Four NBA Stars that Could Be Shock Trade Deadline Targets

It’s NBA Trade Deadline week. Could Myles Turner, Spencer Dinwiddie, D’Angelo Russell, or Brandon Ingram be on the move?

IT’S NBA TRADE DEADLINE WEEK! The trade deadline is earlier now since the league moved the deadline up before the All-Star Break, so teams have until only Thursday afternoon to make their big move.

There are a million trade articles, and all the most likely trade names are being discussed. I don’t have much to add to that discussion. But there are four legit NBA stars I haven’t seen mentioned a ton that I think could be sneaky trade targets this week, four top-50 guys worth considering.

Just to be clear, there are no rumors or sources here, just sheer irresponsible speculation. It’s NBA Trade Deadline week! Let’s have some fun. Here are four stars that might make sense to move and a few deals that could make sense…

Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers

I’ve had my eye on Myles Turner from the moment the Pacers drafted Goga Bitadze this summer. Bitadze has been good in limited minutes and projects as a quality all-around starting center, and probably soon. That gives Indiana three legit NBA big men, including newly-minted All Star Domantas Sabonis.

Indiana has quieted some questions about how well Sabonis and Turner can play together this season, but I still don’t think it’s a perfect fit. And even if it does fit, Sabonis just got a fat $75-million extension. Turner makes $72 million over these next four years, and both he and Bitadze cost a first-round pick (and Sabonis came partly at the cost of Paul George, albeit with Victor Oladipo). That’s just a LOT of investment in big men in the modern NBA.

Myles Turner is pretty good. But so are Sabonis and Bitadze, and Turner makes the most sense to trade. Indiana has an All-Star in Sabonis and just got its other All-Star back in Victor Oladipo. Malcolm Brogdon has slowed down since his injury, but he was playing at an All-Star level early this season too. Turner was listed as an All-Star candidate himself a year ago.

The Pacers wouldn’t just trade Turner to dump him. He definitely has positive value, and in many senses, it might make sense to wait until the summer or beyond to trade Turner, when Bitadze would be more ready for a bigger role. But Indiana might see a real window to win the East this year. If they think they can hang with Milwaukee, there’s no reason they can’t believe they’re the #2 team in the East, especially with Oladipo back and maybe another addition in a Turner trade.

So what sort of Turner trades might be out there?

The Celtics need a center. Enes Kanter, Daniel Theis, Vincent Poirier, and Romeo Langford get there on salary. But that’s a pretty weak haul for Indiana, even if it brings Romeo back home and replaces the center minutes on bargain contracts.

The Nets could offer Caris LeVert, a nice fit at small forward for the Pacers. Turner would be an upgrade at center for Brooklyn, but then they’d be stuck with DeAndre Jordan and Jarrett Allen on the trade block in need of a wing.

The Lakers are a popular big man destination, but they don’t have much positive value to offer. Not enough for Turner.

Their L.A. rivals are a more intriguing partner. The Clippers can offer Ivica Zubac on a cheap contract as a viable third big man for the Pacers. They could add in Moe Harkless or Rodney McGruder, the type of wing defender the Pacers lack right now, and can also sweeten a deal with Jerome Robinson, Mfiondu Kabengele, and/or this year’s first-round pick. There’s no blue chipper there, but that’s a bunch of positive assets.

DeMar DeRozan would be an interesting Pacers addition. A team of Brogdon, Oladipo, DeRozan, and Sabonis is pretty fascinating and feels like a real playoff threat, and the Pacers and Spurs have some trade history. Indiana would need to include Doug McDermott to match salary. Do the Spurs want Turner with LaMarcus Aldridge? Maybe not, but he might be a long-term answer and give San Antonio a core of Turner, Dejounte Murray, and Derrick White to build around.

And we haven’t even gotten to my three most intriguing Turner destinations.

What about the Kings? What if Sacramento offered Dewayne Dedmon or Richaun Holmes along with Bogdan Bogdanovic? Dedmon and Bogdanovic are both really interesting fits in Indiana. Dedmon gives them the stretch big they wish Turner was, and Indiana will have the cash this summer to sign Bogdanovic and let him create off the bench.

The Pelicans could work too. New Orleans can return Derrick Favors in a deal as an ideal Turner replacement for this season, but what else would the Pacers ask for? The Pels have a slew of young players and picks. Turner seems like a pretty nice fit next to Zion Williamson long-term. We’ll get back to this one.

The Hawks seem like the perfect fit. Atlanta badly needs a defense-first big man, and Turner fits pretty well next to John Collins. The Hawks can return Alex Len as a short-term center replacement, plus plenty of expiring salary fodder. So what’s in it for Indiana? You figure Trae Young, De’Andre Hunter, and Collins are probably off the table. Would the Hawks give up Kevin Huerter? If not, it might mean Cam Reddish and/or a pick. Reddish is the exact sort of talented wing Indiana has developed many times over the years, and a lottery-protected Brooklyn pick is a nice moderate asset.

A lot of those deals will be there this summer. Most of them, really. But if Indiana thinks a piece can help them now, the East window might be more open now than next year, once Kevin Durant is back for Brooklyn.

Hey, speaking of which…

Spencer Dinwiddie, Brooklyn Nets

Spencer Dinwiddie is one of my favorite trade pieces. He’s an a terrific contract at three years and $34 million, with a player option that likely means it expires in summer 2021, when everyone wants cap room.

Dinwiddie is a league-average starting point guard on a real bargain contract. He had a real All-Star case this season and was putting up huge numbers with Kyrie Irving out, 25 points and 7 assists a game.

But just how valuable is Dinwiddie to Brooklyn? He’s super valuable this season, but who really cares about this season for the Nets? This season was lost the moment they signed Kevin Durant. Every move Brooklyn makes should be geared toward next season, even if that means missing the playoffs this year.

For next season, the Nets will plan to start Kyrie Irving, Caris LeVert, Kevin Durant, and either DeAndre Jordan or Jarrett Allen. Heck of a team. You know who doesn’t fit on that team? Spencer Dinwiddie. Oh sure, he’s super valuable for 20 regular season games when Kyrie is hurt, but that team is building for ceiling, not floor, and its ceiling has Kyrie playing 35 minutes. That leaves 13 point guard minutes for Dinwiddie when the games matter most, plus a few more that don’t fit that well next to Irving, since Dinwiddie isn’t a great shooter.

The unfortunate truth is that Dinwiddie doesn’t fit where this roster is heading. Brooklyn can get by with a cheaper backup point guard. If you had that core above, what would you want to add for a team that will have championship aspirations next season? I think you want shooting and defensive wings and forwards. And you might already have shooting if you keep Joe Harris around. What you don’t need is one more guy that needs the ball in his hands to be useful.

One of my absolute favorite fake trades is Spencer Dinwiddie for Aaron Gordon. That one’s really intriguing for both teams. Aaron Gordon is on a declining contract, which will become super valuable to a cash-strapped team like Brooklyn. Couldn’t he come in an be Draymond lite for this team? Gordon is a poor match as a go-to scorer but a pretty interesting as a third or fourth option that focuses on defense. Isn’t a Brooklyn lineup with KD and AG as its bigs pretty interesting? For Orlando, they haven’t had a good point guard for years, and Gordon is redundant with Jonathan Isaac and their centers around. Maybe Markelle Fultz develops into that option, but isn’t Spencer Dinwiddie a nice in-between option that boosts their playoff hopes?

There aren’t as many other great options, because most teams have a point guard they’re already committed to.

Minnesota and Robert Covington make sense. Dinwiddie would give Karl-Anthony Towns a real pick-and-roll partner for the first time ever, and RoCo is the exact sort of 3-and-D wing that would fit perfectly in Brooklyn. The bargain contracts match up perfectly too. Dinwiddie isn’t a perfect timeline fit in Minnesota but he fits well if the Wolves use their high pick this summer on one of the many lead guards available and need a few years to develop him.

I really like Otto Porter as a fit here too. I really like Otto Porter, period. He was one of my most intriguing trade targets and would’ve had his whole section here, but he’s always hurt. Porter is expensive too, but he could opt out this summer and sign a long-term deal that fits better. Again, Porter (if healthy) is an absolutely ideal fit in Brooklyn, and Dinwiddie would finally give Chicago a point guard next to Zach LaVine, with Coby White a better fit off the bench. Chicago could even return Tomas Satoransky on a similar contract as a valid bench point guard and someone that could play next to Irving too.

The real crown jewel would be Jrue Holiday. But Dinwiddie isn’t a great timeline fit in New Orleans, and Brooklyn probably doesn’t have enough other assets to intrigue the Pelicans.

Three-and-D wings are hard to come by. And that’s exactly why Brooklyn should take advantage of Spencer Dinwiddie’s value and trade for one.

D’Angelo Russell, Golden State Warriors

There’s another reason the Nets should trade Spencer Dinwiddie soon — because Brooklyn needs the same thing as Golden State, with those teams competing for the same missing 3-and-D wing piece with an eye toward building a 2020–21 championship roster.

Russell costs a lot more than Dinwiddie. He’s under contract for four years and $117 million, a max deal.

Golden State’s lineup next year will be Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and a center — plus a fifth player. Do you really think they believe that fifth player is D’Angelo Russell? I don’t, and I’m not sure why they would. Like Brooklyn, this team has plenty of ball handling when it’s whole. They need shooting and defense, not a guy that wants the ball all game.

The Warriors need the exact same thing as the Nets, so the same guys are good options.

You’ve already read a hundred articles about a possible DLo deal for a Robert Covington package. There are a hundred because it makes sense. RoCo is a perfect fit.

So is a hypothetically healthy Otto Porter. Actually Porter would be absolutely lethal for Golden State — like what Harrison Barnes was supposed to be, except not sucky. DLo and LaVine would be a sieve defensively, but that’s Chicago’s problem and it’s never stopped them before.

The Aaron Gordon fit isn’t as strong here since the Warriors already have actual Draymond, but he’s still interesting. Mo Bamba is a pretty fascinating fit too. Would the Magic give up Gordon and Bamba for a young star point guard? Probably not, but it can’t hurt to find out.

Miami is another interesting option, if the Heat are willing to part with Justise Winslow. He fits at small forward, and a deal with something like Winslow, Kelly Olynyk, and Kendrick Nunn could work. That would give the Warriors three pieces that fit pretty well, but would Miami do it? They seem hellbent on keeping long-term salary off their roster, but DLo, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo is a pretty strong quartet.

The most interesting trade I never hear anyone talk about is D’Angelo Russell for Jrue Holiday. Do you realize how devastating the Warriors would be (again) with Holiday next to Steph, Klay, and Draymond? He is the PERFECT fit in that role.

Holiday is one of my favorite guys in the NBA, and it feels like people are finally noticing how valuable he is. I did an NBA redraft this summer and I rated Holiday among my top-25 players. His defense and versatility make him a strong addition to literally any NBA roster.

And New Orleans isn’t going to give him away. But isn’t it weird that all the Holiday trade rumors focus on the team getting Jrue? Why not think about what New Orleans would want if they traded Holiday?

If you’re the Pelicans and you know you are building around a future with Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, what would you want? You’d want an elite young point guard, a stud defensive center, and (as always) help on the wing. Lonzo Ball could still be that point guard, and Jaxson Hayes the center, but the jury’s out.

Look around the league. What plausibly attainable young players should the Pelicans target in a trade? Guys like Trae Young, Luka Doncic, and Jayson Tatum ain’t going anywhere. Ja Morant and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander aren’t on the trade block. De’Aaron Fox is out. Ben Simmons doesn’t fit, even if he’s available. Donovan Mitchell? Nope. Jaylen Brown? Maybe. But the truth is that D’Angelo Russell is actually one of the best fitting actually acquirable young players in the league for this roster.

Holiday on the Warriors would just be unfair, maybe extending Golden State’s window by another couple years — enough so for the Warriors to add in Eric Paschall or even this year’s draft pick to get the deal done, if necessary. Would the Pelicans really say no to DLo and the Warriors first for a guy that will be too old to be part of a real Zion and Ingram future?

Of course, that’s all assuming one important thing — that Brandon Ingram is definitely part of that future…

Brandon Ingram, New Orleans Pelicans

Wait, what?

Now hear me out.

You probably think there’s no WAY the Pelicans would trade Brandon Ingram. Ingram was just named an All Star amidst a breakout season in which he’s averaging 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists a night on 47/40/86 shooting.

Ingram is still just 22 years old, and if those numbers are legit, he’s suddenly one of the best young prospects in the league. You don’t trade away an asset like that, do you?

Well… you might. You might if you’re concerned about Ingram’s long-term health viability. Remember, this is a player that just had blood clot issues that cast a shadow over this season. I don’t have any special medical insight here, but if the Pels fear Ingram’s long-term value medically, they might be hesitant to commit to him.

They might also wondering if the shooting is real. After all, Ingram shot 33% from deep and 66% from the line the past three seasons before his shooting explosion this year. Shooting can just be variance sometimes, and if Ingram’s shooting fades to average or below, his value might too. But Ingram has taken 281 threes this year and is still over 40% — that’s not a fluke. Neither is 86% on 280 free throws. Those are significant samples. Probably.

Beyond that, maybe New Orleans just doesn’t think Ingram is the right fit. After all, this is 100% Zion Williamson’s team, not Ingram’s. Maybe they feel Ingram isn’t the right skill set next to Zion. Maybe they think he’s an alpha mentality that won’t adjust well in a lesser role.

One thing that’s certain — Brandon Ingram will be making max money starting this summer. Ingram will be a free agent, and it’s an absolute stone cold lock that any number of teams will offer him a max deal this summer. New Orleans owns Ingram’s restricted rights, so they can match any deal, but they need to know they’ll be paying him max money if they want to keep him. Ingram is already better than Andrew Wiggins, so there’s no real worry of a Wiggins-Towns type pairing here, but what if New Orleans isn’t sure they want to give Ingram that max contract?

If they’re not, they might think about moving Ingram now, before the deadline, to one of those summer free agent destinations that’s interested in wooing Ingram now.

One possible destination could be Indiana. Remember the Myles Turner deal above? What about a deal built around Turner plus something for Ingram and Derrick Favors? The Pacers would have Brogdon, Oladipo, Ingram, and Sabonis, although they’d have a pretty hefty tax bill once they start paying Ingram. What else would Indiana have to add? Turner sure seems like a nice fit next to Zion, so that’s a good start. Indiana doesn’t have much else that fits, including no first-round pick this year (they traded it for Brogdon). Probably not enough juice there.

Charlotte and Cleveland also fall under the “not enough juice” category. The Cavs would have to build an offer around Darius Garland or Collin Sexton plus a pick. The Hornets could offer P.J. Washington, Devonte’ Graham, and/or a pick. You never know what single player the Pelicans might love, but none of those seem like they move the needle enough.

Memphis is super intriguing but only in a way that makes a deal untenable. The Grizzlies would surely love to add Ingram to a core of Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Brandon Clarke — but that requires putting together a decent offer that doesn’t include those three. Memphis can’t trade their pick (Boston already owns it), and a pick three years from now isn’t doing the trick. Neither are DeAnthony Melton and Dillon Brooks. Would the Grizz part with Brandon Clarke? I’m drooling over a Zion-Clarke partnership, but New Orleans had multiple chances to do that themselves in the draft and didn’t bother.

This is a bit more outlandish, but who says no to an Ingram-JJJ swap? It’s hard to build a more perfect hypothetical fit next to Zion than JJJ, to the point that I’d even consider adding in another pick or asset to get the job done if I were New Orleans. But I don’t see Memphis taking that deal — especially if they think they can just sign Ingram for free this summer.

That’s a real problem with an Ingram deal, admittedly. The moment the Pelicans start quietly offering Ingram around, any interested team should get very suspicious. Suspicious that there’s something they don’t know about Ingram, and suspicious that the Pels don’t want to sign Ingram long-term, meaning they might be able to get him for free if they’re patient.

But that’s no fun, so who else is in play?

Portland could offer Anfernee Simons plus pieces like Zach Collins, Nassir Little, and/or a pick. Simons has been the worst PIPM regular in the league, but he’s a pretty intriguing attacking guard prospect. Or, what if Portland offers up C.J. McCollum instead? McCollum and Holiday is a pretty interesting partnership along with Zion. The Pels would need to add a lot of salary and value. Probably not.

If New Orleans is worried about Ingram’s fit, they might like Mikal Bridges a lot more. He’s a better defender and, hypothetically, a better shooter, and he needs the ball less. Would Phoenix offer both Bridges and Kelly Oubre? Would Bridges and a pick be enough?

Atlanta is my most intriguing Ingram destination if he leaves this summer. The Hawks badly need a second handler, and his newfound shooting would be a huge bonus. Trae Young plus Brandon Ingram would really be the start of something. Would Atlanta give up John Collins, a potential All Star, and does Collins fit next to Zion? How about Kevin Huerter? They probably don’t move De’Andre Hunter, and the Pels already passed on Cam Reddish. Atlanta does have all their own picks. Unless New Orleans wants Collins, who isn’t a great fit, I’m not sure the right deal is there.

The most interesting deal might actually be New York. Ingram could be the face of the Knicks franchise, and Mitchell Robinson looks theoretically like a monster defensive center and a perfect fit next to Zion. Would the Knicks part with R.J. Barrett too? And would Zion want his old Duke running mate back? Isn’t R.J. Barrett just an underdeveloped Brandon Ingram right now? R.J. and Mitch is tantalizing, but there’s so much risk involved in both sides.

The Knicks would probably prefer to keep Barrett and pair him with Ingram. Maybe they offer Kevin Knox with Mitch. They probably throw in Dennis Smith or Frank Ntilikina, not that adds much. New York has all their draft picks, too. If they want Ingram and want to make sure they can keep him this summer, what would they give up for him? They have enough pieces to make a tantalizing offer.

In the end, it would admittedly be quite shocking to see Brandon Ingram get moved. Even if the Pelicans are secretly ready to move on from him, there’s a path to doing that later — by doing exactly what the Bucks did with Malcolm Brogdon last summer. New Orleans can wait til the summer, make sure that max Ingram offer is out there, then use their matching ability to work a sign-and-trade. That also buys the Pelicans 30 more games to see how everything works now that Zion is healthy — and maybe make a playoff push, too.

The reality is that none of these four guys are likely to be moved this week.

But they could!!

And all the Trade Deadline speculation is half the fun anyway… ■

Follow Brandon on Medium or @wheatonbrando for more sports, television, humor, and culture. Visit the rest of Brandon’s writing archives here.