To repeat from the first part of this column: IT’S NBA TRADE SEASON. Here are the players most likely to be traded from every team in the Western Conference.
Disclaimer: “most likely to be traded” 100 percent does not equal “will be traded,” and some teams did not have obvious tradeable pieces. Others had to have “honorable mention” sections because there was more than one trade candidate.
Dallas Mavericks
Nerlens Noel – ’17/18 stats – 4.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 0.3 assists
Contract: $4.2 million this year, unrestricted free agent this summer
Noel has been a disappointment in Dallas. The once highly-touted defensive prospect has played in only 18 games this season for a career-low 12.5 minutes a night. His future is murky with a negative rep surrounding him like a dark cloud.
A team confident in their its like the Boston Celtics could choose to buy lower than low on Noel and hope he returns to his Philadelphia form. Despite his circuitous career, Noel is still only 23 years old.
Honorable Mentions: J.J. Barea
Denver Nuggets
Juan Hernangomez – ’17/18 stats – 3.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, 0.4 assists
Contract: $2 million this year, $2.2 million for ’18-19, team option for $3.3 million in ’19-20
The Denver Nuggets are one of the teams who probably won’t swing a trade by the deadline. However, they have six nominal power forwards on their roster and could decide to break up the logjam somewhat.
Hernangomez, a second-year prospect, showcased a sweet three-point stroke as a rookie in limited action (40.7 percent from three), but his minutes have diminished this season. With the addition of Paul Millsap and the emergence of Trey Lyles, it doesn’t look like Hernangomez’s future is in Denver.
With three more years on the 22-year-old’s contract, look for someone to try to snag him from the Mile High City.
Honorable Mentions: Malik Beasley
Golden State Warriors
JaVale McGee – ’17/18 stats – 3.8 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.5 assists
Contract: $1.47 million this year, unrestricted free agent this summer
The defending champs are in a pretty good spot (37-9 on the season). However, it would be nice to add some extra shooting to their bench attack.
The Athletic (Bay Area) reported earlier this season that the Dubs were shopping fan-favorite McGee and that the Milwaukee Bucks had some interest. Any McGee trade would likely return only a cheap shooter, but that’s all the Warriors really need at this juncture.
May we all strive to be in such a good situation.
Houston Rockets
Ryan Anderson – ’17/18 stats – 10.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists
Contract: $19.5 million this year, $20.4 million in ’18-19, $21.2 million in ’19-20
Here’s where that disclaimer up top really comes into play. Say it with me: there’s no real reason for the Rockets to flip Anderson mid-season while they are vying for a top-two seed out west.
However, if the “LeBron James to Houston” rumors are to be believed, Anderson’s contract would have to be unloaded on someone with ample cap space. While these free agent dreams seem very unlikely, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey is the most creative salary cap/trade guru in the league.
Los Angeles Clippers
Lou Williams – ’17/18 stats – 23.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists
Contract: $7 million this year, unrestricted free agent this summer
The Clippers are in a curious case. After just a horrendous start, it looked like it was time to trade everyone they could and fully commit to a rebuild. Now sitting at 23-22 and eighth place in the west, have the plans changed in L.A.?
Time will tell if the Clips double down and reward Lou Will for his outstanding play this season, but his trade value will never be higher. Trading him now would bring back assets for the future while not hampering the future cap space.
Any team that needs an infusion of scoring and secondary playmaking should make a run for Williams.
As Marc Stein of the New York Times mentioned here, the Cleveland Cavaliers are very interested in acquiring DeAndre Jordan. It is unclear if the Cavs would part with the Brooklyn Nets‘ unprotected pick for Jordan, but it’s doubtful a trade gets done otherwise.
Honorable Mentions: DeAndre Jordan
Los Angeles Lakers
Jordan Clarkson – ’17/18 stats – 14.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists
Contract: $11.5 million this year, $12.5 million in ’18-19, $13.4 million in ’19-20
The Lakers are hoping to be a major free agent player this summer, and they already have a ton of cap space. Trading Clarkson would only open up more room for the future.
Clarkson has excelled in a sixth man role in Los Angeles, but the front office should be wary about paying him for the next two and a half seasons. Look for them to try to make a move for added cap relief, as Clarkson’s value may never be higher.
Honorable Mentions: Julius Randle
Memphis Grizzlies
Tyreke Evans – ’17/18 stats – 19.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists
Contract: $3.3 million this season, unrestricted free agent this summer
Tyreke Evans has arguably been the most surprising storyline of the year, completely breaking out in a starring role in Memphis. His three-point shooting has been unreal this season (39.8 percent on 5.4 attempts per game), making his all-around game that much more effective.
Evans may be the overall “Most Likely To Be Traded” winner due to his expiring contract and the ongoing fall of the “Grit N’ Grind” era. Evans will be traded and the assets that the Grizz receive will help in the rebuild.
Honorable Mentions: Marc Gasol
Minnesota Timberwolves
Aaron Brooks – ’17/18 stats – 2.5 points, 0.6 rebounds, 0.8 assists
Contract: $1.47 million this year, unrestricted free agent this summer
Finding an obvious trade option for the Timberwolves was difficult. No particular player and contract stood out as a viable option.
Brooks gets the nod here due to his minimum contract and impending free agency, and a playoff team could hypothetically value his veteran presence enough to snag him from Minnesota.
However, as Brooks has experience in a Tom Thibodeau locker room, he will probably stay with the team as the young Wolves make their first playoff run since 2004.
New Orleans Pelicans
Ian Clark – ’17/18 stats – 5.3 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Contract: $1.47 million this year, unrestricted free agent this summer
The Pelicans have an interesting future ahead of them. Trade rumors are swirling around superstar Anthony Davis, but there’s next to no chance he’s gone by the deadline. They also have to decide if they are going to re-sign DeMarcus Cousins to a long-term deal.
With the playoff race heating up out west (New Orleans is currently in sixth place), the Pels could use another playable wing to bolster their rotation. Putting a bench shooter like Clark on the block could get them a cheap wing in return.
If the Pels stay silent at the deadline, it will be because they are betting on the injured Solomon Hill to return and be impactful as a versatile forward. Hill could return at some point in February after missing major time with a hamstring issue.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Paul George – ’17/18 stats – 20.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists
Contract: $19.5 million this year, player option for $20.7 million in ’18-19
Again, this is not to say George will definitely be traded by February. With the way the Thunder have set up their roster, however, he is probably the most likely to move.
George has made it very well known that he wants to play for his hometown team, the Los Angeles Lakers. In ESPN reporter Adrian Wojnarowski’s latest trade buzz piece, he outlines the decisions regarding George.
Basically, it seems as if the Thunder are content playing out the season and hoping that they can convince George to stay in OKC. When they acquired George and his expiring deal (he is expected to decline the player option), there was a known element of risk involved.
With GM Sam Presti already having felt the sting of losing a star small forward for nothing, anything is possible. But probably not a trade.
Honorable Mentions: Patrick Patterson
Phoenix Suns
Jared Dudley – ’17/18 stats – 2.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists
Contract: $10 million this year, $9.5 million in ’18-19
In what I will deem the “Joe Harris” corollary (if you remember part one), playoff teams can never have enough shooting.
Dudley is a career 39.7 percent three-point shooter and is getting no run at all on a tanking Suns team. Shooting-starved teams like the Timberwolves and Trail Blazers should take a long look at acquiring Dudley for minimal assets.
Honorable Mentions: Troy Daniels, T.J. Warren
Portland Trail Blazers
C.J. McCollum – ’17/18 stats -21.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists
Contract: $23.9 million this year, $25.8 million in ’18-19, $27.6 million in ’19-20, $29.4 million in ’20-21
As much fun as McCollum and moonlighting rapper Damian Lillard are in the same backcourt, there has always been a sense that there is a ceiling on this Portland iteration.
As Marc Stein addresses in this piece, it might be close to time to balance out the roster by moving McCollum for an elite-level wing. Obviously, if elite wings were everywhere, the Blazers would have already obtained one, so making a trade of this magnitude would be difficult.
Selfishly, it would be incredible to see what McCollum could do as a lead guard on his own team, but (as of now) it’s probably just a pipe dream.
Honorable Mentions: Al-Farouq Aminu
Sacramento Kings
Zach Randolph – ’17/18 stats – 14.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists
Contract: $12.3 million this year, $11.7 million in ’18-19
The man known affectionately as “Z-Bo” is still chugging along in Sacramento. Randolph still has value as a veteran bench scorer on a good team. He’s shooting 52 percent on two-pointers, which is actually a career-high.
Randolph’s shorter contract gives him the nod over honorable mention George Hill, but on Friday it was reported by Yahoo’s Shams Charania that the Cavaliers had a real interest in the veteran point guard. It will be interesting to see what kind of moves the Cavs make before the deadline, as they seem to be ever-present in trade rumors across the league.
Honorable Mentions: George Hill
San Antonio Spurs
Patty Mills – ’17/18 stats – 9.6 points, 2.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists
Contract: $10.7 million this year, $12.4 million in ’18-19, $13.3 million in ’19-20, $13.3 million in ’20-21
The Spurs re-signed Mills this off-season, but with Tony Parker aging and Dejounte Murray probably a few years away from being starting-caliber, the Spurs could look to move Mills as a means to immediately upgrade the lead guard spot.
One intriguing option is Kemba Walker, as he could seemingly fit in with both Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge as a new “Big Three.”
More than anything, always trust the Spurs to make the right personnel decisions. Whatever they decide to do will probably work out well.
Utah Jazz
Rodney Hood – ’17/18 stats – 16.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists
Contract: $2.4 million this year, restricted free agent this summer
Last Friday was an absolutely huge day for trade rumors. Per Stein:
There is a growing belief in league personnel circles that Utah could move swingman Rodney Hood before the Feb. 8 trade deadline … with multiple teams expressing interest
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 20, 2018
Hood will be a restricted free agent this summer. He has stepped up his scoring and is Utah’s second-leading scorer behind rookie phenom Donovan Mitchell.
Hood holds real value as a tertiary scorer on a good team, and his shooting has come along to the tune of 38.6 percent from deep on seven attempts per game. With not many teams having cap space, any team that trades for Hood could re-sign him for a discount.
Honorable Mentions: Alec Burks, Joe Johnson
All player stats are from basketball-reference.com and contract figures are from spotrac.com.
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