What are pieces available on the trade market? With the 2022-23 NBA season a few weeks old, many franchises are starting to realize what holes exist in the roster and will soon be looking to make moves to address them.
Although not every team will be looking to make a significant move before the deadline, we’ve highlighted one player for each team that makes sense to put into a deal.
Who should your favorite team look to flip this season? Tweet us at @hoop_social with your thoughts!
Atlanta Hawks: Clint Capela
8 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 stocks, .561 true shooting percentage.
$18.7 million this year, 3 years left.
Capela is getting squeezed out of the rotation, so it might be time to trade him if the Hawks can, allowing them to allocate his salary to different parts of the roster. A big like him who can kind of switch, but also roll to the basket is extremely valuable.
Boston Celtics: Derrick White
9 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 stocks, .582 true shooting percentage.
$16.9 million this year, 3 years left.
White is the 3rd guard in Boston, but could greatly improve another teams rotation. His salary could be used to help them improve.
Brooklyn Nets: Joe Harris
7 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 stock, .542 true shooting percentage.
$18.6 million this year, 2 years left.
The Nets are struggling and could maybe try to trade Harris for some kind of defensive help. Or if things continue to spiral maybe a young asset could be fetched.
Charlotte Hornets: Terry Rozier III
24 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 stocks, .505 true shooting percentage.
$21.5 million this year, 4 years left.
Rozier’s stats are inflated by only playing 2 games, but he could definitely help some teams. Yes, his contract is expensive, but it will be worth it.
Chicago Bulls: Patrick Williams
9 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 stocks, .568 true shooting percentage.
$7.8 million this year, 2 years left, restricted free agent.
The Bulls want to make the playoffs, so this could be the end of the PAW experience in Chicago if he doesn’t seize the wing/forward minutes.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Cedi Osman
11 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 0 stocks, .574 true shooting percentage.
$7.4 million this year, 2 years left.
The Cavs want to improve their wing depth, but will have to give something up. Cedi seems to have a decent contract to trade.
Dallas Mavericks: Reggie Bullock
6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assists, 1 stock, .488 true shooting percentage.
$10.0 million this year, 2 years left.
The Mavericks would probably prefer to trade Tim Hardaway or Davis Bertans, but that would require giving up a pick. Reggie, once again, isn’t shooting well to start the season (he always struggles till January for some reason). The Mavs young swing man Josh Green is providing more on the wing at this point and the Mavs may want to trade Reggie for more size.
Denver Nuggets: Michael Porter jr.
17 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 stock, .625 true shooting percentage.
$30.9 million this year, 5 years left.
The Nuggets defense is a disaster and MPJ is the reason. I don’t think he and Jokic can succeed together. I think MPJ is a valuable player, but it is time for him to move to a different team.
Detroit Pistons: Cory Joseph
3 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 0 stocks, .541 true shooting percentage.
$5.2 million expiring.
The pistons should try to find some value out of this expiring contract (or Alec Burks who was the other option for this). It wont be much, but they could get something for him.
Golden State Warriors: James Wiseman
7 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 0 stocks, .628 true shooting percentage.
$9.6 million this year 2 year contract, restricted free agent.
The Warriors need to drop $12-15 million from their roster next year if they want to keep Draymond. Don’t be surprised if Wiseman ends up being the casualty they make to keep the core together.
Houston Rockets: Eric Gordon
12 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 stocks, .572 true shooting percentage.
$19.5 million this year, 2 years left, next year is not guaranteed.
We have been told for eons that Gordon is being traded for a first round pick. The rockets need to get on that as fast as possible. It is time for him to get out of Houston, where he is hurting the young team’s development.
Indiana Pacers: Myles Turner
14 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 stocks, .577 true shooting percentage.
$18 million expiring.
Turner has been traded 150 billion times by pacers fans. No player in the league is less wanted but also more valued by their own fan base. Turner is expiring and seems to not want to return to Indiana, so the clock is ticking for him to return value to his team.
Los Angeles Lakers: Patrick Beverly
5 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 stocks, .483 true shooting percentage.
$13 million expiring.
The Lakers probably cant trade Westbrook, so they may try to trade Beverly for a shooter. Or they may just burn down in flames and screams of terror. Either way, it is kind of entertaining.
Los Angeles Clippers: Terrance Mann
5 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assists, 0 stocks, .610 true shooting percentage.
$1.9 million this year, extended 2 years at $10.5 million poison pilled.
Mann is a great young wing, but the clippers might move him for someone who can help them more at this moment. The Clippers need to find a way to either trade the big 2 for pieces or get more firepower for when they are out.
Memphis Grizzlies: Dillon Brooks
16 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 stock, .557 true shooting percentage.
$11.4 million expiring.
The Grizzlies have to embrace the youth movement at some point or go all in on this team now. Either way, Brooks is the piece that will be in a trade as his contract is the moving piece.
Miami Heat: Caleb Martin
8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 stock, .510 true shooting percentage.
$6.5 million this year, 3 years left.
The heat want to trade Robinson and Lowry, but no one else in the league wants them. Martin brings some value to contending teams if the Heat want to get some value back.
Milwaukee Bucks: Grayson Allen
9 points, 3 rebounds, 3 points, 1 stock, .530 true shooting percentage.
$8.5 million this year, 2 years left.
The Bucks should not make a trade, but in the spirit of this list Allen could be traded for something because of his contract, but again- I would not trade him.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Karl-Anthony Towns
22 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 stock, .590 true shooting percentage.
$33.8 million this year, 6 years left, team option on the last year.
The wolves experiment is failing. You cannot build a contending team around KAT, but maybe you can convince a dumb team (Kings maybe? Knicks?) into trading something for the player who refuses even to pretend to try on defense. The entire roster in Minnesota is a horrible fit together with no 2 way players, so it is time to blow this puppy up and build around Anthony Edwards.
New Orleans Pelicans: Trey Murphy III
14 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 stock, .685 true shooting percentage.
$3.2 million, 3 years, restricted free agent.
The Pelicans shouldn’t be looking for a trade. If they do want to trade for a star at the deadline Murphy will be the prize wing that the other team will be wanting back.
New York Knicks: Obi Toppin
11 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assists, 0 stocks, .654 true shooting percentage
$5.3 million this year, 2 years left, restricted free agent.
The Knicks refuse to play Obi. He is averaging less minutes a game this year than last. It is time to trade him, since they have no faith in the forward.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Darius Bazley
6 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 stocks, .481 true shooting percentage.
$4.3 million expiring, restricted free agent.
The Thunder probably don’t have a spot for Bazley next year, so it might be time to trade him and they get something back. His defense could earn him a look from other teams.
Orlando Magic: Terrence Ross
10 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 stock, .582 true shooting percentage.
$11.5 million expiring.
The Magic could trade Ross for a younger wing and could also pair him with one of Harris, Bamba or someone else to make a good offer for cap relief and shooting to another team.
Philadelphia 76ers: Tobias Harris
14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 stocks, .615 true shooting percentage.
$37.6 million 2 years left.
The Sixers need to find a way to trade Harris to another team. I don’t know if they can, but the Tucker-Harris lineups are a struggle. Harris’s contract is extremely rough. They have to try really hard.
Phoenix Suns: Jae Crowder
Sitting out this year
$10.1 million expiring.
The Suns need to try and find a trade for Jae. The early season success means they can take their time though. Jae is going to bring something back but I do not know how much.
Portland Trailblazers: Nassir Little
6 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 stock, .586 true shooting percentage.
$.4.2 million this year, 5 years left.
The Blazers, if they continue to succeed, will maybe want to trade Little for a bigger impact player on the team. Little has a lot of potential, but it is getting closer to time to cash in on him.
Sacramento Kings: Harrison Barnes
11 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 stock, .517 true shooting percentage.
$18.4 million expiring.
The Kings rotation seems to not involve Barnes as much as it should. He’s averaging less points than his last season in golden state, and his shooting has plummeted. His expiring is valuable in itself and his experience will probably buy him some benefit of the doubt.
San Antonio Spurs: Jakob Poeltl
12 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 stocks, .622 true shooting percentage.
$9.4 million expiring
The Spurs would do well to get an asset out of Poeltl and they probably could get a good one at this point. He is a great defender and a smart passer.
Toronto Raptors: Precious Achiuwa
10 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 stock, .507 true shooting percentage.
$2.8 million this year, 2 years left, restricted free agent.
Precious is not getting the starting spot in Toronto and it makes sense, but one has to think a different team would want him to be a bigger part of their rotation. His switch ability and athleticism could make him worth a trade.
Utah Jazz: Malik Beasley
11 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assists, 1 stock, .522 true shooting percentage.
$15.6 million this year, team option next year.
The Jazz have more valuable trade pieces, but also seem like they want to maybe make the play in. If that is the case then Beasley is the one who could be traded.
Washington Wizards: Rui Hachimura
10 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 stock, .500 true shooting percentage.
$6.3 million expiring, restricted free agent.
Rui is a good forward who seems to be left out of the starting lineup because of Kuzma. If the Wizards are not sold on him it is time to get something for the asset.
Jordan Ennis
Jordan Ennis lives in West Africa where he is a pastor at an international church, he also co-hosts the Assisted Development Podcast on the HoopSocial Podcasts feed. He can be found at Assisted Development Podcast on Facebook and @HoopSocialDraft on Twitter.