One trade every NBA team needs to make

The NBA trade deadline is rapidly approaching and the rumors are intensifying. In preparation, here’s a look at a trade for every team to consider.

With the February 18 deadline right around the corner, NBA trade rumors continue to fly around all corners of the Internet. It’s a time of year that most fans love. Whether they want to fantasize about unbelievable franchise-altering trades or they just want to see which stars could be on the move, it’s a great time for speculation and discussion.

So, in the excitement of the days leading up to deadline day, let’s look at one possible trade that each team should pursue. Of course, there are multiple possibilities for most teams, but these are some suggestions that could prove beneficial for both parties involved.

As is often the case, we may see some deals take place that aren’t perfect. There may be some settling involved in order to remove unwanted contracts, create cap space, readjust the roster for next season, or bring in talent to avoid losing a key player in free agency for nothing. That’s just what happens in the business of the NBA when salary, personalities and rebuilding (aka tanking for some) comes into the equation.

Will the Boston Celtics finally translate some of their assets into a star? Will the Miami Heat figure out if Hassan Whiteside is leaving in the summer and try to trade him to prevent total loss? Will a team in need of a new point guard be able to land Jeff Teague?

No one can know for sure, but it’s always interesting to look at the possibilities.

Let the discussion and hypothesizing commence.

Next: Philadelphia 76ers

Philadelphia 76ers

There is no immediate fix for 76ers, so no trade they pursue is going to drastically improve their chances of looking good. In the meantime, they have Ish Smith turning things around on the court and Jerry Colangelo working on the front office.

As for targets, C.J. McCollum (who has been mentioned in trade rumors) springs to mind as the ideal sharpshooter who the 76ers should at least attempt to trade for. He’s averaging 20.8 points per game (up from just 6.8 last season) while shooting 39.5 percent from three, yet there have been murmurs that due to his and Damian Lillard’s respective styles and questionable defense they may not be the best possible combination longterm.

So, in order for the 76ers to try to acquire McCollum (emphasis on the “try,” this can easily not happen), they can offer the Blazers Nerlens Noel and a combination of their upcoming first round draft picks. The idea of swapping McCollum with Jahlil Okafor has popped up online, but it’s hard to imagine the 76ers would trade away such a skilled lost-post center this prematurely.

With this trade, if Portland do suddenly feel motivated to move on from McCollum, they acquire a young, defensive talent in Noel and other notable assets through the NBA draft. If Portland does consider this idea at all, though, it won’t be one of the top offers they receive for McCollum — he’s just a name that should be high on the 76ers’ priority list.

It’s important to emphasize again that it’s the 76ers who are going to be more keen to acquire McCollum than the Blazers are to let him go. They may well need to offer more, as Portland aren’t letting go of McCollum easily to anyone.

However, if there’s any way Philly can make it happen with some picks, they should try their best to do so. Otherwise, there isn’t much the 76ers can do besides waiting for draft night and wondering whether Joel Embiid will ever be healthy.

Next: Brooklyn Nets

Brooklyn Nets

Out of all the teams in the NBA, the Nets are right at the top of the list when it comes to franchises who could benefit from hitting the reset button and heading in another direction. They have no noticeable identity, they’re extremely limited in terms of young talent, and with players like Joe Johnson making more than $20 million a year, they aren’t getting much in return for their money.

The problem for the Nets is that while they’d surely love to trade out a few assets and start afresh, they don’t have many. If they really want to bring in some new talent, their best bet is moving Lopez, who is one of the top scoring centers in the NBA (20.3 points per game) and could help multiple franchises.

One possibility involves the Nets making an effort to reclaim some of their draft picks by trading with the Celtics. In exchange for Lopez, they’ll receive Jared Sullinger, David Lee and the rights to their first round draft picks for 2017 and 2018 (these picks are highly valuable, so asking for both could be a push by the Nets).

This allows the Celtics to trade some quantity for quality and acquire an elite low-post, mid-range scorer in Lopez, while the Nets get to partially resolve the worries haunting their organization by getting back some draft picks. This way, rather than having no reward for the poor seasons that are undoubtedly in store, they can add some new young talent in the draft.

Plus, they get a solid role player in Sullinger and they can clear a bunch of cap space when Lee’s $15.49 million contract expires at the end of this season.

Next: Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee Bucks

It looks like the Bucks will listen to trade offers for anyone besides Jabari Parker, Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Greg Monroe signed as a high-profile free agent just half a year ago, but a report by Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times states that a major move could be coming before the NBA trade deadline:

"“From what I’m hearing is they (the Bucks) are willing to trade anybody not named Parker, Antetokounmpo or Middleton,’’ an NBA executive said. “I even heard they’d listen (to offers) for Parker and Middleton, but it would have to be some crazy offer. “They want to do something; they know they have to do something. That group they have isn’t working.’’"

It’s beyond clear that things aren’t working out right now. As at the very least with the lengthy perimeter talent and imposing frontcourt players they have, ranking 26th in defensive efficiency is hopeless.

So, if Monroe is available, the Bucks could bring in a hefty return due to his offensive talent and rebounding, which is desirable for plenty of teams even if his defense lacks the same intrigue. One team they could look to is the Nets, in order to go in a new direction at center with Brook Lopez.

In exchange for Lopez, the Bucks could offer Monroe and one of their 2016 second round draft picks. If the Nets want more (which they likely will), the Bucks can try throwing a talented sharpshooter like Jerryd Bayless into the mix.

This gives the Bucks a notable upgrade over Monroe, as Lopez is one of the premier scoring big men in the NBA on the low block. He’s averaging 20.3 points per game this season on 50 percent shooting, while knocking down 42.6 percent of his 16-24 foot jump shots, too.

On top of that, he’s a far better low-post defender than Monroe. He forces opponents to shoot 9.4 percent lower than normal within six feet and adds 1.9 blocks per game, which is superior to Monroe in both regards by a long way. Lopez may be weak away from the basket and he isn’t an elite defender, but the Bucks should be able to pick up that lack of speed with the rest of their team.

For the Nets, they can start hitting the reset button with a new double-double guy and talented scorer in Monroe, who will be making around $5 million less per season over the next two years. With a pick, they also get the chance to add someone in the draft which is a luxury they’ve otherwise rid themselves of. Bayless, with 43.2 percent shooting, would also be a highly welcome addition.

Next: Orlando Magic

Orlando Magic

The Magic started this season strong and have since fallen thanks to dismal offense and little rim protection. From January 1, 27th in the NBA in points per game (94.7), 24th in opponent field goal percentage within five feet of the basket (60.5), and 28th in net rating (-9.8, per NBA.com).

They have a talented offensive center in Nikola Vucevic who averages 16.6 points and 8.8 rebounds per game with relative ease, but the Magic can’t hold their own too well in the paint. As for scoring, well, they’ve had little of that from most positions on the roster.

One blockbuster trade that could land them more rim protection than they have in Vucevic while boosting their offense is a deal to land them both Al Horford and Jeff Teague.

The Hawks have reportedly been shopping Teague (due to both his regression and the growth of Dennis Schroder) and are listening to offers for Horford as they don’t want to lose him for nothing in free agency this summer (per Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports).

In exchange for the 2014-15 Hawks All-Stars, the Magic can try sending Vucevic and Victor Oladipo to Atlanta. If necessary, depending on how much the Hawks are asking for, another young player like Mario Hezonja may be needed as well.

This gives the Hawks a top-tier offensive center in Vucevic who is still under contract for three more years at fairly cheap average of around $12 million per season (even more reasonable with the rising cap limit). In Oladipo and possibly Hezonja, they get even more young perimeter talent and depth.

As for the Magic, this is an ideal trade for them to pursue. It could significantly boost their 25th ranked offense and give them a better interior defender at center, not to mention a point guard upgrade, as Teague is still capable of creating his own offense off drives, he’s shooting 40 percent from three, and just last season he averaged seven assists per game.

This could be great for the Magic, but it really depends on how interested the Hawks are in moving Horford and Teague and whether or not they receive better offers. Orlando may not have enough to make this happen.

Next: Washington Wizards

Washington Wizards

What better stretch power forward could the Wizards want for John Wall to run pick-and-pops with than Ryan Anderson?

Anderson has been a common feature in NBA trade rumors for quite some time now, and with an expiring contract and the way he’s been playing this season, a big pay-day should be in store for him this summer. That contract brings about concern for the Pelicans, as if they think he’s going to sign with a team who can actually contend in the playoffs, they’ll be better off trading him now so they don’t lose him for nothing.

To make the most of this opportunity, the Wizards can try offering the Pelicans a big man like Kris Humphries or Nene Hilario and Kelly Oubre Jr. in exchange for Anderson.

The Wizards only have an estimated payroll of $42.7 million for next season at the moment, meaning they have plenty of money to offer Anderson a sizeable contract to keep him around. He’s having a great season averaging 17 points per game while shooting 38.6 percent from three with 2.1 makes, and along with his 48 percent shooting from 16-24 feet, he’s the ideal power forward to fit in their fluid offense.

The tough loss here is Oubre. There’s no doubt he has potential as a valuable 3-and-D guy and at 6’7″ with a big wingspan and great athleticism, he has all the physical attributes you could want in a wing. It’s important to emphasize that if the Wizards can acquire Anderson without giving Oubre up, they need to do so. However, they would be getting a significant upgrade to their frontcourt, while the Pelicans get a solid role player in Humphries or Nene and a rookie with potential to avoid losing Anderson for nothing.

Next: New York Knicks

New York Knicks

The Knicks know who their star of the future is in Kristaps Porzingis, and Carmelo Anthony is still a potent scorer who’s perpetually adjusting to new teammates. Plus, after adding more reliable pieces last summer, at least they’re improving.

One obvious area of weakness that isn’t going away, though, is their point guard situation. Langston Galloway and Jerian Grant are talented, but they aren’t reliable starters yet. As for Jose Calderon, he’s far from being a scorer, a point who can push the pace or a capable defender. The perfect type of replacement would be Jeff Teague, who the Hawks have recently been gauging interest for. However, for a team like the Knicks with limited trade assets, it’s going to be incredibly difficult for them to out-offer other teams.

So, a risk to try to fix the point guard problem without giving up too much could be a trade to pursue Ty Lawson of the Houston Rockets, in exchange for Calderon (due to his $7.4 million salary) and another role player they can work into the deal.

The Rockets simply aren’t getting on with Lawson and in his average of 22 minutes over hist last 10 games he’s averaged only 6.9 points and 2.6 assists. On top of that, their offensive rating falls by 6.9 points whenever he’s on the floor. They shouldn’t be looking for too much in return, which is where the Knicks can try to capitalize.

A key element of this trade if Lawson’s financial situation. He altered his contract from the Denver Nuggets when he went to Houston and his pay for 2016-17 is non-guaranteed, meaning if things don’t work out, the Knicks can waive him and free up an extra $13.2 million in cap space.

Of course, this trade comes with a question mark due to all the off-court problems Lawson has had. That being said, there’s no denying he’s a highly talented player if his head is in the right place and he can be let go after this season if things don’t work out.

Next: Charlotte Hornets

Charlotte Hornets

The days of Al Jefferson as a borderline MVP candidate are long gone. Kemba Walker is having the best year of his career and the Hornets were playing surprisingly well earlier this season, despite being without their best defensive player, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

The arrival of Nicolas Batum has been tremendous as well, but the Hornets aren’t going to be contending in the improving Eastern Conference and they must know it now. One area in which they should look to improve is with the troubled Jefferson at center, and the Heat just so happen to have a perfect target.

If there’s any chance the Hornets can pry Whiteside away from Miami, they can offer the Heat a couple of packages:

A) Jefferson and Kidd-Gilchrist (maybe Tyler Hansbrough, too) for Whiteside, Josh McRoberts, Chris Andersen and Luol Deng.

B) Nicolas Batum and Hansbrough for Whiteside, McRoberts and Andersen.

Any suggested Whiteside trades obviously come down to the vital matter of whether or not the Heat think he’s going to leave this summer and what offers they receive. It’s going to be incredibly difficult for them to create the right amount of cap space to offer him a max contract and they may not even want to do that given his still limited time playing for them and the fact their defense allows fewer points when he’s actually on the bench (per Basketball Reference). Yes, he’s highly talented and has exceptional upside, but the Heat can’t ignore this situation.

So, if the Heat think he’s going to leave, they may want to capitalize by bringing in someone else. With idea A, they can create $13.8 million in cap space when Jefferson’s contract expires after this season which gives them more flexibility to pursue top free agents such as Kevin Durant, while also landing a top perimeter defender in MKG. As for idea B, they acquire one of the most versatile wing players in the NBA with Batum, a versatile big man with good passing in McRoberts, and an expiring $5 million contract with Andersen.

Meanwhile, the Hornets can move on from Jefferson with a new franchise center who’s only 26 years old. Plus, seeing as Whiteside is from North Carolina and the Hornets can give him a large contract, he may have more incentive to re-sign than he will for other teams.

Again, there are a lot of “ifs” with this idea, but it could pay off for both parties.

Next: Indiana Pacers

Indiana Pacers

The Pacers’ primary trade assets consist of players on expiring contracts. Jordan Hill ($4 million), Chase Budinger ($5 million) and Ian Mahinmi ($4 million) are some of the pieces the Pacers could move in order to find a solid player from a team looking for a salary cap boost. They don’t have many expendable players and as they still rank 4th in the NBA for defensive efficiency, the best thing they can do may be to make a minor trade to tweak their offense.

One team they should look to is the Timberwolves. The strong, athletic wing with a surprisingly good post-up game that is Shabazz Muhammad will probably be too difficult to acquire, but his teammate Kevin Martin could still be a worthy target.

Martin is far down the Timberwolves’ rotation now as they favor young talent like Zach LaVine and Muhammad, which should make him easier for the Pacers to acquire and he’s been involved in various trade rumors already. He can still provide a scoring spark in Indiana, though, as he’s making 36.4 percent of his threes and averaging 18 points per 36 minutes. He can serve as a solid catch-and-shoot option outside and the Pacers have enough tenacity with their interior defenders and on the perimeter to compensate for Martin’s weakness as a defender.

Who the Pacers can offer the Timberwolves is unclear. Hill is playing an important role with 22 minutes per game and Mahinmi being involved is obviously out of the question for a player like Martin. Perhaps if they package together a couple of players at the bottom of their rotation they can tempt the Timberwolves to give up Martin’s shooting in order to clear themselves of his $7 million contract.

Next: Detroit Pistons

Detroit Pistons

The Pistons are finally on the rise, with Andre Drummond leading the way as they emerge as a playoff team in the East. With the likes of Reggie Jackson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Marcus Morris and rookie Stanley Johnson, they have multiple pieces in place that make them an intriguing team going forward.

In terms of their possible activity before the NBA trade deadline, it’s hard to see them making many moves. At least, nothing major that is. They have young talent in place and don’t have many trade assets, which isn’t a recipe to cook up a franchise-changing deal.

That being said, could it be beneficial for them to look into one of the most unique narratives available before the February 18 deadline and reunite the Morris twins?

As David Mayo of MLive has discussed, it’s something they may look into:

"The Suns are sellers going into the Feb. 18 trade deadline and the Pistons might like to create a package to secure Markieff Morris, who fits Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy’s stated guideline that he would not trade an asset unless the incoming player had multiple remaining years on his contract. Both of the Morris brothers are under contract through the 2018-19 season. Marcus Morris has said he knows what his brother’s wishes are, and that “they haven’t changed,” since Markieff Morris asked last summer to be traded."

Markieff Morris recently had the second highest scoring game of his career during the Suns’ first game with their new head coach Earl Watson. Yet, despite tallying 30 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and two blocks against the Raptors, it’s hard to see Morris being completely content in Phoenix again. Even with a new coach, he’s not going to be a joyful star over night. And as Mayo pointed out, his brother Marcus actually said Markieff feels no different than he did at the start of the season.

It’s surprising the Suns haven’t traded him sooner, and this should only make it easier for the Pistons to acquire him.

Markieff is the kind of talented and versatile forward that could help the Pistons with smaller lineups to space the floor for Drummond while maintaining good size and defense. Plus, he’ll be happier alongside his brother. Maybe if the Pistons create a package to give the Suns a couple of role players, they can bring Markieff to Detroit and end his troubled tenure in Phoenix.

Next: Boston Celtics

Boston Celtics

When those in the Kings organization are proposed ideas of DeMarcus Cousins trades, they seem to find the very suggestion of dealing their superstar laughable. Owner Vivek Ranadive has recently said they have zero percent interest in trading him, and despite the character issues they deal with at times, the Kings are gradually on the rise in the West and Cousins is absolutely dominating.

It’s hard to see them changing their minds, which means the Celtics will need to look elsewhere if they want to acquire a new franchise center.

One possibility could be in Miami, as the concern of whether Hassan Whiteside may leave in search for stardom and a max contract elsewhere isn’t going away. You’ll probably have heard that the Heat’s defensive rating is better when he’s on the bench, and while that number by no means defines his immense talent and potential, there are some problems with his game. Besides a limited offensive skill set outside of strong finishing and his pick-and-roll game, he can have a tendency to switch off defensively or attempt to bait players into driving so he can just soar in from behind for a block.

So, if the Heat (who also need to re-work a big contract for Dwyane Wade) don’t think they can re-sign Whiteside and want to get something in return, they could deal with the Celtics. In exchange for Whiteside, Josh McRoberts and Chris Andersen, the Heat get Avery Bradley, Jared Sullinger and a 2016 first round pick (from the Mavericks, protected 1-7).

If the Heat think Whiteside is going, this allows them to get a solid role player with a diverse skill set in Sullinger, an extra pick to help their future plans, and, most importantly, a top perimeter defender and improved offensive threat and shooter in Bradley. As for the Celtics, they get to finally use some of their many assets to bring in a player with a high ceiling who can be their new franchise center.

Only those in the Heat organization know the likelihood of Whiteside leaving. The Celtics just need to make themselves a team that make a push to acquire him in order to have the best chance of keeping him in Boston long-term. If they trade for him now to avoid him hitting free agency with so many options, they have a chance to give him a sign of the team’s bright future and build his relationship with Brad Stevens — a head coach that anyone should want to play for.

Next: Washington Wizards

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls were originally expected to be key sellers in the lead up to the NBA trade deadline. With a log-jammed frontcourt and Pau Gasol saying that he’ll likely opt out of his contract after the season, it made sense for them to try to capitalize on their talent. However, since Joakim Noah has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury, their frontcourt situation is far less clear.

No longer can they easily trade a big man, as the likes of Gasol, Taj Gibson and even Bobby Portis are now even more important. With that in mind, another player they could look to deal is Nikola Mirotic (since writing this, he’s been ruled out after having appendix removed before more surgery for hematoma removal).

He’s their worst defensive option at power forward and hasn’t worked out at small forward either against athletic wings. This brings about the issue the Bulls have at the three, which is the position they need to target before the deadline. One such player they should pursue is Otto Porter of the Wizards.

In exchange for the improving Porter, who’s shooting better from three (31.3 percent, up from 0.5 makes per game last season to 1.1) and can help defensively, the Bulls can send Mirotic to Washington.

The Wizards have plenty of wing talent in the form of Bradley Beal and small forwards Kelly Oubre Jr. and Jared Dudley, but are lacking at power forward. To add some improved floor spacing and youth into their rotation of Kris Humphries and Nene Hilario, they can hope to see Mirotic continue to show the great potential he revealed in his rookie season.

Next: Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta Hawks

Here is the first of two trade ideas that consider where the Hawks may trade Jeff Teague if they are truly planning to move forward with Dennis Schroder as their starting point guard. If you’ve been paying any attention to recent NBA trade rumors, you’ll have seen this is the case.

It’s no secret that Teague — while he’s still a talented player and former All-Star — has regressed slightly this season. Counter in Schroder’s current production, vision, instincts and potential (18.5 points and 7.8 assists per 36 minutes is a nice insight to that) and the fact the Hawks’ offensive rating is 4.6 points better with him on the floor than it is with Teague, it makes sense that Atlanta try to bring in a solid return on the latter.

The Jazz may be a good team for them to look to, and as Andy Larsen of KSL.com has pointed out, they are interested in Teague even if they haven’t made official calls yet.

One possible trade could involve the Hawks sending Teague and Tim Hardaway Jr. to Utah for Alec Burks and Raul Neto.

This gives the Jazz a real upgrade at point over Neto, not to mention Teague can do far more to help their offense which ranks 26th in points per game. As for the Hawks, a 24-year-old like Burks, who averages 19 points per 36 minutes and shoots 38.7 percent from three, can add even more punch to their offense off the bench and provide some driving ability, too. Meanwhile, the inclusion of Neto and Hardaway helps balance out each team’s depth at both guard positions.

The Jazz need a point guard upgrade, and seeing as the Hawks are already set at that position with Schroder, they should be more than happy to bring in an athletic scorer like Burks.

Next: Miami Heat

Miami Heat

The Heat have started stringing together a few more wins lately and are staying afloat just inside the Eastern Conference playoff picture despite all the injury problems they’ve had. One problem that still lingers when looking at their future as hopeful contenders, though, is their small forward situation.

Luol Deng isn’t quite the player he was a few years ago with the Bulls and despite his defensive ability he doesn’t do much for the Heat’s 24th ranked offense. In order to add another scorer who can create their own shot and take some pressure off Dwyane Wade, the Heat could look to Rudy Gay.

As Marc Stein of ESPN reported at the end of January, the Kings may well trade Gay providing they receive an appropriate offer:

"Sacramento is said to be seeking a quality young player in return if it parts with Gay. Or a player they like with at least one year left on his contract after this season, which would give the Kings some insulation against trading for someone in February who turns around and leaves town in July. (Gay, 29, is scheduled to earn $13.3 million from the Kings next season before he’s forced to decide on a $14.3 million player option in 2017-18.) In short: Sacramento isn’t outright trying to move Gay but would be willing to do so in the proverbial “right deal.”"

This doesn’t make matters easy for the Heat, as outside of Hassan Whiteside who several teams would love to get their hands on, they don’t have much to offer. If they want to at least call the Kings and try to make something happen, though, they could offer a package of Deng and Josh McRoberts.

The Kings struggle with their 21st ranked defense, so Deng can help address any issues at the perimeter more than Gay, who’s always been known as an offensive specialist rather than a hustling defender. As for McRoberts (who’s now returned from injury), the Kings get a versatile big man with the kind of passing and shooting to help the second unit offense.

This could easily be too little for Sacramento to part with a player of Gay’s talent, though. However, with Deng’s expiring $10.1 million contract, the Kings would ditch that amount and obviously Gay’s $13.3 million salary for 2016-17, too. The Heat’s best hope is that the Kings want some extra cap space for the summer, as this move really helps them in that area.

Next: Toronto Raptors

Toronto Raptors

The Raptors are firmly in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference, and their recent 11-game win streak propelled them towards people’s attention. Now, there may be another team to look out for in the East that, at the very least, can bother the Cavaliers in the Conference Finals if they should meet when the playoffs roll around.

Clearly the Raptors are better than a year ago, and they don’t need to seek a big trade to improve their chances – especially as they’ve been playing so well without DeMarre Carroll. However, could a move to tweak their bench help?

As Marc Stein of ESPN has now reported, they have shown some interest in Markieff Morris.

It’s almost comical that this report emerged just hours after Morris had one of the best performances of his career and it came against the Raptors. With 30 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, one steal and two blocks in an impressive 41 minutes playing time, Morris led his Suns in a valiant effort just a day after they fired head coach Jeff Hornacek.

He looked like his former self before he demanded a trade at the start of this season, and reminded us that maybe with a new coach and a return to the starting lineup, he can be a valuable player once again. However, exactly how happy he is with the Suns long-term is still a concern, and at $8 million a year, he isn’t a cheap problem to have.

So, in order to pursue Morris and add a new talent to their bench, the Raptors could trade Patrick Patterson and a draft pick to the Suns.

For Phoenix, this lets them move on from Morris who is still questionable in their organization and acquire a solid floor-spacing power forward in the process. A draft pick is also helpful for their need to rebuild, too. As for the Raptors, they get a player who can bring some defense, small-ball versatility, rebounding, and driving ability to their bench.

The Raptors have such a strong organization now, they can handle someone like Morris, who should be far more content with one of the top teams in the NBA.

Next: Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers could be placed among the select group of teams in the NBA that don’t need to make a trade. They have talent galore and, as a presumptive lock for the Finals, should be ok, right? Theoretically, yes. Yet, even after firing David Blatt and earning an impressive win against the Spurs, the Cavs still have moments when they look underwhelming. Losses to the Hornets and Celtics, have made at least that much clear.

At the very least, they aren’t consistent and dominant enough to be able to overcome a team like the Warriors in a seven-game series. This can’t just be changed with another trade, as sometimes reaching another level comes down to effort, team cohesion, chemistry and nothing more. With that in mind, trading Kevin Love may not be the answer, even if they can land a few good players in return who enable their defense to handle the Warriors and guys like Draymond Green.

Until any significant rumors emerge on the matter of Love’s future, though, let’s consider another target who’s actually caught their interest: Jared Dudley.

According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, Dudley is someone the Cavs are pursuing:

"The Cavs would love to get their hands on Jared Dudley."

"They tried to trade for Jared Dudley. They kicked around trading for Jared Dudley last summer."

Of course, Dudley won’t fix all the Cavs’ problems against the NBA’s utmost elite. That being said, he’s another great option they can use in smaller lineups as a stretch power forward (if Love is on the bench or at center) and he’s a reliable, smart defender, which is exactly the kind of role player the Cavs could benefit from.

Dudley is third in the NBA this season with a three-point percentage of 46.3, and on defense he even holds opponents just below their average shooting mark on two-point attempts.

It won’t be easy for the Cavaliers to bring Dudley (a starter) away from the Wizards, but if they try to tempt them with a defensive upgrade like Timofey Mozgov, maybe they can make something happen.

Next: Los Angeles Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers

Is David Lee going to carry the Lakers back to their accustomed glory among the NBA elite? Of course not. However, he may be able to be another valuable veteran presence to work with the likes of Julius Randle, contribute on offense, or simply be a major financial benefit. Because if the Lakers don’t want Lee going forward, they can let him go when his contract expires after this season and gain $15.49 million extra in cap space.

And if there’s a summer you want a ton of cap space, it’s the summer of 2016.

This trade idea is to add some realism to the NBA trade rumors that fly around. The Lakers simply don’t have many assets at all if they want to keep the young talent they have in tact. Players like D’Angelo Russell, Randle, Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. need to stay put, which means there aren’t many players who can be used to pull off a substantial trade right now.

Mitch Kupchak has made this clear himself (in an interview with Time Warner Cable Sportsnet, transcribed by Silver Screen and Roll):

"Most of the teams that would have interest in our players would have interest in our young players and we covet our young players pretty highly right now. So it would be tough for us to move a young player… I suspect that there will be more activity going forward, but I wouldn’t suspect a blockbuster deal."

It’s hard to see any blockbuster deal that could take place right now, meaning that a possible trade for Lee could work. If he fits and the Lakers like what he brings offensively, they can keep him.

Who they can offer is tricky, as a straight swap with Roy Hibbert makes little sense in terms of salary cap benefits as his $15.5 million contract expires at the end of this season too, just like Lee. Otherwise, the Lakers are going to need to put together multiple players such as Nick Young, Brandon Bass and someone else for cap reasons. This sacrifices several pieces but they aren’t too valuable anyway, and if they can let go of both Hibbert and Lee after the season, they have just over $30 million extra in cap space.

That’s a serious amount of money to make themselves one of the top buyers in free agency.

Next: Minnesota Timberwolves

Minnesota Timberwolves

Of course, Lance Stephenson is far from being the hottest commodity in the 2016 NBA trade market, but just wait a second. The Clippers and Timberwolves may be able to help each other out in this instance, and find shooting guards they may both look to play with more consistency.

In this instance, the teams could try a Lance Stephenson-Kevin Martin swap.

It doesn’t sound like an amazing trade and that’s because it isn’t, although neither of these teams are going to be making blockbuster moves before the deadline. Blake Griffin won’t be traded and the Timberwolves don’t have many expendable assets.

Stephenson has picked up a few more minutes lately, delivering a couple of good performances over the last week (specifically 16 points against the Lakers on 6-of-7 shooting and 13 points on 6-of-6 shooting to help the Clippers past the Magic). He’s never really fit in since leaving Indiana, but he’s an athletic, energetic playmaker who plays defense. He can still make a difference somewhere. However, after placing him at the bottom of his rotation all season, it’s unlikely Doc Rivers suddenly has big plans for Lance.

Meanwhile, Martin has also received few minutes himself for a couple of months now, if he hasn’t just received a DNP instead. If the Timberwolves aren’t going to play him, why not take a risk on a younger player like Stephenson? If it doesn’t work out, they can use his team option for 2016-17 to ditch his $9 million salary, while losing Martin’s hefty $7.3 million salary in the process.

It’s a risk that will have minimal repercussions for the Timberwolves and Martin can make a difference in L.A. with his 36 percent three-point shooting.

Of course, it would be preferable to see Doc give Stephenson a chance as he’s playing well. He’s starting to really earn a role, but if the Clippers don’t see him in that light, this could be a trade that they can actually pull off to bring someone in return.

Next: Phoenix Suns

Phoenix Suns

Markieff Morris has moved into a bigger role with the Suns since Earl Watson replaced Jeff Hornacek as head coach, and it’s paid off in terms of his production. However, it could easily be to increase his trade value, as it’s hard to see that he’s gone from a pain in the organization to a key feature of the team going forward.

In fact, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports has reported that Watson may be playing Morris out of desperation to earn a few wins and improve his standing as coach, and that it still looks like the Suns’ plan is to trade him:

"It wasn’t in the Suns’ best interest to play Morris major minutes when he wasn’t a part of the future. [Earl] Watson will play him out of desperation to help him win games — or at least be competitive — and look good so he can have a legitimate shot at the job. Getting the most out of Morris will prove Watson’s worth as a coach. Morris should have been shown the door a long time ago. But he is still here and just now decided to earn some of the $8 million he is making. But it remains in the Suns’ best interest to move him and that continues to be what the plan is."

So, who could the Suns get in return for Morris? He’s been linked to a few teams already, but one possibility that could help Phoenix would be making a deal with the Wizards. By offering Morris and a wing such as Sonny Weems to Washington, the Suns can receive Nene Hilario and a future second round draft pick.

Nene has missed some time this year but he’s still been coming off the bench for the Wizards and is averaging less than 20 minutes per game, so his value clearly isn’t too high. Adding Morris gives them a new versatile combo forward as they’ve opted to use Jared Dudley as their stretch power forward, whereas Nene coming to Phoenix gives the Suns a stronger interior presence in their frontcourt.

It’s surprising Morris has lasted this long, so adding a draft pick and a solid defender and mid-range shooter like Nene could be worth their while.

Next: New Orleans Pelicans

New Orleans Pelicans

Ryan Anderson isn’t the kind of player that any team wants to trade. A 6’10” power forward who’s averaging 19.5 points per 36 minutes while shooting 38.6 percent from three is so valuable in today’s NBA. Most teams have fallen in love with floor spacing and Anderson is a talented piece to throw into any frontcourt rotation.

So, of course, the Pelicans don’t just want to give him up for nothing. With his contract expiring, though, and the high chance of him receiving big offers from other teams around the league in free agency, the Pelicans may need to trade him to avoid total loss.

As Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders has reported, this still appears to be the likely scenario for them:

"Pelicans sources admitted that moving Anderson was likely to happen just because of the business of the situation, but cautioned that New Orleans wouldn’t do a bad deal just to make a trade and that unless an offer was meaningful to them, they may stay the course, finish out the season and see what happens in free agency… While Anderson seems like a chip the Pelicans can and likely will cash, their stance is that it’ll take the right deal for them to move him."

In order to correct this problem, they can either go with the original Wizards trade suggested here (Anderson for Kris Humphries and Kelly Oubre Jr.) or they could try to push a bargain for Jared Dudley instead of Humphries. Dudley is a much better offensive option and floor spacer than Humphries, but along with Oubre, he may be too much for the Wizards to give up. It just depends how valuable they deem Anderson to be.

Next: Denver Nuggets

Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets are in an interesting position. Despite sitting near the bottom of the Western Conference they actually have a fair amount of talent in place, and there’s no need for them to urgently give all that up to make a trade. Although, as they just reportedly called the Clippers to ask about a trade for Blake Griffin, it looks like their front office wants to take action.

Unsurprisingly, though, their call was quickly put down, so Blake is off the table and they’ll need to look elsewhere.

If they were indeed pursuing a star like Griffin, it seems likely they were willing to part with players such as Danilo Gallinari or Kenneth Faried (if not both of them). So, to go with the festivity and speculation that comes with NBA trade deadline season, let’s look at a possible trade involving Gallinari:

The Nuggets can look to send Gallo to the Celtics for David Lee, Kelly Olynyk and their 2016 first round pick from the Mavericks (protected 1-7).

This move isn’t about turning into immediate playoff threats for the Nuggets, meaning if they want to pursue a star rather than put different pieces in place for the future they’ll want to look elsewhere. However, this deal gives them a mid-level first round pick and a versatile big man in Olynyk who’s making 2.2 threes per 36 minutes at a 41 percent rate. His floor spacing is a good fit alongside the interior play of Faried and their young centers such as Nikola Jokic and Jusuf Nurkic.

As for Lee, they pick up an expiring $15.49 million contract which instantly gives them a nice boost for free agency if they don’t want to re-sign him.

As for the Celtics, they get the kind of versatile player in Gallinari that Brad Stevens will be able to use to great effect at both forward positions. He adds more to their offense than just guard play and the creative scoring of Isaiah Thomas, plus they don’t have to sacrifice too many of their top assets to acquire him.

There’s no denying the Celtics will be thinking bigger than someone like Gallinari, but giving up Olynyk, Lee and their worst 2016 first round pick is easily worth their attention.

Next: Sacramento Kings

Sacramento Kings

The Kings won’t be trading DeMarcus Cousins. No one in their organization has given any kind of hint that they’re considering moving him and as he continues to dominate everyone with his 27 points and 11.3 rebounds per game, that shouldn’t change.

As for Rudy Gay, we’ve already mentioned some teams that may be interested in him and he’s a player the Kings will actually consider moving if the price is right. He isn’t the key focal point of their offense now that Cousins has reached another level and Rajon Rondo is dishing out dimes at a league-best rate. So, if they can get a good return and remove Gay’s upcoming salary of $13.3 million for 2016-17, it’s something they’ll consider.

The Hornets have a package that should make sense to them. With an offer of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Tyler Hansbrough and Troy Daniels, they may be able to land Gay.

This move is one to consider if the Kings want to look to the near future. Even if they somehow steal the 8th seed this season it’s getting them no more than a first round demolition against the Warriors. However, with MKG (who’s playing extremely well after returning from injury and averaging a double-double) they get a notable defensive upgrade over Gay. To make matters even better, he’s on a good value contract for four more years.

With Hansbrough the Kings get even more frontcourt depth and some interior toughness, while Daniels gives them another three-point marksman which is an asset any team would like. He’s shooting 50 percent from deep with 4.4 made threes per 36 minutes, and just buried eight of them and a game-winner against (how perfect is this?) the Kings.

In order to improve long-term, this makes sense for the Kings. As for the Hornets, they get another go-to scorer to pair with Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum — something that should appeal to them even more now that they don’t have Al Jefferson as a 20-point threat due to injury and gradual decline.

Next: Utah Jazz

Utah Jazz

With Jeff Teague reportedly available, the Jazz need to take this opportunity to go after a new point guard. They are invested in Dante Exum’s bright future once he’s returned and healthy, but even with guys like Trey Burke and Raul Neto, there’s still room for improvement at point.

As Andy Larsen of KSL.com has reported, the Jazz are already interested in Teague:

"It’s real. Multiple league sources say that the Utah Jazz are indeed considering trading for Atlanta Hawks point guard Jeff Teague before February’s trade deadline. While no formal contact has been made between the two sides, the Hawks primary decision maker Mike Budenholzer has a good relationship with both Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey and head coach Quin Snyder from their time together with the Spurs."

In addition to the front office connections Larsen mentioned, the Jazz could make the Hawks an interesting offer if they want to go forward with Dennis Schroder instead of Teague.

In exchange for Teague and Kent Bazemore, the Jazz can offer Alec Burks, Trevor Booker and a 2016 top-1o protected first round draft pick.

Teague was an All-Star just last year and he’s still a highly talented player, meaning that bulking out the trade by adding in Bazemore can bring in a young scorer like Burks and a tough veteran like Booker to help their league-worst rebounding rate. Along with the draft pick, the Hawks get a good return knowing that they have Schroder moving in as the starting point guard anyway.

Meanwhile, the Jazz get an upgrade to run their offense and a 3-and-D threat in Bazemore who’s having the best season of his young career. If the Hawks want to move on from Teague, this trade helps both teams.

Next: Portland Trail Blazers

Portland Trail Blazers

There are several teams who can pursue the talents of Rudy Gay and the Trail Blazers are one of them. One trade possibility, as suggested by Matt Moore of CBS Sports, is to exchange Ed Davis and Allen Crabbe for Gay.

Davis is a hard working backup big who’s proving himself this season with solid averages of 11.4 points on 62.3 percent shooting, 12 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per 36 minutes. On top of that, he even holds opponents to shoot an entire 9.4 percent lower than normal within six feet. While he’s limited offensively, he can make a difference in the paint with his rebounding and defense and can be placed into the rotation among Cousins, Kosta Koufos and Willie Cauley-Stein. For $7 million a year for the next three seasons, his contract is fairly cheap, too.

As for Crabbe, the Kings get another shooter to add to their rotation with the likes of Marco Belinelli and Omri Casspi. Crabbe has more than tripled his scoring from a season ago with a career-high 11.3 points per game, while shooting 37.7 percent from three and 45.3 percent from 16-24 feet. If the Kings re-sign him when his contract expires this summer, he should be another cheap off-ball threat to add to the bench.

For the Blazers, they get a top scoring small forward to take some pressure away from their backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum that are responsible for well over 40 combined points per game. Gay also gives them a great option when they go to small-ball lineups with Al-Farouq Aminu at power forward to space the floor. And if the Blazers do decide to move on from McCollum to alter the makeup of their guard-dominant team, acquiring Gay maintains their offensive firepower, albeit with different methods to a ton of threes.

We can’t know what offers the Kings have received for Gay, so we also can’t know what offers this idea will be up against. Depending on how the next 10 days play out, this could be a deal that’s worthwhile for both teams going forward.

Next: Houston Rockets

Houston Rockets

The Rockets, by all accounts, have been a major disappointment this season. It seems so long ago that they pulled off an incredible comeback in the second round of the 2014-15 playoffs to erase a 1-3 series deficit (largely thanks to the Clippers’ collapse) and advanced to the Western Conference Finals. Of course, they can’t compete with the Spurs, Thunders and Warriors of the world, but at the very least they should be a top five or six playoff team.

That clearly isn’t the case. Thankfully for the Rockets, they have a fair amount of talent and trade assets to tweak their roster. This won’t turn around their lackluster efforts on defense or improve their 26th spot in defensive efficiency, but it can help.

Whether they make any trades (and how many) is yet to be seen, so here’s one suggestion that could at least improve their point guard problem since adding Ty Lawson.

To bring Jeff Teague over from Atlanta, the Rockets can offer the Hawks a possible package of Patrick Beverley and Donatas Motiejunas.

It’s hard to see Motiejunas having a great difference in Houston going forward due to his injury problems and the host of frontcourt depth in place. With players like Clint Capela, Terrence Jones, promising rookie Montrezl Harrell and the recently returned Josh Smith, the Rockets can afford to part with Motiejunas in order to bring in a point guard as talented as Teague.

For the Hawks, they can still move Dennis Schroder to the starting spot and get a tough defender and 42 percent three-point shooter in Beverley to add to their rotation. With Motiejunas, they get a new post scorer to add off the bench.

This allows the Rockets to make a notable upgrade at point and the Hawks get a valuable return for Teague, who they seem ready to move on from. This potential deal works well for both teams.

Next: Dallas Mavericks

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks are the first of two teams around the NBA that could benefit from pursuing a trade for Darrell Arthur of the Nuggets.

Denver already have plenty of big men on their roster, such as Kenneth Faried, Nikola Jokic and Jusuf Nurkic. They favor Faried and their young guys with potential, meaning that someone like Arthur is well and truly placed in a backup role with 20 minutes per game. He’s still a notable player and not necessarily someone they’re shopping, but he is someone they could survive without if a worthwhile offer comes their way.

To try to land Arthur, the Mavericks will have to make the most of their limited trade assets. It won’t be easy as their main expendable players are just backup guards, so their best bet may be to offer Raymond Felton and another role player (possibly Dwight Powell if the Mavs can’t make a deal happen with anyone else).

Of course, Felton is hardly much of a prize in return for Arthur. However, he hasn’t been too bad at times this year and his primary value comes from his contract anyway (his $3.95 contract expires after this season). This just allows the Nuggets to free up a touch more cap space, and if they can add an energetic, athletic rotation player like Powell to replace Arthur, they help their financial situation and are no worse off with their roster.

As for Arthur arriving in Dallas, he’d be a seamless fit off the bench. He’s a great option at power forward to space the floor and can operate so easily with their team that uses so many pick-and-rolls and pick-and-pops with the likes of Dirk Nowitzki. Arthur is shooting 41.2 percent from 10-to-16 feet and 47 percent from 16-24 feet, which makes him the kind of reliable and efficient outside option to bolster the Mavs’ frontcourt.

Next: Memphis Grizzlies

Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies are the perfect example of a team who have hit their ceiling. The grit and grind days of the Grizz that we’ve grown accustomed to in recent years are over, as they’ve fallen to 15th in defensive efficiency. The core of Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, Mike Conley and Tony Allen has always been a fierce, tough and overlooked as a contender in the West, but that’s really all they’ve been: a fringe contender.

This season is another realization of that, and nothing is going change if they don’t make some moves.

Even though a trade won’t fix all their problems and take them to the level of teams like the Thunder or even Clippers, one possible target is Tyreke Evans of the Pelicans.

Who, according John Reid of Nola.com, could be traded:

"With the trade deadline looming on Feb. 18, the New Orleans Pelicans general manager Dell Demps continues to listen to offers, sources say. The Pelicans are no longer reluctant about trading starting point guard Tyreke Evans. Though he is talented, capable of beating any defender to the basket, he doesn’t appear to be the right fit at point guard. Alvin Gentry wants quick ball movement, but Evans has the tendency to burn off valuable seconds off the 24-second clock to get himself in position to make a driving shot in the lane."

As Reid mentions, Evans hasn’t been an ideal option running the point at times for the Pelicans as they continue to play Jrue Holiday from the bench. However, for Memphis, a team that lacks isolation scorers or players that excel at driving to the basket, Evans could be a good offensive pickup.

Current fit aside, Evans is still a valuable player. The Pelicans are going to want a fair return, meaning the Grizzlies may have to package together a couple of notable players (Jeff Green for one) in order to make something happen.

Green and another role player would be a perfectly fair deal for the Pelicans, as he’s proven that despite consistency issues, he can still score and come up with go-to clutch plays at times. Also, if things don’t work out, the Pelicans need not worry as he’s on an expiring $9.2 million contract.

Next: Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Clippers

As entertaining as it would be for the Clippers to add Rudy Gay, it’s going to be difficult given limited assets. Unless the Kings are desperate to increase their cap space for this summer and would like to take on Lance Stephenson’s $9 million contract and team option, though that’s rather unlikely. Plus, there’s another hole in the Clippers’ roster that should be addressed.

Since they traded Josh Smith back to the Rockets, the injury of Blake Griffin has only further revealed the lacking depth in their frontcourt. With that in mind, a backup big man is something they desperately need, and the Nuggets may have the perfect target.

In order for the Clippers to acquire Darrell Arthur and a guard such as Randy Foye, they can send Stephenson and C.J. Wilcox to Denver.

Adding in two players for both teams makes the deal work financially and the option to waive Stephenson after the season gives the Nuggets a nice salary cap boost, while Wilcox is a good three-point shooter (albeit a fairly unproven one).

The Clippers get Arthur (who’s further down Denver’s rotation than their younger talent) and can be the perfect complimentary piece to come off the bench in their frontcourt rotation.

He brings sound defense and he’s an ideal option to space the floor on offense. He can knock down the occasional catch-and-shoot three and is shooting 47 percent from 16-24 feet out. That’s just the kind of attribute the Clippers could use from their bench to take some pressure off their guards to produce so many points.

Next: Oklahoma City Thunder

Oklahoma City Thunder

Unsurprisingly, it’s hard to say that any of the top three teams in the NBA need to make a trade. That’s just what happens when you’re sitting at the top of the league. If you’re this good, you don’t need to pursue changes at the deadline to alter style and chemistry this far into the season. For a team like the Thunder, they fit into this small, elite tier of teams.

With Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, OKC have the most relentless and dangerous duo in the league. They can be unstoppable individuals at any given moment, and combined this season they’re even more dangerous. With a starting lineup that also features a tough, defensive center like Steven Adams and an elite defender in Serge Ibaka, the only real fault that can be found is with the bench.

Outside of Dion Waiters, who still thinks he’s amazing, the only real fault is with the bench.

The Thunder’s second unit only has a net rating of +0.5 this season, although they’re still 10th in the NBA in that category (per NBA.com). They can at least hang onto leads that the starters build up and while players like Kyle Singler, D.J. Augustin and Waiters (once he moves back to the bench when Andre Roberson is healthy) are by no means perfect, it won’t be easy for the Thunder to make a trade that makes a significant difference.

If there’s any way they can make a deal to land a gritty defender like P.J. Tucker from the Suns or an athletic 3-and-D guy like Robert Covington of the 76ers, it could be worth considering. These targets shouldn’t be out of reach by any means, yet even though they would be welcome additions, it isn’t vital that the Thunder make a move.

Next: San Antonio Spurs

San Antonio Spurs

Who could the Spurs want? Sure, Kevin Durant would be pretty good, but what changes do they actually need to make? Without throwing around unrealistic and unnecessary trade ideas, the simple answer to that question is “none.”

Tim Duncan is out at the moment, but the other members of the traditional big three (Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker) are still active and playing well with excellent efficiency. Everyone knows that Kawhi Leonard is officially a two-way superstar now, and LaMarcus Aldridge is continuing to fit in well. After setting a new season-high of 28 points on February 1 against the Magic before surpassing it the very next game with 36 against the Pelicans, it’s clear he’s finding his spot in the offense.

As for the Spurs’ bench, it’s almost impossible to find fault. Guys like Ginobili, Patty Mills, Boris Diaw and the newly acquired David West lead the way, and the second unit overall is playing better than any other.

They lead all benches in the NBA with 11.9 assists per game, rank second in points with 41.7, and shoot a collective 49.5 percent (also a league best). Backups just aren’t meant to be that good and that efficient.

The Spurs excel with team play, impeccable management and a stellar second unit. There’s no need to pursue a trade that may affect this in any way — no matter how minor.

Next: Golden State Warriors

Golden State Warriors

No one. Absolutely no one. Who could the Warriors possibly trade for now that would improve their already historically dominant team? More to the point, why would they want to pursue a trade when they already have such great depth and chemistry?

At both ends of the floor they’re a force. They lead the NBA in offensive efficiency with a virtually-unstoppable 113.2 points per 100 possessions and rank 3rd in defensive efficiency, too. They can win in so many ways, whether they use their terrifying small lineup with Draymond Green at center or going with Andrew Bogut or Festus Ezeli, they don’t need to make changes to their roster.

The classic saying of “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” applies to the Warriors more than anyone else in the league. So, until they get a chance to become a serious threat to sign Kevin Durant in free agency this summer, they need to stay exactly as they are.

Because with the way they’re playing, another ring is in on the way.