Top NBA Point Guards Who Could Be Traded This Offseason
Did anyone order a fresh batch of NBA offseason trade targets?
It may take a little while for this summer's wheeling and dealing to really take off. About one-third of the league has access to significant cap space, and some teams will let free agency play out before tinkering with their books on the trade market.
Beyond that, this offseason will be business as usual: rumors galore, speculation aplenty, rousing games of phone tag among league executives—the whole shebang.
Our look at this summer's most notable trade candidates begins at point guard. (Other positions will come later.) Some of these names have already been bandied about the gossip factory. Others are new to this discussion and purely conceptive inclusions. They find themselves in the mix because of contract situations or potential organizational realignments.
Do not interpret selections as official predictions. Many of these players won't be jettisoned before 2019-20 tips off. Some will only be made available under a very specific set of circumstances. But they're all names worth watching over the next few months.
Honorable Mentions
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Dante Exum, Utah Jazz
Dante Exum's contract isn't looking so hot after he underwent season-ending surgery to repair a partially torn patellar tendon in his right knee. His injury history is scary, and he's owed about mid-level-exception money each of the next two years ($9.6 million).
At the same time, his deal isn't a backbreaker. He's still just 23 and one of the NBA's more tantalizing backcourt defenders. It shouldn't take much for teams to absorb him as a salary anchor—which is good for the Jazz, because they figure to be among this summer's most active buyers.
Dennis Schroder, Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City doesn't have the asset equity to drastically improve its roster. Dennis Schroder is a part of that pickle.
No team is treating the two years and $31 million left on his contract as a draw. The Thunder can only look to use him as a salary-matcher alongside picks and prospects in bigger deals—that is, picks and prospects Oklahoma City doesn't really have.
Fred VanVleet, Toronto Raptors
Fred VanVleet is working off a down year after he generated Sixth Man of the Year buzz last season. The Raptors aren't getting much for him in standalone deals.
Larger trade packages are a different story. VanVleet's $9.5 million expiring salary could help grease the wheels of a larger blockbuster if Toronto re-signs Kawhi Leonard (player option) and decides to go nuclear in pursuit of another top-end talent.
On the flip side, no one is safe if the Raptors lose their MVP. They could let VanVleet's salary come off the books while they try to stay relevant with Marc Gasol (player option), Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam, or they could look to sell off whatever assets they have and steer into a rebuild.
Matthew Dellavedova, Cleveland Cavaliers
All of the Cavaliers' expiring contracts are subject to relocation if Cleveland continues to be a salary-dumping hotspot. Matthew Dellavedova is among their prime targets for teams looking to shed deals that burn into 2020-21.
But Cleveland has a long way to go before it resumes its salary-absorption duties. Next year's roster could be right up against the luxury tax even if the Cavaliers waive JR Smith ($3.9 million partial guarantee). They'll need to be selective in trades or trim some salary of their own unless owner Dan Gilbert is willing to pony up for a lottery berth.
Frank Ntilikina/Dennis Smith Jr., New York Knicks
Frank Ntilikina doesn't seem long for New York. The Knicks have never been fully vested in his development, and offloading his $4.9 million goes a long way toward opening two max slots without giving up Damyean Dotson (non-guaranteed) or Allonzo Trier (team option). Ntilikina is "expected" to be available on draft night, per the New York Post's Marc Berman.
Dennis Smith Jr.'s future is more secure.
He is, for now, the crown jewel of the Kristaps Porzingis trade. But the Knicks' priorities shift if they land two star free agents. Smith is bound to become collateral damage of an accelerated timeline in that scenario, particularly if New York finds itself in position to cobble together a package for Anthony Davis.
Lonzo Ball, Los Angeles Lakers
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Age at Start of 2019-20: 21
2018-19 Per-Game Stats: 9.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.5 steals, 48.7 true shooting percentage
Advanced Metrics: 11.7 PER, 18.35 TPA, minus-0.32 RPM
Contract Value: 2 years, $19.7 million (restricted free agent in 2021)
This might be a little awkward following Lonzo Ball's cameo on HBO's The Shop, but the Los Angeles Lakers are still operating within LeBron James' window. Entering his age-35 season, he doesn't suddenly have time to wait around for a young core to marinate.
Signing a superstar free agent may diminish the Lakers' urgency to shop their youngsters, including Ball. That's what they've told prospective head coaching candidates, anyway. As ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin said during an appearance on ESPN LA 710's The Sedano Show (h/t Silver Screen & Roll's Christian Rivas):
"I've heard that some of the discussion that the coaching candidates have had with Lakers management has been [directed] more so towards their plans for free agency this summer versus their plans to change their roster via trade. And so, if they're not going to go for a roster-shaping trade this year and it's gotta be through free agency...you either show up or you don't. And if you don't, the consequence is: It could create a really tough situation to live in if you're LeBron James. So I think precarious is the best way to describe [the situation]."
That party line is easier to maintain in April and May. It gets harder to champion as the Lakers make their way through the meat and potatoes of the offseason. They could whiff on star free agents, in which case they'd be even more desperate to get James a sidekick. Or they could poach a big name on the open market, in which case they'd be motivated, on at least some level, to forge a Big Three.
Emphasizing free agency is more likely than not a negotiating tactic. The Lakers' pursuit of Anthony Davis didn't end so well at the trade deadline, and few expect their best package to hold up against a potential offer from the Boston Celtics.
Still, if it isn't Davis, it'll be someone else. Maybe Bradley Beal. Or, much less likely, Russell Westbrook. Ball's inclusion will be integral to whatever blockbuster trade the Lakers attempt to orchestrate. Whether he can be the centerpiece of such a deal is an entirely separate matter.
Ball is working his way back from a left ankle injury and has now missed 65 games through two seasons—nearly 40 percent of his career. His $8.7 million salary in 2019-20 remains a useful salary anchor, but his $11 million team option for 2020-21 isn't chump change. The Lakers aren't getting a top-notch player in return for his services without also dangling Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma.
Mike Conley, Memphis Grizzlies
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Age at Start of 2019-20: 32
2018-19 Per-Game Stats: 21.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.3 steals, 56.9 true shooting percentage
Advanced Metrics: 21.4 PER, 164.97 TPA, 3.08 RPM
Contract Value: 2 years, $67 million
Mike Conley feels as good as gone over the offseason. The Memphis Grizzlies shipped out Marc Gasol at the trade deadline, and their overhaul of the front office and coaching staff implies a certain commitment to pressing reset.
For Conley's part, he sounds ready to swap digs after 12 years in the 901. As he told The Athletic's Peter Edmiston at the end of the regular season:
"I honestly think my ultimate goal of winning a championship, I don't know if it's going to happen in my next two years here. That has nothing to do with the talent we do have, because I think we have a hell of a squad if everybody's healthy. We can make some noise. But that puts me in the same situation I've been in for the past 10 years, just making noise. Do I want to continue to be making noise? I'm 31, I'm kind of past trying to make noise every year.”
Things can change. The Grizzlies will have a ton of other vets on the roster if they bring back Avery Bradley (non-guaranteed) and Jonas Valanciunas picks up his player option. They can talk themselves into competing for a bottom-rung playoff berth with Conley, Kyle Anderson, Jaren Jackson Jr. and this year's first-rounder, which stays put if, as projected, it lands inside the top eight.
Going that route doesn't quite align with the vibe they're giving off during their coaching search. They're interviewing assistants such as the Utah Jazz's Alex Jensen and the Golden State Warriors' Jarron Collins and have shown interest in Lithuania's Sarunas Jasikevicius—one of "the Euroleague's rising coaching stars," per ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst and Adrian Wojnarowski.
Sniffing around first-timers is not the mark of a team hoping for an immediate return to the postseason. The Grizzlies seem prepared to endure at least one pre-planned transition year, so Conley defaults to "very available."
Lukewarm offers stand to keep him in Memphis more than renewed playoff aspirations. He is not a net-positive asset on his contract. He is among the NBA's premier game managers, works his butt off on the defensive end and is more accustomed to firing off-the-dribble jumpers than he's credited for, but teams aren't forking over the moon to pay him $30-plus million in his age-32 and -33 seasons.
Memphis cannot hope for more than a collection of cheaper deals and one mid-end first-round pick. Getting anything extra would likely entail taking back a less savory, albeit still cheaper, contract.
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Reggie Jackson, Detroit Pistons
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Age at Start of 2019-20: 29
2018-19 Per-Game Stats: 15.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 0.7 steals, 54.7 true shooting percentage
Advanced Metrics: 15.2 PER, minus-9.29 TPA, 0.28 RPM
Contract Value: 1 year, $18.1 million
Reggie Jackson's midseason turnaround has afforded the Detroit Pistons some semblance of flexibility. They no longer have to upgrade the point guard position. He averaged 17.0 points and 4.4 assists over his final 35 games and is finally entering an offseason in which he doesn't have to recover from an injury.
Deepening the wing rotation is, by far, the Pistons' more pressing concern. But Jackson's expiring contract is now among their best trade assets, and they don't have the cap sheet to be choosy about where they make their upgrades.
Detroit has a fairly good shot at re-signing Ish Smith and retaining access to the non-taxpayer's mid-level exception ($9.2 million). That money might net a singular difference-maker but isn't enough to flesh out a rotation desperate for depth at large.
The Pistons will have to scour the trade market for a genuine needle-mover, and Jackson is borderline expendable. He isn't getting to the rim nearly as often after battling ankle and knee issues over the past two seasons, and Detroit outscored opponents by nine points per 100 possessions when Smith, Andre Drummond and Blake Griffin played without him.
It bodes well for Jackson's staying power that this summer's pool of trade candidates isn't teeming with wings. And the Pistons don't have secondary sweeteners to acquire marquee targets without including Luke Kennard. They can skulk around lower-end options such as Kent Bazemore or Allen Crabbe who shouldn't cost rotation players.
That doesn't completely rule out a Jackson deal. The Pistons need to elevate their ceiling around Griffin in whatever way they can, and Jackson's expiring salary is too convenient. He's an obligatory inclusion if they decide to chase Mike Conley, Jrue Holiday or any other second-tier star who might be up for grabs.
Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
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Age at Start of 2019-20: 33
2018-19 Per-Game Stats: 14.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 1.4 steals, 56.2 true shooting percentage
Advanced Metrics: 16.5 PER, 143.21 TPA, 4.93 RPM
Contract Value: 1 year, $33.3 million
Kyle Lowry is most likely to hit the chopping block if Kawhi Leonard leaves in free agency. The Raptors, at that point, could always regroup around their floor general, Marc Gasol and Pascal Siakam, but they'd still lose their contender cachet, and all three would be up for new contracts in 2020.
Starting over has always felt like the intended reaction to Leonard's potential departure. Lowry is 33 and has no business on a roster without championship motives.
Letting his contract come off the books is an option if the Raptors are looking to stay lean, but his $33.3 million price point isn't a complete deterrent. At least one team will give up something for a player who consistently rates among the league's most valuable floor generals.
"Lowry's raw statistics, the stuff of conventional box scores, have dropped off, even as his RPM numbers are as strong as ever," ESPN's Kevin Arnovitz wrote. "Only James Harden, Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard rated higher at the point guard position this season, and this is Lowry's fourth consecutive campaign ranked in the top four (only Curry shares that distinction)."
This is all moot if Leonard stays put, which he might. He is expected to decide between the Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers over the summer, per Wojnarowski (h/t Clutch Points' Bruno Manrique).
Toronto can still shop Lowry after re-signing Leonard. This core isn't beyond change if it doesn't win a title. But as Wojnarowski noted on his podcast (h/t RealGM), Leonard has "built a good relationship" with Lowry. It doesn't make much sense to bust up that duo when they're happy together.
Jeff Teague, Minnesota Timberwolves
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Age at Start of 2019-20: 31
2018-19 Per-Game Stats: 12.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.0 steals, 52.8 true shooting percentage
Advanced Metrics: 15.4 PER, minus-63.33 TPA, minus-0.79 RPM
Contract Value: 1 year, $19 million
Jeff Teague is sort of the Minnesota Timberwolves' Reggie Jackson. They can get by with him and don't have the cap space to sign an upgrade outright, but his expiring contract looms as one of their best tools for improvement.
That truthfully doesn't breathe much clarity into Teague's situation. His availability is moored to the Timberwolves' direction. He is only trade bait if they're looking to go for it now and willing to saddle themselves with longer-term salary as part of the equation. Think along the lines of pairing Teague with picks and filler in a deal for Mike Conley or Jrue Holiday.
It isn't yet clear whether the Timberwolves will take the aggressor's approach this summer. New president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas trafficked in generalities during his introductory presser.
"We're going to explore every resource, whether it's cap space, whether it's sign and trades, whether it's market trades, whatever the case may be," he said. "We're looking at everything. We have to utilize every resource we have to maximize every opportunity. And that's one thing Timberwolves fans show [sic] know. In this office, we're going to be looking at everything possible to help this team next year."
Teague's availability is complicated by Minnesota's lack of alternatives. Tyus Jones (restricted) and Derrick Rose are free agents, and neither is a lock to return. The Timberwolves won't have more than the non-taxpayer's mid-level exception to work with should they go point guard hunting.
Karl-Anthony Towns is good enough for the franchise to exist at a standstill. Starker changes can come closer to February's trade deadline when Minnesota has a better idea of its identity after going through free agency.
Then again, failing a desire to rebuild, Towns is also good enough for the Timberwolves to push the bill. And partnering Teague's contract with a pick or two is the most effective way for them to entice teams selling off impact players.
Unless otherwise noted, stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference or Cleaning the Glass. Salary and cap-hold 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 B/R's Andrew Bailey.
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