The NBA season goes by quickly and there is no shortage of excitement. LeBron and Lakers live up to expectations. The Celtics struggle to find consistency. The annual Anthony Davis rumors are back. More Fultz drama. The Warriors actually look, dare I say, unbeatable? Yes, 2019 is going to be a great year.
However, there are some gamers who may not get caught up in the action. By this point in the season, some of the players had fallen out as men who might benefit from a change of scenery. These players may need to find the best fit for their style of play or land on another team that could give them more minutes for their development. Or maybe their team wants to go down a path that doesn’t include them in the future.
Regardless, these players are all well-known players throughout the league. In fact, every single one of them was a lottery pick and had high expectations on them. Get ready to meet the players who could use a new team in 2019.
The Guardian – Dennis Smith Jr.
The sophomore guard out of North Carolina just so happens to be playing the next big thing in the NBA. Moreover, Luka Doncic and DSJ both need a healthy amount of ball in order to play the best brand of basketball.
According to Tim McMahon and Mark Stein, some people in the league believe the Mavericks will look to move Smith and see if they can get a good deal in return. After all, he had a rookie season that exceeded expectations and exacerbated concerns about his health.
.@tweet Expectations among league executives state that Dennis Smith Jr. will eventually transfer. Mavs tells Steiny that they don’t shop for the Smiths, but these are semantics. Executives from other teams tell me the Mavs are at least measuring the market for their 2017 lotto picks. https://t.co/AVYevoyif0
– Tim McMahon (@espn_macmahon) December 24, 2018
This makes sense for Mark Cuban and company. Doncic is the real goalkeeper. Smith is an ordinary player off the ball (35.7 percent on catching and shooting 3s, for example) but he excels when he has the ball in his hands more often than not. For example, he improved his field goal percentage on drive by 8 percentage points this year, but he’s actually taking fewer drives per game this season.
Smith’s hypothetical departure may occur for reasons of convenience rather than talent. Find out how his shooting proficiency made the jump from his rookie to his sophomore year.
season | p | deputy | FG | FGA | FG% | 3 p | 3PA | 3P% | 2P% | eFG% | Free Trade Agreement | FT% | TRB | ast | The Special Tribunal for Lebanon | TOV | points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2017-18 | 69 | 29.7 | 5.9 | 14.8 | .395 | 1.5 | 4.9 | .313 | .435 | .446 | 2.8 | .694 | 3.8 | 5.2 | 1.0 | 2.8 | 15.2 |
2018-19 | 21 | 28.4 | 5.0 | 11.3 | .437 | 1.3 | 3.8 | .354 | .478 | .496 | 2.7 | .667 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 1.3 | 3.3 | 13.0 |
Professional life | 90 | 29.4 | 5.6 | 14.0 | .403 | 1.5 | 4.6 | .321 | .443 | .456 | 2.8 | .688 | 3.6 | 4.9 | 1.1 | 2.9 | 14.7 |
DSJ improved these numbers even though its usage dropped from 28.9 percent to 23.7 percent. The talent is definitely there. The Mavericks know this, but they also know that to increase Doncic’s talent, they must surround him with breaks and guys with roll appeal. DSJ fits none of those molds.
What teams might be interested? Expect Phoenix to make a call. Even though Point Booker is a legitimate option for them now, they may still want a point protection token. They also had the assets for the Smith’s land. Orlando could use a guard, and so could the Knicks. The dark horse option would be the New Orleans Pelicans. Jrue Holiday played great alongside another goalkeeper in Rajon Rondo. Trading in the DSJ raises the Pelicans’ talent level and thus increases the odds of resigning from AD when the time comes.
The Guardian – Markell Fultz
You should have expected this, right?
Philadelphia became a real contender after adding Jimmy Butler to the team. They will definitely have to keep an eye on chemistry issues. They also need to continue to gel. But, the Sixers can run in the NBA Finals.
They even expect their first overall pick to return this season, according to Voivodeship:
So far, Brothers said, Fultz has regained strength and mobility in his right shoulder, which the agent believes will improve the form of a jump shot that failed the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft thus far in the league.
This sounds like positive news for Sixers fans. However, I wouldn’t buy this outright. During a season and a half, the Fultz draft was a nightmare, delivering one of the worst returns on investment the league had seen from a top draft pick.
There’s always a chance this news will be dropped so the Fultz camp can make the guard more tradeable before the deadline. He will take advantage of a team that is not in winning mode right now. The rebuilding team, or the less competitive team, can be patient with Fultz and allow him to work through his growing pains.
What teams can make a call to GM Elton Brand? I’ve written before about Fultz being fit in San Antonio. Miami is another squad known for developing players. Watch the small market teams having trouble acquiring high-end talent can roll the dice on someone like Fultz.
Wing – Jillin Brown
*This is as good a time as any to notice my bias in the Celtics.
The Boston Celtics have clearly underperformed this year. I could debate how patient we should be with Gordon Hayward and how they have too much talent to let them fail, but that’s for another blog. Today’s focus: Jaylen Brown.
Brown took advantage of opportunities last season. He has been a focal point of the crime and is free to screw it up. This year, the dynamic has changed dramatically, and we’re seeing its impact on players like Brown and Terry Rozier.
Don’t be fooled by the dip in this year’s stats, Brown has a lot of potential. In case you forgot, watch him drop 34 points against the Bucks during last year’s playoffs by going 5/8 from deep and 13/24 from the floor overall. In that game, he routinely scored on Giannis, masterfully trusted his catches and hit threes, and played stellar defense.
For this postseason, Brown averaged 18 points per game, 1.4 assists and 4.8 boards on 46 percent shooting from the floor and 39 percent shooting from outside the arc. Those are stellar numbers, especially for sophomores, folks.
Will the Celtics move Jaylen? No. Nor should they. He’s still incredibly young, he’s got a high ceiling, a cheap contract, and he is Too damn clever For not getting back on track. However, Brown will thrive more quickly if he has an environment that causes him to run with starters more frequently.
Recently, Brown has been coming off the bench with the Celtics. His rate of use this season is the same as it was last year, but the players he is on the field with have changed. Like almost all players in the NBA, he benefits from playing with more talented hoops. Maybe JB is struggling because his shots are a little less open, the fairways aren’t as wide, and the back door passes don’t come in as often.
Starting the Browns makes sense for the Cs, and if they don’t, maybe another team should. Who are those teams? Indiana needs a wing upgrade, especially since Tyreke Evans isn’t the guy they thought he’d be. However, the Cs would not move the Browns, particularly to a playoff team in the same conference. Chicago needs a winger and so does Brooklyn, for what it deserves.
Striker – Aaron Gordon
Air Gordon has become the kind of combo that NBA GMs aspire to nowadays. He’s an improved and reliable three-point shooter now (38 percent in 4.3 attempts per game.) He has the appeal of a lob because of bunnies in his sneakers. The man has all the tools on paper to defend every front court position. Gordon can help a lot of teams in this league.
However, the Orlando Magic have something of a spot-record jam. Jonathan Isaacs, a player still brimming with potential, plays the kind of defense that requires a subtle overshoot. Mo Bamba is a project, sure, but it seems like a bit of a five edge protection stretch. Then there is Gordon…
Three frontcourt players on two positions, and that doesn’t include Nikola Vucevic. Something to give, after all, and I think Gordon reappears in the trade rumors. Magic can get a great deal for him, too. Why? Check out his friendly team’s contract.
Gordon is heading in the right direction in terms of skill and contract commitment. He’s getting more efficient every year while also costing his team less money. An athletically gifted 23-year-old who hits 43 percent on corner kicks three times and has a contract running back? Engage me.
Some teams to watch Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns. Is there a trade that ships a DSJ and cap-filler into Magic for Gordon? I sure hope so. He’s a great compliment to Luka Doncic, plus the Magic needs a point man. Phoenix can submit to Ryan Anderson, Josh Jackson, and first-rounders. While many believe the Suns need a guard, Devin Booker’s recent numbers indicate he could be a Harden-esque facilitator for the team. Gordon compliments Booker and Ayton with kindness.
Paige – Zack Collins
Another player I’ve written about before, Zach Collins began explaining why he cut down on the draft boards two seasons ago. So what’s the deal with Portland’s backup mega-man?
Firstly, Collins plays behind Jusuf Nurkic, which is understandable. Nurkic is a starting position who helps Portland win. He’s on the books until 2021-2022 when the Blazers can waive him for just $4 million. Even then, he was taking home about $12 million a year. Collins is in Portland’s future, but perhaps not as a starter for long.
What makes Collins such a desirable prospect? 7-footer is mobile and has promising defensive instincts. On top of that, he has a thriving skill set and projects to be a reliable stretching center who can also beat you out of the paint. For example, he hits 77.8 percent of his paint touches per game and has the best Send Percentages from the cities of Carl Anthony, Domantas Sabonis, Jonas Valancionas, and Enes Kanter.
His accuracy per 36 minutes this season is very impressive and trending the right way compared to last year. There’s a reason players don’t always play 36 minutes, but it’s a decent indication of his theoretical output.
season | age | g | FG | FGA | FG% | 3 p | 3PA | 3P% | 2P% | Free Trade Agreement | FT% | TRB | ast | The Special Tribunal for Lebanon | BLK | points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2017-18 | 20 | 66 | 4.0 | 10.0 | .398 | 1.2 | 3.9 | .310 | .455 | 1.4 | .643 | 7.6 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 10.1 |
2018-19 | 21 | 34 | 5.2 | 10.4 | .503 | 1.0 | 3.3 | .322 | .585 | 3.1 | .857 | 8.1 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 14.2 |
Professional life | 100 | 4.5 | 10.1 | .439 | 1.1 | 3.6 | .314 | .510 | 2.1 | .765 | 7.8 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 11.6 |
As an extended five who can protect the edge and become a decent switch-up defender, Collins should take care of every GM in the league. What teams should you be fascinated with specifically? Cleveland is rebuilding and can spare Collins starting while she tanks. Portland has a limited window, and bringing Kevin Love to Oregon for a package that includes Collins, picks and prospects could be the overall move we’ve been waiting for in Portland.
However, Atlanta is the best. Collins would form the adorable alias of Collin’s Squared with John Collins but they complement each other so well. Zach Collins is the better edge guard and 3-point shooter, the other Collins runs downfield and has more defensive issues.
honorific
Bradley Bell: The Washington Wizards trial has officially ended. Despite the presence of John Wall, some stretch marksman capable of guarding multiple positions, and a coach who has had some success in the past, for some inexplicable reason this team just doesn’t work.
Players are often determined by the team’s success. Bill has all the tools to be a top 20 player in this league and possibly an NBA player. This guy shipped to LA already; He was born to play alongside LeBron James.
Kimba Walker: It kills me when I see the former UConn alum rot on a team like the Hornets. Walker must drop 40 points and make the tackle on an opposing team’s TNT. Unfortunately, it is not. you know what? Pair him and former Husky Jeremy Lamb (who is having a career year, quietly) together and send them both to a team just a block or two away.
Kevin Love: Be healthy, K-Love. Then once your trade restrictions are lifted on January 23rd, advocate for trade, please.