The Player Every NBA Team Needs to Trade In 2023
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With less than two months to go until the deadline, we're officially in the NBA's trade season.
And whether a team is cruising toward title contention or good odds for the top pick in the NBA draft and a shot to land Victor Wembanyama, every organization has at least one player who might need to be moved.
In some cases, like the Los Angeles Lakers and Russell Westbrook, the pick is pretty obvious. Others require a little more digging.
Either way, the best trade candidate for every squad, as well as the explanation for why he should be moved, can be found below.
Atlanta Hawks: John Collins
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John Collins has been a fixture in the rumor mill for at least three years. His showing up in trade speculation is pretty much an annual tradition, at this point.
With the Atlanta Hawks in the play-in range of the Eastern Conference standings after already taking a huge swing on Dejounte Murray this summer, and Collins posting the worst box plus/minus of his career, there might be enough desperation for this to be the year a deal actually gets made.
Beyond simply relieving the team and Collins of the tension that comes with years of rumors, trading the sixth-year big man would also open up some minutes for Onyeka Okongwu, which could help push Atlanta closer to a top-10 defense.
Moving Collins for a wing who can shoot could also go a long way toward improving the Hawks' bottom 10 offense, too (Collins is shooting a career-worst 23.5 percent from deep this season).
Boston Celtics: Danilo Gallinari
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Thanks to the torn ACL he suffered at this offseason's EuroBasket tournament, Danilo Gallinari hasn't played a single second for the Boston Celtics.
Trading him in the first year of a two-year deal (with that second year being a player option) while he recovers from that injury might feel a little harsh, but Boston is competing for a championship. Having a roster spot taken by someone who can't play is far from ideal for a team in that tier.
If Gallinari's salary could be attached with a future asset to land someone who can help the Celtics right now, the front office would have to consider it.
Brooklyn Nets: Cam Thomas
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A few weeks ago, Kyrie Irving might have felt like an easy pick for this slide, but he's averaged 28.3 points, 5.4 assists and 3.5 threes while shooting 41.7 percent from deep over his last 10 games.
And with the Brooklyn Nets cruising toward the top of the Eastern Conference, breaking up the starting lineup feels like a pretty silly idea.
The Nets could still use a little more size, though, preferably someone who can protect the rim a bit. And while Cam Thomas probably hasn't shown enough to be exchanged for a proven shot blocker, he may be worth a "flier for flier" type of deal.
Perhaps some other team might be intrigued by Thomas' 36.7 three-point percentage and has a young big who's struggling to crack the rotation.
Charlotte Hornets: Terry Rozier
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As the Charlotte Hornets continue to spiral toward the best odds for the top pick in the draft (or at least a shot at those odds), they should be intent on moving a number of veterans.
Gordon Hayward, Mason Plumlee, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Terry Rozier should all be available, but we'll go with Rozier since he's likely to fetch the best return.
His shooting numbers are way down in 2022-23, but Rozier has put up 19.3 points, 4.4 assists and 2.9 threes, while shooting 37.9 percent from deep since he joined the Hornets in 2019.
A contender in need of more scoring punch off the bench might be willing to part with some future assets to land Rozier. And if that's the case, Charlotte should be all over it.
The future of this team is LaMelo Ball and whoever joins him from the 2023 draft. Rozier's presence on the roster only increases the chances of that mystery player coming from outside the top five picks.
Chicago Bulls: Nikola Vučević
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There are arguments for a bunch of names here, including DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine. It's probably safe to say the Chicago Bulls aren't competing for a title, so seeing what kind of assets it can recoup is important.
Of course, DeRozan and/or LaVine would probably bring the best return, but if you have to settle on one player, it's probably Nikola Vučević.
He's 32 years old and hasn't fit in Chicago the way anyone hoped he might (during his two-plus seasons there, the Bulls are minus-2.6 points per 100 possessions with Vučević on the floor and plus-2.0 without him), but there may be an organization out there intrigued by his combination of passing and three-point shooting from the 5.
And if the Bulls are still interested in pushing for the playoffs this season, moving Vučević and prioritizing defense around DeRozan and LaVine is probably the way to go.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Caris LeVert
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The Cleveland Cavaliers have one of the league's better and more well-balanced rosters. And with Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley all under 27, they don't really need to trade anyone.
In the spirit of the headline, though, we'll pick Caris LeVert.
For the sixth season in a row, LeVert is posting a below-average effective field-goal percentage, per Basketball Reference—and he's really not close to average in any of those campaigns. And for a team that plays a lot of minutes with both Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley on the floor, shooting from the other three spots is crucial.
LeVert doesn't provide that, which is why the team's offensive rating and effective field-goal percentage both dip when he's on the floor.
Suitors may not be lining up to take on all of the above, but an expiring contract paying $18.8 million this season screams "trade chip."
Dallas Mavericks: JaVale McGee
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Signing 34-year-old JaVale McGee and promising him a starting spot has to be one of this offseason's biggest blunders.
With McGee on the floor this season, Dallas is minus-18.3 points per 100 possessions. It's plus-5.1 without him.
And while he's basically been out of the rotation altogether for a month, Dallas Mavericks fans might still be worried he'll be back in at some point.
If the front office finds an opportunity to walk back this signing and relieve coach Jason Kidd of the option to play him, it needs to take it.
Denver Nuggets: Zeke Nnaji
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There aren't a lot of obvious trade candidates on the Denver Nuggets.
Nikola Jokić is one of the most untouchable players in the league. Aaron Gordon is playing like an All-Star. And it feels way too early to cut bait on recent acquisitions Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Bruce Brown (both of whom are filling their roles well).
They could maybe shop one or both of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr., but they certainly don't need to trade either.
This team is already good enough to compete for a championship, so moves on the fringes are probably the ones to explore, and Zeke Nnaji may be the way to do that.
Coach Michael Malone has essentially moved Nnaji to the 5 this season (though he recently started in place of the injured Gordon at the 4), but he hasn't been able to completely usurp DeAndre Jordan's backup center minutes.
If some team is interested enough in Nnaji's solid career offensive rebounding rate and 41.3 three-point percentage to part with some wing defense, Denver should explore.
Detroit Pistons: Bojan Bogdanović
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There are good cases for both Alec Burks and Bojan Bogdanović here, but we'll go with the latter because his name seems like the hotter one in the rumor mill, and he'll likely bring back the bigger return (assuming either or both are moved in separate deals).
Bogdanović is averaging a career-high 20.7 points while shooting 40.4 percent from three. And that's for a team without a lot of high-end offensive talent to command defensive attention away from him.
There are plenty of contenders who could use his ability to space the floor (he's a career 39.3 percent three-point shooter) and would be willing to pay long-term assets to get him.
And for a team like the Detroit Pistons, who should be committed to the pursuit of a bottom-three record and a 14 percent chance to land the top pick in the draft, moving veterans and adding to the stockpile of picks should be a priority.
Golden State Warriors: James Wiseman
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After missing all of last season with an injury, spending much of 2022-23 in the G-League and not looking a whole lot better defensively than he did in his historically bad rookie campaign, James Wiseman's trade value probably isn't very high.
Some rebuilding team might still be willing to take a flyer on a seven-footer who can get up and down the floor as well as Wiseman, though. And if a veteran who can help the Golden State Warriors now is offered, they should think about it.
Stephen Curry already seems to be defying the basketball gods' timeline for most superstars, but his window for title contention won't stay open forever. Trading some of the young players, like Wiseman, for win-now pieces makes a lot of sense.
Houston Rockets: Eric Gordon
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You may be starting to sense a trend here. The 2023 draft has a chance to be great, and the rebuilding teams should be doing what they can to strengthen their lottery odds.
For the Hornets and Pistons, that means moving Rozier and Bogdanović. For the Houston Rockets, the obvious candidate is 34-year-old Eric Gordon.
Depending on his suitors' cap situations, the fact that he's under contract for $20.9 million next season could be good or bad. A big decline in three-point percentage from last season might hurt, too.
But a veteran with a decade-and-a-half of NBA experience, almost 2,000 playoff minutes and a career 37.0 three-point percentage will still generate some interest if he's made available. Even if that interest only doesn't lead to a first-round pick, a couple seconds and a few more losses might still make moving him worth it.
Indiana Pacers: Myles Turner
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The preamble to this explanation will be similar to those on the Bulls and Pistons slides. There are multiple veterans to potentially move, so the question becomes: Which one will bring the biggest return?
The most obvious candidates for the Indiana Pacers are Buddy Hield and Myles Turner, and the latter's value as a rim protector and shot blocker give him the edge.
Turner is top five in the league in blocks per game in 2022-23, and the Pacers' defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) has been better with Turner on the floor in each of his last seven campaigns.
Adding his current 40.9 three-point percentage to those defensive marks should make him one of the most coveted bigs on the market this season, which should translate to at least one draft pick for Indiana.
Los Angeles Clippers: Robert Covington
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The Los Angeles Clippers are another team that doesn't really need to trade anyone.
Wing and guard depth is one of their biggest strengths, so a move that negatively affects that would come with some risk, but Robert Covington has already fallen out of the rotation.
And if he could be traded for a little more traditional size, L.A. should probably consider it.
Ivica Zubac is the only center on the roster with over 200 minutes this season. And while the team is winning the minutes when he's out and it plays a more positionless style, depth for a potential playoff matchup against someone like Jokić wouldn't hurt.
Los Angeles Lakers: Russell Westbrook
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It's long past time for the Los Angeles Lakers to end the Russell Westbrook era, even if that doesn't mean the team wins the trade in a landslide.
That seems to be what general manager Rob Pelinka is waiting for, and that deal just might not be out there. In the meantime, the bad fit between Westbrook and LeBron James continues to cost L.A. games and diminish its chances to make the playoffs.
Right now, the Lakers have a point differential around that of a 31-win team when Westbrook is on the floor and one around that of a 38-win team when he's off.
That second number certainly won't blow anyone away, but finishing around 40 wins might get L.A. into the play-in tournament. And if LeBron and Anthony Davis are healthy for win-or-go-home games (big ifs, for sure), you have to like the team's chances to make the playoffs.
Memphis Grizzlies: Danny Green
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It seems like nothing has changed since Memphis Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman declared Danny Green a "part of this group" in September.
Green is still recovering from a torn ACL, and there aren't really any rumors that he might be moved.
Unloading his salary and a draft pick to a rebuilding team for a veteran who can help right now would make plenty of sense, though.
Memphis misses Kyle Anderson and De'Anthony Melton more than many expected, and plugging a difference-maker into a roster spot currently giving you nothing could alleviate that.
Miami Heat: Duncan Robinson
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Duncan Robinson probably doesn't have a ton of trade value right now.
After shooting 42.7 percent from three on 8.4 attempts per game over the course of 2019-20 and 2020-21, his three-point percentage has dropped to 36.6 in the season-and-change since then.
When outside shooting provides the bulk of your value, that much of a dip is significant, and Robinson is still under contract for three more seasons after this one.
Still, if he was attached to the right assets (like a draft pick and/or Nikola Jović), his $16.9 million salary could go a long way toward salary-matching in a deal for a real difference-maker.
And there are a handful of rebuilding teams that should be interested in that kind of package for a veteran they're looking to unload.
Milwaukee Bucks: Grayson Allen
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According to Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer, the Milwaukee Bucks have already "called numerous teams about Grayson Allen's trade prospects."
That may come as a bit of a surprise, since Allen has started most of the games he's played with Milwaukee since he joined the team, is averaging 10.8 points for the Bucks and is shooting 40.3 percent from deep. The team's point differential is also better when he plays.
Some of his solid numbers are probably attributable to the amount of time he plays with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez, though. And while he scraps on defense, it's not hard to imagine an upgrade on that side of the ball.
If Allen and a future asset are enough to get a comparable shooter who's a bit bigger and more switchable, Milwaukee would probably have to think about doing it.
Minnesota Timberwolves: D'Angelo Russell
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There's an argument to be made for bigger, more dramatic blow-it-up trades that would send Karl-Anthony Towns or Rudy Gobert packing, but it's probably too early to say the Minnesota Timberwolves need to go that far.
Instead, a move that adds some consistency (particularly on the defensive end) by moving D'Angelo Russell may be in order.
Over the course of his career, Russell has had a negative impact on the point differential of all four of the teams he's played for. His career true shooting percentage is below average. And his defense, particularly off the ball, is often nonexistent.
Replacing him with someone who needs the ball a bit less could help unleash Anthony Edwards.
And while some of the numbers above paint a bit of a bleak picture, it's still reasonable to expect better of Russell in a more appropriate role for another team, like that of a sixth man.
New Orleans Pelicans: Devonte' Graham
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Right now, the New Orleans Pelicans have a bit of a luxury with Devonte' Graham coming off the bench for just 15 minutes per game. He spent the majority of his first four seasons in the league as a starter, averaged double-figures and shot a respectable 35.7 percent from three.
Moving him could open up even more minutes for rookie Dyson Daniels, though. And while he doesn't have as much experience as Graham, he's seven inches taller and a far more formidable force on defense.
Giving him more in-game reps as the primary playmaker for reserve units could pay long-term dividends, too.
New York Knicks: Evan Fournier
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This is one of the more obvious picks.
Evan Fournier fell out of the New York Knicks' rotation after a November 13 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, and he didn't log a single minute for the team again until December 29.
Fournier was not only replaced by Quentin Grimes in the starting lineup, he was wiped from the team's short-term plans altogether.
That doesn't mean New York can't get something for a 30-year-old floor spacer with a career 38.0 three-point percentage. If some team is desperate for shooting, the Knicks should be offering.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Darius Bazley
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The Oklahoma City Thunder could easily just stand pat in 2023.
They're already outperforming expectations, and most of the players on the roster are years away from their primes. It would make sense to wait and see how all of them develop.
One possible exception, though, might be fourth-year forward Darius Bazley. His minutes have gone down for the second season in a row, and it's starting to look like coach Mark Daigneault already trusts some of his younger players more.
With his 6'8" frame and solid athleticism, OKC might be able to coax some other team to exchange him for another project.
Orlando Magic: Terrence Ross
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Terrence Ross has seemingly been on the trade market for the bulk of his six-plus seasons with the Orlando Magic.
Now that he's on an expiring contract, this might be the year a deal finally materializes.
He certainly doesn't fit the rebuilding Magic's current timeline, and his career 36.1 three-point percentage might be enticing for some playoff team looking to boost its second unit's outside shooting.
Philadelphia 76ers: Matisse Thybulle
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Once considered one of the Philadelphia 76ers better young players and trade assets, Matisse Thybulle is barely hanging on to a rotation spot in 2022-23.
The arrival of De'Anthony Melton, who provides similar defensive value while also being able to shoot, has probably made Thybulle expendable (at least to the Sixers).
Some other team in need of perimeter defense might be willing to take a flier on him, though. He's still just 25 years old and can wreak havoc on at least three positions (four, if a team plays small).
If he's surrounded by enough shooting and playmaking, there might still be a positive-impact player there. And there's still plenty of time for him to become an average shooter, too.
Phoenix Suns: Jae Crowder
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Probably the most obvious call of the slideshow, Jae Crowder made up his mind that he wanted off the Phoenix Suns before the season even started.
He hasn't played a second for them in 2022-23. And now, as the injuries pile up for Phoenix, having Crowder taking up a roster spot without ever being with the team is seriously hurting the organization.
The Suns need anyone to play those minutes, and they should probably start thinking about accepting less-than-ideal trades to get a player on the floor.
Portland Trail Blazers: Nassir Little
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It's way too early for the Portland Trail Blazers to give up on 22-year-old Nassir Little, but this summer's moves to acquire Jerami Grant and Gary Payton II suggest the front office thinks they're in win-now mode.
And if Portland wants to make another win-now move before the trade deadline, it will probably have to part with at least one long-term piece.
Shaedon Sharpe is an option there, but he's shown flashes of star upside, which makes trading him during his rookie contract seem like an awful idea.
Little is probably right in that sweet spot where he's good enough to entice another organization but moving him shouldn't be devastating to the Blazers.
Sacramento Kings: Richaun Holmes
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Over his first three seasons with the Sacramento Kings, Richaun Holmes averaged 12.5 points and shot 64.6 percent from the field in 27.3 minutes per game.
In Domantas Sabonis' first full season with the team, Holmes has essentially been excised from the rotation. His minutes are down to 9.5 per game, and he's only made 19 appearances.
If he's not going to play for new coach Mike Brown, the front office should be calling teams in need of a steady backup center.
San Antonio Spurs: Jakob Poeltl
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The San Antonio Spurs are another rebuilding team with multiple veteran role players who should be available. And Jakob Poeltl is the one who'll likely command the biggest return.
For his career, Poeltl has averaged 4.5 offensive rebounds (an underrated form of shot creation), 2.7 assists and 2.2 blocks per 75 possessions. No one in league history matches or exceeds all three marks.
He may not score a ton (though he's averaged double-figures in each of the last two seasons), but Poeltl still brings a unique combination of team-first offense and anchor-worthy defense.
There are plenty of teams that could use him as either a starting or backup 5.
Toronto Raptors: Fred VanVleet
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The Toronto Raptors sub-.500 record suggests their emphasis on positionless basketball isn't working, but the front office might also convince itself that it hasn't gone far enough.
Most of the starting lineup is in or around that 6'7" to 6'9" range, but Fred VanVleet is just 6'1". That's undersized even for a traditional 1.
If VanVleet could be flipped for another wing, Toronto could move Scottie Barnes to the point (where he played in college).
That would not only give the Raptors a lineup that could switch everything on defense, but it would also give Barnes an almost nightly mismatch to work against on the other end.
Utah Jazz: Rudy Gay
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Rudy Gay's net rating has to be one of the most shocking stats of the season. The Utah Jazz are plus-13.0 points per 100 possessions when he's on the floor and minus-2.4 when he's off.
But it's hard to argue that the 36-year-old forward is anywhere near the rest of the roster's timeline, and he's shooting just 33.6 percent from the field and 22.0 percent from three.
If some team is willing to bank on that impact number and Gay's six seasons with an above-average three-point percentage, the Jazz should pursue a deal and open up some minutes for rookies Simone Fontecchio and Ochai Agbaji.
Washington Wizards: Bradley Beal
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The Washington Wizards shouldn't be fooled by their recent climb back to contention for a spot in the play-in tournament.
Bradley Beal is still guaranteed more money over the life of his contract than all but 11 players in the league, despite having a negative net rating and a below-average effective field-goal percentage over the last five seasons.
Having that deal on the books through 2026-27 (assuming Beal picks up his $57.1 million player option in the last year of the contract) is going to make team-building a nightmare. So, if someone's willing to take that off the Wizards' hands, they should be all over it.
If they happen to get some draft capital or more young talent to add to Deni Avdija and Rui Hachimura, even better.
All stats accurate up to games played on December 29 and are courtesy of Basketball Reference, Stathead, NBA.com/stats and Cleaning the Glass.
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