NBA Trade Ideas to Keep 2019-20 Title Out of LA
All due respect to the Milwaukee Bucks and the handful of other teams in the NBA championship race, but the road to a title runs through Hollywood.
One city holds the Association's greatest two-man tandems. The Los Angeles Lakers have two of the most efficient superstars ever in LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The Los Angeles Clippers boast two of the league's elite two-way talents in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
Other clubs can cook up some interesting championship recipes, but no one else has two ingredients of such high quality.
Through the right transaction, though, maybe these other teams pursuing the Larry O'Brien Trophy can close the gap. The following five trades either strengthen the hopes of other full-fledged contenders or help championship hopefuls make that tricky leap from really good to great.
Mavs Win Iggy Sweepstakes
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Dallas Mavericks Receive: Andre Iguodala
Memphis Grizzlies Receive: Courtney Lee, 2020 second-round pick (via Golden State or Houston), 2023 second-round pick (from Dallas or via Miami)
The Mavs have followed Luka Doncic's lead to the top of the all-time leaderboard in offensive efficiency. But if they want to set their sights on a title—with an MVP candidate on the roster, they should—then history says their 16th-ranked defense needs work.
Could anyone provide a bigger lift to it than Andre Iguodala? It doesn't matter that he's 35 years old (36 later this month) and hasn't suited up since June. His defensive acumen could lead to Hall of Fame enshrinement, and his encyclopedic knowledge of opponents' tendencies might threaten Father Time's undefeated record.
If the Western Conference runs through LeBron James or Kawhi Leonard, then other conference hopefuls need someone capable of making James or Leonard work. Even James can attest that few are better suited for that task than Iggy.
"His athleticism allows him to play some of the premier perimeter players in our league," James told reporters before the 2018 Finals. "He's a guy that's 6'8", long wingspan, athletic. He's been like that since he was at Arizona. He's just added to his game every single season he's been in the NBA."
As a three-time champion, Iguodala knows plenty about winning on basketball's biggest stage. The intel he could pass along to this up-and-coming club could prove invaluable. He makes enough sense for the Mavericks that multiple executives told B/R's Eric Pincus that Dallas is the favorite to get Iguodala.
This might hinge on whether Memphis finds a first-round pick from anyone else. The Grizzlies continue holding out hope for one, per The Athletic's Shams Charania, but this swap could be as close as it comes. The 2020 second-rounder would be the more favorable of the Golden State Warriors' or Houston Rockets' picks, and Golden State's might wind up atop that round.
Courtney Lee comes with an expiring salary to make the money work, while the second-rounder could go a couple of different directions. Dallas could offer its own pick in 2021 or a 2020 second from the Utah Jazz, but Memphis could roll the dice on a distant second that would be the more favorable of the Mavs' or Miami Heat's picks.
Sixers Scratch Their Itch for Shooting
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Philadelphia 76ers Receive: Davis Bertans
Washington Wizards Receive: Mike Scott, Zhaire Smith, 2022 first-round pick (top-10-protected)
The 76ers are nearing the danger zone. They sit a head-scratching fifth in the Eastern Conference after a four-game losing streak, their offense is problematically short on spacing, and their 7'0", 280-pound centerpiece is getting fed up.
"It doesn't feel like we're getting better," Joel Embiid said, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "So, it is frustrating. ... I care about winning. It's taking a toll on me."
That doesn't mean Philly should rush into a panic move, but the losing has lasted long enough to think there's something wrong with the formula. Given the collective talent level, though, one move could make this group a juggernaut.
The Sixers know they need shooting, and MacMahon reported they're on the hunt for it. More accurately, Philly wants "perimeter shooting threats with playmaking ability," but unless this team is trading a core piece, that player type is out of its price range. So, why not just add a lethal long-range specialist to the mix?
Davis Bertans carried a three-point cannon into this campaign, but that weapon has since gone nuclear. He's one of only 16 players averaging three-plus triples a night, and his 43.4 percent conversion rate is third-highest among that group. That percentage ticks up to 44.3 on catch-and-shoot chances, meaning he's more than capable of burying looks off drive-and-kicks from Ben Simmons or passes out of the post by Embiid.
Bertans' presence alone—as both a shooter and decoy—could be enough to perk up Philly's 16th-ranked offense. Tack on the fact that this is already a top-10 defense, and this squad could soon have superpower strength.
The Washington Wizards have said they plan to keep Bertans, via NBC Sports Washington's Chase Hughes, and that could be true. But can a cellar-dweller really make a non-star 27-year-old on an expiring deal off-limits?
Washington might be posturing for a bigger return, but if it's a believer in Zhaire Smith—the 16th pick in 2018—this swap could qualify as such. The future first would become a pathway to another prospect or an asset for a later trade, while Mike Scott would offer another year of cost-controlled frontcourt spacing.
Heat Nab Holiday
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Miami Heat Receive: Jrue Holiday
New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Justise Winslow, Kelly Olynyk, Kendrick Nunn, 2022 second-round pick (via Philadelphia or Denver)
Despite having obliterated all realistic expectations, the Heat find themselves closer to rubbing elbows with the NBA's elite than being card-carrying members of the club. Even if Miami sends two players to the All-Star Game, it still feels a two-way star shy of contending for the crown.
Jrue Holiday comes closest to scratching that itch among reasonably affordable targets.
With the offensive game of a combo guard, the speed to pester top point guards and the strength to fend off wings, he'd meet the multipositional requirement of Erik Spoelstra's system. If Holiday hit South Beach tomorrow, he'd hold the team's No. 2 slot in both points (19.6) and assists (6.5) per game while pacing the backcourt as a 73rd-percentile defender on isolations.
The Pelicans appear in no rush to move Holiday, but The Athletic's Shams Charania reported the veteran guard "wants to win and cares most about being in a winning situation." Charania added that Miami is "believed to be" among Holiday's potential landing spots.
If there's a hang-up with Holiday, it's his $27.1 million player option for 2021-22 becoming a theoretical roadblock in any 2021 whale-hunting sessions. (See: Antetokounmpo, Giannis.) But Holiday might decline that option, or Miami may discover it can't snag a top-tier free agent. If neither of those are true, the Heat could balance the books for a blockbuster signing by flipping Holiday to a star-chaser who comes up empty.
Now, it's debatable if this is the best New Orleans could do in a Holiday deal, but there's enough to at least pique the Pelicans' interest.
If Justise Winslow gets healthy, he has a cap-friendly contract, a Swiss army knife skillset and an ability to defend anywhere on the floor. Kendrick Nunn packs a mean scoring punch, and he just collected his second Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month honor in as many months. Kelly Olynyk could help New Orleans space the floor and maximize that spacing with dribble handoffs and dimes to open cutters and snipers.
Maybe none of the three would become what Holiday already is, but Winslow and Nunn could provide more value to Zion Williamson's peak years.
Or Holiday Lands in Denver
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Denver Nuggets Receive: Jrue Holiday
New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Gary Harris, Malik Beasley, Juancho Hernangomez, 2022 first-round pick (lottery-protected)
This trade market might be short on stars—especially if we're keeping Kevin Love out of that conversation (as we should given his age and overpriced pact)—which increases the appeal of a near-star such as Holiday. So, yes, we are doubling down with a second swap involving the standout two-way guard.
The Nuggets need to stop their defensive descent (23rd in efficiency since the start of December), and Holiday has the chops to lock up either backcourt spot. Offensively, his comfort on the ball would allow Jamal Murray to run more actions away from it, and Holiday's own three ball (35.4 percent on catch-and-shoot threes) would make him an asset playing off Nikola Jokic, history's most proficient 7-foot distributor.
"There is no simpler fit for Holiday than Denver," CBS Sports' Sam Quinn wrote. "He would slide comfortably into the Gary Harris slot and provide modest but meaningful improvements in just about every area."
The Nuggets had interest in Holiday in 2017 free agency, per Sporting News' Sean Deveney, and the combo guard should look just as appealing now. Holiday pressures opposing defenses in ways Denver cannot. He averages the 10th-most drives per game and ranks among the 91st percentile of isolation scorers. The Nuggets, meanwhile, attempt the third-fewest drives and are the eighth-least efficient offense on isolations.
The question again is whether the return would be enough for the Pelicans. That all depends on their evaluation of Harris, who boasts a three-and-D game but lacks the upside of a star. Still, he's a plug-and-play perimeter piece who'd be more than comfortable racing up and down the floor alongside Zion Williamson.
Denver has enough young assets it can let New Orleans pick and choose—anyone but Michael Porter Jr., that is. The Pelicans could nab a second three-and-D contributor in Malik Beasley with plans to keep him around as a restricted free agent. Juancho Hernangomez has shown flashes of interesting offensive ability for a 6'9" forward, and the future first would add another asset to the Pels' collection.
Celtics All-In for Andre
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Boston Celtics Receive: Andre Drummond
Detroit Pistons Receive: Myles Turner, Jeremy Lamb, 2020 first-round pick (from Milwaukee via Boston)
Indiana Pacers Receive: Gordon Hayward
While the Celtics' center-by-committee approach has worked better than expected, the position still stands as the obvious weakness of a team otherwise ready to contend. When opponents have the chance to put together postseason game plans, Boston won't be able to hide Daniel Theis' lack of size, Enes Kanter's struggles with lateral quickness or Robert Williams III's inexperience.
"The Celts have done very well so far, and they—and their fans—should be encouraged," Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald wrote. "But the people paid to do the Shamrock work know they have to get better."
Maybe that's why Yahoo Sports' Vincent Goodwill reported the Celtics are one of the teams with interest in Andre Drummond. Add his 6'10", 279-pound frame to the equation, and Boston would have a physical bruiser to battle Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis and others.
Drummond, a historically dominant defensive glass-cleaner, would boost the Boston defense where it needs help the most. The Celtics sit 17th in defensive rebounding percentage. Just imagine how much better their third-ranked defense could be if it had a big body who could finish defensive possessions by inhaling boards.
He'd also give the offense a different look as an aerial threat. The Celtics have the 11th-most possessions finished by a pick-and-roll ball-handler but only the fifth-fewest closed by a pick-and-roll screener. Put a hard-charging, bouncy Drummond on the back end of those plays, and Boston would have its above-the-rim oomph.
Now, earlier this season, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported the Celtics' "core players are absolutely not available" and noted Gordon Hayward and Marcus Smart were in that group. But Boston can't broker a blockbuster without one. Smart's defensive versatility means more to this team than Hayward's offensive ability, and if Boston thinks the latter will decline his upcoming $34.2 million player option, then Brad Stevens' prized pupil might be the odd man out.
Hayward, an Indianapolis native, would be an obvious target for the Pacers. They coveted him in 2017 free agency, per Scott Agness of Vigilant Sports, and they still need another scorer and shot-creator to ease the burden on Victor Oladipo, who could be back before the month is up. They might also acknowledge having a perimeter star makes more sense for this roster than overloading the frontcourt with Myles Turner and Damontas Sabonis.
Finally, the Pistons wouldn't land a star for Drummond, but that might be expected. His future is uncertain, and his counting categories shine brighter than his actual on-court impact. Turner is younger, easier to build around thanks to his outside stroke and under contract through 2022-23. Jeremy Lamb would address a need for perimeter scoring, and even as a late first-rounder, the pick would give the Pistons a wild card on draft night.
All stats, unless otherwise noted, courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball Reference and accurate through games played Sunday.
Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @ZachBuckleyNBA.
