With the NBA trade deadline less than a month away, teams need to decide if they plan to go all-in, make a small move, be sellers, or stand pat. The central division consists of multiple teams aiming to win a title, a team trying to return to the playoffs for the first time in years, and a team that needs to tear things down.
The deals put together for these teams were made on Fanspo.
Cavaliers Recieve: Bogdan Bogdanovic, Larry Nance Jr.
Hawks Recieve: Caris Levert, Georges Niang, Craig Porter Jr., 2031 Top 5 Protected First Round Pick
Normally players like Bogdan Bogdanovic and Larry Nance wouldn’t equal the saying “All In”, but the Cavs have a fantastic core four. They just need to build around it, and role players like these two, are what they need.
Bogdanovic is having a down year for his standards, but he has dealt with injury and has not been able to get in a rhythm. When healthy, he has shown he is one of the league’s best bench scorers. He can create for himself, but also knockdown threes at a high rate, as he is a career 38% shooter from deep. He is a great sixth man, who can ignite at any moment and take over a game. Caris Levert is a good shot-creator, but Bogdanovic is more consistent and is a better off-ball player.
Larry Nance Jr. is a great fit for this Cavs team, as they have two great big men, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, but they have no depth at the position. Nance, a former Cavalier, is a springy rim running back who rolls hard to the basket and defends multiple positions on defense. He can play next to either Allen or Mobley, spacing the floor to an extent, or he can play without them both, and play a small-ball role. Regardless of his role, the Cavs need some insurance for the two bigs. A homecoming for Nance would be great since he had some of his best years there, and he would fill a major need.
A first-round pick may seem like a steep price to pay for two bench players, but Bogdanovic is under contract for three years, so he is not a rental for the Cavs. Nance is a free agent following the season, but it is very realistic to see him return as well if he were to be acquired. Cleveland would be getting at least one core rotation piece for multiple years in this deal, if not, two. The Hawks on the other hand should only move Bogdanovic if they can net a first-rounder back.
Bogdanovic is extremely productive, and as mentioned before, he is on a controllable contract, whereas Caris Levert is set to be a free agent. The Hawks are one of the NBA teams that have just been stuck in mediocrity for a while. They are only good enough to maybe win a playoff game or two, but they aren’t bad enough to outright tank. Ironically, they won the draft lottery last year, but they had low odds of doing so; it was total luck. They need to recoup some draft assets from the Dejounte Murray deal they made with the Spurs, and while they did that this summer by trading Murray, they still need more.
They need to commit to a mini rebuild, as they have a promising young core, but it is hard to add to it when they are always picking 15-18.
Bucks Recieve: Jae’Sean Tate
Rockets Recieve: Pat Connaughton, 2031 2nd Round Pick
This is a boring deal but the Bucks can’t do much else unless they retool the entire roster. Jae’Sean Tate is a strong and physical wing who excels on defense despite being undersized. He has fallen out of the Rockets rotation due to the influx of young talent they have to develop. He is on an expiring contract and should be a target for contending teams. The Bucks need defensive help as badly as anyone, and Tate would help that problem in a major way. He isn’t some elite defensive stopper, but he will take on the best wing player on opposing teams, and he will make things tough on whoever he is guarding.
For the Rockets, this deal is just about getting something back for a player they likely won’t retain, and also letting Tate get playing time somewhere else. Pat Connaughton would serve as a shooter off the bench for Houston, but it is hard to see him getting real minutes over there. Tate is good enough to get consistent minutes, but Houston has so much depth that there isn’t room for him. Instead of having him sit on the bench all year, they can let him play meaningful minutes in Milwaukee and regain some value before free agency.
The second-round pick is a plus as well though, because in 2031, the Bucks could look a lot different and it could be in a negative way. There is a chance that pick winds up being an early second-rounder.
Pacers Recieve: Cam Johnson, Day’Ron Sharpe
Nets Receive: Obi Toppin, Aaron Nesmith, James Wiseman, 2025 Unprotected 1st Round Pick, 2028 Top 10 Protected First Round Pick, 2027 2nd Round Pick Via Utah, 2029 2nd Round Pick
Arguably the two biggest needs on the Pacers are wing defense and a backup big, and they have the chance to solve both of those problems with one deal. Two first-rounders and two core rotation pieces seem like a lot to give up, but Cam Johnson is an upgrade from Aaron Nesmith, Jarace Walker can take Obi Toppin’s minutes, and Day’Ron Sharpe is an upgrade from Thomas Bryant. Indiana gets two upgrades, as well as a clear path for playing time for their 2023 lottery pick in Walker.
Johnson has developed into a 3-level scorer while maintaining an elite shooting percentage from beyond the arc. He is shooting 43% from deep this year, despite taking a career-high 7.6 threes per game. He is averaging 20 points per game while shooting 50% from the floor, both of which are career-bests. He has turned into one of the best 3-and-D wings in the league and he is on a team-friendly contract. Between his on-court play and his contract, Johnson will be an expensive addition for whoever gets him, but the Pacers may need him the most.
Johnson would slide right into their starting lineup and offer them an elite shooter, but also a secondary shot creator when Tyrese Haliburton can’t get things going. The Pacers would be able to roll one of the league’s best starting lineups, with Haliburton, Ben Mathurtin, Johnson, Pascal Siakam, and Myles Turner. Their bench would also get a boost, as Sharpe is a notable upgrade over Thomas Bryant. He is a great rebounder and he is a defensive upgrade. He doesn’t offer much as a scorer, but he won’t need to score on this team. The two first-rounders would be well spent in a deal that upgrades the team in the present and the future.
The Nets have been gathering assets since they traded Mikal Bridges this summer, and next on their list of players to trade should be Johnson. He is the most valuable player they have, and he doesn’t fit a rebuilding team. He is 28 years old and is making a little more than $20 million per year. There are plenty of teams that could use his help, and that will only help Brooklyn drive up the price. The more picks they acquire, the quicker they can rebuild.
As for Toppin and Nesmith, both players are solid, and they can stay with Brooklyn, or be flipped elsewhere. Toppin likely wouldn’t net a first-rounder, but Nesmith possibly could net a protected first from a contender. He is a 3-and-D win who has shown a definite emergence over the past few seasons. He is only 25 years old, so he certainly fits the Nets’ timeline. Regardless, both players can contribute for either Brooklyn or another team.
Pistons Receive: Brandon Ingram, Javonte Green, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Karlo Matkovic
Pelicans Receive: Tobias Harris, Tim Hardaway Jr., 2028 Top 3 Protected First Round Pick, 2031 Lottery Protected First Round Pick, 2028 2nd Round Pick Via Miami, 2028 2nd Round Pick Via New York
The Pistons have been one of the league’s best stories, considering they are no longer a bottom-of-the-barrel team. They are above 500. at the time of this writing, and they have a real shot at the playoffs, or at worst the play-in.
Cade Cunningham has taken a major leap, and is fully healthy for what feels like the first time in his career. Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. have provided much-needed spacing for a team that was desperate for shooting last year. Before his injury, Jaden Ivey was having a great season, and he was proving he and Cade can fit together. The team has played well, but they still need a lot of help if they want to be a true threat to win a playoff series.
The Pistons have two guards who excel at scoring the basketball, but they lack a difference-making wing. Tobias Harris is solid, but he isn’t the same level of scorer that he once was. Both Ron Holland and Ausar Thompson are full of potential, especially on defense, but neither one is a threat offensively at the moment.
Brandon Ingram, on the other hand, is a threat on offense and a fantastic all-around offensive player. He has averaged at least 20 points per game every season since 2019-2020, and he has averaged at least 5 assists per game since 2020-2021. He has also turned into a solid 3-point shooter, knocking down 36% from deep. In four of his six years in New Orleans, he has shot at least 37% from beyond the arc. He is lethal from mid-range, and he can get any shot he desires with his height and length.
Considering he is on an expiring contract, two first-round picks may seem expensive, but the Pistons best bet at getting a star is through a trade. It is highly unlikely a star will sign there in free agency. If they believe they are just a piece or two away from being a true playoff contender, making a big push for Ingram would be worth it for Detroit. Both picks come with protections on them as well, and while the 2028 first is only top-three protected, the 2031 pick is lottery-protected, and that protects Detroit if they never get things together.
Losing Tim Hardaway Jr. isn’t ideal, due to the space he opens up, but he is on an expiring contract so he may not be around after this season regardless. As for Tobias Harris, he has been a good veteran presence for the Pistons, but he isn’t on the level of Ingram, and it is a no-brainer to swap the two.
The Pelicans should accept this deal without hesitation. If they do plan to let Ingram leave in free agency, they need to get something in return for him. Two first-round picks are a lot for a soon-to-be free agent, but because Detroit would sign him to a long-term, deal they can trade more, knowing he will not just be a rental. The Pelicans have had no luck this season, as someone seems to suffer a new injury every night, and that has caused them to be a bottom-five team in the league, but the talent doesn’t’ suggest that.
They already have an array of future first-round picks, but they can use these two and others to make a push for the next stat that becomes available. Tobias is only on a two-year deal, and the Pelicans can most likely trade him away after acquiring him, or at worst, next season when he is on an expiring contract. The Pelicans can’t let Ingram leave without getting anything in return, and this package has everything that teams look for when trading stars. Multiple first-round picks, expiring contracts, and a large short-term salary that can be used in future deals.
Bulls Receive: Kyle Anderson, Gary Payton II, Kevon Looney, 2025 Lottery Protected 1st Round Pick
Warriors Receive: Nikola Vucevic, Chris Duarte
It would appear that the Bulls have accepted they are not a contending team, but they have yet to part ways with their veteran players. Zach Lavine has had a great season, but between his contract and injury history, it would appear unlikely that the Bulls find a suitor for him. However, Nikola Vucevic has just two years left on his deal, and he is making just $20 million a year.
Vucevic is having a great year for the Bulls, averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds a game, while shooting a career-high 55.6% from the field, and 42.2% from three. He has been much better than the Bulls could have expected after having a down year last season. He has rebuilt some of his trade value, and he is expected to be a popular name on the trade market.
After a scorching hot start, the Warriors have fallen off a cliff. They are the 11th seed out West, with a record of 20-20 at the time of this writing. There hasn’t been real consistency in their play beyond Steph Curry, and more often than not, Andrew Wiggins. They don’t appear to be contenders, and they have made it known they are aware of that, but they shouldn’t stand pat at the deadline. Curry only has so many elite years left in the tank, and it would be a disservice to him not to make any moves.
They don’t need to trade for a star, but a player like Vucevic is perfect. Moving off of three back-end rotation players and a lottery-protected pick isn’t much to ask for. If the Warriors continue to crumble, the pick stays with them, and if they make a run, they lose a pick in the teens. The only true risk in this deal, is losing a pick that lands right outside the lottery, but that means Golden State made the playoffs. They have been linked to multiple centers on the market, and Vuc seems like the most realistic option for them.
This deal makes sense for the Bulls, as they hardly take back any long-term money, and they get a potential lottery pick if things work out for the Warriors. Vuc doesn’t make sense for a team that needs to lose games to keep their first-round pick this year. If their pick is outside the top ten, it means the Spurs receive it, but if it is in the top ten, the Bulls keep it. The Bulls need to do whatever they can to keep that pick, since they are in dire need of young talent.
Even if the pick from the Warriors doesn’t convey, the Bulls will be getting off of Vucevic’s contract, and they are taking the required steps toward an official rebuild. This is something that is long overdue. They can also flip Gary Payton II, Kevon Looney, and Kyle Anderson at the deadline for second-round picks, as they are all on affordable deals, and the first two are on expiring deals. Chicago needs to start moving their vets and this should be the first of multiple moves.
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