Bleacherreport
Fresh NBA Blockbuster Trade Ideas After Early 2024 Free Agency
A.Wilson11 hr ago
- Chris Nicoll/NBAE via Free agency has already reshaped the NBA landscape. The trade market has, too. The 2024 offseason has been a pretty fun one, no? The Philadelphia 76ers have the league's latest Big Three, the New York Knicks have completed their Villanova collection, the Oklahoma City Thunder are going for it and Klay Thompson is suddenly splashing away alongside Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić in Dallas. So, why are we thinking about additional moves impacting the Association? Because trade ideas are always exciting, and this is the time of year when the biggest dreams of the basketball world can become a reality. Let's dream big, then, and piece together four hypothetical blockbusters that could actually happen.
- Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Golden State Warriors receive: Zach LaVine, Jevon Carter and 2026 first-round pick (top-three protected) Chicago Bulls receive: Andrew Wiggins, Moses Moody, Gary Payton II and Kevon Looney After missing out on Paul George, the Warriors are running out of options to find Stephen Curry a capable costar. Now, some might scoff at the notion of LaVine serving in such a capacity, but he is a two-time All-Star who has been connected to Golden State on multiple occasions . LaVine is objectively overpaid , often plagued by the injury bug and severely lacking team success on his resume. He's also by far the most productive player the Warriors could acquire without giving up draft picks or a high-end prospect. In fact, in this hypothetical, they'd be getting back a first-round pick and a new backup point guard (Carter) just for taking LaVine off of Chicago's hands. The future finances are absolutely a worry, but if the focus is on Curry's final chapter, those dollars are a worry for a different day. There would be obvious defensive concerns with a Curry-LaVine backcourt, but the offensive oomph could be overpowering. A healthy LaVine is one of the more potent perimeter players around, and it's possible that having a costar like Curry and a system like Steve Kerr's motion offense would help him find new levels of efficiency. LaVine didn't have a banner 2023-24 season by any stretch and still finished with averages of 19.5 points, 3.9 assists and 2.4 three-pointers. He had averaged at least 24 points, four assists and 2.5 triples in each of the previous four seasons. The only players to match that production over that stretch were Luka Dončić, Kyrie Irving, Donovan Mitchell and Damian Lillard. The Bulls would essentially be washing their hands of LaVine and giving their young core a fresh start with this package. They'd have to see decent keeper potential in Moody to sign off on this swap, but if they believed in him and Wiggins' chances of turning things around, this could happen. Payton and Looney would primarily make the money work, but ideally one or both could be flipped for additional draft assets down the line.
- Mark Brown/Miami Heat receive: Brandon IngramNew Orleans Pelicans receive: Tyler Herro, Caleb Martin (sign-and-trade) and a 2029 first-round pick The Heat have offensive issues they need to address. The Pelicans have an annual 20-plus-point scorer they may not want to pay long-term . It feels like there could be a match here, especially if New Orleans could drum up trade interest elsewhere in CJ McCollum. Ingram doesn't have the high-volume three-ball the Heat would ideally want, but he checks a lot of other boxes. He is a scoring threat from all over the floor, and he can create something out of nothing for himself or his teammates. All three of his past seasons have yielded 20 points, five assists and five rebounds per outing. Only nine other players across the Association can claim the same. If Miami could maintain workable spacing—coach Erik Spoelstra has steered this squad through some pretty cramped quarters before—this offense would have plenty of creativity and downhill attacking from Ingram, Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier and Bam Adebayo. The Heat would also wind up longer on the wing and potentially even more disruptive with their zone defense. If the Pelicans don't want to pay what Ingram will seek next summer, then the time to move him is now. While they could seek out an asset-heavy return, their recent pickup of Dejounte Murray indicates a clear desire to maximize competitiveness around Zion Williamson. There would be some challenge-trade elements to this deal, as New Orleans would essentially wager that it could squeeze more out of Herro than Miami has to this point. He'd be a fun pick-and-choose partner with Williamson and a gravitational off-ball shooter pulling attention away from Murray. Add yet another three-and-D wing to the fold with Martin plus a future first to help facilitate a big deal at a later date, perhaps one involving an impact center, and the Pelicans should feel comfortable with this return.
- Michael Hickey/Orlando Magic receive: Trae YoungAtlanta Hawks receive: Markelle Fultz (sign-and-trade), Wendell Carter Jr., Jett Howard, 2025 first-round pick and 2026 first-round pick swap While the Hawks have already traded away Dejounte Murray, they could still consider moving Young, too. Sending him out would ease the pressure on No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher, and it could also free the front office to flip their remaining assets for rebuilding tools. Granted, a total reset wouldn't be as beneficial as normal since San Antonio controls Atlanta's next three drafts, but the Hawks might still see the value of stockpiling assets sooner than later. The Magic might be glad to assist with that. Their 22nd-ranked offense was the least efficient of all postseason participants this season—play-in teams included. Newcomers Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Tristan da Silva add plenty to Orlando's equation, but volume scoring isn't a strength for either one. Young, on the other hand, hasn't averaged fewer than 25 points since his rookie season. He hasn't averaged fewer than double-digit assists in two seasons, either. And he's tallied better than three triples per outing in three of the previous five campaigns. He has basically been a walking top-10 offense throughout his career, and if he could have that kind of impact on a team with a defense as dominant as the Magic's, this could be the league's next stealth contender. The Hawks won't get a fortune for Young. His offensive volume is incredible, but his defense is disastrous, and his contract is enormous. So, walking away with two rotation players in Fultz and Carter, a recent lottery pick in Howard, an unprotected first-round pick and an unprotected first-round pick swap would be a decent haul.
- Alex Goodlett/San Antonio Spurs receive: Lauri MarkkanenUtah Jazz receive: Keldon Johnson, Malakhi Branham, 2025 first-round pick (top-three protected), 2025 first-round pick (via ATL), 2029 first-round pick, 2030 first-round pick (via DAL) and 2026 first-round pick swap (via ATL) The Jazz didn't sound super eager to move Markkanen earlier this offseason, but if Mikal Bridges can draw five first-round picks in this trade market, Utah has to keep its ears open. And that's exactly what's happening in Salt Lake City, as ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Jazz are "listening" to trade offers for Markkanen (via RealGM). The Spurs are reportedly among the 7-footer's suitors, per Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer , and they certainly have the assets to make something happen if they want to fast-forward things around ascending superstar Victor Wembanyama. Markkanen, who turned 27 in May, could be an ideal costar for the fact he could help raise the franchise's floor but isn't so old that it would put immediate win-right-now pressure on the young centerpiece. A Wembanyama-Markkanen frontcourt would be a bastion of size, length and two-way skill. Each brings paint-to-the-perimeter scoring, on- and off-ball utility and enough defensive versatility to pester players of nearly all sizes and play styles. Let Chris Paul properly position this pair for greatness for a year, and something special could be brewing in San Antonio sooner than later. The Jazz could certainly try haggling for additional picks, but there's a lot of quality here. The Hawks could self-destruct at any moment, so having control of their next two drafts would be enormous. The Mavericks are fully invested in the present and could pay for it in the future. The Spurs may not click right away (they just lost 60 games, after all) and who knows how their roster will have taken shape five years from now. Utah might initially request Devin Vassell, but negotiating down to Johnson and Branham might satisfy both sides. The Spurs would retain their best current fit with Wembanyama, while the Jazz would maximize their draft pick return by accepting two different prospects, both of whom are under 25 and creative and capable on the offensive end.
Read the full article:https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10126928-fresh-nba-blockbuster-trade-ideas-after-early-2024-free-agency
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