NBA Players That Could Be Traded This Offseason

The 2020 NBA offseason has officially begun. The offseason is an exciting time for NBA fans and NBA franchises. It’s the time when the futures of many NBA franchises can be altered. Every offseason there is many trade rumors. The offseason is the time when a majority of NBA teams assess their roster and situation to make trades accordingly. It creates a buzz and excitement around the league. The trades made in the offseason can heavily influence the landscape of the league for the upcoming years.

With that being said, there are many big name players that could potentially be dealt this offseason. In this article we will be exploring players that could realistically be traded this offseason. We will state the player’s situation, why we think the team should trade the player, and the teams most likely to acquire the player. Now that we got that all out of the way, let’s begin!

Buddy Hield

Buddy Hield was the centerpiece of the trade which sent Demarcus Cousins from Sacramento to New Orleans. Now just over 3 years later, Buddy Hield’s time in Sacramento might be up too.

Over the past three seasons, Buddy Hield has shown flashes of greatness for the Kings. Hield has participated in the 3-point contest during All-Star Weekend two times in his career with Sacramento. He even won the whole competition during the most recent NBA All-Star Weekend. Buddy has shown during his time in Sacramento that he is an elite shooter. He shot 43% from 3 and ranked top 10 in 3-point percentage during the 2017-2018 season. That same season he ranked top 20 in 3-pointers made that season with 176 total 3’s made. The next season he became an even better shooter. Buddy ranked top 5 in 3-pointers made with a total of 278, and he shot 43% from 3 which ranked him 7th in the league in 3-point percentage.

This most recent season Hield ranked 2nd in 3-pointers made and 3-pointers attempted. This ranked him just behind James Harden. Buddy Hield even holds the record for most 3-pointers made in a players first 4 seasons. He has made 830 3-pointers over his first 4 seasons, this surpassed Damian Lillard who previously held the record with 828 3’s.

The Kings made sure to secure Buddy Hield after he had a career high season where he averaged almost 21 points per game. In October of 2019, the Kings signed Buddy Hield to a 4 year extension worth $94 million dollars. Buddy Hield is 27 years old and in the prime of his career, and he’s proven he’s one of the league’s best shooters. With this being said, why has Buddy Hield been in various trade rumors?

Buddy is a great player, but he seems to be very unhappy in Sacramento. Hield struggled to start the 2019-2020 season, as well as the rest of the Kings team. From October to January, Hield shot 36% from 3 and under 42% from the field. He also had a plus minus of -3.5 and the team had an overall record of 15-29. First year Kings Head Coach Luke Walton decided to make a change by moving Buddy Hield to the bench. Although Hield shot better and the team was having more success with Hield on the bench, he was still unhappy. There were some games where Buddy was benched in a close game at the end of the 4th quarter.

This added more fuel to the fire. Buddy Hield has made passive aggressive comments which suggest he’s unhappy and wants out of Sacramento. There was a report in October of 2020 that Buddy Hield has not been answering Luke Walton’s calls. It appears that the relationship between Luke and Buddy has been severely damaged and may not be able to be repaired.

The Kings also have another starting shooting guard on their roster. Bogdan Bogdanovic is a shooting guard for the Kings who had a career year during the 2019-2020 season. He averaged 15 points per game and shot 37% from 3 on 7 attempts per game. Bogdan is an upcoming free agent and the Kings will most likely be forced to choose between Bogdan and Buddy for which shooting guard they want moving forward. Due to his great versatility, the Kings are likely to choose Bogdan over Hield moving forward.

With Buddy Hield on the trade block he can draw interest from many NBA teams. There are multiple contending teams among the league that are looking to add more shooting to their lineup. Buddy would be a great player to acquire for a team looking for an elite shooting starting shooting guard who can help raise a team’s ceiling.

Potential Destinations: Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks

Jrue Holiday

As of right now Jrue Holiday is one of the most sought out players in the entire league.

Jrue is an underrated player and is very versatile. He’s a great passer and facilitator. Holiday averaged 6.7 assists per game last season and has a career average of 6.4 assists per game. Jrue also ranks top 10 in assists from the 2010’s decade. Jrue is a combo guard who can play shooting guard as well as point guard. He can be very valuable to a team looking for a veteran guard who can efficiently run the offence.

Jrue also recently received the award for NBA teammate of the year. Jrue is 30 years old and has lots of NBA experience. He would be very valuable to any locker room. Up until last season, Jrue Holiday was the primary ball handler and the 2nd scoring option next to Anthony Davis. Jrue had a decreased role this season with the Pelicans but he still did great. Holiday is an unselfish player who can fit into any role a team gives him.

Another major part of Holiday’s game is his play on the defensive end. Jrue is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. He brings great effort and hustle on the defensive end. Many NBA superstars such as Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard have praised Jrue’s defense. Durant stated he believes Jrue is the best perimeter defender in the NBA and Lillard stated he believes Jrue got snubbed from the 2019-2020 all-defensive teams. In 2018 he made the all-defensive first team and he earned all-defensive second team honors the following season. He did not make an all-defensive team in 2020 but most people argue he should have been selected. Jrue is an elite perimeter defender who will be targeted by many NBA teams this offseason.

Jrue Holiday is an amazing player, but the Pelicans can potentially be looking to trade him away. A big reason for this may be the development of Lonzo Ball. This season Lonzo played in 10 games without Jrue Holiday in the lineup. In these 10 games Lonzo averaged 14.3 points and 9.1 assists per game. Lonzo is a great playmaker who is very effective when leading the offence. He is a very good playmaker and defender who would benefit more with Jrue Holiday gone. More spacing next to Lonzo would maximize his abilities even more. Holiday is a decent shooter but Lonzo would benefit next to a better shooter. Jrue also takes more touches away from Lonzo.

We also don’t know where Jrue fits on the Pelicans roster and in their future plans. Jrue has 2 years left under contract before he becomes an unrestricted free agent. Jrue will be 32 years old at the end of his contract and he will be just exiting his prime. The Pelicans have one of the best young cores in the league led by Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and Lonzo Ball. New Orleans will most likely prioritize developing and maintaining their young core, rather than maintaining their veteran guard. Jrue takes touches and opportunities away from the younger players on the team. It is very likely that most of the young players would blossom more with the absence of Jrue Holiday. His value is also at an all-time high right now, so the Pelicans would be smart to capitalize on his value.

New Orleans could look to trade Jrue for young assets to add to their young core and future draft picks they could use as trade assets down the line. They could also look to add more shooting and depth to the roster to help space the floor out for the young core. As for Jrue Holiday, many teams will have high interest in a veteran versatile combo guard who can playmake and defend at an elite level. Jrue will be making just over $25 million dollars next season so it may be difficult to move his contract. You will most likely need to take on a large contract in order to trade away Holiday. For the team that gets Jrue Holiday, they will be acquiring a player who can immediately raise the team’s ceiling.

Potential Destinations: Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers

Chris Paul

We already wrote a whole article on why Chris Paul should be traded which you should check out. We will summarize the points we made in that article and why we believe Chris Paul should be traded.

After a magical season, the Thunder are most likely going to transition into a rebuild mode. The Thunder have a young player to build around with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, as well as many future first round picks. Danilo Gallinari also is unlikely to return to the team as he is an upcoming unrestricted free agent. Chris Paul’s value is at an all-time high right now and the Thunder should capitalize on his value. Many teams around the league have taken notice of Paul’s magical season with the Thunder and many teams are targeting Chris this offseason. The Thunder can easily acquire young assets for Chris Paul if they decide to part ways with him.

Last season with the Thunder, Paul proved to be one of the most valuable and impactful players in the league. CP3 can immediately make any team better and raise their ceiling. A big reason for this is his leadership and playmaking. Paul has proven to be one of the best leaders in the league. Many of Paul’s teammates have praised that he’s an amazing leader. Chris is also the president of the NBA Players Association. He knows how to get the best out of everyone around him and his intensity and energy is contagious.

Chris makes everyone around him better and elevates his teammates play. The most recent example of this is with Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. CP3 helped Shai blossom this season and he was a great mentor to the second year guard. Chris Paul is one of the best floor generals of all-time and would be the perfect lead guard for any NBA franchise.

Chris Paul is also one of the most clutch players in the NBA. He led the Thunder to be the best 4th quarter team in the league this season, and this can be heavily accounted to his leadership. When it’s the 4th quarter, you want Chris Paul on your team. He led the league in clutch wins and ranked top 10 in points in the 4th quarter. He also shot 92% from the free throw line in the clutch and had a plus minus of 2.3.

Chris is also a very valuable defensive player and hustle player. Although he didn’t make an all-defensive team this season, he is still one of the most impactful perimeter defenders in the league. He ranked top 10 in the league for deflections per game with 3.3 deflections per game. He also averaged 1.6 steals which ranked him 13th in the entire NBA.

The interesting thing about a Chris Paul trade is he can be a great fit on various types of NBA teams. This season we seen that Chris Paul can help change a team’s whole culture and direction. Going into the 2019-2020 season, ESPN projected the Thunder to have a 0.2% chance to make the playoffs. Thanks to Chris Paul, he helped raise the Thunders ceiling and helped them reach the playoffs. Many young teams looking to make the playoffs could be interested in acquiring Chris Paul. He can help develop young talent and get the best out of the young players on a rebuilding team.

Contending teams with championship aspirations could also target Chris Paul. Chris is 35 years old and has lots of experience. He has shown he can perform in the playoffs when he’s healthy. Chris hasn’t won a ring yet in his career, but if he goes to a contending team, he could be extra motivated to win his first career championship.

Potential Destinations: New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks

Myles Turner

Myles Turner was drafted 11th by the Pacers in 2015 and he’s been a member of Indiana for 5 seasons. He’s been in many trade rumors this year and is a player who is very likely to be traded.

One of the things that makes Myles Turner so valuable is his fit in the modern NBA. The big man position has changed drastically in just a short amount of time. Traditional big men who rebound and score in the post at a high level are becoming extinct. Big men who can space the floor are becoming very valuable in the league. This makes Myles Turner very valuable on the open market. Myles has shot above 34% from 3 in his past 4 seasons in the league. During the 2018-2019 season he shot a career high 39% from 3 on almost 3 attempts per game. Myles is effective as a catch and shoot big man who provides very valuable floor spacing.

Turner isn’t just a shooting big man, he is also an elite rim protector. His defensive play makes him even more valuable to an NBA team. He is a 3 and D center who is perfect for the modern NBA. Turner averaged 2.7 blocks per game during the 2018-2019 season. He led the entire league in blocks per game and he ranked 5th in defensive player of the year voting. Turner didn’t play as well on the defensive end during the 2019-2020 season, but he still was defending at a high level. He averaged 2.1 blocks per game which ranked him 4th in the NBA for blocks per game. Myles also averaged 8.7 2 point shots contested last season. This ranked him top 15 in contested 2 point shots.

Myles is very valuable but the Pacers may trade him away due to his fit. He was paired with Domantas Sabonis in the frontcourt last season, and they didn’t seem to play well together. The Pacers had a record of 6-2 when Myles Turner didn’t start with Sabonis. The Pacers look better with Sabonis and Turner not playing together. Indiana could potentially explore moving Sabonis to the center position next season and trading away Turner. Indiana should capitalize on Turner’s value this offseason. Domantas was named an all-star last season and just inked a 4 year contract extension, so he will most likely be safe if the Pacers are forced to choose between Sabonis and Turner. Turner is only 24 years old and has 3 years left on his current contract. He’s making $17.5 million dollars on his current contract.

Overall, Myles is a very valuable asset that many teams desire. Teams looking for rim protection and floor spacing will explore the idea of acquiring Myles Turner. The Pacers could trade Turner in return for some more depth and trade for a player who can fit better on their team.

Potential Destinations: Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, New Orleans Pelicans, Golden State Warriors

Caris LeVert

Caris LeVert has very high trade value right now. He averaged 18.7 points per game last season along with 4.4 assists per game. In the bubble LeVert raised his value even more. Caris averaged 25 points and almost 7 assists per game in the bubble exhibition games. In the 2020 playoffs the Raptors swept the Nets, but Caris displayed his potential and was a bright spot for the Nets. He was an amazing playmaker in the playoffs. Caris averaged 9.5 assists per game while scoring 20 points per game in the first round. Many teams took notice of his play in the bubble and will most likely be inquiring about LeVert this offseason.

Caris is only 25 years old and is coming off the best season of his career. He showed how well he can perform with more opportunity. He averaged 22 points and 5 assists per game this season when Kyrie Irving wasn’t playing. Caris also recorded a 51 point game this season. Kyrie Irving did not play in this game. He needs the ball in his hands to be effective. Caris has just scratched the surface of what he’s capable of. He’s an amazing offensive player who can thrive even more in a different situation. Caris has the potential to breakout and become a most improved player candidate next season if traded. He also can potentially be named an all-star.

If Caris is so great, why would the Nets want to trade him? The answer to that is his fit on the team. Caris is a great player but he wasn’t a great fit next to Kyrie Irving. Both of these players need the ball in their hands to be fully maximized. When these two played together, Caris struggled sharing the ball. Caris isn’t a great fit with Kyrie and isn’t a great off-ball player. The Nets could potentially trade LeVert for a player that fits better with Kyrie Irving in the backcourt.

Another reason the Nets could trade Caris is because of the teams title window. It’s no surprise that the Nets are going all in next season. With Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant returning fully healthy, they are one of the favorites to win the 2021 NBA championship. The Nets time to win is now. It has been heavily reported that the Nets are looking for a 3rd star to help boost their title odds for next season. If Brooklyn is looking for that 3rd star, Caris LeVert will be one of the main pieces in a potential trade.

Caris has 3 years left on his contract and is still improving. Many teams around the league should be monitoring LeVert on the trade market. He can potentially break out for whichever team takes the chance on him.

Potential Destinations: Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trailblazers, Washington Wizards

Derrick Rose

Derrick Rose’s name has heavily been involved in trade rumors ever since the 2020 trade deadline.

Although Derrick isn’t at his MVP form anymore, he is still a very good NBA player. Rose had limited playing time this season with Detroit. He only played 50 games in the regular season and averaged 26 minutes per game. He only started 15 games this season and fully embraced his bench role. Rose has had injury concerns throughout his entire career, which holds him back from getting more playing time.

Despite the low playing time, Derrick is one of the most efficient players in the NBA. Derrick embraced his 6th man role last season and was in contention for the 6th man of the year award. He didn’t win the award but he still averaged impressive numbers. Rose averaged 18.1 points and 5.6 assists per game. He also shot 49% from the field.

Rose was one of the best slashers in the NBA last season. He averaged 17.6 drives per game which ranked him 7th among the league in drives per game. He shot 56.4% on drives which made him a more efficient finisher than players like Russell Westbrook and Lebron James.

Derrick is also a very valuable playmaker. Rose was an efficient player in the drive and kick. He averaged 1.7 assists on drives which ranked him top 10 in assists created on drives. He also exceled in the pick and roll last season. Derrick Rose led the league for the highest frequency of being a pick and roll ball handler. He also ranked top 10 in points scored in the pick and roll. Derrick was not only an amazing drive and kick playmaker this season, but he was also amazing in the pick and roll. If he’s traded to a team with good rollers and shooters, Derrick can be very effective.

The Pistons are clearly entering a rebuild. They traded Andre Drummond at the deadline for very little in return. Derrick Rose is 32 years old which makes him the oldest player on the roster. Many championship teams in search of a point guard will consider trading for Derrick Rose. The Pistons should capitalize on Derrick’s value in the offseason and trade him for draft picks or young assets.

Derrick Rose also has a very affordable contract. He’s making under $8 million dollars next season so it should be easy to move his contract to a contending team. His contract expires after next season and he can be a great rental option for a team chasing the championship.

Rose can bring great experience to a team and be a good leader on and off the court. Derrick is at the tail end of his career and has the potential to win his first ever championship if he’s traded to a contending team.

Potential Destinations: Chicago Bulls, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers