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NBA Teams Best Positioned to Pull off Blockbuster Trades

Zach Buckley

It's trade season in the NBA. Do you know where your blockbuster-deal candidates are?

Since nothing shifts the balance of power quite like a mega-move—think: Kawhi Leonard to Toronto, Kyrie Irving to Boston, Jimmy Butler to Philly, etc.—we have scanned the landscape of the league to find which clubs are best positioned to pull off a fortune-changing exchange.

Granted, not every team listed will go all in between now and the Feb. 7 trade deadline. It's possible none of these clubs even come close.

But by assessing roster composition and trade capital (prospects, draft picks, expiring salaries), we have identified the five clubs in the best position to make a move, and we ranked them based on the attractiveness of their realistically movable assets.

5. Atlanta Hawks

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The Atlanta Hawks are in the infant stage of their rebuild, making them among the Association's least likely buyers. But if they were inclined to make a major move, they'd seemingly have the asset supply to do so.

It starts with their impressive collection of draft capital, which includes all of their own first-rounders, a top-10 protected pick from the Cavaliers, a top-five protected first from the Mavericks and, in 2022, a lottery-protected first from the Thunder. There are also four second-rounders heading their way, including two in 2019 (one from the Hornets, the other from the Timberwolves or Lakers).

As for the strength of Atlanta's prospect collection, that's largely to be determined. Trae Young is (hopefully) nowhere near the player he'll become, Kevin Huerter has significant growth potential and Omari Spellman is still searching for his NBA niche. John Collins already looks like a nightly 20/10 candidate, and Taurean Prince has the pliability of a glue guy.

Given the state of this club, the Hawks might have zero interest in moving any prospects or picks. But maybe there's a cost-controlled youngster out there who could soften that stance.

Atlanta's most likely trade candidates are veterans on short-term deals: Kent Bazemore ($19.2 million player option for next season), Jeremy Lin ($12.5 million expiring contract) and Dewayne Dedmon (expiring $6.3 million salary). While Bazemore is currently sidelined by a sprained ankle, the 29-year-old has been mentioned in a number of trade rumblings.

The Rockets are among the teams to discuss Bazemore, sources told The Athletic's Shams Charania, who added that Bazemore "is expected to receive interest from several contenders."

Both Lin and Dedmon could similarly be on the radar of win-now clubs in search of point guard depth or spacing/rim protection from the center spot.

4. Orlando Magic

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Did you know there are four players averaging at least 20 points, 11 rebounds and three assists this season? Three of them are franchise centerpieces: Anthony Davis, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid.

The other is on a short list of the league's most logical trade candidates: Nikola Vucevic. He knows it, too.

"There's been rumors about me being traded for years now," Vucevic told The Athletic's Josh Robbins.

Those rumors should be intensifying now. Not only is Vucevic orchestrating a career year—not to mention splashing threes at a 37.7 percent clip—he's also playing on an expiring $12.8 million salary. Plus, Orlando might have two potential replacements for him in recent No. 6 picks Jonathan Isaac (2017) and Mohamed Bamba (2018). Not to mention, the club has a pressing need for a point guard of the future.

The Magic must at least consider moving Vooch, and they'd be right to ask for a substantial return. Barring any deals involving Anthony Davis or Kemba Walker, Vucevic might be the best player on the trade market.

He's not Orlando's lone trade chip, either. Even without dissecting the young core, the Magic have Terrence Ross, who's also breaking out and playing on the final season of his deal. Then there's Jonathon Simmons, who offers playoff experience, defensive versatility and just a $1 million guarantee on his 2019-20 salary.

The Magic could sweeten deals with any of their upcoming picks, multiple 2019 second-rounders and/or a top-20-protected 2020 first-rounder from the Thunder. Maybe some forward-thinking dreamer would even want Timofey Mozgov for when his $16.7 million deal comes off the books in 2020.

This might not be the best group of assets around, but there are trade chips aplenty and a relatively big fish to float in front of frontcourt-focused shoppers.

3. Philadelphia 76ers

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While the Philadelphia 76ers scratched their itch for a third star with Jimmy Butler, they should recognize this is the time to get greedy. With neither the Golden State Warriors nor Boston Celtics sprinting away at the ludicrous speeds so many expected, the Sixers might sense there's a championship opening.

Even more intriguing, they could potentially move much closer to it with minimal disruption to their rotation.

Let's say, for instance, they've identified Bradley Beal as their potential missing piece. It wouldn't be a hard leap to make.

The 25-year-old, who made his All-Star debut last season, could immediately address their needs for outside shooting, secondary shot-creating and perimeter defense. He was also reportedly made available by the Washington Wizards earlier this season, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, and he just lost his All-Star backcourt mate, John Wall, to season-ending heel surgery.

Could the Sixers, even after shelling out for Butler, have enough assets to land Beal, too? NBC Sports Philadelphia's Paul Hudrick thinks it might be possible without disturbing the Butler-Joel Embiid-Ben Simmons-JJ Redick quartet.

"[Markelle] Fultz and [Wilson] Chandler make the money match, but you'd most certainly have to throw in the 2021 unprotected Miami first and possibly more, like Zhaire Smith or Landry Shamet," Hudrick wrote.

That's a recent No. 1 pick in Fultz, an immediate contributor on an expiring deal in Chandler, an unprotected first that could prove ultra-valuable and a 2018 first-round choice. Chandler and Shamet are the only rotation regulars in this offer. And it doesn't include all of Philly's youngsters, like Jonah Bolden or Furkan Korkmaz, who could each conceivably work as trade sweeteners.

2. Los Angeles Lakers

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The Los Angeles Lakers' trade-chip collection is as rich as they want it to be. Their potential package of picks, prospects and/or salary savings could rival almost anyone's, and they reportedly have a top-shelf target who could dictate their movement.

"They're not going to give away picks and their top young players in some deal that makes them incrementally better this season, because they have got to save all those assets for Anthony Davis, a big trade this summer either pre- or post-free agency," Wojnarowski said.

It'd be the blockbuster to end all blockbusters, getting Davis into Los Angeles, alongside LeBron James and potentially giving the Golden State Warriors their first true Western Conference rival. While it's hard to see this happening before next summer—when the New Orleans Pelicans will know what Anthony Davis decides on his incoming supermax offer—it's still worth exploring what the Lakers have now to get something done.

With no external picks coming in, the Lakers will build their best offers around youngsters. Put Brandon Ingram atop that list, as 2016's No. 2 pick has shown high-level flashes of defensive versatility, on-ball creativity and above-the-rim explosiveness. Lonzo Ball's floor game might get him the second spot, as he's one of only six players averaging at least nine points, six rebounds and six assists since the start of 2017-18.

Meanwhile, 23-year-olds Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart seem more like support pieces than building blocks in a mega-trade. That's not meant to shortchange either one, though. Kuzma is already scoring like a legitimate second option, tallying 18.7 points on 47.4 percent shooting. Hart's three-and-D skills shine brightest, but he's the kind of role player who can give you a little of everything.

The Lakers also possess a number of expiring contracts, though they'll want to keep the future ledger as clean as possible to do another big-game hunt this summer. But if L.A. needs expiring salaries to make the money line up, it has Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson and Michael Beasley to unload.

1. Boston Celtics

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While it would almost certainly take a single-browed superstar for Danny Ainge to empty his treasure chest, the assets are ready and waiting for a blockbuster.

The Celtics could meet demands no matter their trade partner's timeline.

Need draft picks? The Shamrocks have all of their own upcoming firsts, plus three incoming first-rounders. Want prospects? Boston has a 20-year-old future scoring champ in Jayson Tatum, a possible Kawhi Leonard clone in 22-year-old Jaylen Brown and a plug-and-play starting point guard in 24-year-old Terry Rozier.

Seeking more immediate assistance? How about eighth-year veteran Marcus Morris, who's both a versatile defender and, as of this year apparently, a possible 50/40/90 shooter? Or maybe Marcus Smart, who can guard at least three positions (he can switch to all five in a pinch) and who makes smart decisions with the basketball? Or even Gordon Hayward, a former All-Star who might have that same ceiling once he knocks off the rust?

About the only box Boston can't check is salary-cap relief. But even then, there are a bunch of reliable contributors on rookie-scale deals, plus Morris' contract is up at season's end.

It's no coincidence that when the San Antonio Spurs were shopping Leonard, they were reportedly "most intrigued with Boston's trade assets," per Wojnarowski. If Ainge puts all—or even most—of his best trade chips in play, he could trump any other team's offer.

               

Statistics used courtesy of Basketball Reference and NBA.com and accurate through games played Tuesday, Jan. 2. Salary information obtained via Basketball Insiders. Future draft pick information from RealGM.

Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @ZachBuckleyNBA.

   

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