Bobcats

The NBA released the remaining 25 players of the league's 75th anniversary team Thursday night on TNT.
Here is the official release from the NBA, which lists all 75 players that made the team and the people that voted on the NBA's top 75 players of all-time team:
"A total of 158 NBA championships and 730 NBA All-Star selections. &nbsp;A combined 110 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Awards and Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Awards. &nbsp;More than 1.5 million points scored.
Those are just some of the collective accomplishments of the players who comprise the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, which was announced across TNT and ESPN from Oct. 19-21 as the league tipped off its landmark 75th Anniversary Season.
The NBA 75th Anniversary Team was selected by a blue-ribbon panel of current and former NBA players, coaches, general managers and team and league executives, WNBA legends and sportswriters and broadcasters. &nbsp;Voters were asked to select the 75 Greatest Players in NBA History without regard to position. &nbsp;Panelists did not rank their selections. &nbsp;Current and former players were not allowed to vote for themselves.
As a result of a tie in the voting, the 75th Anniversary Team features 76 players. &nbsp;Team highlights include:
&bull; Eleven active players have been named to the 75th Anniversary Team: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Carmelo Anthony, Stephen Curry, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, James Harden, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook.
&bull; All 50 members of the NBA 50th Anniversary Team, which was named in 1996, have been selected to the 75th Anniversary Team.
&bull; The 75th Anniversary Team includes four players who played in the first NBA All-Star Game in 1951 (Paul Arizin, Bob Cousy, George Mikan and Dolph Schayes), the first winner of the Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award (Bob Pettit for the 1955-56 season) and the first winner of the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award (Jerry West for the 1969 NBA Finals).
&bull; Bill Russell joins Cousy, Mikan and Pettit as the only four players who have been named to all four NBA Anniversary Teams: the 25th Anniversary Team (10 players named), 35th Anniversary Team (11 players named), 50th Anniversary Team and 75th Anniversary Team. (The 25th Anniversary Team was the only one of the four teams that did not allow for the inclusion of active players at the time.)
&bull; Six international players from six countries and territories have been selected to the 75th Anniversary Team: Antetokounmpo (Greece), Tim Duncan (U.S. Virgin Islands), Patrick Ewing (Jamaica), Steve Nash (Canada), Dirk Nowitzki (Germany) and Hakeem Olajuwon (Nigeria).
&bull; The five NBA legends who are serving as ambassadors for the 75th Anniversary Season are part of the 75th Anniversary Team: Clyde Drexler, Magic Johnson, Nowitzki, Pettit and Oscar Robertson. Representing different eras of the league&rsquo;s history, the ambassadors will make appearances throughout the 2021-22 season and have a significant presence at NBA All-Star 2022 in Cleveland.
The NBA 75th Anniversary Team is listed below in alphabetical order, followed by the list of voters. &nbsp;The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst &amp; Young LLP. &nbsp;For player profiles on each member of the 75th Anniversary Team, click here and visit NBA.com/75."
<table style="width: 95.7926%; height: 464px;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 27px;">
<td style="text-align: center; width: 149.879%; height: 27px;" colspan="4" width="691">NBA 75TH ANNIVERSARY TEAM</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kareem Abdul-Jabbar</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Clyde Drexler</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Damian Lillard</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Scottie Pippen</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Ray Allen</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Tim Duncan</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Jerry Lucas</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Willis Reed</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Giannis Antetokounmpo</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kevin Durant</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Karl Malone</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Oscar Robertson</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Carmelo Anthony</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Julius Erving</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Moses Malone</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">David Robinson</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Nate Archibald</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Patrick Ewing</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Pete Maravich</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dennis Rodman</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Paul Arizin</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Walt Frazier</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bob McAdoo</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bill Russell</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Charles Barkley</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kevin Garnett</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kevin McHale</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dolph Schayes</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Rick Barry</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">George Gervin</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">George Mikan</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bill Sharman</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Elgin Baylor</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Hal Greer</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Reggie Miller</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">John Stockton</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dave Bing</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">James Harden</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Earl Monroe</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Isiah Thomas</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Larry Bird</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">John Havlicek</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Steve Nash</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Nate Thurmond</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kobe Bryant</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Elvin Hayes</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dirk Nowitzki</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Wes Unseld</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Wilt Chamberlain</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Allen Iverson</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Hakeem Olajuwon</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dwyane Wade</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bob Cousy</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">LeBron James</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bill Walton</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dave Cowens</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Magic Johnson</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Robert Parish</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Jerry West</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Billy Cunningham</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Sam Jones</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Chris Paul</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Russell Westbrook</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Stephen Curry</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Michael Jordan</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Gary Payton</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Lenny Wilkens</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Anthony Davis</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Jason Kidd</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Bob Pettit</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dominique Wilkins</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 23px;">
<td style="width: 27.0755%; height: 23px;" width="173">Dave DeBusschere</td>
<td style="width: 27.5653%; height: 23px;" width="173">Kawhi Leonard</td>
<td style="width: 19.6609%; height: 23px;" width="173">Paul Pierce</td>
<td style="width: 75.5776%; height: 23px;" width="173">James Worthy</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;
<table style="width: 97.1703%; height: 798px;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center; width: 170.677%;" colspan="4" width="719">NBA 75TH ANNIVERSARY TEAM VOTING PANEL</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Kareem Abdul-Jabbar</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Tim Duncan</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Jack McCallum</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">David Robinson</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Marv Albert</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">David DuPree</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Brian McIntyre</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Bill Russell</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">David Aldridge</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Wayne Embry</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Ann Meyers</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Bob Ryan</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Sam Amick</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Julius Erving</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Yoko Miyaji</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Bill Simmons</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Giannis Antetokounmpo</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Patrick Ewing</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Earl Monroe</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Sam Smith</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Steve Aschburner</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Walt Frazier</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Steve Nash</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Stephen A. Smith</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Charles Barkley</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">George Gervin</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Rachel Nichols</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Marc Spears</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Rick Barry</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Russ Granik</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Dirk Nowitzki</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Erik Spoelstra</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Howard Beck</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Becky Hammon</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">John Stockton</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Dave Bing</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Elvin Hayes</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Robert Parish</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Hannah Storm</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Sue Bird</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Ernie Johnson</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Candace Parker</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Sheryl Swoopes</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Carol Blazejowski</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Magic Johnson</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Chris Paul</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Isiah Thomas</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Mike Breen</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Sam Jones</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Bob Pettit</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Rod Thorn</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Doris Burke</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Michael Jordan</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Scottie Pippen</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Rudy Tomjanovich</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Jerry Colangelo</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Steve Kerr</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Gregg Popovich</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Peter Vecsey</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Doug Collins</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Bob Lanier</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Shaun Powell</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Bill Walton</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Cynthia Cooper</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Kara Lawson</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Ahmad Rashad</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Rick Welts</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Bob Costas</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Lisa Leslie</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Willis Reed</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Jerry West</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Dave Cowens</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Nancy Lieberman</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Tim Reynolds</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Michael Wilbon</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Billy Cunningham</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Zach Lowe</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Bill Rhoden</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Lenny Wilkens</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Stephen Curry</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Jerry Lucas</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Pat Riley</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">James Worthy</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Clyde Drexler</td>
<td style="width: 24.8663%;" width="180">Jackie MacMullan</td>
<td style="width: 24.5989%;" width="180">Oscar Robertson</td>
<td style="width: 96.613%;" width="180">Jeff Zillgitt</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Some notable snubs include Tracy McGrady, Bernard King, Alex English, Vince Carter, Tony Parker, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, Bob McAdoo, and Pau Gasol to just name a few. This list was part of the NBA's marketing campaign for the league's historic 75th season and will surely spark a conversation/debate amongst NBA fans all over the world.

The NBA released the final 25 players of the 75th anniversary team Thursday on TNT.

Final 25 members of NBA's 75th Anniversary Team announced

The NBA trade deadline is now nine days away, and while we can safely assume that all 30 teams want to get better, we must proceed expecting two teams --the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks -- to play big roles in dictating what the market will look like.
There are lots of big men available, and anybody who tells you that Andre Drummond or Hassan Whiteside or JaVale McGee would not make a difference in an Eastern Conference playoff series has not been paying attention. Or as Gregg Popovich would say: &ldquo;Living in a phone booth.&rdquo;
Also, those who assume the Knicks (with $15.7 million in cap space) are not in win-now mode do not understand Tom Thibodeau. The guy is married to a basketball, and he is anxious to do in New York what he was unable to do in Minnesota and, to a lesser degree, in Chicago.
And then we have the Celtics, who are sitting on the largest trade exception ($28.5 million) in NBA history and are worse off that they were a year ago when they made the Eastern Conference Finals. Danny Ainge cannot stand pat and expect to get past the Nets, Sixers, Bucks or Heat.
The rumor mill will be churning between now and March 25, and every contending team in the East will be scheming to make an addition that attacks the weaknesses of Brooklyn and Philadelphia, while every Western team will try to find a way to compete with the three-point shooting of the Utah Jazz and the depth and experience of the Los Angeles Lakers.
So let&rsquo;s go through the league alphabetically and assess each team&rsquo;s needs, expectations and expendables.
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ATLANTA HAWKS: Nate McMillan is 5-0 as head coach, and the most active team in the weeks leading up to training camp remains built (if fully healthy) to advance if all of the pieces can fit together with almost zero practice time. John Collins is entering restricted free agency and is not as productive as he was a year ago, but he makes just $4.1 million. Put him in a deal with Tony Snell, though, and those combined salaries equal $16.3 million, which can get you a nice player.
BOSTON CELTICS: What made them special a year ago was the ability to get offensive production from three All-Star caliber starters: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward. But Hayward is gone, Enes Kanter is doing big things in Portland (remember how he was a game-changer for Boston in the postseason a year ago?) and Kemba Walker is shooting 38% in his 10th season. Standing pat is not an option.
BROOKLYN NETS: At some point they will need a third center to join DeAndre Jordan and Nicolas Claxton, but the buyout market or the China market (the CBA season ends before the NBA playoffs) may be the easiest way for Sean Marks to add an extra big body if they cannot get a big man whose contract fits into their $5.7 million disabled player exception. Spencer Dinwiddie is the only superfluous player on the roster, but he is out for the remainder of the season, and the Nets have no future draft picks to throw into a deal. They used them all in the Harden trade.
CHARLOTTE HORNETS: Michael Jordan&rsquo;s team is 100-1 to win the East despite having the lock for Rookie of the Year, a four-game winning streak and a roster chock full of young and hungry players who, for the most part, lack postseason experience. At a certain point, they have to realize they could have done better than Cody Zeller ($15.4 million) with the fourth pick of the 2013 draft. It might be time to sacrifice a future first-round pick or two to upgrade at center. Malik Monk has been playing well lately, otherwise, we would predict his imminent departure. The Hornets have an open roster spot and $4 million in cap room.
CHICAGO BULLS: It would be delusional of them to think they can advance beyond the first-round of the playoffs, which is why they have to consider getting a good young player from a contender in exchange for Thaddeus Young ($13.5 million), who is the leading candidate to finish a distant second to Jordan Clarkson in Sixth Man of the Year voting. &nbsp;Tomas Satoransky ($10 million this year and next year) is 29 years old and could be combined with Young to bring in a good young player. Here is an idea:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Who says no? <a href="https://t.co/Pc61DX8jQV">pic.twitter.com/Pc61DX8jQV</a>
&mdash; Chris Sheridan (@sheridanhoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/sheridanhoops/status/1371826941804883973?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2021</a></blockquote>

<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: Aside from the inevitable Drummond and McGee moves (best offers arrive at 2:59 p.m. on deadline day), Koby Altman will probably keep quiet after acquiring Jarrett Allen from the Nets and sending Kevin Porter Jr. to the Rockets. Kevin Love is going to be dead money for two more seasons and Cedi Osman is looking like he will be in the same category, though not quite as expensive. It&rsquo;ll be a long road back.
DALLAS MAVERICKS: They should be better than their record (20-18), but the West is tough. Dwight Powell ($11 million this season and the next two) is not worth what he is being paid and could be packaged with more future No. 1 picks (the Mavs can&rsquo;t trade their own first-round draft pick until 2025 because they owe the Knicks their 2021 and 2023 picks), if mortgaging the future is something Mark Cuban is cool with. Powell and James Johnson for Drummond works cap-wise.
DENVER NUGGETS: A rumor is out there that the Nuggets have spoken to the Magic about acquiring Aaron Gordon, and the price would include Bol Bol. They currently do not look like they have enough to come out of the West, and JaMychal Green has not been an adequate replacement for Jerami Grant. To a lesser degree than Boston, standing pat does not seem like the most prudent option. They have a $9.6 million trade exception, so expect them to make some sort of acquisition that improves the roster. They are one player away from being one player away.
DETROIT PISTONS: Troy Weaver might have already made his &ldquo;deadline deal&rdquo; in getting Hamidou Diallo from the Thunder. Wayne Ellington is superfluous, and one would think teams might like a 14-year veteran who shot 42% from three-point range with a manageable $1.6 million salary&hellip; But the Knicks couldn&rsquo;t find a taker for him a year ago.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: Limbo sucks, but Klay Thompson will be back next season. In the meantime, the best they can do is hope that the Wolves&rsquo; pick is not top three and they can get another high lottery pick to put next to James Wiseman for the years ahead. Kelly Oubre Jr., Kent Bazemore, Brad Wanamaker and Marquese Chriss are all on expiring contracts. Their combined salaries total $20.6 million. The Warriors can acquire a player into Thompson&rsquo;s $9.25 million disabled player exception.
HOUSTON ROCKETS: We are seeing a flurry of Victor Oladipo trade rumors, which is strange because he was the biggest piece they got in the Harden trade. If they are disappointed in him (and his expiring $21 million contract) they must not have been watching Pacers playoffs games the past few seasons. Kevin Porter Jr. was a nice pickup, and Rafael Stone is probably on the hunt for another player who has worn out his welcome for non-basketball reasons. P.J. Tucker is headed somewhere. Dante Exum (expiring $9.6 million contract) didn&rsquo;t quite work out for a fifth overall pick, eh?
INDIANA PACERS: Acquiring Caris LaVert for Oladipo as part of the Harden trade will go in Kevin Pritchard&rsquo;s trophy case, so the question now becomes &ldquo;What next?&rdquo; aside from waiting for T.J. Warren&rsquo;s broken foot to heal. They are in 10th place, which wasn&rsquo;t exactly what they had in mind for this season. Still, Indiana has a nice mix of players in their mid-to-late 20s. Doug McDermott (expiring $7.3 million) and T.J. McConnell (expiring $3.5 million) could be a useful shooter and pest duo for a playoff team willing to give up a draft pick and a matching expiring salary. Indiana is probably better off keeping both and rolling the dice in the play-in postseason.
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LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS: They have everything they need except the Lou Williams they had gotten used to over the past three seasons. His scoring average is down almost six points. Serge Ibaka (scoring average down 4.5 points) is showing his age at 31 and has a 15% trade kicker. Both still have plenty of playoff experience, but Jerry West likes to make trades when he can find the right ones. The Clippers are an interesting team to watch at the deadline because they have an open roster spot, but they are also within a $500,000 of the hard cap, which limits their options.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS: They need nothing except for Anthony Davis to be healthy, so the Lakers are the winner of the &ldquo;Most Unlikely To Make A Trade&rdquo; award. They are option No. 1 for pretty much everybody getting a buyout after the deadline.
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES: More than a year later, we are still trying to figure out the Justise Winslow acquisition. Taylor Jenkins&rsquo; rotation goes 10 deep, not including the team&rsquo;s highest-paid player in Gorgui Dieng -- $17.2 million. They are young and they are not a good team, yet they are still in contention for a play-in spot, so that incentivizes them to get creative.
MIAMI HEAT: The rule of thumb used to be &ldquo;Pat Riley hates making midseason trades,&rdquo; but he went out and got Andre Iguodala and Jae Crowder last season and built an NBA Finals team. So you would think they would be predisposed to tinker despite their recent run of 11 victories in 12 games. Kelly Olynyk ($12.6 million) and Moe Harkless ($3.6 million) are on expiring deals, and Avery Bradley is gathering dust. They can take on long-term money if the incoming player is worthy of it, but that would likely involve trading a starter (Olynyk). They also have a $7.5 million trade exception but owe Oklahoma City two first-round picks.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS: Veteran Bucks writer <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/podcasts/the-sheridan-show/episodes/basketballnews-com-episode-16-gery-woelfel-on-milwaukee-bucks-chances,-possible-trade,-other-east-contender">Gery Woelful said on my most recent podcast</a> that he fully expects the Bucks to try to find an upgrade from Donte DiVincenzo at shooting guard. The salaries of DiVincenzo and D.J. Wilson add up to $7.5 million, and it is hard to see Jon Horst moving anyone else on this roster. They are not last year&rsquo;s Bucks, but they theoretically have enough to get to the NBA Finals. They are very close to the hard cap and cannot trade any more picks after using so many in the Jrue Holiday acquisition.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: The team is for sale, so do not expect Gersson Rosas to take on any long-term money. They have already changed coaches, and they have nothing anybody would want except for Karl Anthony-Towns, who isn&rsquo;t going anywhere. Okay, they have Ed Davis, who may be somebody&rsquo;s consolation prize as contending teams search for bigs. Nominations for the Dumpster Fire Award are now closed.
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS: Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram are not available. You can safely assume that everyone else is, and David Griffin does not need to hold anybody else up because he already did that to Horst. This was not supposed to be a throwaway season, but it is. The Pelicans would like to get J.J. Redick closer to his family, who live in Brooklyn. Exactly how close? Well, when Redick played for the Sixers, he commuted to Philadelphia. So &ldquo;close&rdquo; is a relative term. Boston is drivable from Brooklyn.
NEW YORK KNICKS: As mentioned above, they are the team to watch most closely. They can take on long-term money if the incoming player is someone who can tolerate Thibodeau&rsquo;s coaching style, and they would bring in a player on an expiring contract if they believed that player&rsquo;s Bird rights would be of value over the summer. Leon Rose is one year away from having a top-three team in the East if he plays his cards right a week from Thursday.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: Sam Presti likely has George Hill, Trevor Ariza and Mike Muscala available to the highest bidders. Hill was an important piece of the Bucks last season and could help a playoff team needing a bench shooter and veteran voice in the locker room. At a certain point, Presti is going to have to package together some of the 20 extra first and second-round picks he has accumulated through trades, but that point is probably a couple of years away as the rebuild runs its course. Important: If Houston&rsquo;s pick is in the top four, the Thunder get it. Also, Presti has three trade exceptions; the largest is $27.6 million.
ORLANDO MAGIC:&nbsp; Aaron Gordon trade rumors are everywhere, which makes sense because the time to cash in on their seven-year investment is now. They need to get younger and acquire assets to build around Markelle Fultz, Nikola Vucevic and Jonathan Isaac. Their ceiling should not be the kind of first-round exits they have been producing the past two seasons, and they have not won a single playoff series since 2009-10. So, it would be shocking to see them keep Gordon, who is only 25 years old and can bring a lot in return. Gordon is a good guy who needs a change of scenery and deserves one. Same goes for Evan Fournier.
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS: They wanted James Harden and did not get him, and Doc Rivers still somehow kept Ben Simmons committed to the team. That is pretty huge, because players who know they have been shopped usually resent it. They are in first place in the East and have a roster with the proper pieces to match up with Brooklyn. Mike Scott&rsquo;s expiring $5 million deal and the Knicks&rsquo; 2021 second-round pick are Elton Brand&rsquo;s most movable trade assets, but Scott has been playing well lately. Terrence Ferguson, Vincent Poirier and Tony Bradley are on expiring contracts but would bring little in return.
PHOENIX SUNS: Acquiring Chris Paul checked the &ldquo;monster trade&rdquo; box, and the NBA&rsquo;s most overachieving team will likely abide by the &ldquo;If It Ain&rsquo;t Broke, Don&rsquo;t Fix It&rdquo; rule. That being said, if an on-the-ball defender capable of defending LeBron James is out there somewhere, you kick the tires on just about anything that does not include Devin Booker, DeAndre Ayton and Chris Paul. Ariza would seem to be a fit.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS: Like Dallas, they should be better than their record&hellip; and would be if C.J. McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic had not gotten injured. At full strength, they are going to be a tough out in the postseason. Gary Trent Jr. is on an expiring contract and they may fear losing him, so keep that in mind with these guys. They are sleepers.
SACRAMENTO KINGS: What they can get for Whiteside will be interesting to see, because he was killing it for the Blazers last season. Then, Nurkic returned in the bubble. Whiteside does not exactly have the best reputation around the league, which is why he played in Lebanon and China before resurrecting his career. There are also a lot of Harrison Barnes rumors out there, and like the Magic and Gordon, it may be time for the Kings to cash in on the three-year investment they made in Barnes after acquiring him from Dallas. He makes $22.2 million. Does Nemanja Bjelica have any value? Same question has to be asked of Jabari Parker.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS: The LaMarcus Aldridge era is in its final days, and you have to wonder if the Patty Mills era is, too. Derrick White is signed long-term and Dejounte Murray is damn good. The expiring contracts of Aldridge and Mills add up to $37.2 million, and if you include Rudy Gay&rsquo;s expiring deal that number becomes $51.2 million. They are 20-16, yet, as currently constituted, not good enough to do much in the postseason. R.C. Buford wins the award for the league executive most overdue to make a trade.
TORONTO RAPTORS: The name that is out there now is Kyle Lowry, who has spent nine seasons of his 16-year career playing for the team that now calls Tampa its home. Having lost five in a row and sitting in 11th place in the Leastern Conference, Masai Ujiri must determine whether it is time to turn Lowry&rsquo;s expiring $30.5 million contract into something of value. At 35 years old, Lowry can still play and, percentage wise, is hitting threes, twos and free throws better than he has over the past four seasons. But this would not be a giveaway, and a sign-and-trade in the offseason is still possible.
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UTAH JAZZ: Like Phoenix, the &ldquo;If It Ain&rsquo;t Broke , Don&rsquo;t Dix It&rdquo; rule applies. They are in first place in the West, are making threes better than anybody and have Rudy Gobert finding new and incredible ways to never, ever be mentioned in the MVP debate. None of their nine rotation players is going anywhere, and no one else on the roster has either a big contract or much trade value. Still, someone on the team could be a giveaway because the Jazz are $1.9 million over the luxury tax line. They have already traded five of their next seven second-round picks (they don&rsquo;t have one until 2025).
WASHINGTON WIZARDS: You&rsquo;ve got to feel bad for Tommy Sheppard, one of the best guys and better GMs in the league -- he was able to turn John Wall into Russell Westbrook but then lost Thomas Bryant and had his team put on ice because of COVID issues. They are now playing the busiest second-half schedule of any Eastern Conference team, and they theoretically have a puncher&rsquo;s chance against practically anyone in the conference if Westbrook keeps triple-doubling (he leads the league with 11). But they have lost four in a row and rank 12th. Robin Lopez and his expiring $7.3 million contract is their best trade asset. If they combined Lopez with Ish Smith&rsquo;s expiring contract, that totals $13.3 million.

With one week before the NBA's trade deadline, Chris Sheridan previews what could be in store for all 30 of the league's teams.

What to expect from all 30 NBA teams ahead of the Trade Deadline

The Denver Nuggets capped off the season with their first Western Conference Finals berth since the Carmelo Anthony Era. Nikola Jokic further solidified himself as a superstar, while Jamal Murray broke ankles and tossed flames en route to a memorable playoff run. Knocking off the highly-touted LA Clippers in the second round was the height of the run, made even more impressive once you consider the Nuggets were without arguably their third best player in Will Barton for the entirety of the series (and playoff run).
Now, the fun part begins.
The Nuggets have their young core in place with Jokic, Murray and Michael Porter Jr. Filling in the blanks will be the hard part, with a trio of important frontcourt pieces set to test the free-agent waters. There&rsquo;s no real avenue to cap space without renouncing literally everyone; expect the Nuggets to operate as an over-the-cap team and utilize their non-taxpayer mid-level exception (worth over $9 million). The always-informative Keith Smith has a more thorough breakdown of their cap situation, which you can find <a href="https://www.slamonline.com/nba/denver-nuggets-salary-cap-space-2020-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.&nbsp;
Let&rsquo;s take a look at some guys they&rsquo;ll look to bring back, as well as some targets that could help them come back stronger than ever.
Key In-House Decisions
Jerami Grant*: Bring Him Back
I&rsquo;m not sure the Nuggets can afford to lose Grant. After sending a first-rounder to OKC to acquire him, Grant responded by averaging 12 points while shooting nearly 39 percent from three and by providing value as a multi-positional defender. He uses his athleticism well on both ends, thriving as a cutter alongside Jokic and taking on various defensive assignments on the other end. Grant has a $9.3 million player option, but I&rsquo;d assume he opts out to test the market. Lock him up for the rest of his prime.
Paul Millsap: Bring Him Back
Millsap slipped a bit, sometimes laboring while operating as Denver&rsquo;s back-line defender in the team's aggressive pick-and-roll scheme. Still, he&rsquo;s able to hold his own against power wings and fours and still provides a little bit of everything on offense. He&rsquo;s coming off the best shooting seasonof his career (43.5 percent from three), though that came on limited volume. He can mash smaller players on the block, and can flow between rolling and popping in pick-and-roll. The Nuggets should be able to bring him back at a third of the price he had last season ($30 million), if not less than that because of his age and a likely smaller role.
Mason Plumlee: Let Him Walk
Plumlee is a perfectly fine backup who inexplicably has Team USA experience to boot. He's a nifty high-post passer, reliable lob threat and fine rebounder. There&rsquo;s room to bring him back if the price isn&rsquo;t wild, but there are better free agents on the market that would likely demand less than Plumlee would.&nbsp;
Torrey Craig*: Circle Back Later
Craig is a good perimeter defender, though the issue is that perimeter defense may be his only legitimate NBA skill. He&rsquo;s a woeful shooter and doesn&rsquo;t possess the on-ball chops to compensate even as a secondary attacker. Playoff teams will continue to ignore him offensively. He&rsquo;d need to be an elite perimeter defender to make him worth the trouble, and he certainly isn&rsquo;t that.&nbsp;
Craig is a restricted free agent, with a cap hold worth a little more than the minimum. It&rsquo;s hard to imagine anyone splurging to pry him out of Denver. Do some shopping on the wing market, then come back if nothing materializes.&nbsp;
Free Agent Guards 
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Bargains: Tyler Johnson, Michael Carter-Williams
Johnson had a pretty quiet regular-season campaign, kicking things off in Phoenix before finding his way to the Brooklyn Nets mid-season. Johnson performed well in the postseason, averaging a shade under 14 points while unloading the clip from deep (39.3 percent on 7.0 attempts). He&rsquo;s a fearless driver and underrated rebounder; he isn&rsquo;t afraid of mixing it up with bigger players.
Carter-Williams had a bit of a resurgence in Orlando. His jumper still hasn&rsquo;t come around (career-high 29.3 percent from three last season), though he did a better job of getting to the rim, and he has the passing chops to beat rotating defenses. The real appeal comes on the other end. Williams is able to defend 1-through-3, which makes him an ideal partner alongside Murray or Monte Morris whenever they&rsquo;d play together.
Free Agent Wings 
Mid-Tier Options: Wes Matthews, Justin Holiday
There&rsquo;s a case to be made that Matthews could accept another minimum deal from a contender, either remaining in Milwaukee or going elsewhere. There&rsquo;s an even stronger case to be made that he&rsquo;s earned himself a pay day.
Matthews routinely took on the most demanding perimeter defensive assignments throughout the regular season, while knocking down over 36 percent of his threes on decent volume. He then upped the ante in the postseason, something that the Heat -- and Jimmy Butler specifically -- got a first-hand look at. Matthews would quickly become Denver&rsquo;s best perimeter defender and a welcome addition to that locker room as a respected veteran.
Holiday is more 3-and-Decent than 3-and-D, but he&rsquo;s coming off of the best shooting season of his career (40.5 percent from three-point range on 4.5 attempts) while being a credible option against twos and threes. He&rsquo;d boost Denver&rsquo;s transition attack. Considering how willing of an off-ball mover he is, the fit alongside Jokic is a snug one.
Bargains: Garrett Temple*, Wilson Chandler
Temple would give the Nuggets a plus, multi-positional defender with a solid three-point stroke (35.3 percent over the past five seasons). The asterisk is present on Temple's name because the Nets hold a $5 million team option on him, though it&rsquo;d come as no surprise if they let Temple walk to free up tax room to bring back Joe Harris. 
Chandler has been a Nugget before, has the size to defend either forward spot and is only a season removed from a solid three-point showing (37.3 percent on 3.1 attempts during the 2018-19 season). It&rsquo;s worth noting a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/29/sports/basketball/nets-wilson-chandler-suspended.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PED suspension</a> derailed his stint in Brooklyn this past season, though it&rsquo;s unclear how much that will affect his market this offseason.
Free Agent Forwards
Mid-Tier Options: Jae Crowder, Derrick Jones Jr.
The early bet is that Crowder remains in Miami. He loves it there, and the Heat possess his Bird Rights, giving them the opportunity to give him a bloated one-year deal to preserve 2021 cap space.
If Crowder wants more security, the Nuggets could toss their MLE at him. Crowder defended all types of players during his stint in Miami, though most of his time was spent defending fours. Having another body to throw at a guy like Anthony Davis should appeal to the Nuggets. The three-point shooting runs hot and cold, but you live on that roller coaster with the defense Crowder brings to the table.
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Jones Jr. is a different case altogether. Like Crowder, he loves it in Miami and has a strong relationship with Bam Adebayo in particular. Unlike Crowder, Jones' defensive profile is a little more perimeter-based; he&rsquo;s better at using his length to hound guards instead of banging with frontcourt options.
Jones is an explosive athlete, an incredible lob threat and offensive rebounder with a silly catch radius. The issue is that he just hasn&rsquo;t figured anything out with the ball in his hands. After shooting nearly 37 percent on corner threes last season, that percentage plummeted to 22.5 percent last year. He can&rsquo;t dribble, and the passing leaves quite a bit to be desired. There&rsquo;s some untapped potential as a cutter, something that Jokic could help unlock, but there&rsquo;s reason to question his playoff value right now.&nbsp;
Still, he doesn&rsquo;t turn 24 until February and there are quite a bit of tools to work with. Using a portion of the MLE to bring him in could be a smart gamble.
Bargains: Lance Thomas, Mo Harkless, Luc Mbah a Moute, Carmelo Anthony
Lance Thomas has flown under the radar for years as a sneaky-solid forward defender that can knock down open threes. He&rsquo;s converted 38.5 percent of his triples over the past five seasons, though that comes on limited volume. He&rsquo;d be a solid get as a ninth man to get you through the regular season.
Harkless is a credible defender of threes and fours, though his jumper has always been the swing skill of his effectiveness. He&rsquo;s never been a high-volume guy and even with that caveat, he has shot over 35 percent from three-point range in just three of his eight seasons. He can provide value as an eighth man during the regular season.
Mbah a Moute has fallen victim to his own body, with injuries derailing his last three seasons. It&rsquo;s probably far-fetched to expect his 2017-18 form, but he could serve as a nice &ldquo;break-glass-in-case-of-emergency&rdquo; defender during the season.&nbsp;
Melo would be a nice bench scorer for the Nuggets, huh? (Laughs) I&rsquo;m kidding, I&rsquo;m kidding. He isn&rsquo;t coming back.
Free Agent Bigs
Mid-Tier Options: Dwight Howard
You can probably rule this out just because of the ill-will Howard seems to have for Jokic. From purely an on-court perspective, Howard would make sense. He was one of the NBA&rsquo;s most productive bench bigs, averaging 7.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 18.9 minutes per game. Fouls were a problem, but Howard can provide a brand of rebounding, rim finishing and post defense that Plumlee doesn&rsquo;t, even if the high post passing would take a hit.
Bargains: JaVale McGee, Harry Giles
McGee remains one of the NBA&rsquo;s top lob threats, equipped with solid leaping ability and a silly catch radius. He uses those limbs to putback misses and swat shots on the other end. Fouls and an inability to navigate space limit his ceiling, though he&rsquo;d only be needed for 12-15 minutes to spell Jokic.
Giles has a bit of an injury history, dating back to his high-school days. Multiple lower-body injuries have sapped some of his athleticism, and he&rsquo;s still a fluid, jumpy big who can feast in transition. The intrigue lies in his on-ball skill; he&rsquo;s quietly one of the better passing big men in the league already. There&rsquo;s some serious &ldquo;throw-it-to-him-in-the-high-post-and-let-him-do-stuff&rdquo; potential waiting to be untapped, which fits pretty snugly into the Nuggets&rsquo; ethos. It would be fun to watch him and Monte Morris make sweet music against opposing bench units.

Nekias Duncan breaks down the Nuggets' own free-agent decisions and suggests some players that Denver should target at each position.

2020 Free Agency Preview: Denver Nuggets

The 2019-20 campaign -- bubble escapades and all -- has finally concluded. As such, it&rsquo;s time to shift to the most hectic time of the year: transaction season.
We&rsquo;re not exactly sure what the financial climate will be like this offseason; the impacts of COVID and, to a lesser extent, one particularly <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/daryl-morey-tweet-controversy-nba-china-explained/togzszxh37fi1mpw177p9bqwi">controversial tweet</a>, are still being sorted out. We do have some reasonable projections <a href="https://www.slamonline.com/nba/nba-salary-cap-comparison-2020/">via Keith Smith</a> that show six teams with significant cap space in the coming months.
This offseason, in particular, is an interesting one. On top of a handful of teams having meaningful space to navigate (if they so choose), there&rsquo;s also the balancing act teams are executing: trying to improve while maintaining financial flexibility for the vaunted 2021 free agency class that could include Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
Another player on that list is Victor Oladipo, whose presence could alter quite a bit over the next 12 months. He&rsquo;s set to test the market next offseason, but there are indications that he may want out of Indiana <a href="https://www.slamonline.com/nba/victor-oladipo-looking-to-move-on-from-pacers/">sooner than that</a>.&nbsp;
The jury is out on Oladipo. At his best, he&rsquo;s an All-NBA-caliber talent who can give you 25 and snatch cookies on the other end. His 2017-18 campaign saw him slap up a 23-5-4-2-1 line while nearly leading his Pacers to a first-round upset over the LeBron-led Cleveland Cavaliers. Unfortunately, we&rsquo;re two years -- and a few injuries -- away from that campaign.
Our last sighting of Oladipo came in this year&rsquo;s postseason. He looked fine tracking guys like Duncan Robinson around screens and shot north of 36 percent from three on a heavy diet of pull-ups. He also struggled to <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/o/oladivi01.html#playoffs_shooting::none">get to the rim</a>, and struggled to finish when he got there.&nbsp;
The shooting will likely be the swing skill for Oladipo. He has converted 33.4 percent of his threes over the past two seasons, though that comes on 1) a &ldquo;meh&rdquo; sample size (55 games, 320 total attempts) and 2) a steady diet of pull-ups as he worked his way back.
Very quietly, Oladipo shot 37 percent on catch-and-shoots over that span, and has converted at that same clip over 849 attempts since 2015-16, per NBA.com&rsquo;s <a href="https://stats.nba.com/player/203506/">tracking data</a>. There&rsquo;s enough evidence present to suggest Oladipo can space the floor and attack in a secondary role.
Maybe Oladipo isn&rsquo;t a number-one option on a good playoff team, but he&rsquo;s someone that can inject a contender with a boost of secondary offense (with potential for more) and perimeter defense. If he is going to be moved, here are some teams that should come calling.&nbsp;
(Keep in mind that Oladipo&rsquo;s injury concerns and one-year rental status would impact his trade value. All trades have been tested via <a href="https://tradenba.com/trade-machine">tradenba.com</a>.)&nbsp;
Miami Heat
The Heat are fresh off a miracle run to the Finals, though you can&rsquo;t tell them this was <a href="https://www.fivereasonssports.com/voices/how-erik-spoelstra-transformed-the-heats-offense/">anything but planned</a>. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo (when relatively healthy) led the way with two-way brilliance, while the Heat&rsquo;s feisty hodgepodge of role players filled the gaps. They&rsquo;ve gone from an annoying second-round-ish team to a legitimate contender overnight, and expectations have risen as such. They&rsquo;re still primed to strike in 2021, but there&rsquo;s more incentive to make a win-now move if it doesn&rsquo;t cost them too much in the future.
It&rsquo;s easy to see the fit with Oladipo defensively. While the Heat can and should be lauded for the way they shifted between defensive schemes all season, it&rsquo;s only fair to point out that a not-insignificant portion of that decision was forced by their personnel. They struggled to contain shifty guards all season long. Their point guard stable -- Kendrick Nunn and Goran Dragic -- struggled to fight over screens, which would put the rest of the defense in rotation to compensate.
Adding Oladipo is an easy way to alleviate that concern, and would allow the Heat to go back to their traditional drop defense. Oladipo&rsquo;s ability to read passes also makes him prime to operate at the top or edge of Miami&rsquo;s match-up zone, and can hang with some power wings in a pinch whenever the Heat go switch-heavy.&nbsp;
The offensive fit is more of a concern, though there&rsquo;s room for optimism thanks to his ability to spot up. His shooting could help open some driving lanes for Butler and Adebayo. The presence of those two could take the pressure off of Oladipo to create against set defenses.
Starter Offer: Kelly Olynyk, Kendrick Nunn, KZ Okpala, 20th pick of the 2020 NBA draft
Salary relief and cost-controlled assets are the name of the game for this package.&nbsp;
Olynyk is a serviceable big man who can operate as a first-unit spacer, or a second-unit high-post hub. His role will likely depend on how real the noise around Myles Turner is. If Turner isn&rsquo;t moved, you&rsquo;d be hard pressed to find a better third big option.&nbsp;
Before a nightmarish slump in the bubble, Nunn was one of the NBA&rsquo;s better rookies, ranking third among first-timers in scoring (15.3 points). There were hints of a three-level scorer shown, though he relies on his pull-up to set up the rest of his game. In theory, his spacing could provide a nice complement to the no-nonsense driving of Malcolm Brogdon.
Okpala is the real wildcard. His rookie campaign was halted with an Achilles injury, but he showed real flashes as an off-ball defender and slasher in the G-League and in limited minutes on the parent club.
This is an underwhelming package for someone of Oladipo&rsquo;s peak talent. Once you factor in injury concerns, Oladipo&rsquo;s expiring deal and the flexibility the Heat want to maintain for 2021, it wouldn&rsquo;t be a shock for them to start the negotiations pretty low.
Last Ditch Offer: Duncan Robinson, Kelly Olynyk, Kendrick Nunn
The Heat would obviously love to make a deal without including any of their top four assets: Adebayo, Butler, Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson.&nbsp;
Of the four, though, Robinson seems to be the most expendable. He&rsquo;s one of the NBA&rsquo;s most dangerous movement shooters; his partnership with Adebayo in dribble handoffs is one of the deadliest dances in the sport right now. Potentially moving him for a rental can be seen as malpractice.
The counter: Much of the actions Robinson thrived in -- traditional handoffs, quick pitch-backs in semi transition, Chicago action -- can be run with Herro, with more on-ball creation upside. Including Robinson in a deal could allow the Heat to keep their draft picks, which could be used to replace Nunn (hello, Tyrese Maxey!), Robinson (hello, Desmond Bane!), or as a sweetener in a different deal.
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Los Angeles Lakers
The &ldquo;We Believe&rdquo; Lakers are fresh off of their first title since &hellip; [checks notes] &hellip; 2010? Seriously? Wow.&nbsp;
Anyway.&nbsp;
The Lakers were able to win behind their Big Two of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, conservatively regarded as two of the six or so best players in the NBA right now. The human carousel affectionately known as &ldquo;the Lakers&rsquo; third best player&rdquo; changed about as often as the weather. Solidifying that distinction could go a long way to strengthening their repeat chances.
Oladipo would certainly fit the bill.&nbsp;
Starter Offer: Danny Green, Kyle Kuzma
Green remains one of the better team defenders in the NBA, as well as someone who can defend either wing spot credibly. His three-point shooting fell from his career-high mark last season, but he&rsquo;s still a tremendous spot-up shooter and an even more dangerous relocation threat.
Kuzma was (almost predictably) inconsistent as he adjusted from a moderately high-usage guy to a role player getting in wherever he could fit in. There was growth as a perimeter defender, particularly in the postseason. There is a 2.5-level scorer in Kuzma if you look closely enough; he is a strong finisher and has comfort operating in the midpost. His three-point stroke just hasn&rsquo;t gotten back to his rookie-year levels, which complicates his long-term potential.
If the shot does come around or at least settles in at average, Kuzma is an intriguing scoring prospect with better-than-advertised defensive acumen. He can be slotted in as a 3 or 4, depending on whatever frontcourt moves the Pacers make this offseason, and flourish moving forward.
Last Ditch Offer: Danny Green, Kyle Kuzma, Talen Horton-Tucker, 28th pick of the 2020 draft
There&rsquo;s a little more in the treasure chest for the Lakers to offer. Their first-rounder could net the Pacers one of the many &ldquo;he&rsquo;ll-be-good-if-he-just&rdquo; wing prospects in this year&rsquo;s class. Horton-Tucker is one of the more unique youngsters in the league already; a chiseled 6&rsquo;4 guard with a massive 7&rsquo;1 wingspan who&rsquo;s equipped with enough ball skills to make you go, &ldquo;Hmmm&hellip;&rdquo;&nbsp;
Unfortunately for the Lakers, they&rsquo;re still behind the 8-ball in terms of assets and would likely be outbid by more serious suitors.
Dallas Mavericks
The Luka Doncic-led Mavericks made their return to the postseason behind, statistically, the greatest offense in NBA history. Doncic pick-and-rolled his way into rim forays and stepback jimmies; Kristaps Porzingis pick-and-popped his way into triple after triple. Gunners like Tim Hardaway Jr. and Seth Curry thrived off of the open looks created by the Doncic-Porzingis tango.&nbsp;
The next step for Dallas is finding someone to take some on-ball pressure off of Doncic, and to improve their perimeter defense as a whole. This is where Oladipo can come into play.
Starter Offer: Delon Wright, Dwight Powell, 18th pick of the 2020 draft
Wright had a smaller role than anticipated in his first year in Dallas, only starting five games and averaging a shade under 22 minutes a night. Still, he provided solid perimeter defense across multiple positions, and showcased some improved craft in pick-and-roll. Wright pick-and-rolls (including passes) generated a little over 1.08 points per possession, per Synergy. Wright can slot in nicely alongside Malcolm Brogdon, and there&rsquo;s enough size between the two of them to throw out three-guard lineups with those two plus Aaron Holiday.
Powell is one of the more underrated bench bigs in the league, an elite roll option in ball screens and solid positional defender. There may be some hesitancy in taking on the remainder of his contract, especially with him coming off an Achilles injury, but that concern can be somewhat alleviated by the acquisition of the 18th pick.
Last Ditch Offer: Jalen Brunson, Tim Hardaway Jr., 31st pick of the 2020 draft
Upping the ante would be going with a more cost-controlled option in Brunson, a former Naismith Player of the Year award winner, and Hardaway Jr. Brunson is a shifty pick-and-roll guard with legit scoring chops. Hardaway Jr. is coming off his most efficient season as a pro, posting career highs in three-point percentage (39.8) and True Shooting percentage (58.1).
It would hurt to lose the playmaking of Brunson, the shooting of Hardaway Jr, and what amounts to a late first, but there&rsquo;s enough shooting and playmaking on the roster as is. Being able to keep the 18th pick would allow the Mavericks to replace one of the guards being lost, while also adding Oladipo&rsquo;s two-way prowess to the fray.&nbsp;
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Milwaukee Bucks
Another year, another disappointing second-round exit for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Once again, the Bucks had the best record in the league behind an MVP campaign from Giannis Antetokounmpo. And once again, a versatile, well-coached group was able to capitalize on the Bucks&rsquo; inflexibility and lack of supporting on-ball juice.&nbsp;
This is a big offseason for rather obvious reasons. Giannis is up for a supermax extension. The Bucks will offer it, because of course they will. It&rsquo;s fair to assume that Giannis will turn it down, forcing the Bucks&rsquo; hands in a way. They need to show him they&rsquo;re serious about making a big splash to improve the roster, especially since they&rsquo;re a year removed from losing Brogdon.
Oladipo may not be Chris Paul, but he would be a nice consolation prize, one that could take much-needed pressure off of Giannis and Khris Middleton.
Starter Offer: Eric Bledsoe, DJ Wilson, 24th pick of the 2020 draft
Bledsoe is a polarizing figure. On one hand, he&rsquo;s legitimately one of the best defenders in the league. There aren&rsquo;t many, if any, players who can avoid screens the way he can. He&rsquo;s also one of the NBA&rsquo;s best drivers, able to slither into the lane almost at will, then use his strong base to dislodge off-balance defenders.
On the other, Bledsoe has wilted in each of the past three postseasons. His inconsistent jumper leaves him at the wrong times, and his decision making comes and goes like his jumper does. He&rsquo;s objectively a good player on a fine contract, and there&rsquo;s a fit (and familiarity) alongside Brogdon in a potential Pacers backcourt.
Wilson is an interesting big who&rsquo;s been buried on the bench for &hellip; well, your guess is as good as mine. It&rsquo;s worth exploring how real his three-point stroke is, and how switchable he can be defensively. If either of those skills stick, there&rsquo;s a useful role player there for the taking. If both hit, Wilson projects as an ideal frontcourt partner alongside Turner or Domantas Sabonis moving forward. Adding a first-rounder would allow the Pacers to go wing hunting for cheap.
Last Ditch Offer: George Hill, Donte DiVincezo, Ersan Ilyasova&nbsp;
If the Pacers aren&rsquo;t keen on potentially three years of Bledsoe, they could ask for Hill back. An elite spot-up shooter, solid defender across both guard spots and good decision-maker, Hill could flourish in an off-ball role alongside Brogdon.&nbsp;
DiVincezo has equity as a driver, and has already proven to be one of the better screen-avoiders in the league on the other end. The jumper is his swing skill, but he has the skill-set and size to float between three positions in a pinch. Ilyasova serves as cap filler here, but his shooting makes him a solid option as a back-up 4, flanking either Turner or Sabonis as a stretch option.

Nekias Duncan looks at four potential destinations for Victor Oladipo if the Indiana Pacers decide to trade their All-Star this offseason.