Trades That Should Have Happened at 2022 NBA Trade Deadline
The 2022 NBA trade deadline will be remembered as a feeding frenzy.
Deadline day witnessed 10 different trades, including the internet-breaking blockbuster that (finally) sent James Harden from the Brooklyn Nets to the Philadelphia 76ers for a package built around Ben Simmons. Include the week leading up to the deadline, though, and no shortage of notable names were on the move, including CJ McCollum, Domantas Sabonis, Tyrese Haliburton and Kristaps Porzingis.
This was standing-ovation type of stuff from the Association's power brokers, and yet, with trade season officially closed, we can't help but want more. Call us greedy if you need to, but few things in life get the heart rate pumping and the imagination running more than an NBA trade.
So, while we're spending this time offering gifts of appreciation up to the basketball gods, we're also wondering what could have been and remembering a quartet of swaps we wish were executed.
Chicago Shoring Up Weaknesses
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Chicago Bulls receive: Kenrich Williams, Mike Muscala and 2023 second-round pick (via WAS)
Oklahoma City Thunder receive: Coby White and 2022 first-round pick (lottery-protected, via POR)
Escaping the Eastern Conference was never going to be easy for the Bulls, and that was true before the injury bug began bothering the likes of Lonzo Ball (knee surgery), Alex Caruso (wrist surgery), Patrick Williams (wrist surgery) and Derrick Jones Jr. (fractured finger).
Then Thursday happened and made any path out of the East that much more perilous. The Sixers snagged Harden. The Nets landed Simmons, Seth Curry and Andre Drummond. The Milwaukee Bucks grabbed Brook Lopez insurance in the form of Serge Ibaka. The Boston Celtics scratched their itch for a playmaking combo guard in Derrick White.
The Bulls, on the other hand, sat and waited—not for the phone to ring, but for the clean bill of health that hopefully, eventually comes their way.
"Basically the mutual feeling with all of our group was, 'Let's get our guys back,'" executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas told reporters. "We're going to have enough time in the regular season to see what this group can do when they're all healthy."
That's a sensible stance for not rocking the boat with a major trade (i.e., anything involving Williams), but maybe not for the entire rotation to go untouched. Chicago should have seen enough to know by now it needs depth at forward (even if Williams returns) and center.
This trade would have scratched both itches. Kenrich Williams defends his tail off, splashes threes (39.8 percent since the start of last season) and generally makes a boatload of those know-them-when-you-see-them winning plays. Muscala could have bulked up the backup center spot with his floor-spacing and rebounding. The incoming second would have given this front office one more asset to work with as it hopes to chase a championship.
As for the rebuilding Thunder, they might soon be asking themselves why they retained the 27-year-old Williams and 30-year-old Muscala when they don't fit the same timeline as their nucleus. In this swap, they could have converted the veterans into White, a 21-year-old recent top-10 pick with a fiery scoring touch, and a first-round pick that has seven different drafts to change hands before finally converting to a second-round pick in 2028 if it somehow hasn't conveyed by then.
Charlotte's Other Option at Center
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Charlotte Hornets receive: Jakob Poeltl
San Antonio Spurs receive: P.J. Washington, Kai Jones and a 2022 first-round pick (lottery-protected, via NOP)
We won't gain any creativity points, as this specific offer (or something close to it) was discussed around the deadline, per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, but the clubs were "haggling over the potential inclusion of a first-round pick in the trade."
Charlotte should have caved. Assuming this was the draft pick being discussed, the Hornets may not have coughed up as much as it seems. If the New Orleans Pelicans escape the lottery—a scenario with improved odds after the McCollum deal—then the pick would become two second-rounders.
Then, you're talking about a pair of second-round picks, plus Washington (whose name bounced around a ton near the deadline) and Jones (who has logged 46 minutes total in his rookie season). That could've been Buzz City's bridge to Poeltl, an elite defender who can score around the rim, keeps the basketball moving and, frankly, would've been much a more convincing solution to Charlotte's problems at center than the 5 it wound up getting, offensive specialist Montrezl Harrell.
Fix the 5 spot (and the 24th-ranked defense), and the Hornets might have been in business. LaMelo Ball has his All-Star leap. Miles Bridges has bullied his way into the Most Improved Player race. Terry Rozier and Kelly Oubre Jr. have taken turns pumping in points at sometimes jaw-dropping rates. Gordon Hayward masterfully connected the dots as a high-level glue guy before an ankle injury got the better of him.
The Hornets had legitimate buzz (sorry), and this trade could have positioned them for some kind of postseason participation. Charlotte spent significantly fewer assets on Harrell (Ish Smith, Vernon Carey Jr. and a conditional second-round pick), but there's a reason for that. Harrell can score and makes his presence felt on the glass, but his defensive deficiencies limit his impact. Poeltl, in turn, could've helped the Hornets where they need it most.
The Spurs, meanwhile, would have had the next two months to decide whether to pay Washington in restricted free agency and add him to their young core. They could have further brightened their long-term outlook with Jones, the No. 19 selection in the most recent draft, and the incoming pick (or picks).
Timberwolves Going for It
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Minnesota Timberwolves receive: Jerami Grant
Detroit Pistons receive: Malik Beasley, Jaden McDaniels and a 2022 first-round pick (top-10 protected)
With a single playoff trip booked since 2004, the Timberwolves are starved for success like few other franchises. (Don't worry, Sacramento; we see you.) This could be their year to snap out of the funk.
Karl-Anthony Towns reclaimed his spot in the All-Star Game. Anthony Edwards looks like he'll get there in the near future. D'Angelo Russell's numbers aren't quite All-Star-quality, but they're in that ballpark. Patrick Beverley has proved invaluable for giving this group the nastiness it needs.
When those four hit the hardwood, they trounce teams by 20.7 points per 100 possessions. For context, the Phoenix Suns sport the season's top net rating at plus-7.9 points per 100 possessions.
That's partly why Minnesota was connected to so many names on the trade block, from Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris to Marcus Smart to Myles Turner. They sought out major upgrades, so when they wound up doing nothing, it seemed they simply missed opportunity's knock.
Here's where they should've answered it. Grant is close to a perfect fit in Minnesota's improvable power forward spot. He pesters wings big and small defensively, carries the offense when needed and has proven value as a supplemental scorer. His numbers are inflated by his prominent role for the Pistons, but it's still tough to sneeze at nightly contributions of 21.2 points, 2.7 assists, 2.0 triples and 1.1 blocks since the start of last season.
The Pistons wanted a lot for Grant—"at least two first-round picks or a player(s) integral to the franchise's core moving forward," per The Athletic's James L. Edwards III—but the Wolves could have fulfilled that request. Frankly, they should have if they feel (as we do) that the addition of Grant would have leveled up their playoff outlook.
With the right amount of seasoning, two-way stardom isn't outside the range of McDaniels' long-term outlook. Minnesota, which owns all of its first-round picks, could have checked that box without a second thought. Finally, if Beasley gets his shot back (35.8 percent from three this season, 39.7 the past three), he could offer value in a future trade—or the Pistons could opt to keep the 25-year-old for themselves.
The Brodie Blockbuster
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Los Angeles Lakers receive: John Wall, Eric Gordon and David Nwaba
Houston Rockets receive: Russell Westbrook, Talen Horton-Tucker, Kendrick Nunn and a 2027 first-round pick
The Lakers letting the buzzer sound without a deal was—in a word—stunning. Sure, they were short on assets and limited in their opportunities, but it would be hard to argue any roster needed a shake-up more than this one.
Wednesday's loss to what's left of the Damian Lillard-less Portland Trail Blazers felt like a breaking point. If the front office needed further evidence what they had wasn't working, that was it. They looked listless, lost and totally defeated. And that came on the heels of an equally uninspiring loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, after which ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported that "standing pat ... is not seen as a viable option by players on the team."
For the Lakers to still do nothing—in LeBron James' age-37 season, no less—had the same empty feeling of an in-the-zone called strike three to end an MLB playoff series. How do you not at least swing the bat?
Now, would another Westbrook-for-Wall swap have been objectively hilarious? Without question. But Westbrook's contract is such a killer that this was the only realistic option. Wall's contract might be equally egregious, and maybe he wouldn't have fit better than Westbrook. Then again, maybe Wall would have. That uncertainty alone made this option worth exploring.
What could have really pushed it across the goal line, though, were the additions of Eric Gordon and, to a lesser extent, David Nwaba. Gordon's game would have fit perfectly with James and Anthony Davis, as he can stripe threes, play on or off the ball and hold his ground defensively. Nwaba only does the latter, but for a squad sitting 17th in defensive efficiency and often appearing worse, his one-way contributions could've been good enough.
While the Rockets surely weren't keen on a Westbrook reunion, that was simply their means to an end. If getting him meant adding Horton-Tucker to their young core and a super-valuable future first, that was worth the dice roll. And if Kendrick Nunn ever made it back from the knee injury that so far has erased his season, that could have been the proverbial icing on the cake.
Statistics are accurate through Thursday's games and courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball Reference unless otherwise noted. Contract information via Spotrac.
Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @ZachBuckleyNBA.
