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The Feb. 10 NBA trade deadline is close enough that you can hear the vibrations of incoming text messages and the subsequent cries of indignation or jubilation.
The countdown to the upcoming buzzer is objectively enthralling, but the trade rumblings can start to feel stale when the same hypothetical deals are discussed over and over.
Consider this a curveball to re-ignite your excitement—or, just as likely, to give you a new reason to yell at someone. Either way, we’re out to spin some new angles on some of trade season’s top targets with a fresh batch of suitors and offers.
Some swaps would need a few I’s dotted and T’s crossed before being finalized (more specifically, roster spots would have to be created), but the basic framework laid out here would drive the deals.
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Sacramento Kings receive: John Collins
Atlanta Hawks receive: Harrison Barnes and Davion Mitchell
Sacramento is, as always, stuck in the mud, and Atlanta has spent most of this season seeming ripe for change, although maybe its seven-game winning streak has changed that tune.
Still, the Hawks have encountered enough turbulence with Collins, who has reportedly “grown increasingly frustrated over his role,” per The Athletic’s Shams Charania, to imagine they already want out from under the five-year, $125 million pact he inked this offseason. To that end, B/R’s Jake Fischer recently reported Atlanta may only be seeking “a valuable first-round pick and a starting-caliber player” for Collins.
Sacramento’s offer here might measure up. Harrison Barnes could seamlessly slide into Atlanta’s starting lineup with the three-ball and defensive versatility needed to make life easier on his teammates. He and De’Andre Hunter could cover a ton of real estate defensively while serving in interchangeable offensive roles at the forward spots.
While the offer lacks an actual first-round pick, Davion Mitchell is less than a calendar year removed from being the ninth overall pick. His defense has been as advertised—the Kings allow 7.9 fewer points per 100 possessions when he’s on the floor—and he could help hide Trae Young at that end. Mitchell’s offense has been slower to come around, but there are reasons to believe he’ll eventually pop as a shot-maker and shot-creator.
As for the Kings, they’re desperate for some direction amid their record-tying 15-year playoff drought. Picking up a cornerstone piece like Collins—who, at 24, is only a year older than Mitchell—could be a step in that direction. Collins can hit the burners in transition with De’Aaron Fox and form dynamic pick-and-roll (or pick-and-pop) combos with him and Tyrese Haliburton.
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Ringo H.W. Chiu/Associated Press
Los Angeles Clippers receive: Domantas Sabonis and Justin Holiday
Indiana Pacers receive: Luke Kennard, Ivica Zubac, Keon Johnson, Brandon Boston Jr. and 2028 first-round pick
The Clippers are on a time crunch, and that’s true regardless if Paul George (elbow) and Kawhi Leonard (knee) return at any point in the second half of the season. Even if L.A.’s stars are down for the count, the Clippers will go head-first back into title-or-bust territory once next season tips with their 30-something stars back in action.
That’s why L.A. should think long and hard about brokering an impact blockbuster now, even if the odds of instant gratification look discouraging.
If the Clippers can find players who can bolster their championship chances going forward, that’s a move to at least mull over. Since their 2022 first-rounder already belongs to the Oklahoma City Thunder (sans any protection), they aren’t at risk of spoiling their draft lottery luck.
Domantas Sabonis, whom the Indiana Pacers reportedly made available in December, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Bob Kravitz, would shine bright as the Clippers’ third star. His penchant for passing would scratch one of the club’s biggest itches, and he could operate as anything from the third scorer to the featured option depending on the night.
Conversely, L.A. should have the floor-spacers and versatile defenders needed to mask Sabonis’ shortcomings in those areas. Adding the rock-solid Justin Holiday in the exchange would give the Clippers yet another shape-shifting swingman who makes open shots and defends multiple positions.
The Pacers, meanwhile, would walk away from this deal with pieces to help them now and down the line. Luke Kennard and Ivica Zubac are plug-and-play pickups. Brandon Boston Jr. has already flashed drool-worthy upside, while Keon Johnson offers explosive athleticism and a lofty two-way ceiling. Add a distant future first from a vet-heavy club, and Indy could exit the swap with some valuable assets.
An executive recently told HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto it might take “a Nikola Vucevic type of package” to pry Sabonis out of the Circle City. Indiana could certainly conclude this offer meets that threshold.
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Frank Franklin II/Associated Press
Washington Wizards receive: Julius Randle
New York Knicks receive: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Rui Hachimura, Aaron Holiday and future first-round pick
The Wizards keep spinning their tires in the back end of the Eastern Conference’s midsection, as Bradley Beal keeps trudging toward unrestricted free agency, but there is virtually zero trade chatter coming out of D.C. If Washington really is holding onto Beal—and then presumably showering him with max money this summer—it must upgrade the roster around him.
Doing so on a budget won’t be easy, but maybe buying low on Julius Randle would work.
The fact Randle might already be available, per SNY’s Ian Begley, mere months removed from signing a four-year, $117.1 million extension says everything you need to know about his season (and New York’s as a whole). All of his averages have dipped from last year’s All-Star breakout, including declines from 24.1 points on 45.6 percent shooting (and 41.1 percent from three) to just 18.5 points on 41.3 percent shooting (and 30.6 percent from deep).
Still, that All-Star emergence happened. Randle’s skill set supported it. If his shooting rates recovered, he’d be a fascinating co-star for Beal.
When Randle is feeling it from range, he offers three-level scoring with significant secondary distributing and a heavy appetite for rebounds. Slot some shooters and willing defenders around them, and Washington might have a twosome capable of leading a playoff charge.
Knicks fans who remember Randle as an All-Star won’t love this return, but those worried about his declining stats and rising salary might view it as a useful escape route. If the front office agrees with that assessment, we could be in business.
The best incoming asset is either Rui Hachimura, the 2019 No. 9 overall pick who averaged 13-plus points in each of the past two seasons, or the future first-rounder, which would head to New York two years after the Wizards sent a pick to Oklahoma City that has protections through 2026. If the Knicks found a way to balance Hachimura with Obi Toppin and Mitchell Robinson, their frontcourt rotation would be set for years to come.
Otherwise, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is a serviceable three-and-D option on the wing, while Aaron Holiday could work his way into the ‘Bockers crowded backcourt rotation. Holiday comes off the books this season, while Hachimura and Caldwell-Pope are only signed through 2022-23, so New York would have no long-term financial obligations here unless it wants them.
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Brandon Dill/Associated Press
Memphis Grizzlies receive: Ben Simmons
Philadelphia 76ers receive: Dillon Brooks, Kyle Anderson, De’Anthony Melton, 2022 first-round pick (top-10 protected, via LAL), 2022 first-round pick (top-six protected, via UTA) and 2024 second-round pick (via LAL)
The Grizzlies cleared the 20-game mark with a .500 record and have gone 25-7 with an NBA-best plus-9.0 rating ever since. That thud noise you just heard might seem like it was yet another jaw dropped by Ja Morant and Co., but it was actually the knock of opportunity.
Rather than letting this group run through the tape and see how far it can climb, Memphis could make a major move for an established two-way star who just so happens to snugly fit the timeline of this nucleus. Grizzlies fans might sentimentally mourn the subtraction of the hardworking trio above, but they would eventually understand that their old, reliable hiking boots can’t hold a candle to a jetpack.
The jetpack in this case is Ben Simmons, who has yet to suit up for his fifth NBA season and still has three All-Star selections, two All-Defensive first-team honors and an All-NBA third-team nod on his resume.
He’d be a blur in transition with the open-court speedster Morant. Meanwhile, a frontcourt combo of Simmons (probably a power forward in Memphis) and Jaren Jackson Jr. would be as defensively versatile as it gets. Jackson’s shooting stroke would open attack lanes for Simmons, while Simmons’ quarterbacking could give Jackson more looks at the basket.
This is surely a bigger swing than the Grizzlies plan on taking, but adding a 25-year-old All-Star without sacrificing any of the Morant-Jackson-Desmond Bane trio feels like a no-brainer.
As for the 76ers, they don’t land their coveted star, but they do flesh out their roster with three rotation players (at least one starter in Dillon Brooks) and add draft capital to pursue more upgrades (perhaps in a Tobias Harris swap).
Brooks, Kyle Anderson and De’Anthony Melton all play both ends of the court. Brooks can get too hot to touch as a scorer. Anderson plays a cerebral game, which would allow him to pick and choose his spots alongside Joel Embiid. Melton is a monster defender and decent secondary creator.
Statistics are accurate through Sunday’s games and courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball Reference unless otherwise noted. Contract information via Spotrac.
Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @ZachBuckleyNBA.
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