Three Marvin Bagley Trade Destinations
With Marvin Bagley being in the last year of his rookie contract this upcoming season, Sacramento has some decisions to make. Is Sacramento going to extend him and keep him in their long-term plans? Will they trade him this off-season so they don’t have to worry about paying him? Or will Sacramento allow Bagley to enter restricted free agency thus keeping him for one more season? At the moment we do not know what is going in the mind of Monte McNair and the front office of the Sacramento Kings, but we do have our best guesses. The most likely possibility is that Sacramento will trade Bagley because they prefer De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton as their franchise cornerstones.
Bagley recently liked a Twitter post that was suggesting the forward leave the Kings. With Bagley’s father also chiming in on the situation, asking Sacramento to trade him, it’s very likely he isn’t staying. He hasn’t formally requested a trade, but it seems likely he may. With the whole situation going on right now, it is best to move forward and look at three possible trade destinations for the forward.
A Rebuilding Team – Oklahoma City Thunder
Why trade for him?
OKC is in the midst of a successful rebuild at the moment. They have a haul of picks, and they also have raw talent. It seems like the team is trending to make guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander their franchise player. This likely means that they will build a team that suits a good supporting cast around him. With OKC not striking out in the draft, they have decisions to make. They could trade up in the draft, but it heavily depends upon the teams above Oklahoma City in the draft, if they would agree upon a trade. A more likely option is to trade for a disgruntled young player on the trade block. Not only do they get one in this trade possibility, but they trade for a former second overall pick who still has lots of potential as a 22-year-old.
Oklahoma City recently traded Al Horford and Moses Brown in a trade. Both of the two are big men which is something Oklahoma City lacks at the moment. They do have a raw talent in Aleksej Pokusevski but his future is far better at the power forward position. Marvin Bagley fits the team perfectly, as his trade value isn’t as much and he’s capable of being the big man the team needs. With the sixth pick in the draft, the Thunder are likely not taking a big man. This, therefore, allows them to trade for a young big man talent like Bagley.
The Trade:
- Sacramento Receives: Isaiah Roby, 2022 Phoenix First-Round Pick, 2022 Oklahoma City Second-Round Pick
- Oklahoma City Receives: Marvin Bagley III
This is an interesting trade. You could make the argument that Sacramento would want to receive more, and you can also argue OKC is giving too much. Roby is definitely not a bad player. He averaged nine points and six rebounds a game this year in around 23 minutes. Although he didn’t shoot well from outside the perimeter, he was fairly efficient inside. The main compensation. however, Sacramento receives is two picks and avoiding paying Bagley. Roby’s rookie contract is cheaper, and they are set cap-wise to go all out if they are trying to make a playoff push to please their franchise cornerstones.
The first-round pick Sacramento received won’t likely be early in the draft but will still be big. Phoenix, at the moment, is seeking a championship and likely will be contenders next season as well. The pick will be a late first-round pick, most likely, but it still allows Sacramento to bring in quality young talent. The 2nd round pick will likely be an early one as Oklahoma City will probably not make a playoff push. Most importantly, Sacramento receives compensation for a disgruntled young player that they would either have to pay or lose in restricted free agency.
A Team That Needs To Find A Direction – San Antonio Spurs
Why trade for him?
This offseason is crucial for the Spurs. They have DeMar DeRozan as a free agent and they have a pick they must nail. Over the three seasons, DeRozan was in San Antonio, he never made an all-star team but played like an all-star level player. He was their franchise player, but the team’s overall talent couldn’t really get them anywhere other than one first-round exit. It seems very likely that San Antonio will transition into a rebuild if DeRozan does not re-sign.
Not only do they have to look at their decisions with DeRozan, but they also have a 1st round pick they must nail. The Spurs young core is very solid, but at the moment none of the current players on the team are looking like a potential franchise cornerstone. Dejounte Murray has always been a pesky defender and a good scorer, but he probably isn’t the guy to take over if needed. That being said, he still has time as he is only 24. Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell have been good young players too and have also shown promise. However, it is tough to regard either as being a possible superstar in the future.
San Antonio is on the right track, nonetheless. They have bundled young talent over the last few years and kept them around veterans who are willing to mentor. If they can capitalize on the 12th pick, they will be in a great position moving forward. Bagley really only makes sense in San Antonio if DeRozan were to leave. The possibilities of DeRozan leaving, are not slim to none, it is really a toss-up.
The Trade
- Sacramento Receives: Jakob Poeltl, DaQuan Jeffries, 2023 Second-Round Pick, 2024 Second-Round Pick
- San Antonio Receives: Marvin Bagley, Jahmi’us Ramsey, 2022 Atlanta Second-Round Pick
This trade makes sense for both sides if San Antonio does not keep DeRozan and is willing to pay Bagley. Sacramento receives a quality center and a few slightly valuable picks. More importantly, Sacramento can now avoid paying Richaun Holmes as well with Poeltl taking the center spot. This thus allows them to have more cap flexibility going into the offseason.
For San Antonio’s side, they get Bagley who is a low-risk high-reward young talent. If Bagley really does pan out for them, they have another quality young piece to go along with their current core. Thus, this sets them up for the future well.
A Playoff Proven Team – Toronto Raptors
Why trade for him?
Another team that could trade for Marvin Bagley is the Toronto Raptors. Toronto was just a championship team a couple of years ago, but with losing key players and underlying factors, they failed to make the playoffs this season for the first time since 2013. Despite this, Toronto still has a really solid roster and they received the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft. They have a good scorer in Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam. They have good defenders in OG Anunoby and Chris Boucher. Toronto also has solid role players all around, they just need a good starting center. The team acquired Khem Birch during the season, and he showed glimpses of being a solid player for them.
However, at best, Birch is definitely a bench player, and the team should pursue a young player that could have a solid future with the team. Although paying him may be an issue, what he brings to the table will be huge. Plus, Nick Nurse played a key role in helping the Raptors become an amazing defensive team and he could transform Bagley into a much better defensive player than he is at the moment. With veteran Kyle Lowry likely heading into a new path into his career, Toronto has options. A good option would be to trade for Bagley when they have the pieces to do so.
The Trade
- Sacramento Receives: Rodney Hood, Paul Watson, 2023 Toronto Second-Round Pick
- Toronto Receives: Marvin Bagley III
Sacramento doesn’t really free up cap in this trade although they do avoid paying Bagley. However, they do get a solid haul for him. Watson had a solid sophomore season for Toronto where he averaged an astounding 47% from 3 on 2 attempts a game. He even had a 30 point performance with 8 threes as well during the season. Hood hasn’t been great after all the injuries he’s gone through, but he’s still an average role player. He’s a veteran who has been in deep playoff runs, and he can help lift Sacramento to a winning culture if they do make other moves to enter a playoff push.
Toronto gets the guy they want without giving away any of their long-term core pieces. This would be a great restart destination for Bagley’s career and should seriously be considered. With the current big men on the team being solid but nothing special, Bagley could end up being their guy when they need it.
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