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marcusfizer21 14 years, 3 months ago.
Tobe Bryant
NbanflguyKirk Hinrich could help solve the Lakers’ issues at point guard.
Although much of the focus leading up to the NBA’s March 15 trade deadline has focused on Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol, a number of smaller trades could have a big impact on the futures of several teams.
Some trades will help teams make a deep run in the playoffs this season, while others will address longer-term goals such as stockpiling draft picks and ensuring cap flexibility.
Here are five potential smaller deals that could have a big impact:
1. The Atlanta Hawks trade PG Kirk Hinrich to the Los Angeles Lakers for SG Darius Morris and a first-round pick (either the Lakers’ pick or Dallas’ pick from the Lamar Odom trade)
Why the teams should make this trade: The Lakers are in dire need of a point guard, and they’ve coveted Hinrich in the past. They have a trade exception of $8.9 million acquired via the Odom trade, so they could absorb Hinrich’s salary. He is a versatile combo guard who is an excellent passer and can score. He owns a nice shooting stroke and would make teams pay for double-teaming Kobe Bryant or Gasol and Andrew Bynum in the post.
Hinrich also would offer insurance if Steve Blake is injured again. He’s a tough, gritty competitor who would bring the defensive mentality Mike Brown loves. He could flourish in L.A. instead of languishing on the Atlanta bench, where he has lost traction as a result of Jeff Teague‘s emergence.
The Hawks have to look around at their competition in the East and realize they do not have the pieces to beat the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls or even the Philadelphia 76ers. Although the Hawks are 20-14, they cannot make a deep playoff run with Al Horford out of the lineup until possibly April or May. The Hawks need a center, and by giving up Hinrich, they would be able to grab a big man in the draft or an asset they could flip. That would give them roster flexibility to trade for a big man in the offseason.
Morris is a talented point guard who should have stayed at Michigan for another year. In time, however, he could be groomed for the starter’s role or serve as a valuable backup.
2. The Toronto Raptors trade PG Jose Calderon to the Utah Jazz for PG Devin Harris and a future pick
Why the teams should make this trade: Calderon has had a nice seven-year career with the Raptors, but at age 30, he might not be in the team’s future. Head coach Dwane Casey is all about defense, and Harris would provide an upgrade over Calderon.
On the other hand, Calderon (13.6 ppg, 10.2 apg in the past 10 games) would be tremendous running the Utah offense with big men Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap. He is one of the best assist-to-turnover ratio point guards in the NBA, whereas Harris has proved to be a bad fit for the Jazz, averaging just 9.1 ppg and 4.5 apg, the lowest numbers he has had since his early days in Dallas.
3. The Dallas Mavericks trade SF Shawn Marion to the Utah Jazz for a first-round pick
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Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty ImagesUnloading Shawn Marion’s contract would help Dallas clear cap space.Why the teams should make this trade: Although the Jazz have a track record of avoiding taking on salaries like Marion’s, the deal is intriguing nonetheless. Marion’s salary of $8 million would fit into the $10.8 million trade exception acquired in the Mehmet Okur deal with the New Jersey Nets, and Utah would benefit greatly from a player like him (16.4 PER) who can score, rebound and defend multiple positions.
The Mavericks have demonstrated that they are looking to the future with their purge from last offseason. They clearly want to get far enough under the cap to potentially sign both Howard and Deron Williams this offseason. To accomplish this, they would need to do several things in the months ahead:
1. Rid themselves of the two remaining years of Marion’s salary
2. Use their amnesty clause to jettison Brendan Haywood‘s $37.5 million salary
3. Allow free agents Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Delonte West, Brian Cardinal and Ian Mahinmi to walk
Certainly, trading Marion would not help the Mavericks win this season, but it might go a long way toward bringing them the two All-Stars they covet and perhaps multiple NBA championships in the years ahead.
4. The Houston Rockets trade PG Goran Dragic to the New York Knicks for SG Iman Shumpert
Why the teams should make this trade: Jeremy Lin has provided the Knicks with a tremendous lift since becoming their starting point guard. However, the Knicks are a disaster when he comes out of the game. Retreads Baron Davis, Mike Bibby and Toney Douglas simply are not the answer when Lin sits.
Shumpert’s minutes will drop after the Knicks’ acquisition of J.R. Smith, and Dragic would be the perfect security blanket for New York. He was a backup to Steve Nash in Phoenix, and although Dragic’s star has faded since arriving in Houston, where he’s averaged just 19.5 mpg, he would be a perfect guard for Mike D’Antoni’s system. He is an efficient guard who has shown the ability to run pick-and-rolls and attack the rim with confidence, and he is shooting 44 percent from the field.
Shumpert has good size at 6-foot-5 and is a tremendous athlete. He is extremely quick in transition and finishes at the rim, and he could provide coach Kevin McHale with a lockdown perimeter defender. At 20-14, the Rockets are a team headed in the right direction. Picking up Shumpert would give the Rockets the flexibility to trade Courtney Lee and move Jonny Flynn into Dragic’s minutes as the backup point guard.
5. The San Antonio Spurs trade SG James Anderson to the Lakers for SF Troy Murphy and Darius Morris
Why the teams should make this trade: Anderson has requested a trade because of his limited role and the emergence of Danny Green, and the Spurs are likely to grant him one. The Spurs will not tolerate players who do not want to be part of their team, and in his one-and-a-half years with the team, Anderson has never shot the ball well in his limited minutes.
However, all is not yet lost for Anderson, who at 6-foot-6 was a tremendous scorer at Oklahoma State and could stretch the defenses with his 3-point shot. He’s a tough kid who can create separation and get to the basket with ease. Anderson could become a topflight scorer off the bench for the Lakers, a poor man’s version of Oklahoma City’s James Harden.
Currently, the Lakers have difficulty scoring points, and their bench is horrible. They rank 22nd in scoring at 93.1 ppg, and their bench is ranked 30th in the league, scoring just 21.2 ppg. Anderson could get more minutes and more opportunities to score and vastly improve the Lakers’ bench. Murphy is a stretch 4 who can shoot 3-pointers and create space for Tim Duncan, and in time, Morris could be a nice backup point guard for the Spurs.
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