B/R's Ultimate Trade Deadline Cheat Sheet for Every NBA Team
Welcome back to our monster NBA trade deadline cheat sheet. This isn't your grandparents' crash course. It is more intense. We have top-down primers and hypothetical deals for every. Single. Team.
Here's how we'll prepare for what we know is, in some form, going to be a busy-busy-busy Feb. 7 deadline:
- Buyers or Sellers: Will a team buy or sell at the deadline?
- Untouchable Players: Which names are non-starters in 11th-hour negotiations? Based off whether a team is buying or selling...and common sense. Subject for manipulation if a team enters the Anthony Davis sweepstakes. Poison-pill extensions automatically go here.
- Notable Trade Assets: All players who hold positive value on their own and have a feasible path to the chopping block. Two-way contracts will not be included.
- Notable Inbound Draft Picks: Synopsis for key draft picks in each team's possession before 2025. This does not necessarily mean they're on the table in trade talks.
- Notable Outbound Draft Picks: Any noteworthy draft pick-obligations before 2025. Not all selections will be highlighted. Most top-55-protected choices, for instance, won't receive play unless they're projected to convey.
- Best Salary-Matching Assets: Contracts that aren't necessarily desirable but can be used to grease the wheels of larger inbound cap hits.
- Toughest Player to Move: The one player every team will most struggle to deal without attaching sweeteners or taking back unflattering salary. Anyone included in the "Untouchable" section because of a poison-pill extension or trade restriction will not be up for consideration here.
- Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Determined by the rumor mill, contract situations, team trajectories, etc.
- Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: How close is each team to the luxury tax?
- What to Watch: Every team's most pressing priority at the deadline.
- Trade Idea: Hypothetical deals for each team to pursue or consider. You're welcome.
Contract details will be provided whenever it's deemed necessary. Their values will reflect the money owed after this season and include any imminent nonguarantees or options.
Players are slotted within the category that best suits them, though there will be overlap when looking at the toughest to move and those most likely to be traded. Let us now comb through the weeds.
Atlanta Hawks
1 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Sellers
Untouchable Players: John Collins; Kevin Huerter; Trae Young
Notable Trade Assets: Justin Anderson (RFA this summer); DeAndre' Bembry; Dewayne Dedmon (expiring at $7.2 million); Tyler Dorsey (Early Bird RFA this summer); Daniel Hamilton (non-Bird RFA this summer); Taurean Prince; Omari Spellman
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: All their future first-rounders; Dallas' 2019 first-round pick (top-five protection); Charlotte's 2019 second-round pick; Cleveland's 2020 first-round pick (rolled over from 2019, with top-10 protection); Oklahoma City's 2022 first-round pick (lottery protection); Brooklyn's and/or Charlotte's 2023 second-round pick (two most favorable from both and Atlanta's own)
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: None
Best Salary-Matching Assets: Kent Bazemore ($19.3 million player option for 2019-20); Vince Carter (expiring at $1.5 million); Alex Len (one year, $4.2 million); Jeremy Lin (expiring at $13.8 million)
Toughest Player to Move: Miles Plumlee (one year, $12.5 million)
Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Jeremy Lin
Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: Plenty of flexibility under the luxury tax
What to Watch: Will they take on salary in 2019-20 and beyond in exchange for picks and prospects?
Trade Idea:
- Atlanta Hawks Receive: Henry Ellenson, Jon Leuer, Glenn Robinson III, 2019 first-round pick (top-12 protection)
- Detroit Pistons Receive: DeAndre' Bembry, Jeremy Lin
As one of the league's few definitive sellers, the Hawks are in position to capitalize on the salary-dumping market. But the compensation for eating unsavory contracts is down. The Cavaliers set a weird precedent by absorbing Matthew Dellavedova and John Henson without getting a first-rounder that'll convey before 2021—and really not before 2022.
Atlanta needs to up the ante to get a pick for one of its expiring contracts. Including DeAndre' Bembry is a good way to go. His jumper is under-developed, but he can defend 2s and 3s, rebounds well and has some playmaking chops.
If Detroit wants to improves its playoff chances while getting out from Jon Leuer's 2019-20 money, giving up a first for Bembry and Jeremy Lin kills two meals with one scone. Atlanta shouldn't be opposed to substituting Taurean Prince for Bembry if the Pistons will also pony up this year's second-rounder.
Boston Celtics
2 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Buyers
Untouchable Players: Jaylen Brown; Kyrie Irving; Al Horford ($30.1 million player option for 2019-20); Jayson Tatum
Notable Trade Assets: Marcus Morris (expiring at $5.4 million); Terry Rozier (restricted free agent (RFA) this summer); Semi Ojeleye (non-guaranteed salary for 2019-20); Daniel Theis (Early Bird RFA this summer); Robert Williams
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: All their future first-rounders; L.A. Clippers' 2019 first-round pick (lottery protection); Memphis' 2019 first-round pick (top-eight protection); Sacramento's 2019 first-round pick (top-one protection, via Philadelphia)
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: None
Best Salary-Matching Assets: Aron Baynes ($5.5 million player option for 2019-20; implicit no-trade clause); Marcus Smart (three years, $40.3 million)
Toughest Player to Move: Gordon Hayward (two years, $66.9 million)
Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Guerschon Yabusele (owed $3.1 million in 2019-20; team option in 2020-21)
Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: Between $3 and $4 million over the luxury tax
What to Watch: Will they try to duck the tax?
Trade Idea:
- Boston Celtics Receive: Elie Okobo, 2019 second-round pick (via Phoenix), 2020 second-round pick (top-40 protection, via Phoenix)
- Phoenix Suns Receive: Skal Labissiere, Terry Rozier
- Sacramento Kings Receive: Troy Daniels, Guerschon Yabusele, 2020 second-round pick (via Boston)
"At the end of the day, I'm going to do what's best for my career, and that's just where it stands," Kyrie Irving told reporters when asked about his upcoming free agency, per ESPN.com's Ian Begley. "That's just where it stands."
That's quite the departure from Irving's pledge of allegiance in October—and nothing if not an incentive for the Celtics to retain Rozier. But this trade gets them below the luxury tax while nabbing a couple of interesting assets.
Though the Suns can pitch Rozier over the summer, they don't have the cap space to poach restricted free agents. A couple of seconds and Okobo is a reasonable price to pay for the inside track on a prospective long-term starter. The Kings are getting a second-rounder for absorbing Yabusele's 2019-20 salary, and Troy Daniels is someone who should knock down a ton of threes in their system.
Brooklyn Nets
3 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Buyers
Untouchable Players: Jarrett Allen; Spencer Dinwiddie (trade restriction); Caris LeVert
Notable Trade Assets: Joe Harris (one year, $7.7 million); Ed Davis (expiring at $4.4 million); Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (RFA this summer); Rodions Kurucs; Dzanan Musa; D'Angelo Russell (RFA this summer)
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: All their future first-rounders; Denver's 2019 first-round pick (top-12 protection); New York's 2019 second-round pick; Denver's 2020 second-round pick; Phoenix's 2021 second-round pick (top-35 protection)
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: 2019 second-round pick to Orlando; 2020 second-round pick to Charlotte or Philadelphia; 2021 second-round pick to Charlotte; 2023 second-round pick to Atlanta or Charlotte (swap rights)
Best Salary-Matching Assets: Jared Dudley (expiring at $9.5 million); DeMarre Carroll (expiring at $15.4 million)
Toughest Player to Move: Allen Crabbe ($18.5 million player option for 2019-20)
Most Likely Player to be Traded: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: Plenty of flexibility under the luxury tax
What to Watch: Will they actually buy?
Trade Idea:
- Brooklyn Nets Receive: Nikola Mirotic
- New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Jared Dudley, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, 2019 second-round pick (via New York)
With a firm hold on an Eastern Conference playoff spot, the Nets are positioned to enter the deadline as buyers. The trick for them is finding a deal that doesn't cost much in the way of future assets or 2019-20 cap space.
Prying Mirotic out of New Orleans is among the best-fitting moves. Brooklyn gets his Bird rights without giving up a primo trade chip. If the Knicks' 2019 second-rounder is too steep, the Nets can try selling the Pelicans two lesser seconds from Denver and Portland in 2020.
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Charlotte Hornets
4 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Buyers
Untouchable Players: Miles Bridges; Kemba Walker
Notable Trade Assets: Devonte' Graham; Willy Hernangomez (non-guaranteed salary for 2019-20); Frank Kaminsky (RFA this summer); Michael Kidd-Gilchrist ($13 million player option for 2019-20); Jeremy Lamb (expiring at $7.5 million); Malik Monk
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: All their future first-rounders; Denver's or Washington's 2019 second-round pick (less favorable); Oklahoma City's 2019 second-round pick; Brooklyn's or New York's 2020 second-round pick (less favorable); Cleveland's 2020 second-round pick; Brooklyn's 2021 second-round pick; L.A. Clippers' 2021 second-round pick
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: 2019 second-round pick to Atlanta; 2020 second-round pick to New York; 2021 second-round pick to New York; 2023 second-round pick to Atlanta or Brooklyn (swap rights)
Best Salary-Matching Assets: Bismack Biyombo ($17 million player option for 2019-20); Tony Parker ($5.3 million non-guaranteed salary for 2019-20); Marvin Williams ($15 million player option for 2019-20); Cody Zeller (two years, $29.9 million)
Toughest Player to Move: Nicolas Batum (two years, $52.7 million)
Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Frank Kaminsky
Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: About $3.5 million under the luxury tax
What to Watch: Can they swing a blockbuster?
Trade Idea:
- Charlotte Hornets Receive: Jose Calderon, Henry Ellenson, Blake Griffin
- Detroit Pistons Receive: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Malik Monk, Willy Hernangomez, Marvin Williams, 2019 first-round pick (top-four protection), 2020 second-round pick (from Cleveland, via Charlotte)
As the Detroit Free Press' Vince Ellis noted, the Pistons have not given any serious indication they're ready to sell Griffin. But making the playoffs verges on a pipe dream unless the Heat and Wizards both close the season in bad places. Getting out from under Griffin's monster salary and starting over it as least worth a discussion.
This deal nets two intriguing prospects in Hernangomez and Monk (playing better!); two ready-made replacements at power forward; an intriguing Charlotte pick; and a useful second-rounder while keeping Detroit below the tax and cleaning the books in advance of 2020.
Finding a better offer feels unlikely, but the Pistons can try extracting slightly more. The Hornets desperately need a second star and don't have the cap space, market appeal or trade equity to go after glitzier targets.
Chicago Bulls
5 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Sellers
Untouchable Players: Wendell Carter Jr.; Lauri Markkanen
Notable Trade Assets: Ryan Arcidiacono (Early Bird RFA this summer; implicit no-trade clause); Kris Dunn; Chandler Hutchison; Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (expiring at $1.5 million; cannot be traded with another player); Bobby Portis (RFA this summer); Wayne Selden (Early Bird RFA this summer; cannot be traded with another player); Denzel Valentine (out for season)
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: All their future first-rounders; Memphis' 2019 second-round pick; Memphis' 2020 second-round pick (protected for Nos. 56 to 60); New Orleans 2021 second-round pick (swap rights); Detroit's 2022 second-round pick (swap rights)
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: 2019 second-round pick to Philadelphia
Best Salary-Matching Assets: Zach LaVine (three years, $58.5 million; implicit no-trade clause); Robin Lopez (expiring at $14.4 million); Jabari Parker ($20 million team option for 2019-20)
Toughest Player to Move: Cristiano Felicio (two years, $15.7 million)
Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Bobby Portis
Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: Plenty of flexibility under the luxury tax
What to Watch: Are they open to swallowing salary for picks and prospects?
Trade Idea:
- Chicago Bulls Receive: Allen Crabbe, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, 2019 second-round pick (from New York, via Brooklyn), 2020 second-round pick (from Denver, via Brooklyn)
- Brooklyn Nets Receive: Jabari Parker
Hollis-Jefferson's Bird rights and at least one really good second-rounder is worth swallowing the final year of Crabbe's deal. The Bulls aren't going anywhere special before 2020, and his $18.5 million salary doesn't entirely displace them from the free-agency sweepstakes. They'd still have a clear path to more than $25 million in room.
Brooklyn's knack for player development could scare general manager Sean Marks out of offering even this much, but shaving Crabbe's 2019-20 money from the ledger gives the Nets a line to more than $40 million in space while carrying D'Angelo Russell's RFA hold.
Cleveland Cavaliers
6 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Sellers
Untouchable Players: Cedi Osman; Larry Nance Jr. (poison pill provision); Collin Sexton
Notable Trade Assets: Wade Baldwin (expiring at $1.5 million; cannot be traded with another player); David Nwaba; Nik Stauskas (expiring at $1.5 million; cannot be traded with another player); Ante Zizic
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: Utah's 2020 second-round pick; Milwaukee's 2021 first-round pick (lottery protection, but unlikely to convey until 2022 on top-10 protection); Milwaukee's 2021 second-round pick; Portland's 2021 second-round pick; Washington's 2022 second-round pick; Portland's 2023 second-round pick
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: 2019 second-round pick to L.A. Clippers, New York, Orlando or Sacramento; 2020 first-round pick to Atlanta (rolled over from 2019, with top-10 protection); 2020 second-round pick to Charlotte; 2024 second-round pick to Utah (swap rights)
Best Salary-Matching Assets: Alec Burks (expiring at $11.5 million); Jordan Clarkson (one year, $13.4 million); Matthew Dellavedova (one year, $9.6 million; trade restriction lifts Feb. 6); John Henson (one year, $10.5 million; trade restriction lifts Feb. 6); Kevin Love (four years, $120.4 million); JR Smith ($3.9 million partial guarantee for 2019-20); Tristan Thompson (one year, $18.5 million)
Toughest Player to Move: John Henson
Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Alec Burks
Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: Within $5 million of the luxury tax
What to Watch: Is Kevin Love in play?
Trade Idea:
- Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: Pau Gasol ($6.7 million partial guarantee for 2019-20), 2019 second-round pick, 2020 second-round pick (top-45 protection)
- San Antonio Spurs Receive: Alec Burks, David Nwaba
You know this trade already sucks because it involves the Spurs. They don't make midseason deals. But having two first-rounders in this year's draft might make them less partial to keeping their own second.
Nwaba will help San Antonio's wing defense if he stays healthy, and Burks promises another layer of shot creation and spacing for the league's best bench. Plus, by getting out from Gasol's $6.7 million guarantee, the Spurs would be another contract dump away from impactful cap space.
Cleveland is getting just enough to increase San Antonio's distance from the luxury tax. For all the picks they've acquired, the Cavaliers still only own one in this year's draft. This gets them another selection, and Gasol would become a buyout candidate who may surrender part of next year's guaranteed money.
Dallas Mavericks
7 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Both
Untouchable Players: Luka Doncic; Dirk Nowitzki (implicit no-trade clause); Kristaps Porzingis (RFA this summer; cannot be traded with another player)
Notable Trade Assets: Jalen Brunson; Trey Burke (cannot be traded with another player); Dorian Finney-Smith (RFA this summer); Maxi Kleber (Early Bird RFA this summer)
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: Golden State's or Houston's 2020 second-round pick (more favorable); Miami's 2023 second-round pick
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: 2019 first-round pick to Atlanta (top-five protection); 2020 second-round pick to Philadelphia; 2021 first-round pick to New York (contingent upon obligation to Atlanta); 2023 first-round pick to New York (top-10 protection)
Best Salary-Matching Assets: Harrison Barnes ($25.1 million player option for 2019-20); Tim Hardaway Jr. (two years, $39 million; cannot be traded in combination with another player); Courtney Lee (one year, $12.8 million; cannot be traded in combination with another player); Dwight Powell ($10.3 million player option for 2019-20)
Toughest Player to Move: Tim Hardaway Jr.
Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Harrison Barnes
Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: More than $3 million in cap space
What to Watch: Er, so, what will they do, if anything, following the Kristaps Porzingis trade?
Trade Idea:
- Dallas Mavericks Receive: Kosta Koufos, Zach Randolph
- Sacramento Kings Receive: Harrison Barnes, 2020 second-round pick (more favorable from Golden State and Houston, via Dallas)
Taking on Porzingis' RFA hold, Hardaway and Lee has removed the Mavericks from free agency's centerstage. This gets them back in the swing of things.
Exchanging Barnes for two expiring deals puts them on track to bankroll a max in the Kyrie Irving/Kawhi Leonard/Jimmy Butler division if their pick conveys to Atlanta. Most teams aren't biting on his $25.1 million player option, but the Kings need a combo wing and will have max money to spare even with him on the books.
Denver Nuggets
8 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Buyers
Untouchable Players: Nikola Jokic; Jamal Murray
Notable Trade Assets: Malik Beasley; Torrey Craig; Gary Harris (three years, $57.5 million); Juan Hernangomez (one year, $3.3 million); Trey Lyles (RFA this summer); Paul Millsap ($30 million team option for 2019-20); Monte Morris; Michael Porter Jr. (has yet to play); Jarred Vanderbilt
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: Washington's 2019 second-round pick (swap rights, but protected for Nos. 56 to 60)
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: 2019 first-round pick to Brooklyn (top-12 protection); 2019 second-round pick to Milwaukee (top-55 protection); 2020 second-round pick to Brooklyn; 2021 second-round pick to Philadelphia; 2022 second-round pick to Minnesota or Philadelphia (swap rights)
Best Salary-Matching Assets: Will Barton (three years, $41.2 million); Mason Plumlee (one year, $14 million)
Toughest Player to Move: Will Barton
Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Trey Lyles
Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: Within $7 million of the luxury tax
What to Watch: Do they have the expendable assets to add a shooter?
Trade Idea:
- Denver Nuggets Receive: Dorian Finney-Smith
- Dallas Mavericks Receive: Juan Hernangomez
Denver is getting less likely to make a trade by the minute. Malik Beasley, Torrey Craig and Monte Morris have played the Nuggets into enviable depth, and the front office doesn't have a lot of expendable trade chips to dangle in talks.
Grabbing a lights-out shooter would be ideal, but Denver also needs another consistent defensive presence on the perimeter. Finney-Smith is draining enough of his spot-up triples (36.8 percent) to satisfy the three-and-D requirements, and he should be gettable if Dallas doesn't want to risk a pricey offer sheet in restricted free agency.
Detroit Pistons
9 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Buyers/Should-Be, Could-Be Sellers
Untouchable Players: None
Notable Trade Assets: Bruce Brown; Blake Griffin (three years, $110.2 million); Luke Kennard; Thon Maker (cannot be traded with another player); Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (non-guaranteed salary for 2019-20; cannot be traded with another player)
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: All their own first-rounders; L.A. Lakers' 2021 second-round pick
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: 2020 second-round pick to Sacramento; 2021 second-round pick to L.A. Clippers; 2022 second-round pick to Chicago or Memphis; 2023 second-round pick to L.A. Clippers
Best Salary-Matching Assets: Langston Galloway (one year, $7.3 million); Reggie Jackson (one year, $18.1 million); Jon Leuer (one year, $9.5 million); Glenn Robinson III ($4.3 million team option for 2019-20); Ish Smith (expiring at $6 million)
Toughest Player to Move: Andre Drummond (two years, $55.8 million)
Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Glenn Robinson III
Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: Within $3 million of the luxury tax
What to Watch: Will they buy or sell?
Trade Idea:
- Detroit Pistons Receive: Mike Conley, David Nwaba
- Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: Henry Ellenson, 2021 second-round pick OR cash (via Detroit)
- Memphis Grizzlies Receive: Reggie Jackson, Luke Kennard, Jon Leuer, 2019 first-round pick (top-three protection, via Detroit), 2019 second-round pick (via Detroit), 2020 second-round pick (top-55 protection, via Chicago)
Selling should be on the table for the Pistons, but their financial commitment to this roster increases the likelihood they act like buyers even after the Reggie Bullock trade. Conley is a no-brainer target if they're serious about making a postseason bid.
Flipping Kennard and their own first in the same deal is a bitter pill, but the Pistons are getting off some bad money, and their bleak point guard situation warrants aggression. Sussing out a third party to take on Ellenson is crucial with both Detroit and Memphis so close to the tax. Cleveland is the perfect helping hand.
The Grizzlies aren't selling low on Conley. Another team like Utah might part with two first-rounders or expiring contracts, but Kennard is a somewhat established prospect, and the Pistons' 2019 pick may still land comfortably in the lottery.
Golden State Warriors
10 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Buyers
Untouchable Players: DeMarcus Cousins; Stephen Curry; Kevin Durant ($31.5 million player option for 2019-20; implicit no-trade clause); Draymond Green; Andre Iguodala; Klay Thompson
Notable Trade Assets: Jordan Bell (Early Bird RFA this summer); Quinn Cook; Jacob Evans; Kevon Looney (implicit no-trade clause); Alfonzo McKinnie
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: All their own first-round picks
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: 2020 second-round pick to Dallas or Houston
Best Salary-Matching Assets: Shaun Livingston ($2 million partial guarantee for 2019-20)
Toughest Player to Move: Andre Iguodala (one year, $17.2 million)
Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Jordan Bell
Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: More than $20 million over the luxury tax
What to Watch: Will they make a move at all?
Trade Idea:
- Golden State Warriors Receive: Dorian Finney-Smith, Maxi Kleber
- Dallas Mavericks Receive: Jordan Bell, Quinn Cook, 2019 first-round pick, 2021 second-round pick
DISCLAIMER: The Warriors are definitely not making a trade. Probably. But if Dallas doesn't want to shell out money for Finney-Smith and Kleber next year and is interested in playing Bell up front with Kristaps Porzingis, Golden State could stand to deepen its rotation while acquiring a pair of low-cost free-agency holds.
Tinkering with the framework to get Finney-Smith or Kleber on his own would be a big deal.
Houston Rockets
11 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Buyers
Untouchable Players: Clint Capela; Gary Clark (trade restriction); Kenneth Faried (trade restriction); James Harden; Austin Rivers (trade restriction)
Notable Trade Assets: James Ennis ($1.8 million player option for 2019-20); Gerald Green (expiring at $1.5 million; implicit no-trade clause); Isaiah Hartenstein (non-guaranteed salary for 2019-20); PJ Tucker (two years, $16.3 million; $2.6 million partial guarantee for 2020-21)
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: All their own first-round picks
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: 2019 second-round pick to Cleveland, New York, Orlando or Portland (likely New York); 2020 second-round pick to Dallas (Houston receives less favorable of its own and Golden State's pick)
Best Salary-Matching Assets: Marquese Chriss (expiring at $3.2 million); Eric Gordon (one year, $14 million); Brandon Knight (one year, $15.6 million); Nene ($3.8 million player option for 2019-20)
Toughest Player to Move: Chris Paul (three years, $124.1 million)
Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Brandon Knight
Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: More than $7 million over the luxury tax
What to Watch: Does the Brandon Knight-plus-a-first framework get them an impact wing?
Trade Idea:
- Houston Rockets Receive: JaMychal Green, Garrett Temple
- Memphis Grizzlies Receive: Brandon Knight, 2019 first-round pick (lottery protection in 2019 and 2020; turns into two second-rounders if not conveyed)
Brandon Knight-and-a first-round-pick is the Rockets' fait accompli package. Unless they have advanced knowledge of a buyout-market coup, this construction, or something similar, feels like it'll be shipped somewhere.
Where exactly? We cannot be sure. Atlanta is the most popular destination, because of Kent Bazemore. But the Rockets have talked to the Grizzlies about this same structure, according to Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer.
Neither Green nor Temple lives up to Bazemore's possible impact, but in this case, two is better than one. Both are cheaper than Bazemore this season, and they come off the ledger over the summer. Houston would have the opportunity to lop off serious money from its 2019-20 tax bill or bring them back using Bird rights.
In the meantime, they shore up the Rockets' second unit. Green has the bandwidth to play beside Clint Capela when he returns, and Houston can try getting away with using him at the 5 alongside PJ Tucker. Temple is a low-usage dream on offense and has the size and length to be deployed as a wing on defense. And in the grand scheme of things, neither one is overwhelmingly likely to get played off the floor in a potential Warriors series.
Indiana Pacers
12 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Conservative Buyers
Untouchable Players: Victor Oladipo; Domantas Sabonis; Myles Turner (poison pill provision)
Notable Trade Assets: Ike Anigbogu (non-guaranteed salary for 2019-20); Bojan Bogdanovic (expiring at $10.5 million); Darren Collison (expiring at $10 million); Aaron Holiday; Alize Johnson (non-guaranteed salary for 2019-20); Cory Joseph (expiring at $7.9 million); TJ Leaf; Doug McDermott; Kyle O'Quinn (expiring at $4.4 million); Thaddeus Young (expiring at $13.8 million)
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: All their own first-rounders
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: 2019 second-round pick to Brooklyn (protected for Nos. 45 to 60)
Best Salary-Matching Assets: Tyreke Evans (expiring at $12.4 million)
Toughest Player to Move: None
Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Kyle O'Quinn
Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: Plenty of flexibility under the tax
What to Watch: Will they make a move to offset Victor Oladipo's season-ending injury?
Trade Idea:
- Indiana Pacers Receive: Wayne Ellington (must consent to trade), Rodney McGruder
- Miami Heat Receive: Justin Patton, 2019 first-round pick (top-20 protection in 2019; lottery protection in 2020; turns into two seconds if not conveyed), 2019 second-round pick (more favorable from Milwaukee and Sacramento, via Philadelphia)
- Philadelphia 76ers Receive: Kyle O'Quinn
Victor Oladipo's season-ending injury doesn't relegate the Pacers to seller or idle-bystander duty. They're conservative buyers.
Giving up a protected first-round pick and a serviceable big they don't use falls wells short of breaking the bank. The Pacers are getting two knockdown shooters, and McGruder can run some pick-and-roll and chase around certain wings on defense. Gaining his Bird rights ahead of this summer is almost worth the cost of this pick alone.
The Heat are lucky to secure this much for two players who may not factor into their bigger picture while coming within a stone's throw of avoiding the luxury tax. They'd duck the line entirely by using a second-rounder and/or cash to reroute Patton to a team like Cleveland. (Patton and cash or a pick for David Nwaba works.)
Philly has nothing to agonize over. O'Quinn significantly boosts a lackluster big-man rotation behind Joel Embiid for the cost of a benchwarmer and mid-to-late second-rounder.
Los Angeles Clippers
13 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Buyers/Could-Be Sellers
Untouchable Players: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Notable Trade Assets: Patrick Beverley (expiring at $5 million); Danilo Gallinari (one year, $22.6 million); Montrezl Harrell (one year, $6 million); Mike Muscala (expiring at $5 million; cannot be traded with another player); Jerome Robinson; Landry Shamet (cannot be traded with another player); Sindarius Thornwell (non-guaranteed salary for 2019-20); Tyrone Wallace (non-guaranteed salary for 2019-20; implicit no-trade clause); Lou Williams (two years, $16 million; $1.5 million guarantee for 2020-21)
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: 2019 second-round pick from Cleveland, Houston, Orlando or Portland (most likely Portland); Philly's 2020 first-round pick (lottery protection); Miami's 2021 first-round pick (unprotected); Detroit's 2021 second-round pick; Detroit's 2023 second-round pick
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: 2019 first-round pick to Boston (lottery protection in 2019 and 2020; turns into 2022 second if not conveyed); 2021 second-round pick to Charlotte
Best Salary-Matching Assets: Avery Bradley ($2 million partial guarantee for 2019-20); Wilson Chandler (expiring at $12.8 million; cannot be traded with another player); Marcin Gortat (expiring at $13.6 million); Luc Mbah a Moute (expiring at $4.3 million); Milos Teodosic (expiring at $6.3 million; Early Bird RFA this summer)
Toughest Player to Move: Avery Bradley
Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Milos Teodosic
Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: More than $10 million under the luxury tax
What to Watch: Can they acquire someone on an expiring contract to bolster their playoff push? Is there a chance they shop Danilo Gallinari in exchange for cap space this summer?
Trade Idea:
- Los Angeles Clippers Receive: Derrick Favors, Ricky Rubio, Raul Neto, 2019 first-round pick (lottery protection)
- Utah Jazz Receive: Danilo Gallinari, Milos Teodosic, Sindarius Thornwell
Los Angeles clearly doesn't see itself making the playoffs after the Tobias Harris trade, so moving Gallinari should become a priority.
A deal that sends him, Teodosic and Sindarius Thornwell to Utah for Derrick Favors, Ricky Rubio, Raul Neto and a first-rounder arms the Clippers with dual-max slots and plenty of Anthony Davis bargaining chips for the summer.
Los Angeles Lakers
14 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Buyers
Untouchable Players: LeBron James
Notable Trade Assets: Lonzo Ball; Isaac Bonga; Reggie Bullock (expiring at $2.5 million; cannot be traded with another player); Tyson Chandler (trade restriction lifts Feb. 6); Josh Hart; Kyle Kuzma; Brandon Ingram; JaVale McGee; Moritz Wagner; Ivica Zubac
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: All their own first-rounders
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: 2019 second-round pick to Atlanta or Sacramento; 2021 second-round pick to Detroit
Best Salary-Matching Assets: Michael Beasley (expiring at $3.5 million); Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (expiring at $12 million; implicit no-trade clause); Rajon Rondo (expiring at $9 million); Lance Stephenson (expiring at $4.4 million)
Toughest Player to Move: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Lance Stephenson
Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: Plenty of flexibility under the luxury tax
What to Watch: If they can't land Anthony Davis (they probably won't), can they buy without impacting their core-asset base or this summer's cap space?
Trade Idea:
- Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Ian Clark (must consent to trade), Anthony Davis, Jerian Grant
- New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Mo Bamba, Brandon Ingram, Jonathan Isaac OR a protected 2020 first-round pick (via Orlando), Kyle Kuzma, Rajon Rondo, 2019 first-round pick (unprotected, via L.A. Lakers), 2021 first-round pick (unprotected, via L.A. Lakers), 2022 second-round pick (via L.A. Lakers), 2023 first-round pick (swap rights, via Los Angeles)
- Orlando Magic Receive: Lonzo Ball, Tim Frazier, Ivica Zubac, 2020 second-round pick (via L.A. Lakers)
This sentence will be outdated by the time you finish reading it. That's the pace at which the Anthony Davis news cycle moves. But the Lakers most likely aren't making a major move that doesn't include him, so our job is to up their ante enough for the Pelicans to at least sort of think about striking a deal before Thursday's deadline.
The Magic are essential if Ball doesn't want to play in New Orleans and the Pelicans don't want the responsibility of changing his mind. Selling so early on a youngster like Bamba is risky, but Nikola Vucevic's rise and pending free agency changes the calculus. Bringing in Ball makes way more sense if Orlando is going to pay him
Bamba's stress fracture in his lower left leg complicates this package. Ball is dealing with his own injury (left ankle), but he's objectively more valuable to the Magic if they're invested in Vucevic. Including Isaac or a protected 2020 first-rounder is not overkill.
New Orleans might prefer Ball to Bamba. It might still wait for the summer to auction off Davis. No matter the outcome, the Lakers have a responsibility to go hard right up until the final bell.
Memphis Grizzlies
15 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Sellers
Untouchable Players: Jaren Jackson Jr.; Joakim Noah (trade restriction)
Notable Trade Assets: Dillon Brooks (out for season; non-guaranteed salary for 2019-20); Jevon Carter; Omri Casspi (expiring at $1.5 million); Mike Conley (two years, $67 million; $22.4 million partial guarantee for 2020-21); Marc Gasol ($25.6 million player option for 2019-20); Justin Holiday (expiring at $4.4 million; cannot be with another player); Shelvin Mack (expiring at $1.5 million); Ivan Rabb (non-guaranteed salary for 2019-20)
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: Chicago's or Detroit's 2022 second-round pick (less favorable)
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: 2019 first-round pick to Boston (top-eight protection in 2019; top-six protection in 2020; unprotected in 2021); 2019 second-round pick to Chicago; 2020 second-round pick to Chicago or Houston; 2021 second-round pick to Sacramento
Best Salary-Matching Assets: JaMychal Green (expiring at $7.7 million); Garrett Temple (expiring at $8 million)
Toughest Player to Move: Chandler Parsons (one year, $25.1 million)
Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Mike Conley
Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: Within $500,000 of the luxury tax
What to Watch: Will they actually move Mike Conley and/or Marc Gasol?
Trade Idea:
- Memphis Grizzlies Receive: Grayson Allen, Dante Exum, Ricky Rubio, 2019 first-round pick (top-5 protection); 2019 second-round pick, 2021 first-round pick (lottery protected through 2023; turns into two seconds if not conveyed)
- Utah Jazz Receive: Mike Conley, Shelvin Mack
Dealing Conley to a team like Utah is easier than moving him to Detroit. The Jazz can help create more breathing room for the Grizzlies under the luxury tax and don't need to send back any truly bad money.
Memphis has to pick up the phone even if Utah wants to pull Allen from this offer. Landing two first-rounders is a coup by itself with Conley owed $67 million through 2019-20 and 2020-21. Exum's price point isn't nearly hefty enough for the Grizzlies to play hardball.
Miami Heat
16 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Buyers
Untouchable Players: Udonis Haslem (implicit no-trade clause); Dwyane Wade (implicit no-trade clause); Josh Richardson; Justise Winslow (poison pill provision)
Notable Trade Assets: Bam Adebayo; Wayne Ellington (expiring at $6.3 million; implicit no-trade clause); Derrick Jones Jr. (non-guaranteed salary for 2019-20); Rodney McGruder (RFA this summer)
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: None
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: 2019 second-round pick to Minnesota; 2020 second-round pick to Sacramento; 2021 first-round pick to Philadelphia; 2021 second-round pick to Sacramento; 2023 second-round pick to Dallas
Best Salary-Matching Assets: Goran Dragic ($19.2 million player option for 2019-20); James Johnson (two years, $31.4 million); Tyler Johnson ($19.2 million player option for 2019-20); Kelly Olynyk (two years, $26.7 million); Hassan Whiteside ($27.1 million player option for 2019-20)
Toughest Player to Move: Dion Waiters (two years, $24.8 million)
Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Wayne Ellington
Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: More than $6 million over the luxury tax
What to Watch: Can they duck the luxury tax? Do they have a biggish move in them?
Trade Idea:
- Miami Heat Receive: Markelle Fultz
- Atlanta Hawks Receive: Furkan Korkmaz, Derrick Jones Jr., Justin Patton, 2019 first-round pick (via Philly), 2020 second-round (from Brooklyn or New York, via Philly), 2020 second-round pick (from Dallas, via Philly)
- Philadelphia 76ers Receive: Dewayne Dedmon, Wayne Ellington (must consent to trade), Rodney McGruder, Taurean Prince
Full disclosure: There will be two versions of this deal. The other one is under Philadelphia's cheat sheet.
Miami might prefer a return that drags it beneath the tax, but Fultz is in play leading up to the deadline, according to Jon Johnson of SportsRadio 94WIP and KYW Newsradio. If any team would be willing to view the balance of his deal (two years, $22 million with a 2020-21 team option) as a non-obstacle, it's the Heat.
They don't have the scratch to acquire another high-upside prospect. Their books are a mess through 2020-21. Fultz's money adds to next year's tax bill but isn't any more confining than new contracts for Ellington or McGruder, and if he pans out, the Heat will have a viable cornerstone on their hands.
Milwaukee Bucks
17 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Buyers
Untouchable Players: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Notable Trade Assets: Eric Bledsoe (expiring at $15 million); Malcolm Brogdon (RFA this summer); Sterling Brown (non-guaranteed salary for 2019-20); Pat Connaughton (non-guaranteed salary for 2019-20); Stanley Johnson (RFA this summer; cannot be traded with another player); Brook Lopez (expiring at $3.4 million); Donte DiVincenzo; Khris Middleton ($13 million player option for 2019-20); DJ Wilson; Christian Wood (non-guaranteed salary for 2019-20)
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: Denver's 2019 second-round pick (top-55 protection); Washington's 2020 second-round pick; Washington's 2021 second-round pick
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: 2019 first-round pick to Phoenix (protected for Nos. 1 to 3, 17-30; top-seven protection in 2020); 2019 second-round pick to Sacramento or Philadelphia (likely Sacramento); 2021 first-round pick to Cleveland (lottery protection; contingent upon 2019 obligation to Phoenix; top-10 protection in 2022); 2021 second-round pick to Cleveland
Best Salary-Matching Assets: George Hill ($1 million partial guarantee for 2019-20; trade restriction lifts Feb. 6); Ersan Ilyasova (two years, $14 million; non-guaranteed salary for 2020-21); Jason Smith (expiring at $5.5 million; trade restriction lifts Feb. 6); Tony Snell (two years, $23.6 million)
Toughest Player to Move: George Hill
Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Jason Smith
Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: Within $4 million of the luxury tax
What to Watch: Are they done making moves?
Trade Idea:
- Milwaukee Bucks Receive: Dewayne Dedmon
- Atlanta Hawks Receive: Jason Smith, 2020 second-round pick (from Washington, via Milwaukee)
The Bucks are sitting pretty. They don't need to do anything. But Dewayne Dedmon is good. He's less likely to get played off the floor in the postseason than Brook Lopez, and his Early Bird rights are super-valuable when Milwaukee won't have them on the former this summer.
Atlanta is hoping for picks in any Dedmon trade, and Washington's 2020 second-rounder is a good flier following John Wall's latest injury—particularly when it doesn't cost the Hawks major cap space or a player that factors into their long-term plans.
Minnesota Timberwolves
18 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Both
Untouchable Players: Karl-Anthony Towns (poison-pill provision)
Notable Trade Assets: Keita Bates-Diop; Robert Covington; Luol Deng; Tyus Jones (RFA this summer); Josh Okogie; Derrick Rose (implicit no-trade clause); Dario Saric
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: All their own first-rounders; Miami's 2019 second-round pick; Denver's or Philadelphia's 2022 second-round pick (more favorable)
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: 2019 second-round pick to Atlanta or Sacramento
Best Salary-Matching Assets: Jerryd Bayless (expiring at $8.6 million); Gorgui Dieng (two years, $33.5 million); Taj Gibson (expiring at $14 million); Jeff Teague ($19 million player option for 2019-20); Anthony Tolliver (expiring at $5.7 million)
Toughest Player to Move: Andrew Wiggins (four years, $122.2 million)
Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Tyus Jones
Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: Within $4 million of the luxury tax
What to Watch: Will they end up selling? Could they acquire a swing piece for their postseason push?
Trade Idea:
- Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: Jerian Grant, 2019 second-round pick
- Orlando Magic Receive: Tyus Jones
Jettisoning Jimmy Butler allows the Timberwolves to re-sign Jones without worrying about the luxury tax, so they may be against moving him. But his role in the rotation didn't increase all that much before his recent left ankle sprain.
Minnesota should see what type of second-rounders are out there before it lets Jones' situation ride into the offseason. He isn't one of the RFAs who will broker an over-the-top offer sheet, but paying him even modest money is an unnecessary investment if the team doesn't view him as its eventual starter.
New Orleans Pelicans
19 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Sellers/Could-Be Buyers
Untouchable Players: Jrue Holiday
Notable Trade Assets: Ian Clark (expiring at $1.5 million; implicit no-trade clause); Anthony Davis; Cheick Diallo; Tim Frazier (expiring at $1.5 million); Frank Jackson (non-guaranteed salary for 2019-20); Darius Miller (expiring at $2.2 million); Nikola Mirotic (expiring at $12.5 million); E'Twaun Moore (one year, $8.7 million); Jahlil Okafor (team option for 2019-20); Elfrid Payton (expiring at $3 million); Julius Randle ($9 million player option for 2019-20); Kenrich Williams (non-guaranteed salary for 2019-20)
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: All their own first-rounders
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: 2021 second-round pick to Chicago (swap rights)
Best Salary-Matching Assets: Wesley Johnson (expiring at $6.1 million)
Toughest Player to Move: Solomon Hill (one year, $12.8 million)
Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Nikola Mirotic
Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: Inside $10 million of the luxury tax
What to Watch: Will they hold on to Anthony Davis past the deadline?
Trade Idea:
- New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Mike Conley, Omri Casspi (injured)
- Memphis Grizzlies Receive: Solomon Hill, Wesley Johnson, Nikola Mirotic, 2019 first-round pick (top-seven protection), 2019 second-round pick, 2020 second-round pick
Everyone has a "tear down the Pelicans!" trade. This taps into a different route—a more drastic measure.
Going after Conley is a no-go should New Orleans move Davis now. Even if he sticks around into the summer, sending out a first-round pick doesn't check too many feel-good boxes unless he's suiting up. But who knows, maybe the addition of Conley galvanizes the team, incites a late playoff push and convinces Davis to reconsider his position.
More likely, the Pelicans would look at beginning next season with Conley, Jrue Holiday, E'Twaun Moore and whatever they get back for Davis. That's not a bad starting point. It has the makings of a playoff hopeful.
Other permutations of this deal exist if the Grizzlies demand the moon for Conley. They're outlined here. But the sticker price on Conley's contract should give New Orleans the juice to make a realistic push for him. Utah is about the only prospective suitor who stands to blow this offer out of the water.
New York Knicks
20 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Sellers
Untouchable Players: Kevin Knox; Allonzo Trier (trade restriction)
Notable Trade Assets: Damyean Dotson (non-guaranteed salary for 2019-20); Luke Kornet (Early Bird RFA this summer; implicit no-trade clause); Emmanuel Mudiay (RFA this summer); Frank Ntilikina; Mitchell Robinson; Dennis Smith Jr. (cannot be traded in combination with another player); Noah Vonleh
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: Cleveland's, Houston's or Orlando's 2019 second-round pick (least favorable); Charlotte's 2020 second-round pick; Dallas' 2021 first-round pick (unprotected, but contingent upon Dallas' obligation to Atlanta); Charlotte's 2021 second-round pick; Dallas' 2023 first-round pick (top-10 protection)
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: 2019 second-round pick to Brooklyn; 2020 second-round pick to Charlotte or Philadelphia; 2021 second-round pick to Philadelphia
Best Salary-Matching Assets: Mario Hezonja (expiring at $6.5 million); DeAndre Jordan (expiring at $22.9 million; cannot be traded in combination with another player); Enes Kanter (expiring at $18.6 million); Wesley Matthews (expiring at $18.6 million; cannot be traded in combination with another player); Lance Thomas (non-guaranteed salary for 2019-20)
Toughest Player to Move: DeAndre Jordan
Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Noah Vonleh
Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: Within $2 million of the luxury tax
What to Watch: Are they done making moves after using Kristaps Porzingis to shed cap space?
Trade Idea:
- New York Knicks Receive: Zach Randolph, 2020 second-round pick (from Detroit, via Sacramento)
- Sacramento Kings Receive: Wesley Matthews
Using Porzingis as a salary-dumping sweetener opened up two max slots for the Knicks this summer. They could be done making moves that don't include brokering buyouts. They cannot take on money this season when they're so close to the tax, and they're sure not adding to next year's bill with their superstar pipe-dreams in play.
Almost every contender will be waiting to see whether Matthews gets bought out. The Kings can break all of their hearts if they don't line up a deal for another wing. Matthews isn't the player they tried to sign in 2015, but he's a bulldog. He will pester bigger wings on defense and should fit within the offense if Sacramento can convince him to ditch his freelancing pull-ups.
Oklahoma City Thunder
21 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Buyers
Untouchable Players: Steven Adams; Paul George; Russell Westbrook
Notable Trade Assets: Terrance Ferguson; Jerami Grant (two years, $18.7 million); Nerlens Noel (expiring at $1.8 million); Hamidou Diallo
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: None
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: 2019 second-round draft pick to Charlotte; 2020 first-round pick to Orlando (top-20 protection); 2022 first-round pick to Atlanta (lottery protection)
Best Salary-Matching Assets: Alex Abrines (expiring at $5.4 million; RFA this summer); Raymond Felton (expiring at $1.5 million; implicit no-trade clause); Abdel Nader (non-guaranteed salary for 2019-20); Patrick Patterson ($5.7 million player option for 2019-20); Andre Roberson (injured; one year, $10.7 million)
Toughest Player to Move: Dennis Schroder (two years, $31 million)
Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Alex Abrines
Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: More than $20 million over the repeater tax
What to Watch: Can they grab another shooter?
Trade Idea:
- Oklahoma City Thunder Receive: Darius Miller
- New Orleans Pelicans: Hamidou Diallo, Raymond Felton (must consent to trade)
The Thunder have quietly crawled to 16th in three-point accuracy on the season, but their spacing remains a concern. If the Pelicans tilt toward the sellers end of the spectrum, they should be ready and waiting with an offer for Miller built around Diallo.
Orlando Magic
22 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Could-Be Buyers/Should-Be Sellers
Untouchable Players: None
Notable Trade Assets: D.J. Augustin (one year, $7.3 million); Mo Bamba; Aaron Gordon (three years, $54.4 million); Jonathan Isaac; Wesley Iwundu (team option for 2019-20); Terrence Ross (expiring at $10.5 million); Jonathon Simmons ($1 million partial guarantee for 2019-20); Nikola Vucevic (expiring at $12.8 million)
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: Brooklyn's 2019 second-round pick; Cleveland's, Houston's or Portland's 2019 second-round pick (most favorable); Oklahoma City's 2020 first-round pick (top-20 protection)
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: None
Best Salary-Matching Assets: Timofey Mozgov (one year, $16.7 million)
Toughest Player to Move: Evan Fournier (two years, $34 million)
Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Terrence Ross
Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: Plenty of flexibility under the luxury tax
What to Watch: Will they buy? Sell? Do a little of both? Can they acquire a point guard? Are they open to taking on salary?
Trade Idea:
- Orlando Magic Receive: Dennis Smith Jr., 2020 second-round pick (from Charlotte, via New York)
- New York Knicks Receive: Mo Bamba, Jonathan Isaac OR protected 2020 first-round pick
On a recent episode of The Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN's Brian Windhorst said Dallas talked to Orlando about Bamba before the Porzingis trade, which would seem to imply the rookie big man is obtainable. If the Magic want to move forward with Vucevic, Bamba absolutely should be.
New York has been in the market for a franchise point guard since the dawn of time and might be more inclined to keep Smith. But Bamba has an extra year left on his rookie-scale contract and, in theory, would be more valuable in Davis trade talks with the Pelicans over the summer. The Knicks will have other guards they can offer—Frank Ntilikina, Allonzo Trier, potentially this year's draft pick, etc.
One complication: Bamba is set to miss time with a stress fracture in his lower left left. Orlando needs to include more for New York to bite. Isaac is another interesting prospect and trade chip, but the Knicks' pathway to dual maxes gets thornier this summer with his cap hold on the books. A modestly protected first-round pick in 2020 would be just as valuable—and something the Magic might consider parting with if they think acquiring a quality point guard and re-signing Vucevic puts them in the playoffs next year.
Philadelphia 76ers
23 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Buyers
Untouchable Players: Jimmy Butler ($19.8 million player option for 2019-20); Joel Embiid; Tobias Harris (expiring at $14.8 million; cannot be traded with another player); Ben Simmons
Notable Trade Assets: Jonah Bolden; Markelle Fultz (two years, $22 million; team option for 2020-21; RFA in 2021); T.J. McConnell; Zhaire Smith
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: Chicago's 2019 second-round pick; Milwaukee's or Sacramento's 2019 second-round pick (likely Sacramento); 2020 second-round pick from Brooklyn or New York (more favorable); Dallas' 2020 second-round pick; Denver's 2021 second-round pick; New York's 2021 second-round pick
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: Sacramento's 2019 first-round pick to Boston (top-one protection; will send its own pick to Boston if pick falls within protected range); 2020 first-round pick to L.A. Clippers (lottery protection); 2022 second-round pick to Denver or Minnesota
Best Salary-Matching Assets: Furkan Korkmaz (expiring at $1.7 million); Amir Johnson (expiring at $1.5 million; implicit no-trade clause); Boban Marjanovic (expiring at $7 million; cannot be traded with another player); Justin Patton (expiring at $2.7 million); JJ Redick (expiring at $12.3 million; implicit no-trade clause); Mike Scott (expiring at $4.3 million; cannot be traded with another player)
Toughest Player to Move: Markelle Fultz
Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Markelle Fultz
What to Watch: Do they consider moving Fultz? Can they get more wings? How about another ball-handling guard?
Trade Idea:
- Philadelphia 76ers Receive: Dewayne Dedmon, Wayne Ellington (must consent to trade), Rodney McGruder, Taurean Prince
- Atlanta Hawks Receive: Markelle Fultz, Derrick Jones, Justin Patton, 2019 first-round pick (via Philly)
- Miami Heat Receive: Furkan Korkmaz, 2019 second-round pick (from Chicago, via Philly)
Here's the other version of the previous three-teamer with Philly, Atlanta and Miami. And personally, I like this one a lot better.
Atlanta is assuming plenty of risk with Fultz, but the offensive limits of a team that rolls out him, Trae Young and Kevin Huerter do not exist. Acquiring Philly's first-rounder is a nice hedge against selling too early on Taurean Prince, who has been deemed available, according to The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania.
Miami has little to second-guess. Neither Ellington nor McGruder is a lock to return next season, and this deal gets the Heat a neat-o second-round pick and under the luxury tax.
Philly's blessing should be a similar formality. Fultz's trade value is almost nonexistent, and this four-player haul solves all of the Sixers' depth issues. Coupled with the Tobias Harris trade, this could make them Eastern Conference favorites.
Phoenix Suns
24 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Sellers
Untouchable Players: Deandre Ayton; Devin Booker (poison-pill provision)
Notable Trade Assets: Mikal Bridges; Jamal Crawford; Richaun Holmes (expiring at $1.6 million); Josh Jackson; De'Anthony Melton; Elie Okobo; Kelly Oubre Jr. (RFA this summer; cannot be traded in combination with another player); T.J. Warren (three years, $35.3 million)
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: All their own first-rounders; Milwaukee's 2019 first-round pick (protected Nos. 1 to 3 and 17-30; top-seven protection in 2020)
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: 2021 second-round pick to Brooklyn (top-35 protection)
Best Salary-Matching Assets: Dragan Bender (expiring at $4.7 million); Troy Daniels (expiring at $3.2 million)
Toughest Player to Move: Ryan Anderson ($15.6 million partial guarantee for 2019-20)
Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Richaun Holmes
Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: Plenty of flexibility under the luxury tax
What to Watch: Do they move Richaun Holmes or Kelly Oubre Jr.? Are they open to taking on bad money?
Trade Idea:
- Phoenix Suns Receive: Kelly Oubre Jr.
- Milwaukee Bucks Receive: Justin Patton, 2019 second-round pick (from Chicago, via Philadelphia), 2021 second-round pick (from Denver, via Philadelphia)
If the Suns don't fancy themselves sellers, they should reconsider the position. Keeping Oubre on the books isn't necessarily a mistake, but they have limited cap flexibility this summer and aren't yet close enough to playoff contention to justify paying him market value. Getting two seconds for him is a big, fat "W."
Philly continues to need wings in the aftermath of the Tobias Harris trade. Oubre may just be a rental, since the books are about to get weird if Harris and Butler both come back, but his RFA rights could prove useful.
Portland Trail Blazers
25 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Buyers
Untouchable Players: Zach Collins; Damian Lillard; CJ McCollum
Notable Trade Assets: Al-Farouq Aminu (expiring at $7 million); Seth Curry (expiring at $2.8 million); Rodney Hood (expiring at $3.5 million; cannot be traded with another player); Jake Layman (RFA this summer); Jusuf Nurkic (three years, $36.9 million; $4 million partial guarantee in 2021-22); Anfernee Simons; Caleb Swanigan; Gary Trent Jr.
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: All their own first-rounders
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: 2019 second-round pick to L.A. Lakers or Orlando; 2020 second-round pick to Brooklyn (top-55 protection); 2021 second-round pick to Cleveland; 2023 second-round pick to Cleveland
Best Salary-Matching Assets: Maurice Harkless (one year, $11.5 million); Meyers Leonard (one year, $11.3 million)
Toughest Player to Move: Evan Turner (one year, $18.6 million)
Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Meyers Leonard
Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: Almost $8 million over the luxury tax
What to Watch: Can they acquire wing shooters capable of dribbling? Do they have a tax-evading move in them? Will they shed one of their less flattering contracts?
Trade Idea:
- Portland Trail Blazers Receive: Dewayne Dedmon, Taurean Prince
- Atlanta Hawks Receive: Meyers Leonard, Anfernee Simons, 2019 first-round pick (lottery protection in 2019 and 2020; turns into 2024 and 2025 seconds if not conveyed); 2022 second-round pick
File this one under "out of character" for the Blazers. They haven't been midseason movers and shakers for some time, and their first-round pick, despite reports to the contrary, never really seems like it's in play.
Toss in the acquisition of Rodney Hood, and the Blazers feel done. Taurean Prince is a perfect addition if they're not. Portland needs more wings who can both dribble and shoot, and he fits that bill better than Hood.
Coughing up what amounts to two first-round prospects is a tall order when Leonard is playing so well, but Dedmon functions as both cap relief and a frontcourt upgrade. If the Blazers are open to baking in another asset buffer, they can build a package around Simons, Evan Turner and that pick in exchange for Prince and Jeremy Lin.
Sacramento Kings
26 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Both
Untouchable Players: Marvin Bagley III; Bogdan Bogdanovic; De'Aaron Fox; Buddy Hield
Notable Trade Assets: Nemanja Bjelica; Willie Cauley-Stein (RFA this summer); Yogi Ferrell (non-guaranteed salary for 2019-20); Harry Giles III; Justin Jackson; Skal Labissiere; Frank Mason III; Iman Shumpert (expiring at $11 million)
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: Cleveland's, Houston's or Orlando's 2019 second-round pick (second-most favorable); L.A. Lakers' or Minnesota's 2019 second-round pick (more favorable); Detroit's 2020 second-round pick; Miami's 2020 second-round pick; Memphis' 2021 second-round pick; Miami's 2021 second-round pick
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: 2019 first-round pick to Boston (top-one protection) or Philadelphia; 2019 second-round pick to Philadelphia (swap rights)
Best Salary-Matching Assets: Kosta Koufos (expiring at $8.7 million); Ben McLemore (expiring at $5.5 million); Zach Randolph (expiring at $11.7 million)
Toughest Player to Move: None (!)
Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Zach Randolph
Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: Just over $11 million in cap space
What to Watch: Can they acquire help on the wing? Will they move Cauley-Stein in advance of restricted free agency? Are they willing to take on a bad deal for picks or prospects?
Trade Idea:
- Sacramento Kings Receive: Darius Miller, E'Twaun Moore
- New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Willie Cauley-Stein, Justin Jackson
Harrison Barnes and Otto Porter Jr. are very been-there, done-that targets for the Kings. Let's do something different. (Especially because those deals exist elsewhere in this space.)
Miller and Moore don't address the combo-forward void, but they give Sacramento more bodies to move around on the wings. And at 6'8", Miller can get away playing the 4 in the right lineups.
New Orleans has to weigh all its options amid the Davis drama. Cauley-Stein's Bird rights are meaningful when the Pelicans are about to trade the league's best big man, and Jackson is a cheap rotation piece for a team that'll need to find itself in the aftermath of an All-NBA subtraction.
San Antonio Spurs
27 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Buyers
Untouchable Players: LaMarcus Aldridge; DeMar DeRozan; Dejounte Murray (out for season); Derrick White
Notable Trade Assets: Marco Belinelli (one year, $5.9 million); Davis Bertans (one year, $7 million); Bryn Forbes (one year, 2.9 million); Rudy Gay (expiring at $10.1 million; implicit no-trade clause); Chimezie Metu; Jakob Poeltl; Lonnie Walker IV
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: All their own first-rounders; Toronto's 2019 first-round pick (top-20 protection)
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: 2022 second-round pick to Utah
Best Salary-Matching Assets: Dante Cunningham (expiring at $2.5 million); Pau Gasol (one year, $16 million; 6.7 million partial guarantee for 2019-20); Patty Mills (two years, $25.7 million)
Toughest Player to Move: Pau Gasol
Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Quincy Pondexter (expiring at $1.5 million)
Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: Within $1.5 million of the luxury tax
What to Watch: Will they break character and make a midseason trade? If so, can they buy low on a wing?
Trade Idea:
- San Antonio Spurs Receive: Kelly Oubre Jr.
- Phoenix Suns Receive: Dante Cunningham, Quincy Pondexter, 2019 second-round pick, 2020 second-round pick
San Antonio will only partake in the trade-deadline festivities if presented with the chance to buy low on a switchable wing—and even that's a stretch.
Spurs assistant general manager Brian Wright was on the Pistons staff when they drafted Stanley Johnson in 2015 and remains a "big supporter" of his, according to The Athletic's Jabari Young. Oubre would be a similar project. He's a better shooter than Johnson, but far from polished and not as good of a ball-handler.
While Phoenix isn't getting much for Oubre, two second-round picks for a player approaching restricted free agency also isn't nothing. The Spurs don't usually—read: ever—trade their draft selections, but having two first-rounders in this year's prospect pageant might leave them more open to the idea.
Toronto Raptors
28 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Buyers
Untouchable Players: Kyle Lowry; Kawhi Leonard ($21.3 million player option for 2019-20); Patrick McCaw (trade restriction); Pascal Siakam
Notable Trade Assets: OG Anunoby; Danny Green (expiring at $10 million); Fred VanVleet (one year, $9.3 million); Delon Wright (RFA this summer)
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: None
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: 2019 first-round pick to San Antonio (top-20 protection; turns into two seconds if not conveyed)
Best Salary-Matching Assets: Serge Ibaka (one year, $23.3 million); CJ Miles ($8.7 million player option for 2019-20); Greg Monroe (expiring at $1.5 million); Norman Powell (three years, $32.6 million); Malachi Richardson (expiring at $1.5 million)
Toughest Player to Move: Jonas Valanciunas ($17.6 million player option for 2019-20)
Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Delon Wright
Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: Close to $17 million over the luxury tax
What to Watch: Failing a surprise Bradley Beal or Anthony Davis deal, can the Raptors net a shooter?
Trade Idea:
- Toronto Raptors Receive: Garrett Temple
- Memphis Grizzlies Receive: CJ Miles, 2019 second-round pick, 2020 second-round pick
Delon Wright and a second-round pick for Reggie Bullock became NBA Twitter's favorite idea for the Raptors, but the Pistons blew up that deal by sending him to the Lakers.
Using second-rounders to get out from under Miles' player option and add Garrett Temple is a good alternative. He shoots a high enough clip off the catch, can defend certain wings and will even be able to initiate some half-court actions for Toronto's offense.
The Grizzlies may blink at Miles' 2019-20 salary, but they're not set up for postseason contention. And even if they are, paying mid-level-exception money for a proven shooter is hardly the worst investment. It's more important they recoup the second-rounders they flitted away in the Justin Holiday trade.
Utah Jazz
29 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Buyers
Untouchable Players: Rudy Gobert; Donovan Mitchell
Notable Trade Assets: Grayson Allen; Tony Bradley; Jae Crowder; Joe Ingles; Kyle Korver ($3.4 million partial guarantee for 2019-20); Raul Neto (non-guaranteed salary for 2019-20); Georges Niang (non-guaranteed salary for 2019-20); Royce O'Neale (non-guaranteed salary for 2019-20)
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: All their own first-rounders; San Antonio's 2022 second-round pick; Cleveland's 2024 second-round pick (swap rights)
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: 2020 second-round pick to Cleveland
Best Salary-Matching Assets: Dante Exum (two years, $19.2 million); Derrick Favors ($16.9 million non-guarantee for 2019-20); Ricky Rubio (expires at $15 million); Thabo Sefolosha (expiring at $5.3 million); Ekpe Udoh (expiring at $3.4 million)
Toughest Player to Move: Dante Exum
Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Derrick Favors
Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: More than $10 million under the luxury tax
What to Watch: Will they acquire a combo forward or another shot creator?
Trade Idea:
- Utah Jazz Receive: Jeremy Lin, Otto Porter Jr., Tomas Satoransky
- Atlanta Hawks Receive: Ian Mahinmi, Utah's 2019 first-round pick (top-five protection)
- Washington Wizards Receive: Derrick Favors, Ricky Rubio, Thabo Sefolosha, 2019 second-round pick (via Utah)
Hurry up and read this before Utah deals for Mike Conley and renders it moot.
Long a favorite target for the Jazz, Porter invites them to lean further into their killer small-ball-4 lineups. Lin and Satoransky, meanwhile, help alleviate Donovan Mitchell's shot-creation workload—and, to a lesser extent, his scoring burden.
Washington clearly isn't holding the fire sale everyone was waiting on, but it would be irresponsible not to sniff around any deal that brings it under the tax, gets rid of Mahinmi's 2019-20 salary and doesn't torpedo its postseason chase or force it to cede a first-rounder.
Footing the bill for Mahinmi and Miles Plumlee next season might make Atlanta vomit, but the going rate for absorbing salary isn't getting more lucrative. Besides, with Cleveland at rock bottom and Dallas projected to finish inside the lottery, the Hawks could use a first-round commitment guaranteed to convey this year.
If they want more, Utah's 2019 second could always be rerouted to them. Washington is getting enough cap relief to forfeit that pick and still OK the deal.
Washington Wizards
30 of 30
Buyers or Sellers: Could-Be Sellers/Could-Be Buyers
Untouchable Players: Bradley Beal; Chasson Randle (cannot be traded)
Notable Trade Assets: Troy Brown Jr.; Thomas Bryant (Early Bird RFA this summer); Jeff Green; Otto Porter Jr. (two years, $55.7 million); Tomas Satoransky (RFA this summer)
Notable Inbound Draft Picks: All their own first-rounders
Notable Outbound Draft Picks: 2019 second-round pick to Charlotte or Denver; 2020 second-round pick to Milwaukee; 2021 second-round pick to Milwaukee; 2022 second-round pick to Cleveland
Best Salary-Matching Assets: Trevor Ariza (expiring at $15 million; cannot be traded with another player); Sam Dekker (expiring at $2.8 million; trade restriction lifts Feb. 6); Dwight Howard ($5.6 million player option for 2019-20); Ian Mahinmi ($15.5 million player option for 2019-20); Markieff Morris (expiring at $8.6 million)
Toughest Player to Move: John Wall (four years, $170.9 million; out for season)
Most Likely Player to Be Traded: Otto Porter
Salary-Cap Situation at a Glance: Almost $6 million over the luxury tax
What to Watch: Will they look to shed salary or add talent for the playoff push?
Trade Idea:
- Washington Wizards Receive: Willie Cauley-Stein, Justin Jackson, Iman Shumpert
- Sacramento Kings Receive: Jeff Green, Otto Porter
Wizards owner Ted Leonsis said his team doesn't plan on dealing Porter, Bradley Beal or John Wall. Maybe the Kings can change his mind.
Cauley-Stein could stick in Washington long term, and the collective performances from Jackson and Shumpert should come close to replacing Porter. Catching up to the East's playoff clique would remain on the table.
The Wizards' big-picture wing rotation does get prickly with Shumpert and Trevor Ariza hitting free agency, but evading the luxury tax this season offsets that uncertainty. They can figure out how to proceed later, when they'd have appreciably leaner books.
Unless otherwise noted, stats courtesy of NBA.com or Basketball Reference and accurate leading into games on Feb. 4. Salary, cap-hold and draft-pick information via Basketball Insiders and RealGM.
Dan Favale covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter (@danfavale) and listen to his Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by SLC Dunk's Andrew Bailey.
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