Now that we have made it past the first quarter of the NBA, the rumors about the game’s best players on the market getting traded will start to heat up. February 9, 2023, is this year’s trade deadline, so we are getting to be two months away. While there is plenty of time for some teams to soar or tank in the standings, it is never too early to think about who could be on the move.
There are 10 NBA players that could be traded in December. It could be as soon as next week or by New Year’s Eve. Some of these players were believed to be moved in November but survived with their teams. This month will be vital because it will be turning toward one-third of the season being complete. For the teams tanking and needing future assets, look for these teams to make moves by getting the most value in return. For other teams, it might come down to the decision of realizing that this year’s team is not going to make much noise in the playoffs.
Through retooling or rebuilding, these 10 NBA players could be traded in December.
Duncan Robinson
Last month, it was believed by Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel that the Heat was beginning to showcase Duncan Robinson. With Erik Spoelstra not being able to rely on Robinson defensively to close out games, he has lost some trust in the lineup. Robinson has significantly lost playing time this season. He is averaging 17.2 minutes per game, which is the lowest amount of time since his rookie season in 2018-19.
Robinson is also averaging 6.1 points and shooting 31.5% from three-point range. He is getting paid $16.9 million this season and has two years left on his deal, guaranteed with an option for 2025-26. This has a similar feeling to Davis Bertans of the Washington Wizards. The Wizards were able to move that contract to the Mavericks for Kristaps Porzingis.
If the Heat are looking to buy at the deadline, the team might be able to use Robinson to help match salary. In addition, it might be time to let Robinson change his setting to give him a better chance to succeed.
Derrick Rose
Last year, the Knicks were believed to be moving Rose with no movement happening. Now that the team has Jalen Brunson on the team, Rose’s role has diminished. Last year, Rose was averaging 12.0 points, 4.0 assists, 40.2% shooting from three-point range, and played 24.5 minutes per game. In 21 games this season, Rose is averaging 13.6 minutes, 6.4 points, 2.0 assists, and 34.7% from three-point range. Altogether, this marriage seems like it could be ending soon.
Rose is 34 years old and has not ever played in the NBA Finals. He is not getting any younger and has an injury history that supports his years are getting numbered. A team that made a run last year was the Dallas Mavericks, and there is reported interest that the Mavericks would like to swing a trade. The Mavericks lost Brunson in the offseason and are in need of a second playmaker behind Luka Doncic. The team brought in Kemba Walker for a trial, but the team appears to want to lure Rose as well.
Bojan Bogdanovic
When the Detroit Pistons swung a trade for Bojan Bogdanovic, there were some heads scratching. Bogdanovic is the team’s best player but hasn’t done much to help the team climb out of the bottom of the standings. With a 6-19 record, the Pistons are on their way to the draft lottery again with hopes of building around Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey.
Bogdanovic could help lure a first-round pick to the team with the way he is playing. Bogdanovic, at 33 years old, is averaging 20.6 points and is shooting 50.8% from the field and 41.9% from three-point range. The Dallas Mavericks are reported as a team with interest. The Pistons could hold out until February to try and maximize the value, but with the way he is playing and the team’s standing, it would be smart to pull the trigger on this deal right now.
Buddy Hield
The Indiana Pacers are an interesting team right now. At 12-11, the team can determine what they want to do. Before the season, it appeared that the team was going to part with their two best trade chips for draft capital. Instead, Tyrese Haliburton looks like a top-5 player in the league and has helped carry the team toward playoff conversation. The Pacers are currently the No. 6 seed, but there is not enough evidence that the Pacers are going to keep Buddy Hield and Myles Turner.
During the offseason, the Pacers rejected an offer from the Lakers that included Russell Westbrook, one first-round pick, and two second-round picks. The trade idea is that it would need to include Westbrook, the 2027 and 2029 first-round picks to pry both Hield and Turner from the Lakers. With Hield in the fold, James could move to the point guard position, while Hield would give the team a true outside shooting threat. Hield has been efficient from the field, averaging 16.9 points and 4.7 rebounds, and is shooting 36.9% from three-point range. He also has one more deal on his contract.
Gordon Hayward
The timetable for Hayward’s return is up in the air for now. The last week of November featured Hayward sustaining a fractured shoulder that resulted in his wife blasting the Hornets for “not protecting their players.” In 11 games, Hayward is averaging 16.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists and is shooting 38.1% from three-point range. With the Hornets sliding down the conference standings, the team could look to find a way to get rid of Hayward’s salary.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania wrote about a hypothetical trade that would feature the Hawks and Hornets. In this trade, the Hornets would receive John Collins and Justin Holiday for Hayward, P.J. Washington, a first-round pick, and a second-round pick. Collins has regressed this season and has multiple years on his deal, but he has youth and no major injury history. The Hornets could roll the dice on LaMelo Ball and Collins for the future. Meanwhile, when Hayward comes back, he could provide valuable minutes in the starting lineup or off of the bench. With De’Andre Hunter’s recent injury, this could provide depth at the position.
Myles Turner
The expectation is that if the Pacers move Hield, then the team is going to move Turner in the same deal. Turner has been linked to a trade with both the Lakers and Clippers. He made his intentions known that he would like to play in Los Angeles earlier in this season. The issue is that the Pacers keep winning and are in playoff contention. It will be a matter of what the Pacers want to do. With a veteran head coach in Rick Carlisle, the team could keep both players and roll the dice these playoffs. However, the team is hovering around .500, and a losing streak could make the decision easier to part with their two best trade assets to help the team contend in the future.
While Hield would be a huge help to the team’s shooting, the Lakers could jump back to being a top defensive team in the league with Turner in the fold. He is playing some of his best basketball right now. Turner is averaging career-highs in points (17.6), rebounding (8.1), and three-point shooting (39.4%). He is also providing 2.4 blocks and remains one of the best shot-blocking centers in the league. The Pacers could hold out for a “better” package, but with his sights set on Los Angeles, this will be an interesting narrative to follow.
Eric Gordon
The Rockets continue to do exactly what we expected they would do this season. That is swirling toward the bottom of the standings. If the Spurs hadn’t lost 11 games in a row, the Rockets would be at the bottom of the standings. With a 6-17 record, the Rockets will likely be looking to ask around for the value that the team can get in return for Eric Gordon. The veteran swingman shooter is seen as a first-round pick in value, but no team has bit the bait for that yet.
Last month, the Phoenix Suns nearly constructed a trade with disgruntled forward Jae Crowder in exchange for Gordon. Another idea would be sending Crowder to the Bucks in a three-team deal that involves the Suns and Rockets, which would send Gordon to the Suns. The Bucks want a player to fill the void of PJ Tucker. Both the Suns and Bucks are top teams in their conference. While Crowder would give the Bucks exactly what they need, Gordon would give the team an experienced shooter that can come off of the bench. In 19 games, Gordon is averaging 12.2 points and shooting 35.0% from three-point range. Last year, he shot 41.2% from long range for the season.
Nikola Vucevic
Anthony Davis is looking like he could be putting his name in the MVP conversation. The Lakers are steadily improving, and it has the city of Los Angeles buzzing again. The Chicago Bulls were believed to be a team that would contend for a playoff spot this season. Instead, the team has not lived up to expectations. With the regression of Zach LaVine, issues surrounding the chemistry of Billy Donovan, and the injuries to Lonzo Ball, the Bulls are in a very strange place right now. With Vucevic set to be a free agent after this season, the team needs to get as much value in return right now.
The team has the players on the roster to be a playoff team, but it is not showing they can play consistent basketball. The Lakers do not have a true center on the team that can bring the team significant minutes. While Vucevic is not an All-Star caliber player, he is averaging 15.8 points and 11.0 rebounds and is shooting 34.6% from three-point range. He would give Davis his spot back at the power forward position where he is thriving, but more importantly, he gives the team a big man that can shoot. Shedding Westbrook’s salary and the team’s draft picks in 2027 and 2029 in this package deal would truly boost the team’s chances of winning at a high level again.
Russell Westbrook
When the Lakers moved Westbrook to a sixth-man role, he began to thrive. While all the trade rumors are circulating about Westbrook’s future, we have to give him his flowers for helping the Lakers surge back. Even though the Lakers are surging back, Westbrook could be flipped for players to make the team even better. Westbrook has been linked to multiple teams, such as the Chicago Bulls and Indiana Pacers.
Westbrook is thriving with the second unit because it gives him the full range to play his game. He is averaging 14.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 7.7 assists. His three-point shooting remains around his career average of 30.6%, but teams know that he is not a great outside shooter. That is why the team could look to trade Westbrook to bring in a player like Buddy Hield, the mid-range king in DeMar DeRozan, or another key player that has not been circulating in the rumor mill. Westbrook is on the trade block and has gone back to this past summer. Could December finally be the month that it happens?
DeMar DeRozan
The player that would solidify the Lakers’ chances of winning a championship this season would be DeMar DeRozan. Not only that, he would give the team a chance next season as well. The California native has one more year on his deal after this season. As mentioned, this trade idea from Bill Simmons that proposes the Bulls deal DeRozan and Vucevic for Westbrook and two first-round draft picks would be an ideal match for everyone.
For starters, it would allow James to return to the point guard position. When the Lakers won the title in 2020, James led the league in assists. With DeRozan taking over the shooting guard or small forward position, the team would have a legitimate scorer in the league. DeRozan is averaging 25.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists and is shooting 50.2% from the field. With DeRozan, Vucevic, and the team’s MVP for now in Davis, the Lakers would be complete with James playing facilitator to the team’s other star players.
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