Hype or Bust: Trade deals that could happen before the deadline

The trade deadline is around the corner, 8th February 2018 (3 pm ET to be more specific). This has been quite a silent trade window so far, with not much happening in the NBA regarding player exchanges. A few interesting rumors are floating around, some for role players off the bench and make an impact, some for star additions so as to vault them towards championship glory.

We will look at a few trade deals that are floating around for the past few weeks and rate them on their feasibility and whether they will turn out to be an addition worthy of the hype surrounding them and their trade:

1. Nikola Mirotic (Chicago Bulls)

#44 Nikola Mirotic

All was not well with the Bulls at the start of the season. Their star forwards Nikola Mirotic and Bobby Portis got into a scuffle at training camp, which led to a broken jaw for Mirotic and an 8-game ban for Portis. They also were without their newly acquired star Zach LaVine, who was recovering from a torn ACL and hence they were expected to be awful and were awful, winning just 3 of their starting 23 games.

Mirotic returned to the court on December 8th and since has inspired a 15-12 run which has lifted the Bulls to 12th. Since the Bulls are looking to tank and build a new roster, they cannot, unfortunately, hold on to Mirotic and since his no-trade stipulation has expired, he is on the market.

The team considered to be a leading candidate for Mirotic is the Utah Jazz, who desperately need a star Power Forward who can space out the floor. The Bulls in return are looking for a first round pick with any player that they get for Mirotic and so far, the Jazz seemed hesitant to give them that. A possible deal if Utah is willing to part with their first rounder to could be:

Nikola Mirotic to Utah Jazz for Derrick Favors and a 1st round pick.

This deal seems the likeliest to happen since Bulls are willing to hold on to Mirotic until deadline day to see which another team might want to take their chance on Mirotic. Outsiders include the Detroit Pistons, who are willing to get rid of Avery Bradley and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are linked with just about every player this trade window.

This could potentially be a great deal for Utah if they go for it, Mirotic has been averaging 16.8 points per game, shooting at a great 42.9% from beyond the 3-point line. He could turn out to be the missing piece in the frontcourt next to Gobert for the Jazz.

HYPE: 7/10

2. George Hill (Sacramento Kings)

Hill finally gets to move on

Let's be honest, the Kings were never expected to compete in this year for the Playoff spots and are thus rooted at the bottom of the Western Conference with 15-34. The Kings' head coach Dave Joerger has also made it clear that the young players in the squad will get more of a run compared to the current veterans, which makes it the best opportunity for Hill to leave, who wants to win the Championship soon enough.

The frontrunner for this deal is the Cavaliers, who need a guard who can come off the bench and put up numbers. Hill has been an average player before this season and with the motivation of playing for a top team next to LeBron James could push him further. He is also better at shoring up the defense which is a huge negative for the Cavaliers this season. A possible trade could be:

George Hill to Cleveland Cavaliers, Iman Shumpert and Channing Frye to Sacramento Kings

This deal makes perfect sense for both teams as the Cavaliers get rid of some of their fringe players which will at least give them some luxury tax relief. They will also get a good player to come off their bench and make an impact for the Cavaliers. This deal is very close to completion and could be announced in the next few days. It is a good business decision for both squads and will probably boost the fading Cavaliers team.

HYPE: 9/10

3. Paul George (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Could PG13 be on his way out?

The Thunder were bad. Bad for how much talent they had on their roster and how low they were in the standings. Russell Westbrook had decided to go back to his 2017 iso-ball version, which led Paul George and Carmelo Anthony to do the same. In the end, this was not working out and they were just 8-12 from the first 20 games.

They corrected their course starting December and have had a solid 2 months, having just 8 losses in 30 games, improving to a 30-20 record. The Big 3, along with Steven Adams have found a balance which is allowing them to flourish. Adams is recording career high in field goal percentages while Paul is the leader in steals in this season. Anthony has become accustomed to being the 3rd scorer behind Westbrook and George and this system seems to fit. It is highly unlikely now that Paul could be traded by the Thunder, even though he can leave for free next season.

While this trade had garnered some steam in the beginning, it has fizzled out spectacularly, with the Thunder probably sticking with their current squad to see how it all pans out.

BUST: 0/10

4. DeAndre Jordan (Los Angeles Clippers)

Jordan seems to be on his way out

Lob City is dying and the Clippers are reportedly deciding to take it apart completely. Chris Paul was traded in the offseason to make Clippers more competitive and to provide support to Griffin. But injuries ravaged their roster and now the Clippers are looking to tank and rebuild.

The team linked strongly with Jordan is the Cavaliers, who need a defensive boost, after being ranked last in defense this season. Jordan is a strong presence around the rim and an elite rebounder, which Cavs really need. Another team linked is the Bucks, who have been looking to shore up their backcourt, to support Giannis. The trade deal looking possible is as follows:

DeAndre Jordan to Cavaliers, Tristan Thompson and the Brooklyn pick to LA Clippers.

This is the likeliest deal that will happen in the offseason but the Cavaliers are reluctant to let go off their rebuilding chip if LeBron decides to move in the offseason. This deal also depends on George Hill joining the Cavaliers and them waiving off Derrick Rose to match the salaries. Since the Hill trade is almost on it's last legs, there is nothing holding this deal from happening.

HYPE: 6/10

5. Lou Williams (Los Angeles Clippers):

Lou has become an integral piece in LA

The Clippers are looking to trade anyone and everyone who might spoil their chances of tanking and getting a great draft pick in 2018. Lou has exploded this season into a player who could be considered an All-Star pick. He has been single-handedly carrying the Clippers to 9th spot and in playoff contention.

The Boston Celtics are heavily linked to taking Williams off the Clippers since they have the Disabled Player Exception rule on their side, activated due to the injury suffered by Gordon Hayward during the start of the season. The Clippers are looking to rebuild and what better team to trade with than the Celtics who have a host of assets. The trade looking most likely is:

Lou Williams to the Celtics, Guerschon Yabusele and the Clippers 2019 first round pick.

Lou has been a great 6th man for the Clippers and will become the veteran presence the Celtics lack this season and will have a realistic chance to compete for the championship. They can return the first pick they acquired from the Clippers back to them and have a realistic chance at going for the Championship.

HYPE: 7/10

6. Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio Spurs):

Injuries have ravaged an ageing Spurs roster, Manu had to come out of retirement, Parker has returned but only just started playing back to back games and Kawhi had played none but 9 games this season. There have been rumours swirling about Kawhi being discontent at San Antonio and him relying on his doctors rather than the Spurs medical team has apparently driven a rift. The GM has quashed this speculation but the rumours still persist.

Is Kawhi going to be at Spurs any longer?

Where could Kawhi Leonard possibly head? Lakers have the cap space and the young talent that Spurs can rebuild with. They also need to clear some cap space for the free agents they will pursue in the summer. The Magic or even the Clippers could be another destination. The following trade deals could look possible:

Kawhi Leonard, Patty Mills to the Orlando Magic, Evan Fournier, Johnathon Simmons, Aaron Gordon, Jonathan Isaac to the Spurs.

Kawhi Leonard, Pau Gasol to the LA Clippers, DeAndre Jordan, Lou Williams, Milos Teodosic and 2 first round picks to the Spurs.

Kawhi Leonard to the LA Lakers, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Corey Brewer and a first-round pick to the Spurs.

All of these deals happening are highly unlikely due to the fact that the Spurs aren't a team who make such rash trades. They have Pop who is a legendary coach and will probably find a way to deal with this. He recently came out with a statement about Aldridge wanting out and he decided to work on it and LaMarcus is now an All-Star this season instead.

BUST: 1/10

7. CJ McCollum (Portland Trailblazers):

CJ McCollum might not be at Portland for long

2 weeks ago, Damian Lillard had allegedly held a meeting with the owner of the Trailblazers regarding the direction the team was heading in. Taking into account how furious Dame was with the Will Barton trade and how nobody who came into the team really stepped up, he wanted a clear answer as to where he would be playing in his prime. This sparked rumors about CJ heading out so that the Blazers could get a new star/stars in return.

A possible destination for McCollum could be the Denver Nuggets who lack a player of his caliber that can lead them to glory or even the Spurs, who might be persuaded to trade Kawhi Leonard since reports emerged of his unhappiness. Possible trade for CJ could be as follows:

CJ McCollum, Noah Vonleh, Zach Collins and Jusuf Nurkic to the Spurs, Kawhi Leonard and Pau Gasol to the Blazers.

The deal seems highly unlikely only because both Spurs and Blazers will be reluctant to move such high profile players in the middle of the season.

BUST: 1/10

8. Julius Randle (Los Angeles Lakers):

Randle has had a great run past few weeks

The Lakers have been touted as a prime location for star free agent talents for the 2018 season. So as to attract these stellar signings, the Lakers need to free up cap space by letting go of a few expiring/expensive contracts. Luol Deng is a contract nobody will touch, so they have to forgo some of the younger players. Julius Randle is one of such players who has not played a big enough role to keep his place in the roster.

A possible destination for Julius seems to be the Dallas Mavericks who have a bunch of players on expiring contracts to offer, essentially creating some salary space for the Lakers next season. A possible trade deal could look like this:

Julius Randle to the Mavericks, Seth Curry and Yogi Ferrell to the Lakers.

It makes sense for both rosters as the Lakers are looking to clear up cap space and the emergence of Kuzma has pushed everyone else down the pecking order. The Mavericks are looking for young assets and players like Randle who can get double-double numbers off the bench are very much appreciated by them. The deal seems highly likely to go through.

HYPE: 7/10

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