The trade deadline is far away, but that doesn’t mean that teams are not afraid to start making moves. Take the Brooklyn Nets, for example. The team fired their coach after seven games. Nobody is safe in the NBA when the franchise is not living up to expectations. For other teams, some of those expectations are tempered towards not competing, but their world revolves around value. There are players that will be traded at the deadline for draft compensation or salary relief. It’s all about value, though.
- 10. Jakob Poeltl
- 9. Jae Crowder
- 8. Derrick Rose
- 7. Eric Gordon
- 6. Jordan Clarkson
- 5. Mike Conley Jr.
- 4. Myles Turner
- 3. Buddy Hield
- 2. Russell Westbrook
- 1. Kyrie Irving
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If the value is high, a move could be made sooner than later. For some of these tanking teams, the value for some of their players could be high right now. While some teams could wait to trade away their prized possessions, we could see a deal for some of these players as soon as the next few weeks. The NBA rumor mill will never stop spinning, and these 10 players are seeing their names spun around the most.
These 10 players could be traded in November.
10. Jakob Poeltl
If the Spurs keep playing like this, then the team may not trade him. The Spurs opened the season with a 5-3 record and are the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference after eight games. However, the expectation is that the Spurs were going to be one of the worst teams in the league when they traded their lone All-Star, Dejounte Murray, in the offseason. If the Spurs keep winning, they could have the best of both worlds. Their young players could get playoff experience and the team could get compensation for Poeltl.
This team is not a championship team in the end. The Spurs have some very obvious trade targets in Doug McDermott and Josh Richardson, but ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said that Poeltl makes the most sense to deal. He is in the final year of his deal, and Windhorst believes that the Spurs could sign an extension worth $14 million per season. Poeltl could believe he is worth more, and if that relationship cannot generate an extension, the team could move him to get something in return. In eight games, Poeltl has averaged 14.1 points and 11.4 rebounds. Last year, he averaged 13.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, and shot 64.7% from the field.
9. Jae Crowder
The relationship between the Suns and Crowder feels weird. This is a player that was a starter for the team when the Suns qualified for the NBA Finals. Last year, he was a physical bruiser and well respected veteran that helped the team win the most games in the league. However, rumors have been swirling around that the Suns are looking to make a deal involving Crowder. There were reports that the Suns and the Bucks discussed a trade. Now, there is a report circulating that the Suns wanted to go into this season looking to start Cameron Johnson over Crowder.
Crowder started 80 games last season if you count the playoffs. He was a key role player that averaged 9.4 points and 5.3 rebounds last season. In his first season with the Suns, Crowder averaged 38.9% shooting from three-point range. With his physicality, he can guard post players, and we have already mentioned the respect players have for him. Crowder has not played this season and did not report to training camp, both of which were non-injury related.
8. Derrick Rose
While it may not be vintage Derrick Rose, the veteran point guard has produced games of 13 and 12 points in three games this season. His minutes have not stretched over 17 minutes. He is also shooting 52.6% from the field. A recent report said that Rose told the media that he is feeling comfortable despite the limited playing time. The minutes likely contribute to the fact that he was limited to 26 games last season. If you combine his injury history, not playing more than 50 games in a season since 2016-17, the team wants to be careful.
The Knicks have opened the season with a 3-4 record, including three wins in the Eastern Conference. This move will be defined by what the Knicks do in the next few weeks. The team already has a starting point guard in Jalen Brunson, while Immanuel Quickley is younger and faster. If there is any sort of value in return for Rose, don’t be surprised if the Knicks move on.
7. Eric Gordon
A month ago, Eric Gordon talked about how he wanted to finish his career with the Rockets but also said that he wanted to win. Gordon was once linked to the Philadelphia 76ers due to his relationship with general manager Daryl Morey and James Harden. The Rockets have not budged on their value for Gordon, who is out of the team’s long-term plans. The Rockets want a first-round pick in return but have the remaining money left on his $19.5 million salary from this year and the $20.9 million salary owed to him next season.
In seven games, Gordon has averaged 12.4 points and shot 35.3% from three-point range. In 57 games last season, he shot 41.2% from three-point range to go with 13.4 points per game. There are teams that need outside shooting and Gordon can provide that. The cost is going to be the biggest question. Would the Rockets pick up the salary to secure draft capital, or could they look for a team to take the contract off of their hands?
6. Jordan Clarkson
It was a week ago that Kevin O’Connor from The Ringer posted that the Lakers and Jazz were expected to engage in talks about Russell Westbrook. According to him, the Lakers offered Westbrook, a first-round pick, and a pair of second-rounders for Bojan Bogdanovic. Instead, the Jazz traded him to the Pistons. The new offer featured a trade involving Clarkson, Mike Conley Jr., and Rudy Gay, which are three veterans that can shoot and something the Lakers desperately need.
A report within the last week mentioned that the Jazz are reluctant to deal with Clarkson. According to Patrick Byrnes of Sports Illustrated, the Jazz are “very fond” of Clarkson. That doesn’t mean much if the losses come. Right now, the Jazz are the biggest surprise in the league with a 6-3 record, which is on the heels of an offseason that featured moving on from Bogdanovic, Royce O’Neale, Rudy Gobert, and Donovan Mitchell. If the Jazz are tanking near the bottom tier of the standings by the end of the month, look for the team to look for value for the former Sixth Man of the Year.
5. Mike Conley Jr.
As mentioned above, the Lakers and Jazz are reportedly interested in completing a deal. The main holdup could be if the Jazz keep winning. The Jazz play the Lakers, Clippers, Hawks, Wizards, 76ers, Knicks, Suns, Trail Blazers, Pistons, Warriors, and Bulls this month. That includes three games against the Clippers. There are quite a few playoff-worthy teams in that schedule. If the team’s record sinks back down, the Jazz could revisit those talks.
The main reason is that the Jazz are not looking to win a title this year. What would be the best move for the future? With the draft capital acquired for O’Neale, Gobert, and Mitchell, the team is stockpiling picks. The team could accelerate this rebuild by shedding the salary of Conley, who remains a top point guard on the market. Again, if the Jazz cannot get through that stretch of games with wins, look for the Jazz to maximize their value for Conley and Clarkson.
4. Myles Turner
For what feels like, over a year, Turner has been on the trade market. Last year, the Pacers dealt Domantas Sabonis, while the team dealt Malcolm Brogdon in the offseason. The best pieces remaining include the shot-blocking center in Turner. When healthy, this is potentially the best shot-blocking center in the league. Turner averaged 3.4 blocks in 47 games in 2020-21. Last year, Turner averaged 2.8 blocks in 42 games, while he averaged 3.7 blocks this season in three games.
Turner has handled the attention around him very well, mentioning that he is happy being a Pacer. With that said, those comments conflict with what he said on “The Woj Pod” with ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Turner said that the Lakers should take a “hard look” at the position their team is in. The team could package Westbrook to the rebuilding Pacers for Turner and Hield. The Pacers would shed salary, while the Lakers would get a player that could man the middle to allow Anthony Davis to play the power forward position.
3. Buddy Hield
First and foremost, the Pacers and Buddy Hield are open to a trade. The Pacers are already off to a sluggish start with a 3-5 record. The team has been rumored to be ready to trade Hield and Turner for assets that will help the future. If the Pacers are going to complete a trade with the Lakers, it would mean that Hield and Turner need to be packaged together for the salary of Russell Westbrook. Given the position the Lakers are in, the team might finally get desperate enough to deal with the first-round picks necessary to get the Pacers to agree to a deal.
As of October 24, the trade talks between the Lakers and the Pacers have stalled. It’s been a week and the Lakers are in the basement of the Western Conference. Their desperation should be the prime reason why this deal could be done as soon as November. The Lakers own one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the league. Hield is a career 39.8% shooter from outside and has raced to shoot 42.7% from three-point range in eight games.
2. Russell Westbrook
The Lakers wanted to give the crew of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Westbrook 25 games to make this work. In seven games, the Lakers own a 2-5 record. With the growing media coverage of how atrocious the Lakers are playing, the departure of Westbrook could happen soon. Not to mention, the comments made by Myles Turner have accelerated the rumor mill. The Pacers want two first-round picks as compensation. According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, there is a growing notion among league executives and agents that the Lakers will finally cave to the cost.
At some point, it’s time to smell the roses. This fit doesn’t work. Westbrook is averaging 13.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5.5 assists in six games with the Lakers that feature him being used 29.2 minutes per night. Westbrook is shooting 37.7% from the field, which is 7% less than last season, as well as a dismal 20.8% from three-point range. The Lakers are flawed and Westbrook’s game in the starting lineup has not helped lead this team to wins. But Westbrook has been great since coming off the bench, averaging 16.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 6.7 assists.
The Lakers won two consecutive games and the bench role might bring back ‘MVP’ Russell Westbrook and get him more value if the Lakers decide to finally trade him in the next months.
1. Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Irving is one of the most controversial players in the last 20 years. Recently, NBA insider Bill Simmons revealed the Brooklyn Nets tried to trade Kyrie Irving in the last few weeks, and that he probably knows that. If there is a player that is more likely to be traded to a contender, it’s Irving for multiple reasons. For starters, Irving has caused major distractions by missing games due to the vaccine and his post promoting anti-Semitism. He is also in the final year of his contract while Durant has four years left at a high cost.
Right now, the Nets used former head coach Steve Nash as their scapegoat. The Nets have the Wizards, Hornets, Mavericks, Knicks, Clippers, Lakers, Kings, Trail Blazers, Grizzlies, 76ers, Raptors, Pacers, and Magic on their schedule. While that schedule looks favorable, so does the personnel on the team’s roster. At 2-6, the team has a lot to make up for in the standings. If the team doesn’t win games, the frustration will build and it could lead to Irving being traded for anything that could make the Nets better right now.
The biggest question is where the Nets should trade Kyrie Irving and who wants to take the risk and land the controversial player? The Lakers are always a possible destination, because of LeBron James, but that means Russell Westbrook will become a teammate with Kevin Durant after six years. Another team that could be interested in Kyrie Irving could be the Miami Heat, but in that trade scenario, they have to send Kyle Lowry, Max Strus, and a future first-round pick. That could be a win-win trade for both teams.
Only time will show where Kyrie Irving will play next, and if he will stay with the Nets and try to win the championship after a very controversial four seasons in Brooklyn.
