With the NBA’s free agent market slowing down, the most likely way that we are going to see a high-profile move between now and the start of the 2024-25 season is via a trade. We got a glimpse of that over the weekend, when the Sacramento Kings pulled off a sign-and-trade to acquire DeMar DeRozan from the Chicago Bulls.
Over the last few days, we’ve identified a few potential targets for these sorts of trades and tried to cook up deals that make sense in the event that they find themselves on the move. And here, we wanted to put them all together and list out the teams and players that we have our eyes on as the summer goes on.
There may not be a weirder player on the trade market than LaVine, who is very good at basketball and can bring some instant offense to any team that wants him, but his injury history and gigantic contract have essentially destroyed any sort of trade market for him, per reports. Still, there are teams that can (and should) take the plunge, because they could really use what he brings to the table, and by all accounts, the Bulls are willing to respond to the market by selling low on him. Our initial look at LaVine trades last week included the Hornets, but after waiving Davis Bertans and re-signing Miles Bridges, there’s not a real path to a deal there anymore.
Los Angeles Clippers
Clippers get: Zach LaVine
Bulls get: Norman Powell, Terance Mann, PJ Tucker
Miami Heat
Heat get: Zach LaVine, Jevon Carter, 2025 Blazers first (lottery protected)
Bulls get: Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson
Markkanen makes less money than you think, but any team that trades for him is going to need to have a serious conversation about paying him, as he’s an unrestricted free agent after this season. He is, however, 100 percent worth the investment, as the All-Star forward can light it up from all over the place and is a very good rebounder. Even if he is just a rental for a team with aspirations of winning a championship right now, he’s worth the high asking price that Danny Ainge and the Jazz front office would surely demand.
(ed. note: The Kings were part of the original post, but have since made a move that takes them off of the list)
Golden State Warriors
Warriors: Lauri Markkanen
Jazz get: Andrew Wiggins, Brandin Podziemski, unprotected first-round picks in 2025 and 2027, first-round pick swaps in 2029 and 2031
San Antonio Spurs
Spurs get: Lauri Markkanen
Jazz get: Keldon Johnson, San Antonio’s 2027 and 2029 first-round picks, Chicago’s top-10 protected 2025 first-round pick, Boston’s 2029 first-round pick, Minnesota’s 2031 first-round pick
Oklahoma City Thunder
Thunder get: Lauri Markkanen
Jazz get: Lu Dort, Jaylin Williams, Oklahoma City’s 2025 and 2027 first-round picks, Denver’s top-5 protected 2027 first-round pick, Dallas’ 2028 first-round pick, any three second-round picks Oklahoma City currently has
No one questions Ingram’s ability to score the basketball, and over the years, he’s expanded his game to become better as a facilitator, as well. Ingram’s stock, however, is rather low, as he’s set to be an unrestricted free agent after this upcoming season, he’s coming off of a brutal playoff run where he was frequently punked by Lu Dort of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and it’s clear that the Pelicans want to build around Zion Williamson, as the experiment with building around both of them just has not worked. Having said that, Ingram is still a good player who can help teams win basketball games, the question is who wants to pay him what he’s asking for next summer.
(ed. note: The Kings were, once again, part of the original post, but are no longer a team that makes sense for Ingram — however, we added a third team below that was not in the initial post)
Cleveland Cavaliers
Cavs receive: Brandon Ingram, a future second-round pick
Pelicans receive: Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert
Charlotte Hornets
Hornets receive: Brandon Ingram
Pelicans receive: Grant Williams, Cody Martin, Bryce McGowans, Miami’s lottery-protected 2027 first-round pick
Detroit Pistons
Pistons receive: Brandon Ingram
Pelicans receive: Isaiah Stewart, Simone Fontecchio, 2027 Pistons first (lottery protected)
There was some initial sticker shock at the 5-year, $160 million deal Grant signed last offseason. But it becomes a smaller portion of a team’s cap percentage every year and he’s guaranteed to be under contract for at least the next three years (he has a player option for 2027-28), so there’s a real case to be made that he’d be a savvy addition for a team that could use a big wing who can score and defend.
Los Angeles Lakers
Lakers get: Jerami Grant
Blazers get: Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, Cam Reddish, 2029 Lakers first, 2025 Clippers second
Golden State Warriors
Warriors get: Jerami Grant
Blazers get: Andrew Wiggins, Moses Moody, 2026 Warriors first
Houston Rockets
Rockets get: Jerami Grant
Blazers get: Jabari Smith Jr.
Pistons get: Jeff Green, Jock Landale, a pair of future second rounders
