Fixing NBA Teams With Just One Trade

Fixing NBA Teams With Just One Trade

I’ve cooked up five realistic NBA trade ideas that would fix a lot of things for these teams or just be really exciting. Not the wild fantasy stuff you see on social media, but legit win-win deals that actually make sense. And stick around till the end because I’ve saved one that is being negotiated right now and is most likely to actually happen. Let’s start with Miami. We all know what the heat culture is. We’ve heard it a million times now. Discipline, structure, accountability, the Riley’s postra blueprint. And while that system has made the Heat a consistent playoff team, it’s time we be honest. Since their finals run, they’ve been missing real star power. Sure, Bam is amazing. Hero is all-star caliber, and Wiggins was a smart pickup for what he brings on defense, but none of those guys can carry an offense deep into the playoffs. Jimmy Butler’s gone, and without him, the ceiling just isn’t high enough. So, what do you do if you’re Miami? You go and get a flawed superstar with insane upside. You go get Zion Williamson. What would it take to get him? Well, here’s my trade idea. He’d get Zion while Miami sends Terry Rosier, Nicole, Haimeh Hakez Jr., and a 2030 firstrounder to New Orleans. This way, the Pelicans would get cap flexibility with Rosier’s expiring 26.6 6 million deal, plus two young, intriguing wings in Yawic and Hakez, potentially starting yet another rebuild. Look, I get it. For Miami, this is risky. Zion’s track record isn’t great, to put it lightly. He’s been battling injuries for most of his career, while doubts about his conditioning, work ethic, and maturity have always been there. Now, he’s also facing a massive off-c court storm that could impact his future in ways we still don’t fully understand. The lawsuit in LA is serious, and until there’s legal resolution, there’s going to be uncertainty. His legal team has issued a strong denial, calling the claims categorically false and financially motivated, while stating they’ll file a counter claim. And I don’t know what’s going to happen here. I don’t want to downplay it whatsoever, but the harsh truth is that that’s exactly why he would even be available. This is the moment where you can buy low on Zion. And if anyone is capable of getting him in shape and putting some structure in this man’s life, it’s Miami. Pat Riley’s standards are brutal. Weekly body fat checks, weigh-ins, and a conditioning test where failure means you don’t play. And for Zion, maybe that’s what’s necessary, but it only works if he actually wants it himself. With Luca, we are already seeing what that commitment looks like as he looks in his best shape ever, spending the off season as a Laker for the first time ever. With Zion, we don’t know yet. If he buys in, the Heat could unlock the superstar we have only seen in glimpses. Because let’s be real, when he’s actually on the court, he’s still an all-star. 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists on 56.7 shooting in just 30 games. His transition numbers are elite 2. He generates over 1.03 points per possession in transition and 15% of his offense comes from running the floor. Essentially, he’s a one-man fast break. The Pelicans were plus 11 in efficiency differential when Zion was on the floor. Their offense also improved by 8.2 points per 100 possessions with him in the game. So, the impact is great and the Heat would benefit from it greatly. Now, let’s address the bugs. As Shams did recently say this about the Greek Freak’s future, sources tell me there’s still nothing set in stone about whether Jiannis enter into the Kmpo will stay in Milwaukee or whether he will be leaving. And the candidate that’s apparently most interested to trade for Giannis is the New York Knicks. Personally, that’s something that intrigues me a lot. We would have another European in a big market team. Giannis himself didn’t mind this idea on I show speed’s live stream. New York tax is bad. A lot of people tried to convince me go and play there. So you staying in Milwaukee? Uh we’ll see. Here’s what a potential trade could look like. OG Anobi, Mitchell Robinson, and Miles McBride alongside three first round draft picks go to Milwaukee. And New York of course gets Jannison Toukmpo. You might automatically assume that Cat would have to be involved for the Bucks to be interested, but that’s not necessarily the case. Milwaukee already added Miles Turner, so pairing him with Cat, someone who’s really similar, another floor spacing big, doesn’t really make much sense. In general, the right path after a potential Giannis departure, isn’t to chase another super team in return. That’s neither realistic nor the right approach. Milwaukee has too many roster flaws for any single trade to fix it, even if it’s a blockbuster. In fact, if Giannis does leave, it will likely be because the bugs simply don’t have enough to compete for a title anymore. I think rebuilding from scratch is often the smartest move in situations like this, and we’ve seen it many times before. For the next, this is a pure all-in push. You’re looking at a potential starting five of Brunson, Bridges, Hart, Giannis, and Cat. That’s scary. Yes, Brunson and Cat have their defensive flaws, but swap OG for Giannis, and suddenly you can switch everything, run in transition, or just bully teams physically. Cat doesn’t need the ball to be effective. And playing next to the gravity of Giannis could open up his offensive game even more. Meanwhile, Giannis gets to play next to arguably the best shooting big man in NBA history. So, the fit is almost perfect there. All right. Now, do me a favor and make sure that you are subscribed to our channel if you’re enjoying these trade ideas. So far, we like to look at the NBA through our overseas European perspective and release videos every week, so don’t miss out. Back to the video. Now, if Milwaukee wants to keep Giannis and contend with their current core, they have work to do. Their big offseason splash was signing Miles Turner, which helps a ton defensively and gives them more versatility up front. But there’s one glaring issue still hanging over the roster. And in my eyes, that’s Kyle Koosma. Look, I’m not saying Koosma is bad, per se. He’s just not what the Bucks need, and his fit in the team has been weird from the start. The team simply performs worse with him on the floor. His on andoff efficiency differential is -2.4. They’re also giving up 7 and a half more points per 100 possessions when he’s playing. And for a guy making 22 million per year, that’s a bit of a problem. Instead of trying to flip him for another high usage wing, Milwaukee needs a player who fits into a defined role and brings some consistency. That’s why I like this trade. Kyle Koosma and Andre Jackson Jr. to Portland for Jeremy Grant and a 2027 secondrounder. I know Grant’s contract isn’t cheap either, but he makes more sense in Milwaukee and the Trailblazers want to trade him anyways. He’s also a way better catch and shoot player, too, as he scores 1.21 21 points per possession in those situations. That is significantly better than Koozma, whose catch and shoot numbers are honestly pretty rough. Grant also gives you more size, defensive versatility, and a veteran presence. And while he’s never been a dominant rebounder, playing next to Giannis and Turner means that weaknesses can be covered up. Defensively, Grant is just more reliable. He can take on tough assignments, guard multiple positions, and he’s got a legit 7’3 wingspan to disrupt plays. If the Bucks are actually trying to get back to the finals, I think Grant is the type of guy you want next to Giannis, not Koozma. Let’s move to the Pistons. I know, I know Detroit isn’t exactly the hottest topic in NBA conversations, but hear me out. They’re close to being very interesting. Last year’s playoff series against the Knicks was closer than people think, and next season they get Jaden Ivy back with Kate Cunningham taking a leap. I think Detroit is going to be a lot tougher than most expect, but they still need one more weapon. Malik Beasley’s offc court issues have left a hole in their scoring punch, and Tobias Harris, while valuable defensively, doesn’t offer the same level of spacing and pick and pop thread that they could use. So, here’s the move. Send Tobias Harris, Isaiah Stewart, a 2026 and 2027 first round picks to Utah for Larry Markin. Listen, Markinan is a perfect fit. He opens up the floor with elite shooting. He can play the five at small ball lineups. And he’s a perfect partner for Kate Cuttingham for a pick and pop. He’s not a volume shot creator, but that’s really fine. His value actually comes in in how he shifts defenses with his gravity. For Uta, this would be a cap play. Harris is on an expiring deal. They get two picks and a young big Stewart and they can shed Markin’s 43 million salary. If they’re heading into a rebuild, this is a clean way to do it. And finally, we’ve got Jonathan Kuminga. I actually think Kuminga is good, but he never made sense in Golden State. His skill set is built for isolation, slashing, and attacking mismatches. That doesn’t work in the Warriors Read and React offense. He doesn’t move off the ball well. He doesn’t stretch the floor, and playing him next to non-shooters like Draymond and Butler was a spacing disaster. Even though he averaged a career best 16.8 points last year, the Warriors were still worse when he played. three and a half points per 100 possessions worse to be exact. It just didn’t click. So these past few weeks a trade is actually being negotiated. Kaminga to Sacramento for Malik Monk and an unprotected 2030 first round pick. And honestly, I like it for both sides. Monk is exactly the kind of guard Golden State needs. He can score in bunches, stretch the floor, and handle secondary playmaking duties. The pick is kind of a bonus. And for the Kings, they got a young forward who could drive in a more open transitionheavy system where he can use his athleticism without being asked to read two defenders and make the perfect skip pass. Sometimes it’s just about the fit and this one makes sense. So those are my picks. Zion to Miami, Janice to New York, or Grant to Milwaukee, Li to Detroit, and Kuminga to Sacramento. Which one of these would you like to see the most? And maybe you just have your own trade ideas to propose. Drop those thoughts in the comments below.

Let’s fix Miami Heat, New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons, and Sacramento Kings with just one trade. From Zion Williamson to Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jerami Grant, Lauri Markkanen, Jonathan Kuminga and many others. In this video, I look at 5 realistic trade ideas and break down what impact they would have.

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