5 NBA Teams That Can Take the Next Step with One More Deal
The bulk of NBA free-agent shopping is now complete, with over $2 billion spent on new talent in the first 10 days of the period alone. By now, there aren't many options left on the free-agent market, but that doesn't mean all 30 rosters are perfectly settled.
That leaves the trade route as the next-best means of making personnel adjustments between now and the February trade deadline. A number of clubs could be in the mix, and their motivations almost certainly varied. Some teams need to get younger. Others are ready to win now.
Ranked according to their need to do some additional business, here's a look at five franchises who may emerge front and center of the rumor mill once coaches get a closer look at their rosters during training camp.
These teams were ordered according to which has the most pressing interest in changing the status quo, whether that means adding talent, more effectively rebuilding or meeting a specific rotational need. For some teams, there's real urgency to make a move.
5. Minnesota Timberwolves
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There's an art to rebuilding, and the Minnesota Timberwolves haven't put the finishing touches on their project just yet. Though the franchise has become younger via trade and the draft, there are still two increasingly unnecessary veterans lurking on the roster.
Nikola Pekovic and Kevin Martin will earn over $19 million combined this season, according to Basketball Insiders, and they'll essentially earn that money in exchange for delaying the development of young prospects at the 5 and 2 spots.
Pekovic is 29 and Kevin Martin is 32, placing their career trajectories well beyond Minnesota's current youth movement. Why give minutes to 30-somethings when this team's emerging core is still in its early 20s?
One counterargument is that veterans can serve as mentors. But Kevin Garnett should be enough of a mentor for the entire team over the next two seasons, particularly with 39-year-old Andre Miller joining the fold. And there's little reason to believe Pekovic or Martin are uniquely vital locker room voices. They'd probably appreciate the opportunity to move on to a more winning venture.
Failure to move at least one of the two vets by the trade deadline would be unfortunate in context of the Timberwolves' rebuilding future. The organization needs as many young assets as it can get, guys who will surround Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns in a Minnesota core-to-come.
Some of that supporting cast is already on the roster, and there's a real danger that they'll lose minutes to Pekovic and Martin. It's time for Zach LaVine and Shabazz Muhammad to inherit the full-time shooting guard duties, and there's every indication Gorgui Dieng can back up Towns at center. Now is as good a time as any to give them those chances and let them learn on the job.
Any number of clubs would be interested in a burly center or perimeter-oriented shooting guard. The Timberwolves could get some young talent and picks for their trouble, adding to a suddenly impressive stockpile of prospects.
4. Brooklyn Nets
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It's a bit hard to get a handle on what the Brooklyn Nets are doing right now.
They bought out former franchise cornerstone Deron Williams this summer, but they also reached multiyear agreements with big men Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young. Brooklyn isn't quite rebuilding, but nor is it willing to spend absurd numbers of dollars in pursuit of an unlikely title.
Put simply, the Nets are settling. And that jeopardizes the club's ability to qualify for the postseason. Granted, there's a strong and largely financial rationale behind the strategy. The Nets have been hammered by the luxury tax and have little to show for it. That has to change.
But somehow, it can't be at the expense of winning—not while Brook Lopez is in his prime.
At the moment, the roster features an odd mix of veteran leadership (Joe Johnson, Jarrett Jack) and younger, unproven pieces (Bojan Bogdanovic, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson). It's a perfect storm for another middling season with neither playoff reward nor premier draft pick to show for it.
With another piece, however, that could change. One more backcourt component, for example, could seriously elevate a rotation that's about to be led by the 31-year-old Jack, a sixth man who doesn't rank among the league's elite (especially when compared to starters).
Perhaps the Detroit Pistons would part ways with Brandon Jennings after landing and re-signing Reggie Jackson. Maybe Patrick Beverley could be had for the right price in light of the Houston Rockets' acquisition of Ty Lawson. As teams re-evaluate their depth charts in training camp, it's entirely conceivable that a point guard or two will hit the trade block. If so, the Nets should pounce.
The idea of getting a bit younger is attractive, but Brooklyn may have to part ways with one of its youngsters in order to make a real upgrade. That's not the end of the world. In a relatively wide-open Eastern Conference, the Nets could make a serious run with another piece or two.
So while the financial prudence is probably a good idea, now is no time for the Nets to grow attached to the status quo.
3. Denver Nuggets
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Something has to give for the Denver Nuggets. The organization agreed to extensions for both Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari this summer, creating the impression that it intends to push for a playoff appearance as currently configured. Maybe new head coach Mike Malone can work some magic—or something like that.
But amid a hyper-talented Western Conference, the Nuggets are better suited to getting younger and living to fight another day.
The good news is that the team's veterans are valuable enough to attract some pretty good assets. Between now and the trade deadline, it wouldn't be surprising to see at least one of those veterans moved in such a deal.
Chandler or Gallinari could be moved if and when Denver gives up on the season. The Boston Herald's Steve Bulpett reported in July via Twitter that Gallinari talks were in the works, writing, "(Boston Celtics)/Denver discussed Gallinari deal, but nothing doing as of now. Some conflicting talk from sources, but may want to keep an eye on this."
If the Nuggets are indeed open to trading Gallinari, it stands to reason that even Kenneth Faried might be up for grabs, though at age 25, he might be worth retaining for a bit longer. Much depends on how well he meshes with Malone.
Denver already elected to move on from the Ty Lawson era, dealing him to the Houston Rockets in exchange for a package headlined by Nick Johnson, Kostas Papanikolaou and a protected 2016 first-round pick. Off-court issues notwithstanding, this was still the kind of deal the franchise should be pursuing.
It's time to kick this rebuild off in grand fashion, even though that means taking a substantial step back in the near-term.
2. Phoenix Suns
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Phoenix Suns fans probably aren't eager to part ways with their young talent, some of which advanced to the championship game at the NBA's Las Vegas Summer League last month. It's an impressive group that includes swingmen T.J. Warren, Archie Goodwin and (2015 first-rounder) Devin Booker.
On the face of it, one would be inclined to keep those guys together and see what happens. They have a lot of career left in them.
But the Suns could be on the brink of something special in short order, and now may be the time to capitalize.
The Brandon Knight-Eric Bledsoe backcourt promises to become one of the league's most exciting, and this summer's addition of center Tyson Chandler ostensibly means the Suns are trying to win in the here and now.
That's where the young wing rotation becomes more suspect. Even with veteran P.J. Tucker in the mix, the Suns are short on proven talent at the small forward spot.
If you're an optimist who reads much into summer league play, Warren may be prepared for the job. If, however, you're a realist comparing Phoenix's roster to the rest of the Western Conference, a trade may be in order.
Just don't expect it to include Bledsoe, according to Basketball Insiders' Steve Kyler:
"In this case, (the) Suns source openly laughed at the notion of trading Bledsoe. That’s not to say that a home run type trade wouldn’t turn the situation, because that is true of virtually 95 percent of the league, but to characterize the Suns as looking to trade Bledsoe couldn’t be further from the truth.
One Suns source said if the team wanted to move Bledsoe they could without much effort – there is that kind of interest in him. The problem for the Bledsoe trade enthusiasts is that for all the reasons someone would trade for him are all the reasons the Suns plan to keep him.
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Even if the organization is unwilling to part ways with Bledsoe, it could conceivably exchange some combination of that wing talent for a more established wing player. Someone like DeMar DeRozan is an unrealistic target, but one wonders if a Rudy Gay or Luol Deng could be within reach given the right package and circumstance.
There's certainly a logic to adopting the patient approach and allowing Warren, Goodwin and Booker to develop in-house. But Chandler is 32 years old, which creates some sense of urgency. If the young folks aren't up to the challenge just yet, perhaps it will soon be time to trade one or more of them for someone who is.
1. Boston Celtics
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The Boston Celtics have stockpiled big men at an astounding rate, recently adding David Lee and Amir Johnson to a rotation that already included Jared Sullinger, Kelly Olynyk and Tyler Zeller. Even Perry Jones III could vie for some minutes at the 4.
That officially qualifies as a logjam, and team president Danny Ainge is well-positioned to make another move and build upon last season's somewhat surprising postseason appearance by moving one of those big men—particularly if one of those big men could yield a small forward.
This is an up-and-coming squad with plenty of potential, but there's still room for improvement on the personnel front—unless you really believe Evan Turner (or Jae Crowder) is the small forward of the future in Boston.
The Celtics also have a wealth of backcourt talent, and it wouldn't be unreasonable to include Marcus Smart or Terry Rozier in a deal as long as Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley are around. In a league that's so heavily governed by guys in that 6'6"-6'9" range, the bottom line is that Boston needs a better (and perhaps bigger) wing presence—someone like James Young, but actually ready to contribute on a daily basis.
Is a trade absolutely essential? No. But it could reduce some redundancy and potentially help meet an important roster need. That can't be overlooked.
Ainge always seems to be in the market for the right deal, but he wouldn't be aiming to acquire young assets in this case. He'd actually be looking for a full-time replacement for Jeff Green, whom Boston traded to the Memphis Grizzlies a season ago.
In retrospect, that trade might have been a bit premature, but it was difficult to turn away another first-round pick. Turner has been serviceable on the wing, but he doesn't have a whole lot of range nor any overwhelming offensive abilities outside of his point-forward sensibilities.
It wouldn't be surprising to find the Celtics join Phoenix in the market for small forward services. Elite ones certainly don't grow on trees, but that doesn't preclude the possibility for improvement at the position.
