With 14 NBA teams already officially in the 2024 offseason, and others soon to follow, the trade market is slowly but surely gaining momentum.
If recent turmoil is any indication, it could be a very busy and quite splashy summer for the association.
This is motivation enough for us to move some chess pieces and start brokering summer blockbusters based on these latest rumors. We will explain the details before explaining each hypothetical trade.
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If the Golden State Warriors are to squeeze anything significant out of the remainder of Stephen Curry's tenure, they need to upgrade their roster around him. They don't have the money to spend in free agency, and won't even if they let Klay Thompson and Chris Paul go, so they'll have to hit the trade market to make that happen.
League officials think that's what they should do. According to The Ringer's Logan Murdoch, they expect Andrew Wiggins to be “included in trade talks this summer.”
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Things have been bad for Wiggins this season, but the Warriors will do everything in their power to remind other teams that he was an All-Star and their best defender during their 2022 title run. That was a while ago, but he's still only 29 years old, so his flabby stats aren't necessarily a sign of age-related decline.
Perhaps a change of scenery will help get him back on track. He doesn't have much (if any) trade value on his own, but when you combine promising prospect Trayce Jackson-Davis and his couple of future first-round picks, Golden State has something to offer. I might grab it. Perhaps it could even be a package where the Cleveland Cavaliers cough up Jarrett Allen, who never fit well with Evan Mobley.
But bringing Allen to Golden State could make him an anchor to get the defense back on track and an automatic lob finisher to add to the power of this offense. The Warriors could also add Georges Niang to flesh out the deal. His 3-point shooting and quick processing skills should make him a good fit.
Perhaps it's all wishful thinking for the Warriors, but if the Cavs can fix their frontcourt spacing issues and improve their wings, there should be a scenario where Mitchell expresses a desire to stay. That could happen by subtracting Allen, getting Wiggins back, and a few first-rounders to go find more players.
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The Atlanta Hawks appear destined to break up their backcourt of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray this summer, but it's unclear which guard they'll part ways with. The team reportedly wants it to be Murray, and while Murray doesn't have as much star quality as Young, he clearly has more interest.
“The calls I got from people I talked to around the league were usually like, 'Trae Young, yeah, how about that?' [trade] NBC Sports' Curt Helin told Sportsnotes, “By the way, is Dejounte available?” People in the league like Dejounte's game better. ”
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The Orlando Magic have found a winning combination in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. But his ceiling will be capped until he finds a way to add more life to the 22nd-ranked offense.
Murray could provide that lift. For the past two seasons, Murray averaged 21.5 points, 6.3 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game while playing second behind Young in Atlanta. For reference, Banchero paced the Magic with 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists. In other words, Murray could walk into a 1A-1B partnership with Banchero, allowing Wagner to drop into a third role where he could perhaps be better suited.
Meanwhile, the Hawks could be open to a package that features two first-round picks in Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony. This package is a bit taxing on the backcourt for a team led by Young, but Suggs could be the backcourt stopper that Young desperately needs alongside him, and Anthony could be the attacking force when Young needs a breather. It will be able to cheer up the team. Atlanta's offense was 3.4 points per 100 possessions worse without him, and in fact, it was the lowest level of his on-off splits all year.
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The Miami Heat are always candidates for whale hunting, but this summer they may be even more motivated to land that big fish. With Bam Adebayo in his prime and Jimmy Butler in the rearguard, Miami feels it's the perfect time to make an attack, and that's exactly what the organization is reportedly hoping to do.
“The players want to be a part of that organization,” ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said. “So Miami will once again be in a position to take advantage of the assets they have and acquire another All-Star level player who ties in more with Bam Adebayo and his age.”
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Looking through the list of potential targets in South Beach, New Orleans Pelicans swingman Brandon Ingram comes to mind.
He's the same age as Adebayo (26) and is a scorer and secondary playmaker skilled enough to pull Miami's offense, which ranks 21st in efficiency, out of the mud. He could be available if an early playoff exit causes the Pelicans to reconsider the tandem of Ingram and Zion Williamson.
The fact that Ingram isn't an A-list star also likely helps the Heat, who aren't overburdened with trade assets. But they should have enough for him, especially if the Pelicans have fans of Tyler Herro in their front office. The package of Herro, young players (Nikola Jovic and Jaime Jaquez Jr.) and an unprotected future first-round pick should at least be worth a callback.
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Much of the talk of the 2023-24 trade season revolved around whether the Atlanta Hawks would acquire Dejounte Murray. The fact that they didn't move him at the trade deadline was probably telling.
There's still a chance Atlanta could go in that direction this offseason, but NBA insider Marc Stein said “many parts of the league would prefer the Hawks trade Trae Young over Murray.” “There is growing confidence in this,” he said.
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Despite having three scorers with 20 or more points in Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and CJ McCollum, the New Orleans Pelicans ranked 11th in offensive efficiency. The lack of 3-point shots was a problem, but so was the lack of reliable shot creators. Williamson, Ingram, and McCollum all have the ability to create clean looks for others, but that's not a go-to strength for any of them.
Will that prompt the Hawks to look into the Young sweepstakes? His numbers, especially his 3.2 3-pointers (37.3 percent shooting percentage) and 10.8 assists per game this season, will definitely give them a reason to keep an eye on them.
If Young is demoted in place of McCollum, New Orleans would have more oomph off the dribble and a big step forward in passing. Defense could be an issue for this trio, but it's already an issue for the troika of Williamson, Ingram, and McCollum, so it probably won't be a deal breaker.
This trade comes down to cost, but it's hard to say what the fair value would be since Young is a huge asset on offense and a clear liability on defense. It's clear that McCollum needs to be involved, but will he, Dyson Daniels, and a first-round pick be enough for both sides?
It feels fair because it will help Atlanta both now and in the future.
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Donovan Mitchell has the option of becoming a free agent next summer, and that possibility may already be keeping Cleveland Cavaliers fans (and members of the front office) up at night. B/R's Eric Pincus previously said that Mitchell is “almost certain to decline his $37.1 million player option for the 2025-26 season” and that “unless he qualifies for the NBA Finals,” he could be “extended.” He is expected to decline the offer and assess the situation.” elsewhere. ”
Recent whispers have added further fuel to the fire that Mitchell is at risk of missing the plane.
“It (Mitchell's situation) is very real,” an anonymous NBA executive told The Athletic's Josh Robbins and Sam Amick. “Teams are definitely going to get rid of a ton of (assets) for him. We'll see. But if they play Boston in the second round, they're probably going to lose. And, yeah, that's… It doesn't bode well (for his future).'' (Cleveland) ”
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If the Cavs were to move on from Mitchell, they would need to find a trade partner to replenish their asset collection. Why not the Memphis Grizzlies? They still have some outstanding draft credits remaining, plus they could potentially bring in Desmond Bane as an immediate replacement for Mitchell. Bane is young enough (25 years old) and good enough (23.7 points, 5.5 assists this season) to thrive in this mainstay. Please help guide it.
Memphis and Cleveland could tussle over total picks — three future first picks seems about right, and maybe a fourth if the Grizzlies can get a long-term deal from Mitchell. — but if it's resolved, it could be a win-win.
A healthy Ja Morant might be the best buddy Mitchell has ever had. These two prolific, turbo-charged guards can put immense pressure on opposing defenses. Neither is exactly a shutdown stopper, but recent Defensive Player of the Year winners Jaren Jackson Jr. and Marcus Smart will provide plenty of protection around them.
Cleveland, on the other hand, should be able to remain competitive with Bane in Mitchell's place. Bane, who has less ball possession than Mitchell and is a better 3-point shooter and defender, may prove to be a better fit in the backcourt than Darius Garland. The Cavaliers will also have the option of acquiring multiple picks to keep and develop, or cover their weaknesses in another trade.
Unless otherwise noted, statistics are provided courtesy of Basketball Reference and NBA.com.
Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him with X @twst_twst.
