pelicans to take, particularly on players as productive, young and relatively cheap as Trey Murphy III. But let's run with it.
If the Golden State Warriors are going to address their lack of athleticism, deep shooting and secondary playmaking on the wing, they'll likely do it by adding multiple players. If there's a single guy who can provide all that, he's usually making close to the max.
Murphy is the exception. Inked to a team-friendly four-year, $112 million extension that'll keep him underpaid through his mid-20s, the rangy wing averaged a career-high 21.2 points and 3.5 assists per game last year. A good defender who can also attack the rim at high altitude, Murphy is a career 38.3 percent long-range sniper whose only real question mark is health.
How can the Dubs get a player as good as him with their resources and salary constraints? That's the hard part. Almost any deal would have to involve Brandin Podziemski, whom Golden State was loath to move last summer.
Houston Rockets: Giannis Antetokounmpo
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The Houston Rockets are one of few teams with the assets to make an ambitious trade target a realistic one. The only real hindrance to Houston landing Giannis Antetokounmpo has more to do with the lack of will—potentially on their part and Antetokounmpo's—than the lack of a way.
Houston has all of its own future first-round picks, an incoming unprotected first-rounder from the Suns in 2027, swap rights with Brooklyn that same year and another "most favorable" of the Mavs and Suns in 2029. The Rockets also boast a horde of enticing rookie-scale contracts, including Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Reed Sheppard and others, that the Milwaukee Bucks should highly value.
Antetokounmpo has yet to say he officially wants to leave the Bucks. All we know is that he "remains a target" for the Rockets, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic.
Giannis would provide a massive offensive upgrade to a Rockets team that needs one, immediately shifting them to a win-now timeline. Considering Houston won 50 games last year, that's a leap it seems ready to make.
Indiana Pacers: Dereck Lively II
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You can't make the Finals if you have glaring roster holes, but the Indiana Pacers could still use an upgrade on defense in the middle. Thomas Bryant and Tony Bradley (prior to injury) failed to provide consistent production throughout the postseason, and neither enables two-big looks next to Myles Turner, whose outside shooting should make such configurations possible.
Dereck Lively II played only 36 games due to injury this past season, but he was an integral piece of a Mavs team that made the 2024 Finals. His mobility in space is uncommon for a 7-footer, and he'd be a major upgrade as an offensive rebounder, lob-catcher and shot-blocker over anything the Pacers currently have.
He also made sneaky growth as a passer, jumping up to the 93rd percentile among bigs in assist-to-usage ratio this past season. That would play well in Indiana's movement-heavy attack.
The Mavericks have a logjam up front, so perhaps the Pacers could entice them into a trade by offering Bennedict Mathurin, a shoot-first guard whose skills Dallas needs more than Indiana does.
Los Angeles Clippers: Kristaps Porzingis
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Ivica Zubac was one of the best things about the 2024-25 Los Angeles Clippers. The paint-protecting, board-hoarding finisher down low upped their net rating by a team-best 14.5 points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor.
But he can't shoot.
If the Celtics decide shedding Kristaps Porziņģis' expiring $30 million salary is the smoothest way to get out of the second apron, the Clips should rope in a third team and see if they can snag one of the best spacing bigs in the league.
While the possibility of KP being a one-year rental might worry some Clips fans, their fate is currently tied to James Harden (who turns 36 in August) and Kawhi Leonard (who turns 34 at the end of June and is always a health risk). It's not like this organization can realistically look far down the road.
Porziņģis could open the lane for Harden, manage his own health in a reserve role and give L.A. the change-of-pace center it lacked during a feel-good 2024-25 campaign.
Los Angeles Lakers: Walker Kessler
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Walker Kessler has ranked in the 95th percentile or better in block rate among big men in each of his first three seasons. That kind of interior presence would transform a Los Angeles Lakers team that ranked 21st in blocks per 100 possessions and 25th in opponent field-goal percentage at the rim last year.
In addition to protecting the rim for a team that doesn't currently have a starting-caliber center on the roster, Kessler could juice the offense with his league-leading 4.6 offensive boards per game and dangerous lob-catching skills.
Luka Dončić thrives when he has a vertical spacer at the 5, and Kessler's 132 dunks last season were the most of any player who logged fewer than 60 games.
Kessler is still on his rookie-scale deal, and the Utah Jazz shouldn't be in the business of shipping out young players who've already proved themselves as starters. But if the Lakers were willing to give up a first-round pick, a pick swap and Dalton Knecht for Mark Williams, they shouldn't have any problem surrendering at least that much for Kessler.
Memphis Grizzlies: Trae Young
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The Memphis Grizzlies haven't been able to rely on Ja Morant for two years. Whether due to suspension or injury, the former All-Star's infrequent availability (59 games across 2023-24 and 2024-25) has been among the reasons why Memphis has disappointed despite having no shortage of top-end talent and depth.
Trae Young played 76 games last season and has averaged just under 70 in his seven seasons. Morant has never played more than 67, which he did back as a rookie in 2019-20.
Young is a superior passer who's averaged over 10 assists per game for three years running, and the threat of his deep-range shooting opens up the floor in ways that benefit his teammates. Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. would see their shot quality skyrocket with Young at the controls.
A one-for-one challenge trade exchanging the two point guards would be fascinating, as Morant might appeal to a Hawks squad that ranked just 20th in field-goal percentage on drives and 27th in free-throw attempts generated on drives.
Miami Heat: Trae Young
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Trae Young would provide the Miami Heat with the star they always chase and the offensive identity they lost upon trading Jimmy Butler.
Even in a half-season with one foot out the door, Butler was the difference between passable and atrocious offense in Miami. His presence on the court boosted the Heat's offensive rating to a respectable 117.2. When he sat (and after he was traded), that figure plummeted to 108.4.
Young is one of those rare "offense unto himself" producers, a deep-shooting threat who has total control in the pick-and-roll and rates among the half-dozen best passers in the league. He'd step in and transform Miami's attack, freeing up Bam Adebayo to defend and play the secondary offensive role that best suits him.
Even if Tyler Herro has to be part of the outgoing package, the Heat's offense would take a major step forward with Young at the controls.
Milwaukee Bucks: Amen Thompson
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The Houston Rockets shouldn't trade Amen Thompson under almost any circumstances. Coming off a breakout 2024-25 season, he's poised to be a contender for Defensive Player of the Year for most of the next decade and is only scratching the surface of his offensive potential.
But if the Milwaukee Bucks are going to trade Giannis Antetokounmpo, they need to make the biggest asks imaginable. And if the Rockets are near the goal line on Giannis, would they really scuttle the deal by refusing to include Thompson?
The Bucks have to get back a hope-inducing cornerstone if they move their two-time MVP. Thompson would fit that bill better than almost anyone. Perhaps just as importantly, he'd allow the Bucks to build an identity around his incomparable defense as they look to their next era.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Kevin Durant
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The Minnesota Timberwolves reportedly went after Kevin Durant at the February trade deadline, didn't get him, and then saw playoff defenses throw the kitchen sink at Anthony Edwards because they didn't have a second player who was capable of generating consistently good looks.
KD would make opponents think a lot harder about selling out against Edwards and daring someone else to beat them. Even in his age-36 season last year, he was once again among the most dangerous scoring threats in the league, averaging 26.6 points on a 52.7/43.0/83.9 shooting split.
The tricky part for the Wolves will be looping in a third team and/or finding ways to cobble together enough assets to land Durant. It'll be hard for Minnesota to have the best offer if there's an open bidding war.
Best-case scenario: Durant strongly indicates he wants to play with Edwards, other teams don't put up their absolute best trade packages as a result, and the Suns have few alternatives.
New Orleans Pelicans: Scoot Henderson
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Scoot Henderson may not even be available after a strong sophomore campaign marked by 12.7 points, 5.1 assists and an improved 35.4 percent three-point hit rate. Those are exceedingly rare numbers for an age-20 season and might prompt the Portland Trail Blazers to take the 2023 No. 3 pick off the table.
That doesn't change the fact that the New Orleans Pelicans badly need a point guard with Dejounte Murray (ruptured Achilles) likely to miss much of next season.
Henderson might also crave a chance to run his own show after starting just 42 of the 128 games he's played for Portland over the last two seasons. That he was in the first unit less often last year than he was as a rookie might not sit well with a player who came into the league hyped as a star.
New York Knicks: Kevin Durant
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Imagine having all the offensive juice of Karl-Anthony Towns (and then some) with far fewer mental errors and a roster-reorganizing return to Mitchell Robinson as a full-time starter.
That version of the Knicks swaps out KAT for Kevin Durant, and it probably needs a backup big to offset the risk of Robinson's injury history. Big deal. Reserve centers are easy to find, and Durant is quietly a pretty good rim-protector as long as he's not asked to man the low spot in the defense for long stretches. He held opponents to a lower hit rate inside six feet (56.0. to 65.7 percent) than Towns did last season.
Durant isn't what he was a decade ago. He's not as dangerous going downhill, and he's bound to miss time in what'll be his age-37 season. But he's a better all-around offensive player than Towns, takes nothing off the table defensively and could give Jalen Brunson and the Knicks a level of reliable shot-making they lack.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Cooper Flagg
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No team has more movable assets than the Oklahoma City Thunder, so we might as well make their ambitious trade target the one that seems completely off-limits.
Sources confirmed to ESPN that the Mavs "will not entertain the possibility of trading away the pick" they'll use on Cooper Flagg at the top of the 2025 draft, but no team has the ability to make them think harder about that stance than the Thunder. OKC owns all seven of its own first-round picks and controls six other incoming future firsts. Pair all that with a bevy of valuable rookie-scale deals, and it wouldn't be hard to put together a godfather offer.
In addition to being the top prospect in his class, Flagg would have special utility in Oklahoma City. The Thunder are soon going to get expensive as they begin offering extensions to their in-house talent. An elite contributor on a rookie-scale deal—one who'd fit perfectly into the team- and defense-first ethos of the organization—could add years to a potential dynasty.
Orlando Magic: LaMelo Ball
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The Orlando Magic might only be an offensive star away from contention in the wide-open East, and LaMelo Ball—for all his issues with durability and defense—can absolutely produce points.
His presence on the floor last year juiced Charlotte's effective field-goal percentage by 4.9 percent (a 98th percentile on-off split), and added a whopping 11.4 points per 100 possessions to the team's offensive rating (99th percentile). And that's with severely limited supporting talent.
Imagine what he could do for a squad that already has Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, not to mention defensive backcourt dynamo Jalen Suggs to handle the opposing matchups Ball can't.
Orlando wasn't nearly ambitious enough in its pursuit of offense last summer, and it sank from 22nd to 26th in offensive rating as a result. Ball would be a bold but necessary upgrade.
Philadelphia 76ers: Kawhi Leonard
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The Philadelphia 76ers might like to think they can have it both ways by continuing to pursue wins on Joel Embiid and Paul George's timeline while also nurturing a younger core built around Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain and this year's No. 3 overall pick. That feels like a fantasy. Just ask the Golden State Warriors how the whole "two timelines" thing worked out for them.
Because Philadelphia's fate is tethered to Embiid's knees, it might as well dive all the way in on a high-risk, high-reward approach. Enter Kawhi Leonard, another All-NBA-caliber superstar whose health will remain a question mark for the rest of his career.
Could the Sixers land Leonard for McCain, No. 3 and Paul George? Might they build a similar deal around Tyrese Maxey, or would the full-circle nature of Leonard joining up with George again be too much to handle?
Who can say? But if Philadelphia isn't going to move off Embiid in a start-over plan, it might as well double down on talented-but-unreliable veterans.
Phoenix Suns: All of Their Own Picks
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The Rockets aren't going to give back all of the Phoenix Suns picks they currently control for an aging Kevin Durant. Devin Booker would almost certainly have to be at the center of any deal for those assets.
Booker had a say in the Suns' coaching search, and they have routinely shot down the idea of trading their franchise player. But we're talking about ambitious targets, and moving Booker to regain control of their future is the boldest thing the Suns could do this offseason.
Houston has Phoenix's 2025 pick (No. 10), an unprotected 2027 first-rounder and a 2029 swap. If the Suns could regain those, they'd be able to see a faint glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. As it stands now, Phoenix has no ability to construct a big-time winner and can't benefit from tanking.
Moving Booker for those picks (while also looking to deal KD and begging someone to take Bradley Beal) is the only way to get the franchise back on track to compete at some point near the end of the 2020s. Keep chasing short-term gains, and the pain and hopelessness will extend deeper into the next decade.
Portland Trail Blazers: LaMelo Ball
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Though unsupported by actual reporting on either side and seemingly unlikely, the LaMelo Ball-to-Portland trade is one of those earworm swaps that takes up residence in your head and refuses to leave.
Wouldn't it be exciting to see Ball leading a dynamic transition attack alongside Shaedon Sharpe while getting tons of defensive support from Toumani Camara, Deni Avdija and backline stalwart Donovan Clingan?
Ball's stock is down after yet another injury-marred season, but he's a tide-lifting offensive leader when healthy. And his shot-creation has never been buttressed by the kind of defensive infrastructure the Blazers boast.
Portland put up a strong second half last season on the strength of a defense that ranked fifth in the league after the All-Star break. Imagine what the Blazers could accomplish with Ball elevating an offense that ranked just 22nd in that same span.
Sacramento Kings: Jrue Holiday
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Jrue Holiday is probably overpaid on his current deal (three years and $104 million left), but the Sacramento Kings desperately need a point guard. They should be willing to spend a premium on a defense-first leader who'd offset their score-only stars' deficiencies and steady a reeling franchise.
The Kings could build a package around DeMar DeRozan, who'll earn $24.8 million next year and is only guaranteed $10 million of his $25.7 million salary in 2026-27. The cost-cutting Celtics should appreciate those savings.
With a core of Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis and Malik Monk, the Kings desperately need defensive capability. Keegan Murray and Keon Ellis are doing way too much heavy lifting, and Holiday's ability to guard up the positional spectrum might even spare Sabonis from unfavorable matchups.
Further decline is a major concern, as Holiday is already 35 and slipped this past season. But if the Kings aren't going to tear their roster down, they need to make a move that indicates they value something more than points per game.
San Antonio Spurs: Giannis Antetokounmpo
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If Giannis Antetokounmpo is leaving the Bucks, he'll do it to join a contender. While other teams appear closer to high-level winning than the San Antonio Spurs, almost no one else has their upside.
That's the power of Victor Wembanyama, a transformative defensive force who probably would have landed on the All-NBA first team if he'd stayed healthy last year. De'Aaron Fox set the precedent of asking to play in San Antonio alongside Wemby at February's trade deadline, and Giannis could follow suit this summer.
If Antetokounmpo makes clear he prefers to play for the Spurs, they have to do everything in their power to get him. Considering what Brook Lopez's spacing and rim defense unlocked for Giannis during the duo's absolute best days, an Antetokounmpo-Wemby frontline would be terrifying.
The Thunder are going to be favorites in the West for a while, but a Wembanyama and Giannis team-up would make the Spurs a legitimate threat.
Toronto Raptors: Giannis Antetokounmpo
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We can't ignore the reports from Doug Smith of the Toronto Star and Brian Windhorst of ESPN, whose combined effect suggests the Toronto Raptors are legitimate threats to acquire Giannis if the two-time MVP asks to leave the Bucks.
Toronto is also the new betting favorite to land the two-time MVP if he changes teams, which makes it impossible to consider nominating anyone else for this spot.
The Raptors are short on shooting and spacing as it is, and Antetokounmpo would make for an odd fit next to Scottie Barnes. But when a player as dominant as Giannis (potentially) becomes available, you get him and figure out the rest later.
Especially in the wide-open East, the Raptors have every incentive to go out and get a player who'd completely revamp the franchise.
Utah Jazz: Reed Sheppard
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With apologies to Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier, the last two point guards whom the Utah Jazz drafted, neither has done enough to project as a clear first-unit contributor. Reed Sheppard hasn't done that either, but the Houston Rockets point guard at least comes with an elite predraft pedigree.
The bet here is that Sheppard could have shone as a rookie of the Rockets had given him a chance. He played only 654 minutes last year, nowhere near Collier's 1,839 or George's 2,109.
George and Collier are good illustrations of Utah's plight: It has been in the lottery for three straight years but hasn't unearthed a cornerstone. Maybe that'll change when it selects fifth in this year's draft, but fast-tracking the process by onboarding Sheppard should have real appeal.
The knockdown shooting, disruptive defense and playmaking instincts that made Sheppard a stat-based draft darling are all still in there. Unlike Houston, Utah would have the luxury of letting Sheppard play a ton, make mistakes and tap into all those gifts in a major role.
Washington Wizards: Jaden Ivey
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The Washington Wizards' first priority should be chasing bloated contracts with picks attached this offseason. If they can't find any of those, they need to pursue young players who haven't delivered on their predraft promise with their original teams for whatever reason.
Jaden Ivey falls into the second category.
Ivey showed growth in 30 games this past season before he went down with a broken fibula, scoring 17.6 points and shooting a career-best 40.9 percent from deep. He's still a dubious bet as Cade Cunningham's long-term backcourt running mate.
The Detroit Pistons made the playoffs and took two games off the New York Knicks in the first round without him, and Ivey is extension-eligible this offseason. That means the Pistons don't necessarily have the luxury of patience with the guy whom they took at No. 5 in the 2022 draft.
Washington needs high-upside assets. Ivey qualifies on the strength of his athleticism, last year's small-sample shooting growth and draft pedigree.
If the Pistons aren't sure about him or don't want to deal with paying his next contract, the Wizards should be primed to pounce.
Stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference and Cleaning the Glass. Salary info via Spotrac.
Grant Hughes covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Bluesky and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, where he appears with Bleacher Report's Dan Favale.
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