Over the course of the 2019/20 NBA season, up until February’s trade deadline, we’re keeping an eye on potential trade candidates from around the NBA, monitoring their value and exploring the likelihood that they’ll be moved. Each of these looks at possible trade candidates focuses on a specific division, as we zero in on three players from that division.
Friday is just the 11th day of the 2019/20 regular season, so trade talks around the NBA haven’t started to heat up yet. In fact, the trade market has been pretty quiet for months — no deal has been completed since the Thunder and Rockets finalized their Russell Westbrook/Chris Paul swap way back on July 16.
Still, based on contract situations and early-season rotations, some potential trade candidates may begin to emerge sooner rather than later. Here’s a look at three Southeast players who could fit that bill…
Dion Waiters, SG
Miami Heat
$12.1MM cap hit; $12.65MM guaranteed salary in 2020/21
Waiters was said to be unhappy with his playing time during the preseason and was suspended for the Heat‘s first game of the season after expressing his displeasure on the sidelines during the club’s final exhibition contest. Since then, he has remained inactive as he works toward meeting Miami’s conditioning requirements.
According to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link), Waiters was “contrite” when he met with Heat officials this week, so perhaps he’ll eventually return to action, accept a reduced role, and play out the rest of his contract with the team without incident. Still, this feels a little like the situation Miami previously encountered with Hassan Whiteside, who griped about his declining role multiple times and eventually got traded.
With two years still left on his contract, Waiters doesn’t have positive trade value at this point, and the Heat’s hard cap will make it tricky for them to pull off certain deals. A trade may have to wait until 2020/21. But if the team explores the market in search of a major deal in the coming months, Waiters is a good candidate to be included to match salaries and get him a change of scenery.
Willy Hernangomez, C
Charlotte Hornets
$1.68MM cap hit; UFA in 2020
The Hornets almost certainly wouldn’t mind moving big expiring contracts belonging to Bismack Biyombo, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Marvin Williams. But it’s hard to imagine the team getting quality assets for any of those players.
As Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer pointed out in a recent mailbag, a trade involving Hernangomez might be more realistic, since his expiring salary is just $1.68MM. If a team is willing to give up a second-round pick for Hernangomez, Charlotte would probably listen, Bonnell writes.
Still, it’s not clear if there will be a team willing to pay even that modest price for Hernangomez, whose stock has dipped in the years since a promising 2016/17 rookie season. He has played in just two of the Hornets’ five games so far, and his trade value will be limited by the fact that he’ll be an unrestricted – rather than restricted – free agent at season’s end.
C.J. Miles, G/F
Washington Wizards
$8.73MM cap hit; UFA in 2020
Miles has already been traded twice in 2019, from Toronto to Memphis in February and then to Washington in July. With the Wizards in retooling mode and not expected to contend this season, there’s no reason to think the team wouldn’t move him once more before the deadline if he can rebuild his value.
Although he’s still recovering from offseason foot surgery, Miles is reportedly inching closer to making his Wizards debut. The veteran swingman should fit right in on a squad that has been letting it fly from beyond the arc so far — Washington has attempted the sixth-most three-pointers in the NBA (38.0 3PG) and ranks fourth in three-point percentage (38.2%).
Given the other shooters on their rosters, the Wizards won’t need to lean on Miles to space the floor, but it will be interesting to see whether they give him regular minutes to showcase him for a potential trade. That $8.73MM expiring deal won’t be easy to move, and a buyout may ultimately be more likely, but if Miles looks healthy and is knocking down 40% of his threes, maybe a playoff team in need of shooting help gets desperate.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
A second round pick is not a “quality asset.” Just because it is an unknown asset, doesn’t make it quality. About 75% of second round picks don’t even last 3 years in the league. Sure you could hit it big, but you could also do that in the Powerball. I wouldn’t call a bunch of Powerball lottery tickets a “quality portfolio.”
Sorry for the quick rant, but sometimes you just gotta yell at the clouds. to keep your sanity.
As far as Charlotte’s expiring contracts go, I am sure they can get quality talent if they are willing to take back multi year contracts like Chris Paul, Steven Adams, or Andrew Wiggins in exchange. They have horrible contracts, but
they can still play better than the guys the Hornets currently have.
Thing is all three of those guys still have value in their contracts. Paul is a future HoF and still gives you 18-8-3, even if overpaid that deal is better than the Hornets trash deals. Adams deal isn’t even that bad, he gives you about 12-12 is a solid locker room guy and one of the leagues best screeners. Wiggins his deal probably has the least value but he’s still young and has potential, he’s also still giving you production.
The Hornets should be looking to bring in as much young talent for cheap as they can.
I’d be going Malik Monk, Hernagomez and a second for Mo Bamba.
Nicholas Batum, Dwayne Bacon and a second for Andrew Wiggins.
MKG for Dion Waiters and a second.
Biyambo for Allen Crabbe
1. Rozier. Graham
2. Waiters. Crabbe
3. Bridges. Wiggins. Martin
4. Washington. Williams. McDaniels
5. Zeller. Bamba
May not look like you’ve gotten better but in the short term maybe you haven’t. That’s alright you’ll get a better draft pick, but you have gotten more young talent, Wiggins and Bamba, and you have still kept some expiring contracts, Crabbe and Williams.
I know they have value. That was my point. That’s why you take multi year deals for an expiring deal. You wouldn’t take back a multi year deal of an inferior player.
They just need to find either a player on a bad team or a disgruntled player that isn’t fitting in his current situation to use those expiring deals to acquire. Regardless, they should only trade those deal for better overall players because otherwise they would be better off just letting the deals expire.
A lot of those 2nd round picks don’t even play one year in the NBA.
With the CJ Miles one, obviously Washington are trying to compete still for whatever reason and obviously they will eventually need to go young and rebuild.
I think they should go for Brandon Ingram, he didn’t get his deal expanded which cuts his value but he has been playing really well so far (27p-8r-5a) and lighting it up from deep too. When Zion Williamson returns i think Ingram value drops even more because his production will really fall off. I think the Pelicans are trying to make the playoffs this year so maybe they would like Miles.
Maybe you can do a Ingram for Miles, Brown and a second.
Ingram in Washington still wouldn’t be the first option but he would get slot of shots, and a lot of ball in his hands to facilitate too. Ingram is young but gives you production, he’s also an underrated defender and I think a good fit for Beal and Hachimura.
Possibly Ariza to a playoff contender too, he’s cheaper then Iggy and a better 3 point shooter. Ariza would be good for Lakers, Pistons, Heat, Mavs and Rockets.
Courtney Lee and a protected first for Ariza would be a good deal for both teams.
Langston Galloway Thon Maker and a protected first for Ariza and Giles