NBA Trades Fans Should Already Be Dreaming About
It will likely take some time for the NBA's trade market to get moving, much to the chagrin of Ben Simmons and any fans hoping their team will be the one to pry him away from the Philadelphia 76ers.
Franchises often wait at least a quarter of the season before digging deep into any self-assessments. That's roughly the same point at which players who signed free-agent deals this summer are eligible to be traded.
It's possible to broker an exchange before that, but the restrictions mean it's usually better to wait.
As for dreaming about future deals, though, that's a different story. It's always a great time to play armchair executive, and the following four swaps are already worth getting excited about.
Kings Aim for Playoffs, Spurs Get Project Prospect
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Sacramento Kings receive: Thaddeus Young
San Antonio Spurs receive: Marvin Bagley III and Robert Woodard II
Playing matchmaker doesn't always have to be difficult. Sometimes it's as simple as bringing two hashtags together, like #FreeThaddeusYoung and #FreeMarvinBagley.
Young has strangely played just 12 minutes so far for the Spurs, even though he's one of the best players on the roster. Just last year, he was tallying 12.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists in only 24.3 minutes per night. He has plenty to offer a competitive club, and maybe the new-look Spurs no longer qualify as such.
Admittedly, the Kings may be no closer to competitive, but for a franchise this starved for success (see: record-tying playoff drought), you can understand why they might try making the push.
They have some high-level talent in-house—they just need more reliable vets around the likes of De'Aaron Fox, Tyrese Haliburton and Davion Mitchell. Young could scratch that itch and expand a forward rotation that runs too light beyond the starters.
If San Antonio sees no use in Young, it should already be working the phones to get trade value out of him. Transforming him into Marvin Bagley III, who seems more than ready for a relocation, makes plenty of sense given the team's timeline. The Spurs could put their famed developmental system to the task and see what they could squeeze out of 2018's No. 2 pick, and maybe they'd find something the Kings haven't with Robert Woodard II, too.
Warriors Load Up for Title Run, Pacers Pivot Forward
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Golden State Warriors receive: Caris LeVert and Myles Turner
Indiana Pacers receive: Andrew Wiggins and James Wiseman
It's early, but the Warriors look ready to rejoin the NBA's elite, especially once accounting for the boost Klay Thompson should eventually provide. However, Golden State should remember from its previous foray into greatness that margins for error shrink at the top. Sometimes, you might win 73 games and still not come away with a title.
The Warriors should use that knowledge as their push away from the idea they need to be building for both today and tomorrow. They have a once-in-a-generation talent right now in Stephen Curry. They should be ready and willing to move mountains in support of him as long as he's still in his prime.
This trade wouldn't deplete their asset collection and would better prepare them for the postseason. Caris LeVert, when healthy, is a proven shot-maker and secondary shot-creator. Having him in the same offense with Curry and Thompson might get Golden State back to its cheat-code days. Putting Myles Turner next to Draymond Green would be similarly unfair on defense, and Turner is a sharp enough shooter to not spoil the offensive spacing.
The Warriors' long-term ceiling might drop in this deal, but that shouldn't be the primary concern.
The Pacers, meanwhile, seem like they keep spinning their tires in the league's non-contending midsection. They'll give new coach Rick Carlisle more time to figure it out, but they might be delaying the inevitable. They need more blue-chip talent, and James Wiseman would give them exactly that. He's as raw as homegrown produce, but he has physical tools few can match and flashes of skills that shouldn't be possible at his size.
Indiana could turn to Andrew Wiggins for perimeter defense and support scoring, and the club might feel more comfortable investing in him than LeVert since the latter is older and has a lengthy injury history.
Kings Win Ben Simmons Sweepstakes
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Sacramento Kings receive: Ben Simmons
Philadelphia 76ers receive: Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, Maurice Harkless, 2022 first-round pick (top-five protected) and 2024 first-round pick (top-three protected)
The Sixers haven't abandoned hope of getting Ben Simmons back on the floor at some point.
"Things seem to be moving very much in a positive direction," 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey said on NBC Sports Philadelphia. "We're gonna provide all the resources and give Ben what he needs and get him out there as soon as we can."
That sounds fine for now, but this still feels like a game of which side blinks first. What if it's not Simmons or the Sixers who blink, though? It could easily be the Kings, who haven't booked a playoff trip since their offense was in the hands of Mike Bibby, Metta World Peace and Bonzi Wells.
If Sacramento is desperate to snap nearly two decades of losing basketball, then maybe it would soften its reported stance on not moving Tyrese Haliburton in a Simmons deal, per The Athletic's Sam Amick. Haliburton is solid, but Simmons is a star.
The Kings could be electric with Simmons racing alongside De'Aaron Fox in the open floor, and they'd be relentless on defense with Simmons and Davion Mitchell sharing the toughest assignments. If that core wouldn't be ready to win right now (and it might be), it would have until Simmons' contract expires in 2025 to turn into a winner.
The question is whether Haliburton would meet Morey's criteria for a "difference-maker," but it's possible he would in conjunction with the total offer. Haliburton has no obvious weaknesses at either end. Buddy Hield is an elite shooter. Maurice Harkless is a plug-and-play supplier of defensive versatility, close-range finishing and occasional shooting. Two lightly protected picks from an organization with a history of losing could be highly sought-after in trades.
The Sixers would lose the best player in the exchange, but their roster could fit better after the trade, and their asset collection would be in better shape to pursue a blockbuster deal if the option becomes available.
Pelicans Find New Co-Star for Zion, Blazers Land New Centerpiece
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New Orleans Pelicans receive: Damian Lillard, Robert Covington and Tony Snell
Portland Trail Blazers receive: Brandon Ingram, Devonte' Graham, Jaxson Hayes, Kira Lewis Jr., 2024 first-round pick (via LAL) and 2025 first-round pick (via MIL)
Apologies to all Pacific Northwesterners, but the Blazers haven't done enough to meet Damian Lillard's request for an upgraded roster. He might practice enough patience for new coach Chauncey Billups to put his stamp on this squad, but Portland just doesn't have the top-shelf talent to compete with the best in the West.
Here's where skeptics chime in with, "And New Orleans does?!" That's fair. For now.
But a trip to the Big Easy would immediately team Lillard with the best co-star he's ever had in Zion Williamson, who isn't even 100 games into his NBA career and already looks unguardable. Last season, both Lillard (third) and Williamson (eighth) ranked as top-10 scorers. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were the only teammates to both snag top-10 spots.
The Pels' firepower alone could get them in the championship hunt sooner than later, and this exchange wouldn't force them to empty their roster or even dip too deep into their draft pick collection. That means they'd have a solid supporting cast as soon as Lillard arrived and the trade chips to significantly upgrade it.
If the Blazers wind up needing to deal Lillard, then Brandon Ingram is just about ideal for the primary return piece. He's both an established All-Star and just 24 years old, meaning he can keep Portland competitive now (assuming that would be the aim) and potentially raise its ceiling down the road. Devonte' Graham checks similar boxes as a 26-year-old with only two seasons as a regular starter.
Jaxson Hayes and Kira Lewis Jr. would be more long-term upside plays, and the two incoming picks—both owed by championship chasers with multiple 30-somethings playing pivotal roles—would give Portland the option to invest them on draft night or through the trade market. While there's no way to get equal value for a player of Lillard's caliber, this would go a long way toward writing the franchise's next chapter.
Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @ZachBuckleyNBA.
