The dust has settled, and things around the NBA have quieted dramatically following a wild July that seemingly gave fans and observers new transactions and unique rumors every day. This isn’t to suggest organizations are finished wheeling and dealing until the summer of 2020.
Just as the Toronto Raptors did ahead of the 2019 trade deadline, would-be champions will bolster rosters via transactions that are finalized between October and February. At the other end of the spectrum will exist teams looking to stock up on future assets as they lose more than 50 percent of their games.
Last fall, Jimmy Butler made headlines when he orchestrated his move from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Philadelphia 76ers. Butler spent only one season with Philly before heading to South Beach and the Miami Heat, and he’ll probably have to get comfortable in his new basketball home for at least several months. We could see as big of a trade involving a different star either before or during the season, as a team looks to match acquisitions made by the Los Angeles Clippers this offseason. Then again, the Clippers could also improve what is already, on paper, a stacked roster.
Andre Iguodala
The Grit and Grind Memphis Grizzlies are now a thing of the past. Memphis shipped Marc Gasol to the Toronto Raptors ahead of the 2019 trade deadline, and the club sent Mike Conley to the Utah Jazz after the July 4 holiday. Josh Jackson and rookie Ja Morant are Memphis’ future, and building around them as best as possible is key. Andre Iguodala, acquired by the Grizzlies after Memphis traded Conley, is a three-time champion and would be an excellent mentor for any young player in the infancy of his career. Iguodala is worth even more on the market. The Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks and Sacramento Kings are three teams that come to mind as potential buyers for Iggy between October and Feb. 6, 2020.
Jae Crowder
Much of what was written about Andre Iguodala holds true for Jae Crowder. Like Iggy, Crowder is out of contract following the 2019-20 season, and the 29-year-old probably would mean more to the Grizzlies as a trade piece than as somebody who can tutor young players behind the scenes. Crowder’s shooting has dipped the past couple of seasons, and he shouldn’t be starting for a contender hoping to do more than just play a handful of meaningful April games. He could still be a solid fit as a role player for a playoff side looking to land talent from a team destined to finish the campaign with a losing record.
Collin Sexton
The Cleveland Cavaliers appear to be throwing stuff toward a wall to see what, if anything, sticks. Collin Sexton is a polarizing figure — The Ringer’s Zach Kram recently referred to him as a “sub-replacement player” and “the league’s worst defender” — but he’s still only 20 years old. There’s room for growth and improvement. The Cavs drafted Darius Garland fifth overall this year, and the plan to play Garland alongside Sexton could quickly go pear-shaped if the Cavs lose as often as expected in October, November and December. Cleveland desperately needs assets after LeBron James’ departure for the West Coast. Unless the front office views Sexton as the next coming of Russell Westbrook, trading him before he further diminishes his value may be the wisest course of action.
Myles Turner
Back in April, Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star touched upon the “sad truth” that the Indiana Pacers must trade either Myles Turner or Domantas Sabonis. As of the typing of this sentence, it appears Indiana’s plan is to play the two together in the starting lineup. Per Lithuanian journalist Donatas Urbonas , Sabonis believes the two “need more time” on the court together to make everything click. Patience is no longer a virtue for the Pacers, as the club lured Malcolm Brogdon away from the Milwaukee Bucks with a boatload of money, and Indiana is also waiting for Victor Oladipo to return from the quad injury that ended his campaign last January. The fact that teams were calling about Turner’s availability ahead of free agency, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, suggests people in the know aren’t convinced the Turner-Sabonis pairing has any staying power.
Tristan Thompson
Whether or not Collin Sexton is part of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ future can be debated for weeks and, if he remains with the franchise through the start of winter, for months. Tristan Thompson, the one-time champion who is a relic of the LeBron Cavs, is in the final season of his contract, and he could prove to be a useful piece for a playoff club in need of a big man come January or early February. Thompson’s offensive limitations aside, he’s capable of averaging a double-double in the postseason, and he’s appeared in 78 playoff games and multiple championship series. According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, the Cavs may already be prepping to deal Thompson and the next person mentioned in this piece.
Jordan Clarkson
Jordan Clarkson could follow Tristan Thompson out of Cleveland before the deadline. Like Thompson, Clarkson’s entering the final season of his contract, and the 27-year-old quietly posted the best scoring campaign of his career (16.8 PPG) while featuring for a terrible team. A rebuilding club could use somebody such as Clarkson in its rotation, and the Cavs have to pretend to be competitive ahead of the holidays, if nothing else than to sell some tickets to local fans who want to watch something other than Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns. Eventually, though, a franchise in the top half of the standings will make the Cavs an offer they can’t refuse. Cleveland losing Clarkson for nothing would be an unacceptable result.
Justise Winslow
The Miami Heat eased the pain of losing Dwyane Wade to retirement by executing a sign-and-trade for two-way star Jimmy Butler. That, in itself, won’t put the Heat over the best teams in the Eastern Conference such as the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers. Bradley Beal, Kevin Love and Chris Paul are three players Miami could target as quickly as November if the team stalls out of the gates and if Butler feels less than enamored with his situation. Miami will have to give something to get something, and including 23-year-old Justise Winslow could do the trick. Unlike other players mentioned in this piece, Winslow is signed through the next couple of seasons with a club option for the 2021-22 campaign. He’d be worth a flier for a front office selling a proven starter.
Marc Gasol
When the Toronto Raptors traded for Marc Gasol ahead of the 2019 deadline, the club knew it was likely he would accept the one-year option left on his contract . The deal with the Memphis Grizzlies was worth the $25.6 million Gasol will earn this season, as his defense was massive for the Raptors during the playoffs. Toronto couldn’t convince Kawhi Leonard to run it back with The North, though, and losing him to the Los Angeles Clippers will cost Toronto a chance to repeat as champions. The Raptors cannot be sentimental when it comes to veterans who are about to be out of contract.
Gasol showed last spring he can deliver big minutes in clutch situations. Owen Phillips of Five Thirty Eight praised the veteran for his work vs. Joel Embiid of the conference semifinals, and Milwaukee unicorn Giannis Antetokounmpo credited facing Gasol in the postseason for making him a better player.
Serge Ibaka
With Pascal Siakam, the NBA Most Improved Player for last season, due to be paid sooner than later and Fred VanVleet entering a contract year, the Raptors have some serious conversations looming ahead. Similar to the previously mentioned Gasol, Ibaka is a veteran and a champion who is in the last season of his current deal. The 29-year-old averaged 15 PPG and started in 51 regular-season contests, and he hit the double-digit mark in points in each of the last three games of the NBA Finals. Keeping Ibaka would be ideal for Toronto, but the math doesn’t add up, especially if the Raptors are serious about making another run to the Finals as soon as the spring of 2021. Ibaka will be a tasty option for a top-tier team looking for a backup center who can start when the need comes.
Kyle Lowry
Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry silenced critics of his past postseason performances by averaging over 16 PPG in the Finals and helping the franchise win its first title. Lowry also isn’t getting any younger. He’ll turn 34 years old in March, and his contract expires following the season. Barring the Raptors making an unexpected run to the top of the conference standings by Super Bowl Sunday, Lowry’s most important value to the club will be whatever he fetches in an inevitable trade. Recently, Mike Bossetti of Raptors Rapture mentioned the Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons as three potential destinations for the veteran who entered the Association in 2006.
Gordon Hayward
The Boston Celtics‘ goal of winning a title with Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving leading the charge crumbled the second Hayward suffered that gruesome and devastating leg injury in October 2017. Irving is now with the Brooklyn Nets, which is best for him and the Celtics, and Boston wasn’t able to bring Anthony Davis to town to team him with a different superstar free agent. Hayward’s contract includes a pricey option for the 2020-21 season — one he’ll pick up unless he surprisingly reclaims his All-Star form. According to Keith P Smith of Celtics Blog, the club “quickly” shot down trade offers involving Hayward earlier this summer. That situation nevertheless remains fluid, or at least it should if Boston wants to accumulate assets for an individual who isn’t going to reach what was thought to be his ceiling when he first joined the organization.
Chris Paul
The Oklahoma City Thunder enjoyed a surprisingly good summer, considering both Paul George and Russell Westbrook no longer play for the organization. Tanking is not in OKC’s immediate plans, as Chris Paul, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari and Steven Adams will look to keep the Thunder afloat in a loaded Western Conference. The figurative elephant in the room continues to be Paul’s albatross of a contract. The money he’s owed is probably why the Thunder weren’t able to trade him in July, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported. It’s not a complete disaster of a situation, though, as Paul can mentor Gilgeous-Alexander until players who signed free-agent contracts this offseason are eligible to be traded after Dec. 15.
Bradley Beal
While the Washington Wizards had to offer Bradley Beal an extension this summer because that’s just how the Association works, neither he nor the club should be rushing to sign that deal. John Wall is out indefinitely, as he recovers from the torn Achilles he suffered in January, and the Wizards are going to be dreadful with or without Beal. With the franchise doomed to go through the motions of operating as a competitive basketball club for at least the next few years, why not offer Beal to the highest bidders in October or November? According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Miami Heat may be interested in acquiring both Beal and Wall in a trade even with the understanding Wall probably won’t play until October of next year.
DeMar DeRozan
By now everybody should know better than to count head coach Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs out of a playoff race before a season begins. Talent wins out over coaching in the postseason, though, and the Spurs lack the horses to hang with the best teams in the West over a seven-game series. As Bleacher Report’s Nate Loop wrote, DeMar DeRozan and San Antonio haven’t come to terms on an extension, and his current deal includes a player option for the 2020-21 campaign. As much as Popovich and Co. want to keep San Antonio a playoff team, the club must also have eyes toward 2021 and that year’s potentially historic free-agent class. Instead of guaranteeing DeRozan money and multiple years of early postseason departures, the Spurs could instead put him on the market and endure one down year ahead of splashing cash on a couple of stars.
Kevin Love
Just as the Los Angeles Lakers are learning this summer, the price the Cleveland Cavaliers paid in mortgaging the future to appease LeBron James was at least a handful of losing seasons. The Cavs Kevin Love to serve as the face as one of the worst teams in the league is downright silly at this point of his career. The one-time champion is signed through the next several seasons, he’s shown he can win on the league’s biggest stage and he should become available once it’s clear the Cavs are staring at another long and cold winter. The Houston Rockets, Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers and Portland Trail Blazers are just four teams with the necessary assets to acquire Love. One has to assume he’d welcome the chance to chase a second ring while in his prime.
