3 NBA trades that need to happen right now
It's getting towards the end of the NBA offseason, and now is the time when most of the recognizable players are signed (Hooray Mr. Pekovic!). Pretty much every team has a good idea of what it's roster is going to look like, apart from maybe some end of the bench scrubs who will all be decided upon during training camp. But some teams might not be happy with their rosters right now. Some teams might need a few minor (or major) tweaks to their roster before we get the season started. Here is one of my suggestions to help everyone involved reach their goal for this season, be it scrape the 8th seed, challenge for a title, or just plain old tank.
The Proposal:
The Minnesota Timberwolves receive Arron Afflalo
The Orlando Magic receive Derrick Williams, Alexey Shved
Why They Would Do It:
Minnesota just signed Kevin Martin. Martin will fit in coach Rick Adelman's offensive system perfectly, and has had his best years under him in both Houston and Sacramento. The thing is, he is a terrible defender, and the Wolves already start 3 average to below average defender. Kevin Love is a great rebounder, but not a great positional defender. Likewise, Pekovic is a big body down-low, but is ground-bound, so shot-blocking isn't really his thing. Finally, the expected starter at SF is Chase Budinger who is a very poor defender coming off a serious knee injury; not a great combination. By starting Kevin Martin, the Timberwolves would probably compete for the worst defensive team in the league this coming season, which would mean that they have no chance of making the playoffs in the stacked Western Conference. If the Magic could add a good defender in Afflalo to the starting line-up, that would allow them to stagger their minutes between good and bad defenders.
Martin also would be more effective with the ball in his hands drawing fouls, which is unlikely to happen with Ricky Rubio on the court. Martin could maximise his effectiveness by sharing time with Arron from the bench. Afflalo on the other hand fits in with Rubio much better. As a catch-and-shoot 3pt shooter (career 38% from downtown), he could spread the floor around Kevin Love post-ups and Rubio dribble drives. Finally, by doing this 2-for-1 trade, Minnesota gets down to 15 players (the maximum) allowed for when the season starts, and no longer needs to cut any of their youngsters.
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| ^^ Karate is an underrated skill in the NBA ^^ |
Orlando first and foremost need to clear playing time for number 2 overall pick, and rookie of the year favourite, Victor Oladipo. As a SG, who will also occasionally play PG, there aren't currently sufficient minutes for a player with his potential and talent level available in Orlando. Jameer Nelson is entrenched at the starting PG position, and E'Twaun Moore showed some potential at both guard positions last year. By sending away Afflalo - who would command starters minutes (36mpg last season) - there is now more playing time available for the young players who most likely will constitute the Magic's future. As to the tangible returns, Derrick Williams is only two years removed from being the NBA's number 2 overall draft pick and despite faltering the past few years has serious potential.
Playing behind Kevin Love meant that Derrick had to play mostly SF, when his future is probably as a stretch-4. This last year was considering a disappointing sophmore year for Williams, but he still averaged over 19pts and 9 rebounds per 40 minutes. If he can improve his 3pt shot, Williams could easily average 20ppg, at a decent level of efficiency. Alexey Shved was a pleasant surprise as a rookie last year, and showed the ability to make highlight passes. His best role is as a combo guard of the bench and is talented enough to one day win a 6th man of the year award. While he's not a great shooter (37FG% and 29.5% from deep) he is an underrated distributor with 3.7 apg in only 24 minutes. Given starters minutes, and more of a facilitation role, Shved could easily average more than 6APG, as well as double digit scoring. The best thing for Orlando about both of these players is that they are both still on their rookie contracts, meaning the Magic still have 2 and 3 years of control left at reasonable prices. While neither Williams of Shved is likely to be the super-star that Orlando is looking for, this trade will help Oladipo become a star, and either provide solid role players or enticing trade chips for the future.
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| ^^ Athleticism is NOT the issue ^^ |
Part 3 of a 3 part series on NBA trades that should happen right now
Rhys T-J
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