NBA Trade Scenarios: Ideal Moves Every Team Would Love To Do
The NBA season is heading into the playoffs, but already, many teams are looking to what they can add to improve their roster for next year.
Although most teams would love to add a LeBron James or Kobe Bryant to their team, for almost every team that is highly unrealistic.
The point of this slideshow is to have both the best and most realistic options for each team. Some teams need a big man down low while other teams need an ideal sixth man.
With the chance of a lockout, this NBA offseason is sure to be one of the most interesting in recent memory, and that could have a large effect on both the free agency and any trades that are attempted.
With this all in mind, I have included the most ideal player that each team should trade for.
As always feel free to comment below.
Atlanta Hawks: Dwight Howard
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This may be a crazy idea—and I'm no expert on if it could happen—money wise with Joe Johnson and Josh Smith's contracts, but if the Hawks could pull this trade off, they would be right at the top of the east.
Besides, with the Hawks' team improving drastically, they would also pretty much eliminate the Orlando Magic from being any competition with them.
Dwight Howard has carried the Orlando Magic team on his back all season, imagine what he could do with a much more talented Atlanta Hawks team.
Boston Celtics: Chris Kamen
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The Celtics traded away Kendrick Perkins during the trade deadline and are now in serious need of a center down low.
One of the best options, and a player who could be on the trading block, is Chris Kaman.
Kaman missed a lot of this past season with injuries but should be back and healthy in time for next year.
If the Celtics want to compete with the likes of Dwight Howard and Amar'e Stoudemire, they need to add a big man down low, and Chris Kaman would be a perfect fit.
Charlotte Bobcats: Chris Paul
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To be honest the Bobcats probably don't have a great chance of landing Chris Paul, but if they could land Paul, he would instantly make them significant.
Paul may be the best point guard in the league after Derrick Rose, and he would give the Bobcats a premier player to cheer for.
A lot of fans think the Bobcats' best bet is to add through the draft, but if they can add Chris Paul, then they will be miles ahead of where they would be with rookies.
Chicago Bulls: O.J. Mayo
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The Chicago Bulls don't have any massive holes to fill as shown by winning the first seed in the Eastern Conference.
One spot the Bulls could use some improvement in is at the shooting guard position.
A player who could fill that roll with a lot of talent is O.J. Mayo. If the Bulls can get over Mayo's bad boy past, they may find that he would be a great compliment to Derrick Rose.
It seems likely the Bulls will add a shooting guard in the offseason, and O.J Mayo may be the best bet.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Luol Deng
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The Cleveland Cavaliers are not in as bad a spot as most people think, with a solid roster and two top-10 draft picks.
With that in mind, the Cavs don't need to go out and add some superstar but rather need a roll player who can compliment the soon to be stars on the team.
One option would be to trade for Luol Deng, who is a blue-collar player who would be embraced by the city of Cleveland.
Deng may not be the big name some fans are hoping can replace the void left by LeBron, but he could add a lot of value to what will be a young Cavs team.
Dallas Mavericks: Andre Iguodala
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The Dallas Mavericks are going to have a lot of free agents to deal with once their season ends, and there is a chance they won't be able to re-sign all of them.
If that is the case, one option may be to trade for Andre Iguodala from the Philadelphia 76ers.
Iguodala is one of the better players in the league but has been somewhat hidden by playing for the 76ers.
If he could join a team like the Mavs not only would it be good for him, but Dallas would also be the team to beat in the West.
Denver Nuggets: Andrew Bogut
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The Denver Nuggets have had a surprising turnaround since the departure of Carmelo Anthony.
They have been led by a great defensive effort and budding superstar Danilo Gallinari.
The Nuggets could add some depth up front, and one player who they could look at trading for is Andrew Bogut.
Bogut will give them some great minutes down low while also adding to their defensive effort.
The Nuggets have plenty of cap space to work with, and one move they may make would be a trade for Bogut.
Detroit Pistons: Chris Bosh
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At first, you may think that Chris Bosh leaving Miami would be ridiculous, but with other players available for the Heat to stick down low, Bosh may be on his way out.
The Pistons would love to add a player like Bosh, who when is the star on a team can do very well.
Bosh would give the Pistons something they really need in a big man to go alongside Greg Monroe.
While some Pistons fans think Bosh isn't worth the money, many would be happy just to have a player who can be counted on night in and night out.
Golden State Warriors: Boris Diaw
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The Warriors have one of the best young backcourts in the game with Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis but could use some bolstering down low.
Boris Diaw would be a great addition up front to a roster that is sure to look a lot different next season.
While Diaw may not make sense right now, the Warriors are bound to lose a lot of their depth to free agency, and trading for Diaw would replace that.
Houston Rockets: Marc Gasol
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The Houston Rockets were pretty active at this year's trade deadline, but they could really make a splash over the summer.
Although the Rockets already have Yao Ming down low, many fans believe that pairing him up with another center may be a good idea. This way, best case scenario, they play side-by-side, and worst case, they have a replacement if Yao goes down again.
Marc Gasol could be the perfect addition to the team, as he is both young and talented.
Gasol would give them an insurance policy for Yao and also some added scoring down low.
Indiana Pacers: Greg Oden
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Greg Oden will actually be a restricted free agent this coming summer, but the Pacers may have to trade in order to acquire him.
Most Pacers fans would love to see Oden teaming up down low with Roy Hibbert, and if he can stay healthy, they could turn into one of the best duos in the past decade.
Another selling point on acquiring Oden is that he is from Indiana and has a long history of being a basketball star in the state.
There seems to be a very good chance that Oden will be in Indiana buy next break, and that should make for a much improved Pacers team.
LA Clippers - Nicolas Batum
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Any team that has Blake Griffin on its roster is going to be talented, and with the addition of Mo Williams, the Clippers are really just missing a small forward.
Nicolas Batum is only 22 years old but has already established himself as one of the game's best two-way players.
Batum will contribute on offense, but he will also drastically help the Clippers defense.
LA Lakers- Shawn Marion
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The Los Angeles Lakers have won the past two championships and could be on their way to making it three in a row.
That being said, there is always room for improvement, and even though the Lakers have a great bench, they could always use a player like Shawn Marion.
Marion can contribute in every way imaginable and is an ideal player to come off the bench and give hard working minutes.
Marion also happens to fit in the Lakers weakest spot, small forward.
Memphis Grizzlies - Pau Gasol
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The Memphis Grizzles may attempt to reunite the Gasol brothers this summer, if they contemplate making a trade for Pau Gasol.
With Marc at center and Pau at power forward, the Grizzles would have a deadly duo up front.
While it seems unlikely the Lakers would ever give up Pau, he would bring a winning mentality to the Grizzles and make them very dangerous in the Western Conference.
Miami Heat - Devin Harris
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Devin Harris probably just gotten comfortable in Utah, but his next destination may be South Beach.
In order for the Heat to afford Harris, they would have to trade away Bosh, but this may be the smart thing to do as the Heat really need a star point guard.
Harris is developing into a top guard and would really complement Wade and James well.
The Heat would need to move some pieces in order for this to work, but Harris could be the missing ingredient.
Milwaukee Bucks - Derrick Favors
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The Bucks would love to add a player like Derrick Favors to their team's roster, but acquiring him may be difficult.
The only way a trade like this would work is if they shipped out Michael Reed, which may not be a bad idea considering his injury woes.
Favors is going to be one of the best big men in the league in the next five years, and the Bucks would love to put him next to Andrew Bogut.
Minnesota Timberwolves - Al Horford
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The Minnesota Timberwolves were the worst team in basketball this season and need a lot of improvements.
Fortunately for them, they have the best chance of getting the first draft pick and should be able to add a talented guard.
With that in mind, I believe they should trade for a center, and one option would be Al Horford.
Horford is a great defensive player and would be the perfect complement to Kevin Love down low.
New Jersey Nets - Gerald Wallace
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Gerald Wallace was sent to Portland during the trade deadline this year, but the New Jersey Nets would love for him to pack up and head back east this offseason.
While the Nets first priority is to re-sign Deron Williams, they also need a small forward.
Wallace would give the Nets another scorer and help bolster their weakest position.
New Orleans Hornets - Monta Ellis
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If the New Orleans Hornets want Chris Paul to stay around, they need to show they mean business and make a big acquisition.
Monta Ellis would be a big addition and would give the Hornets two of the best young guards in the game.
Paul is very likely to be on his way out of town, but Monta Ellis moving to New Orleans could change that.
New York Knicks - Chris Paul
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Every Knicks fan's dream is to add Chris Paul to their roster and make a Miami Heat-like roster of Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire.
Chris Paul would instantly make the Knicks a top-two team if not the best team in the East and would work out nicely for both Paul and New York.
One of the best point guards out there, Paul would make the Knicks' current players much better with great passing and by drawing double teams.
Oklahoma City Thunder - Kevin Martin
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The Oklahoma City Thunder have one of the best players in the league in Kevin Durant and an up-and-coming point guard in Russell Westbrook.
The position the Rockets would love to add a scorer at is shooting guard, and Kevin Martin could be the perfect addition.
Martin would help in giving the Thunder another three-point threat and would also take a lot of the focus off of Durant on the wings.
Orlando Magic - Rudy Gay
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The Orlando Magic have done very well for themselves considering they have pretty much rode on the back of Dwight Howard.
The Magic obviously need to add in a lot of places if they want to compete in the constantly improving Eastern Conference, but one spot they could use another player is at small forward.
Rudy Gay would be a good fit for the Magic because he would give them a scorer who still has his best years in front of him.
If the Magic want to keep winning, they need to add a player like Gay.
Philadelphia 76ers- Joakim Noah
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The Philadelphia 76ers have a few young pieces in play but have made the playoffs on a roster lacking talent.
One spot they really struggle at is at the center position, where they could use a two-way player who could put up a fight against the best big men in the east.
A player I have in mind is Joakim Noah, who is a defensive force and who can also contribute 15 points a game.
Noah may be hard to wrestle away from Chicago, but if Rose is getting a big contract, then Noah may be on the way out.
Phoenix Suns - Brook Lopez
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When first glancing at the Phoenix Suns roster one has to wonder how they even win a single game.
After many years of great basketball, it is time for the Suns to start rebuilding, and one cornerstone could be Brook Lopez.
Lopez has been a star in New Jersey and would benefit from such a great passer in Steve Nash.
Portland Trail Blazers - Nene
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The Portland Trail Blazers have loaded up to win soon before Brandon Roy's knees give out.
One position that could need a new player next year is at center, where Marcus Camby is getting old, and Greg Oden could be on his way out.
The Trail Blazers would love to add a player like Nene, who when working his hardest can be a force down low.
Nene would be anther player that would produce right away for the Trial Blazers.
Sacramento Kings - Ron Artest
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The Sacramento Kings didn't win very many games last year, but one can't really blame their offense.
The Kings need to add players who will work hard on defense, and a player who fits that mold is Ron Artest.
Although the thought of putting Artest and Tyreke Evans on the same team sounds like a danger, Artest could turn a lot of loses into wins next season.
San Antonio Spurs - Jamal Crawford
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The San Antonio Spurs have a very good but aging foundation and could use a player coming off the bench who gives them a boost.
No player did that better this past season than Jamal Crawford, who won the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award.
The Spurs have some great guards in Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, but rotating a player like Crawford in never hurts.
Toronto Raptors - Danny Granger
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The Toronto Raptors are very weak at both forward positions and have suffered there ever since the days of Vince Carter.
Although the Raptors need to build through the draft, a more immediate fix could be trading for Danny Granger.
Granger would give the Raptors the go-to scorer they have been missing while also taking some of the pressure off Bargnani and DeRozan.
Utah Jazz - Ben Gordon
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The Utah Jazz have a lineup full of quality players but are lacking a true superstar.
Although Ben Gordon is far from a superstar, he is a start and would help fix their problems at shooting guard.
Gordon has struggled mightily of late but a change of scenery to a team in Utah that has some great pieces could turn his career around.
Washington Wizards - Josh Smith
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The Washington Wizards have struggled the past few years and could use a better power forward.
One option is Josh Smith, who besides being a solid player would also bring a sense of excitement to DC with his dunking skills.
Smith may not be the best option for the Wiz, but with things starting to come together, they don't need to be too drastic.
