NBA Trade Scenarios: Outlandish Deals These Teams Would Love to Make
That saunter through the April, May and June months of the playoffs is the calm before the storm for the National Basketball Association. The storm itself will arrive July 1, when the current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires and next season is officially suspended.
Teams are on the edge of their seats to figure out how a new agreement will affect them. General managers, constrained by the salary cap and bad contracts, are trying to set themselves up for lower payrolls and greater financial flexibility.
Some teams, desperate to balance the bottom line in a sluggish economic time, might consider drastic measures in the trade market to give themselves better long-term standing financially or competitively.
Each of the following trades makes sense for teams trying to improve themselves in the long term at the expense of their current situations.
Here are a handful of crazy scenarios that teams might consider pursuing over the next year.
Outlandish Trade 1: Atlanta Hawks Trade Josh Smith
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The multi-talented power forward is clearly not helping Atlanta achieve success, so the team might choose to cut ties with him before they get too far under the cap burden. His current contract runs for two more years at over $12 million, which, with Jamal Crawford due a new deal this summer, could push Smith down the priority chain.
A deal like this with Phoenix makes sense for both teams. The Suns could start to build for the post-Nash era with a couple forwards that need freedom to play, while dumping the atrocious Vince Carter and an overpaid and underachieving Hakim Warrick.
This trade with Milwaukee makes the Bucks a little more athletic up front and eliminates their logjam of power forwards. They get a backup for the oft-injured Andrew Bogut, even though Pachulia stinks. Atlanta gets three rotation players, which they need, some much-needed scoring from Maggette and a legitimate three-point shooter in Delfino.
The Smith trade rumors are going to start heating up this summer, so pay attention to the teams that make a run at him.
Outlandish Trade 2: New Jersey Nets Get Fed Up with Brook Lopez
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Actually, they already are. Lopez took such a perplexingly sharp decline to his numbers in his third year, that the Nets might not want to wait too long to find out why. My rationale for trading him now is that he might just not be good. He had one very good year, then, for no apparent reason, regressed a ton.
That is not the kind of player trajectory that you want to throw gobs of money at. Besides, this team should build around Deron Williams and Travis Outlaw (just kidding), not Lopez.
This wild trade with Philadelphia would secure the Sixers a franchise center (the one piece they're missing) and a backup guard for the one they're losing. The Nets could get a promising young guard (less a natural point guard than a slasher/creator) to pair with Williams and 2010's No. 2 overall pick.
This boring one with Houston (which would include two No. 1 picks in the next four years going to Jersey) would help New Jersey save money and stockpile draft picks, while giving the Rockets a legitimate center in the wake of Yao Ming's disappointing inability to play.
This blockbuster with Dallas brings New Jersey a professional scorer at the guard position, something they have been sorely lacking. It allows the Nets to clear the horrific Outlaw contract, and makes Dallas a serious contender with a stronger center than Brendan Haywood. This trade is predicated on Tyson Chandler leaving via free agency this offseason.
Another team in dire need of a center might be willing to enter into the high risk, high reward gamble that Brook Lopez presents. This would be the best time for that team to make this trade before his contract number shoots up. The same goes for New Jersey, which will have a much easier time trading him now than in a year.
Outlandish Trade 3: Golden State Warriors Run Monta Ellis out of Town
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Ellis ranks among the league's elite in scoring ability. The way he efficiently throws up points by the cluster is highly valued in the NBA because so few guys can do it. His passing and rebounding skills aren't too bad either, and at just 25 years old, he's got his best years ahead of him.
The problem is that Golden State has other guys that need the ball a lot, and Ellis dominates it. I feel that the Warriors would be much better served to give the ball to Stephen Curry all the time and let him play with David Lee and Dorrell Wright. They don't need another guy who can set the net on fire; there are enough loose cannons.
Ellis' contract is manageable, but not great, and the room they could get in trading him could be used to make the team much better.
This exchange would keep everyone in the Bay Area and would give the Warriors a Swiss-Army knife to couple with a cerebral, pass-first guard who will defend. The Warriors could gain depth, which has been a problem, while Sacramento gets a dynamite scorer to pair with Tyreke Evans in the backcourt and keeping young assets like DeMarcus Cousins and Jason Thompson.
A salary dump with the Pacers, returning $5 million in cash and two first round picks to the Warriors, gives Golden State a trade chip for next season in Posey and a young guard who can shoot and run.
The Suns and Warriors play similar styles and both have bad contracts, which they could basically swap, along with a draft pick heading to Phoenix.
Ellis needs a team that allows him to succeed by dominating the ball, create shots for himself and not worry about defense. The Warriors are not the team for that, and as of right now, he's just another talented player not helping them win.
Outlandish Trade 4: Dwight Howard Gets Swatted by the Orlando Magic
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You think that smile is wide? Just imagine how big Dwight's grin will be if he gets dealt to Tinseltown to play with the Lakers. Obviously, Dwight's cap hit is large, and the minute Orlando feels that they can't win with him, they should trade him to another team willing to assume the huge commitment his salary mandates.
Howard is young, just 25, but he hasn't shown the capacity to improve that someone getting paid $16 million a year must show. His glaring lack of an offensive game will not be tolerated much longer by the Magic, which has the second-highest payroll in the league.
This is the framework for a deal that everyone is drooling over between the Magic and Lakers. The swap of franchise centers allows the Lakers to get younger, but also less talented, while Orlando gets a younger big with the same size and better offensive polish than Howard. Howard clearly doesn't care enough about winning to assume the responsibility of pushing his team, which he won't have to do when playing with Kobe. Bynum finally gets a shot to be the franchise centerpiece.
Fast forward to Summer 2013. Dwight Howard's Magic just came off another disappointing Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Bulls after beating the Heat in a hard-fought seven games. Rumors circulated that Howard, the unequivocal focal point of the summer's free agent period, said behind closed doors that he wants to play with D-Rose. After all, if you can't beat him, why not join him and form a super team? The Laker trade didn't work out, so isn't Chicago the next best big-city team for Howard to shine with?
The Bulls and Magic make an unprecedented blockbuster between conference rivals. Yes, the rosters and contracts from 2011 are inexplicably the ones involved in the trade, but hey! This trade strangely makes sense for both teams, but don't ask me how. Let's just move on.
Outlandish Trade 5: The Sun Sets on Steve Nash's Tenure with Phoenix
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The Suns should face the music and free Nash. After all, they missed the postseason this year, and things aren't likely to get better for this team before they get worse. Nash has one more year on his contract, and at age 37, should be turned loose to find a team that he can chase a title with.
Utah is a good trade partner with Phoenix. The Jazz have blown up their roster enough that a full reset is the only way they'll really get better. Taking on Nash's 2012 expiring, along with a first round pick, helps them competitively next year and financially thereafter. Because Devin Harris and Derrick Favors can't be traded with another player, this sister deal would go down immediately after, allowing Phoenix to complete its youth movement and identity makeover.
Sending Nash to L.A. is a compelling option for Phoenix, which would net two cheap, young players and an expiring guard that could help in the meantime. When the Suns receive the Clippers 2012 and 2013 first round picks as well, this trade makes a lot of sense.
Nash's days in the NBA are numbered, which is why Phoenix should get what they can for him before he expires in 2012 and get the rebuilding plan started in the right direction. Getting two potential core pieces instead of nothing sounds like a good way to do that.
Outlandish Trade 6: The Hornets Buzz Chris Paul off the Bayou
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The Hornets are in a similar position to the Suns: going down before they go up. NOLA is at least one core piece that they can't afford away from contending for an NBA title and their location in New Orleans is tenuous. More questions surround the team than answers, especially since David West's ACL injury.
The league needs to find a buyer for the sinking franchise, which will be hard in its current cap and arena situation. The team is not an attractive free agent destination, and as long as the NBA is operating the team, it won't be able to improve via trade.
So what can the team do? Make a play now before Chris Paul's amazingly fortified knee scares every suitor off. I mean, why does he need that thing? Is he hiding an injury? Are his knees just weak like Brandon Roy's? If so, he could go from the best point guard in the NBA to damaged goods overnight, losing every shred of value that he has. As the Hornets' heart and soul, this would cripple the franchise and destroy the team on the court.
Trade him now, New Orleans. You're not going anywhere this year or the next, so be smart and look into the future.
There's a lot of buzz about Paul jumping to the Knicks to play with Carmelo and Amar'e when he's freed from New Orleans, so let's start there. To make a trade work with New York, the Hornets could call up Chris Wallace in Memphis to contribute some young and promising guards and balance salaries. The Hornets would also receive two first-round picks and $5 million from the Knicks, who would also send a pick to the Grizzlies in place of New Orleans.
Just the other day Paul mentioned publicly that he would consider moving to Charlotte to play for Michael Jordan's bumbling Bobcats. So just to entertain that notion, here's a scenario that brings in Cleveland and sends two first rounders from Charlotte to New Orleans. The Hornets get some much-needed depth at guard and in Varejao, while Cleveland bites the bullet and takes Jackson's final two years.
Outlandish Trade 7: Lakers Finally Deal Andrew Bynum
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The 23-year-old center made of glass went down with another knee injury on Tuesday, the eve of closing night in the NBA. This time, a hyper-extended knee has everyone in Laker Nation holding their breath to find out the extent of the damage from Wednesday's MRI.
Will this ever end? Bynum just played a beautiful half-season, only to let down Laker fans and damage the team's prospects of a Three-Peat. Is Bynum who the Lakers will have to bank on when Kobe eventually retires? Does that not strike the fear of God into any Laker fan, or are they all hiding under their beds by now?
Bynum has been at the center of countless trade rumors since the Lakers became title contenders in 2008, and the flurry never seems to stop in spite of his continual knee issues. Maybe the Lakers best move is to roll the dice and deal him now while he has time left on a big contract that he probably can't play up to.
Remember when Chris Wallace gift-wrapped Pau Gasol to LA? Well, the Grizzlies' GM strikes another deal with Laker GM Mitch Kupchak here, another no-brainer for the Lakers. The Grizz land themselves a franchise center and don't part with much of their core. Houston switches Henry for Patterson and receives two first round picks from the Lakers.
A third team with cap room (the Kings) is needed to make this Lakers-Cavs trade go through. The Lakers receive a legitimate young PG and promising big, plus serious cap relief, in return for Bynum. The Cavs get a young center to build around in Bynum and send away Jamison's expiring contract along with a first round pick to the Kings and a second rounder to the Lakers.
Again, the Kings are more than willing to jump in to any trade that sends Bynum out of the West, offering to take Rip Hamilton's bloated short-term deal and collecting $4 million from the Lakers and a first-round pick from Detroit.
Who Knows What Lies on the Other Side?
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Commissioner Stern and Executive Director of the Player's Association have a long, windy road ahead of them to a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The twists and turns of the process are only beginning.
The curves have been long and easy so far, but as July 1 approaches and pressure rises, sharper turns ensue. Potholes lie in wait all over the pavement, just waiting to flatten a tire and delay the negotiations.
If and when the league gets to its destination, the financial landscape of the league could look drastically different in a way that forces teams to pursue desperate measures, like these trades.
Stay tuned for updates in CBA talks and provisions like a "hard salary cap" and shorter contracts for players.
