Realistic Trades NBA Fanbases Desperately Want to See
A lot has happened in Bleacher Report's NBA Fantasy League.
Blake Griffin is now on the Indiana Pacers. Myles Turner is with the Detroit Pistons. Buddy Hield has landed with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sacramento Kings have traded...pretty much everyone except De'Aaron Fox. Mikal Bridges has joined the Chicago Bulls. Devonte' Graham is, somehow, on the Los Angeles Clippers.
Like I said, a lot has happened. And more trades are on the way. You, dear reader, might have even cooked up one of them.
Bleacher Report has compiled some of the most popular trade ideas and scenarios from the fantasy-league comments section and is putting them into semi-practice. This is not to be confused with an across-the-board endorsement. Yours truly is merely responding to the hottest suggestions and offering my thoughts on their level of realismโor lack thereof.
Many of these deals will require tweaks. They're not all legal as constructed. Heck, one of them doesn't even include a concrete proposal. We'll address the problems and potential fixes as we go.
Now, let's talk about what you've decided you want to talk about.
Donovan Mitchell to Atlanta
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Trade Details
From: @MJR7
Atlanta Hawks Receive: Donovan Mitchell
Utah Jazz Receive: DeAndre' Bembry, Kevin Huerter, two first-round picks, second-round pick
A few red flags stand out on this proposal. DeAndre' Bembry cannot be traded because he's about to enter restricted free agency. The Hawks also just flipped Clint Capela for Marcus Smart and might not be heavily interested in housingโand eventually payingโthree small guards.
Figuring out a fair deal for Mitchell is tough. Fringe stars still on their rookie-scale pacts typically aren't moved precisely because they don't make enough to bring anything substantial back. This is the right idea for the Hawks, who are loading up their offer with first-round picksโthey own No. 6 in our draftโbut Kevin Huerter isn't a glitzy enough prospect to be used as the tangible centerpiece in a blockbuster.
Adding one of Atlanta's other young wings to the equation makes this look a lot better. Something like Huerter, De'Andre Hunter or Cam Reddish, the No. 6 pick, another first and a second for Mitchell and Ed Davis isn't a bad starting point. But even that's hard for the Jazz to justify. They'd very much be the sellers in this deal, which runs counter to their win-now timeline.
Recruiting a third team to send Utah some impact players would probably be the only way to get the dialogue started.
Zach LaVine to Charlotte
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Trade Details
From: @chrisnelli
Charlotte Hornets Receive: Zach LaVine
Chicago Bulls Receive: Terry Rozier, Malik Monk
Moving Zach LaVine should not be off the table for the Bulls. He's best served as the second or third option on a better team, and they're no closer to having the talent required to shoehorn him into that role.
Still, this package isn't getting done. Terry Rozier would be superfluous in Chicago with both Coby White and Tomas Satoransky on the docket. Using him as the salary anchor makes some sense, but Malik Monk isn't nearly a good enough buffer to push the deal through.
Charlotte would need to act more aggressively to have a crack at LaVine. Inserting P.J. Washington or this year's first-round pick (No. 8 in our lottery) would probably be a mustโand even that alone might not be enough to whet the Bulls' appetite.
Zach LaVine to Orlando
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Trade Details
From: @Odeezy24
Chicago Bulls Receive: Jonathan Isaac, Terrence Ross
Orlando Magic Receive: Zach LaVine
This Zach LaVine idea is a little more interesting.
Terrence Ross would replace some of his shot-making for Chicago, and Jonathan Isaac is a defensive system unto himself. The Bulls would hit the jackpot if Isaac, who is working his way back from a left knee injury, develops a set jumper or some semblance of a floor game.
Orlando, meanwhile, is better equipped to maximize LaVine. He wouldn't be a clear-cut No. 2 or 3, but the Magic have two other players who can score with reasonable efficiency on high usage in Evan Fournier (player option) and Nikola Vucevic. And they'd still have the pieces without Isaac to deploy a rock-solid defense even while giving heavy minutes to LaVine.
In the end, though, this is a no for the Bulls. Ross' contract isn't greatโhe has three years and $37.5 million left on his dealโand losing LaVine would overburden Coby White's shot creation. Then again, rolling the dice on Isaac would be tempting. Chicago just traded for Mikal Bridges and already has Wendell Carter Jr. These three, together, would form one helluva defensive frontline.
Bradley Beal to Denver
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Trade Details
From: @nugglyfe
Denver Nuggets Receive: Bradley Beal
Washington Wizards Receive: Will Barton, Bol Bol, Gary Harris, two first-round picks
Let's go ahead and call this a "Denver wants Bradley Beal without having to give up Michael Porter Jr." special.
Two unprotected first-round picks from the Nuggets doesn't mean what it would from other teams. Sure, the Wizards can bet on these selectionsโwhich would probably come in 2022 and 2024โlanding somewhere spicy. But the odds that Denver will be remotely bad by then, after acquiring Beal and while still having Nikola Jokic, aren't great.
Will Barton and Gary Harris (when he's hitting threes) each hold their own value. They're not afterthought salary fillers. But they're most impactful on a good team, as high-end complementary pieces. Washington would be steering into a rebuild by trading Beal, leaving little use for two non-stars on market-level to above-market contracts.
MPJ must be on the table for the Nuggets' offer to carry any juice. That, or they need to find a third team willing to surrender picks and prospects for Barton and/or Harris.
Giannis Antetokounmpo to Golden State
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Trade Details
From: @southpaw1
Golden State Warriors Receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Milwaukee Bucks Receive: Ky Bowman, Andrew Wiggins, 2020 first-round pick (No. 1), Minnesota's 2021 first-round pick (top-three-protected), Minnesota's 2021 second-round pick, 2022 first-round pick, Toronto's 2022 second-round pick
Two things right off the bat: First and foremost, this wouldn't happen. I say this for many reasons, not the least of which is I'm acting general manager for Milwaukee and have no interest in it.
With that said, shout-out to B/R app user @southpaw1 for putting together one of the more reasonable Giannis Antetokounmpo trade packages that have stumbled across my screen. There have been some humdingers. And not in a good way.
Not that it matters. The Bucks wouldn't trade Antetokounmpo. He would have to reject the supermax extension for them to even consider the possibility. Even then, without his demanding a trade, they're better off letting his situation ride until 2021 free agency. Since he has neither turned down the supermax nor requested a new home, he stays put.
Let's look at this deal anyway, just for kicks. Including three first-round picks, one of which has already landed at No. 1, isn't nothing. It's Anthony Edwards. Probably. And that 2021 Minnesota pick is potentially a doozy.
Andrew Wiggins is where it all falls apart. The Bucks shouldn't have to take back any bad money as part of an Antetokounmpo trade, and the three years and $94.7 million he's owed remains bad money. Golden State isn't compensating enough for that part of the deal. Antetokounmpo is worth more than two top-end firsts on his own, so in no world would the Warriors' 2022 pick, Ky Bowman and a couple of seconds bridge what's left of the gap.
Devin Booker to Memphis
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Trade Details
From: @dj_yaro
Memphis Grizzlies Receive: Devin Booker
Phoenix Suns Receive: Whatever it takes...except Ja Morant...and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Exact parameters weren't provided for this deal. Devin Booker-to-Memphis was merely a super popular scenario among Grizzlies enthusiasts.
Said B/R app user @dj_yaro: "Devin Booker has family in Memphis and can form a Big Three with Ja and Jackson."
This is, in a vacuum, a fantastic idea. But good luck executing it.
Assuming the Suns are willing to part with Booker, removing both Jackson and Morant from the bargaining table would create a massive, if insurmountable, obstacle. Making Ja off-limits has its merits. Jackson cannot be untouchable in prospective deals for top-25ish stars.
Granted, the Grizzlies do have the salary-matching tools to take on Booker without including either of their two best kiddos. Kyle Anderson, Dillon Brooks (in the new league year), Tyus Jones, Jonas Valanciunas and Justise Winslow all make tidy, extremely movable chunks of change.
Memphis' best hope, insofar as it has any, would be to dangle Brooks, Winslow and three unprotected first-rounders over the summer. Holding on to this year's Jazz pick would allow the Grizz to offer their 2021, 2023 and 2025 selections. First-round obligations that extend so far out are always worthwhile investments, but Memphis would still need to hope Phoenix is in full-on get-rid-of-Booker mode.
New Orleans and Washington Swap Stars
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Trade Details
From: @Tacko_Tuesday
New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Bradley Beal
Washington Wizards Receive: Jrue Holiday, first-round pick, second-round pick
The intrigue level on this proposal rests with the first-rounder the Pelicans would be sending out. They have all their own picks, including the No. 13 selection in our lottery, plus the Los Angeles Lakers' selections in 2021 and 2024, with the option to defer until 2025.
Choose the most valuable first from that stashโprobably Los Angeles' 2024 pickโand send it to Washington. It won't matter. The Wizards will need more.
Jrue Holiday isn't worlds apart from Bradley Beal, but he turns 30 in June and will hit free agency in 2021 (player option). Washington needs to get younger and cheaper around John Wall if it jettisons Beal.
Sweetening this package with more first-rounders might get a small fire started. Or the Pelicans could suss out a third-team helper to take on Holiday and send a bag of picks and prospects to the Wizards. They could also just put together that bag for Washington by themselves.
Lonzo Ball earns enough money to be used as a mini salary anchor, and New Orleans has Jaxson Hayes, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and JJ Redick to make the math work. The Wizards would still probably need a couple of future firsts in that package, but the general framework would be more attractive to them than something built around Holiday.
CJ McCollum to Orlando
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Trade Details
From: @Wkemper
Orlando Magic Receive:ย CJ McCollum
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: Evan Fournier (player option), Aaron Gordon, 2020 first-round pick (No. 15)
Some housekeeping notes on this proposal: Evan Fournier has to opt into the final year of his deal, and the trade itself will need to be completed in the new league year, when Aaron Gordon's salary drops enough and CJ McCollum's rises enough for the money to work. Portland could also throw in Nassir Little to get the job done now.
Beyond that, this is my favorite hypothetical by far.
The Magic finally get someone resembling a No. 1 scorer, and he's under contract for the next four years. The Blazers give up some from-scratch creation by subbing in Fournier for McCollum, but Gordon's defenseโand more recently, his pick-and-roll orchestrationโand a first-rounder more than offset the difference.
Portland's resulting frontcourt overlap is the lone potential drawback. Gordon, Zach Collins and Jusuf Nurkic shouldn't all be playing at once. The Blazers have to be cool with bringing Collins off the bench or working out another deal to ensure they aren't asking Gordon to play too much small forward.
Cleveland, Dallas and Philly 3-Teamer
9 of 10
Trade Details
From:ย @Clevelandfannn
Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: Maxi Kleber, Dwight Powell
Dallas Mavericks Receive: Al Horford
Philadelphia 76ers: Kevin Love
Full disclosure: This trade doesn't work as currently constructed unless it's completed in the new league year and Andre Drummond opts out of his contract, leaving Cleveland with cap space. In all likelihood, the Cavaliers would need to take back Delon Wright to push this idea through.
Fuller disclosure: Those caveats don't help the perception of this deal. I dislike it for all three teams, regardless of what version we're working off of.
Cleveland ends up with too many bigs even after dealing Kevin Love, and the three years and $33.2 million Dwight Powell has left on his contract don't look so hot following his Achilles injury. Philly lands a better frontcourt fit beside Joel Embiid, but Kevin Love is owed substantially more money over the next three years ($91.5 million) than Al Horford ($69 million guaranteed).
As for the Mavericks, they may be sparing themselves some financial heartache by getting out from under Powell's pact. But they're effectively trading two bigs who they know can play with Kristaps Porzingis for another older, more expensive one who's more of a mystery fit next to him.
Derrick Rose to the Lakers
10 of 10
Trade Details
From:ย @Ameeno446
Detroit Pistons Receive: Kyle Kuzma
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Derrick Rose
No NBA fan is a stranger to this trade. The Kyle Kuzma-for-Derrick Rose framework was bandied about social media many, many times prior to the February deadline. It finally gets done here.
Sort of.
Kuzma for Rose doesn't work straight up. The Lakers need to include additional money. Guaranteeing Quinn Cook's $3 million salary for next season and adding him makes the math work. Does it also work for the Pistons?
In this alternate universe, it just might. The Pistons are flirting with a full-tilt rebuild after trading Blake Griffin. Dealing Rose nudges them further into that process, and they suddenly have a need for a score-first 4 who can create his own shot.
If Detroit plays hardball, Los Angeles can look to include a 2023 second-rounder to sweeten the pot. Rose is worth that much. The Lakers need another playmaker aside from LeBron James, and Rose was the engine that powered the Pistons offense this past season.
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