The NBA trade rumor mill got a late-summer jolt on Monday when, at long last, the Clippers and Raptors completed a deal that had been agreed to two-and-a-half months earlier, as the weight of the Kawhi Leonard-Aspiration scandal loomed over Steve Ballmer and LA. The Raptors, as expected, graciously agreed to uphold their end of the trade, despite the fact that the Clippers had been walloped into a bad position by league punishment.
To recap that punishment: There was a $30 million fine on the Clippers, one-year suspensions for Ballmer and president of business operations Gillian Zucker, and a six-month suspension for Lawrence Frank, the president of basketball operations.
More important for fans of the NBA trade rumor mill was the loss of five first-round picks from 2029 through 2033, picks that were part of the Clippers’ big plan for a rebuild in the coming years. The other key aspect for fans was the lack of punishment ($700,000 fine) for Leonard himself, which made this trade to the Raptors easy to complete.
As for the trade itself, the terms held up.
Clippers receive: Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, a 2031 first-round pick, a 2033 first-round pick, second-round picks in 2030 and 2033, and first-round pick swap in 2027
Raptors receive: Kawhi Leonard
NBA Trade Rumors: Clippers Need Draft Picks
Now, let’s revisit what was being said at the time of the Clippers’ punishment announcement, nearly three weeks ago: The Clippers are now in a position to trade what they can to recoup as many of those lost picks as possible. Many have cited the fact that the Timberwolves, who were punished for cap circumvention just as the Clippers are being punished, got two picks back of their five-pick penalty in the early 2000s. But there’s no guarantee that the Clippers will get the same treatment.
Either way, it behooves the Clippers to scour for trades to bring back picks. Executives around the league believe that the Clippers could become a trade hub for the next few years. How aggressive their stance is on that will be worth monitoring, especially with Frank and Ballmer being suspended until after the trade deadline.
“They might see it as best that they lay low and are not out there beating the pavement for trades,” one NBA executive said. “But sooner or later, they’re going to be a factor in a lot of deals.”
Darius Garland & Brandon Ingram Future
What could the Clippers sell off in the meantime? Again, it is hard to say–the NBA will be monitoring the franchise’s transactions closely. But the opportunities will be there.
Ingram will be closely watched. He is due $40 million this year, and has a player option for next season worth $42 million. If Ingram picks that up, he would immediately become a trade chip next summer, as an expiring contract for a player who can still be an effective scorer. The Clippers could also offer a longer deal for less money to reduce the cap hit but give Ingram more security–along the lines of the three-year, $64 million contract Andrew Wiggins got from the Heat.
But the expectation now is that there won’t be any Ingram trade until that situation is resolved, and that the Clippers will be patient.
The top player who could be dealt, of course, is point guard Darius Garland, who is 26 years old with two years and $87 million left on his contract. He’d certainly return an unprotected first-round pick, and probably two, with some protections, plus a young player.
More Clippers Targets
The player who is probably most NBA trade-rumor ready is Derrick Jones Jr., who has attracted attention across the league because he is a reliable defensive wing in a league in which nearly every team needs those. The Clippers probably could not get a first-round pick for Jones, but there is a clamor for his services, and his expiring $10 million salary makes him an easy target.
Brook Lopez is the other main player to watch, as he remains a valuable veteran big man at age 38 with a $9.2 million salary. The Clippers won’t get back a raft of young assets for him, but a player and a second-round pick is not a bad way to cash out on Lopez. He is a shell of the player he once was, but can be an effective minutes-chewer on a team that needs depth up front. And there are plenty of those.
There will be others whom the Clippers could try to flip at the deadline. Max Strus is one. Kris Dunn and Rui Hachimura are two others, though LA is said to be hoping to keep Hachimura beyond this year.
OK, on to the Big Board of NBA trade rumor targets …
NBA Trade Rumors: Darius Garland, Kyrie Irving & the PGs
Darius Garland, Clippers. (Remaining contract: two years, $87 million.) The Aspiration-Kawhi Leonard punishment could set into motion a series of events that winds up with Garland being placed firmly on the market as the Clippers seek to recoup as many future draft picks from the roster. Anyone want to give up two picks for him?
Kyrie Irving, Mavericks. (Remaining contract: two years, $82 million, player option in second year.) Marc Stein mentioned him, so we’re putting him on the list, but nothing is imminent. Like a lot of veterans, the idea is to play him through January, build value and see if something can be done at the deadline.
Dejounte Murray, Pelicans. (Remaining contract: two years, $63 million, player option.) Teams will want to see how he looks now that he should be fully healed from his Achilles tendon injury, but expect him to be a trade candidate as the deadline nears.
Jamal Murray, Nuggets. (Remaining contract; three years, $161 million.) Maybe? It’s not likely to happen now, but the finances in Denver are grim. It’s not hard to see a Jaylen Brown situation here.
Mikal Bridges, Knicks. (Remaining contract: four years, $150 million.) It would make sense for the Knicks to give them flexibility going forward, so we’ll slide him on this list. But the Knicks appear determined to try to hammer the team under the second apron for as long as it can stay there–there will be a breaking point, though.
Shaedon Sharpe, Trail Blazers. (Remaining contract four years, $90 million.) Sharpe is out with a torn meniscus, a tough break for him and the Blazers that will probably remove him from trade consideration. Still, he averaged 20.8 points last season and Portland has a guard logjam.
Ty Jerome, Grizzlies. (Remaining contract: two years, $19 million, including player option.) Jerome took advantage of the mess in Memphis last year and averaged 19.7 points, shooting 42.0% from the 3-point line. The Grizzlies will need to thin out their roster, and the 29-year-old Jerome really does not fit here. He would have good value if Memphis wants to flip him for future assets, but the Grizz do not have much else at point guard.
Dalton Knecht, Lakers. (Remaining contract: two years, $10 million, including two team options.) Knecht showed some promise as a rookie but fell off in Year 2 and is now a contract filler in a potential trade. It has been surprising that no team has been willing to gamble on his upside–he is only 25.
Jaden Hardy, Lakers. (Remaining contract: one year, $6 million.) The Lakers need to drop a player, and Hardy is a good candidate if they can find a taker. Using him in a Jonathan Kuminga deal was their dream scenario, but now they just want to be rid of him.
NBA Trade Rumors: Everybody Needs More Wings
Brandon Ingram, Raptors/Clippers. (Remaining contract: two years, $82 million, player option.) The Clippers should be seeking to do what they can to pile up draft picks, and moving off of Brandon Ingram next offseason could fetch them one.
Moses Moody, Warriors. (Remaining contract: two years, $26 million.) Moody is potentially going to be ready for the start of the season, and is said to be staying put. But if the Warriors do anything trade-wise this summer, speculation holds it will involve Moody.
Trey Murphy, Pelicans. (Remaining contract: three years, $88 million.) There have been rumblings that the Pelicans would deal Murphy, and equal rumblings have indicated they won’t. Murphy is a favorite in NBA trade rumors, but New Orleans is slow-playing any potential trade.
Saddiq Bey, Pelicans. (Remaining contract: one year, $6.5 million.) Bey came back with a strong season last year after tearing his ACL, averaging 17.7 points and shooting 45.1% from the field and 36.7% from the 3-point line. They were hollow numbers on a bad team, but he showed he still could be an adequate wing off someone’s bench.
Patrick Williams, Bulls. (Remaining contract: three years, $54 million,) It would be symbolic and probably cathartic for fans to see Williams dumped as a new front office and coaching staff comes in. But Williams’ contract is prohibitive.
Michael Porter Jr., Nets. (Remaining contract: one year, $40 million, partial guarantee.) Porter will wind up in the trade-candidate bin if extension talks falter. They appear to be faltering, so watch from him to be a name on the market in the coming months.
Derrick Jones Jr., Clippers. (Remaining contract: one year, $10 million.) Jones is a defensive ace still, and his expiring contract gives the Clippers some wiggle room to move him. They’re caught in the Aspiration pause, however.
Kyle Kuzma, Bucks. (Remaining contract: one year, $20 million,) His expiring contract is attractive and if the Bucks pull a sign-and-trade for Peyton Watson, Bennedict Mathurin or Jonathan Kuminga, he could be involved.
DeAndre Hunter, Kings. (Remaining contract: one year, $25 million.) The Kings want to keep him as an expiring contract they could potentially flip, but he’s being mentioned as a possible target. If Sacto can get back an asset without taking long-term money, he could be dealt at the deadline.
Royce O’Neale, Hornets. (Remaining contract: two years, $21 million,) The Hornets still have some sorting to do. O’Neale is not a long-term piece, of course, but he has value. The team could hang onto him, see how he fits and flip him at the deadline.
Jake LaRavia, Lakers. (Remaining contract: one year, $6 million.) Hustles, plays every game, but inconsistent. His contract makes him an attractive piece, though, as the Lakers are still figuring out the back end of their roster.
Herb Jones, Pelicans. (Remaining contract: four years, $82 million, including player option.) Jones is a popular name on the market, but the Pelicans are said to want two first-round picks, and with Jones having struggled with injuries and his 3-point shot in the past two seasons, that’s too steep. His remaining contract scares off potential suitors, too.
Cam Johnson, Nuggets. (Remaining contract: one year, $23 million.) The Peyton Watson move probably means Johnson stays put, but he will be very tradeable in the coming months before the deadline. Johnson struggled in his lone season in Denver, and he has been a prominent feature on the NBA trade rumor mill for years now. But teams wanted the Nuggets to include picks in a Johnson deal, and that was not happening. He still has enough of a reputation around the league to warrant trade interest, but the apron-addled Nuggets value the fact that he has an expiring contract. They need that space for Nikola Jokic next summer.
PJ Washington, Mavericks. (Remaining contract: 4 years, $90 million.) Like Daniel Gafford, Washington is aging out of the Mavericks’ timeline, as he turns 28 this summer. He’s a stretch 4 who plays good defense, but his shooting has been suspect–he made just 32.5% of his 3s last year. Like Gafford, they’re hoping to get a first-round pick in a deal for him, but the contract is prohibitive and the production is not worth it.
Good Big Men Are Hard to Find
Paolo Banchero, Magic. (Remaining contract: five years, $245 million, player option.) Good luck finding a taker for that deal.
Jalen Smith, Bulls. (Remaining contract: one year, $9 million.) Plenty of teams are still on the hunt for a backup center, and Smith would be a nice fit in multiple situations. The Bulls could cash in for younger assets or wait and move him during the season.
Nikola Jovic, Heat. (Remaining contract: four years, $62 million.) There is trepidation about trading for Jovic, who is certainly available and is still only 23 years old. But the remaining contract is a hefty bite for teams to take.
Grant Williams, Hornets. (Remaining contract: one year, $15 million.) The Hornets are not quite done with their roster, and Williams’ expiring deal has some value. He can still be a worthy big man off the bench.
Zeke Nnaji, Nuggets. (Remaining contract: four years, $32 million.) The Nuggets shopped Nnaji this summer, but there were no takers. He does not have a weighty contract, but four years is lengthy for him.
Jarred Vanderbilt, Lakers. (Remaining contract: two years, $26 million.) The Lakers have been trying to find a taker for Vanderbilt, but no one has been eager to take on his contract. It’s possible the Lakers will use him in their rotation, much to JJ Redick’s chagrin, and attempt to trade him during the season.
Aaron Gordon, Nuggets. (Remaining contract: three years, $110 million.) Someone may have to go in the coming months because of the Nuggets’ impending financial crunch. If it is not Jamal Murray, it could be Gordon, though his recent injury history makes that tough.
Daniel Gafford, Mavericks. (Remaining contract: 3 years, $54 million.) Gafford will be 28 in October, and with the Mavs focused on getting younger, moving him along has been one of the team’s goals.
NBA Trade Rumors: Your Team Can Plunder Clippers With Kawhi Leonard Deal Done