NBA Teams That Must Blow It Up This Trade Season

NBA Teams That Must Blow It Up This Trade Season0 of 5

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With the NBA trade deadline now just weeks away, teams need to make a final decision between being buyers and sellers.

While some teams can get by with a minor reset, the following five franchises need a complete blowup for a number of reasons. This could include selling veterans before they reach free agency, moving off high-priced talent to free up future cap space or intentionally tanking to ensure they get to keep (or improve) their 2024 first-round pick.

With the Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs and Portland Trail Blazers already positioning themselves for the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, these five teams should try to join them.

Charlotte Hornets1 of 5

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Current Record/Standing: 8-24, 13th in the East

It was widely believed that there was no way the Hornets would repeat their horrid 27-55 campaign of a season ago, which is technically true.

Charlotte is on pace to win just 21 games this season, as more ankle trouble for LaMelo Ball has essentially tanked any hope of being competitive.

Being bad does carry some benefits for the Hornets, as they owe their 2024 first-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs, a selection they get to keep if it falls in the lottery, however.

This team could use one more elite prospect to join a core of Ball, Brandon Miller, Mark Williams, P.J. Washington and others, preferably another wing that can help carry the playmaking load if Ball continues to miss time due to injury.

Gordon Hayward should certainly be shopped before he hits unrestricted free agency this summer, and Terry Rozier’s stock (25.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 1.4 steals, 39.5 percent from three over his last 14 games) has never been higher. Charlotte should take advantage of this and sell now, removing the 29-year-old’s remaining two-year, $51.5 million contract off their books.

Even when Ball returns, this season is already lost. There’s no point in chasing the 10th seed and final play-in spot just for the right to get swept by the Boston Celtics or Milwaukee Bucks in the first round and lose their 2024 pick.

Charlotte should be taking calls on all of its veterans to add one more lottery pick to the collection, with postseason dreams coming again in 2025.

Chicago Bulls2 of 5

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Current Record/Standing: 15-21, 11th in the East

Things are about to get really ugly in Chicago. At least, they should.

This is actually a roster that contains a lot of veteran talent, players that could be plugged in elsewhere and make major contributions towards a title chase. DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine headline this list, although the Bulls shouldn’t stop there.

Nikola Vučević, Alex Caruso, Andre Drummond, Jevon Carter and others can all start or be high-minute members of a playoff rotation depending on the needs of the given team. Even younger players like Coby White and Patrick Williams shouldn’t be labeled untouchable given Chicago’s lack of success with both.

Of the Bulls’ top-seven most used lineups this season, only two actually have a positive net rating while two others rank in the 2nd percentile or lower, per Cleaning the Glass.

LaVine’s month-plus long absence isn’t an excuse either.

With their “Big 3” of LaVine, DeRozan and Vučević on the court, Chicago is still being outscored by a whooping 17.5 points per 100 possessions with a healthy enough sample size (795 possessions) to show that this simply isn’t going to work, no matter what trades the Bulls may explore between now and the deadline.

If Chicago does it right, this should be one of the biggest gut jobs we’ve ever seen at a trade deadline.

Toronto Raptors3 of 5

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Current Record/Standing: 14-20, 12th in the East

The Raptors officially kicked off trade season by sending OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks for a package headlined by RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. While this was the right thing to do, Toronto shouldn’t stop here.

This is also the rare case where “blow it up” doesn’t necessarily mean “tear it down” either.

There’s real talent on this roster, yet none of it fits together. The four-man combo of Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl and Anunoby had a net rating of minus-5.6 together in 857 total possessions.

Barnes should be the only untouchable member of the roster now that he’s shown significant growth in Year 3 (21.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.4 blocks, 38.5 percent shooting from three). Adding more shooters around the 22-year-old needs to be a priority given his improved passing, as Toronto ranks just 26th overall in three-point accuracy (35.0 percent) and made threes per game (11.5).

The additions of Barrett (23) and Quickley (24) seem to signify a shift in timeline around Barnes rather than Siakam (29), a player that could become the most popular prize on the trade market.

Toronto probably won’t be bad enough to keep its 2024 first-round pick (top-4 protected, owed to the San Antonio Spurs), which is OK. A blow-up of the roster can still mean that the Raptors are competitive, with the goal of adding new frontcourt pieces around the core of Barnes, Barrett and Quickley.

Utah Jazz4 of 5

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Current Record/Standing: 16-19, 12th in the West

The Jazz have been much better as of late, going 10-4 since their Dec. 13 win over New York, which broke a five-loss-in-six-games skid.

However, despite this recent success, there are roster construction problems with no clear answers at point guard, and newly acquired big man John Collins is reportedly already on the trade block.

While it will likely continue to be a talking point…no, the Jazz shouldn’t be looking to trade Lauri Markkanen. At just 26 years old and with another 1.5 seasons remaining on his contract, there’s no reason to send the All-Star forward anywhere, especially since he’s embraced being the new face of the franchise.

With that being said, there should continue to be a youth movement around him, one that began with the three first-round picks last summer.

Utah only gets to keep its 2024 first-round pick should it fall in the top-10 selections overall (anything else goes to the Oklahoma City Thunder). The Jazz are right on the borderline now, with their pick currently projected to fall at No. 11 overall, thus going to OKC.

Saying good-bye to Jordan Clarkson will be tough, although he’s easily worth a first-rounder given his production and contract moving forward (two years, $28.3 million). Players like Kelly Olynyk and Talen Horton-Tucker, free agents this summer, should be shopped as well if the Jazz have no plans to re-sign either.

Utah missed out on a top pick in the 2023 draft by being too good for too long to begin the season.

There’s still time to tank now, but only if players like Clarkson, Collins, Olynyk and others are traded away.

Washington Wizards5 of 5

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Current Record/Standing: 6-27, 14th in the East

The Wizards, like the Chicago Bulls, should look unrecognizable after the deadline if everything goes to plan.

There’s no reason for Kyle Kuzma to still be on this roster, as the 28-year-old is having a nice season (22.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 35.7 percent from three) and could be the missing piece for a contender. Tyus Jones continues to play ultra-efficient basketball and would be an excellent fit on a team like the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns or Miami Heat. The Wizards need to get a return for the 27-year-old before he enters free agency this summer.

After Kuzma and Jones, there’s other vets that could fetch a future second-round pick from teams with a need at point guard or frontcourt shooting.

Delon Wright and Danilo Gallinari will both be free agents as well in a few months, as will Mike Muscala. All have little reason to want to re-sign with a Wizards team that’s projected to win 19 games at its current rate.

Fielding offers for Jordan Poole would be perfectly understandable given the rough start to his career in Washington, although it’s hard to imagine any team giving up anything of value given his remaining three-year, $95 million contract after this season. It would be better to hold on to Poole and try to increase his value first.

Blowing things up also means more playing time for Bilal Coulibaly, Deni Avdija, Corey Kispert, Johnny Davis and other former first-round picks looking to break through.

The Wizards have a real shot at getting a bottom-three record and the best odds at the No. 1 overall pick, although they may face some stiff competition by the Portland Trail Blazers for the “honor”. Trading away the remaining vets would only help the cause.