When factoring in current record, recent play and franchise trajectory (with some grace shown for injured stars), the NBA has about 10 teams that can be considered hopeless right now. That ranges from the 12-win Detroit Pistons to the 35-win Chicago Bulls, with a number of teams (primarily in the East) in between.

Even though both are currently projected to finish in the lottery, we're omitting the Houston Rockets (36-35 overall, winners of 10 straight) and Memphis Grizzlies (24-49, but should be good again next year with a healthy roster) from this "hopeless" list.

Since these teams have little hope for the rest of the 2023-34 regular season, we've come up with eight offseason trade ideas that the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards should already be thinking about.

Brooklyn Nets Get Deeper, Atlanta Hawks Build Towards 2025

Brooklyn Nets Receive: SG Bogdan Bogdanović, F De'Andre Hunter

Atlanta Hawks Receive: 2025 first-round pick (unprotected via Phoenix Suns), 2026 and 2028 second-round picks, G/F Ben Simmons

The 27-45 Nets have no incentive to begin a rebuild. The Houston Rockets control their first-round picks for the next four years, including what currently projects as the No. 8 overall selection in the 2024 draft.

Adding talent to a core of Mikal Bridges, Cam Thomas, Nic Claxton (who's set to become a free agent this summer), Cam Johnson and others is still the best path forward for them.

Both Bogdanović and Hunter are capable of starting or serving as key rotation players who can score from all three levels. They'd make a Brooklyn team that ranks 22nd in offensive rating this season deeper and more dangerous overall.

For the Hawks, this would be a financial reset that sets them up nicely for the 2025 offseason. By swapping two players under long-term deals for Simmons' expiring contract, Atlanta would clear $39 million in salary. Add in Clint Capela's expiring deal, and the Hawks would be shedding $61.3 million from their books in 2025.

The Hawks would also acquire the Suns' unprotected 2025 first-round pick and a pair of future second-rounders in this deal, and they could see whether they get anything out of Simmons in a contract year.

Charlotte Hornets Get Some Point Guard Insurance with Cole Anthony

Charlotte Hornets Receive: G Cole Anthony

Orlando Magic Receive: F Cody Martin, 2024 second-round pick (via Houston Rockets), 2025 second-round pick (via Philadelphia 76ers), 2027 second-round pick

Despite their 17-54 record, the Hornets aren't a typical rebuilding team. LaMelo Ball is finishing up his fourth NBA season and has yet to experience the playoffs. Granted, his ongoing durability issues haven't helped in that regard.

Charlotte shouldn't be afraid to join the list of buyers this summer and would do well to bring in another facilitator who can play alongside Ball or serve as a starting point guard should he miss more time. Anthony, 23, has averaged 15.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 103 career starts and will be starting a reasonable three-year, $39.1 million extension next season.

The Magic already have a ton of guards and have made it clear that Anthony is going to be a reserve with this group moving forward.

Orlando would get three second-round picks in return as well as Martin, a veteran wing who's put up 7.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists in his 28 games (including 22 starts) for Charlotte this season.

Chicago Bulls Refuse to Blow It Up, Portland Trail Blazers Get Another Lottery Pick

Chicago Bulls Receive: F Jerami Grant, PG Malcolm Brogdon

Portland Trail Blazers Receive: F Patrick Williams (via sign-and-trade), PG Lonzo Ball, G Jevon Carter, 2024 first-round pick

The 34-38 Bulls have shown no interest in rebuilding. They chose to hang on to veterans like DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vučević, Alex Caruso and others at the deadline.

If the Bulls continue on that path in the offseason, they'll need to make some notable additions to get back into the playoffs.

Grant would be a nice addition as the Bulls' new starting power forward (21.0 points, 40.2 percent from three) while Brogdon (15.7 points, 5.5 assists) could be a starter or sixth man. While there's some hope that Ball can return next season, Chicago shouldn't be relying on that after he missed more than two full years following three knee surgeries.

Williams, 22, still carries a lot of potential, but he might need a new home to find it. He should at least be able to hit threes and play good defense as part of a young core with Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe and others

Ball will be on an expiring $21.4 million contract that Portland can use as a trade chip, and Carter would bring some veteran experience in the place of Brogdon.

The main return for Portland is another lottery pick (currently projected at No. 11) that the Blazers can add along with their own selection (projected at No. 5).

Detroit Pistons Get Veterans, Picks from Warriors

Detroit Pistons Receive: F Andrew Wiggins, G Gary Payton II, 2026 and 2028 second-round picks (via Atlanta Hawks), 2029 second-round pick

Golden State Warriors Receive: 2030 second-round pick

The Pistons could have as much as $60 million in cap space this offseason. They should use some of it to take on veterans and picks from teams looking to shed salary. The Warriors are a potential partner, as both Wiggins and Payton are immediate starters/rotation pieces who could help Detroit get back in the play-in picture next season.

Detroit would also acquire three second-round picks in this trade, and it can easily absorb the contracts of both Wiggins (two years, $54.5 million with a $30.2 million player option in 2026-27) and Payton (one year, $9.1 million player option for 2024-25).

By offloading Wiggins and Payton, Golden State would be setting itself up to have significant cap space this summer. With Klay Thompson hitting free agency and Chris Paul's $30 million salary for 2024-25 fully non-guaranteed, removing Wiggins and Payton from the books would mean clearing over half of the current team salary ($107 million of $206 million).

The Warriors would have roughly $101.7 million in salary committed next season to Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody and Trayce Jackson-Davis (along with the $3 million guaranteed in Kevon Looney's contract). Based on the current cap projection of $141 million, the Warriors could suddenly be a major player in free agency.

San Antonio Spurs Pair Darius Garland with Victor Wembanyama

San Antonio Spurs Receive: PG Darius Garland

Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: F Keldon Johnson, PG Tre Jones, G Malaki Branham, 2025 first-round pick (unprotected via Atlanta Hawks)

The Spurs need to find a franchise point guard to pair with Victor Wembanyama. They need someone who can deliver him the ball in his spots while also being able to space the floor and create his own offense at times.

Garland, who's under contract for the next four seasons, checks all of those boxes. Even in a "down" year where he missed time with a fractured jaw, Garland is still putting up 18.5 points and 6.3 assists per game and would be a substantial upgrade over Tre Jones.

For Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell has already shown the ability to be a full-time point guard. The Cavs have actually been better with a backcourt of him and Max Strus (plus-11.5 net rating, 95th percentile) than with Garland and Mitchell (plus-7.1 net rating).

The Cavaliers would get off Garland's max contract with big paydays for Mitchell and Evan Mobley coming up and add another potential starter in Johnson (17.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 26 starts this season). Jones would become the backup point guard behind Mitchell.

Branham played his high school basketball at St. Vincent-St. Mary and went to college at Ohio State. The 2022 first-round pick would give Cleveland some future trade flexibility.

Toronto Raptors Continue Reset, Take a Chance on Davion Mitchell

Toronto Raptors Receive: G Davion Mitchell, F/C Trey Lyles, F Sasha Vezenkov, 2024 and 2025 second-round picks

Sacramento Kings Receive: G/F Bruce Brown

The Raptors are on the borderline of hopeless, although they did the right thing earlier this season by trading some of their older stars and bringing in RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley as potential franchise cornerstones.

Finding a trade partner for veteran wing Bruce Brown is the next step, as he's ready to help a contender win now. Toronto should continue to be on the lookout for trades that would return potential rotation players and future picks.

Getting Mitchell is the headliner here, as his role has decreased in Sacramento after the team selected him with the No. 9 overall pick in 2021. Mitchell, who still has terrific defensive potential, would have one more year left on his rookie deal to audition with the Raptors.

Lyles is a Canadian who would join Kelly Olynyk in the frontcourt, and Vezenkov wants more of a role than he's had this season in Sacramento. Toronto could provide that to the former Euroleague MVP and would also get a pair of future second-round picks for Brown.

Utah Jazz Move Jordan Clarkson to Milwaukee for Players, Pick

Utah Jazz Receive: F MarJon Beauchamp, G/F Pat Connaughton, G AJ Green, 2024 second-round pick (via Portland Trail Blazers)

Milwaukee Bucks Receive: G Jordan Clarkson

The Jazz chose to hold on to Clarkson at the trade deadline when they still had hopes of making the play-in tournament. However, Utah has gone an NBA-worst 3-13 since the All-Star break and should shop some of its veterans this summer.

Moving Clarkson to the Bucks would be doing right by the veteran guard. He could play the sixth-man role on a team with championship aspirations alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.

Clarkson's salary drops to $14.1 million next season, which makes him far easier to trade for.

Moving Clarkson would help Utah open up more playing time for its young guards, while Beauchamp, the Bucks' first-round pick in 2022, would get a bigger opportunity on the wing with the Jazz. Utah would also get the Blazers' second-round pick in June's draft, which is currently projected to land at No. 35 overall.

Josh Giddey, Ousmane Dieng Kick Off Washington Wizards' Rebuild

Washington Wizards Receive: G Josh Giddey, F Ousmane Dieng

Oklahoma City Thunder Receive: F Kyle Kuzma

Washington is just beginning a long, painful rebuild and needs to identify some high-upside prospects via trade this summer with players like Kyle Kuzma and Tyus Jones (via sign-and-trade) as bait.

Giddey's role has decreased in OKC with the emergence of Chet Holmgren and development of Jalen Williams. His 24.7 minutes per game are way down from a year ago (31.1), as are his 10.3 shot attempts (down from 14.7).

Giddey could assume the starting point guard job in D.C., as his 6'8" frame is perfect for seeing over defenses. The third-year guard is averaging 17.1 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists per 36 minutes across his career.

Dieng, 20, was the 11th pick in the 2022 draft and is still raw. The Thunder, who are now competing for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, might not have enough time to wait on his development, but the Wizards do have that luxury.

With Giddey's dismal three-point shooting a concern for OKC's offense moving forward, swapping out the young guard for Kuzma would give a starting lineup of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Williams, Kuzma and Holmgren a lot of size and scoring pop overall. Kuzma, 28, would bring a veteran presence with championship experience to a Thunder team that's still one of the youngest in the league.